Salams- Come closer to your Lord with extra deeds

Salams- I think I posted this hadith before, but, I love this reminder:

On the Authority of Abu Hurairah who reported that the Messenger of Allah said:

"Allah the Exalted has said: 'Whosover shows enmity to a friend of Mine, I shall be at war with him. My slave does not draw nearer to me with anything more loved by me that the religious duties that I have imposed upon him, and My Slave continues to draw near to ME with extra works so that I shall love him. When I love him, I am his hearing with which he hears, his seeing with which he sees, his hands with which he holds, and his foot which which he walks. Were he to ask of Me, I would surely give it to him and were he were he ask ME for refuge, I would surely grant it.' "

Related by Bukhari.

My take:
1. Wow, mA.. Take care of religous obligations (testify the oneness of your Lord, pray 5 times/day, pay your zakat, fast in ramadan, make the hajj), and do a little extra to earn your Lord's love
2. How amazing is it to be loved by your Lord?

Be safe and take care-

Work hard/Trust in your Lord + Expecting a Surge in U.S. Medical Schools

Bismillah.

So.. Tawakul (Complete Trust in Your Lord)..

One day the Prophet (peace be upon him) noticed a Bedouin leaving his camel without tying it. He asked the Bedouin, "Why don't you tie down your camel?" The Bedouin answered, "I put my trust in Allah." The Prophet then said, "Tie your camel first, then put your trust in Allah"

My take:

1. Try your very best AND place your trust in your Lord

Also, for those interested in medical school, read the following piece. Thanks Naji and Dulbahai.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/15/education/15medschools.html

Marriage Decision: Following One’s Heart

http://seekersguidance.org/ans-blog/2010/01/29/marriage-decision-following-ones-heart/

Time Management- a prespective from Muhammad Alshareef

Saalams..

The link (Journey's end lecture) below is useful, mA. Feel free to listen to it.

http://attendthisevent.com/Modern/?eventid=10763076

Peace-

ICNYU Conference 2010: Building Momentum in Mainstream Culture

Register now. This should be good, iA. (Friday, Jan. 22nd- Sat, Jan. 23rd).
www.icnyu.org/conference

Who should you aspire to be?

Bismillah

Thanks, Ibraheem for sharing this prophetic saying:

Narrated 'Abdullah bin Mas'ud:

The Prophet (S) said, "Do not wish to be like anyone except in two cases. (The first is) A person, whom Allah has given wealth and he spends it righteously; (the second is) the one whom Allah has given wisdom (the Holy Qur'an) and he acts according to it and teaches it to others."
-Sahih Al Bukhari Volume 1, Book 3, Number 73

My take:
1. Give generously and use your wealth for good, betterment of your community, iA
2. Learn, teach and act upon the lessons from the Quran

Peace-

How to Get $20 Billion for Using Electronic Medical Records

Congress had passed a HITECH stimulus bill in Feb that gave Medicare and Medicaid incentives to docs and hospitals to make meaningful use of electronic medical records. The HITECH bill laid out a few basics about meaningful use: (e.g. reporting quality measures, sharing information electronically, etc.). Read the article and click on links within the article for more info.

Peace-

Click the following to access the sent link:

How to Get $20 Billion for Using Electronic Medical Records*

This article can also be accessed if you copy and paste the entire address below into your web browser.
http://blogs.wsj.com/health/2009/12/30/how-to-get-20-billion-for-using-electronic-medical-records/?blog_id=10&post_id=28096

Abu Eesa Niamatullah on relationships

Salams, my cousin sent me this link. This Al Maghrib instructor offers advice on how to engage the opposite gender Islamically.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5Kyy_4NE3Y

Peace-

Day of Arafat

Assalamu Alaikom.

The Prophet said, "Fasting the day of Arafat erases the sins of two years: the previous year and the coming one."

Tomorrow, (Thursday, 11/26) is the Day of Arafat. For those of us not fortunate enough to make the pilgrimage this year, this is is a beautiful chance to take advantage of the blessings of this day, iA.

Just wanted to share a small reminder and also invite you all to my family's home in Long Island on the first day of Eid (Friday, 11/26) anytime between 2-5pm. Let me know if you can come through, iA.

Be safe and take care.

Peace-

Jumma Mubarak! Trust in your Lord

Bismillah

Jummah Mubarak! Have you read sura Kahf?

In terms of a reminder, the following two ayaat remind me of the importance of complete trust in our Lord. Alhamdullillah, we are living in the wealthiest country in the world and I pray Allah gives us the strength and creativity to utlilize this privledge to make amazing contributions to our families, communities, and beyond, iA. Ameen!

Sura Bakarah (2:216)
It may be that you dislike a thing which is good for you and that you like a thing which is bad for you. Allah knows but you do not know.

Sura Nisa (4:19)
And live with them [women] honourably. If you dislike them, it may be that you dislike a thing and Allah brings through it a great deal of good.

Peace-

Are you taking advantage of the next ten days?

Bismillah.

It has been a long time. Ramadan is over, healthcare bill passed the House, and Dow Jones has been setting new highs for the year.... More importantly, we are close to the first ten days of the Islamic calendar month of Dhul-Hijjah (starts on Nov. 18th, iA).

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "There is no day more honorable in Allah's sight and no acts more beloved therein to Allah than those in these ten days (of Dhul-Hijjah)"

I know I need to take advantage of these 10 days to rejuvenate myself. May Allah bless us with the strength to take advantage of these days, and help us be kinder, more positive influences on the ones around us. Ameen!

Shaykh Muhammad Alshareef gives the following suggestions for extra good deeds during these days:

1. Fasting these 10 days
2. Giving more charity during these 10 days
3. Say the "Eid" Takbeers loudly wherever you go. (Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar. Laa ilaaha illa Allah. Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar. Walillaahil hamd.)
4. Try to pray more prayers in the Masjid
5. Increase ties of kinship (visit family, say kind words to them, etc.)
6. Perform more voluntary prayers at home
7. Read more Quran, contemplating the meanings
8. Do more Dhikr
9. Ask for forgiveness more frequently

Peace-

Trust in your Lord

Bismillah.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "No one of you will enter Paradise by his deeds alone." His companions asked, "Not even you, O Messenger of Allah?"
He (peace be upon him) said, "Not even me, unless Allah covers me with His Grace and Mercy"

My take:
SubhanAllah... This prophetic saying reminded me of our complete dependence on our Lord and his Mercy. No doubt, we have to work hard, be kind/sincere in all our actions, and always keep working towards developing ourselves, but, Ultimately, our destiny/fate is in our Lord's hands. And, knowing this should give us comfort. I remember Shaykh Hamza Yusuf put it nicely, 'We are in good hands.'

Be safe, work hard, and have complete trust in your Lord.

Peace-

Say Good words

Bismillah..

Adi bin Hatim reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "Guard yourselves against the Fire (of Hell) even if it be only with half a date fruit (given in charity); and if you cannot afford that, you should at least say a good word."

My take:

1. Give charity as a means to to protect yourself from punishment in the the hereafter

2. Saying good words will serve as a protection for you in hereafter, iA

May our Lord forgive all our sins, guide us on the straight path, and make us among the most generous. Ameen.

Peace-

Be there for your brother and your Lord will be there for you

Bismillah..

So, it has been a while. Anyhow, I wanted to share a hadith on the benefits/beauty of being there for your brother/sister.

Abu Huraiha (R) reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said,

"He who removes from a believer one of his difficulties of this world, Allah will remove one of his troubles on the day of Resurrection; and he who finds relief for a hard-pressed person, Allah will make things easy for him on the Day of Resurrection; he who covers (the faults and sins) of a Muslim, Allah will cover up (his sins and faults) in this world and the hereafter. Allah supports his slave as long as the slave is supportive of his brother;

and he who treads the path in search of knowledge, Allah make that path easy, leading to Jannah for him. The people who assemble in one of the houses of Allah, reciting the Book of Allah, learning it and teaching, there descends upon them the tranquillity, mercy covers them, the angels flock around them, and Allah mentions him in the presence of those near hm;

and he who lags behind in doing good deeds, his noble noble lineage will not make him go ahead." (Muslim)

My take:

Three major points:
1. Help/honour your brother, and Allah will be there for you in this life and the next. iA
2. Pursue and teach knowledge of the religion, and the path to Jannah will be made easy for you.
3. Perform good deeds, because your family's nobility isn't going to take you to jannah.

May Allah help us be the best source of comfort for ones around us, make our path towards gaining beneficial knowledge easy for us, and help us be consistent in good work. Ameen!!!

Be safe and take care.

Wudu (ablution) + Forgiveness

Bismillah
ablution

Humran related that Uthman ibn Affaan said that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Whoever does wudoo as I have done it, then prays two rak’ahs in which he focuses completely on his prayer, his previous sins will be forgiven.” (Muslim)

So, how did the Prophet perform wudu?


In the earlier part of the hadith listed above, Uthman bin Affan called for water to do wudo.’ He washed his hand three times, then he rinsed his mouth and nose, then he washed his face three times, then he washed his right arm up to the elbows, then he washed his right foot up to the ankle three times, and then he washed his left foot likewise. Then he said, “I saw the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) doing wuddo as I have done it. “


My take:
1. Performing proper wudu and completely focusing on prayer is a method to have our previous sins forgive.
2. Wudu and FOCUS on prayer
3. Our Lord has made the religion easy on us and has given us ample opportunity to seek his forgiveness. Are we taking advantage of these opportunities?

May Allah accept our wudu (ablution) and grant us focus on our prayers. Ameen
Just as a side note. Based on Sura Maaidah (5:6), the obligatory actions in wudu are listed below (The following is taken from Al Maghrib’s Purification Act notes)

1. Washing the face completely once, this includes rinsing the mouth and nose.
2. Washing the arms up to the elbows, once
3. Wiping the entire head, including the ears.
4. Washing the feet up to ankles, once. What is meant by once in all above is that the entire part of the body mentioned must be washed thoroughly.
5. This must be done in order, so one washes the face first, then the arms, then wipes the head, then washes the feet, because the Prophet (peace be upon him) did ablution in that order.
6. This must be done continuously, i.e. the part of the body must be washed one after other with no lengthy interruption between washing one part and the next.

The aforementioned are the obligatory parts of ablution which must be done in order for the ablution to be sound.

Some comments on Eric Weiner's The Geography of Bliss

Bismillah

So, as I was recovering from my knee surgery, I read a review of a book, The Geography of Bliss, by Eric Weiner, and subsequently, read the book. Eric Weinder, a NPR correspond travels to different countries all over the world trying to establish common themes on happiness and how it is achieved in different cultures.

http://blog.timesunion.com/muslimwomen/divine-happiness/462/ (review)

Here is my comment on the review above:

Thanks for sharing your thoughts. This book was an interesting read. Eric Weiner’s journey to find the path to happiness is intriguing and brings out common themes about people who consider themselves happy. One of Weiner’s statements at the end of book sheds light on his conclusions from his worldwide travels:

“Money matters, but less than we think and not in the way we think. Family is important. So are friends. Envy is toxic. So is excessive thinking. Beaches are optimal. Trust is not. Neither is gratitude. “

As a Muslim, reading this book made me think about one of my favorite prophetic (peace be upon him) sayings: “Wondrous are the believer’s affairs. For him there is good in all his affairs, and this is so only for the believer. When something pleasing happens to him, he is grateful, and that is good for him; and when something displeasing happens to him, he is patient, and that is good for him."

Reflecting on this saying provides peace and contentment of hearts. Happiness is a state of mind, and is a gift from our Lord.

Although Weiner discusses many different facets of happiness (e.g. avoidance of envy, tolerance, family, friends, etc.), he does not discuss the role of community service in depth. I would make the argument that community service/serving others is paramount in dealing with symptoms of depression/sadness and achieving a sense of lasting purpose/fulfillment.

Anyhow, be safe and keep bring interesting topics to the table ,iA.

Peace-

Bismillah.

Ramadan is over, and I feel it. May Allah forgive all our sins and keep us on the straight path. Ameen! Have you read Sura Kahf?

So, one step towards staying strong... More than anything else, this is a reminder for myself..

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:“Whoever fasts Ramadan and follows it with six days from Shawwal it is as if they fasted the entire year.”

Be safe and Jummah Mubarak.

Peace-

Good Manners

Bismillah

Abdu-Darda reported: The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "Nothing will be heavier on the Day of Judgement in the scales than good manners. Allah hates one who utters foul or coarse language. (Ar-tirmdhi)

My take:

1. Be kind and courteous to the people around you. Good manners is paramount in practicing this religion/way of life well.

2. It is important not to use foul language in our daily discourse.

3. We should consider this hadith during moments of irritation/jealousy/miserliness/etc.

May Allah bless us with the best of manners and make us the ambassadors of proper conduct in and outside our homes. Ameen!

Peace-

End of Ramadan Khutbah from different sources

Bismillah
Praise be to Allaah, we seek His help and His forgiveness. We seek refuge with Allaah from the evil of our own souls and from our bad deeds. Whomsoever Allaah guides will never be led astray, and whomsoever Allaah leaves astray, no one can guide. I bear witness that there is no god but Allaah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger).


This khutbah has been adapted from 'Shaykh Abdur-Rahmaan as-Sudais from the Harram and a khutbah from the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore

http://www.alminbar.com/khutbaheng/2260.htm (Shaykh Sudais Khutbah)http://www.muis.gov.sg/cms/downloads/khutbahs.aspx (Victory at the End of Ramdan)

This khutbah will a call to reflect on the month of Ramadan, to make lots dua in these remaing hours of Ramdan in hopes to gaining Allah’s forgivness, to use the lessons learned in this month for the rest of the year.

Know that, among the signs of the acceptance of a good deed is to continue and be steadfast in performing that deed.

"So, we are at the end of Ramadan. This month of blessings and rewards will soon be leaving us. Will we meet Ramadan again? None of us knows. Ramadaan is the month of righteousness and generosity, the month of forgiveness and liberation from Hell. It is all but gone now and nothing remains of it but a few moments. Therefore, a fortunate Muslim during this month is one who is able to improve his acts of worship with sincerity and self-examination and end it with sincere repentance, for acts have value if they are accepted by Allah T’ala"

"Brothers in faith! Our righteous predecessors used to exert maximum effort in perfecting their acts of worship and had grave concerns regarding their acceptance or rejection. ‘Ali Ibn Abi Taalib warned: “Have a greater concern for the acceptance of your deeds than you do for the amount of deeds you have performed. Do not you hear the saying of Allaah: ‘Indeed, Allaah accepts only from the righteous” (Al Maa’idah: 27). "

"It is important to reflect on our present condition in light of the effects Ramadaan had on us. Let us compare our condition at the start of Ramadaan to our condition now: Was the advent of Ramadaan something that made us become pious? Did it reform our actions and conduct? Did it remove the hatred and rancour between us? "

In another hadith Qudsi, Allah the Almighty said:"I am as My servant thinks I am. I am with him when he makes mention of Me. If he makes mention of Me to himself, I make mention of him to Myself; and if he makes mention of Me in an assembly, I make mention of him in an assemble better than it. And if he draws near to Me an arm's length, I draw near to him a fathom's length. And if he comes to Me walking, I go to him at speed."



Know that, among the signs of the acceptance of a good deed is to continue and be steadfast in performing that deed. May Allah fill our lives with taqwa (God consciousness)and may we attain success in this world and the hereafter.


Lets always keep our brothers and sisters in our prayers, for the Prophet (p) "The dua of a Muslim for his brother (in Islam) in his absence is readily accepted, an angel is appointed to his side, whenever he makes a beneficial dua for his brother the appointed angel says "aameen and may you also be blessed with the same".


The Prophet s.a.w once said, The best deed that is loved by Allah is the one that is consistent, although it is small in quantity. (Narrated by Muslim). Let us try to take some of our habits from this month into the rest of the year. Know that, among the signs of the acceptance of a good deed is to continue and be steadfast in performing that deed.

May this Ramadan be a success for all of us as we strive to obey Allah’s commands. May Allah help instill in us the understanding of the following hadith. The Prophet (S) said that the Muslim is always a winner. When something good happens to him, he is grateful, and when adversity strikes, he is patient, and that is good for him.

Drivers of Health Care Costs

Bismillah

National health spending is expected to reach $2.5 trillion in 2009 (http://www.nchc.org/facts/cost.shtml)

(Wall Street Journal Video Clip)
Dr. Robert Levine, author of "Shock Therapy for the American Health System," tells Kelsey Hubbard that while he supports comprehensive reform, he does not believe that President Obama's plan goes far enough.

http://online.wsj.com/video/the-need-for-comprehensive-health-care-reform/2B4B9297-795F-40BD-BAEF-2ACCD7A21B08.html

Dr. Levine believes that Washington's health care plans does not address costs.

1. Unnecessary care: 30% of total costs (CBO estimate)
2. Administration Costs: 15-20% costs

He cites main drivers of health care costs and suggests that the health care reform should work towards to decreasing these cost buckets. In terms of next steps, he suggests that physicians should be salaried to prevent incentives to order more tests (fee for service model).

Peace-