The Trouble with Eavesdropping(spying)

What is Eavesdropping?

Eavesdropping/spying is the act of secretly listening to the private conversation of others without their knowledge and permission. Eavesdropping is wrong and no one likes for others to listen in one their private conversations. It can cause friendships to break and hurt feelings. In fact, it is strictly forbidden in Islam. 

It is narrated in al-Saheehayn from Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: ‘Beware of suspicion, for suspicion is the falsest of speech. Do not eavesdrop; do not spy on one another; do not envy one another; do not forsake one another; do not hate one another. Be, O slaves of Allaah, brothers.”

Al-Bukhaari, 5144; Muslim, 2563. 

Hujurat {49:12}
"O you who believe! avoid most of suspicion, for surely suspicion in some cases is a sin, and do not spy nor let some of you backbite others. Does one of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? But you abhor it; and be careful of (your duty to) Allah, surely Allah is Oft-returning (to mercy), Merciful."

The Emperor and the Seed

Author Unknown

An emperor in the Far East was growing old and knew it was time to choose his successor. Instead of choosing one of his assistants or his children, he decided something different. He called young people in the kingdom together one day. He said, "It is time for me to step down and choose the next emperor. I have decided to choose one of you."

The kids were shocked! But the emperor continued. "I am going to give each one of you a seed today. One very special seed. I want you to plant the seed, water it and come back here one year from today with what you have grown from this one seed. I will then judge the plants that you bring, and the one I choose will be the next emperor!"

One boy named Ling was there that day and he, like the others, received a seed. He went home and excitedly told his mother the story. She helped him get a pot and planting soil, and he planted the seed and watered it carefully. Every day he would water it and watch to see if it had grown. After about three weeks, some of the other youths began to talk about their seeds and the plants that were beginning to grow.

Ling kept checking his seed, but nothing ever grew. Three weeks, 4 weeks, 5 weeks went by. Still nothing. By now, others were talking about their plants but Ling didn't have a plant, and he felt like a failure. Six months went by-still nothing in Ling's pot. He just knew he had killed his seed.

Everyone else had trees and tall plants, but he had nothing. Ling didn't say anything to his friends, however. He just kept waiting for his seed to grow.

A year finally went by and all the youths of the kingdom brought their plants to the emperor for inspection. Ling told his mother that he wasn't going to take an empty pot. But honest about what happened, Ling felt sick to his stomach, but he knew his mother was right. He took his empty pot to the palace. When Ling arrived, he was amazed at the variety of plants grown by the other youths. They were beautiful-in all shapes and sizes. Ling put his empty pot on the floor and many of the other kinds laughed at him. A few felt sorry for him and just said, "Hey nice try."

When the emperor arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted the young people. Ling just tried to hide in the back. "My, what great plants, trees and flowers you have grown," said the emperor. "Today, one of you will be appointed the next emperor!" All of a sudden, the emperor spotted Ling at the back of the room with his empty pot. He ordered his guards to bring him to the front. Ling was terrified. "The emperor knows I'm a failure! Maybe he will have me killed!"

When Ling got to the front, the Emperor asked his name. "My name is Ling," he replied. All the kids were laughing and making fun of him. The emperor asked everyone to quiet down. He looked at Ling, and then announced to the crowd, "Behold your new emperor! His name is Ling!" Ling couldn't believe it. Ling couldn't even grow his seed. How could he be the new emperor? Then the emperor said, "One year ago today, I gave everyone here a seed. I told you to take the seed, plant it, water it, and bring it back to me today. But I gave you all boiled seeds which would not grow. All of you, except Ling, have brought me trees and plants and flowers. When you found that the seed would not grow, you substituted another seed for the one I gave you. Ling was the only one with the courage and honesty to bring me a pot with my seed in it. Therefore, he is the one who will be the new emperor!"

The Prophet taught, "Truthfulness leads to righteousness, and righteousness leads to Paradise. And a man keeps on telling the truth until he becomes a truthful person. Falsehood leads to Al-Fajur (i.e. wickedness, evil-doing), and Al-Fajur (wickedness) leads to the (Hell) Fire, and a man may keep on telling lies till he is written before Allah, a liar." [Sahih al-Bukhari, Vol. 8:116]

Source: Taken from http://www.islamcan.com/islamic-stories/the-emperor-and-the-seed.shtml

Dua to say during the last ten nights

The last ten nights of Ramadan is a major time to ask forgiveness.

Hadith Qudsi,

Allah said:O son of Adam, so long as you call upon Me and ask of Me, I shall forgive you for what you have done, and I shall not mind.O son of Adam, were your sins to reach the clouds of the sky and were you then to ask forgiveness of Me, I would forgive you.O son of Adam, were you to come to Me with sins nearly as great as the earth and were you then to face Me, ascribing no partner to Me, I would bring you forgiveness nearly as great at it.- Saheeh. Related by at-Tirmidhi.

A dua'

ALLAAHUMMA INNAKA 'AFFUWWUN TUHIBB AL- 'AFWA FA 'AFFU 'ANNI

(O Allaah, You are Forgiving and You love forgiveness, so forgive me)

(Tirmidhi)

Gentle reminder: Four kinds of people.

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:

"There are only 4 kinds of people in this world. (The first is) a slave whom Allah has blessed with wealth and knowledge, and he fears Allah with regard to them, and uses them to uphold family ties, and acknowledges the rights that Allah has over them. He has the highest status.

(The second is) a slave to whom Allah has given knowledge, but not wealth. His intention is sincere, and he says, 'If only I had wealth, I would do (good deeds) like so-and-so (the first slave).' He will be rewarded according to his intention, so their reward will be equal.

(The third is) a slave to whom Allah has given wealth, but not knowledge. He spends his money aimlessly, neither fearing Allah with regard to it nor using it to uphold family ties nor acknowledging the rights that Allah has over it. He has the lowest status.

(The fourth is) a slave to whom Allah has given neither wealth nor money. He says, 'If only I had wealth, I would do (bad deeds) like so-and-so (the third slave). He will be punished according to his intention, so their burden of sin will be equal."

(Reported by Ahmad and al-Tirmidhi,
and classed as saheeh in Al-Targheeb wa'l-Tarheeb, 1/9

Tips for a Healthier Ramadan

* Drink plenty of water throughout the night. Water hydrates your cells and removes waste from your body.

* Avoid too much liquids WITH your meals. Additional amounts of liquids dilutes the acids in your stomach and makes it harder to digest properly.

* Do not consume to much food at once for Iftar. Divide your meals out. A moderate iftar, 2 healthy snacks throughout the night and suhoor.

* Eat a balanced diet. This includes protein + carbs + GOOD fats (ex, olive oil). Try to use the 9" plate rule; take a 9" plate, make half the plate for vegetables/salad, one quarter protein like fish, chicken or beef, last quarter starch like rice (brown*), potatoes or pasta (whole grain*)

* Chew your food slowly. Chewing starts the digesting process and nutrients are absorbed.

* Reduce salt intake. This helps reduce thirst during the day.

* Exercise during the night. We lose water when we exert a lot of energy through sweat, so do your exercise at night so that you are able to replenish your liquids.

May Allah (swt) bless you with a happy and healthy Ramadan!

(*Whole grain is much healthier as the nutrients are not stripped off as in white rice, bread or pasta.)

Ramadan is on the Horizon!!

Subhan Allah! how time flies. Ramadan is just around the corner, literally! we have just under a week left before the merciful month is here. Alhamdulillah, all my days have been made up :) today was my last make up day! I'm actually looking forward to Ramadan this year (and of course the ones to come insha Allah) I went to two different ramadan workshops that really boosted my iman and desire to make myself a better and more devoted muslimah. My resolution for the coming month (and insha Allah, for the year) is to "not set myself up to fail." I will not set unrealistic goals for myself no matter how grand those goals are. I'm going to take baby steps on my journey to the siratul mustaqeen.

Time

what is Time,
but a thing i can't posses.

Ayatul Kursi

A great way to learn this ever so important ayah. It is always good to recite this ayah when lying down to go to sleep.

Even in Darkness..

......the light of Allah's mercy will always shine through.


9:71 The Believers, men and women, are protectors one of another: they enjoin what is just, and forbid what is evil: they observe regular prayers, practise regular charity, and obey allah and His Messenger. On them will Allah pour His mercy: for Allah is Exalted in power, Wise.

Seize The Moment

Ten to five and still I was not done. Anisa was heading out the door when she yelled over her shoulders, "Don't forget, the show starts at seven."

"I'll be there," I called back.

"That's what you said last time," she grumbled, "and you didn't show. Can't that wait until tomorrow? This night is really important; you have to be there."

"Don't worry, I just have a few more i's to dot and t's to cross," I said, trying to sound convincing and sincere. She looked at me. "Okay, but if you miss my performance I will never forgive you."

"I will be there, I promise."

She blew a kiss and left the room. I smiled to myself. I was quite proud of Anisa. Of all my friends, she was the most quiet, timid and reserved person I had ever known. She had some real self-esteem issues when we first met due to her misfortunate upbringing. But she has changed. Ever since she volunteered at a shelter for homeless kids, she has blossomed. A year ago today, I could not get her to speak in front of our sisters' group, now she's performing on stage for an audience at the Islamic Convention for Women Against Violence!

I quickly delved back into the pile of files on my desk. Obsession with completion and accuracy has always been my problem. I could stay up all night perfecting a perfect document. Now was no different. I was just closing the last file with a smile of achievement when the phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Fatimah Abdul Kadir?"

"Yes."

"Are you a friend of Anisa Mahmoud?"

I gasped. "Anisa!" I looked at my watch, ten-thirty. I did it again. Where had the time gone? She'd never forgive me this time.

"Yes, I'm her friend."

The gloom in the speaker's voice began to frighten me. My heart began to race. "Is she okay?" I asked feebly.

"I'm sorry ma'am, but she has been killed in a car accident. We will need you to come and identify her body."

Dead! Anisa was dead! How could that be? I hung up the phone and sank into the couch. Allah have Mercy, I broke a promise. I let her down by not being there for her and now I can't tell her I'm sorry and how proud I was of her for her achievements. Why didn't I seize the moment when I had the chance? How could I let my obsessions occupy me so much that I could not make it to her final performance?

The next day, the papers were filled with praise and sorrow. They told of a promising, guiding light for disadvantaged children of the inner city, which was put out by a drunken driver when he slammed into her car as she was driving home from the Alpha Theater, where she gave a stunning performance. A young lark, she learned to fly – and now she has flown away never to return.

Parents

A man came to Allah's Apostle and said, "O Allah's Apostle! Who is more entitled to be treated with the best companionship by me?" The Prophet said, "Your mother." The man said. "Who is next?" The Prophet said, "Your mother." The man further said, "Who is next?" The Prophet said, "Your mother." The man asked for the fourth time, "Who is next?"The Prophet said, "Your father."

When we were young, our parents gave not only their love, but their tireless efforts to raise, nurture and care for us. They (especially our mothers) spent sleepless night caring for us when we were sick or simply scared of the dark. Our fathers spent the best years of their lives working hard, struggling, making sacrifices so that we could live comfortably and have everything we need to succeed in this life and the hereafter often forgetting to take care of themselves. Allah (swt) says, 31:14 “And [God says:] ‘We have enjoined upon man goodness towards his parents: his mother bore him by bearing strain upon strain, and his utter dependence on her lasted two years: [hence, O man,] be grateful towards Me and towards thy parents, [and remember that] with Me is all journeys’ end.

As we get older and they get even older, the roles must change, it is we who should care for our parents. But sadly, many adult children often forget the hardships their parents went through and instead of caring for their parents when they become old, they stick them in homes for the elderly. Some are left to live on their own without hearing from their busy, career-minded kids. But even after all they have done for us, how many actually complain when left in nursing homes or on their own. Even after all they have given us, they still want what is good for their children, most will prefer to stay in nursing homes so as not to be a burden on their children.

My mom used to always say, "I don't want to be a burden on you when I get old, from today, you have my permission to put me in an elderly/nursing home. I want you to be able to live your life." I used to cringe every time she said it. How could I, as a believer, abandon her like that, it was unthinkable. The thought of her being sick or dying alone without her children by her side was appalling. When the time came and she became ill, everything in my life was put on hold. She came first. Sleepless nights were long over due. I can remember her falling asleep holding my hand and every once in a while I could feel her squeeze my hand to see if I was still there. As she was there for my first breath, Alhamdulillah, I was blessed to be with her for her last.

Our parents are a mercy from Allah (swt) as we are a mercy to our parents from Him. I can't imagine how my life would have been without my mom always being by my side. I was blessed to have been able to be by her side on her final journey to Allah (swt). May Allah (swt) reward her for all that she did for me, my family and every soul (needy or not) who crossed her path. May He cover her with His shade of Mercy and Jannah. Ameen

Something to remember from the Qur'an and the Sunnah:

17:23 for thy Sustainer has ordained that you shall worship none but Him. And do good unto [thy] parents. Should one of them, or both, attain to old age in thy care, never say "Ugh" to them or scold them, but [always] speak unto them with reverent speech.

Narrated Anas bin Malik
The Prophet said, "The biggest of Al-Kaba'ir (the great sins) are (1) to join others as partners in worship with Allah, (2) to murder a human being, (3) to be undutiful to one's parents (4) and to make a false statement," or said, "to give a false witness."

Love your parents, be kind to them, care for them. One day they will return to Allah (swt), spend as much time with them as possible. May Allah (swt) bless all our mothers and fathers.

Time waits for no one

Where is it going?? Does anyone know?? When I was young, I felt like I had all the time in the world. But as the years pass, it seems as if time is slipping away. Make the best of the time you have because you will never get it back!


In the name of Allah, The Most Gracious, The Most Merciful

By (the token of) Time (through the ages),

Verily man is in loss.

Except such as have faith and do righteous deeds and (join together) in the mutal teaching of the truth, and of patience and constancy.

Sura Asr 103

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Have, then, they [who deny the truth] never considered the birds, enabled [by God] to fly in mid-air, with none but God holding them aloft? In this, behold, there are messages indeed for people who will believe!

Qur'an 16:70