Six ways to help lower the gaze

Source: productivemuslim.com

By: Aiman Azlan

The eyes have desires that have a great tendency to want to be fulfilled, as if there is a gravity-like force that pulls the sight to the things we should not be looking at. Like gravity, those who resist will feel the force acting on them, while those who just go with the flow will feel little or nothing at all. Like gravity, it takes a lot of strength to escape it.

To get your du’a accepted by Allah (31 tips to remember)

Source: islamtruth4all.blogspot.nl

Du’a (supplication) is more likely to be accepted by Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta’ala) as mentioned by Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam), if the correct adab (manner) and etiquette is used. Listed below are some of the etiquettes of du’a.

Any Muslim who supplicates Allah with a supplication that does not contain any sin or cutting off of family relations, Allah will give him one of three things for it:

1. Either He will speedily answer his du’a
2. or He will save it for him until the Hereafter
3. or He will avert something bad from him equal to the value of his du’a.

1. Faithfulness to Allah

6 SIGNS THAT YOU LOVE THE PROPHET MUHAMMAD

Source: ilmfeed.com

By: Suleiman Salem

As Muslims, we are commanded to love the Messenger (salAllaahu ‘alayhi wasallam) and to follow in his path without religious deviations or innovations, in order to worship Allah (subhaanahu wa ta’aala) in the way that He commanded. Sometimes, unfortunately, our claims of love fall short, and thus there are signs that we can reflect on in order to analyze how much love we truly have for the greatest human being to walk this earth, peace and blessings be upon him.

Masjid Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin Masjid, Putrajaya in Malaysia

 When we know the status of something, it is easier to honor it. Unfortunately, Muslims today do not honor the mosques as they should be honored. We know that the masjid is the House of Allah, but we fail to internalize the nobility this title holds. When any object or person is connected to the Grand Name of Allah, it shows prestigious rank. For example, Allah calls some of His exclusive slaves, “ebaadur-Rahman”, the slaves of the Most Merciful. By connecting them with His Name; Allah is honoring them. Similarly, the masajid are known as “Buyutullah”, the Houses of Allah. Of all the places on this earth, the Prophet informed us that the mosques are the most beloved placed to Allah  . Think about it: Our Lord loves the masajid! Even the name holds great honor; “masjid” literally means “place of prostration (sujud)”. They are the greatest places to worship Allah and to remember Him. Allah  says, “And the mosques are for Allah (Alone).” (72:18)

Article source: http://muslimmatters.org/

Gossip is a sin

By: Mufti Ismail Menk

Allah says,”oh you who believe, be conscious of your maker and each one of you should look into what you have prepared for tomorrow“, what have you prepared in your books? What have you prepared in your deeds? What have you prepared in your accounts? To present to your Maker. When you are going to meet Him tomorrow.

What a powerful verse, Allah is telling us look at your book. What we do today? Shaytan makes us look at the books of others. Immediately were worried about that one, this one. You see, that one did this and this person committed that sin, and that one is rotten in the heart. And we start passing judgement. You know the hearts of the people. May Allah subhanahu wa taala safeguard us and protect us from this.
That is shaytan diverting us from this path of steadfastness. Steadfastness can not be achieved when you are engaged in the life of someone else. Cheating, deceiving. Backbiting, slandering, gossiping and so on. Allahu akbar

50 Loving Sentiments We Should All Say More Often

By: Jade Small

Source: http://www.the-open-mind.com/50-loving-sentiments-we-should-all-say-more-often/

 All too often, we take the people we love the most for granted: our lovers, family members, friends, and even our children. We forget the enormous power of our words, as we carelessly lash out when under stress. We stick our noses in our laptops and smartphones, assuming our loved ones know what we are failing to verbalize, sometimes until the relationships are disconnected or damaged beyond repair.

Make a choice to consciously nurture your relationships with verbal communications of love. Be kind and sincere. Ask open-ended questions with an open heart. Listen empathically and non-defensively. Remember, there are no conditions, no strings, no expectations, and no manipulations. Simply, love to love.

1. I am here for you.

2. Thank you. Thanks for all you do for me and all the ways in which you add value to my life.

3. You are beautiful. What I find most beautiful about you, inside and out, is: _____.

4. How are you? Truthfully, fully and completely — how are you, really?

5. Tell me about your dreams.

6. Tell me about your fears.

7. Tell me about your beliefs about life, love, the world, etc.

8. I am thinking about you.

9. I appreciate you.

10. I care about your feelings.

11. You are important to me.

12. I made a mistake and I’m sorry. I sincerely apologize. Please forgive me.

13. I value our relationship.

14. I am grateful and fortunate to have you in my life.

15. What can I do to support you?

16. How are you feeling about our relationship?

17. How are you feeling about me?

18. The qualities I love about you most are: _____.

19. I notice and really appreciate your efforts and growth in these areas: _____.

20. What’s most meaningful to me about our connection is: ______.

21. Great job! Nice work! Well done.

22. These are the ways in which you have touched my life and made me better: _____.

23. It’s an honor to know you and to be close to you.

24. I want the very best for you.

25. I cherish the following experiences we’ve shared: _______.

26. I trust you. I trust in our relationship.

27. I forgive you. I let go of my resentments.

28. These are all of the wonderful, positive qualities I see in you: _____.

29. Your greatest gifts and strengths are: _____.

30. I respect you.

31. I respect your decisions even though they’re different from mine or what I’ve recommended. You’re free to make your own choices.

32. I support you in any and every way that I can.

33. I believe in you.

34. I lovingly and trustingly give you the time and space you need.

35. You can achieve anything you want in life.

36. You are special. You are divinely and uniquely YOU.

37. You are free to be your authentic self in the context of our relationship.

38. I welcome you to be honest and truthful with me.

39. I desire to have/maintain an intimate and loving relationship with you.

40. You elicit the following positive emotions and feelings in me: _______.

41. You are not responsible for me, for my bad behaviors or my poor choices.

42. What would you like from me or from our relationship?

43. It’s not your fault. I don’t blame you.

44. I support you in taking care of yourself.

45. Your feelings are understandable and normal responses to everything you have been through.

46. I do not expect you to be perfect. I absolutely understand you are a human being and that none of us are perfect.

47. I acknowledge my areas of needed improvement including ABC, and am working on them by doing XYZ.

48. It’s important to me to know and understand you.

49. I come to you with an open heart and an open mind.

50. I love you fully, completely, and exactly as you are.

The closer you get to Allah the harder Shaytan attacks so don’t be shocked

Source: islamqa.info

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said in Kitab al-Eeman: “The believer may suffer from the whispers of the Shaytan insinuating thoughts of kufr (disbelief), which may make him feel distressed. The Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, some of us think thoughts which we would rather fall from heaven to earth than speak of them.’ He said, ‘That is a clear sign of faith.’ According to one report, ‘… thoughts which are too terrible to speak of.’ He said, ‘Praise be to Allah, Who has reduced all his [the Shaytan’s] plots to mere whispers,’ meaning that the fact that these whispers come, but they are so greatly disliked, and they are pushed away from the heart, is a clear sign of faith. This is like the mujahid (warrior) to whom the enemy comes, but he resists him until he overwhelms him, and this is a mighty jihad (battle)… Hence the seekers of knowledge and devoted worshippers experience waswas and doubts which others do not face, because they (the others) are not following the way prescribed by Allah, rather they are following their own whims and desires and neglecting to remember their Lord. This is what the Shaytan wants, in contrast to those who are striving to draw closer to their Lord by seeking knowledge and worshipping Him. He is their enemy and seeks to prevent them from drawing closer to Allah.” (p.147 of the Indian edition)

1.                           Seek refuge with Allah and give up these thoughts completely, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) commanded.

2.                           Remember Allah and control yourself and do not continue to think of these whispers.

3.                           Occupy yourself with worship and doing good deeds, in obedience to the command of Allah and seeking to please Him. When you devote yourself completely and seriously to worship, you will forget about these whispers, insha Allah.

4.                           Frequently seek refuge with Allah and make du’a (supplicate) to free you from these whispers.

Remember Me; I’ll Remember You

Source: blog.islamiconlineuniversity.com

By: Aishah Ahmed

Khaled walked down the street unaware of his surroundings. There was a tightness in his heart. Tears tugged at his eyes but would not flow. Just then the athan filled the air. He looked at his watch. It was Maghrib. How long had it been since he had prayed.  How long had it been since he had a connection with Allah.  Suddenly he knew it! He knew what was causing this unbearable uneasiness and grief. He knew what was missing in his life – ALLAH.

Allah says in the Qur’an,

“So remember Me, I will remember you…” (Al-Baqarah 2:152)

Modernists claim that material benefits along with great relations are enough to keep us happy.  If that were the case, then why are the suicide rates increasing to such an extent? The answer lies with Allah .  The only way to be content and at peace in our lives is by getting close to Him.

Winning your husband’s heart!

1. Behave like a female, i.e. all the tenderness of a female–a man doesn’t want a man for his wife!
2. Dress pleasantly/attractively. If you are a home-maker, don’t stay in your pyjamas suit all day.
3. Don’t lay out all your problems on your husband as soon as he walks in. Give him a little mental break.
4. Be kind to your mother-in-law the same way you would like your husband to be kind to your own mother. (Not ALL in laws are bad)
5. Compliment him on the things you know he’s not so confident about (looks, intelligence, etc.) This will build his self-esteem.
6. Tell your husband you love him, many, many times. Aisha (رضالله عنها) narrated that the Prophet (صلي الله عليه وسلم) used to ask her how strong her love for him, she said like “a knot.” And the next time he would ask her, “How is that knot?” He also used to reply to her saying, “Jazak ALLAH , O Aishah, wallahi, you have not rejoiced in me as I have rejoiced in you.”.
7. Call his family often.
8. Give him a simple task to do at home and then thank him when he does it. This will encourage him to do more.
9. Encourage him to do good deeds.
10. If he’s in a bad mood, give him some space. He’ll get over it, Insha’Allah.
11. Thank him sincerely for providing you with food and shelter. It’s a big deal.
12. Remember that your husband has feelings, so take them into consideration.
13. If your husband is annoyed over a little thing you do (and you can control it), then stop doing it. Really.
14. Do all of the above fee sabeelillah and you will see Allah put barakah in everything you do.
May Allah Bring Prosperity. Ameen