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

“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

“When you’re obsessed with something that’s Haraam, it colonizes you. Are you going to liberate yourself?

Tariq Ramadan

“Be harsh on yourself, and easy on others.

Imam ash-Shafi`i

“Ibn Taymiyyah lived poorly. He was imprisoned and threatened. But I have never seen anyone as happy as him.

Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyyah

“When it comes to doing good, some of us are hesitant. ‘I am such a sinner!’ We may think, ‘Will Allah really appreciate the pathetic deeds that I do when I commit such horribly bad deeds?’ Allah (swt) says, “Surely our Lord is indeed Ever-Forgiving, Appreciative”(Qur’an, 35:34), and “He is most forgiving, most appreciative.” (Qur’an, 35:30). This gives us the reassurance that even if we commit sinful deeds, we can return to Allah and He will, insha’Allah (God willing) forgive us, while rewarding us for the good.

Jinan Bastaki

“Go out of your way to help someone, not expecting anything in return, and someone along the road will do that for you as a reward from Allah (swt).

Jinan Bastaki

“Allah (swt) even appreciates our intention. The Prophet ﷺ describes two men: one man whom Allah has bestowed upon wealth and knowledge, and he acts upon that knowledge and gives from his wealth; and another man whom Allah has given knowledge but no wealth, and that man says, “If I had the wealth he had, I would do the same”. The Prophet ﷺ said “And they are rewarded the same”. [Ibn Majah]

Jinan Bastaki

“We might think—what does Allah have to be appreciative for? Everything we have is from Him anyway! But that is why He, the Most High, is ash-Shakoor: The Most-Appreciative. In this form, it means He appreciates the smallest of deeds, He appreciates the deeds all the time, and His appreciation is unlimited.

Jinan Bastaki

“You and I are not Muslim, because we are born in a Muslim family. You and I are not Muslim, because you read a book about Islam, or saw a Youtube video and decided to become Muslim. We are Muslim, because Allah chose us.

Nouman Ali Khan

“There is a simple yet profound equation I learned from my sheikh that can help us get a better grasp of what it means to live your life for His Sake. “When dealing with Allah (swt) remove people from the equation and when dealing with people remove yourself from the equation.” Every day should be spent aiming to please Allah and not the people, for living a life for His Sake means embodying that in the state of worship you are in and the deeds you put forth and strive for. When you deal with people, you understand that you are dealing with the creation of your Lord so you give them the best and prefer them over yourself, whether it is through noble manners and character, standing up for justice and the oppressed amongst this world, giving in charity, etc. You remove any malice, jealousy, apathy, anger, insincerity and other negative emotions for His Sake because you truly recognize the dignity of your created brethren through your Creator.

Ismahan Abdullahi

“The adhan (call to prayer) has been called for us at the time of our birth and its prayer, our janazah (funeral prayer), is ever close.

Ismahan Abdullahi

“Thus, for the one with a purpose, who has a vision and understands their mission, the outlook in this world changes. This dunya (this life) becomes a place of opportunities and a place to accumulate wealth (in the form of good deeds) for the hereafter. Every trial they come across in this world becomes an opportunity to be patient and content. Every blessing they’re given and witness around them becomes a means of being thankful and humble. Every temptation they struggle against they see it for what it is; a mirage meant to deceive and entrap their soul. You see, they strive to keep the dunya in their hands and not their hearts. They have a mission and know the amana (trust) they are carrying—for they are living for His Sake now and they are employed by Allah (swt).

Ismahan Abdullahi

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