Give Ten People a Recipe...

Bismillah wa assalaamu alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.

Give ten people a recipe. Do you get ten identical results? No.

There are the people who follow it exactly, knowing that is the only way to get the right result. Even so, there may be slight variations depending on the brand and function of their oven, the type of utensils or kitchen equipment they use, and even the weather and their altitude. 

Then there are those who think they have a better technique, and change the recipe before even following the original directions. 

At least one will try to cut corners, skimping on quantities or using inferior or cheaper ingredients. 

There are the ones who can't read the recipe properly; their vision is blurred and so they misinterpret it.

Of the ten, someone may not understand units of measurement, and so rather than learn, they guess at the quantities.

And there are always the ones who couldn't care less and throw the recipe together uncaring about the result.

Which one of the those people are you? What would you expect your version of the recipe to turn out like?

Our Creator, Allah, gives us a recipe: a recipe for success that He names Islam.  

"...This day, I have perfected your religion for you, completed My Favor upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion..."

Surat ul Maa'idah 3

The recipe is perfect, and He clearly tells us that following it will lead to eternal blissful reward. So, I ask you, what are you doing with His recipe? How can you follow it more accurately, for that perfect result?

Be Greedy and Selfish!

Bism Illah wa assalaamu alaykum wa RahmatUllahi wa Barakatuh.

Yes, you read it rightly; Mai is now telling you to be greedy and selfish, LOL!

"... but His plan is to test you in what He has given you; so strive as in a race in good deeds..." [Quran 5:48]

When someone enters a room I am in, and they don't give the salaams, I give the salaams. True, it is a reminder that the salaams should be given, but I'm also being greedy for the reward of spreading the salaams. I'm greedy for the reward of making du'a for others; greedy for chances to be the first to help; greedy to bring a smile to someone's face. Tell me, who doesn't love making others happy or helping them in some way? It is human nature, and it feels wonderful maashaa Allah.

Recently, a beloved sister asked me for some help; it wasn't even for her, but for a dear sister of hers maashaa Allah. She then apologized for asking too much of me. I told her not to be sorry for giving me a chance for the Pleasure and Reward of Allah; it is a blessing! The sister told me I'm sweet, maashaa Allah, but I had to correct her. I am not sweet; I am selfish. I want to feel the joy and happiness in helping others and pleasing Allah. When I respond to her requests, I am pleasing myself!

So please, be as greedy and selfish as possible: greedy for rewards and opportunities for rewards; selfish in wanting to feel good by doing good to others. It is greed and selfishness for your happiness in both this worldly life and the aakhirah!

Just Say the Words

Bism Illah wa assalaamu alaykum wa RahmatUllahi wa Barakatuh.

Sometimes it is difficult to automatically think and react in the correct and good way to what befalls us. The initial reactions to a broken down car or cutting our finger might be, "Oh no!" or "Ouch, that hurt!" However, I have found that in training ourselves to say the appropriate words, we actually train ourselves in sabr (patience) for the improvement of our deen.


For example, when we say al hamdu l'Illah as our first automatic and immediate response to any affliction, (the burn from the oven, the baby falling, the house collapsing, LOL), then we direct our minds to automatically seek out its blessings from Allah. It reminds us to have yaqeen (certainty) that it is, indeed, a great blessing from Allah, even if it isn't clear where some of the blessings lie. Certainly, the test is sent to us as a reminder, an expiation, and improver.

Narrated Anas (radhi Allahu anh): The Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said,


            “The real patience is at the first stroke of a calamity.”
                                                                                                 Sahih Al-Bukhari – Book 23 Hadith 389


Sometimes all it takes is to just say the words to focus ourselves on the correct thinking and belief.

Here's what you do...

when you want to be heard, or
when you want to be understood, or
when you want to improve, or
when you want to grow, or
when you want to have a long hard look in the mirror, or
when you have unclear priorities, or
when you can't see things clearly, or
when you need to make a decision, or
when you feel sorry about something, or
when you are a mess, or
when you need security, or
when you feel unsure, or
when you feel sad, or
when you are having bad thoughts, or
when you are happy, or
when you are totally focused:

PRAY and MAKE DUA'...

because that's what it's all about - turning to Allah, your Creator, for everything and in every situation.

A Beefy Story

As salaamu alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakaatuh.

Here is a true story that might inspire. About 3 years ago, a dear sister of mine was pregnant at the same time as I was. She visited us once a month for our Girl's Reading Club,  and on one occasion told me she was craving beef. I had already prepared chicken for that night's meal and only had one opportunity to serve beef during her pregnancy- just some ground beef in a chili dish. A bit later in her pregnancy she learned that she had an iron deficiency, so the unfulfilled intention to make her beef stayed with me.

Since then, we have seen each other a handful of times, due to our heavy homeschooling and family schedules maashaa Allah. So, this past Friday when she and her family were invited to dinner, I prepared roast beef  with gravy.  I was ill with a cold and sore throat, preparing the meal with a bad headache, and making dua' throughout that Allah would bless the food. As we sat eating, I reminded her of her cravings for beef 3 years before during her pregnancy and that I was finally fulfilling my intention to serve it to her. She looked at me a little incredulously and laughed. I said, "Better late than never!"

As there was plenty of the beef, al hamdul'Illah, I asked her to take some home. She took it and this morning, Sunday, she told me that she had been talking to a sister who is pregnant and has been suffering from extreme fatigue and low iron. My friend asked the sister if she was craving beef, and the sister shyly informed her that she had....so she sent her the beef. This morning she got a message from the sister saying that she had never had beef so beautifully tender and delicious and asked for the recipe, the cut of beef, and made dua' for her. My dear sister responded:

"Wa alaykum us salaam sweety. I am so happy you liked it. A dear friend of mine made it for me the other night in honor of my intense desire to have beef while pregnant - 2 1/2 years ago! As I ate it, I thought of you. It wasn't decreed for my pregnancy, but yours, alhamdulilah!"

Allahu Akbar! See how far a fulfilled  good intention can travel?

I ask Allah to use me to benefit others REPEATEDLY. If it wasn't for the fact that I know He loves me to ask and never tires of it, I would have shut up out of shame and embarrassment from asking all the time. The news about the beef made me cry, maashaa Allah; the barakaat of the beef made my day. It sounds quite hilarious to say that a story about beef can have such an effect, but that is yet another huge Mercy from our Lord. He gives us things to smile and laugh about from the things we do seeking His Face. So, for all of you who have unfulfilled good intentions that you CAN fulfill,

it's never too late to cook the beef!

What do words say?

Assalaamu alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakaatuh.

When we speak words, do we truly understand their meaning and what we are saying? I will give you a few examples.

1. "I wish I were thinner."
   
2. "I wish I had straight hair."
   
3. "I hate being lazy!"
   
4. "I hate being poor!"

The first sentence, "I wish I were thinner," says that the speaker doesn't like their weight and would like to lose some. It also implies that they are struggling to find the control they need to make weight loss or exercise happen to reach their goal. It is a self-directed statement.

The second sentence, "I wish I had straight hair," is a whole different story. It is saying that the speaker isn't happy with their hair and wishes it was a different texture. It is saying that the person isn't happy with how Allah specifically created something in them. This is not self-directed, but actually a complaint of dissatisfaction to Allah. It is called ingratitude, lack of appreciation, and lack of satisfaction or contentment with a characteristic of the body Allah gifted them with.

The third sentence, "I hate being lazy!" is another self-directed sentence, expressing an extreme dislike of laziness in themselves and setting a criteria of what should be avoided or corrected in regards to that bad quality.

The fourth sentence, "I hate being poor!" also expresses the speakers strong dissatisfaction with the amount of rizq (sustenance) Allah has provided for them at that time in their lives. I expresses not only disagreement with Allah's Judgement and Fairness, but also rejection of His Tests.

I won't belabor this; inshaa Allah you will see from these examples how important it is to think about what the words actually say, BEFORE saying them. Which angel would be recording those sentences, the right-hand one or the left-hand one?

May Allah increase our taqwa and emaan that we may speak with clear understanding words that are only pleasing to Him - ameen!