Qur'an by Sheikh Gabriel Keresztes No. 19

Today I learned about the Qur'an:

The Most Merciful

Taught the Qur'an,

Created man,

He created man, Allah created us, he created Adam with his own hands.

[And] taught him eloquence.

He taught how to speak, how to do things, he taught Adam to do these things, Adam was taught by Adam.

The sun and the moon [move] by precise calculation,

The sunset and sunrise are All precise, it does not waver.

And the stars and trees prostrate.

And the heaven He raised and imposed the balance

Everything has a balance, as soon as the balance is disturbed we disturb a lot of things, he as made the layers of Jannah.

That you not transgress within the balance.

And establish weight in justice and do not make deficient the balance.

Be it a leader, or cheating in the market, Allah encourages us, to be honest.

And the earth He laid [out] for the creatures.

Allah made the earth balanced, everything on earth made by Allah is perfect.

Therein is fruit and palm trees having sheaths [of dates]

Everyone has a provision, Allah has blessed us all.

And grain having husks and scented plants.

So many things that are made by Allah, like nature, sometimes there are fake things, like fake plants.

So which of the favors of your Lord would you deny?

Allah has given you so much, Allah is asking you, Allah has given you so many blessings.

He created man from clay like [that of] pottery.

We are just mud.

And He created the jinn from a smokeless flame of fire.

So which of the favors of your Lord would you deny?

This will be mentioned a lot.

[He is] Lord of the two sunrises and Lord of the two sunsets.

He is the lord of everything, every day you will see the two sunsets and sunrises.

So which of the favors of your Lord would you deny?

He released the two seas, meeting [side by side];

The density they cannot mix.

Between them is a barrier [so] neither of them transgresses.

There are signs of Allah, there is evidence that Islam is real.

So which of the favors of your Lord would you deny?

From both of them emerge pearl and coral.

So which of the favors of your Lord would you deny?

And to Him belong the ships [with sails] elevated in the sea like mountains.

The seas are so high, the ships are high, they are so high they look like mountains, sailing through the sea.

So which of the favors of your Lord would you deny? 

Everyone upon the earth will perish,

Everyone is going to die.

And there will remain the Face of your Lord, Owner of Majesty and Honor.

Even the angel of death will die.

So which of the favors of your Lord would you deny?

Whoever is within the heavens and earth asks Him; every day He is bringing about a matter.

People always talk about God.

So which of the favors of your Lord would you deny?

We will attend to you, O prominent beings.

So which of the favors of your Lord would you deny?

O company of jinn and mankind, if you are able to pass beyond the regions of the heavens and the earth, then pass. You will not pass except by authority [from Allah ].

Jin can travel, they can fly.

So which of the favors of your Lord would you deny?

There will be sent upon you a flame of fire and smoke, and you will not defend yourselves.

There is no one that cannot die.

So which of the favors of your Lord would you deny?

And when the heaven is split open and becomes rose-colored like oil -

There are phenomenons in space, it is caused by Allah.

So which of the favors of your Lord would you deny? -

Then on that Day none will be asked about his sin among men or jinn

They don't have to be asked to know the sins that they did, Allah will question you about your sins.

So which of the favors of your Lord would you deny?

The criminals will be known by their marks, and they will be seized by the forelocks and the feet.

Allah can see your sins.

So which of the favors of your Lord would you deny?

This is Hell, which the criminals deny.

If people don't believe in Islam, then the non-muslims will experience Hellfire.

They will go around between it and scalding water, heated [to the utmost degree].

So which of the favors of your Lord would you deny?

But for he who has feared the position of his Lord are two gardens -

He will have two gardens in Jannah.

So which of the favors of your Lord would you deny? -

Having [spreading] branches.

So which of the favors of your Lord would you deny?

In both of them are two springs, flowing.

So which of the favors of your Lord would you deny?

In both of them are of every fruit, two kinds.

So which of the favors of your Lord would you deny?

[They are] reclining on beds whose linings are of silk brocade, and the fruit of the two gardens is hanging low.

In Jannah, you will relax.

So which of the favors of your Lord would you deny?

In them are women limiting [their] glances, untouched before them by man or jinni -

No one is going to be sad in Jannah.

So which of the favors of your Lord would you deny? -

As if they were rubies and coral.

So which of the favors of your Lord would you deny?

Is the reward for good [anything] but good?

Do good, you will get good things.

So which of the favors of your Lord would you deny?

And below them both [in excellence] are two [other] gardens -

We like property.

So which of the favors of your Lord would you deny? -

Dark green [in color].

So which of the favors of your Lord would you deny?

In both of them are two springs, spouting.

All us like water.

So which of the favors of your Lord would you deny?

In both of them are fruit and palm trees and pomegranates.

So which of the favors of your Lord would you deny?

In them are good and beautiful women -

So which of the favors of your Lord would you deny? -

Fair ones reserved in pavilions -

So which of the favors of your Lord would you deny? -

Untouched before them by man or jinni -

So which of the favors of your Lord would you deny? -

Reclining on green cushions and beautiful fine carpets.

So which of the favors of your Lord would you deny?

Blessed is the name of your Lord, Owner of Majesty and Honor.

The Prophets Legacy by Sheikh Tariq Appleby No. 5

Today I learned about The Prophets Legacy:

"There are seven whom Allah shade with His shade on the day when there will be no shade except His: the just ruler; a young man who grows up worshipping his Lord; a man whose heart is attached to the mosque; two men who love one another for the sake of Allah and meet and part on that bias; a man who is called by a woman of rank and beauty but he says: ' fear Allah's; a man who gives charity and conceals it so such an extent that his left-hand does not know what is right hand gives; a man who remembers Allah when he is alone, and his eyes fill up."

Later in life, the sun will be so hot that the only people who have shade are people who do these things, none of these things are easy.

"Jibreel came to me and gave the glad tidings that whoever dies not associating anything with Allah will enter Paradise.

Don't' pray to anyone or anything other than Allah.

"He is not one of us who slaps his cheeks, rends his garment, and calls with the call of Jahiliyyah."

It is like having grief about a dead one, they died when Allah made them die, don't have this kind of grief, it is not allowed in Islam, no one will live forever, everyone will die, Allah loves who have patience. 

"Be easy-going and do not be harsh; give glad tidings and do no put people off."'

Make things easier, don't be harsh, don't be uptight, don't' make things difficult, don't make Islam hard for other people, if everything stresses you out, that is not a good mentality.

"Whoever visits a sick person who is not yet dying, and says seven times in his present: I ask Allah, Lord of the might Throne, to heal you, Allah will heal him of that sickness.

Visiting the sick is a right, that sick people have over you.

"When one of you enters the mosque, let him not sit down until he has prayed two Rak' ahs."

It means greeting the musjid if you enter the masjid, it is recommended to pray two Rak' ahs, before sitting down, but it is not sinful, you are not allowed to pray at: Sunrise, Zenith (midday), Sunset, after fair after the sunrises, until sunset.

When a man dies, all his good deeds come to an end except three: ongoing charity, beneficial knowledge, or a righteous son or daughter who will pray for him."

When you die, you die, you give charity now, it benefits others and it is like a well, then people use it, you will still get pahalah, and leaving knowledge, or having a child that prays for them.

"Whoever prays 'Isha' in congregation, it is if he spent half the night in prayer and whoever prays Fair in the congregation, it is as if he spends the whole night in prayer.

If you pray Fair and Isha you will get a reward that you prayed for the whole night, Isha and Fair is one of the hardest prayers to do.

"When a persons's child dies, Allah says to His angels: 'You have taken the child of My slave.' Then say: 'Yes He says 'You have taken the apple of his eye' They say 'Yes.' He says: 'What did My slave say.' They say: 'He praised you and said: "Inna lillahi was Inna ihaihi Raji' on (Verily to Allah we belong and unto Him is our return)." Allah says: 'Build to My slave a house in Paradise and call it the house of praise.'"

Allah was the one who killed the child, he knows when people will die, but WE don't' know when we will die.  

Qur'an by Sheikh Gabriel Keresztes No. 18

Today I learned about the Qur'an:

And present to them the example of the life of this world, [its being] like rain which We send down from the sky, and the vegetation of the earth mingles with it and [then] it becomes dry remnants, scattered by the winds. And Allah is ever, over all things, Perfect in Ability.

 It starts lush then, in the end, it becomes nothing, dry, a grave, all of us will die, no one can escape death.

Wealth and children are [but] adornment of the worldly life. But the enduring good deeds are better to your Lord for reward and better for [one's] hope.

And [warn of] the Day when We will remove the mountains and you will see the earth prominent, and We will gather them and not leave behind from them anyone.

People worry about monthly money income, and kids, and keeping you safe, everyone will be together past and present and future.

And they will be presented before your Lord in rows, [and He will say], "You have certainly come to Us just as We created you the first time. But you claimed that We would never make for you an appointment."

He will make you from bones, back to life, people think that resurrection will not happen but that is untrue. 

And the record [of deeds] will be placed [open], and you will see the criminals fearful of that within it, and they will say, "Oh, woe to us! What is this book that leaves nothing small or great except that it has enumerated it?" And they will find what they did present [before them]. And your Lord does injustice to no one.

You can be a good person or a bad person, you choose, people steal and do bad things, but no one can escape.

And [mention] when We said to the angels, "Prostrate to Adam," and they prostrated, except for Iblees. He was of the jinn and departed from the command of his Lord. Then will you take him and his descendants as allies other than Me while they are enemies to you? Wretched it is for the wrongdoers as an exchange.

Meaning will go to Iblis's side or Allah's side, Iblis was called to pray, but he did not.

I did not make them witness to the creation of the heavens and the earth or to the creation of themselves, and I would not have taken the misguiders as assistants.

 And [warn of] the Day when He will say, "Call 'My partners' whom you claimed," and they will invoke them, but they will not respond to them. And We will put between them [a valley of] destruction.

Some people pray Iblis, people worship other things, if they do, then they are following Iblis.

And the criminals will see the Fire and will be certain that they are to fall therein. And they will not find from it a way elsewhere.

And We have certainly diversified in this Qur'an for the people from every [kind of] example; but man has ever been, most of anything, [prone to] dispute.

Allah gives us examples of everything, people don't believe in Allah, people think that resurrection will not happen.

And nothing has prevented the people from believing when guidance came to them and from asking forgiveness of their Lord except that there [must] befall them the [accustomed] precedent of the former peoples or that the punishment should come [directly] before them.

Human beings will disobey, Allah knows why we do things, what we are doing.

And We send not the messengers except as bringers of good tidings and warners. And those who disbelieve dispute by [using] falsehood to [attempt to] invalidate thereby the truth and have taken My verses and that of which they are warned, in ridicule.

All the propehts are ridiculed.

And who is more unjust than one who is reminded of the verses of his Lord but turns away from them and forgets what his hands have put forth? Indeed, We have placed over their hearts coverings, lest they understand it, and in their ears deafness. And if you invite them to guidance - they will never be guided, then - ever.

The most unjust person is someone who turns away from Allah.

And your Lord is the Forgiving, full of mercy. If He were to impose blame upon them for what they earned, He would have hastened for them the punishment. Rather, for them is an appointment from which they will never find an escape.

If Allah wanted he could destroy us all, but he gives people time to change.

And those cities - We destroyed them when they wronged, and We made for their destruction an appointed time.

People try to change the message of Allah.

And [mention] when Moses said to his servant, "I will not cease [traveling] until I reach the junction of the two seas or continue for a long period."

Moses wanted to study with a man, he took one of his servants, the sign that said something strange will happen, something strange happened to the fish, the fish went back to the water.

[Moses] said, "That is what we were seeking." So they returned, following their footprints.

And they found a servant from among Our servants to whom we had given mercy from us and had taught him from Us a [certain] knowledge.

Moses said to him, "May I follow you on [the condition] that you teach me from what you have been taught of sound judgment?"

He said, "Indeed, with me, you will never be able to have patience.

And how can you have patience for what you do not encompass in knowledge?

He said, "Then if you follow me, do not ask me about anything until I make to you about it mention."

So they set out, until when they had embarked on the ship, al-Khidh r tore it open. [Moses] said, "Have you torn it open to drown its people? You have certainly done a grave thing."

[Moses] said, "Do not blame me for what I forgot and do not cover me in my matter with difficulty."

People judge Islam because it is tough to follow and things like that.

So they set out, until when they met a boy, al-Khidh r killed him. [Moses] said, "Have you killed a pure soul for other than [having killed] a soul? You have certainly done a deplorable thing."

[Moses] said, "If I should ask you about anything after this, then do not keep me as a companion. You have obtained from me an excuse."

[Al-Khidh r] said, "This is parting between me and you. I will inform you of the interpretation of that about which you could not have patience.

As for the ship, it belonged to poor people working at sea. So I intended to cause defect in it as there was after them a king who seized every [good] ship by force.

And as for the boy, his parents were believers, and we feared that he would overburden them by transgression and disbelief.

And as for the wall, it belonged to two orphan boys in the city, and there was beneath it a treasure for them, and their father had been righteous. So your Lord intended that they reach maturity and extract their treasure, as a mercy from your Lord. And I did it not of my own accord. That is the interpretation of that about which you could not have patience."

And they ask you, [O Muhammad], about Dhul-Qarnayn. Say, "I will recite to you about him a report."

He said, "As for one who wrongs, we will punish him. Then he will be returned to his Lord, and He will punish him with a terrible punishment.

But as for one who believes and does righteousness, he will have a reward of Paradise, and we will speak to him from our command with ease."

Then he followed away

Thus. And We had encompassed [all] that he had in knowledge.

They said, "O Dhul-Qarnayn, indeed Gog and Magog are [great] corrupters in the land. So may we assign for you an expenditure that you might make between us and them a barrier?"

Bring me sheets of iron" - until, when he had leveled [them] between the two mountain walls, he said, "Blow [with bellows]," until when he had made it [like] fire, he said, "Bring me, that I may pour over it, molten copper."

[Dhul-Qarnayn] said, "This is a mercy from my Lord; but when the promise of my Lord comes, He will make it level, and ever is the promise of my Lord true."

And We will leave them that day surging over each other, and [then] the Horn will be blown, and We will assemble them in [one] assembly.

Then do those who disbelieve think that they can take My servants instead of Me as allies? Indeed, We have prepared Hell for the disbelievers as a lodging.

No one can be worshiped other than Allah.

Those are the ones who disbelieve in the verses of their Lord and in [their] meeting Him, so their deeds have become worthless; and We will not assign to them on the Day of Resurrection any importance.

Say, "If the sea were ink for [writing] the words of my Lord, the sea would be exhausted before the words of my Lord were exhausted, even if We brought the like of it as a supplement."

Say, "I am only a man like you, to whom has been revealed that your god is one God. So whoever would hope for the meeting with his Lord - let him do righteous work and not associate in the worship of his Lord anyone."

Don't jump to conclusions. 

The Prophets Legacy by Sheikh Tariq Appleby No. 4

Today I learned about the prophets Legacy:

"This world is no more than temporary joys, and there is no temporary joy of this work that is better than a righteous wife."

It is like not having soap, you will not die without soap, so that is like it, someone who motivates you to pray on time if you marry someone who loves Allah, then that is good, we like superficial things, we are attracted to things, Games, people, there are times in your life, you wanted, but when you got it it is like "O.K."

"Any woman who dies when her husband is pleased with her will enter Paradise."

This is a Hadith, that if a woman dies before her husband, and the husband is happy that they lived together, and the husband is happy, then she will live a happy life in Jannah, there is a bare minimum in life, but in Islam, go the extra mile, put in maximum effort, go the extra mile when doing things, like every backing down, put maximum effort when doing things, 

"Jibreel kept on enjoining the good treatment of neighbors to the extend that I thought that he would include neighbors as heirs."

Jibreel kept telling the prophet, that prophet thought, your neighbor will inherit your things too.

"May his nose be rubbed in the dust, may his nose be rubbed in the dust may his nose be rubbed int the dust." It was said: "Who, O Messenger of Allah?" He said: "The one whose parents, one or both of them, reach old age during his lifetime and he does not enter Paradise."

It means, If your face is rubbed in the dust, then that is a way of Humiliation, it also means you are not taking care of your parents that are old, don't abandon your parents.

"He is not one of us who does not show compassion to our little ones or respect our older ones."

It is if you are an adult you need to show mercy to those who are younger than you, don't be that person "See, you are younger so clean my room." Don't be like that.

"Women may be married for four things: their wealth, their lineage, their beauty, and their religion. So you should take possession of (marry) the religious women (otherwise) you will be a loser."

It is ok to choose spouses because these things, marry someone because they are good and religious, these are good things, but the best is. Religious, to have a spouse that fears Allah, they avoid sins, they have good character, many women will wear hijab, and not pray, you can choose, from: Asking people that person knows, and seeing what she does about prayer times, it does not mean HAPPILY EVER AFTER, NOPE. NOPE, movies give a false view of marriage, not saying don't' watch movies though. 

"You will not enter Paradise still you (truly) believe, and you will not (truly) believe until you love one another. Shall I not tell you of something which, if you do it, you will love one another> Spread (the greetings of) Salam amongst yourselves.

If you want to enter Jannah then we need nature love for each other, great people you know and don't know, spread salam,  there are five categories, 

words of appreciation, spend quality time, helping each other, hugs (for the kids' sake, because they are young, it really physical touch), and giving a gift, here are a few of them: paid gifts, and a handwritten letter, and picked things (flowers), making gifts is taking the effort, if you make a table, out of wood, that is ok, but making it is better because you know how much you love them, and it has a higher value than a store-bought table.

 

Qur'an by Sheikh Gabriel Keresztes No. 17

Today I learned about The Qur'an:

All] praise is [due] to Allah, who has sent down upon His Servant the Book and has not made therein any deviance.

Be good to people.

[He has made it] straight, to warn of severe punishment from Him and to give good tidings to the believers who do righteous deeds that they will have a good reward

Paradise.

In which they will remain forever.

And to warn those who say, " Allah has taken a son."

People think that Allah has a son, but he does not.

They have no knowledge of it, nor had their fathers. Grave is the word that comes out of their mouths; they speak not except a lie.

People say Lie all the time, don't lie.

Then perhaps you would kill yourself through grief over them, [O Muhammad], if they do not believe in this message, [and] out of sorrow.

The prophet is sad the people don't' want to believe, but they are following their desires.

Indeed, We have made that which is on the earth adornment for it that We may test them [as to] which of them is best indeed.

It is a test, everything in life is a test, to live, we have a purpose to be good, to be good to Allah.

And indeed, We will make that which is upon it [into] a barren ground.

He has the right to destroy the earth.

Or have you thought that the companions of the cave and the inscription were, among Our signs, a wonder?.

[Mention] when the youths retreated to the cave and said, "Our Lord, grant us from Yourself mercy and prepare for us from our affair right guidance."

This was in a certain king, they left the right path, youths are confused today, we have youths who don't' believe in Islam, people worship idols, not Allah.

So We cast [a cover of sleep] over their ears within the cave for a number of years.

Not only are they confused, these boys called the king to god, then they enter the cave.

Then We awakened them that We might show which of the two factions was most precise in calculating what [extent] they had remained in time.

After the boys wake up, after years.

And We made firm their hearts when they stood up and said, "Our Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth. Never will we invoke besides Him any deity. We would have certainly spoken, then, an excessive transgression.

These, our people, have taken besides Him deities. Why do they not bring for [worship of] them a clear authority? And who is more unjust than one who invents about Allah a lie?"

People are scared, but be scared of Allah.

[The youths said to one another], "And when you have withdrawn from them and that which they worship other than Allah, retreat to the cave. Your Lord will spread out for you of His mercy and will prepare for you from your affair facility."

And [had you been present], you would see the sun when it rose, inclining away from their cave on the right, and when it set, passing away from them on the left, while they were [laying] within an open space thereof. That was from the signs of Allah. He whom Allah guides is the [rightly] guided, but he whom He leaves astray - never will you find for him a protecting guide.

We look at the place of the cave, the sun was inside the cave, and the boys sleep for 9 years, we need to do our part, the cave is amazing, light and air will maintain the bodies.

And you would think them awake, while they were asleep. And We turned them to the right and to the left, while their dog stretched his forelegs at the entrance. If you had looked at them, you would have turned from them in flight and been filled by them with terror.

If you stay in the same place, you will be paralyzed, you think they are awake, but they are asleep, dogs are not bad, the Angles don't go into a place with a dog inside, but that doesn't mean dogs are bad.

And similarly, We awakened them that they might question one another. Said a speaker from among them, "How long have you remained [here]?" They said, "We have remained a day or part of a day." They said, "Your Lord is most knowing of how long you remained. So send one of you with this silver coin of yours to the city and let him look to which is the best of food and bring you provision from it and let him be cautious. And let no one be aware of you.

Life goes by very fast, they sent one person with money to buy things, make it a priority to be a good Muslim,  Islam is a gift. 

And similarly, We caused them to be found that they [who found them] would know that the promise of Allah is truth and that of the Hour there is no doubt. [That was] when they disputed among themselves about their affair and [then] said, "Construct over them a structure. Their Lord is most knowing about them." Said those who prevailed in the matter, "We will surely take [for ourselves] over them a masjid."

It doesn't matter how many of them were there, the Qur'an is not an argument, it a guide.

And never say of anything, "Indeed, I will do that tomorrow,"

If you forget something ask for forgiveness for it.

Except [when adding], "If Allah wills." And remember your Lord when you forget [it] and say, "Perhaps my Lord will guide me to what is nearer than this to right conduct."

Ask for forgiveness.

Say, " Allah is most knowing of how long they remained. He has [knowledge of] the unseen [aspects] of the heavens and the earth. How Seeing is He and how Hearing! They have not besides Him any protector, and He shares not His legislation with anyone."

And recite, [O Muhammad], what has been revealed to you of the Book of your Lord. There is no changer of His words, and never will you find in other than Him a refuge.

And keep yourself patient [by being] with those who call upon their Lord in the morning and the evening, seeking His countenance. And let not your eyes pass beyond them, desiring adornments of the worldly life, and do not obey one whose heart We have made heedless of Our remembrance and who follows his desire and whose affair is ever [in] neglect.

People look like they have everything, don't look that way, these have a lot of things, but he is telling us to stay on the right path.

And say, "The truth is from your Lord, so whoever wills - let him believe, and whoever wills - let him disbelieve." Indeed, We have prepared for the wrongdoers a fire whose walls will surround them. And if they call for relief, they will be relieved with water like murky oil, which scalds [their] faces. Wretched is the drink, and evil is the resting place.

People who follow Islam will go to Jannah, but the Disbelievers will go to Hell-fire.

Indeed, those who have believed and done righteous deeds - indeed, We will not allow to be lost the reward of any who did well in deeds.

Always ask for forgiveness from Allah.

Those will have gardens of perpetual residence; beneath them, rivers will flow. They will be adorned therein with bracelets of gold and will wear green garments of fine silk and brocade, reclining therein on adorned couches. Excellent is the reward, and good is the resting place.

In Dunya, you can't drink wine, but in Jannah, you can drink wine but it won't' make you drunk.

And present to them an example of two men: We granted to one of them two gardens of grapevines, and We bordered them with palm trees and placed between them [fields of] crops.

Each of the two gardens produced its fruit and did not fall short thereof in anything. And We caused to gush forth within them a river.

His companion said to him while he was conversing with him, "Have you disbelieved in He who created you from dust and then from a sperm-drop and then proportioned you [as] a man?

But as for me, He is Allah, my Lord, and I do not associate with my Lord anyone.

And why did you, when you entered your garden, not say, 'What Allah willed [has occurred]; there is no power except in Allah '? Although you see me less than you in wealth and children,

It may be that my Lord will give me [something] better than your garden and will send upon it a calamity from the sky, and it will become a smooth, dusty ground,

Or its water will become sunken [into the earth], so you would never be able to seek it."

And his fruits were encompassed [by ruin], so he began to turn his hands about [in dismay] over what he had spent on it, while it had collapsed upon its trellises, and said, "Oh, I wish I had not associated with my Lord anyone."

And there was for him no company to aid him other than Allah, nor could he defend himself.

And there was for him no company to aid him other than Allah, nor could he defend himself.

Arrogance is bad, be humble.

There the authority is [completely] for Allah, the Truth. He is best in reward and best in outcome.