The Internet Islamic Art Database | Library of Islamic Art and Quotes

“Whoever considers himself to be better than someone else, then he has become arrogant.

“If an announcer from the heavens were to announce, saying: “O people! All of you will enter paradise except one man”; I fear that he (i.e. that man) would be me.

Umar ibn al-Khattab

“Our five daily prayers are a way to curb over-attachment to anything material. The five prayers regulate our lives with their specific timings to teach us that indeed God is greater than anything else that we might be occupied in at that moment. The dawn prayer teaches us that the most beloved thing to us, comfort and sleep, should not control us – so we rise up in the cold morning, wash ourselves and pray in an acknowledgement that God is greater than our love of comfort and sleep. The midday and afternoon prayer teaches us that no matter how engrossed we are with work or the short lunch hour that we so highly value, it’s not the purpose of our existence. So we leave it for a few minutes and stand and pray testifying that God is indeed greater. On Friday, we dedicate most, if not all of our lunch hour to attend the Friday sermon and prayer. The dusk prayer, that time when we’re finally home and about to spend time with our family, eat dinner or simply relax – we get up and pray together to confirm that God is Greater than any of that. Finally the night prayer, Isha’ – when we’re tired after a long day of work and responsibilities ready to fall into bed and sleep, we pray again proving that submitting to God is greater than falling into the warm bed. All these serve as constant reminders to us that as much as we love life, we live for a higher purpose.

Mansoor Ahmed

“Among the many virtues we know of our Mother Aisha (ra), the one she received a nickname for was charity. She was called Umm al-Teeb (the mother of fragrance). Using “umm” or “mother” in Arabic emphasizes that this person is the source of something or that this is a particular characteristic of the person or object. Aisha (ra) was called Umm al-Teeb because she used to spray perfume on the money she donated. When asked why she did this, she explained that charity reaches Allah before the receiving person’s hand so she wanted it to smell nice.

Yusra Owais

“You will never be steadfast if you worry what others think about you and when you busy yourselves with other people’s ‘business’

Mufti Ismail Menk

“Linguistically, Zakat means growth; one says Zaka az-Zar meaning the plant grew up. It can also mean ‘purification.’ In Shari’ah, it implies both meanings. The first meaning is construed as to cause growth in wealth, or as to cause more reward or as to pertain to increasing wealth, such as is the case in commerce and agriculture. This first meaning is supported by the Tradition. ‘No wealth decreases because of Sadaqat (Zakat);’ owing to the fact that its reward is multiple. There is also the Tradition: ‘God increases the reward of Sadaqat.’ The second meaning is construed to imply that Zakat purifies the human soul from the vice of avarice as well as sins.

Imam ash-Shawkani

“Ibn Abbas radi allahu `anhu (may God be pleased with him) shares with us, “A beautiful woman, from among the most beautiful of women, used to pray behind the Prophet ﷺ. Some of the people used to go to pray in the first row to ensure they would not be able to see her. Others would pray in the last row of the men, and they would look from underneath their armpits to see her. Because of this act, in regard to her, Allah revealed, “Verily We know the eager among you to be first, and verily We know the eager among you to be behind,” (Qur’an 15:24).

From this narration, we learn that the young men who lived in the very city and attended the very masjid of the Prophet of God ﷺ slipped and checked a girl out. And yet what did the Prophet ﷺ do about it?

Did he create a wall between the men and women’s sections? Nope. Did he prohibit women from going to the mosque, lest they tempt the men who attend? Never. In fact, he ﷺ did the exact opposite and commanded that women not be stopped from going to the House of God.

What he did do was allow men and women to continue to be a part of the same society, working together as a community, existing cohesively. At the same time, he ﷺ helped train his community to keep their desires in check.

Maryam Amirebrahimi

“The custodian of the masjid of the Prophet ﷺ (peace be upon him) was an elderly woman. She was not assigned this position by anyone, rather she assumed it on her own. The narrations which share her story sometimes mention that they did not know who she was. One narration tells us that her name may have been Umm Muhjan. The main thing they knew about her was that she ensured that the masjid of Rasul Allah ﷺ was clean and tidy.

She was so diligent in her cleanliness that none other than the Prophet ﷺ noticed her absence after a week or so. When the Prophet ﷺ asked those around him what had happened to her, they informed him that she passed away a few days prior and she was already buried. The Prophet ﷺ became visibly upset – an important detail in the story because the Companions rarely saw him upset. He ﷺ asked why no one had called him so that he could visit her and pray the funeral prayer for her. They informed him that he was sleeping and they did not want to wake him. He asked those who knew to take him to her grave where he then prayed for her.

Yusra Owais

“Allah (swt) tells us that paying heed to His signs is the benefit, indeed the essence, of being a mu’min. Nothing is real outside of Him, and if we are able to fill our heart with this reality, if all circumstances and all conditions become a manifestation of His will in our eyes, than His guidance will come regardless of how heavy or complex our affairs may seem.

Omar Ead

“Many of us search for His signs hoping He will guide us, yet we remain lost. There may be moments when we witness His absolute infinite wealth of guidance (tawfiq) and blessings, still most of the time we persist in a world of emptiness and neediness. We search endlessly for His messages. But if God were to answer your call, would you know it? Would you heed His guidance? Is it possible that you are repeatedly shown signs, and dismiss them as simple coincidences?

Understanding His will and receiving His call requires closeness (taqwa). It requires a tearing of the veil between you and Him. It requires a love and intimacy so powerful and so consuming, that only the vessel of one’s heart can carry this one love. The great poet said:

“Gamble everything for love. If you are a true human being. If not, leave this gathering. Half-heartedness doesn’t reach into majesty. You set out to find God, but then you keep stopping for long periods at mean-spirited roadhouses. Don’t wait any longer. Dive in the ocean, leave and let the sea be you. Silent, absent, walking an empty road, all praise.” (Rumi)

Omar Ead

“Today, we hear the phrase “live for the moment” used often, but somewhere along the way, it turned into a term justifying the lower nature of man. The moments that the pious saints and figures from east and west spoke of in the past, were moments that brought about greater purpose, far outweighing the mere moments of the lower self. It was this clear understanding that led Yusuf (as) to make the right decision at a very tempting point in time. “…and he would have inclined to her had he not seen the proof of his Lord” (Qur’an 12:24). As a matter of fact, one of Prophet Yusuf’s most well-known and documented attributes was his insight and ability to interpret the signs of Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala (glorified is He). His dreams foreshadowed his fate and the revelation that came to him saved an entire nation from the onslaught of a major famine. His heart was filled with the Oneness of God. Prophet Yusuf (as) knew his circumstances and those around him were never simply a coincidence. He knew that every situation, every thought, and every feeling was connected to something much greater—the will of The only existing Truth—Al Haqq.

Omar Ead

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