week 26: Keep hope ALIVE

[Qur'an]

{Never lose hope in the mercy of Allah} AlAhzab 39:53

[Lessons from this verse]

We get very hard on ourselves sometimes. And while there is
benefit in taking ourselves to account, the sunshine comes from
never losing hope in Allah's mercy. Allah's mercy and
forgiveness is able to emcompass whatever you have done. So
knock on that door right now.





week 27: HONESTY leads to Jannah

[Hadith]

Allah's Messenger, sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam, said, "Be
honest, for verily honesty leads to righteousness, and
righteousness leads to paradise."

[Lessons from this Hadith]

Live your life in a way that if someone was to open the door on
you at any moment, you would have nothing to hide. This is true
success. Think of something that you may be ashamed people will
find out about, and take some action right now to stop doing
it.



week 28: SMILE. You are on CAMERA

[Hadith]

Abdullah ibn Haarith, radi Allahu 'anhu, said, "I have never
seen any one who smiled more then Allah's Messenger." Sal Allahu
alayhi wa sallam.

[Lessons from this Hadith]

Try this: with a big sloppy smile, tell your friend "I hate
you!". You will notice that they start laughing. Why? Because
your body is speaking louder then your words. Win the hearts of
people by following the example of Allah's Messenger, sal Allahu
alayhi wa sallam. Smile! The angels got you on camera.

week 29: What's your REAL PURPOSE?

[Quran]

{Do you think that We created you in vain, and that you would
not be returning to Us?} 23:115


[Lessons from this Hadith]

What's your purpose in life? We know the 'right' answer, but for
what purpose are we spending our days and hours? Renew your
intentions now, renew your purpose in life, and move towards it,
today and everyday, until you return to your Creator.



week 30: Give and Receive

[Hadith]
Allah's Messenger, sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam, said, "You will
be treated the way you treat others."

[Lessons from this Hadith]

Everyone goes around whining that they want to be respected.
But, honestly, how much respect do we serve out to others? Make
a list of all the different ways you want to be treated. When
you are done, you will have a to-do list of how you should treat
people. You've succeeded: you'll be treated back the way you
treated the people!



week 31: Don't be lazy. Make DUA!

[Hadith]

Allah's Messenger, sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam, would often
pray, "O Allah! I seek your protection from anxiety and grief,
from incapacity and laziness, from stinginess and cowardice, and
from the burden of debt and the domination of people."

[Lessons from this Hadith]

None of us wants to live in depression or in debt or lazy. Seek
Allah's protection from all of this, just like your Prophet, sal
Allah alayhi wa sallam, did. Learn the dua, and say it often.

week 32: make things EASY

[Hadith]

Rasul Allah, sal Allah alayhi wa sallam, said, "There was once a
merchant who would lend money to people. Whenever the person he
lent money to was in difficult circumstances, he would say to
his employees, 'Forgive him so that Allah may forgive us.' So,
Allah forgave him."
- Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 3, Hadith 292


[Lessons from this Hadith]

When you and I forgive people, who are we actually setting free?
OURSELVES! Because of the outstanding way this man dealt with
people, Allah forgave him, and blessed him with profit in this
life and the next. Is there someone in your life that you are
making things difficult for? What can you do to make it easy for
them?



week 33: please FORGIVE me

[Hadith]

Rasul Allah, sal Allah alayhi wa sallam, said, "If anyone continually asks
forgiveness, Allah will appoint for him a way out of every distress, relief from
anxiety, and will provide for him from where he never realized."
- Abdu Dawood, Hadith 599


[Lessons from this Hadith]

This is your success formula: Constantly asking Allah for forgiveness. It is the
key to mastering your emotions, and finding ways of provision that you never
imagined!

For the next ten days, ask Allah for forgiveness 100x each day, and make it a
habit.

week 34: mind your MANNERS

[Hadith]
Rasul Allah, sal Allah alayhi wa sallam, said, "A believer may
achieve the status of one who fasts during the day regularly and
spends the night regularly in prayer: through his good manners."

[Lessons from this Hadith]
Ask yourself, what outstanding characteristic am I lacking in
the most? And then, for the next 10 days, just work on building
that blessed characteristic into your outstanding manners
portfolio!




week 35: speak GOOD or keep QUIET

[Hadith]
Rasul Allah, sal Allah alayhi wa sallam, said, "Anyone who
believes in Allah and the Last Day (of Judgment) should not harm
his neighbor. Anyone who believes in Allah and the Last Day
should host his guest generously. And anyone who believes in
Allah and the Last Day should say what is good or keep quiet."
- Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 8, Book 73, Number 47

[Lessons from this Hadith]
Did you send out a bad mouthed email to someone recently? Did
you post something in a chat room or forum that you shouldn't
have? You are Muslim, so make sure whatever comes out of your
mouth is something that will bring you closer to Allah. If it's
not, then keep quiet. Test yourself, for the next 3 days, before
you say anything, ask yourself, "Is this something good to say?"

week 36: I SEE what pleases ME.


[Hadith]

Rasul Allah, sal Allah alayhi wa sallam, said, "A believing man
should not hate a believing woman. If he dislikes one of her
characteristics, he will be pleased with (her other
characteristics)."

- Sahih Muslim, Hadith 705


[Lessons from this Hadith]

Focus on what's positive! That which is positive is infinite,
and in focusing on it, we are focusing on that which will bring
joy to our life.

For the next seven days, ask yourself this question at the end of
each day, "What are 10 beautiful things that happened to me
today?"




Week 37: The not-so-secret FORMULA

[Verse]

"Whoever works righteousness, man or woman, and has faith,
verily, to them will We give a new Life, a life that is good and
pure, and We will bestow on such their reward according to the
best of their actions."

- Surat AnNahl 16:97

[Lessons from this Verse]

The keys to Success: Eman and Righteous deeds. Eman and
Righteous deeds. It's repeated everywhere in the Qur'an.
Ask yourself, what can I do this week to increase my Eman? And
what can I do this week to increase my righteous deeds?

Week 38: DRIVING to the Hereafter

[Quran]

Your Lord has not forsaken you; nor does he ever turn away fromyou. The life to come is far better for you than this presentlife; you will be delighted at what your Lord will give you.When you were an orphan, did he not enrich you?

Surat Ad-Duha 93


[Lessons from this Verse]
In our daily struggles, focusing on the life to come and what weneed to prepare for it today will bring the richness to our livesthat we are all seeking.For the next seven days, ask yourself throughout the day, "Inthe hereafter, will I regret how I spent my day today?"



Week 39: How does my HEART look?


[Hadith]

Rasul Allah, sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam, said, "Verily, Allahdoes not look at your appearance or your possessions; rather Helooks at your heart and your deeds."

- Saheeh Muslim


[Lessons from this Hadith]

In our daily lives, most people measure each other by theirlooks or their possessions (their car, their homes, etc.). The One we MUST impress is Allah, and that is done with a cleanforgiving heart, and with righteous deeds.For the next seven days, ask yourself throughout the day, "Howcan I clean my heart now even more?"