YOU ARE SPECIAL! Don't Under-Estimate Yourself!

 

You Are Special!

Don't Under-Estimate

Yourself!

(M. Javed Naseem)

“And in the earth are portents for those
whose faith is sure. And also in yourselves.
Can you then not see?”
(al-Quran 51:20-21)

You are special, very special! Allah Himself created you and you are carrying His Spirit as long as you are alive in this world. Do you ever realize and appreciate that?
Look at yourself! Look at each and every part of your body and try to figure out how it works! It has marvelous ways of working, highly organized function, amazing technique
and incredible immune system. And even after thousands of years the experts are still struggling to uncover the marvels of human brain and body. But these experts cannot reach your soul and that’s where the real thing lies.

We generally say that it’s in our heart that we have the connections with our Creator; from there we transmit and receive the messages from the Divine. Allah wants us to
observe and learn lessons from His signs in the earth, and in us; and pay thanks to Him.

We all make mistakes in life, as we are forgetful, sinful and weak. We cannot sometimes resist the temptation. The devil is too strong for us but with the help of Allah we can fight him and escape from his traps. We need to turn to God.

“But as for him who shall repent
and believe and do right, he haply
may be one of the successful.”
(al-Quran 28:67)

Here is a good story! A speaker was talking to the audience in a seminar. He took a $20 bill and held it up in his hand. He then asked the audience:
“Who would like to have this $20 bill?”

Many people raised their hands as it was free money. The speaker said, “I am going to give this money to one of you but first let me do this.” He crumpled the currency note, made a small ball of it, and asked, “Who still wants it?” Still many hands were up in the air. “Well,” the speaker said, “What if I do this?” And he dropped the $20 bill on the ground and started trampling it with his foot. Then he picked it up, all crumpled and dirty; and asked the audience:

“Now, who still wants it?”

Still the hands went up in the air.
“You see my friends,” the speaker continued, “You have all learned a very good lesson today. No matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it because it did not decrease in value. It was still worth $20.”

It is the same with us all. Many times in life we are dropped, crumpled and trampled in the dirt by the decisions we make; or by the circumstances that come our way. We feel as if we are worthless, down and dirty. But no matter what has happened, or what will happen, you will never lose your value. You are YOU – special, very special! Don’t ever forget that!

Whether we realize it or not, everyone we know in life is very special, even the people who really make you mad sometimes. They all cared about you at some point – and that needs to be appreciated. Always look at the bright, positive side! Being positive is very healthy. It’s absolutely normal for us, Muslims, to believe that we are connected with the Almighty and when we talk to Him, He always listens. He is the source of success and mercy for us, here in this world and in the Hereafter. We cannot do without Him; therefore, we’ve got to keep Him in our lives. When we bring Allah into our lives, we are
guaranteed success and prosperity.

“...And turn unto Allah together,
O believers, in order that
you may succeed.”
(al-Quran 24:31)

“Those who believe, and do good
works, for them is pardon and
a rich provision.”
(al-Quran 22:50)

That's the promise of Allah. Therefore, when we repent and get back on the right track, we become ‘special’ again and do not lose our value. How, in the world, can we lose our value when Allah Himself created us and sent us down in this earth to seek His bounties and mercy? When Allah created Adam, He told the angels that He had created His viceroy in the earth. Therefore, you are Allah’s deputy here in this world. So, make it worthwhile! All we need to do is to remember Him, pay thanks to Him, take care of our obligations towards Him; and be nice and good to other folk. When we do good on our part, the Most Merciful and the Almighty will bless us.

“... Allah loves those whose
deeds are good.”
(al-Quran 3:148)

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THERE 'S NO SHORTCUT TO JANNAH! Islam Is For Righteousness & Social Justice.

 

There's No Shortcut To Jannah!

Islam Is For Righteousness

And Social Justice

(M. Javed Naseem)

إِنَّ هَـٰذِهِ تَذْكِرَةٌ فَمَن شَآءَ ٱتَّخَذَ إِلَىٰ رَبِّهِ سَبِيلاً

“Surely this is a Reminder. Let him who will,

then, take a straight path to his Lord.”

(al-Quran 73:19)

Allah the Most Merciful, the Supreme Creator, created us and prescribed for us a way of life – Deen – based on social justice and righteousness. He chose from among us the most righteous and pious men to lead us and guide us to the right path. They were the Prophets and Messengers of Allah who led their lives in accordance with the rules and laws laid down for us by the Almighty Creator. They showed us how to live on this planet peacefully by obeying God's Law.

The Quran is not the first Book of Revelations or Book of Divine Guidance. Allah sent many Messengers with many Scriptures but all those Scriptures or Books delivered the same message to the mankind: That there is only ONE God, and no deity worthy of worship except Him. He has no partners and no family. Whatever is in the universe, in the heavens and on earth or in the oceans, all belongs to Him. He is the Almighty to whom should we submit in obedience. If we disobey Him, there is no escape for us in the universe and nobody can protect us from His wrath. Only He can forgive us and bestow His mercy and blessings upon us. The real guidance comes from Him and without His help and mercy, we'll be lost.

Allah tells us that there is no compulsion in Deen (Islam). Everything is voluntary. You are not forced to do anything for Allah. The Most Merciful Allah gave us a lot of liberty and choice of actions. We make our own choices with our own good will. Allah looks at our hearts; our intentions (Niyyah) and the actions that follow. Obedience to Allah is only voluntary and not forced. We need to use our brains and intellect; thinking by reason and logic, to make a choice or take a decision. Allah the Almighty has detailed everything for us in the Book and that is the Book that should govern our lives in this world. That Book is full of guidelines on all aspects of life. We choose our own path of action with a sound mind, without any compulsion.

وَهَـٰذَا صِرَاطُ رَبِّكَ مُسْتَقِيماً قَدْ فَصَّلْنَا ٱلآيَاتِ لِقَوْمٍ يَذَّكَّرُونَ

“This is the path of your Lord, a straight path.

We have detailed Our revelations for

a people who take heed.”

(al-Quran 6:126)

Truth and falsehood (lies, deception) go in the opposite directions. We go for ‘looks’ on the outside or ‘appearances’, glitter and attractive packing without caring much about the inside or the contents. But it is the contents that matter. It is OK to check the credentials of the messenger to see if he is trustworthy but it is a lot more important to see the message he brings. All prophets brought the message of Truth from Allah, the Almighty. Allah created everything in Truth and prescribed the same Truth for all maladies inflicting us.

Allah created only one ‘Deen’ (faith or religion) for mankind, and that is Islam. It is called Islam in Arabic as the Quran was revealed in Arabic to Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.). Before him, during other Prophets' era the same Deen might have other names in other languages. But all Prophets (Messengers) brought the message of Islam to their respective nations. It started with Adam and was completed with Muhammad (s.a.w.). As a matter of fact, it existed in the heavens even before Adam was created. Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad (s.a.w.) all preached and practiced Islam. It is only Islam – the truth, everything else is either from Satan or from pagans – the beautiful lies!

Since the creation of the universe, Allah, the Supreme Creator, has been sending us His message through different messengers in different times. The messengers were different, languages were different, cultures were different, peoples were different and diverse but the message was the same, one and universal – there is only One God (Allah) worthy of worship and He has no partners, no family, nor children. Your salvation is His obedience and He wants you to be righteous and God-fearing.

كِتَابٌ أَنزَلْنَاهُ إِلَيْكَ مُبَارَكٌ لِّيَدَّبَّرُوۤاْ آيَاتِهِ وَلِيَتَذَكَّرَ أُوْلُو ٱلأَلْبَابِ

“This is a Book that We have revealed to you,

full of blessings, that they may ponder its

revelations, and that men of understanding

may reflect.”

(al-Quran 38:29)

When Allah, the Almighty, declares that the Quran is full of guidance, blessings, mercy and cure for our spiritual and physical ailments, we should believe that. There should be no doubt about it as the promise of Allah is always True. If we are not following the righteous path, the Truth might become uncomfortable for us because we look for easy solutions, comfortable life and short-cuts to Paradise. We go out of our way to make things comfortable and easy for us in this world and forget all about the Hereafter. In this campaign of finding 'shortcuts' we go astray and lose the sight of Truth. There are no shortcuts to Jannah (Paradise) except by mercy of the Almighty. We need to live a life of righteousness and obedience to Allah, taking care of all the commands of Allah, whether comfortable or not.

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MAKE A DIFFERENCE! Put A Smile On Somebody's Face!

 

Make A Difference!

Put A Smile On

Somebody's Face!

(M. Javed Naseem)

We are all human beings – white, black, brown, yellow, red or of any color. We are one community and are supposed to help each other in times of need. As human beings we should feel for others because we are all parts of one great body and pieces of one big jigsaw puzzle. We all face similar problems and go through similar or the same hurdles on different stages in life. We can benefit from others' experiences. Helping others has no limits in ways and means. If we can't do anything materially for others, at least we can support them and guide them morally. Sometime, a soothing word works wonder and does more than material help. One without the others is nothing.

We, the believers, are like a brotherhood, a fraternity, or a community. We are supposed to be merciful and compassionate toward each other. We should be sharing love and kindness among ourselves. We should be like one body so that if one part of the body is not well, the whole body shares the sleeplessness. If one part of the body hurts, the whole body feels and shares the pain or fever.

That’s the way the Muslim community is supposed to be. The best among us is not the one who has achieved top position in sports, education, science, technology or arts. These honors are good for one’s personal satisfaction. If he/she cannot use it for the benefit of other human beings, it’s of no use. The best among us is the one who has the best morals, best conduct and best character. Islam calls for a society based on social justice and compassion – the spirit to help others. It is an obligation.

If we are not selfish and self-conceited, we should always be thinking about others; especially the less fortunate, the not-so-lucky, the handicapped and the needy. If we cannot help them materially, at least console them morally with some kind, nice, soothing and sympathetic word. Don’t ever think it is worthless! It matters, for it touches the heart and soul of the needy. And that's what we remember in life.

There is a traditional narration attributed to the Prophet (s.a.w.) that goes like that:

“The one who looks after and helps a widow or a poor/needy person, is like a warrior
fighting for Allah’s cause or like a person who fasts during the day and prays all night.”

Let me give you a simple but very important quiz I read the other day:
1- Name the five wealthiest people in the world.
2- Name the last five Olympic champions in 100m dash.
3- Name the last five winners of Miss Universe contest.
4- Name five people who have won the Nobel prize.
5- Name the last five winners of Academy Award for best actor & actress.

Now, how did you do? Remember anybody or anything? They were the most important people at that particular time. But none of us remembers the headliners of yesterday. They were no second-rate achievers. They were the best in their field. These were the people who made headlines. They were on TV, radio, talk-shows, in the magazines and newspapers for days, even weeks. But the applause dies. Awards tarnish. Achievements are forgotten easily. Certificates and medals get buried with their owners. They become forgotten heroes.

Now, here is the second part of that quiz! See how you do on this one:

1. List five teachers who aided your educational journey in life.
2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.
3. Think of five persons who have made you feel good, appreciated and special.
4. Name five people you enjoy spending time with.
5. Name five heroes whose stories have inspired you.

Easier? Of course! So, what’s the lesson? The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the most credentials, most money, or the most awards & medals. They are the people who cared; who touched your heart and soul; who were there with a kind and encouraging word when you were down. And that makes the difference.

Now, you try to be one of those people and touch somebody’s soul. Make a difference! Leave your footprints on somebody’s life. Please do it while you still can.

God bless you!

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