Reality checks in
Well that didn't go so well. Discipline is something that is lacking or priority placement for endeavors such as spewing out 1000 words a day. It is a grand and noble idea and believe me I have a lot to say just not everyday.
Work is not the best place to endeavor this and homelife with small children makes it equally challenging. There is one tradition of the Prophet Muhammad Prayers and Peace upon him that I find especially applicable at different moments of beffuddledness in my life. "O Son of Adam tomorrow is a new day." In otherwords each moment in life is a starting point or a restarting point. A point that brings with it the knowledge of experience. If one were to take this simple prescription at dealing with life's numerous setbacks then life suddenly becomes much easier.
Another good anecdote that I heard today was "a successful life is nothing more that a succession of successful days" today is all that there is just make today successful and tomorrow will take care of itself. This is a poignant point. In keeping with the focus of ones life breaking it down into manageable hours and the importance of that. If one breaks life down for the Muslim between the prayers it would help one keep focus. A life management model of scheduling around the prayer is essential for any Muslim trying to effect change within himself.
I attended Agenda for changing our condition put on by Zaytuna institute and am currently working on completing my Salaat (Prayer called such from here on out) for forty days within its respective time. I am currently on day 5. I could probably make better use of my blog by journaling this quest. The next forty day quest will be to control my tongue. Then after that my laziness/ procrastination. A deep spiritual focus is my aim. My goal is to attain a level of commitment that will allow me to accomplish my life's goals.
Insha Allah (God willing) I can make the time to return to this page to track my progress.
I have been reading "The Lives of Man" by Imam Abdallah ibn Alawi Al Haddad and in it there is a tradition of the Prophet Sallallahu Alayhe Wa Salaam that was so beautiful I just could not stop crying. There was actually two of them. The first on reads:
Wahb ibn Muhabbih, may Allah show him His Mercy, said: 'When Moses, Upon whom be peace, read the Tablets, he found mention in them the merits of the nation of Muhammad, may blessings and peace be upon him, and he said: "O Lord! Which is this mercy-given nation that I find in the Tablets?" God Answered: "It is the nation of Ahmad, whose people are content with whatever little provision I give them, and I am content with whatever little good works they do. I make each one of them enter the Garden by his testimony that La ilaha Illa Llah (There is no deity worthy of worship except the one worthy of all worship).
'And then Moses said: "I find in the Tablets a nation of people who shall be resurrected and assembled on the Day of Rising with their faces like full moons. Let them be my nation!" But Allah replied: "They are the nation of Ahmad; I shall gather them resurrected on the Day of Rising, when their foreheads and limbs shall be blazing white from the effect of their wudu (Spiritual washing in preparation for any worship duty) and their prostrations."
'Moses said: "O Lord! I find in the Tablets a nation of people whose clothes are on their backs and whose swords are on there shoulders, people of certitude and dependence [tawakkul](Dependence upon Allah alone fearing nothing else but Him); they glorify Allah from minaret-tops, and they continue to seek to fight for every righteous cause, until they do battle against the Dajjal. Let them be my nation!" But Allah replied: "They are the nation of Ahmad!"
'Moses said: "O Lord! I find in the Tablets a nation of people who pray five times each day and night, at five hours of the day, for whom the gates of Heaven are opened and upon whom mercy descends; Let them be my nation!" But Allah replied: "They are the nation of Ahmad!"
'Moses said: "O Lord! I find in the Tablets a nation for whom the [whole] earth is a place of worship and ritually pure, and for whom booty is lawful; Let them be my nation!" But Allah replied: "They are the nation of Ahmad!"
'Moses said: O Lord! I find in the Tablets a nation of people who fast the month of Ramadhan for You, and whom You then forgive all they had done before; Let them be my nation!" But Allah replied: "They are the nation of Ahmad!"
'Moses said: " O Lord! I find in the Tablets a nation of people who go on pilgrimage to the Inviolable House for Your sake, whose longing for it is never exhausted, whose weeping is loud and tumultuous, whose talbiya is clamorous;Let them be my nation!" But Allah replied: "They are the nation of Ahmad!"
'Moses said: "What will you give them for that?" And Allah said: "I shall grant them more forgiveness, and shall allow them to intercede for those who come after them.
'Moses said: O Lord! I find in the Tablets a nation of people who ask forgiveness for their sins; when they raise their food to their mouths it does not reach their stomachs before they are forgiven; they start [eating ] with Your Name and end with Your praise; Let them be my nation!" But Allah replied: "They are the nation of Ahmad!"
'Moses said: "O Lord! I find in the Tablets a nation whose members will be foremost on the Day of Rising, but are the last to be created; Let them be my nation!" But Allah replied: "They are the nation of Ahmad!"
'Moses said: "O Lord! I find in the Tablets a nation whose gospels are held within their breasts and they recite them; Let them be my nation!" But Allah replied: "They are the nation of Ahmad!"
'Moses said: "O Lord! I find in the Tablets a nation of people among whom, when one of them intends a good deed but does not perform it, it is written as one good deed for him, while if he does perform it, it is written as ten to seven hundred times its worth; Let them be my nation!" But Allah replied: "They are the nation of Ahmad!"
'Moses said: "O Lord! I find in the Tablets a nation among whom, when one of them intends a sin but does not commit it, it is not recorded against him, while if he does commit it, it is written as a single sin; Let them be my nation!" But Allah replied: "They are the nation of Ahmad!"
'Moses said: "O Lord! I find in the Tablets a nation of people who will be resurrected and brought on the Day of Rising as three groups. One group shall enter the Garden without reckoning, another's reckoning will be easy, and another will be rigorously judged, then made to enter the Garden; Let them be my nation!" But Allah replied: "They are the nation of Ahmad!"
'Moses said: "O Lord! You have spread out all this goodness for Ahmad and his nation; let me be a member of his nation!" But Allah told him: "O Moses! I have chosen and preferred you over other people with My Message and My Speech; take what I have given you, and be one of the thankful."'
When I read that I just about passed out. I will write the second one another time as my fingers are tired of typing right now.
Work is not the best place to endeavor this and homelife with small children makes it equally challenging. There is one tradition of the Prophet Muhammad Prayers and Peace upon him that I find especially applicable at different moments of beffuddledness in my life. "O Son of Adam tomorrow is a new day." In otherwords each moment in life is a starting point or a restarting point. A point that brings with it the knowledge of experience. If one were to take this simple prescription at dealing with life's numerous setbacks then life suddenly becomes much easier.
Another good anecdote that I heard today was "a successful life is nothing more that a succession of successful days" today is all that there is just make today successful and tomorrow will take care of itself. This is a poignant point. In keeping with the focus of ones life breaking it down into manageable hours and the importance of that. If one breaks life down for the Muslim between the prayers it would help one keep focus. A life management model of scheduling around the prayer is essential for any Muslim trying to effect change within himself.
I attended Agenda for changing our condition put on by Zaytuna institute and am currently working on completing my Salaat (Prayer called such from here on out) for forty days within its respective time. I am currently on day 5. I could probably make better use of my blog by journaling this quest. The next forty day quest will be to control my tongue. Then after that my laziness/ procrastination. A deep spiritual focus is my aim. My goal is to attain a level of commitment that will allow me to accomplish my life's goals.
Insha Allah (God willing) I can make the time to return to this page to track my progress.
I have been reading "The Lives of Man" by Imam Abdallah ibn Alawi Al Haddad and in it there is a tradition of the Prophet Sallallahu Alayhe Wa Salaam that was so beautiful I just could not stop crying. There was actually two of them. The first on reads:
Wahb ibn Muhabbih, may Allah show him His Mercy, said: 'When Moses, Upon whom be peace, read the Tablets, he found mention in them the merits of the nation of Muhammad, may blessings and peace be upon him, and he said: "O Lord! Which is this mercy-given nation that I find in the Tablets?" God Answered: "It is the nation of Ahmad, whose people are content with whatever little provision I give them, and I am content with whatever little good works they do. I make each one of them enter the Garden by his testimony that La ilaha Illa Llah (There is no deity worthy of worship except the one worthy of all worship).
'And then Moses said: "I find in the Tablets a nation of people who shall be resurrected and assembled on the Day of Rising with their faces like full moons. Let them be my nation!" But Allah replied: "They are the nation of Ahmad; I shall gather them resurrected on the Day of Rising, when their foreheads and limbs shall be blazing white from the effect of their wudu (Spiritual washing in preparation for any worship duty) and their prostrations."
'Moses said: "O Lord! I find in the Tablets a nation of people whose clothes are on their backs and whose swords are on there shoulders, people of certitude and dependence [tawakkul](Dependence upon Allah alone fearing nothing else but Him); they glorify Allah from minaret-tops, and they continue to seek to fight for every righteous cause, until they do battle against the Dajjal. Let them be my nation!" But Allah replied: "They are the nation of Ahmad!"
'Moses said: "O Lord! I find in the Tablets a nation of people who pray five times each day and night, at five hours of the day, for whom the gates of Heaven are opened and upon whom mercy descends; Let them be my nation!" But Allah replied: "They are the nation of Ahmad!"
'Moses said: "O Lord! I find in the Tablets a nation for whom the [whole] earth is a place of worship and ritually pure, and for whom booty is lawful; Let them be my nation!" But Allah replied: "They are the nation of Ahmad!"
'Moses said: O Lord! I find in the Tablets a nation of people who fast the month of Ramadhan for You, and whom You then forgive all they had done before; Let them be my nation!" But Allah replied: "They are the nation of Ahmad!"
'Moses said: " O Lord! I find in the Tablets a nation of people who go on pilgrimage to the Inviolable House for Your sake, whose longing for it is never exhausted, whose weeping is loud and tumultuous, whose talbiya is clamorous;Let them be my nation!" But Allah replied: "They are the nation of Ahmad!"
'Moses said: "What will you give them for that?" And Allah said: "I shall grant them more forgiveness, and shall allow them to intercede for those who come after them.
'Moses said: O Lord! I find in the Tablets a nation of people who ask forgiveness for their sins; when they raise their food to their mouths it does not reach their stomachs before they are forgiven; they start [eating ] with Your Name and end with Your praise; Let them be my nation!" But Allah replied: "They are the nation of Ahmad!"
'Moses said: "O Lord! I find in the Tablets a nation whose members will be foremost on the Day of Rising, but are the last to be created; Let them be my nation!" But Allah replied: "They are the nation of Ahmad!"
'Moses said: "O Lord! I find in the Tablets a nation whose gospels are held within their breasts and they recite them; Let them be my nation!" But Allah replied: "They are the nation of Ahmad!"
'Moses said: "O Lord! I find in the Tablets a nation of people among whom, when one of them intends a good deed but does not perform it, it is written as one good deed for him, while if he does perform it, it is written as ten to seven hundred times its worth; Let them be my nation!" But Allah replied: "They are the nation of Ahmad!"
'Moses said: "O Lord! I find in the Tablets a nation among whom, when one of them intends a sin but does not commit it, it is not recorded against him, while if he does commit it, it is written as a single sin; Let them be my nation!" But Allah replied: "They are the nation of Ahmad!"
'Moses said: "O Lord! I find in the Tablets a nation of people who will be resurrected and brought on the Day of Rising as three groups. One group shall enter the Garden without reckoning, another's reckoning will be easy, and another will be rigorously judged, then made to enter the Garden; Let them be my nation!" But Allah replied: "They are the nation of Ahmad!"
'Moses said: "O Lord! You have spread out all this goodness for Ahmad and his nation; let me be a member of his nation!" But Allah told him: "O Moses! I have chosen and preferred you over other people with My Message and My Speech; take what I have given you, and be one of the thankful."'
When I read that I just about passed out. I will write the second one another time as my fingers are tired of typing right now.
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