Story Of The Day

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THE MUSK SELLER & THE BLACKSMITH
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Select your friends wisely
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Allah ﷻ says in Surah Al-Furqan

يَا وَيْلَتَىٰ لَيْتَنِي لَمْ أَتَّخِذْ فُلَانًا خَلِيلً

Oh, woe to me! I wish I had not taken that one as a close friend.

لَّقَدْ أَضَلَّنِي عَنِ الذِّكْرِ بَعْدَ إِذْ جَاءَنِي ۗ

Certainly he misguided me away from the remembrance after it came to me

وَكَانَ الشَّيْطَانُ لِلْإِنسَانِ خَذُولًا

_And Shaytaan for mankind is a deserter.
[25:28-29]_
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How many people are destroyed by their company?
How many saved?
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صدق رسول الله ﷺ عندما قال
مثل الجليس الصالح و الجليس السوء كحامل المسك ونافخ الكير؛ فحامل المسك إما أن يحذيك، وإما أن تبتاع منه، وإما أن تجد منه ريحاً طيبة، ونافخ الكير إما أن يحرق ثيابك، وإما أن تجد ريحاً خبيثة

Verily, the parable of a good friend and a bad friend is only that of a seller of musk and a blacksmith. The seller of musk will give you some perfume, you will buy some, or you will notice a good smell. As for the blacksmith, he will burn your clothes or you will notice a bad smell.”
[Sahih al-Bukha‌ri‌ 1995, Sahih Muslim 2628]
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The perfume sellers from your friends, if you sat with them and you actively engaged with them in conversation, you would find only benefit and goodness, thus you will have received their perfume.
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Even if you merely sit in their company by way of chance, by virtue of being there, the gathering warrants mercy and forgiveness for every individual including yourself. Thus by virtue of their company, you gained a nice odour about you.
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As for the Blacksmiths, if you sit with the evil company and you engage with them, you will not find goodness, only evil things and you won’t leave except that your heart will be covered in the black soot his work produces and your clothes burned.
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And even if you do not engage with them, and you happen to sit with them by way of chance, the smell of the blacksmiths work will still rub off on your soul and you will not have increased in anything except in evil, thus at the very least, you will have a pungent foul smell.
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In a Hadith Prophet ﷺ warned us,

الرجل على دين خليله فلينظر أحدكم من يخالل

"A man is upon the religion of his best friend, so let one of you look at whom he befriends.”
[Sunan al-Tirmidhi‌ 2378, Grade:Sahih]
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May Allah ﷻ grant us good friends who are a means to get to Jannah al Firdous without punishment.
آمِيْن

Islamic Facts and History - Story of Mother Hajar.

The great woman was Hajira (May Allah be pleased with her). She was the wife of Prophet Ibrahim (A.S). Haajar/ Hajira was the daughter of king of Egypt and Her son was Prophet Ismael (A.S). Hajira’s sacrifice took place when she was left alone with her baby in the valley of Makkah all for the sake of Allah.

Ibn Abbaas (R.A) narrated the story of Haajar/Hajira, the wife of Ibraheem and the mother of his son Ismaeel. He said:

Ibraheem brought Hajira and her son Ismaeel while she was suckling him, to a place near the Kabah under a tree on the spot of Zamzam, at the highest place in the mosque. During those days there was nobody in Makkah, nor was there any water. So he made them sit over there and placed near them a leather bag containing some dates, and a small water-skin containing some water, and set out homeward. Hajira followed him saying: “O Ibraheem! Where are you going leaving us in this valley where there is no person whose company we may enjoy, nor is there anything?” She repeated that to him many times, but he did not look back at her. Then she asked him: “Has Allah ordered you to do this?” He said, “Yes.” She said, “Then He will not neglect us” and returned while Ibrahim went on his way. When he reached al-Thaniyyah, where they could not see him, he faced the Ka’bah, and raising both hands, prayed to Allah in the following words:

“O our Lord! I have made some of my offspring to dwell in an uncultivable valley by Your Sacred House (the Kaabah at Makkah) in order, O our Lord, that they may perform As‑Salaah (Iqaamat‑as‑Salaah). So fill some hearts among men with love towards them, and (O Allah) provide them with fruits so that they may give thanks”[ Ibraaheem 14:37]

Ismaeel’s mother went on suckling Ismael and drinking from the water (she had). When the water in the water-skin had all been used up, she became thirsty and her child also became thirsty. She started looking at her child tossing in agony. She left him, for she could not endure looking at him, and found that the mountain of al-Safa was the nearest mountain to her on that land. She stood on it and started looking at the valley keenly so that she might see somebody, but she could not see anybody. Then she descended from al-Safa and when she reached the valley, she tucked up her robe and ran in the valley like a person in distress and trouble, till she crossed the valley and reached al-Marwa where she stood and started looking, expecting to see somebody, but she could not see anybody. She repeated that (running between Safa and Marwa) seven times.

Ibn Abbaas said: the Prophet (P.B.U.H) said: “This is the source of the tradition of the walking between them (i.e. Safa and Marwa). When she reached Marwa (for the last time) she heard a voice and she asked herself to be quiet and listened attentively. She heard the voice again and said, “O (whoever you may be)! You have made me hear your voice; have you got something to help me?” And she saw an angel at the place of Zamzam, digging the earth with his heel (or his wing), till water flowed from that place. She started to make something like a basin around it, using her hand in this way, and started filling her water-skin with water with her hands, and the water started flowing out after she had scooped some of it.”

Ibn Abbaas said: The Prophet (P.B.U.H) added: “May Allah bestow Mercy on Ismael’s mother! Had she left the Zamzam alone (flowing without trying to control it) (or had she not scooped from that water) (to fill her water-skin), Zamzam would have been a stream flowing on the surface of the earth.” The Prophet (P.B.U.H) further added, “Then she drank (water) and suckled her child. The angel said to her: ‘Don’t be afraid of being neglected, for this is the House of Allah which will be built by this boy and his father, and Allah never neglects His people’

This act of running between Safa and Marwa by a woman was so much loved by Allah that Allah has made running between Safa and Marwa compulsory for every man and Woman who performs Hajj. Allah mentioned in Quran:

“Behold! Safa and Marwa are among the Symbols of Allah” [Surah Baqara:158]

Today we drink from Zamzam and it is ever flowing water. When you go for Hajj, remember the struggle of this great woman. What a great example of Status of women in Islam!!

Source:https://www.alquranclasses.com

Beautiful Hadith of The L***r, The Bald Man and The Blind Man

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that he heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) saying,

"Allah willed to test three Israelis who were a L***r, a blind man and a bald-headed man. So, he sent them an angel who came to the l***r and said, 'What thing do you like most?' He replied, 'Good color and good skin, for the people have a strong aversion to me.' The angel touched him and his illness was cured, and he was given a good color and beautiful skin. The angel asked him, 'What kind of property do you like best?' He replied, 'Camels (or cows).' (The narrator is in doubt, for either the l***r or the bald-headed man demanded camels and the other demanded cows). So he (i.e. the l***r) was given a pregnant she-camel, and the angel said (to him), 'May Allah bless you in it.' The angel then went to the bald-headed man and said, 'What thing do you like most?' He said, 'I like good hair and wish to be cured of this disease, for the people feel repulsion for me.' The angel touched him and his illness was cured, and he was given good hair. The angel asked (him), 'What kind of property do you like best?' He replied, 'Cows,' The angel gave him a pregnant cow and said, 'May Allah bless you in it.' The angel went to the blind man and asked, 'What thing do you like best?' He said, '(I like) that Allah may restore my eye-sight to me so that I may see the people.' The angel touched his eyes and Allah gave him back his eye-sight. The angel asked him, 'What kind of property do you like best?' He replied, 'Sheep.' The angel gave him a pregnant sheep. Afterwards, all the three pregnant animals gave birth to young ones, and multiplied and brought forth so much that one of the (three) men had a herd of camels filling a valley, and one had a herd of cows filling a valley, and one had a flock of sheep filling a valley. Then the angel, disguised in the shape and appearance of a l***r, went to the l***r and said, I am a poor man, who has lost all means of livelihood while on a journey. So none will satisfy my need except Allah and then you. In the Name of Him Who has given you such nice color and beautiful skin, and so much property, I ask you to give me a camel so that I may reach my destination. The man replied, 'I have many obligations (so I cannot give you).' The angel said, 'I think I know you; were you not a l***r to whom the people had a strong aversion? Weren't you a poor man, and then Allah gave you (all this property).' He replied, '(This is all wrong), I got this property through inheritance from my fore-fathers.' The angel said, 'If you are telling a lie, then let Allah make you as you were before. ' Then the angel, disguised in the shape and appearance of a bald man, went to the bald man and said to him the same as he told the first one, and he too answered the same as the first one did. The angel said, 'If you are telling a lie, then let Allah make you as you were before.' The angel, disguised in the shape of a blind man, went to the blind man and said, 'I am a poor man and a traveler, whose means of livelihood have been exhausted while on a journey. I have nobody to help me except Allah, and after Him, you yourself. I ask you in the Name of Him Who has given you back your eye-sight to give me a sheep, so that with its help, I may complete my journey.' The man said, 'No doubt, I was blind and Allah gave me back my eye-sight; I was poor and Allah made me rich; so take anything you wish from my property. By Allah, I will not stop you for taking anything (you need) of my property which you may take for Allah's sake.' The angel replied, 'Keep your property with you. You (i.e the three men) have been tested, and Allah is pleased with you and is angry with your two companions."

Reference : Sahih al-Bukhari 3464
In-book reference : Book 60, Hadith 131
USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 4, Book 55, Hadith 670 (deprecated numbering scheme)

A young man meets an old man and asks him:
- Do you remember me?
And the old man says NO.
Then the young man says that he was his student.

And the teacher asks:
- What are you doing, what do you do for a living?
The young man responds:
- Well, I became a teacher.
- Oh, good, like me? - said the old man
- Yes. Actually, I became a teacher because you inspired me to be like you.

The old man, curious, asks the young man what moment inspired him to become a teacher.

And the young man tells the following story:

- One day, a friend of mine, also a student, arrived with a beautiful new watch, and I decided I wanted it for myself and I stole it, took it out of his pocket. Soon after, my friend noticed the theft and immediately complained to our teacher, who was you. So, you stopped the class and said:

- Your friend's watch was stolen during class today. Whoever stole it, return it.
- I didn't return it because I didn't want to.
So you closed the door and told us all to get up and you were going to rummage through our pockets until we found the watch. But, he told us to close our eyes, because he would only look if we all had our eyes closed.

So we did, and you went from pocket to pocket, and when you got to mine, you found the watch and took it.
You kept looking for everyone's pockets and when you said: - "Open your eyes. We already have the watch."

You didn't tell me anything and you never mentioned the episode. You never said who stole the watch. That day, you saved my dignity forever.
It was the most shameful day of my life.

But it was also the day my dignity was saved from becoming a thief, a bad person, etc. You never said anything to me, and even though you didn't scold me or call my attention to give me a moral lesson, I got the message clearly.

And thanks to you, I understood that this is what a true educator should do. Do you remember that episode, professor?

And the teacher replies:
- "I remember the situation, the stolen watch, which I was looking for in everyone, but I don't remember you, because I also closed my eyes while looking."
*******

This is the essence of teaching:
If to correct you need to humiliate; you don't know how to teach.❣️

Hātim al-Asam was one of the righteous persons who relied on Allāh (SWT). Though he had no money for himself or his children in his absence, he desired to perform Hajj. As the time of the Hajj drew near, his financial inability to complete the pilgrimage upset him until his daughter asked why he was crying, to which he replied his lack of expenses meant he would not able to go for Hajj.

She replied: “Allāh will provide for you from sources you could never imagine!”

He said: “What about your expenses?”

She replied: “Allāh will provide for us what we need.”

Eventually, the daughter convinced and reassured her mother that they would survive in their father’s absence. As Hātim left for his journey with no provisions, he followed the caravan walking behind it until the leader of the caravan was stung by a scorpion and needed someone to treat him with Ruqyah. So Hātim rose to the task following referrals by others due to his piety and knowledge, and with the permission of Allāh, the caravan’s leader was healed. As a reward, the leader announced he would cover all the expenses and provisions of Hātim along his journey.

Hātim thanked Allāh by saying: “O Allah! This is Your provision for me; show me Your provision for my household!”

A few days after Hātim left, the provisions he left behind had depleted and hunger began to affect his family members. Naturally, his family blamed the daughter who convinced them to allow their father to go in the first place. However, they were shocked at her reaction—she could not stop laughing!

“What makes you laugh while hunger is about to finish us all off?!”

She answered: “What do you think of our father? Is he a sustainer or a consumer of Allāh’s provision?!”

They assuredly answered: “A consumer of Allāh’s provision and Allāh is the Sustainer, Glory be His!”

She said: “Though the consumer of provision has left, the Sustainer of all provisions has always been there!”

Soon after, a knock was heard at the door; it was a man asking for some drinking water for the caliph. The daughter happily obliged and it was the most tasteful water the caliph had ever had. When he asked from which household the water was bought, his companions answered, “From Hātim’s house”. He said: “Bring him to me so that I give him a good reward”. They said: “He is performing the ritual of Hajj”.

So the caliph threw this belt, adorned with jewels and gems, at Hātim’s door and said “This is for Hātim’s household. Whoever loves me, let him do just as I did.” All the wealthy merchants and ministers obeyed this command until the belts were piled at their door. One of the wealthy merchants bought all the belts for a price that filled the house with gold that would be enough for them until their last day.

Undoubtedly, the family became elated but the daughter began to cry. Her mother asked: “How strange you are my dear daughter! We were crying out of hunger while you were laughing. And now, Allāh the Almighty removed our hardship and provided for us a great provision and you are crying. Why is that?”

The daughter replied: “This creature who can do his own self neither good nor harm (i.e. the Caliph) gave us a kind look which made us rich up until the end of days. How would it be if the Generous Creator of all gives us a kind look of His?!”

”He came in to the cafe one day asking me for some $$. I looked at him and asked him "why don't you have a job, you know nothing is given to me for free right? he said "Well, I have a lot of felonies and no one wants to hire me for that, so now I had to turn myself to the streets and get money the only way I know, Stealing and asking for money. I was short staff that day. So I asked him " you want to work? I have a job for you! His eyes opened wide and his smile made my day!!!! He said I'll do anything for some food. So now for almost 2 weeks he been on time for his two hour shift.... helping take trash, washing dishes etc. Once I pay him guess what he does? He buys food from my restaurant (HE DECIDES TO PAY) because it makes him feel good !
He gets a discount!!!!! Do something nice for someone today and don't judge them just because they out there asking for money for we dont know their situation... some deserve another shot. God gave me this blessing so why can't I bless others? 😜 this is what should break the internet, We want change? Well, start by making one 😉”

Credit: Cesia Abigal

This 10-year-old girl by the name of "Marwa" sells tissues in city of Aswan, Egypt.

She rushed to watch a marathon organized for children from a distance and she quickly ran towards them to ask if she can participate.

Although she did not pay the participation fee (which was 200 pounds) , nor did she have the sports shoes or clothing to participate, she nevertheless wanted to take part and had the desire to win!

The organizers did not deprive this innocent child from playing. Marwa ran barefoot.. She ran as she used to run after people in the streets to sell them tissues... She ran with the pride of the poor, she ran as if she was flying towards the sky to embrace the finish line.
To everyone's utter astonishment and surprise, she came in first place and won gold medal.

Despite her unfortunate circumstances, she believed in herself and didn't allow any hurdles or setbacks to get in the way of accomplishing her goal. ❤️





src https://www.linkedin.com/in/tarannum-ishaq-ali/recent-activity/

He wrote on his house: The house is for sale due to bad neighbourhood.

On the contrary, we mention a story of a man who was a neighbor of Imam Abu Hanifa al-Numan , that man who fall in debt and offered his house for sale, When the buyers came, he said to them: I sell my house for twenty thousand dinars. They said: The house is not worth more than two thousand dinars, so how do you sell it for twenty? The man said: The house is only worth two thousand, but I sell the neighborhood of the Imam for the rest and I forfeited his right.

When Imam Abu Hanifa heard the story, he paid the man’s debts and said to him: *We do not neglect the neighborhood of the one who loves our neighborhood.*

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐢𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐚𝐲𝐲𝐢𝐝𝐮𝐧𝐚̄ '𝐔𝐦𝐚𝐫 𝐈𝐛𝐧 𝐚𝐥-𝐊𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐚̄𝐛!

When Egypt was conquered, the natives came to Sayyidunā 'Amr ibn al-'Ās رضي الله عنه and said: “Indeed! This river desires one virgin every year and we throw one girl into the river. If we do not do so, the river will stop flowing which will make the cities desolate and people will be struck by famine."

When the water level of the Nile did not rise and entire month passed but the river-bed remained dry, Sayyidunā 'Amr ibn al-'Ās let this be known to the Caliph, Amīr ul-Mu’minīn Sayyidunā ‘Umar al-Fārūq رضي الله عنه. He sent a letter that Islām has declared former evils as wrong and sent him a chit on which he had written: “I start with the name of Allāh who is the most benevolent and the most merciful. From the slave of Allāh, 'Umar bin Khattāb to river Nile… O river! If you flow with your own wish, then we do not need you and if you flow with the command of Allāh, then start flowing with the command of Allāh.”

He wrote that this letter should be dropped into the river. When it was done, the same night, the river started flowing with a water level 16-yards high and the level increased by 6 yards every year.

Fatima Bint Muhammad ﷺ

Fatimah was the fifth child of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and Khadijah.

She was about five years old when The Prophet received revelation so scholars say “she grew up in Islam.”

One of her nicknames was Ummu Abeeha (Her Father’s Mother), due to the fact that she was always in his company and ready to defend him, just like a mother would do for her child. Once she saw her father while he was in sujood, and `Uqbah ibn Abi Mu`ayt came and placed the guts of a dead animal on the Prophet’s back while he was praying. Fatima ran to her father and removed the filth from his back while she was crying. The Prophet ﷺ saw her crying and said, “Don’t cry my daughter, for indeed Allah will make your father victorious”.

She adopted so many characteristics from her father, that Aisha says, “I have not seen anyone who resembled the Holy Prophet ﷺ more in manners, habits, character and in the method of sitting and standing than Fatimah.” (Tirmidhi)

The Prophet ﷺ had so much love for her that if he would be seated and Fatima would enter he would get up and kiss her between her eyes, all the time.

When Ali and Fatima got married the Prophet ﷺ was involved in their life. Once the Prophet ﷺ went to visit them and found Fatima at home alone, he asked where Ali was, she told him that they were upset with each other and that Ali has left the house.

The Prophet ﷺ went to look for Ali and found him sleeping in the masjid covered in dust. The Prophet ﷺ woke him while wiping away the dust saying, “get up the father of dust”. He did not even ask them what they fought about and instead told Ali, “O Ali come back to your home with me”.

Even though Fatima and Ali were poor they still had a happy marriage. The Prophetﷺ would go to visit them and he would hear their laughter from outside. They had four children, Hasan, Hussayn, Muhsin (who died very shortly after birth) and Umm-Kulthoom.

Fatima was only 28 years old when her father died. She went through a very hard time. She entered upon the Prophet ﷺ when he fell ill, but he was unable to get up to kiss her, as he usually does. So she sat to the right of the Prophet ﷺ while she was crying. The Prophet ﷺ said “bring your ear closer to me O Fatima”, so he whispered something in her ear, so she cried. The Prophet ﷺ again said “bring your ear closer to me O Fatima” and he whispered something else in her ear, and so she laughed. Aisha later asked her after the death of the Prophet ﷺ, please tell me what he whispered to you, she said, “firstly he said “O Fatima I am going to die tonight,” and so I cried, and when he saw me crying he said, “will you not be satisfied that you will be the first from amongst my family to follow me and that you will be the leader of the women of Paradise”, and so I laughed”.

Fatimah died six months after the Prophet ﷺ, and she instructed Ali, “When you bury me to cover me properly, I don’t want anyone to see anything of me, and bury me during the night for I am embarrassed from the multitude of people attending.”.

Ali was very upset by her death and cried a lot. He said, “I have never been more exhausted from anything more than I was as a result of the death of the Prophet and Fatimah within six months of each other”.

Fatimah was the highest example of chastity, honor, modesty, and piousness for all Muslim women.

May Allah make us able to follow her footsteps!❤
Ameen❤

Story Time

We will upload a new children's story read-aloud each day on our YouTube channel. It will be a combination of Islamic stories and non-Islamic literature that focuses on morality and character development.

This is our Ramadan gift to you :)

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https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBlGsGjNOXX4CLhjV-08Kdg

Ramadan Mubarak!