السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته
I quoted a wonderful book that changed the lives of many people and brought them hope in this life and trust in allah - and so gently and the mercy of God
Book of the Shaykh al-qarni
about the Book :
At a time in which the Muslims are beset with trials from every periphery and within, comes this heartening book rooted in the commandments of Allah, Azzawajall (the Exalted), the Sunnah and the excellent guidance and examples of the Muslims that came before us.
Don’t be Sad is an important book for all. It is full of practical advice on how to repel despair and replace it with a pragmatic and ultimately satisfying Islamic outlook on life. It exposes to the modern reader how Islam teaches us to deal with the tests and tribulations of this world.
This book contains verses of the Qur’an, sayings of the Prophet Muhammad (Blessings and Peace be upon him) and of his Companions as well as of the wise. But it also contains sayings of Western and Eastern thinkers and philosophers, sayings that coincide with the truth.
This book, the culmination of deep and organized thought, says to you in short: “Be happy, at peace, and joyful; and don’t be sad.”
{Show forgiveness, enjoin what is good, and turn away from the foolish [i.e. don’t punish them].} (Qur’an 7: 199)
{Let them pardon and forgive.} (Qur’an 24: 22)
{Those who repress anger, and who pardon men...}(Qur’an 3: 134)
{And when they are angry they forgive.} (Qur’an 42: 37)
{And when the foolish address them [with bad words] they reply back with mild words of gentleness.} (Qur’an 25: 63)
{Repel [the evil] with one which is better [i.e. Allah ordered the faithful believers to be patient at the time of anger, and to excuse those who treat them badly], then verily! He, between whom and you there was enmity, [will become] as though he was a close friend.} (Qur’an 41: 34)
Therefore, if you hear malicious words from someone, do not answer back: it will only result in multiplying one attack into ten.
Don’t belittle another person’s efforts
Life has taught me to put into practice something that has never failed me: to moderately express my approval of others. This policy always has a positive effect on all sorts of people. Soft and gentle words work wonders on the hearts of people; our religion teaches us to be generous and kind in dealings:
{And by the Mercy of Allah, you dealt with them gently. And had you been severe and harsh-hearted, they would have broken away from about you...} (Qur’an 3:159)
The author of the book How to Win Friends states that an important factor in attracting people to you is to praise and compliment them inordinately. I do not agree: moderation and justice are called for:
{Indeed Allah has set a measure for all things.} (Qur’an 65: 3)
Therefore one should neither flatter others artificially nor be dry and distant with them.
Sure, we could take the path of looking down upon people with supercilious airs; but as a result, it is we who will lose our friends -and not they who will lose us. If you are not friendly, people will soon find someone else to make acquaintance with.
{And be kind and humble to the believers who follow you.}
(Qur’an 26: 215)
Earning the respect of others also contributes to bringing you happiness. Muslims are Allah’s witnesses on earth and they pray for each other’s forgiveness.
{... and speak good to people. . .} (Qur’an 2: 83)
In life, I have been especially impressed by those who are charismatic in their dealings — those who seem to attract others magnetically by their good character. They always wear a smile for others, they have honest tongues, and their hearts are free from jealousy and rancor.
With the permission of Allah, it is within the reach of every one of us to achieve acceptance among the people of the earth. This acceptance is not bought with treasures or wealth, but it is earned through sincerity towards Allah, truthfulness, the love of Allah and His Messenger (bpuh), a love for spreading good to others, and a lowly opinion of one’s own self
To achieve these and other good qualities, we must make an honest effort, because they require an upward climb. Evil characteristics are easily achieved for whoever wants them, for they demand only a downward descent.
An Arab poet said:
“The evil character soon ceases to feel his wickedness,
A bodily injury causes no pain for the dead.”
The person who is self-absorbed is likely to feel inferior and melancholic on the inside. And there are some people who think more highly of themselves than they should. A few examples of such people come to mind, people who made some efforts to contribute to society, later feeling that their work deserved a lifetime’s achievement award.
One student I knew wrote a few small booklets that were targeted at young Muslims. I wanted to encourage him, so I complimented him on his efforts. Then, he began to talk endlessly about the booklets, about how widely they were distributed, and about how much acclaim they had received. I was amazed at this person’s vision of himself, but I also learned from him how people hate to be overlooked or put down.
On another occasion, I heard a taped lecture of a student. I invited him to my home, intending to encourage him to continue his efforts in seeking knowledge of Islam. When I mentioned the tape, he found his opportunity. He began by invoking Allah to benefit the entire Muslim nation through his lecture. He then continued to expound on how he had researched the topic. Before calling him, I had never expected him to be so self-centered. My conversation with him also made me realize that it is in human nature to give more worth to one’s own self than it deserves. Therefore be wary of putting somebody down:
{Let not a group scoff at another group, it may be that the latter are better than the former; nor let [some] women scoff at other women, it may be that the latter are better than the former..}
(Qur’an 49: 11)
People will love you if you applaud their efforts and give them attention:
{And turn not away those who invoke their Lord, morning and afternoon...} (Qur’an 6: 52)
{And keep yourself [O’ Muhammad] patiently with those who call on their Lord [i.e. your companions who remember their Lord with glorification, praising in prayers, etc., and other righteous deeds, etc.] morning and afternoon...} (Qur’an 18: 28)
{[The Prophet] frowned and turned away, because there came to him the blind man [i.e. ‘Abdullah ibn Umm-Maktoom, who came to the Prophet while he was preaching to one or some of the Quraysh chiefs]. But what could tell you that per chance he might become pure [from sins]?} (Qur’an 80: 1-3)
During my high school years, I not only studied poetry, but I also composed it. On one occasion, the students of another school visited us. At the welcome party, I was asked to recite some of my poetry, not because of any skill that I could lay claim to, but because I was the only one in our school who had an inclination to verse.
I read some of my poetry aloud and the Literature teacher praised both my style and use of words, and I actually believed him. I thought that I had written something of genius and only when I was older and had returned to those lines did I realize how sophomoric my work really was.
The only thing we gain by putting others down is an extra enemy. Therefore be just in recognizing the efforts of others, and compliment them for their virtues.
Deal with others as you would have them deal with you
A wise person said that the one who seeks out the faults of others is like a fly — it lands only on that which is foul. Some people are afflicted with the word “but.” Every time you mention someone to them, they will say something along the lines of, “He has some good in him, but...” What follows “but” is always criticism, blame, and censure.
{Woe to every slanderer and backbiter.} (Qur’an 104: 1)
{A slanderer, going about with calumnies.} (Qur’an 68: 11)
{Neither backbite one another.} (Qur’an 49: 12)
The more just we are with others, the greater will their respect be for us. The opposite holds true also. No intelligent person can think that he will earn the respect and praise of others by belittling them and putting them down.
{Woe to Al-Mutaffifeen [those who give less in measure and weight (decrease the rights of others)].} (Qur’an 83: 1)
continued ...
I quoted a wonderful book that changed the lives of many people and brought them hope in this life and trust in allah - and so gently and the mercy of God
Book of the Shaykh al-qarni
about the Book :
At a time in which the Muslims are beset with trials from every periphery and within, comes this heartening book rooted in the commandments of Allah, Azzawajall (the Exalted), the Sunnah and the excellent guidance and examples of the Muslims that came before us.
Don’t be Sad is an important book for all. It is full of practical advice on how to repel despair and replace it with a pragmatic and ultimately satisfying Islamic outlook on life. It exposes to the modern reader how Islam teaches us to deal with the tests and tribulations of this world.
This book contains verses of the Qur’an, sayings of the Prophet Muhammad (Blessings and Peace be upon him) and of his Companions as well as of the wise. But it also contains sayings of Western and Eastern thinkers and philosophers, sayings that coincide with the truth.
This book, the culmination of deep and organized thought, says to you in short: “Be happy, at peace, and joyful; and don’t be sad.”
Extinguish the fire of enmity before it spreads
Throughout my life, I found that whenever I defended myself against defamatory comments, loss and regret were the main results. At first I would think it wise that I should set things straight when some person criticized me, regardless of whether the criticism was verbal or written. In the end, however, I found the opposite to be true. By defending myself, more enmity resulted, and instead of the restoration of good ties between my critic and myself, he would attempt to malign me even further. Eventually I would wish that I had never confronted him in the first place. It would have been better to forgive, forbear, show patience, turn away, and ignore the defamatory remarks. After all, this is what the Qur’an teaches us:{Show forgiveness, enjoin what is good, and turn away from the foolish [i.e. don’t punish them].} (Qur’an 7: 199)
{Let them pardon and forgive.} (Qur’an 24: 22)
{Those who repress anger, and who pardon men...}(Qur’an 3: 134)
{And when they are angry they forgive.} (Qur’an 42: 37)
{And when the foolish address them [with bad words] they reply back with mild words of gentleness.} (Qur’an 25: 63)
{Repel [the evil] with one which is better [i.e. Allah ordered the faithful believers to be patient at the time of anger, and to excuse those who treat them badly], then verily! He, between whom and you there was enmity, [will become] as though he was a close friend.} (Qur’an 41: 34)
Therefore, if you hear malicious words from someone, do not answer back: it will only result in multiplying one attack into ten.
Don’t belittle another person’s efforts
Life has taught me to put into practice something that has never failed me: to moderately express my approval of others. This policy always has a positive effect on all sorts of people. Soft and gentle words work wonders on the hearts of people; our religion teaches us to be generous and kind in dealings:
{And by the Mercy of Allah, you dealt with them gently. And had you been severe and harsh-hearted, they would have broken away from about you...} (Qur’an 3:159)
The author of the book How to Win Friends states that an important factor in attracting people to you is to praise and compliment them inordinately. I do not agree: moderation and justice are called for:
{Indeed Allah has set a measure for all things.} (Qur’an 65: 3)
Therefore one should neither flatter others artificially nor be dry and distant with them.
Sure, we could take the path of looking down upon people with supercilious airs; but as a result, it is we who will lose our friends -and not they who will lose us. If you are not friendly, people will soon find someone else to make acquaintance with.
{And be kind and humble to the believers who follow you.}
(Qur’an 26: 215)
Earning the respect of others also contributes to bringing you happiness. Muslims are Allah’s witnesses on earth and they pray for each other’s forgiveness.
{... and speak good to people. . .} (Qur’an 2: 83)
In life, I have been especially impressed by those who are charismatic in their dealings — those who seem to attract others magnetically by their good character. They always wear a smile for others, they have honest tongues, and their hearts are free from jealousy and rancor.
With the permission of Allah, it is within the reach of every one of us to achieve acceptance among the people of the earth. This acceptance is not bought with treasures or wealth, but it is earned through sincerity towards Allah, truthfulness, the love of Allah and His Messenger (bpuh), a love for spreading good to others, and a lowly opinion of one’s own self
To achieve these and other good qualities, we must make an honest effort, because they require an upward climb. Evil characteristics are easily achieved for whoever wants them, for they demand only a downward descent.
An Arab poet said:
“The evil character soon ceases to feel his wickedness,
A bodily injury causes no pain for the dead.”
The person who is self-absorbed is likely to feel inferior and melancholic on the inside. And there are some people who think more highly of themselves than they should. A few examples of such people come to mind, people who made some efforts to contribute to society, later feeling that their work deserved a lifetime’s achievement award.
One student I knew wrote a few small booklets that were targeted at young Muslims. I wanted to encourage him, so I complimented him on his efforts. Then, he began to talk endlessly about the booklets, about how widely they were distributed, and about how much acclaim they had received. I was amazed at this person’s vision of himself, but I also learned from him how people hate to be overlooked or put down.
On another occasion, I heard a taped lecture of a student. I invited him to my home, intending to encourage him to continue his efforts in seeking knowledge of Islam. When I mentioned the tape, he found his opportunity. He began by invoking Allah to benefit the entire Muslim nation through his lecture. He then continued to expound on how he had researched the topic. Before calling him, I had never expected him to be so self-centered. My conversation with him also made me realize that it is in human nature to give more worth to one’s own self than it deserves. Therefore be wary of putting somebody down:
{Let not a group scoff at another group, it may be that the latter are better than the former; nor let [some] women scoff at other women, it may be that the latter are better than the former..}
(Qur’an 49: 11)
People will love you if you applaud their efforts and give them attention:
{And turn not away those who invoke their Lord, morning and afternoon...} (Qur’an 6: 52)
{And keep yourself [O’ Muhammad] patiently with those who call on their Lord [i.e. your companions who remember their Lord with glorification, praising in prayers, etc., and other righteous deeds, etc.] morning and afternoon...} (Qur’an 18: 28)
{[The Prophet] frowned and turned away, because there came to him the blind man [i.e. ‘Abdullah ibn Umm-Maktoom, who came to the Prophet while he was preaching to one or some of the Quraysh chiefs]. But what could tell you that per chance he might become pure [from sins]?} (Qur’an 80: 1-3)
During my high school years, I not only studied poetry, but I also composed it. On one occasion, the students of another school visited us. At the welcome party, I was asked to recite some of my poetry, not because of any skill that I could lay claim to, but because I was the only one in our school who had an inclination to verse.
I read some of my poetry aloud and the Literature teacher praised both my style and use of words, and I actually believed him. I thought that I had written something of genius and only when I was older and had returned to those lines did I realize how sophomoric my work really was.
The only thing we gain by putting others down is an extra enemy. Therefore be just in recognizing the efforts of others, and compliment them for their virtues.
Deal with others as you would have them deal with you
A wise person said that the one who seeks out the faults of others is like a fly — it lands only on that which is foul. Some people are afflicted with the word “but.” Every time you mention someone to them, they will say something along the lines of, “He has some good in him, but...” What follows “but” is always criticism, blame, and censure.
{Woe to every slanderer and backbiter.} (Qur’an 104: 1)
{A slanderer, going about with calumnies.} (Qur’an 68: 11)
{Neither backbite one another.} (Qur’an 49: 12)
The more just we are with others, the greater will their respect be for us. The opposite holds true also. No intelligent person can think that he will earn the respect and praise of others by belittling them and putting them down.
{Woe to Al-Mutaffifeen [those who give less in measure and weight (decrease the rights of others)].} (Qur’an 83: 1)
continued ...
and helpfull.
