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Prophet Sulaiman (Alaih Assalaam)

Sulaiman (Alaih Assalaam)was the son of Dawud(Alaih Assalaam). As you already know, Sulaiman(Alaih Assalaam) was very just even as a young boy, and he became well-known and respected for his wisdom. when he became a man, Allah made him His prophet. Allah also taught him to understand the languages of birds and animals. yet in spite of his wisdom and many wealthy possessions, Sulaiman (Alaih Assalaam) never forgot Allah. He knew that all goodness comes from Allah. Thus, he always told his people: Thank Allah for the good He has given you and for His generosity. Worship Allah and do good deeds.

Once, Sulaiman (Alaih Assalaam) and his soldiers were passing through a valley inhabited by ants. Sulaiman(Alaih Assalaam) heard one ant say to another: Quick, get out of the way and hide! Sulaiman (Alaih Assalaam) and his soldiers are coming, and they will trample on us and not even know they have done so!

Sulaiman(Alaih Assalaam), of course, was able to understand the ants’ language. He laughed and ordered his soldiers to stay still and wait until all the ants had crawled away to safety. Then he prayed to Allah: O Allah, help me in doing the right things so that You will be contented with me.

One day, Sulaiman (Alaih Assalaam) called all the birds to gather around him, but as he glanced through the flock, he noticed that the Hoopoe bird was not there. Sulaiman (Alaih Assalaam) waited for some time, and just as he was deciding not to wait any longer, the Hoopoe suddenly came flying in and sat himself down next to Sulaiman(Alaih Assalaam). I have come from a far-away city called Saba, the Hoopoe said. The people there are very rich and they have a Queen who sits on a magnificent throne. These people worship the sun and believe that they are right to treat the sun as God. But they are wrong, are they not? They will never find the right way to Allah if they go on like that. Allah is the only One Whom all creatures should worship.

Sulaiman(Alaih Assalaam) then wrote a letter to the Queen of Saba and sent the Hoopoe to take it to her.
When the Queen of Saba received the letter, she called all the wise men of the city to her. I have received a letter from Sulaiman(Alaih Assalaam), said the Queen. In it, Sulaiman(Alaih Assalaam) writes that we should believe in Allah and worship only Him. What would you advise me to do?

We are very powerful and can make war against Sulaiman(Alaih Assalaam), but you have to decide for yourself what is to be done, the wise men answered.

But war could cause destruction to our city, and our best warriors will turn into cruel fighters, the Queen protested. Therefore, I would prefer not to make war. Instead, I will send Sulaiman (Alaih Assalaam) a present.
When the messengers of the Queen of Saba arrived with the present, they were very surprised because Sulaiman(Alaih Assalaam) became very angry. Why do you bring me these riches instead of listening to my advice? Sulaiman (Alaih Assalaam) scolded. What Allah has given me is much better than all these riches. Go to your Queen and take her presents with you!

When she heard the Sulaiman (Alaih Assalaam) had refused her valuable gifts, the Queen of Saba, in her turn, was surprised. So, she decided to go to see Sulaiman (Alaih Assalaam) for herself. She called her people and made preparations for the journey to Sulaiman’s city.

When the Queen arrived, Sulaiman (Alaih Assalaam) explained to her about Allah and she realized how wrong she had been to worship the sum. You are right, she told Sulaiman(Alaih Assalaam), from now on, I shall worship only Allah. He is our only Lord and we should obey only Him.

Duty Towards Kin And Neighbors

After the limited circle of the family, the next social sphere is that of kinship and blood relationships. Islam wants all those who are related through common parents, common brothers, and sisters, or marriage to be affectionate, cooperative, and helpful to each other. In many places in the Quran good treatment of the near relations (Dhawi-al-qurba) is enjoined. In the Hadith of the Prophet (peace be upon him) proper treatment of one’s blood relations has been strongly emphasized and counted among the highest virtues. Islam looks with great disfavor to a person who cold-shoulders his relations or treats them indifferently.

But this does not mean that it is an Islamic virtue to favor one’s relations. If such support or bias towards one’s relations results in injustice, it is repugnant to Islam and is condemned as an act of Jahiliyyah (pre-Islamic times). Similarly, it is utterly against the principles of Islam for a government official or public servant to support his relations at public expense or to favor his kith and his kin in his official decisions: this would actually be a sinful act. Fair treatment of one’s relations, as enjoined by Islam, should be at one’s own expense and within the limits of justice and fair play.

After relations come one’s neighbors. The Qur’an has divided them into three categories:

1. a neighbor who is also a relation
2. a neighbor who is a stranger
3. a casual or temporary neighbor with whom one happens to live or travel for a certain time.

All of them are deserving of sympathy, affection, kindness, and fair treatment. The Prophet (peace be upon him) once said that the rights of the neighbor were so strongly emphasized by Angel Gabriel that he thought neighbors might even share one ‘s inheritance. (Bukhari and Muslim)

The Prophet (peace be on him) said: Anyone whose neighbor is not safe from his misdeeds is not a true Believer. (Bukhari and Muslim)

Again, he said: A person who enjoys a meal while his neighbor is starving is not a true Believer. (Ahmad, Baihaqi)

The Prophet (peace be upon him) was once asked about the fate of a woman who performed regular prayers and fasted extensively and who was a frequent almsgiver, but whose neighbors complained of her abusive tongue. He said: Such a woman shall be in the Hellfire. He was, then, asked about another woman who did not possess these virtues but did not trouble her neighbors either, whereupon he said: She would be in Paradise. (Ahmad, Baihaqi)

The Prophet (peace be upon him) has laid so much emphasis on being considerate to neighbors that he has advised that whenever a Muslim brings home fruit for his children he should either send some to his neighbors as a gift or at least take care not to offend them by throwing the peelings away outside their door. On another occasion, he said: A man is really good if his neighbors regard him as such, and bad if they consider him so. (Ibn Majah)

Islam, therefore, requires all neighbors to be loving and helpful and to share each other’s sorrows and happiness. It enjoins them to establish social relations in which one can depend upon the other and regard his life, honor, and property as safe among his neighbors. A society in which two people, separated only by a wall, remain unacquainted with one another for years, and in which those living in the same area of a town have no interest or trust in one another, can never be called Islamic.

Next to these come the wider relationships covering the whole of society. The broad principles on which Islam wants people to structure their social lives are:

Help you one another in Al-Birr and Al-Taqwa (virtue, righteousness, and piety); but do not help one another in sin and transgression. (Qur’an 5: 2)

You are the best of peoples ever raised up for mankind; you enjoin Al-Maruf (i.e. Islamic Monotheism and all that Islam has ordained and forbid Al-Munkar (polytheism, disbelief, and all that Islam has forbidden. (Qur’an 3:110)

Do not think evil of each other, nor probe into each other’s affairs, nor incite one against the other. Avoid hatred and jealousy. Do not unnecessarily oppose each other. Always remain the slaves of Allah, and live as brothers to each other. (Muslim)

Do not help a tyrant, knowing him to be such. (Abu Daud)

To support the community when it is in the wrong is like falling into a well while catching the tail of your camel which was about to fall into it. (Abu Daud; Mishkat)
No one among you shall be a true believer unless he likes for others what he likes for himself. (Bukhari and Muslim)

Happiness And Inner Peace

Real happiness and peace can be found in submitting to the commands of the Creator  and the Sustainer of this world.

Allah has said in the Qur’an: “Truly, in remembering Allah do hearts find rest.” (Qur’an 13:28)

On the other hand, the one who turns away from the Qur ‘an will have a life of hardship in this world. Allah has said: “But whoever turns away from the Qur’an he will have a hard life, and We will raise him up blind on the Day of Judgment.” (Qur’an 20:124)

This may explain why some people commit suicide while they enjoy the material comfort money can buy.

You will also find true happiness in helping others, keeping good relationships with blood relatives, sheltering an orphan, helping someone to pay his debts, supporting the weak, feeding the needy, spending money on charity… etc.

This simply means that happiness is not found in collecting money as a lot of people think.

Real happiness is found in enjoining what is good and forbidding what is evil.

You have to be always busy thinking about how to make the best use of your time in satisfying Allah and this in fact is the real pleasure of life. You have to realize that your life is short and it is a journey from birth to death during which you have to follow what your conscience tells you.

Small Acts Of Kindness Earning A Great Reward

The Prophet (peace be upon him) often used graphic descriptions and vivid images to emphasize the point he is imparting to his audience. Needless to say, when the point is linked to an image the recipient is impressed with, the point is never forgotten.

One good example is given in a Hadith related by Al-Bukhari on the authority of Abu Hurayrah who quotes the Prophet as saying: “A man was walking and he was very thirsty. He went down a well to drink. When he came up, he found a panting dog who was licking the earth because of his thirst. The man thought: This dog is as thirsty as I was a short while ago. He went down the well again, filled his shoe with water, and came up holding the shoe by his mouth. He gave it to the dog to drink. God thanked him by forgiving him for his sins. People asked the Prophet: Are we given a reward for kindness to animals? He said: You shall be rewarded for kindness to any living thing.”

As human beings, we are always liable to slip, make mistakes, incur sins, and yield to temptation. Therefore, we are always in need of God’s forgiveness. Hence, any action that brings us forgiveness is viewed with great interest. What the Prophet describes in this Hadith as bringing such reward from God is very simple and costs only small labor. The Prophet describes a man traveling on foot, probably in hot weather or in the desert. His water is exhausted and he is very thirsty. Then he finds a well, but he has to go down the well to drink. He does so and comes up having refreshed himself, only to find a dog who looks very thirsty. The man compares the dog’s condition to his own before he had his drink. He could easily turn away and continue on his way. However, he feels unable to do so unless he helps the dog. He has no container to bring water in. Therefore, he uses his own shoe. Consider the image the Prophet draws of the man as he is coming up, holding his shoe, which is filled with water, in his mouth only to give to a stray dog. What kindness motivates that man!

Up till this point, the image is fine and the man’s kindness is shown in full color. We admire him for what he has done. The Prophet, however, adds here a couple of greatly important touches, telling us how God views man’s actions. The first touch is that God is grateful to man. The second translates this gratitude into forgiveness of sins. To a Muslim, God’s forgiveness is a great reward, because it enhances one’s chances of admission into heaven. Great indeed is the prize.

The Prophet’s companions were amazed at the thought that such forgiveness is ensured through an act of kindness to a dog. Hence their question: “Are we given a reward for kindness to animals?” They wanted to be sure that this is true so that they would bring their treatment of animals in line with this principle. The Prophet’s answer was very clear: “You shall be rewarded for kindness to any living thing.” Even a small kindness is rewarded. If you put out some water in the garden for birds or other animals to drink, or some food that you may not need, you earn a reward for that.

Islam impresses on its followers that no kindness, however small, is overlooked. God rewards people even for the smallest action they do, as long as it is done for no selfish reason. A good action that is done purely for show-off earns no reward from God. What pleases Him and earns His generous reward is an action that is pure of selfish interest.

– by Adil Salahi

Kind Treatment of Wives

ALLAH instructs men to be nice to their wives and to treat them well to the best of their ability: “And live with them in honorably.” (4:19)

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, “The most perfect of believers in belief is the best of them in character. The best of you are those who are the best to their women.” (Al-Tirmidhi).

The Prophet of Mercy (PBUH) tells us that a husband’s treatment of his wife reflects a Muslim’s good character, which in turn is a reflection of the man’s faith. How can a Muslim husband be good to his wife? He should smile, not hurt her emotionally, remove anything that will harm her, treat her gently, and be patient with her.

Being nice includes good communication. A husband should be willing to open up and be willing to listen to his wife. Many times a husband wants to air his frustrations (like work). He should not forget to ask her about what annoys her (like when children would not do their homework). A husband should not talk about important things with her when he or his wife is angry, tired, or hungry. Communication, compromise, and consideration are the cornerstone of marriage.

Being nice includes encouraging one’s wife. The most meaningful admiration comes from a sincere heart that notices what really matters — what the wife really values. So a husband should ask himself what she feels most insecure about and discover what she values. That is the wife’s sweet spot of praise. The more the husband compliments it, the more the wife will admire it, and the more on-target this healthy habit will be. Kind words are like, “I like the way you think,” “You look beautiful in those clothes,” and “I love hearing your voice on the phone.”

Human beings are imperfect. The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said , “A believing man should not hate a believing woman. If he dislikes something in her character, he should be pleased with some other trait of hers.” (Sahih Muslim)

Fulfill The Rights Of Fellow Muslims

ABU Huraira relates that the Noble Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “A Muslim has six claims over another Muslim.” When asked what those claims were, the Noble Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “When you meet a Muslim brother wish him, when he invites you, accept his invitation, when he needs your sympathy, offer it, when he sneezes and thanks Allah, you should respond to him when he is ill, you should visit him and when he dies, you should join his funeral.” (Muslim)

In the Hadith under study, the Noble Prophet (peace be upon him) enjoins the believers to fulfill the rights of fellow Muslims. Here only six rights have been mentioned.

Wishing a Muslim brother. Wishing is not mere verbal salutation but a declaration and pledge that your Muslim brother’s life, property, and honor are safe from you and that you will never cause him any trouble and will pray for the safety of his faith and belief and for the Divine Mercy to descend on him.

Acceptance of invitation is another measure to strengthen the bonds of cordiality between the two. For, acceptance of the invitation means the presence of a cordial relationship, and its rejection is just the contrary.

Sympathy towards a Muslim in need. Only a person with the milk of human kindness in the heart can sympathize with or extend a helping hand to others. When he finds someone in need, he stands ready to do everything possible to redress the woes of his fellow Muslims.

Response to one’s thanking Allah on sneezing (that is, if he says Alhamdulillah). The response to thanking God on sneezing is to say Yarhamuk-Allah (may Allah have mercy upon you) and you remain firm in obedience to Allah and may not through your own deeds become a laughing stock.

Visiting an ailing Muslim brother. Visiting an ailing person is the practical manifestation of one’s sympathy towards others. It helps the patient feel that he is not alone in his hour of distress, and elicits the visitor reward from Allah.

Joining the funeral of a Muslim. This is the last concrete expression of one’s attachment to one’s fellow being, and there is great reward for fulfilling this obligation.

Growth Of A Child

Abdullah Bin  Mas’ud (Allah be pleased with him)  reported that Allah s Messenger (peace be upon him) who is the most truthful said: Verily your creation is in this wise. The constituents of one of you are collected for forty days in his mother s womb in the form of blood, after which it becomes a clot of blood in another period of forty days. Then it becomes a lump of flesh and forty days later Allah sends His angel with instructions concerning four things, so the angel writes down his livelihood, his death, his deeds, his fortune, and his misfortune. By Him, besides Whom there is no god, that one amongst you acts like the people deserving Paradise until between him and Paradise there remains but the distance of a cubit, when suddenly the writing of destiny overcomes him and he begins to act like the denizens of Hell and thus enters Hell, and another one acts in the way of the denizens of Hell until there remains between him and Hell a distance of a cubit that the writing of destiny overcomes him and then he begins to act like the people of Paradise and enters Paradise