ADVICE AND WISDOM

*1* Do you sometimes feel like everyone is letting you down? The Almighty puts such people in your life to teach you to depend only on Him.

*2* Don’t react to others when you’re emotional as you’re more likely to misinterpret what they say. It takes a calm, sensible mind to do this.

*3* If you want something done well, do it yourself. Don’t expect others to feel the same way about it. In most cases, you can’t rely on people.

*4* Whether things work out or not, it’s the Almighty’s will. Keep going. Whatever the outcome, there’s a blessing in it. Keep smiling.

*5* Be wary of those who have a whole set of rules for others but follow none of their own rules. They pretend to be what they’re not.

*6* People will say & do things to upset you. That’s just the way it is. As long as you behave with integrity, you’ll be at peace.

*7* Being respectful, kind & polite are often mistaken for flirting. It’s sad because such qualities are becoming uncommon in a stressed world.

*8* Always remember we’re better off than many in this world. Our struggles are small, yet we always complain. Thank the Almighty upon all conditions!

*9* Society will judge you by its own standard. Don’t bother with it. The care you’ve shown, the love you’ve shared; they matter so much more.

*10* You may think it’s impossible to get out of your situation. You’re wrong. The Almighty can make things happen that we couldn’t make happen.

*11* We all have ups and downs; days where we struggle more than others. Know that the Almighty is aware & will never let our efforts be wasted.

*12* If you’ve been blessed with wealth, thank the Almighty. But be sure to keep the wealth in your hand & not in your heart. Give to please Him.

*13* Don’t look back with regret on missed opportunities. Allah closed those doors for a reason. May He open doors that always lead us back to Him.

*14* Don’t bring yesterday’s failures into today. Learn from them. Move on. The Almighty has better things in store. Put your full trust in HIM.

*15* Don’t look at material possessions & form your opinion of others. That’s shallow. If you’re worried about it, the problem lies with YOU!

*16* Don’t stress too much over worldly matters. Worrying about the future or regretting the past is a waste of time. Leave it to the Almighty.

*17* The more you give, the more you’ll get back. Even if it’s not money, give your time, words & advice. The Almighty will reward you in greater ways!

*18* Some people just love pushing others down. Don’t worry about them. They are powerless to stop what the Almighty has planned for you.

*19* Be content with what the Almighty has given you. Be grateful for the big, be patient with the little. Ask Him for blessings at all times.

*20* Calamity has its blessings. Embrace it. The Almighty knows. He has seen how it can transform a harsh person into one with the kindest heart.

*21* Don’t look at your neighbour & lose hope in your situation. Whatever you want will come to you. Be patient. What’s meant to be will be!

*22* Be in the company of those who build you up & have good intent for you; not the ones who pretend they care but will gossip & backstab you.

*23* Work hard for your Hereafter. Keep a balance with worldly life. You don’t need to shout about it. Let the lives you touched make the noise.

*24* The Almighty does not consider you superior because of your rank or riches. He looks at your heart, level of piety & your closeness to Him.

*25* Are you often suspicious & think ill of others even before verifying? It’s a bad habit disliked by the Almighty. Stay away from negativity!

*26* Don’t underestimate the evil-eye. It’s real. As far as possible, keep your blessings hidden. Be humble. Make the Almighty your focus.

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 Remember, O Commander of the Believers, death and what comes after it, and how few partisans you have there, or aids against it. Therefore make provision for death, and against the greater terror which follows it.

 

And know, Commander of the Believers, that there is a place for you other than the place where you are now. Your stay there will be long, and your friends will be separated from you. You will be committed to its depths as a completely solitary individual. Therefore, make provision of what you may take with you.

 

“On the day when a man shall flee from his brother, his mother, his father, his consort, his sons.” [Al-Qur’an 80:36]

 

And remember, Commander of the Believers:

“When that which is within the tombs shall be cast out, and that which is in the breasts exposed.” [Al-Qur’an 100:9], when secrets are made manifest, and “The record leaves nothing, great or small, without numbering it.” [Al-Qur’an 18:49]

 

And now, Commander of the Believers, you are in leisure, before the dissolution of death and the serving of hope. Therefore, Commander of Believers, do not give judgement among the servants of God according to the usages of pre-Islamic period (bi hukum al-jahiliyyah), and do not travel the way of transgressors with them, and do not put he arrogant in power over the humble, for such will not watch over any believer or the protected religious groups (dhimma), so that you will have to acknowledge your own faults and the faults of others, and bear your own burdens and other burdens too.

 

Do not be deceived by those who would lead a pleasant like by causing damage to you, and eat the good things of this world by causing the good things of your afterlife to disappear. And do not regard your power in this world, but look toward what will be your power when you are captive in the bonds of death, and forced to stand before God Most High in the company of the angels and prophets and apostles, and faces are turned to the Living and Self-subsisting One.

 

And I, O commander of Believers, though I have not attained by my rigors what prudent men attained before me, yet have not desisted from offering you solicitude and advice, sending you my letter as a doctor causes a beloved friend to drink disagreeable medicine, because he hopes to offer him health and soundness.

 

And peace be upon thee, O Commander of the Believers, and the mercy of God, and His blessing.”

Recorded by Ibn ‘Abd-Rabbiji (d. 328H / 940CE).

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 ADVICE TO ‘UMAR IBN ‘ABDUL-‘AZIZ FROM AL-HASAN AL-BASRI

When ‘Umar ibn ‘Abdul-‘Aziz became Caliph, he wrote to Al-Hasan al-Basri to give him an advice him and to write him the description of a just Imam, and Al-Hasan wrote him:

 

“Know, Commander of the Believers, that God has made the just Imam the prop of every learner, the straightener of every deviator, the reform of all corrupt, the strength of all weak, the justice of all oppressed, the refuge of all who are pitied. The just Imam, O Commander of Believers, is like a herdsman, solicitous for the camels he tends, desiring the sweetest pasture for them, driving them away from any dangerous grazing place, protecting them from beast of prey, and shielding them from the harms of heat and cold.

 

And the just Imam, Commander of the Believers, is the guardian of the orphan, and the treasury of the poor, fostering the little ones, and providing for the old ones. The just Imam, Commander of Believers, is as the heart is to the members of the body: all are sound when it is sound, and all corrupt when it is corrupt. The just Imam, Commander of Believers, stands intermediary between God and His servants; hearkening to God’s words, and making them hearken; looking to God, and making them to look; obedient to God and making them obedient.

 

Therefore, Commander of the Believers, act not in what God the Mighty and Glorious has given you like a slave whose master has trusted him and given into his care his wealth and his children, who then squanders his master’s wealth and drives his children away, and reduces the family to poverty and scatters their fortune.

 

And know, Commander of the Believers, that God has sent down (His prescription for) the legal punishments to chide (people) away from wickedness and immorality. How shall it be, if he who administers them, deserves them? And He sent down (the law of) retaliation to give life to His servants. How will it be if the man who gives them retaliation puts them to death?

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 ABU BAKR WITH THE WEALTH

Abu Bakar As Siddiq had a major role in freeing some of the Muslim slaves, who were barbarically tortured by their heartless Mushrik masters to give up the faith and return to their masters’ beliefs. The heartless monsters tried all kinds of torture: they made them lie all naked on the burning desert sand, putting big stones on their chest, as well as other kinds of torture.

 

Here Abu Bakr’s wealth came to the rescue, as he bought the poor helpless slaves from their inhuman masters and set them free, Bilal alHabashi, the slave of ‘Umayyah ibn Khalaf, was among those who were set free by Abu Bakr. Bilal became afterwards the mu’adhin at the Prophet’s mosque.

 

The Successor of the Prophet

The first Hajj under Islam was in the ninth year of Hijrah. The Prophet sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam was too busy at Madinah to lead the Hajj, so he sent Abu Bakr as his agent, he was to lead the Hajj in place of the Prophet.

 

The Prophet sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam led the prayers himself ever since he arrived at Madinah. During his last illness, the Prophet could no longer lead the prayers, he was too weak to go to the mosque, he therefore had to choose someone to fill such high position after him. Abu Bakr was also the one who was honored to be chosen by the Prophet for such a task.

 

Such was the quality of the humble and generous Companion who believed the Prophet in everything to the extent that he was called As Siddiq, by the Prophet. His great personality and service to Islam and Muslims earned him the love and respect of all Muslims, so that he was chosen as the first Caliph after the death of the Prophet by all Muslims.

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 ABU BAKR AS-SIDDIQ IN SOME LINES:

Abu Bakr As Siddiq was always a very close Companion of the Prophet SAW, he knew him better than any other man. He knew how honest and upright the Prophet was. He was indeed the first adult male to accept Islam.

 

He submitted to Islam with such determination that once the Prophet himself remarked, “I called people to Islam, everybody thought over it, at least for a while, but this was not the case with Abu Bakr, the moment I put Islam before him, he accepted it without any hesitation.” He was titled as Siddiq by the Prophet because his faith was too strong to be shaken by anything.

 

In fact, Abu Bakr was more than a great believer, as soon as he became a Muslim, he immediately began to preach Islam to others. Among those who accepted Abu Bakr’s invitation to Islam were ‘Uth man, Az Talhah, ‘Abdur– Zubayr, Rahman ibn Awf, Sa’ad ibn Waqqas and others who later became the pillars of Islam.

 

ABU BAKR’S LOVE FOR THE PROPHET

Abu Bakar As Siddiq was so great that he was willing to sacrifice his life for the sake of protecting and comforting the Prophet saw. Such love and sacrifice were demonstrated when one day the Holy Prophet was saying his prayers in the Ka’bah, while some of the chiefs of Makkah were sitting in the courtyard of the Ka’bah. Seeing the Prophet praying, ‘Uqba h ibn Abi Mu’it took a long piece of cloth and put it around the Prophet’s neck and twisted it hard in an attempt to strangle the Prophet sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam to death.

 

At that moment Abu Bakr happened to pass by from a distance, he saw ‘Uqbah trying to strangle the Prophet to death. Immediately Abu Bakr ran to the help of the Prophet, he pushed ‘Uqbah aside and took the cloth from around the Prophet’s neck. Thereupon the enemies of Islam came down upon Abu Bakr and beat him unmercifully. Abu Bakr with faith like a rock did not care for his own suffering, he was glad that he was able to save the Prophet of Allah, even at the risk of his own life.

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 On Edge of the Cliff

Among people, there is a kind of person who worships Allah on the edge of the cliff. And this means someone acts as if he stands on the edge of a cliff. He’s kind of dangling, not quite there and not quite off. Allah describes this image in Sura Al-Hajj and says:

وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَنْ يَعْبُدُ اللَّهَ عَلَىٰ حَرْفٍ فَإِنْ أَصَابَهُ خَيْرٌ اطْمَأَنَّ بِهِ وَإِنْ أَصَابَتْهُ فِتْنَةٌ

انْقَلَبَ عَلَىٰ وَجْهِهِ خَسِرَ الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةَ ذَٰلِكَ هُوَ الْخُسْرَانُ الْمُبِينُ

There are among men some who serve Allah, as it were, on the verge: if good befalls them, they are, therewith, well content; but if a trial comes to them, they turn on their faces: they lose both this world and the Hereafter: that is loss for all to see!

For this person, if something good happens to him, then he’s happily satisfied. But if a trial occurs to him, then he turns back on his face. And it is about all deeds, a person upholds to the righteous path as long as it’s convenient. It is a hard test for all of us! If that is the state of our faith, if we feel like every time things get tough, and then our faith disappears, then we have to be really warned about this state of affairs. And we need to ask Allah for firmness of your heart, that you’re able to maintain strength of your faith through difficult times.

What should we do then?

We have to understand and know how to deal with trials and how to face calamities. And be thankful to Allah for what he has done for you, definitely Allah wants the best for you. Let us try to show a little bit of gratitude.

وَإِذْ تَأَذَّنَ رَبُّكُمْ لَئِنْ شَكَرْتُمْ لَأَزِيدَنَّكُمْ وَلَئِنْ كَفَرْتُمْ إِنَّ عَذَابِي لَشَدِيدٌ

And remember! your Lord caused to be declared (publicly) If ye are grateful, I will add more (favours) unto you; But if ye show ingratitude, truly My punishment is terrible indeed.” 

The question is grateful to whom? you would think… grateful to Allah, but Allah didn’t mention himself. So, it could be grateful to Allah, grateful to your parents, grateful to your teachers, grateful for your health, grateful to friends … etc.

What is the benefit of being grateful?

If you could show this attitude, Allah promises “I will increase you”. The question comes up, increase you in what?! Allah didn’t limit what he will increase you in. That is the beauty of this Ayah. The motivation to be grateful. Allah will keep giving you more and more of everything. May Allah help us learn from the beautiful wisdom of the Quran, and make us grateful people.

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The main aim of livequranforkids is to please Allah and His Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him) by teaching Allah’s book.

 

We strive to inspire our students to have a strong connection with the Holy Quran through its recitation, memorisation and understanding. Therefore they are able to implement what they learn in their own life.

 

The Holy Quran is the word of Allah. Beautiful recitation of the Quran is something many of us wish to achieve. The starting point to beautifying recitation is to recite with the correct rules of recitation, known as Tajweed. Helping the students to achieve that is one of our aims.

 

The essential qualities of a good teacher are that they love the Quran and have the qualifications to teach the Quran with Tajweed. They work hard to transmit this love to his student and help the student to improve their recitation.

 

Our aim is to help the seeker of knowledge (our students) to achieve the best through their journey with the Quran, asking Allah to make this path of knowledge a path to paradise (Jannah).

 

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said,

“Whoever takes the path hoping for knowledge, Allah makes easy for him the path to Paradise. Verily, the angels lower their wings for the seeker of knowledge out of pleasure of what he is doing. Verily all in the heavens and earth seek forgiveness for the knowledgeable, even the fish in the water. The excellence of the knowledgeable over the servant is like the excellence of the moon on the night of the full moon over all the planets. Verily, the learned are the heirs of the Prophets. The Prophets do not leave a dinar or dirham but it is inherited in knowledge and he who takes it, takes a great bounty.”

[Abu Dawood, Ibn Maajah, and Ibn Hibbaan]