Are we prepared forthe journey?

It is said that Sheikh Habib-Ajami Rahmatullah alaihe, who is one of the renowned spiritual leaders, looked gravely concerned at the time of death. Someone said to him, 'It is strange that a Divine like you should feelso disturbed at the hour of death; we have never seen you in such great worry.' The Sheikh replied,'The journey (to the unknown) is far too long for my scanty provisions (the store of virtues). I do not know the way, for, I have not traversed it before. I shall have to facemy Lord and Sustainer, the Master of my soul, Whose Countenance I have not seen before. I shall be laid in the grave under the ground and be there, till the Day of Resurrection, all alone, without any friend or comforter. I shall then be required to appear before Allah Ta'ala for Reckoning and, if I am told to present one act of virtue like the act of reciting 'Subhaan-Allah,' once performed during the sixty years of my life, which should be untarnished by the evil influence of Shaitan, I fearthat I may not be able to produce one.'/ - - - :-> Transtors: 1.http://free-translation.imtranslator.net/lowres.asp 2.http://translate.google.com/m?twu=1&hl=en&vi=m&sl=auto&tl=en

Ramadan: the Way to Attainment

“Fasting during Ramadan is a unique opportunity to attain both peace of mind and heart,” says Imam Gayth Nur Kashif, Director of Washington, DC’s inner city Masjid ash-Shura.
Imam Kashif, who came to Islam by way of the Black Muslim movement and was an editor of the movement’s Muhammad Speaks newspaper and a contemporary of Malcolm X, explains: “During Ramadan one concentrateson rendering good and abstaining from the wrong. Such a pursuit creates peaceful serenity inthe hearts of men and women. Ramadan fasting cannot be complete and infact, the fast can be invalidated if one fails to control his or her temper. The fasting persons are advised to refrain from argument and to inform the other party that they cannot continue the troublesome dialogue because they are engaged in the sublime obligation of fasting. Without doubt afull month of such restraint is destined to leave its mark upon our bodies and souls.”
The fasting during Ramadan that requires certain restraints from dawn to dusk, the hours when the human interaction is the greatest, is designed to mould the lives of its practitioners.
Dr. Molook Roghanizad, a member of the Curriculum Advisory Committee of theFairfax County School Board in Virginia and an educational consultant, says, “Ramadan fasting offers an opportunity for Tazkiyah , - the cleansing of the self - through its disciplinary regimen. And on another level, Ramadanoffers a unique opportunity for synthesizing with the less fortunate.”
She points out that the tazkiyah aspect is clearly emphasized by Prophet Muhammad (Salla Allahu Alayhi wa Sallam) who, according to Ka’b ibn Malik,said:
“Two hungry wolves sent against a herd of sheep will not do more damage to it than a man’s eagerness for wealth and prestige does to his religion.” [Cited in Ahmad, al-Tirmidhi and Abu Yahya]
“The Quran,” she adds, “started to be revealed during Ramadan and it is recommended that during this month we concentrateon the reading of the Quran. Why? This is because during this month, we are less involved with physical needs and have a better opportunity of understanding the Message – the Quran, that is. Therefore there is a better chance of understanding the truth and reaching that spiritual elevation that we all desire.” This state of ‘special elevation’, she is says comes when we elevate ourselves through understanding the true message. “The moment you have reached the absolute truth is your Lailut ul Qadr, the Night of Power,” she stresses.
She says that the real attainment of Qadr for ordinary beings is not a physical act, nothing sort of pulling a spiritual rabbitout of a hat, but in reality that indescribable momentwhen all things become clear to you and this moment of truth is worth one thousand months, more than a lifetime. Considering the ambience of spirituality, there is a chance that is other worldly experience of a person, the Qadr, may occur in Ramadan. The Qur’an says: “But those willprosper who purify themselves and glorify of their Guardian-Lord and (lift their hearts) in Prayer.” (87:14-15)
Dr. Muhammad Hamidullah, 95, the eminent scholar and translator of the Quran into French, in his monograph Why Fast? (Centre Culturale Islamique, Wilkes Barre, PA) discusses the physical aspect of fasting. He likens fasting to the break from the ordinary to sleeping and to the weekend breaks in work and school.He points out that just as sleep renovates the body, the fast rejuvenates and invigorates the body, noting that Prophet Muhammad said, “There is a tax on everything, the tax of the body being the fast.”
What is fasting does to a Muslim is perhaps best explained by Jim Quraishi, who wrote in an internet religion forum, “I am muchmore forgiving and accepting of my coworkers. I am more liable to overlook their frailties and petty jealousies. I'm like a man who knows that at the end of the day there is a pot of gold that awaits him.”
Islam does order withdrawal nor asceticism,however those who desirecan undertake itikaf, that is to confine oneself to a secluded corner of a mosque – women can select a corner at home - during the last ten days of Ramadan to devote their full-time to prayer and remembrance of God. The itikaf experience can be likened to a retreat in a secluded camp. Ibn `Umar said, "The Messenger of Allah [Prophet Muhammad] used to seclude himself for the lastten days of the month of Ramadan."
Dr. Alija Izetbekovic, former President of Bosnia,(Islam Between East & West, American Trust Publications, p. 210) says: “The Islamic fast which is the union of asceticism and joy – and even pleasure in certain cases – is the most natural and ...
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A pious and intelligent woman from the Banu Israil

Muhammad bin Ka'b relates that there was a great alim and abid in theBanu Israil. He loved his wife very much. Co-incidentally, she passed away. This person was so grieved by this that he locked his door and abstained from meeting and conversing with people. A woman from the Banu Israil heardabout this so she went to him. She informed those who were guarding the entrance to his house thatshe wants to ask him a mas'ala and that it can only be asked directly to him. Saying this, she sat down stubbornly by the door. The person was informed of this and eventually permitted her to enter. She said: "I want to ask you a mas'ala." He replied: "Go ahead." She said: "I have a neighbour from whom I borrowed some jewellery. I am wearing it for quite some time now. Thereafter she sent a person asking for her jewellery. The question I want to ask you is that do I have to give it back to her?" The alim replied: "Yes, you have to give it back to her." The woman replied:"That jewellery was with me for a very long time. How can I give it?" The alim replied: "In such a case, you should give it even more happily because it was out of her kindness that she allowedyou to use it for such a long time." When he said this, the woman replied:"May Allah have mercy on you? Why, then, are you so sad? Allah had loaned you something and when He wished, He took it back. (Because) it belongs to Him." Upon hearing this, the alim realized his mistake and benefited tremendously from this conversation.
Lesson: Look at how this woman put some sense into this man who was a great 'alim. O women! You should also bear this in mind when you have toencounter any difficulty orcalamity. You should also explain this to others.

The lion, rats, snake and the honey comb- a beautiful story

I heard the following story from a pious brother. Hopefully, this story will be beneficial foreveryone, Inshallah.
Once a man saw in his dream, that a lion was chasing him. The man ran to a tree, climbed on to it and sat on a branch. He looked down and saw that the lion was still there waiting for him. Theman then looked to his side where the branch he was sitting on was attached to the tree and saw that two rats were circling around and eatingthe branch. One rat was black and the other one was white. The branch will fall on the ground very soon. The man then looked below again with fear and discovered that abig black snake had come and settled directly under him. The snake opened itsmouth right under the man so that he will fall into it. The man then looked up to see if there was anything that he could hold on to. He saw another branch with a honeycomb. Drops of honey were falling from it. The man wanted to taste one of the drops. So,he put his tongue out andtasted one of the falling drops of honey. The honey was amazing in taste. So, he wanted to taste another drop and then another and as a result, he got lost into thesweetness of the honey. He forgot about the two rats eating his branch away, the lion on the ground and the snake that is sitting right under him. Suddenly when the branch broke he remembered all the dangers woke up from hissleep.
Since this was an unique dream, the man went to apious scholar of Islam to know its meaning. The scholar said "The lion you saw is your death. It always chases you and goes where ever you go. The two rats, one black and one white, are the night and the day. Black one is the night and the white one is the day. Theycircle around, coming one after another, to eat your time as they take you closer to death. The big black snake with a dark mouth is your grave. It's there, just waiting for youto fall into it. The honeycomb is this world and the sweet drops of honey are the luxuries of this world. We like to taste a little of the luxuries of this world and it's very sweet. Then we want to taste little more and then more. Meanwhile, we get lost into it and we forget about our time, we forgetabout our death and we forget about our grave."
May Allah wake us up from the sleep and save us before it's too late. Ameen.