Don’t let the past freeze you in place, and don’t punish yourself for things you cannot change.

Everything you have experienced: the happy times, loneliness, laughter and tears, all have meaning, and have all gone into making you who you are. If you have any wisdom or insight, it is probably a result of hardship you have experienced in the past.

Everything that you do today has meaning. The caress you give a child, the help you give a stranger, the quiet charity, all matter and make a difference, even when you don’t see it. It’s all worth it. Your love matters, your work matters, your life matters.

Keep your head up, and forge forward fee-sabeel-illah. Accept yourself and be at peace. Look ahead and smile. Stand up straight, and don’t bow your head except in prayer. Keep praying, learning, thinking, following your dreams, and loving the people in your life. You are my brothers, my sisters, my heroes.

[Food for thought] “People will love you for a short time but Allah (swt) will love you forever. People will listen to you sometimes, but Allah will listen to you all the time. People will forgive you sometimes, but Allah (swt) forgives every time. Allah Hu Akbar Kabeera!”

[Take 60 seconds…] and make someone special [parents, wife, siblings, friends, colleagues, a complete stranger] in your life smile today only to attain the love of Allah (swt)!

May Allah (swt) grant us the best in this life and the next. Ameen

A righteous husband is the key to her Jannah

A poor righteous man asked a father for the hand of his daughter in marriage, but he refused because the young man didn’t have enough money in his bank account, then that father accepted to give his daughter in marriage to a rich man who wasn’t a practicing Muslim. People asked the father:” how could you accept to marry your daughter to such person?” he just replied:“Allah The Guide, will show him the right path in InshaAllah”.

But didn’t he know that Al Hadi “The Guide” who will guide that rich man is Ar-Razzaq “The Provider” Who will provide that poor man? Allah says in Qur’an: “And marry those among you who are single and the pious of your slaves and maid-servants. If they be poor, Allah will enrich them out of His grace. Allah is of ample means, Aware.” [ Sûrah al-Nûr : 32]

Unfortunately we are in a time where status and wealth are more important than Deen and good manners! We are in a time where some parents think that money is the secret of their daughter’s happiness. They forget that a righteous husband is the key to her Jannah and that is the ultimate happiness. They forget that marrying their daughter to a righteous man, they makes sure that the husband gives her happiness for the sake of Allah. If the man has a healthy relationship with Allah Azzawajal, he will be good to her for Allah’s sake, he will automatically obey her, respect her, love her and care about her for the sake of Allah (Subhanu Wa Tala)

'Date with a Woman' - A Heart Touching Story

 After 21 years of marriage, my wife wanted me to take another woman out to dinner and a movie. She said I love you but I know this other woman loves you and would love to spend some time with you.

The other woman that my wife wanted me to visit was my MOTHER, who has been a widow for 19 years, but the demands of my work and my three children had made it possible to visit her only occasionally.

That night I called to invite her to go out for dinner and a movie.

'What's wrong, are you well,' she asked? My mother is the type of woman w ho suspects that a late night call or a surprise invitation is a sign of bad news.

'I thought that it would be pleasant to be with you,' I responded. 'Just the two of us.'

She thought about it for a moment, and then said, 'I would like that very much.'

That Friday after work, as I drove over to pick her up I was a bit nervous.

When I arrived at her house, I noticed that she, too, seemed to be nervous about our date. She waited in the door with her coat on. She had curled her hair and was wearing the dress that she had worn to celebrate her last wedding anniversary.

She smiled from a face that was as radiant as an angel's.

'I told my friends that I was going to go out with my son, and they were impressed, 'she said, as she got into the car. 'They can't wait to hear about our meeting'. We went to a restaurant that, although not elegant, was very nice and cozy. My mother took my arm as if she were the First Lady.

After we s at down, I had to read the menu. Large print. Half way through the entries, I lifted my eyes and saw Mom sitting there staring at me. A nostalgic smile was on her lips.

'It was I who used to have to read the menu when you were small,' she said. 'Then it's time that you relax and let me return the favor,' I responded.

During the dinner, we had an agreeable conversation - nothing extraordinary, but catching up on recent events of each other's life.

We talked so much that we missed the movie.

As we arrived at her house later, she said, 'I'll go out with you again, but only if you let me invite you.' I agreed.

'How was your dinner date?' asked my wife when I got home. 'Very nice.

Much more so than I could have imagined,' I answered.

A few days later, my mother died of a massive heart attack. It happened so suddenly that I didn't have time to do anything for her.
Some time later, I received an envelope with a copy of a restaurant receipt from the same place mother and I had dined.

An attached note said: 'I paid this bill in advance. I wasn't sure that I could be there; but nevertheless, I paid for two plates - one for you and the other for your wife. You will never know what that night meant for me.

I love you, son.'

At that moment, I understood the importance of saying in time: 'I LOVE YOU!' and to give our loved ones the time that they deserve. Nothing in life is more important than God and your family. Give them the time they deserve, because these things cannot be put off till 'some other time.'

The Love and Importance of Cats in Islam

Islam faith and cats

Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) was tender and kind towards cats. He appreciated cats. Hazrat Muhammad  (s.a.w)'s  favourite cat was called Muezza. There is a well-known story regarding the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) and Muezza.

When the call to prayers was heard, Muezza was asleep on one of the sleeves of the Prophet’s  (s.a.w)  robes. The Prophet  (s.a.w)  wanted to wear the robe to go to prayers. Rather than disturb Muezza, Muhammad  (s.a.w)  cut off the sleeve to leave Muezza in peace. Prophet  (s.a.w)  then stroked the cat three times, which, it is said, granted Muezza seven lives and the ability to land on his feet at all times (as you might know, cats have a self-righting mechanism,a righting reflex, which is a complex series of movements when a cat falls and which protects the cat from breaking her back).

Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) was so attached to his cat that when he gave sermons he let Muezza rest on his lap and he also drank from water previously drunk by his cat. He also did his ablutions from the same water that was drunk by a cat. He seemed to treat his cat in the same way as cat lovers do today but even cat lovers might think twice about drinking the same water that had been drunk by a cat for fear of transmission of disease from the cat’s saliva (but see below).

Islam teaches Muslims to treat cats well and that the cat is a creature to be cherished and loved. Mistreating a cat is regarded as a severe sin in Islam.

Cats according to the Qur`an and Sunnah

An example as to how Muslims are punished for mistreating cats can be found in the `ahadith (oral traditions telling the story of the Prophet Mohammed  (s.a.w)  and which have been recorded in writing). When a woman kept a cat locked up and failed to feed the cat until the cat died, the woman was tortured and "put to hell.”

It is believed that you will suffer no harm if you drink from the cat’s water provided no impurities are seen in the cat’s mouth. In another story from the `ahadith, it is stated that a when a cat ate a pudding put down during prayers, the person who was in charge of the pudding ate from the same place as the cat and Prophet (s) said this was alright as the cat is not unclean and is "one of those who go around amongst us".

Islam teaches Muslims that, in relation to a cat:

1.) The cat should not be sold for money or other traded goods.

2.) Cats saliva is harmless unless the cat has "visible impurities" in the mouth.

3.) Muslims are free to live with cats but they must treat cats well, providing the cat with enough water and food and giving "roaming time" (a degree of freedom of movement)

'A good deed done to an animal is as meritorious as a good deed done to a human being, while an act of cruelty to an animal is as bad as an act of cruelty to a human being'

Are Muslims Allowed to Celebrate Valentine's Day?

Celebrating the Valentine Day is not permissible as per my knowledge because:

Firstly: it is an innovated holiday that has no basis in the Sharee`ah.

Secondly: it calls to love and passion.

Thirdly: it calls to keeping one's heart busy with nonsense matters which contradict the guidance of the righteous predecessors, may Allah be pleased with them.

So it is not permissible that anything from the signs of that holiday takes place on that day, whether it relates to eating, drinking, clothing, giving gifts, or other than that.

It is incumbent upon the Muslim to be proud of his religion and that he does not blindly follow every crier.

The Prophet (Peace be upon Him) has advised us that if we love somebody we should let them know (of course we know the forbidden relationships are not included in this advise). He (Peace be upon Him) said it generally and did not ask us to do it 'on such and such a day'. Prophet (Peace be upon Him) didn't ask us to do it only once a year but as often as we can. So are we going to obey him (Peace be upon Him) or Mr. Valentine?

[Surah An-Nisa' Ch:4 V:59]

"O you who have believed, obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you. And if you disagree over anything, refer it to Allah and the Messenger, if you should believe in Allah and the Last Day. That is the best [way] and best in result."

(A Muslim can’t deny the Hadith of The Prophet (s.a.w). He has been instructed to do so by Allah (s.w.t) Himself. If we don’t agree with Hadith then we are not Muslims since a Muslim testifies that ‘There is no god but Allah And Muhammad (s.a.w) is His Messenger’ by believing in Qur’an but not the Hadith of the Prophet (s.a.w) we only ‘Testify that there is no god but Allah’ whereas we don’t testify that Muhammed (s.a.w) is His messenger. A Muslim needs to follow the teachings of Allah’s Messenger as commanded.)

(Translation of Sahih Bukhari, Dress, Volume 7, Book 72, Number 780)"

Narrated Nafi':

"Ibn Umar said, The Prophet said, 'Do the opposite of what the pagans do. Keep the beards and cut the moustaches short.' Whenever Ibn 'Umar performed the Hajj or 'Umra, he used to hold his beard with his hand and cut whatever moustaches. Ibn Umar used to cut his moustache so short that the whiteness of his skin (above the upper lip) was visible, and he used to cut (the hair) between his moustaches and his beard. 

(Translation of Sahih Bukhari, Virtues and Merits of the Prophet (pbuh) and his Companions, Volume 4, Book 56, Number 668)" 

Narrated Abu Huraira:

"Allah's Apostle said, 'The Jews and the Christians do not dye (their grey hair), so you shall do the opposite of what they do (i.e. dye your grey hair and beards).' 

[Saheeh Hadeeth: Related by Ahmad (no. 1945), from ’Uqbah Ibn ’Aamir (radiyallaahu ’anhu). It was authenticated by al-Albaanee in Saheehul-Jaami’ (no. 8192)]

The Prophet (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) also said, 

“The day of al-Fitr, and the day of an-Nahr (sacrifice), and the days of Tashreeq (the three days after an-Nahr) are FOUR days of ’EiD (festivity); and they are days of eating and drinking.”

So from the above authentic Hadith, we come to know that Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) clearly instructed us to not follow what the non-believers do and to create our own identity which is MUSLIM which is why he instructed us to keep beards as well. Other than that Prophet Muhammed (s.a.w) said in various different hadith that Muslims have only 2 celebrations and that is their EID , there is no valentines day, mothers day, fathers day etc etc. Every day should be a mothers day or a fathers day because Islam tells us the importance of Mother and Father which we can never estimate.

An Important Point to look upon:

A Muslim is not allowed to even meet a girl alone so how can we even think of celebrating The so called Valentines day? 

and still if many of you think that it's right to celebrate and these references from Sahih Hadith and Qur'an are not enough then you guys should read the ayat i'm posting below from Qur'an which says:

[Surah Al-‘A’raf Ch:7 V:179]

“They have hearts with which they do not understand, they have eyes with which they do not see, and they have ears with which they do not hear.”

Hope that's helpful.

And Allah (s.w.t) knows best.

Touching the Heart

Something to Remember:

Some time ago, a friend of mine punished his 3-year old daughter for wasting a roll of gold wrapping paper. Money was tight, and he became infuriated when the child tried to decorate a box to put under the tree. Nevertheless, the little girl brought the gift to her father the next morning and said, “This is for you, Daddy.” He was embarrassed by his earlier overreaction, but his anger flared again when he found that the box was empty. He yelled at her, “Don’t you know that when you give someone a present, there’s supposed to be something inside of it?” The little girl looked at him with tears in her eyes and said, “Oh Daddy it’s not empty. I blew kisses into the box. All for you, Daddy”. The father was crushed. He put his arms around his little girl, and he begged her forgiveness. My friend told me that he kept that gold box by his bed for years. Whenever he was discouraged, he would take out an imaginary kiss and remember the love of the child who had put it there. In a very real sense, each of us has been given a gold container filled with unconditional love and kisses. There is no more precious possession anyone could hold.

-Melinda Taylor-