What are the main reasons that students of knowledge fail to attain the true position of being a scholar?

They study not to find the truth but to back up their group affiliation. So they negate years of learning by backing up arguments to justify their own groups. 

Many Dar Al-Ulums are places that breed arrogance and ignorance. They come out totally convinced of their group and totally unprepared for questions of their students. Many return to worldly purists of earning a living and leave seeking knowledge. 

Wrong programs, wrong teachers and wrong systems all play their part making a student fail after years of studying. 

One must look beyond their school because no one group has a monopoly of knowledge and without looking at other scholars he will not achieve what he seeks.

Many students are lazy and want all the work to done for them and are not willing to spend their time revising the text before and after the class. They do not re-enforce their learning at all. relying on recordings in not wise because most students do not have the time to study them.

Also many students are embroiled in issues that do not concern them and thus waste the time in which they should be studying. So all they have is the term student of knowledge and have failed to realise it.

Noble Character?

Ponder why Allah (the Exalted) praised the character of the Prophet (may Allah bestow peace and blessing upon him). Why not the prayer or hajj? Because deen is not about merely the five pillars. Most of your deen is your character. Thats where most of the work needs to be done.

Following the deen is not about forcing your opinion over others by being arrogant and condescending as these are NOT part of the Sunnah. Yet somehow you think reseaching on the internet makes you a master! Yet you are slave of misunderstanding and flawed misinterpretation.

When I meet brothers who quote hadith without understanding I realise one thing. They do not understand the religion at all. Look your character and please click here to read forty hadith about Honorable character complied Sheikh Yusuf Al-Nabahani (may Allah show him mercy).

Deen is not just belief it mostly about action and character is a major part. You can't reach everyone with your deen but you can reach everyone with your character.

Your Next Step

Yesterday, Sheikh (may Allah preserve him) spoke about adab/etiquette and the importance of being vigilant against the slightest slip ups, in all things. As it these were one of the ways that satan used to attack the believer.

He continued to speak about how his murids should be in public: dressed well, pressed clothes, clean, if in a group not shouting, like and angel walking on the earth. Then he said something that has made me ponder over since he said it. He said that a sufi should only be concerned with the place his next step is going to be.

I found a great amount of meaning in these few words. He told us that we should not be concerned about what does not concern us; instead we should be concerned with what concerns us; which is where the next place the foot will be. This reminded me of the hadith, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “From the perfection of one’s Islam; is to leave that which does not concern him.” At-Tirmidhi

Most of the things we pass by on the streets and in our lives, do not concern us and they do not affect us. So why are we adding our commentary to it? We are talking about what is around us but neglecting the most important thing, where our next step will be. We could be stepping into some filth or we could fall over or walk into something.

Someone I know told me that he was leaving the train station today and he was looking at someone who was meeting his wife at the train station. He thought to himself when his time would come (to have a family) then he noticed that there was filth on the floor and narrowly avoided it. Then he remembered what Sheikh said then he laughed and went on his way. He was concerned about big issues that may or may not happen to him but he was neglecting what his immediate concern was. The place in which his next foot step would be.

Its Time For Action

Once again Islam is attacked and this time slander is directed upon our beloved Prophet (may Allah bestow peace and blessings upon him). This is becoming more and more frequent by certain sectors of the world that hate Islam and want to scare the people away from it. So instead of letting them get all the publicity is not time that we use it in a positive way?


Know the way of the Sunnah is to repel evil with good not evil with evil. They claim Muslims are violent so what do we do? We riot against them. Is not this falling into their hands? We cannot be like someone who have big chip on his shoulder because then those who hate us will know exactly what to do to provoke us. They do know and they are doing it well. "Those who fight monsters should take care that they never become one." ~ Frederich Nietsche

So take this event as an opportunity to speak to non-Muslims about the Master of the Messenger (may Allah bestow peace and blessings upon him). This event could be a great opening in which we can approach those who do not know who he is; to explain who he is (may Allah bestow peace and blessings be upon him).
It is very easy to curse them and attack them or we can do what I am trying to outline here. Then their plan backfires badly even worse then they would know.

Those who are reading this and are in a position to do something then do something; hold stalls, have lectures, invite scholars, explain Islam to non-Muslims. Do what you can because this event can be positive opening for you and those in your area. It is time the whole found out who this man is (may Allah bestow peace and blessings upon him).

Know we cannot allow extremists to dictate the discourse they must be stopped and that starts with you. If we all do our bit then it’ll add up to a lot. Its over to you.

The Purple Book of Generalities

Here's a link to a something we wrote in 2004-5. We were just making observations about our environment etc. We hope you enjoy it and there might be more on the way...
http://www.scribd.com/doc/91681319/Purple-Book-of-Generalities-PDF

Are you doing your bit?

One of my trusted friends once asked me, “Are you doing you bit?”

I replied, “Bit of what?”

“Your bit; are you doing your bit?”

“Bit of what?”

“Your bit for Islam.”

“What do you mean?”

“Are you spreading Islam?”

“I need to learn.”

“You don’t need knowledge to talk. Sometimes I ring up a radio show and talk to people clarify a few things.”

“I need to study.”

“Study and do your bit.”

In whatever capacity you are in you can spread Islam which does not mean forcing people into Islam or talking over them or demeaning them. It means doing what you are able to do within the situation that you are in. Trying to do the best you can to break down barriers in your communities, to help people, to spread knowledge; to basically do something positive. We can all do this and if we all do our bit then it’ll add to a lot.


So now I am asking you, “Are you doing your bit?”

The Wisdom of the red light

Why are you sad that you have been stopped at a red light?

Are you the only the person who this has occurred to?

Have you ever travelled as a passenger in a car?

You have?

Well have you noticed that when you are travelling anywhere you have parts of the journey that you can go fast and other parts when you have to stop. Sometimes the traffic is bad and you have stop. But sooner or later things clear up and you can continue.

When you come to a red light do you become despondent?

No, you don’t, you wait for the green light and then you continue. There is no journey that you’ll take using the car, bus, train even plane without having to stop at a red light. What should your reaction be?

Be patient and keep going your journey is not over.

You might be stuck at the red light now but you won’t be stuck forever.

Keep going.

Journeys

The only ease in travelling is knowing the journey; if you know the journey; you know what to expect because you know the destination. Those who do not know the journey; are in a state of unease until they reach the destination because they do not know where they are going.

English is the language of rubbish

We don’t really mean that but now we have your attention let’s explain what we are saying. Increasing we are seeing the use of the Arabic language on sweet wrappers and other types of packaging. This is, to a supposed student of knowledge, horrific. As when we are done with the item the packaging is normally thrown away; this is not something that we should be doing!

We are throwing away something that has Arabic words upon it which could mean that there is a letter or word from the Quran. This really scares me and we try to avoid to buying products with Arabic writing on them. If you cannot then at least remove it somehow; when you have finished.

Arabic is a divine language and not the language that should be used for packaging that can be thrown away! That’s why we have English. English is the language of rubbish not Arabic!

Just in case you think that we really think what the title reads then let me give you something to think about. We are presently enjoying a lengthy sojourn in the works of Shakespeare, how spiffing!

The life of this world/Dunya

The life of this world

The greatest veil that mankind is faced with, on a daily basis, is the world. The world is a passing place in which we will dwell for a certain time then we leave it at an appointed time. Yet so many people limit our vision into thinking that the life of this world is the be all and end all. We desire so much wealth and property that this desire can never be satiated. We consume vast quantities of food that are richer and richer without concern for our health. We waste energy by misdirection and waste our lives chasing false dreams.

We seek everything for the sake it of it. We fight, we argue, we even kill for the sake of it. Yet have we really thought about why we are here? We are not meant to live sixty or seventy plus years without thinking for ourselves. One of the major problems that we face is that many people think like this and it is not easy to break this cycle. And in some cases only a calamity will really make us think about our situation. Otherwise we will remain as asleep as the children in cots fast asleep as the world turns and we are none the wiser.

We need to wake up. It is as simple as that we have to wake up. This world is a place of treachery that we will waste our whole lives without giving it any real consideration. What am I talking about? The real reason for our existence.


Rejecters of the afterlife

The rejections of those who do not believe in the afterlife are recorded in the Quran. The following is one such rejection.

“And they say, 'There is only our present life; we shall not be raised.” (The Cattle 6:29)

For some people this world is it, there is nothing else besides. They die and that’s it nothing else happens except that their bodies root six feet under. This is also what they use as justification to commit many sins ‘you only live once’ is a common phrase. Well you do but what you do in this lifetime will result in you being rewarded for eternity or punished. Muslims should not get stuck into repeating some of the nonsense that they hear from disbelievers.

“What, did you think that We created you only for sport, and that you would not be returned to Us?” (The Believers 23:115)

This life is not just for us to enjoy and gather masses of wealth. This world has a purpose and those who have forgotten their purpose need to read this carefully.

“I created the jinn and humankind only that they worship Me.” (The Winnowing Winds 51:56)

That is the reason for your existence and that is what we have to aspire to. Aspiring to a level of worship that we see the great men of God perform. You only have one chance at this life and when it is over we are out of time. We will not be given a second chance after that.

“If you could see when they are stationed before the Fire, and they say, ’Would that we might be returned, and then not cry lies to the signs of our Lord, but that we might be among the believers!’” (The Cattle 6:27)

When we have died we cannot barter ourselves into paradise or barter our way out of hell. Once we have died our faith and action are now sealed.

“As to those who reject Faith, and die rejecting,- never would be accepted from any such as much gold as the earth contains, though they should offer it for ransom. For such is (in store) a penalty grievous, and they will find no helpers.” The Family of Imran 3:91

“And let me not be in disgrace on the Day when (men) will be raised up; "The Day whereon neither wealth nor sons will avail, "But only he (will prosper) that brings to Allah a sound heart.” (The Poets 26:88-89)

So all the Dunya that you have gathered up all your lives, all those thousands of millions of pounds that you have been saving up is worth nothing now. What was the point? It cannot save or help you now. We could not see beyond that pound or that dollar we were so busy earning to think is this all there is to life?

The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bestow peace and blessings upon him) said, “Love of the world is source of all errors.”  (Ibn Abi Dunya and Al-Bayhaqi)


The Dunya is cursed

The Prophet (may Allah bestow peace and blessings upon him) said, “Allah, mighty and majestic, has not created anything more odious to himself than the world.” Ibn Abi Dunya and Al-Bayhaqi

The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bestow upon him peace and blessings) said, “The world is cursed and everything in it is cursed except that which is for Allah.” At-Tirmidhi. Ibn Majah has the following addition, “Except the remembrance of Allah and a teacher and a student.”

So think, if Allah curses something does it have any value? It has no value at all.

Sahal Ibn Saad (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that he heard the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bestow peace and blessing upon him) say, “If Allah, the Exalted, considered the world to be equal to a wing of a gnat then he would not have given a disbeliever a sip of water.”  (At-Tirmidhi 2323 graded Hassan Sahih)

The above narration confused me for many years. What does it mean? It means that the world is worthless and if it was worth a wing of a gnat then he would not have given it to a disbeliever!

People seem to be under the illusion that the more Allah loves a person the more Dunya that person has. This is just rubbish because this narration proves that if Allah gives Dunya (anything worldly) to a disbeliever then he has given him nothing of value! In fact, he has given him something worthless. So do not think that making the numbers of your bank balance increase means anything. The world is worthless and it is not linked to how much Allah loves a person.


Do not preoccupy yourself with the world

The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bestow upon him peace and blessings) said, “Do not busy your hearts by remembering the world.” Al-Bayhaqi

If you head for the afterlife then you will lose some Dunya but that is nothing compared to the everlasting reward of doing something for the afterlife.


What have you lost?

The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bestow upon him peace and blessings) said, “Whoever loves the world harms his afterlife; whoever loves the afterlife harms his world. So the effect remains on what passes.” Imam Ahmed, Tabarani, Ibn Hibban and Al-Hakim

What have you lost when you lose Dunya? Nothing. You came into the world naked and are leaving in a white cloth. Everything that you were given is on loan to be returned after a while. Your family, your spouse, your children, you belongs, your home, everything will be given back when you leave and it will be given back. So do not weep over what has gone because what has gone is never going to come back. So have a good opinion that it will be replaced with something better and move on. Remember what was decreed for you was always going to be and what was never yours was never meant to be; no matter how much you try.

Imam Al-Mawlud said in Matharat Al-Qulub (p.36 Trans Sheikh Hamza Yusuf), “Realise also that blameworthy love of this world is what is solely for the benefit of the self.”

Please note we are not saying that you should sit at home, give up your job, sell all your property then give it away in charity. There is no blame upon you to have that amount of dunya that your worldly status is at but do not desire more than that. Yes, you need wealth to feed your family and children etc. But it should not be excessive or extravagant.



Ponder the following story about the Boatman

Imagine that you are on a boat in the middle of the sea. The boat has a hole in it and you know it will sink one day. You can put water out, on your left which is the dunya but the water that you bail out on the left comes back in. You know it makes no difference but you do not do anything.

If you bail the water on the right side, it turns into ice and you can build on it, as much as you want.

In the world, everything needs re-building, repairing and attention. Some things need to be cleaned then constantly checked and re-checked. The man in the boat is each one of us. We know working for the dunya weighs the boat down further and could cause us to sink. And we know that bailing the water on the right will give us a chance to escape the sea because we will be able to build something solid. That’s the difference the world is something that is ephemeral something useless and the afterlife has no end.

We can build what we want there but we have to start here to make sure we have got something to go to when the boat finally sinks.

Final note

We live in the Dunya and we are here for a fixed period that is unknown to us but that does not mean this world is the be all and end all. This world is a stopping place that we need to stock up on supplies before we pass on into the afterlife. This world is temporary and the afterlife is the place of permanence. What are we stocking up on? Sound belief and righteous actions. As these are the only things that we will take with us to our graves.

Yahya Ibn Muadh (may Allah be pleased with him) said, “The life of this world is the wine of satan, and whoever is intoxicated by it only wakes up once he is amongst the hordes of the dead, lamenting among the losers.” (Purification of the Heart Various p.142)



For an explanation of the Prophetic narration, “The world is a prison of the believer and the paradise of the disbeliever,” please see the link.
http://sheikhynotes.blogspot.com/2009/10/sheikh-atabek-shukurov.html

Silver Spoon theory

I was sat with a scholar when a good natured brother came and asked him a question. “Why are Muslims who come into Islam more religious than those who are born Muslims?” At that moment the lesson re-started and there was no time to answer the question.

This question was something that bothered me for months and I began to wonder, 'why were people who had come into Islam are more religious than those who were born Muslim?' In many cases, born Muslims have failed to grasp some concepts that new Muslims have no problem with.

One of my friends once said that scholars who were not born Muslim but who entered Islam, then became scholars displayed Islam better than those who were born Muslim. I did not agree with him here but because of his limited access to scholars I could understand where he was coming from.

After more months of pondering the answer was given to me. Like the child who is born into the riches of his parents they do not know how difficult it was for their parents to attain their wealth. We call those who are born wealthy as having a silver spoon in their months. Then compare this to those who work hard and struggle to attain wealth. They know how difficult it was for them to attain the wealth that they got through hardship. So they appreciate it more and spend it wisely. As for the one born with the silver spoon, they do not appreciate the struggle, so spend their money without a care.

Similarly, a person who is born Muslim sometimes does not realise the immense blessing it is to be born a Muslim hence some of them do not practice like others. So when a person accepts Islam and becomes Muslim then they appreciate the blessings and practice the religion as much as they can.

This is my silver spoon theory and its just a theory so do not get upset!

Of course there are exceptions to this and there are many people who this does not concern. I hope it has answered the question!

Wow, What a Bird!!

As-Sha’bi narrates that there was a man who caught a turtledove. It asked him, “What do you want to do to me?” The man replied, “I want to kill you and eat you.” It said, “I swear by Allah, I will not satiate your hunger. It is better for you that I teach you three things rather than eating me. The first, I will tell you in your hand, the second whilst I am on the tree and the third when I am on the mountain.”

(The man agreed and whilst the bird was in his hand he said), “Do not lament what has been lost.” The man let it go and it perched on the tree and said, “Do not believe something that can never be.” Then when it reached the mountain and it proclaimed, “O unfortunate one, if you had killed me then you would have found in my belly two pearls, each one worth twenty mithqals.”

The man bit his lip out of grief then said, “What was the third?” It replied, “Did you forget the first two? So how could I tell you the third? Did I not tell you not to lament what has been lost and not to believe something that can never be? I am flesh, blood and feathers; there is no twenty pieces in me! So how could there be two pieces weighting twenty mithqals in my belly!” Then it spread its wings and flew away.



This story can be found in many works of Imam Ghazali (may Allah be pleased with him) and others, this is from Nafhat Al-Arab/Breeze of the Arabs p.58.

One mithqal is about 3 grams in weight so the bird tricked the man saying he had sixty grams worth of pearls in its belly. Smart bird!!

The Smart Lawyer

There are lawyers who are gathering evidence for cases. They do not know when the case will be presented. Others see this lawyers as being busy with something unnecessary. Instead they are busy talking and immersing themselves in the luxuries and entertainments of this world; they are not concerned about the court case.

Some of them doubt that the case will come to court and some of them deny it outright. The lawyers that are awake are busy preparing their cases. Ready for the time when they will present their case because they know once the day arrives they will not be able to ask for more time. They have to be ready at that moment and whatever they have prepared will have to be enough. They know that they cannot be foolish, in what they do. They have to check all the evidence, making sure that weaknesses have been made up for, all the dues are paid and the accounts are clear of wrongdoing.

You see the judge is not just any judge; he is the Judge of judges. Who is this and what does it mean?

It means that the lawyer is you and the Judge is Allah (Mighty and Majestic) and you are preparing your case to be presented to him.

We should be busy preparing our case and be ready to present our case, which is our actions. When the time comes we cannot ask for more time because we have had enough time. We have been asleep thinking about other things and have not really been bothered about our case. We must be our own worst enemies because we want ourselves to suffer. Do you really want to suffer?

So prepare for the afterlife with actions of devotion, pay off all your debts, make friends of old enemies and lighten the load of your sins so you can weight down the scales with righteous not evil actions.

Be smart lawyers...

Umar ibn Abdulaziz and the Bedouin

They say that in the days of Umar ibn Abdulaziz a sever drought occurred. A party of Bedouins came to the court of Umar ibn Abdulaziz headed by a man who was to state their case, which was as follows, ‘The skin on our bodies is parched through lack of nourishment. Our relief is in your public funds. The money in the public treasury is of three kinds only: it belongs either to God or to his slaves or to you. If it belongs to God, he has no need of it, so give it to His slaves; if it belongs to God’s slaves, give it them: if it belongs to you, then (Quran 12:88) ‘Give it to us in charity. Truly, Allah recompenses the charitable.”


Tears came to the eyes of Umar ibn Abdulaziz, and he replied, ‘It is as you have said.’ Then he ordered that their needs be satisfied from the Treasury. The Nomad (spokesman) requested permission to leave, and Umar ibn Abdulaziz said to him, ‘O’ man, you have stated the case of God’s slaves to me. State my case likewise to Allah the exalted!’ The Bedouin turned his face to the sky and said, ‘O’ Lord. In your strength and glory do for Umar Ibn Abdulaziz what he has done for your slaves.’


At that very moment a cloud came up and rain began to fall. During the rainstorm a large hailstone came down, and dropped onto a baked brick and broke. Out of it came a letter, which said, ‘This is a warrant from me, Allah the exalted, to Umar ibn Abdulaziz. I have exempted Umar ibn Abdulaziz from the hellfire.’



Imam Ghazali Counsel for Kings p.68 translated by F.R.C. Bagley




See post on Supplication/Dua'

http://sheikhynotes.blogspot.com/2008/08/supplicaton-dua.html

Umar ibn Abdulaziz (may bestow upon him mercy) was the khalifh of the Muslim world from 717-720. He is sometimes referred to as the fifth rightly guided khalifh.

Empty Rooms

I remember once I was getting a new carpet for a room. Part of the process was to clear everything out of the room.

I took out all the furniture, books and the old carpet in preparation for the new carpet. Then I noticed something very strange whilst walking in the bare room. My footsteps were making a lot of noise.


So I pondered for a moment then thought it cannot be my footsteps because I was wearing the same footwear as before; then I realised why the room was making so much noise; there was nothing in the room!

So remember the reason why things make a lot of noise; is because they are empty, not because they are full and not because of the person passing through. 

Similarly some people are like empty rooms they make lots noise but are empty inside. In my experience the more noise someone makes the emptier they are!

Actions and Belief

Good actions will lead you to paradise but not put you in. Correct belief will put you in paradise without leading you there.

Wrong actions will lead you to hell without putting you in there. Wrong belief will place you in hell without leading you there.


So correct your beliefs and your actions then remain in hope from a merciful Lord.

Sheikh Atabek Shukurov

When you are studying something make intention that you are going to study a subject once and once only. Do not think that you are going to study the subject again and that you have time.

Life is better...

The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, "Wisdom is the lost property of the believer. So let them take it wherever they find it." At-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah.

The believer has a right to wisdom because it's his lost item and he has a rightful claim to it.

I remember reading a comic, in my childhood, where there was a crime fighter who was pursing some criminals. They lead him to a garbage dump, where he found something that confused him and sent him into deep wonderment. He found a rose, a red rose, bright and clean, amongst all the rubbish; growing in the garbage dump. I still wonder about this now, even in the worst of places, there maybe something good growing. Even amongst all the rubbish, something wonderful is growing; this is almost like a person. Who may have one good trait amid many bad ones but that good trait may overcome the remainder.

I was wandering home the other day, as most of do, tired and dragging my feet. The day was officially over, at least the working day was! When a caption on a billboard caught my eye, this does not normally happen, but it seemed to draw my attention. It was an advert for a credit card, which of course none of us have! I did not notice this at first, as it was the words that make me think. The picture was of a man painting on an imaginary wall, almost. The picture made little sense but the caption make me ponder.

It read, "Life is better, when you know what’s coming." That’s it, I know I built it up a bit but it was a simple, small caption.

Life is better when you know what’s coming. This to me made perfect sense. I began thinking about how the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) had spoke, at length, in hundreds of different narrations, about the events that would come after his passing away, events leading us the Day of Judgement, the day itself, Paradise and Hellfire.

This narration springs to mind:

Abu Hurairah said, I heard the Prophet saying to Thawban, "O Thawban, what will you do when the nations call one another to invade you as people call one another to come and eat from one bowl?" Thawban said, "May my father and my mother be sacrificed for you. O Messenger of Allah! Is it because we are few?" The Prophet said, "No, on that day you (Muslims) will be many, but Allah will put weakness (wahn) in your hearts." The people asked, "What is that weakness, O Messenger of Allah?" He said, "It is love for this world and dislike of death." Imam Ahmad

It has been all recorded in various books of prophetic narration. We know for instance, that Al-Mahdi will come and we know that the Dajjal then Jesus (upon him peace) will appear. There is even a narration stating that if the Day of Judgement comes and you are planting a tree, finish planting it. It is really extra-ordinary that this information has been given to us and we fail to take full advantage of it.

The main advantage of having this information is that you can prepare for events that will occur because of the knowledge given to us. It's like some who knows the stock market is going to crash and he takes his money out of the market, just before the crash. Why? because when you know what’s coming you are ready and prepare yourself. It is not a shock, it is just confirmation of what you already know.

We know that one day we will all die and we know, from the information given to us, what the questions will be and who will ask them. Life really is better for the believer in Allah because he knows what’s coming. He/she is calm and there no shock or panic, all there is, is calm. This is one of the meanings of Islam, to submit to the will of the creator. Admit that he knows what is better for you than you do. When you enter into this process, rebellion becomes submission. This goes right back to the angels protesting about the Humans placed on Earth as a vice-gerent. What was the answer that Allah (mighty and majestic) gave to the Angels?

"I know that which you do not." Sura Baqarah 2:29

Please do not misunderstand me, Allah (mighty and majestic) possesses knowledge without limit, without bounds, beyond the understanding of anything, ever, this is just an example.

It was knowledge that raised the status of Adam (upon him peace) above the angels, "He was taught all the names." 2: 30

Without knowledge events can make people say what they do not mean and do what they will regret. Knowledge can turn even the least of people into an important person. It can lift people out of the places of sin that they used to be in. Life is better with knowledge because with knowledge you'll see what is coming and it will not surprise you; when you hear the news or read a headline. You know the ways of the world and you know the rewards of the afterlife. Know that in all the nations before, believers in Allah suffered hardship from disbelievers; this is fact. So do not be surprised by what you hear, this has already happened to every nation.

We know what's coming and life is better, when you are a Muslim. You know, so what are you worried about? It is all being taken care of, better than you could ever imagine! So relax and prepare by performing your obligations and any good works. There is no need to worry, it is all going to be alright.

(Please forgive the writer for any mistakes. I hate proofreading!)

Sheikh Abdul-Aziz Fredricks

Book of assistance intro and three other parts

Rumi

The story about the dog

Rumi was once walking on a narrow path and a dog came into his way, the surrounding area was muddy.

Rumi told the dog to step aside, the dog told him to step aside.


Then Rumi said, "You are a dog it doesn't matter if you get dirty."


The dog replied, "No, by stepping aside your clothes will get dirty and clothes can be washed, however if you force me to step aside, you might feel in your heart that you are better than a dog. Your heart hence will not be washable with water."


Rumi stepped aside and let the dog pass.




This was one of the events that opened the spiritual way to Rumi. Taken from Wisdom of the seekers.
http://www.tasawwuf.org/writings/wisdom_seeker/index.htm