SIMPLE LUXURIES ...

SAVOUR -  BE BACK SOON!

PAUSE TO REFLECT....

The Messenger of Allah (Blessings and Peace be upon him) said:  

"Acquaint yourself with Allah in good times and He will know you in bad times."

If a person fears Allah and observes His commands in times of ease, he has acquainted himself with Allah.  In addition, a special link or relation will develop between him and Allah.  Allah will then know him during bad times, meaning that He will help him because of his obedience in Him during good times.  "Acquaint yourself", and, "He will know you", suggest a special kind of knowledge, one that points to closeness between Allah and His believing slave and to love of Allah for that slave. 

Patience, when truly applied, has the effect of changing misfortune into a blessing.  It is all a matter of one's perspective and frame of mind.  For Allah does not test us in order to destroy us, but rather to assess our patience and degree of faith.  This is because Allah has a right to be worshiped in bad times just as He has the right to be worshiped during  times of ease and well-being.  Most people are faithful in their duties and responsive to command when things are going well and in accordance to their inclinations.  A crucial point to understand is that the true test is often to worship and follow commandments that are contrary to one's liking.  And in this regard people differ in their faith.  How they perform in those situations will determine their ranking with Allah. 

      

KNOWLEDGE IS THE KEY TO SERENITY AND EASE

Knowledge and an easy-going nature are like two inseparable companions:  if the first is present,  the other can be counted upon to accompany it.  If you study lives of  Islam's greatest scholars, you will find that they led simple live and that they were easy to deal with.  They understood the purpose of life and knew which issues were paramount and which were less important.  Meanwhile, you will find that the most obstinate of people are those who, without having knowledge, are ascetics. They understand revealed texts and are ignorant of religious issues. The calamity of the Khawarij (a deviant sect) stemmed  from a paucity of knowledge and understanding.  They were not guided to understand that there are issues which are paramount in our religion, and which take precedence over other issues.  And so they excelled in insignificant matters while failing miserably in lofty matters not to mention the mere basics. 

YOU ARE ABOVE JEALOUSY

The most blessed of people is the one who desires the Hereafter and is not jealous of other people for what Allah has given them.  He is someone who carries with him a message of higher principles and he wishes to impart that message to others.  If he is unable to help others, then at least he brings them no harm.  For example, Ibn 'Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him), he managed, through his lofty manners and his generous soul to transform enemies  (Banu 'Ummayyah, Banu Marwan, and their supporters) into friends.  As a consequence, more people were able to benefit from his knowledge and understanding.  He filled gatherings with knowledge and the remembrance of Allah.  He forgot the days of Al-Jamal and As-Siffeen, and he left behind what came before and after those battles.  He proceeded to build and to unite and to repair differences. Everybody came to love him and he became the "Eminent Scholar" of the Islamic nation.  On the other hand there is Ibn Zubayr (may Allah be pleased with him), who was the epitome of nobleness, generosity, and sincere worship.  He, however, preferred to confront rather than to give up personal rights, so much so, that he became preoccupied in this pursuit and consequently many Muslims were lost.  Then the worst of it happened.  The Ka'bah became a place of fighting, because his enemies found him, in its precincts and many were slaughtered.  Finally, he himself was killed and then crucified.  May Allah be pleased with him and with all of the Prophet's noble Companions.

I do not mean to disparage some and to praise others; I am merely attempting to study history with an eye for seeing out morals and lessons.  Gentleness, compromise, and forgiveness - these qualities are present only in a minority of people.  This is because, to achieve them and to incorporate them into one's character, one must repress and even subjugate one's self, forgetting lofty desires and ambitions.

A CONTRIBUTED ARTICLE

I agree with the  Writer's last paragraph: "Gentleness, compromise and forgiveness - these qualities are present only in a minority of people." (blogger)

'A LITTLE BIRD TOLD ME'.....

Murphy's Law - "Nothing is as easy as it looks, everything takes longer than you expect; and if anything can go wrong, it will and at the worst possible moment."

Maxwell's Law - "Nothing is as hard as it looks, everything is more rewarding than you expect; and if anything can go right, it will and at the best possible moment."

EMBRACE CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM

Andre Moro said:

"Everything that is in harmony with our personal inclinations, appears to us as a truth, and everything else only serves to provoke our anger."

A prime example of this is when we are given advice or criticism.  For the most part, we adore praise and our spirits are lifted when we are the objects of attentions, even if we praised  for the wrong reasons.  On the other hand we hate criticism and disparagement, even if it is said about us happens to be true.

George Bernard Shaw said:

"Perhaps the secret of depression is to allowing yourself to have time for superfluous thought, especially in whether you are happy or not.  Don't allow such thoughts to creep into your mind; rather, you should remain steadfast in working.  When you apply yourself to a serious task, your blood will begin to circulate and your mind will be spurred into action.   Your will find that your new life has quickly been removed of anxiety and worrisome thoughts. Work, and do so on a continual basis; for this is the most inexpensive remedy available on the face of the earth and the most effective."  

IBU BAPA PROFESSIONAL

"Ibu bapa professional mempunyai kemampuan serta kemahiran melaksanakan tanggungjawab keibubapaan kepada anak-anak secara yang cekap lagi teratur."  Secara dasarnya, bagi melaksanakan tugas ini, ibu bapa memerlukan ilmu yang mantap, sikap yang betul serta kemahiran yang jitu.

FRUITS GLORIOUS FRUITS ....

SEGAR! - REFRESHING AND ENRICHING

VITAMINS, FIBRE AND ANTI-OXIDANTS

GENTLENESS AVERTS CONFRONTATION

A Japanese teacher said to his pupils, "To bow is to be like the willow, and to not return  force is to be like the oak tree."

And in a hadith, the Prophet (buph) said:

"The believer is like the green plant; the wind blows it to the left and to the right."

The wise person is like water, for water does not crash into a rock, trying to pass through it.  Instead, it comes to it from the left and from the right, from above and from below.

In another hadith, the Prophet (Blessings and Peace be upon him) said:

"The believer is like a camel whose reins are on its nose.

If it were made to kneel on a rock, it would do so."  

'PUTS' MY 'SADNESS' AWAY...

'anak ku sayang' - adorable! LIGHT UP MY DAY

'rejunevating' - refreshing! BRIGHTEN ME UP

'soothing' - serenity!  CALM MY NERVES

'I like this' - colours of butterflies! MAKE ME HAPPY... la..la..la...