Sleepy Eyes

O Sleepy head !

Do not make haste for bed

But after salatul Isha

Crave for even more Thawab

And stand with me for a night prayer.

O Sleepy Eyes !

Do not fail to realize

As your lids start to close

Your last breath may be near - just suppose !

Better then, to stand for night prayer.

O Sleepy soul !

What burdens do you hold?

This longing for resptie

To sleep all through the night

Your night prayer will revive you untold.

O Weary self !

You are bestowed with good health

You are passing through life

With wealth and keen sight

Owe Allah a little thanks then this night.

O Supple bed and carrier !

You stand as a barrier

Between me and my Lord

Your comfort stirs discord

Do not kindle your warm welcome for me.

I have preferred the hard floor

Therin lies comfort much more

On the dust hard ground

Allah's nearness is found

How blessed is the nightly prostration.

Taken From: Al-Jumuah Magazine

Benefits of Qiyam Al-Layl (Night Prayer)

1) Sociability with Allah (SWT).

2) Advancement in the rank of devotion.

3) Fullfilment of needs.

4) Strengthning of the body.

5) Cure from diseases.

6) Solving of toubles.

7) Increase in sustenance.

8) Tranquility of soul and peace of mind.

Feedjit banned ?

Assalamualikum Dear Sisters,

The feedjit counter has been banned her in Saudi. I didn't know it untill I checked it out though it hasn't been displaying on my blog for so many days. Is it the same with ya'll too?

Jazak Allah Khairan.

Don't Quit !

Success is Failure turned inside out
The Silver tint of the clouds of doubt
And You never can tell how close you are,
It may be nearer when it seems afar
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit
It's when things seem worst that you musn't Quit !

You Can If You Think You Can

If You think you are beaten,
You ARE.

If You think you dare not,
You DON'T.

Success begins with your own WILL ....
It's all in your state of MIND .....

Life's battles are not always won,
By those who are Stronger or Faster;
Sooner or later the person who wins
Is the person who THINKS
He CAN !

Hayaa: A Distinguishing Characteristic Of The Muslim

Fourteen centuries ago , a man was sent as a mercy to humankind . He , sallallahu alayhe wa sallam , came to lead the people away from darkness and into light . He liberated the world from the bondage of idolatry and taught them to worship the only true God . He is the last messenger , a perfect example for humanity , and a true mercy from Allah.

With the message of Islam , the Messenger , sallallahu alayhe wa sallam , elevated human being to their most refined form because he taught them the most beautiful morals . He taught that moral integrity was central to faith and that one of his main goal was to rear men and women of impeccable character . He said , '' Verily , I have been sent for the purpose of perfecting morals .'' ( Muwatta ) . Indeed , it is an integral part of worship for the Muslim to train himself to have the best manners . When the Muslim struggles in purging himself of offensive attributes , he does so for the pleasure of Allah and not for the praise of people .

The most important of the morals that he , sallallahu alayhe wa sallam , taught is Hayaa ( loosely translated as modesty or bashfulness ) . The Prophet , sallallahu alayhe wa sallam , said, '' For every deen there is khuluq ( a distinguishing characteristic ) and the khuluq of Islam is Hayaa .'' Hayaa cannot be explained in one word because it encompasses an entire attitude of being . It could be said that Hayaa means that one feels shame or guilt or resistance to acting in a way that might offend any other being ( Allah ,human , or otherwise ) . Hayaa has two main parts : 1) Hayaa from Allah and 2) Hayaa from people .

Having Hayaa from Allah entails knowing His beautiful names and attributes because this knowledge will make one have awe of Allah's great power and majesty , fear of His punishment , and gratitude for his blessings . The way this will manifest in the Muslim's behavior is that he will always remember that Allah is watching him , hence, he will be so afraid and shy to commit a sin in front of Allah . Hw will always think of Allah before he acts or speaks , out of fear that he would displease his Lord . He will feel so ashamed if he disobeys Allah and rush towards repentance . A person who has Hayaa from Allah will also have sincerity ; he dreads the thought of being a person who acts pious in front of others while disregarding Allah's pleasure .

The Prophet , sallallahu alayhe wa sallam , explained this reality to his companions when he said to them : '' Have Hayaa from Allah as you truly should .'' They said : '' We have Hayaa from Allah Alhamdulillah .'' He , sallallahu alayhe wa sallam , said : '' It is much more than that . He who truly has Hayaa from Allah , let him preserve his head and what perceives it , let him preserve his stomach and what it desires , let him remember death and afflictions , and he who desires the Hereafter abandons the adornments of this world . He who performs all these , is the one who has Hayaa from Allah as he should .''

The meaning of the hadeeth is that true Hayaa is expressed in feeling ashamed to use the blessings that Allah , subhanahu wa ta'ala , has granted humans in disobedience . Hence , one with Hayaa would not dare to taint his mind with that which Allah dislikes or allow any of his senses , the outlet to his mind , indulge in haram acts .He would feel ashamed to even taste that which Allah has forbidden of food while Allah provides him with abundant means from halal sources .Most importantly , he would be so conscious of Allah and fearful of Him , that he would never forget his purpose in life or allow this world to distract him from Allah's worship .

It is then natural that this Hayaa , which is an integral part of the human's relationship with Allah , would manifest in the Muslims relationship with people . Having Hayaa from people is expressed in many ways . Among these ways is proper Islamic dress . Men and women are ordered by Allah to cover certain parts of their body as a way to protect their dignity , chastity , and reputations . It is a way to protect against the means that lead to zina ( sexual relations outside marriage ) and fortifies the family institution . This is also achieved through Allah's order to lower one's gaze . It is not permissible for a Muslim to view pictures of nudity , sexual suggestion , intimacy between two people , or a person of the opposite gender who is improperly covered . These are examples of how Hayaa must manifest itself externally , through the adherence to proper Islamic dress and manners , and internally , by not viewing lewd , vulgar , pornographic , or otherwise illicit material .

Hayaa among people is not limited to mere matter of sight , however . Touching or interacting with members of the opposite sex in a manner that is against Shari'ah is also a way in which Hayaa could be violated . In general , men and women are not allowed to mix freely or socialize needlessly . All their conduct should be dignified and formal so that both men and women are treated with respect .

Still , Hayaa is not just a combined set of all of these Islamic rules . Rather it is a whole demeanor . It should be so pervasive in the life of a Muslim that anyone who meets him/her would think of no other word to describe him/her by except : Hayaa . It is manifest in respecting one's elders and teachers . It can be the soft tone a child uses when speaking to his parents or the polite word used when speaking to others in general .

All these acts are part of Eman ( faith ) , because the Prophet , sallallahu alyhe wa sallam , said , '' Eman consists of more than 70 parts and Hayaa is a part of Eman .'' ( Bukhari and Muslim ) .He also said , '' Hayaa and Eman have been paired together , if one is removed the other is removed .'' So every sincere Muslim must evaluate his behavior for the presence of Hayaa – this will indicate his level of Eman .

It is important to understand that the one who acts with Hayaa is not a person who is weak and quiet all the time . Rather , he is a person who is so conscious of Allah at every moment that he acts very carefully . His acts are always based on what please Allah , subhanahu wa ta'ala , so he always brings benefit to others and never harms any one with words or deeds . Indeed , the one who acts with Hayaa should feel confident , for the Messenger of Allah , sallallahu alayhe wa sallam , said , '' Hayaa does not bring anything but goodness .'' ( Bukhari )

Taken From Al-Jumuah Magazine

Gaza: Obama's challenge

America has a long and very close relationship with the State of Israel. US commitment to Israel’s existence, safety and security is important and necessary. However, too often, it has been at the expense of the Palestinians who are equally entitled to a state, security and safety. Indeed, the original UN resolution allowing for the creation of Israel also called for a Palestinian state.

While the track record of most American presidents, as witnessed by its voting record in the UN has demonstrated our consistent tilt, George W. Bush has taken America’s relationship with Israel to the next level. Bush has aligned America with Israel, opting for military might rather than diplomacy, ignoring international law, and being complicit in war crimes.

Please read the full article here.