DIW Banners

Alhamdulillah, a brother recently took a picture of the Banner used in this years' Discover Islam Week.

Following is the beautiful artwork (click to enlarge):


It has also been somewhat enhanced in the following image:
I hope everyone can appreciate the effort taken to paint this banner.

The Life of this World

Quotes From the Salaf About the Life of This World

Taken from "The Life of This World Is a Transient Shade"

Sufyan ath-Thawri said: "Man's love for the life of this world is shown in the way he greets people."
[Look at a chaste poor man ... nobody talks to him. People greet him so warily as if fearing that he may pass poverty to them. But see how the people welcome a rich man, even if he does not perform prayer. They stand up with smiling faces, and each one hopes to greet him first. Note the difference between a man who is so great as seen by Allah and another who does not even weigh a mosquito's wing - but this is life.]

Narrated Muhammad ibn Abi Imran, "I heard a man asking Hatim al-Asamm: 'On what have you based your dependence on Allah?' He said: 'On four points: I knew that my sustenance cannot be eaten by someone else and I am assured, I knew that my duty cannot be done by anyone else, so I kept myself busy with that. I knew that death will come suddenly to me, so I prepared myself for it. I knew that wherever I go I am under Allah's Eye, so I am always shy of Him.'"

Abu Safwan ar-Ru`wini was asked: "What is that life dispraised by Allah in the Qur'an and that the sensible man should avoid?" He said: "Whatever you love in this life seeking worldly benefits is dispraised, and whatever you love seeking benefits in the Hereafter is praised."

Yahya ibn Mu`adh said, "O how poor is man, if he fears Hell in the same degree of his fearing poverty, then he will enter Paradise."

Ali ibn Al-Fudayl said: "I heard my father saying to Ibn Al-Mubarak: You order us to renounce the worldly pleasures and to be satisfied with the minimum, whereas you are buying goods, so what is that?" He said: "I do that to protect my face and my honour, and this helps me obey my Rabb." My father said: "How good is that if realised."

Yahya ibn Mu`adh said: "The life of this world is a house of deeds and the Hereafter is a house of horrors. Man remains between deeds and horrors until he settles either in Paradise or in Hell."

One of the salaf said: "Beware of the life of this world because its magic is more effective than that of Harut and Marut. The two latter's separate a man from his wife (ta laq) whereas the life of this world separates a man from his Rabb."

Abu Dardaa' said: "Everyone has an imperfection of knowledge and wisdom, if his wealth increases, he becomes so happy though day and night are working hard on destroying his life-span. So what is good of a wealth that increases and a life-span that decreases."

Al-Hasan al-Basri said: "I am astonished about those people who are ordered to prepare their provisions, then the start of the journey is announced, however they remain unmindful in their vain discussions and fruitless deeds."

A man came to Sufyan ath-Thawree seeking his advice, and he said to the man: "Work for the sake of this life within the extent of your stay in it, and for the Hereafter within the extent of your stay therein."

Al-Fudayl ibn `Ayyad said: "Man's fear of Allah is equal to his knowledge of Him and his renunciation of worldly pleasures is equal to his desire in the Hereafter."

Salman ibn Dinar said: "What you love to have with you in the Hereafter you should advance today, and what you hate to have with you, you should abandon today."

"Don't seek anything other than contentment, because therein is the bliss and the comfort of your body. Then 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?"

Excessive laughter

"If you know what i know you would laugh less and cry more" (Bukahri)

The prophet (sallahu Alayhewaslam) was given the knowledge of the unseen by Allah. From amongst this was the visualisation of heaven and hell in addition to its dwellers.

Due to his knowledge and insight our beloved prophet (saw) stated that if we had the knowledge of matters which where not known to us, but were known to him, then we would forget the pleasures, desires and distractions of this world and our laughter and joys would be replaced by sorrow, contemplation and tears for the hereafter.

(Taken from the book 'Beneficial Knowledge' Madrassah Al Zahra)

Giving up Sin

“You will have to give up sin by force using courage, effort and with a sincere intention. It is no use just imagining that it will happen automatically. The intention should be such that I want to achieve this goal, of reaching Allah, no matter what it takes.
When a person makes a firm intention then he becomes capable of even moving mountains.”

Taken from (http://shaykh.wordpress.com/2007/10/25/giving-up-sin-2/)

Allah Resides In Broken Hearts

Our Dr. Hadhrat Muhammad Abdul Hayy Sahib (Rahmatullah Alayh), used to recite a couplet of poetry. He used to say that when Almighty Allah breaks the heart of any of His servants He desires to lift him to greater heights. These shocks, anxieties and sorrows which come to men are forced exertions in the path of Deen (faith) by which men progress by leaps and bounds to higher degrees and this is not possible in normal circumstances. He frequently recited this couplet:
-یہ کھہ کے کسہ ساز پیالہ پنگ دیا-اب اور کچھ بنائن گے اس کو بگاڑ کے
“The potter threw down the pot to break it saying that after breaking it he would re-shape it (in a better form).”
Thus, when this heart is broken, it becomes the receptacle of Allah’s mercies and divine reflections. He also used to recite another couplet:
-بتان ماہ وش اجڑی ہوئی منزل میں رہتے ہیں-جسے برباد کرتے ہیں اسی کے دل میں رہتے ہیں
“The moon-like beloved ones take up their residence in deserted houses.They reside in the heart of those whom they ruin.”
[”Discourses of Islamic Way of Life” by Mufti Taqi Usmani (damat barkatuhum), Vol. 1: pages 179-180]

Taken from:
http://truelife200vi.wordpress.com/2008/03/03/allah-resides-in-broken-hearts/

Quick Hadith

Importance of Salaat.

Hadhrat Abu Hurairah (Radhiyallaho anhu) narrates that once prophet (sallallahu alaihe wasallam) ashed his companions;

'Do you believe that dirt can remain on a person bathing five times a day in a brook in front of his door?'

'No' replied the companions 'No dirt can remain on his body'

The prophet (sallallahu alaihe wasallam) remarked:

'So exactly similar is the effect of sallat offered five times a day, With the grace of Allah it washes away all the sins.'

SubhanalAllah my brothers and sisters, This is a great benefit of performing sallat. In this world we live in today where we sin left, right and centre. Sallat cleanses the soul of all our sins.

Trying too hard

“Some people try too hard to be polite. Even when they have not done anything wrong, they will still ask for forgiveness.
This is also a deception from the nafs as it will make one think to himself that I am so good that even on small misdemeanours I have great remorse and sorrow.”

(Taken from Shaykh.org)