The Gardens of Paradise

Like most Muslims, hearing the storiesof reverts fills us with inspiration and Eman. Each story is unique, distinct from its peers by the different paths that were taken on the road to al-Islam. Here is a short story of a sister who became Muslim through a righteous brother (This is how we see him and we do not sanctify him before Allah).

Story of a convert sister:
When she was not a muslimah yet, she saw this muslim man working out at the gym.
She found him quite different than other non-muslim men and tried to make an eye
contact with him. But he moved his glance. Then she saw him praying. When she
asked what he was doing he explained it her. She asked if he would like to go for
dinner with her. But he refused. She asked, “Am I not your type?” But he told her that
the he refused for a different reason. Then he took out a lighter and lit it up. She started saying,
“Oh you smoke? No problem”. But he told her that in the after-life, he will end up in
fire for this type of behavior. He keeps the lighter to remind himself about this. So she
thought it was over the top of her head. And she started to learn about islam and later
accepted islam. But she never saw that young man again.

This righteous brother was the medium to her accepting Islam, he probably didnt even know that she later accepted Islam and that he was getting each and every act of worship she did for the sake of Allah. This just goes to show that we don’t know how Allah will guide people and neither should it be any of our concern. All we have to do is stay steadfastness to this religion and we will then reap the fruits inshallah.

Assalamu alaikum,

Here is the new trailer for the journey conference hitting up

Toronto this summer. It is an amazing trailer that just fills you up

with excitement and inspiration. Check it out!!!

Once while reading a book, I came across this quote and thought I would share it. This incident shows the huge disparity between the mindset of the early generations of Muslims and the latter ones.

 ‘Uqbah ar-Rasibi said: I entered upon al-Hasan while he was eating, and he said: “Come eatwith me.” I said: “I have already eaten until I can eat no more.” He said: “Subhan Allah!Does the Muslim eat until he can eat no more?!”” 

So the advice towards the Muslims is taken from the same book, where the author prescribes gradually reducing one’s intake of food until he (or she) arrives at a moderate level, and the best of affairs are the moderate ones. He should cut himself down to just enough so that he is not prevented from worship, and is able to preserve his strength. He should feel neither hungry nor full. Only then will his body become healthy, his aspirations high, and his conscience clear. If he eats any more than this,he will be driven to sleep more, and will have lower intellect.” 

One method I personally use is that I stop eating all heavy meals after 9 pm and only eat light meals such as fruits and vegetables. Eating heavy meals prior to sleep decreases the quality of one’s sleep and leaves one drained out of energy on waking up, despite having slept for 8-10 hours.

However when you eat a light meal before you go to sleep, you will feel refreshed and ready to go for a whole new day of productivity after only 6-7 hours of sleep.

A poet said:

“Consider the case of a person who possesses

the whole world, can he take with him in the grave more

than cotton and a shroud?”

Abu ‘Uthmaan Sa’eed bin Ismaa’eel An-Naysaaburi said:

“Whoever governs himself by the Sunnah – in word and deed – will speak with wisdom. But whoever governs himself according to his own desires will speak heresies, because Allah Tabaaraka wa Ta’aalaa said:

“And if you obey him (the Messenger) you will be guided” [Surat An-Noor: 54]

- Abu Nu’aym in Al-Hilyah 10/244, and others.

After mentioning this and other similar narrations, Shaykh Al-Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah said:

“It is as they said, for if a person does not follow what the Messenger came with he will act according to his own wishes. Thus he will be one who follows his desires without guidance from Allaah.”

- Minhaaj As-Sunnah 5/117