Friday Nasihah

Living The Quran Humble Origin Al-Muminun (The Believers) Chapter 23: Verse 12 "Now, indeed, We created man out of the essence of clay." The frequent Quranic reference to man being 'created out of clay' or 'out of dust' or 'out of the essence of clay', point to the fact that man's body is composed of various organic and inorganic substances existing on or in the earth. There is also a continuous transmutation of these substances, through the intake of earth-grown food into reproductive cells. Allah stresses man's humble origin and the debt of gratitude which he owes to Him. What should be noted is that the Quran is not a book of science which mentions the process of creation scientifically and then leaves it. The process of humans coming into being clearly points to the creative activity of Allah, hence to His existence. The lack of gratitude on the part of human beings is according to the Quran, 'giving the lie to the Truth.' The purpose of providing this information is to use this as evidence and further proof of Resurrection Day. The main concern of the Quran is to improve the lifestyle of an individual through firm belief in the attributes of Allah and the Day of Resurrection. Compiled From: "Words That Moved the World" - Qazi Ashfaq Ahmad, pp.121, 122

Understanding the Prophet's Life Controlling Tongue We should be careful how we use our tongue for its misuse is the fastest way to hellfire. Lying, slandering, backbiting and obscenity should never be part of our speech. We should be exceedingly careful with what we say about others. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: None of my Companions should tell me anything about anyone, for I like to meet [any one] of you with a clean heart. [Abu Dawud] Janna has been promised for those who are careful with their speech. The Prophet said: Whoever can promise me that he will be virtuous with what is between his lips, and what is between his thighs; I promise that he will go to the Garden. [Muslim] The key to control of the tongue is to infuse our conversations with remembrance of Allah. The Prophet said in this regard: Do not talk for long without remembering Allah, for talking much without remembering Allah is hardness of the heart. The most distant among man from Allah is one with a hardened heart. [Tirmidhi] Compiled From: "In The Early Hours" - Khurram Murad, p. 80

Blindspot! Empowering Belief There are many reasons women have difficulty standing up for themselves. They often find it hard to say 'no' because they feel selfish if they refuse to help someone - even when their own needs are more important at the moment. In addition, they are often afraid people will dislike them if they aren't cooperative. Women often have a fear that if they stand up for themselves, they will be seen as overbearing, domineering, or bitchy. It takes a lot of courage and self-respect to act on your own behalf. It takes a strong belief that you deserve something better. Unfortunately, many women don't have this kind of self-respect and don't believe they deserve to be treated better. Many are afraid to hope for better treatment because they have yet to receive it. To be able to stand up for yourself, you need to give up waiting for someone else to come to rescue you and your belief that you have no power to change your circumstances. You will need to reach out - ever so tenuously - toward accepting that you have more power to change your circumstances than you think you do. Fortunately, when women focus their considerable strength and will to change something, they are often surprised at how much power they actually have. You have the right to live your life the way you choose, as long as you are not stepping on someone else's rights. But rights don't mean much if you don't have the courage to claim them. Unfortunately, many women have had their courage stripped away by societal expectations and messages and domineering parents, or from having been emotionally, physically, or sexually abused in childhood or adulthood. Compiled From: "The Nice Girl Syndrome" - Beverly Engel, pp. 137, 138