Forever In Love

Days pass through years
Years away till decades
My heart stays in your heart
Won't be away though apart

Young becomes old
Dry comes from bold
Though too hard to hold
our hands keep in fold

Forever we walk this way
Though distant steps in cold
Forever this love won't be away
Though separated body and soul

How to stay happily married?

A man and woman had been married for more than 60 years. They shared everything. They talked about everything. They kept no secrets from each other except that the little old woman had a shoebox in the top of her closet that she had cautioned her husband never to open or ask her about.
For all of these years, he never thought about the shoebox, but one day the little old woman got very sick and the doctor said she would not recover. In trying to sort out their affairs, the little old man took down the shoebox and took it to his wife's bedside. She agreed that it was time that he should know what was in the shoebox.
When he opened it, he found two crocheted dolls and a stack of money totaling $25,000. He asked her about the contents. "When we were to be married," she said, "my grandmother told me the secret of a happy marriage was to never argue. She told me that if I ever got angry with you, I should just keep quiet and crochet a doll."
The little old man was so moved; he had to fight back tears. Only two precious dolls were in the shoebox. She had only been angry with him two times in all those years of living and loving. He almost burst with happiness "Honey," he said, "that explains the doll, but what about all of this money? Where did it come from?" "Oh," the little old woman said, "That's the money I made from selling the dolls."

Why Prayers are not answered?

One day a Sufi saint Ibrahim Adham was passing through the bazaar in the city of Basra when he was surrounded by people who said to him: "O Ibrahim! Allah (SWT) has stated in the Noble Qur'an that: "Call on Me; I will answer your (Prayer)"; we call upon Allah (SWT) but our prayer is not answered.
Ibrahim Adham said: "The reason is because your hearts have died due to ten things so that your supplications have no sincerity as your hearts are not pure and free of contamination."
They asked: "What are those ten issues?" Ibrahim Adham replied:
01: First and foremost you have accepted Allah (SWT) but have not repaid His claim.
02: You have recited the Noble Qur'an but have not practiced it.
03: You profess your love of the Holy Prophet of Islam (saw), but are opposed to his Household (as).
04: You claim to have enmity with Shaitan (Satan) but in practice you are in agreement with him.
05: You say that you are fond of heaven but in order to enter heaven you have not done anything.
06: You said that you were afraid of the Hell Fire, but have thrown your bodies in to it.
07: You were busy slandering and criticizing people but were ignorant of your own shortcomings and faults.
08: You said that you didn't like the world but are greedily following it.
09: You confess to the reality of death but don't prepare yourself for it.
10: You have buried the dead but haven't taken a lesson or guidance from it.
These are the 10 practices (Ten Reasons) which cause prayers to remain unanswered.
"Prayer is not a spare wheel that you pull out when YOU ARE IN TROUBLE, It is a steering wheel that keeps you on the right path throughout your life."

Conquest of Constantinople by Sultan Mohammad al-Fateh or the Conqueror

On May 29 in 1453 AD Constantinople was taken after a 53-day siege by the Ottoman Sultan, Mohammad II (known as al-Fateh or the Conqueror), thus ending Byzantine or the Eastern Roman Empire. He set out to revitalize the city, renamed it Islambol (today’s Istanbul), and made it the capital of his empire. The first decree issued by him was security and freedom of the residents who were almost all Christians. Hours later, he rode to the Hagia Sofia to proclaim the Islamic creed, converting the grand cathedral into an imperial mosque. When he stepped into the ruins of the Boukoleon, the Palace of the Caesars, built over a thousand years before by Theodosius II, he recited the famous Persian couplet of the Iranian poet, Shaikh Sa’di: "The spider weaves the curtains in the palace of the Caesars; The owl calls the watches in the towers of Afrasiab."
He began to build the Grand Bazaar, and also constructed during this period was Topkapı Palace, which served as the official residence of the Ottoman sultans for the next four hundred years. The city, built by Rome's first Christian Emperor, Constantine I, on the coastlines of Bosphorus Strait was thus transformed from a bastion of Christianity to a symbol of Islamic culture.

The French Muslim philosopher and thinker, Professor Roger Garaudy

On July 17, 1913, the French Muslim philosopher and thinker, Professor Roger Garaudy, was born in Marseilles. After completion of preliminary studies, he went on to obtain PhDs in philosophy, literature and mysticism, and culture and civilizations. Due to his struggles against Fascism and Nazism, he was locked up in German labor camps during the occupation of France by Hitler as of 1940 to 1943.
He was also a member of French Communist Party for 36 years and was a member of this party’s central committee for 25 years. The communist and liberalist schools of thought did not satisfy Garaudy and he finally discovered the truth of the sacred religion of Islam.
The victory of the Islamic Revolution in Iran in 1979 highly influenced Garaudy’s inclination toward Islam. His courage in exposing the Zionists and their evil made him a target of the enemies of humanity. The publication of his book: “The Case of Israel: A Study of Political Zionism” led to his trial, and his other book: “The Founding Myths of Modern Israel” once again infuriated the Zionists and Garaudy was tried in France for disclosure of the facts about the myth of the Holocaust.
He has left behind numerous books, of which mention can be made of “Promesses de I’Islam”. Professor Garaudy passed away on June 13, 2012 at the age of 99 years.

A Visit To A Bride

by Amina Bint Al Huda

After finishing her morning prayer, Fatimah usually sat down to recite a chapter from the Holy Qur'an. She always found great pleasure in reading each verse as she thought about the sublime meaning of the Divine words. At such times, she felt as though she on a higher plane, a spiritual world with a sacred atmosphere. The words taught her lessons and flooded her life with new light when she read the Qur'anic verses:
“And one of His signs is that He created mates for you from yourselves that you may find rest in them, and He put between you love and compassion. Most surely, there, are signs in this for people who reflect.” (Al-Rum, 30:21)
And,
“And they who say: Oh our Lord! Grant us in our wives and our offspring the joy of our eyes and make us guides to those who guard (against evil).” (Al-Furqan, 25:74)
The words reminded her of famous Muslim believers. She gave a deep sigh. She really felt quite sad when she saw some Muslims failing to continue striving towards perfection. However, there were still promising examples. She thought about her friend, Khadijah, who had just begun her married life and was visiting some holy shrines during her honeymoon. Khadijah was a good Muslim sister who chose her partner carefully and according to religious measures. She rejected all anti-Islamic traditions that distorted the meaning and essence of marriage.
She always said that, according to Islam, marriage is the first brick of a foundation in raising a generation of good believers. Fatimah beseeched Allah to guide her dear friend along the right path in her new life. She had barely finished her prayer when one of her Muslim friends rang the doorbell. She had come to tell Fatimah that Khadijah had returned from her honeymoon and that she had settled in her new home. Fatimah rushed to put on her hijab to go and visit her, but the sister told Fatimah it was too early to go that day, and that Khadijah was not quite ready to receive visitors. Fatimah was surprised. How could Khadijah refuse a Muslim sister's visit? She felt sad and said, "I can hardly believe this. Why don't we go and clear up the matter?”
The sister replied, “Oh, perhaps Khadijah will be annoyed for some particular reason."
Fatimah said, "Yes, it may be so. Otherwise, she would not refuse her sister's visit simply because she lacked furniture or some similar reason. She has never been concerned about materialistic things."
Fatimah spent that day depressed. She feared Khadijah might yield to the false values of society, yet she knew that her friend was a good believer and would not change easily.
At nine o'clock that evening, the doorbell rang and Fatimah went to open it. She was so pleased to see Khadijah standing there that she could hardly believe her eyes. They exchanged kisses and words of welcome and Fatimah congratulated Khadijah, and told her of her desire to visit her. Khadijah expressed surprise at the delay in visiting her, but Fatimah said, "Have you not announced that you are not ready to receive friends?”
Khadijah replied, “Why should I? I have missed you all so much and have been waiting for your visit since my arrival."
Fatimah said, "Well someone said that your house was not fit yet for visitors."
Khadijah was surprised and said, "Oh, dear! Since when have I cared for such trifles? How can you believe it?" Fatimah was pleased to hear this. She said, “Praise is to Allah! How happy I am to hear you say this! But such un-Islamic rumors should be stopped. We are quite happy that you have begun your married life in harmony with your religious beliefs. We shall soon visit you, God willing."
Khadijah warmly replied, “You are all welcome any time; the sooner, the better."
The next morning Fatimah phoned the other sisters and told them of her proposed visit to Khadijah on that day. While she was thinking about telling her cousin, she heard her talking to her mother. Fatimah went to her and asked her to join them, but her cousin said, “Oh, thank you, but..."
Fatimah was surprised at her cousin's answer, and asked, “What is the matter with you? Didn't you say that you wanted to go with us?"
Her cousin replied, “Yes, but it is clear that you do not want me to accompany you."
Fatimah was amazed. “What makes you think so?" she asked.
Her cousin answered, " How can you inform me of the visit on the same day? How am I to get ready when I need at least two days to get anew dress and buy a nice present? Do you think I can go without a gift?"
Fatimah said, “Not necessarily. A present can enhance friendship and is recommended in our religion. But buying a present should not cause financial strain. Otherwise, it seems as if it were a tax to be paid. A present can be something simple and still special. Our Prophet (SAWS) used to accept even a cup of milk as a present."
Fatimah's cousin retorted, “Don't you think it would be shameful to give her a cheap present?"
Fatimah said firmly, “A gift is not valuable because of its price, but by its being given. A useful book, for instance, is a good gift. As for anew dress, I suggest you visit Khadijah in your old dress and you can buy a new one another time."
The cousin thought for a while, than agreed to go. On that day, the new bride Khadijah was busy with her daily work. She baked a cake for her expected visitors.
She was active and at ease. Thinking of the upcoming visit, she recalled pleasant memories of the past. The doorbell rang and one of her relatives, who also happened to be her neighbor, was at the door. Khadijah welcomed her and invited her in. They sat down and chatted a while.
Her relative told Khadijah about their district, most of the inhabitants of which were wealthy. Khadijah said, "I do not care much for this aristocratic district. A true Muslim does not change his or herself to fit in with any particular class of people."
The relative answered, "Well, I just wanted to tell you about some matters concerning the district where you have settled."
"Does it really matter?" asked Khadijah.
"The style of your hijab is not accepted here. You look peculiar.”
Khadijah proudly replied, "I am happy to look different in my decent Islamic dress."
Bewildered, her relative asked, "Why should you be happy to be so different from the rest?"
Khadijah said, "First of all, my aim is to obey my Creator and gain His pleasure. Also, when I wear my hijab, I surely remind others of Allah and their obligation to worship Him cording to the Qur'anic verse:
“And I have not created the jinn and mankind except that they should worship Me.”(Al-Zariat, 51:56)
“My duty is to enjoin the good and forbid evil. Through my appearance I call people to Allah’s religion. In any case, thank you for your advice."
Khadijah's relative could not believe her ears. She changed the subject, saying, "You are expecting some guests, aren’t you? I smell fresh cake."
Khadijah smiled and said, "Yes, I expect some of my sisters in faith."
"It is pity you have not furnished your home yet,"
Khadijah's relative remarked, looking around the living room. "Since you have no chairs, I can lend you some, and any other things you might need."
"Thank you very much, but I do not need to borrow any chairs. I can manage without them. I consider such things to be of little value. I believe in the Qur'anic verse:
...And the embellishment of gold, and all of this is naught but provision of this world's life; and the hereafter is with your Lord; only for those who guard (against evil)." (Al-Zukhruf, 43:35)
That evening, Khadijah entertained her friends, who enjoyed the visit and were warmly welcomed by the bride.

To the hypocrite Ash'ath bin Qays

Ash'ath bin Qays was a hypocrite and time-sever. For sometime he attached himself to Imam Ali (a) pretending to be his sincere follower. The ulterior motive behind this was to amass wealth and to grasp power. Imam Ali (a) had appointed him as the Governor of Azarbaijan. He started collecting and procuring wealth by every means possible. When this was reported to Imam Ali (a), he wrote the following letter to Ash'ath: On receipt of this letter he wanted to abscond with the wealth so amassed but good counsels prevailed upon him and he was persuaded by Hujr bin Adi Kindi to got to Imam Ali (a). When his accounts were audited he had to surrender 400,000 dirhams.

"Verily, you have neither been entrusted with the governorship so that you amass wealth nor is it a tasty and juicy morsel to be swallowed up. On the contrary it is a trust committed to your care and trust. Its responsibility lies upon your shoulders.
Your Amir (meaning Imam Ali himself) has appointed you as a shepherd and a guardian of the people. You have no right to do as you like and to act independently without seeking his advice and permission. In all important affairs of the State and the public, your decisions must be based on true facts and sound reasons. In your control and custody there is one of the treasuries of Allah, you are only a treasurer, you have no right to make personal use of any part of this wealth, it is your duty to pass it on to whom it belongs.
I hope you will not give me a chance to prove myself a hard task-master and a harsh administrator. May you see the light."

The characters of today's Pharaohs