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Birds : A Lesson For You And Me

The other night, I had some old, stale bread left over. Although we don’t get many birds in our backyard this time of year, I didn’t want to waste any food, so I crumbled it up into tiny pieces and threw it in the backyard for the birds without paying much attention to it. And I would have forgotten all about it if I hadn’t heard the loud cawing of a crow the next morning, right after sunrise.

Caw! Caw!

It was so loud and persistent that I had to look out the window, wondering what all the commotion was about, having forgotten all about the bread crumbs from the night before.

And there it was… a crow so excited, so delighted, quickly pecking at the bread crumbs while also eagerly calling his friends to join him in his recently discovered, grand breadcrumb feast!

And sure enough, within seconds, at least 10 to 15 more crows had joined him and were swiftly pecking at the crumbs with their tiny beaks.

Do You Possess These Seven Habits?

This talk was based on the following hadith from Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him):
There are seven whom Allah will shade in His Shade on the day when there is no shade except His Shade:
1: A just ruler;
2: A youth who grew up in the worship of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic;
3: A man whose heart is attached to the mosques;
4: Two men who love each other for Allah’s sake, meeting for that and parting upon that;
5: A man who is called by a woman of beauty and position [for illegal intercourse], but he says: I fear Allah.,
6: A man who gives in charity and hides it, such that his left hand does not know what his right hand gives in charity;
7: And a man who remembered Allah in private, and so his eyes shed tears. Related by Bukhari

1. They Remember Their Sins
Some people fall into the habit of judging others by their sins while forgetting their own. They may not even think the sins they have committed are all that bad. This is a sign of a weak Muslim. A believer sees his sins as if he were sitting under a mountain that he is afraid may fall on him, whereas the wicked person considers his sins as flies passing over his nose, and he just drives them away like this. Related in Bukhari

Our Prophet’s (peace be upon him) Modernity And Cleanliness, An Example To All Muslims

The life of our Prophet (peace be upon him) is the finest model for Muslims of how to live by the moral values of the Quran. Our Prophet (saas) advised believers to avoid all behavior that is incompatible with the moral values of the Quran and advised them to be clean in mind and body, and set an example for them on this.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) attached the greatest importance to cleanliness, and therefore, to his hair and beard, too. It is reported in some sources that he always carried with him a comb, a mirror, a miswak (a small natural toothbrush), a toothpick, scissors, and a kuhl bottle. (Islam and Christianity, the Superior Morality and Habits of Hadrat Muhammad;)

The Prophet (peace be upon him) advised his companions to do the same and said, “He who has hair should honor it.” (Sunan Abu Dawud, Book 33, Number 4151)

The Prophet (peace be upon him) set an example for the believers with the importance he attached to his appearance and cleanliness. One account describes the Prophet’s (peace be upon him) attitude to such matters:
“The Prophet (peace be upon him) once intended to go to his companions, and so he put on his turban and dressed his hair… He said, “Yes, Allah loves the actions of His servant who refines his body to meet his friends and brothers.” (Imam Ghazzali’s Ihya Ulum-Id-Din (The Book of Religious Learnings), Islamic Book Service, New Delhi, 2001, Volume III, p. 268)

Ummu Hani (radi Allahu anha), daughter of Abu Talib, relates, “Rasulullah (peace be upon him) honored our home when he came to Mecca. At that time his blessed head was plaited in four strands.” (Et-Tirmidhi Imam Abu İ’sa Muhammed, Şemail-i Şerife, Vol. 1, Hilal Press, Ankara, 1976, p. 51)

Going To Hajj? Your Health Kit

Hajj is a lifetime journey for which the faithful hearts are longing. Indeed, it is a great favor Almighty Allah has bestowed upon His servants so that they can draw closer to Him and have their sins forgiven. As the performance of Hajj requires physical, psychological, and financial ability, all the would-be pilgrims need to be aware of all the health aspects of Hajj.

What is the best age for performing Hajj? What are the health aspects necessary to bear in mind during this season? What is the best nutrition that would aid our bodies during the Hajj rituals? How to avoid dehydration and other health problems outdoors?

To tackle this important topic, Dr. Amira Ayad, a pharmacist, nutrition specialist, and natural health consultant, provides answers to all these questions.

Should we be concerned about an outbreak of a SARS-like virus during the current Hajj season?
Fear and panic are the number one enemies of your immune system. It is highly important not to panic or worry. Stress and worry are proven to undermine our immunity greatly. Enjoy the moment and cherish your spiritual journey with a deep belief that “Never will we be struck except by what Allah has decreed for us; He is our protector.” And upon Allah let the believers rely.” (At-Taubah 9:51). This, of course, does not mean neglecting to take our precautions and follow the worldly means for prophylaxis and/or healing. For more on those, please refer to question 3 below.

And, remember, as long as you are fit, the viruses won’t stand a chance, in shaa Allah, so start taking care of your health early on before departure. Eat healthy, exercise, and get enough sleep and rest. And follow the prevention methods to the best of your ability.

5 Simple Sunnahs You Ought To Be Doing

Are you ready to become a better Muslim? Do you think you can be a much better Muslim and a stronger believer than you currently are?

If you’re ready to take your faith to the next level, then take a few minutes to ponder this hadith: “Allah said, ‘My servant does not draw nearer to Me with anything more beloved to Me than with the obligatory actions (in Islam). And my servant continues to draw near to me with voluntary acts so that I love him. When I love him, I am his hearing that he hears with, his seeing he sees with, his hand he strikes with, and his foot he walks with. Were he to ask of Me, I would surely give it to him, and were he to seek refuge in Me, I would surely give him refuge.”

Allah loves it when we fulfill the obligatory things He has ordained for us. These are things like:

  • The five daily prayers.
  • Fasting during the month of Ramadan.
  • Paying the Zakah.
  • Making Hajj at least once in a lifetime.
  • Returning the greetings.
  • Obeying the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him).

This is not an exhaustive list. There are many other things that Allah has ordained upon us. And a Muslim who is trying to get closer to Allah will do his or her best to fulfill these obligations. However, we all experience our weak moments of faith. When these weak moments happen, we may slack off on these mandatory Islamic duties. That’s why we should also perform some voluntary (Sunnah) acts as well. That way, when we go through these weak moments, we’ll slack off on the voluntary acts and continue doing the mandatory ones.