✦ REVIVE A SUNNAH ⇨ "HELP OTHERS AND SEEKING KNOWLEDGE" ✦

Abu Huraira رضي الله عنه reported: The Messenger ofAllah صلى الله عليه
وسلم said, "He who relieves the hardship of a believer in this world,
Allah will relieve his hardship on the Day of Judgment. He who makes
easy what is difficult, Allah will make it easy for him in the world
and the Hereafter. He who conceals the faults of a Muslim, Allah will
conceal his faults in the world and the Hereafter. Allah helps the
servant so long as he helps his brother. He who travels a path in
search of knowledge, Allah will makeeasy a path to Paradise. A people
do not gather together in the houses of Allah, reciting the Book of
Allah and studying together, except that tranquility will descend upon
them, mercy will cover them, angels will surround them, and Allah will
mention them to thosewith Him. And he who is slow to good deeds will
not be hastened by his lineage."
[Sahih Muslim, Book 35, Number 6518]

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Lead Into Gold

Lead Into Gold
Allah, giver of peace:
Your love has transformed me
like an alchemist's dream
of lead into gold.
I was old, bent under the weight
of years of confusion,
but now I stand straight, far-seeing,
light on my feet and gleaming,
golden like a lion's pelt,
a sunrise in my eyes.
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Inspirational Islamic Sayings and Short Poems by Wael Abdelgawad, Hanan Bilal, Imam Zaid Shakirand Others:

1
The Prophet Muhammad (s) said: "Be kind, for whenever kindness becomes
part of something, it beautifies it. Whenever it is taken from
something, it leaves it tarnished." – Imam Bukhari's Book of Muslim
Manners.
2
Abdullah bin Al-Haarith said, "I didn't see anyone who smiled more
than the Messenger of Allah (s)." – (At-Tirmithee, 3641).
3
"Allah. It all starts with Him– the universe, humanity, and our own
conception – and it all comes back to Him in the end. There's no
victory without Him, no progress, no peace. Strengthen your
relationship with Him in the easy times, and you will find Him beside
you in the hard times." – Wael Abdelgawad
4
"Allah (God) is an exponential word." – ImamZaid Shakir
5
"Keep your head up, forge forward fee-sabeel-illah, keep praying,
learning, thinking, following your dreams, and loving the people in
your life. It's all worth it, it all matters and makes a difference.
Every single thing you do is meaningful, even when you don't see it.
You are my brothers, my sisters, myheroes." – Wael Abdelgawad
6
"When you're out of ideas, that's when faith comes in. Let Allah show
you the way." – Wael Abdelgawad
7
"No one should ever be depressed by his or her worldly situation as
long ashe or she is walking on the path leading to Paradise. Attaining
Paradise is the great objective of this life, and the person who gains
it is victorious, regardless of what he achieved in the world." – Imam
Zaid Shakir
8
Allah has a beautiful plan
for every woman and man.
Trust Allah and pray
and He will light the way.
- Wael Abdelgawad
9
"When I am feeling low and downtrodden I just find a quiet place and
sit alone with my favorite book (the Quran)! When I turn each of its
miraculous pages my heart begins to feel lighter and the world around
me brighter! The love, warmth and security of each word sets in and it
is in these very moments that I know for sure in my heart how much
Allah really loves me! Alhamdulillah! Subhanallah! Allahu Akbar!" –
Asmaa Deanna-Dee
10
"'Oh, but what's the use of trying to be a good Muslim when I end up
sinning again and again?'… Well, what's the use of bathing when you
get dirty again and again? Salat (prayer) is a purifier. Though you
sin again and again, keep returning to Allah for purification. Fasting
is a purifier, Zakat is a purifier, Hajj is a purifier… We can use the
same analogy for hope and motivation. We have to keep finding them
again and again. That's the nature of life." – Wael Abdelgawad
11
"Try to become an embodiment of compassion and mercy in your daily
life. Do not wait for a situation to occur thatwill call out these
virtues inyou. Rather, seek out opportunities where you can manifest
them along with all of the other prophetic virtues. Do not live your
life passively waiting to be used, roused or stimulated into action by
events. Live an active life wherein you become the one who is
initiating acts of goodness and kindness in all that you do. Be an
embodiment of the truth you represent. Let your words and comportment
convey the dignity of the believer to all that you meet." – Imam Zaid
Shakir
12
"Wash your heart every morning with salat, then warm it up with dhikr.
Approach life with hope and faith. Every day do your best, Allah will
do the rest." – Wael Abdelgawad
13
"God is truly AWESOME! I see the POWER of GOD moving in MY LIFE, in my
families' lives, in the world….GOD has GREAT things in store for us.
All we have to do is submit and accept GOD's direction for our lives.
I accept!" – Hanan K. Bilal
14
"I believe in Allah because He believes in me… and in you too. He made
us Muslim, didn't He? That is agift and a blessing. So believe in His
plan for you, because He believes in you,He has faith in you, He has a
purpose for you." – Wael Abdelgawad
15
"Is not the help of God close by? Certainly it is. Godsays "Call upon
Me and I will respond." Don't tire on calling on Him. Don't despair
from receiving His Mercy. Despair is a sign of disbelief." – Imam Zaid
Shakir
16
"It's okay to feel sad, anxious, lonely, frustrated, and confused.
Feeling theseemotions doesn't make you less of a believer. The
difference between the believer and non-believer is that the believer
remainspatient and turns to Allah for help." – Wael Abdelgawad

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THE DAWNING OF LIGHT ON THE PATH OF SUFISM by Laurence Galian THE DANING OF LIGHT ON THE PATH OF SUFISM:

All praise is due to Allah. Allah is the One Reality, and that Reality
is Love. We humans are love returning to Love. Sufis have taught great
wisdom to humanity regarding the clearest ways to make that "return."
The finest way is through remembering ( dhikr ) Allah at all times,
and knowing that Allah alone exists. The author wishes to thank all
his teachers, especially Arthur Smith, who have generously shared
their wisdom with him, and it is his humble wish to transmit what he
has learned to the reader. All mistakes are the fault of the author
alone. Allah knows best.
From the lips of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) came the
saying, " Mutu qabla an tamutu (Die before you die)". That was not
some kind of poetry, but states that some have managed to do as the
Prophet directed and that his directions were clear and do not mean
the various interpretations offered by those who guess. Sheikh Ahmad
al-'Alawi writes, "The Gnostics have a death before the general
death."
An emotional experience, in a sense, is a precursor to illumination,
but it is not the experience itself. This misconception leads many
astray. Though they are very often imagined to be the same, emotions
and spirituality are not the same (no matter how "lofty" the emotion
may be). Strong emotions may be experienced just prior to
illumination; terror most readily comes to mind. In addition,
amazement may be experienced. Sayyid Idrisal-Hashimi ( Sayyid Idries
Shah) ( June 16, 1924 – 23 - November 1996 ) wrote often about the
fact that emotions and spirituality are not the same.
Emotion is often used to develop or increase certain brain chemicals
that are needed. That is the purpose of situations that
develop"longing" and "love." Thesesituations are necessary, but not
sufficient for illumination. Thus, emotions have a role in
illumination, but it is not what is commonly imagined.
Some intelligent people are aware of the human spiritual situation; a
few of those that are talented in symbol manipulation can describe it
to others. Rare isit that one can do more than describe and hint at
solutions. Better to admit to not having that information, unless the
goal is to get attention needs met or make money.
There is a Law of Synchronicity (in the Jungian sense) involved in the
Sufi Path of Illumination. The Sufis say that there is no coincidence,
and that coincidences are merely Allah's orders. An important teaching
story isthe tale of Majnun and Layla. The tale of Majnun and Layla is
of course about many things, but likeRumi's relationship with Shams,
it demonstrates a specific technique, that is, the technique of an
uncompleted love that created and intensified longing.
The Troubadours attempted the same technique on a somewhat large
scale. Foreseeing the future, and anticipating a time when humanity
would go through a very difficult phase, the troubadours created the
"impossible romantic ideal" that would set to motion, in a very
fewpeople, one of the initial processes or steps to illumination.
The future time they anticipated is our present time. Through the
yearning that this impossible romantic ideal created, a chemical
correlation was produce in the brain.
As we know, bears hibernate in caves. They appear almost lifeless.This
is an analog to the practices of ancient shamans, and to Sufis who
practice the forty-day halvet (retreat), in which the Shaman would
enter a cave, have an experience ofdying, explore the spiritual
realms, and then is reborn as the Initiate or Master (just as the bear
is reborn each spring as it "wakes up" and leaves its cave).