7 Tricks of Shaitan
1. He obstructs you from doing acts of obedience . Repel him, if Allah protects you, by realizing that you are in need of these acts of obedience in order to gather provision from this life for the next life which will have no ending.
2. He commands you to procrastinate in acts of obedience . Repel him , if Allah protects you, by realizing that your appointed time is not in your hands and that you could die at any moment.
3. He commands you to rush in acts of obedience by suggesting to you , " Hurry! In order that you can do so-and-so!" Repel him, if Allah protects you, that realizing that few acts of obedience done with perfection is better than many done incompletely.
4. He commands you to perfect your worship in order to be seen of men. Repel him, if Allah protects you, by realizing that the sight of Allah is enough for you over the sight of men.
5. He whispers arrogance and pride in your heart by saying, " Who is greater and more precise than your obedience?" Repel him, if Allah protects you, , by realizing that your acts of obedience to Allah is a blessing from Allah, not from yourself. If it were not for the bounty of Allah, you would not be able to establish any act of obedience , which are nothing next to the blessing of Allah Ta`ala.
6. This is the greatest of his tricks, he says to you, " Make strenuous effort in keeping your obedience of Allah secret. Soon He will make your acts manifest before the world!" Repel him, if Allah protects you, that you are a slave of Allah and that He alone is your Master. If He wills , He will manifest you and is He wills He will keep you concealed. If He wills, He will make you important and if He wills He will make you insignificant. That is for Him to decide, and you should not care whether He manifest your good deeds to people or not, because there is nothing in thier hands worth seeking after.
7. He suggest in your heart, " There is no need for you to perform acts of obedience to Allah. Truly, if you were created and destined to be among the people of bliss, then there is no danger in you neglecting the acts of worship. And if you were created and destined to be among the people of wretchednedd, then there is no benefit in doing them. Repel him , if Allah protects you, that realizing that you are a slave . And that it the duty of a slave to obey the commands as is the rights to slaveness (`ubuudiyya).
Allah is the Rabb, and He knows the rights of Lordship (rubuubiyya). Thus these acts of obedience will benefit you in every way if you were created and destined to be among the people of bliss. It will benefit you by increasing your reward. And if you were not created and destined for bliss, then in no way Allah will punish you for acts of obedience. These acts of obedience will not harm you. For to be entered into the fire while you are obedient to Allah is more precious to you than you being entered into the fire while you are disobedient.
And how is it possible for you to enter the fire when the Promise of Allah is true and His Words are Truthful. For He has promised a tremendous reward for acts of obedience. Whoever meets Allah Ta`ala while he has faith and obedience will never enter the fire and he has dully earned the Paradise by the Promise of Allah the Truthful and not by any act. It is in that Allah has informed us by His saying, " Allah`s praises are due to Allah who made good to us His Promise and has made us inherit the earth and we may abide in the Paradise whenever we please. Excellent is the Reward of those who work. 39:74.
Therefore my brothers, wake up! It is as He said. So seek the aid of Allah alone and seek refuge with Him. All matters are in His hands and from Him alone is success. And there is no power nor might except with Allah the Exalted the Great.
Shaykh `Uthman Dan Fodio Tareeqah Al-Jannah Bab Muhaarabatush-Shaytaan-On the War with Shaytaan.
Friday, November 12, 2004
Tips for improving your relationship with the Quran
Tips for improving your relationship with the Quran
Are you one of those people who rarely touches the Quran? Or do you read daily, but don't find it is having the impact on you that it should? Whatever the case may be, these are some simple tips that can help you connect with the Quran.
1. Before you touch it, check your heart
The key to really benefiting from the Quran is to check your heart first, before you even touch Allah's book. Ask yourself, honestly, why you are reading it. Is it to just get some information and to let it drift away from you later? Remember that the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) was described by his wife as a "walking Quran": in other words, he didn't just read and recite the Quran, he lived it.
2. Do your Wudu (ablution)
Make a fresh wudhu to mentally prepare one for recitation of Qur'an(not absolutely necessary if you already have wudhu).However, making a fresh wudhu would be a goog mental preparation. Doing your Wudu is good physical and mental preparation to remind you you're not reading just another book. You are about to interact with Allah, so being clean should be a priority when communicating with Him.
3. Read only 5 minutes everyday(if not in the habit of reading at all)
Too often, we think we should read Quran for at least one whole hour. If you aren't in the habit of reading regularly, this is too much. Start off with just five minutes daily. If you took care of step one, Insha Allah (God willing), you will notice that those five minutes will become ten, then half an hour, then an hour, and maybe even more!
4. Remember, the Quran is more interactive than a CD
In an age of "interactive" CD-Roms and computer programs, a number of people think books are passive and boring. But the Quran is not like that. Remember that when you read Quran, you are interacting with Allah. He is talking to you, so pay attention.
5. Don't just read, listen too
There are now many audio cassettes and CDs of the Quran, a number of them with translations as well. This is good to put on one's car's CD or stereo as one drives to and from work. Use this in addition to one's daily Quran reading, not as a replacement for it.
7. Make Dua (supplication)
Ask Allah to guide you when you read the Quran. Your aim is to sincerely, for the love of Allah, interact with Him by reading, understanding and applying His blessed words. Making Dua to Allah for help and guidance will be your best tool for doing this.
Are you one of those people who rarely touches the Quran? Or do you read daily, but don't find it is having the impact on you that it should? Whatever the case may be, these are some simple tips that can help you connect with the Quran.
1. Before you touch it, check your heart
The key to really benefiting from the Quran is to check your heart first, before you even touch Allah's book. Ask yourself, honestly, why you are reading it. Is it to just get some information and to let it drift away from you later? Remember that the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) was described by his wife as a "walking Quran": in other words, he didn't just read and recite the Quran, he lived it.
2. Do your Wudu (ablution)
Make a fresh wudhu to mentally prepare one for recitation of Qur'an(not absolutely necessary if you already have wudhu).However, making a fresh wudhu would be a goog mental preparation. Doing your Wudu is good physical and mental preparation to remind you you're not reading just another book. You are about to interact with Allah, so being clean should be a priority when communicating with Him.
3. Read only 5 minutes everyday(if not in the habit of reading at all)
Too often, we think we should read Quran for at least one whole hour. If you aren't in the habit of reading regularly, this is too much. Start off with just five minutes daily. If you took care of step one, Insha Allah (God willing), you will notice that those five minutes will become ten, then half an hour, then an hour, and maybe even more!
4. Remember, the Quran is more interactive than a CD
In an age of "interactive" CD-Roms and computer programs, a number of people think books are passive and boring. But the Quran is not like that. Remember that when you read Quran, you are interacting with Allah. He is talking to you, so pay attention.
5. Don't just read, listen too
There are now many audio cassettes and CDs of the Quran, a number of them with translations as well. This is good to put on one's car's CD or stereo as one drives to and from work. Use this in addition to one's daily Quran reading, not as a replacement for it.
7. Make Dua (supplication)
Ask Allah to guide you when you read the Quran. Your aim is to sincerely, for the love of Allah, interact with Him by reading, understanding and applying His blessed words. Making Dua to Allah for help and guidance will be your best tool for doing this.
Fundamentals of A Happy Marriage
Faith
The most basic and essential attribute of a Muslim marriage is the common faith that binds the couple.
Since Islam is a way of life and not just a religion confined to weekly worship it becomes an integral part of a Muslim's life. The frame of reference shared by the couple eases communication and sharing of values which is not possible in an interfaith marriage. It is highly recommended that faith play an important role in the developing a loving relationship.
For example, as the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) said, that when a husband feeds his wife, he gets a reward for this act and Allah increases the bond of love between them. So when we love each other for the sake of Allah WE ACTUALLY INCREASE OUR FAITH.
Forgiving
When the Prophet Muhammad asked his Companions ‘do you wish that Allah should forgive you' they said, of course O Prophet of Allah. He responded, ‘then forgive each other'.
One of the main components of a happy marriage is that the spouses are able to forgive, that they do not hold grudges or act judgmental towards each other. It is expected that when we live with someone, situations may arise when we end up saying or doing things that hurt our spouses. The challenge is not to dwell on it or lay blame but to move past it. This can only happen if we are not too proud to ask for forgiveness and we are not stingy to forgive.
If we expect Allah to forgive us than we must learn to forgive.
Forget
When we constantly remind our spouses of all the times they let us down or hurt us we have not truly forgiven. Things that happened in the past must be left there and not be used as fresh ammunition in new situations. Couples who use this technique usually fall in a rut and become victims of their own pettiness, unable to break free.
Forbearance
Sabr (patience) is the most useful tool to have in managing a healthy lifestyle. Being patient and forbearing puts us in a proactive frame of mind it brings us closer to Allah through Tawakul and reliance .We develop an inner mechanism that empowers us to handle life's difficult moments. As Allah states in Surah al-Asr: "Surely by time humans are at loss, except those who believe and do righteous deeds and counsel each other to the truth and counsel each other to Sabr' (Quran, chapter 103).
Flexible
Many couples unnecessarily make themselves miserable because they are unwilling to bend a little.
We should not expect our spouses to be our extensions. They are their own selves with personalities, likes and dislikes. We must respect their right to be them selves as long as it does not compromise their Deen (religion). Being inflexible and not accommodating for individual differences leads to a very stressful and tense home atmosphere.
Friendship
This aspect of marriage has three components. First is to develop a friendship with our spouses.The relationship based on friendship is more able to withstand outside pressures.
We honor, trust, respect, accept and care for our friends, in spite of our differences. These are the aspects of friendship we should bring to our marriages.
Unfortunately the only aspect that people think of bringing to their marriage which is highly inappropriate is the buddy scenario. Shariah (Islamic law) has placed the husband in a leadership role within a family. This requires a certain decorum, which cannot be maintained if the spouses consider each other as pals. This should not be taken to mean that husband is a dictator but a shepherd who is responsible for and to his flock. This is a position of grave responsibility and places an enormous burden on the husband. Further more the children need to see their parents as friends but not as pals as this encourages disrespect.
Friendly: Second aspect of friendship is to have friendly relations with in-laws. When couples compete as to whose parents are more important it becomes a constant source of grief. Much valuable time is wasted trying to convince, one another of whose parents are most desirable. It is better if we accept, that our spouses will not overnight fall in love with our parents just because we want them to. As long as they maintain friendly relations that are cordial and based on mutual respect we should not force the issue.
Friends: The third aspect of friendship is our circle of friends. It is okay to have individual friends of the same gender but couples must also make effort to have family friends so that they can socialize together. If there is friction being caused by a certain friendship it must not be pursued at the expense of the marriage. Prophet Muhammad advised us to choose God fearing people as friends since we tend to follow their way. Friends should be a source of joy and not mischief.
Fun
Couples that do not laugh together have to work on sharing some fun times. The Prophet was known to play with his wives. A simple walk in the park can add much spark to the relationship. Taking up a sport together or watching clean funny movies is another way of sharing a laugh.
Faithful
It is commanded by Allah that we be faithful to our spouses. Adultery is a capital crime in Islam that is punishable by death. However there are various forms of unfaithful behavior prevalent among some Muslims.
The most common form is maintaining friendships with the opposite sex over the boundaries set by Islam, and the misgivings of the spouse. The latest trend of Internet relationships is also contrary to Islamic Adab (etiquette) and is causing serious problems between couples. Once a sense of betrayal sets in, repairing that relationship is difficult. Another form of not being faithful is when couples betray confidences. This is a trust issue and one when compromised eats away at the heart of a marriage.
The most basic and essential attribute of a Muslim marriage is the common faith that binds the couple.
Since Islam is a way of life and not just a religion confined to weekly worship it becomes an integral part of a Muslim's life. The frame of reference shared by the couple eases communication and sharing of values which is not possible in an interfaith marriage. It is highly recommended that faith play an important role in the developing a loving relationship.
For example, as the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) said, that when a husband feeds his wife, he gets a reward for this act and Allah increases the bond of love between them. So when we love each other for the sake of Allah WE ACTUALLY INCREASE OUR FAITH.
Forgiving
When the Prophet Muhammad asked his Companions ‘do you wish that Allah should forgive you' they said, of course O Prophet of Allah. He responded, ‘then forgive each other'.
One of the main components of a happy marriage is that the spouses are able to forgive, that they do not hold grudges or act judgmental towards each other. It is expected that when we live with someone, situations may arise when we end up saying or doing things that hurt our spouses. The challenge is not to dwell on it or lay blame but to move past it. This can only happen if we are not too proud to ask for forgiveness and we are not stingy to forgive.
If we expect Allah to forgive us than we must learn to forgive.
Forget
When we constantly remind our spouses of all the times they let us down or hurt us we have not truly forgiven. Things that happened in the past must be left there and not be used as fresh ammunition in new situations. Couples who use this technique usually fall in a rut and become victims of their own pettiness, unable to break free.
Forbearance
Sabr (patience) is the most useful tool to have in managing a healthy lifestyle. Being patient and forbearing puts us in a proactive frame of mind it brings us closer to Allah through Tawakul and reliance .We develop an inner mechanism that empowers us to handle life's difficult moments. As Allah states in Surah al-Asr: "Surely by time humans are at loss, except those who believe and do righteous deeds and counsel each other to the truth and counsel each other to Sabr' (Quran, chapter 103).
Flexible
Many couples unnecessarily make themselves miserable because they are unwilling to bend a little.
We should not expect our spouses to be our extensions. They are their own selves with personalities, likes and dislikes. We must respect their right to be them selves as long as it does not compromise their Deen (religion). Being inflexible and not accommodating for individual differences leads to a very stressful and tense home atmosphere.
Friendship
This aspect of marriage has three components. First is to develop a friendship with our spouses.The relationship based on friendship is more able to withstand outside pressures.
We honor, trust, respect, accept and care for our friends, in spite of our differences. These are the aspects of friendship we should bring to our marriages.
Unfortunately the only aspect that people think of bringing to their marriage which is highly inappropriate is the buddy scenario. Shariah (Islamic law) has placed the husband in a leadership role within a family. This requires a certain decorum, which cannot be maintained if the spouses consider each other as pals. This should not be taken to mean that husband is a dictator but a shepherd who is responsible for and to his flock. This is a position of grave responsibility and places an enormous burden on the husband. Further more the children need to see their parents as friends but not as pals as this encourages disrespect.
Friendly: Second aspect of friendship is to have friendly relations with in-laws. When couples compete as to whose parents are more important it becomes a constant source of grief. Much valuable time is wasted trying to convince, one another of whose parents are most desirable. It is better if we accept, that our spouses will not overnight fall in love with our parents just because we want them to. As long as they maintain friendly relations that are cordial and based on mutual respect we should not force the issue.
Friends: The third aspect of friendship is our circle of friends. It is okay to have individual friends of the same gender but couples must also make effort to have family friends so that they can socialize together. If there is friction being caused by a certain friendship it must not be pursued at the expense of the marriage. Prophet Muhammad advised us to choose God fearing people as friends since we tend to follow their way. Friends should be a source of joy and not mischief.
Fun
Couples that do not laugh together have to work on sharing some fun times. The Prophet was known to play with his wives. A simple walk in the park can add much spark to the relationship. Taking up a sport together or watching clean funny movies is another way of sharing a laugh.
Faithful
It is commanded by Allah that we be faithful to our spouses. Adultery is a capital crime in Islam that is punishable by death. However there are various forms of unfaithful behavior prevalent among some Muslims.
The most common form is maintaining friendships with the opposite sex over the boundaries set by Islam, and the misgivings of the spouse. The latest trend of Internet relationships is also contrary to Islamic Adab (etiquette) and is causing serious problems between couples. Once a sense of betrayal sets in, repairing that relationship is difficult. Another form of not being faithful is when couples betray confidences. This is a trust issue and one when compromised eats away at the heart of a marriage.
How To be A Good Manager
How to be a good manager
by Gladeana McMahon
It's tough at the top. Once you get there, how can you meet the challenge of being a good manager?
In the last ten years, the number of people entering managerial roles has increased significantly. Managers in a variety of industries are taking on increasing responsibility while still ensuring the bottom line is met. The role is expanding but is often made more difficult through the lack of management training received. According to Mike Trewavas, a recently retired management consultant, 'Most managers are promoted because they are good at their job and it is probable that for every one manager with an MBA, Diploma or HND in Management Studies there are ten who've had no formal training'. Managers inevitably face many issues and problems. Professor Tom Cannon, Chief Executive of RespectLondon, a leading management consultancy, argues that organisations seek to recruit talented individuals without realising that talent can be difficult to manage. Managers have to work with a range of people: the talented, the team players, those who handle stress well and those who don't.
What do you need?Women probably make better managers due to their biological make-up, according to Professor Stephen Palmer, Director of the Centre for Stress Management. Research has demonstrated that women problem-solve using both parts of their brain whereas men use only one side to do the same task. Using both sides of the brain enables a woman to deal with more than one task at a time. Palmer believes, 'Women handle stress better than men, probably because they are natural communicators and much of successful management is based on communication'. New theories about management surface frequently and 'management gurus' come and go. Peter Drucker, popular in the 1970s, believes that 80% of the manager's role is about supervising people at all levels in the organisation and only 20% about the technical side of the job.
Sometimes, managers get things wrong. Numerous figures are quoted by the CBI and Institute of Directors regarding the cost of legal claims made by employees for cases of constructive dismissal and stress. Marion Bell, a corporate barrister, suggests, 'There would be less litigation if managers were more skilled at dealing with difficult, upset or stressed employees'. It's a skill that can be learned.
by Gladeana McMahon
It's tough at the top. Once you get there, how can you meet the challenge of being a good manager?
In the last ten years, the number of people entering managerial roles has increased significantly. Managers in a variety of industries are taking on increasing responsibility while still ensuring the bottom line is met. The role is expanding but is often made more difficult through the lack of management training received. According to Mike Trewavas, a recently retired management consultant, 'Most managers are promoted because they are good at their job and it is probable that for every one manager with an MBA, Diploma or HND in Management Studies there are ten who've had no formal training'. Managers inevitably face many issues and problems. Professor Tom Cannon, Chief Executive of RespectLondon, a leading management consultancy, argues that organisations seek to recruit talented individuals without realising that talent can be difficult to manage. Managers have to work with a range of people: the talented, the team players, those who handle stress well and those who don't.
What do you need?Women probably make better managers due to their biological make-up, according to Professor Stephen Palmer, Director of the Centre for Stress Management. Research has demonstrated that women problem-solve using both parts of their brain whereas men use only one side to do the same task. Using both sides of the brain enables a woman to deal with more than one task at a time. Palmer believes, 'Women handle stress better than men, probably because they are natural communicators and much of successful management is based on communication'. New theories about management surface frequently and 'management gurus' come and go. Peter Drucker, popular in the 1970s, believes that 80% of the manager's role is about supervising people at all levels in the organisation and only 20% about the technical side of the job.
Sometimes, managers get things wrong. Numerous figures are quoted by the CBI and Institute of Directors regarding the cost of legal claims made by employees for cases of constructive dismissal and stress. Marion Bell, a corporate barrister, suggests, 'There would be less litigation if managers were more skilled at dealing with difficult, upset or stressed employees'. It's a skill that can be learned.
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