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Positive Thinking

William James, said, ‗One of the deepest drives of human

nature is the desire to be appreciated.‘ The longing to be liked,

to be held in esteem, to be a sought-after person, is fundamental

in us. This is possible only if we learn to think positively about

ourselves and about others.

Before we examine the nature of positive thinking let us

look at three facets or levels at which we operate. We operate in

our thinking at three levels:

1. Our relationship with Allah

2. Our own estimate of ourselves

3. Our relationship with others

Our Relationship with Allah

This is the basic relationship; it should be guarded and protected

most carefully. When laid down limits are grossly violated and

transgressions take place or when covenants are broken down or

when gross disobedience takes place and if these omissions are

not set right by repentance, then disturbance and mental

upheavals and negativity follows on the heels. This relationship

has to be restored. The strength of this relationship can be

gauged by considering the following factors:-

a. Intention.

b. Priority –What priority Allah has in our lives.

c. Accepting Allah‘s judgment whole heartedly.

d. Strength of faith.

e. Remembrance and prayers.

f. Spending of wealth.

g. Recitation of the Holy Quran.

h. Observance of covenants with Allah.

i. Your estimate of Allah.

Intention: must be kept in mind at the start of any task, it

should be reviewed from time to time to ascertain that it is the

same as it was conceived at the start. After attitude the most

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important thing is the intention, for it is the mission statement of

the project that you wish to undertake.

Top Priority: We have been created by the Almighty. He is our

true friend and Protector. If we do not accept this fact from the

depth of our hearts then our priorities need to be set right for

God believes in protocol, if He is not given the top priority in

our lives then He is not available. Give Him top priority and He

responds. Sincerity and faith are the prerequisites of entering

into a relationship with Allah.

Destiny: The Creator has fixed the destiny of everyone, and He

has also given free space to everyone. Part of it has been

destined; the rest lies in the hands of the individual. The part

which lies in the hands of the individual is his character. His

character determines his ultimate fate. A man with strength of

character always wins the admiration of everyone, so if there is

strength of character then the final destiny is always positive.

Faith: It is stated in the holy Quran:

Allah is not pleased that his slaves should become faithless.

Surah Zumar, verse, 7

Faith is the strongest asset which an individual has. It must be

strengthened day by day. Obedience and right conduct promote

it. Faith is different from entering into the fold of Islam. Faith is

that conviction in which there is no room and space for doubts

and fears. It is the name of that intellectual commitment which

has crossed doubts, criticism and skepticism of all sorts and

when your intellect has confirmed Allah for you, only then can

you say that you have true faith. There are three basic conditions

of Faith. They are:

Consider the prophet Muhammad, peace be upon

him, dearer to you than your own self, your property,

your children and your dear ones.

Develop relationship with people on the basis of love

for Allah. You should love those whom Allah loves

and hate those whom Allah hates.

If a negative thought assails a person which tends to

make him deny the existence of Allah, then it should

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be as repugnant to him as the idea of being thrown

into hell. Such a person guards himself from doing

anything which Allah dislikes.

It should be kept in mind that Faith or Iman can grow

strong and may grow weak also. It may wax and wane, like the

moon. The foundation of Iman should rest on knowledge so that

when clash of ideas occur you are able to secure an intellectual

victory over clashing ideologies.

When omissions take place your faith may temporarily

depart from you. In such cases the prophet, peace be upon him,

said that your Iman leaves you and hovers above your head,

when you leave that sin, your faith returns to you. We should be

afraid of losing Allah‘s closeness. Sins distance us from Allah;

we should avoid committing sins because sins are ugly and

Allah loves beauty and is Beautiful. Allah is not a sadist Who is

bent on punishing people, He Himself says: ‗Why should I

punish you, if you are thankful and believe?‘

- An-Nisa, verse147.

Having discussed the first level, we come to the second

which concerns us personally. The following directly deal with

our psyche that is our total personality:

OUR PERSONAL ESTMATE

There are certain factors that are important and these shape

up our estimate of ourselves. Of these, Belief, self esteem,

strength of character, attitudes and integrity are vital. If we

suffer from anyone of these, then the negative trends will have

to be addressed before we can move towards positive thinking

and positive actions. Let us consider these five areas first:

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Belief: Allah does not like ingratitude from his bondsmen. In the

holy Quran gratitude has been equated with faith and ingratitude

with faithlessness.

Strong belief is vital for positive thinking. One must try to

strengthen one‘s faith. The inclination & proclivity towards faith

is inherent in human beings. They need to strengthen it further.

God gives us the gift first but if we undervalue it and reject it

then the onus of blame lies on us.

‘And among mankind is he who worships Allah on a

narrow margin so that if good befalls him he is content with

it, but if a trial befalls upon him he falls away utterly. He

loses both the world and the hereafter. That is the sheer loss.

Surah Hajj, Verse11.

Let us look at Islam. At all levels it promotes positive

thinking.

If you embrace Islam you are at level one or stage one.

The benefits that you get are instantaneous. You are in the fold

of Divine mercy and grace.

As you ascend the ladder and go to the second rung of the

ladder you become a Momin. As a Momin you are twice

blessed. In adversity if you are patient you have the closeness &

proximity of divine presence and if you are enjoying the fruits of

prosperity because of your gratitude the bounties are increased

manifold. A Momin exists in two conditions, either in a state of

shukar (gratitude) or sabr (adversity). In both cases he is the

winner. It is a win -win situation.

If you rise higher in faith & practice you reach the highest

level when you behold the Creator through the eyes of your

heart. This is the stage of ‗ehsan‘. You visualize yourself in the

presence of Allah or if you fall short of it, visualize Allah is

watching you. Here the believer is in a state of rapture or

ecstasy. It is the pleasure which one gets when one is watching

the face of one‘s beloved. Beauty of the beloved is ravishing. It

is a state of intoxication. It is a sublime experience.

‗Go to a competent spiritual adviser and let him teach you

how to have faith. The ability to possess and utilize faith and

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gain the release of powers it provides are skills and, like any

skill, must be studied and practiced to gain perfection.‘—

Norman V. Peale.

In our case, study of the holy Quran, the life of the

prophet, and his distinguished followers would prove very

inspiring. The life of all those who left an indelible print in

history, because of their positive contributions needs to be

studied for inspiration.

Negative thinking makes you think of failure and

unhappiness whereas positive thinking makes you think of

success and happiness.

Emerson declared, "A man is what he thinks about all day

long."

Attitude: William James said, "The greatest discovery of my

generation is that human beings can alter their lives by altering

their attitudes of mind."

Attitude is the way we feel about something. Attitude

does not only count at the conscious level. It is working down

below at the unconscious level also and most of the time we are

not aware of it. A positive attitude is a must for it shows the

direction in which the person is going to move. In a way attitude

precedes behavioral intention. The attitude of ingratitude, of

frivolity, of denial, of disobedience, of arrogance and such like

negative attitudes are bound to result in negative thinking and

negative actions. Therefore it is vital to rectify attitudes at the

very outset, otherwise the consequences, which are very

dangerous, move almost imperceptibly. An attitude of not

responding well in time may be devastating. In the words of

Alexander Pope:

Vice is a monster of so frightful mien,

As to be hated needs to be seen;

Yet seen too oft, familiar with her face,

We first endure, then pity, then embrace.

This is the process of gradual desensitization, and this

happens when we gradually subordinate principles to our

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vain desires. Remember that correct principles are light houses;

learn to be guided by them.

Two attitudes are vitally important: one is the attitude of

Gratefulness and the other is of Respect, these two must be

inculcated at all costs. Gratefulness has been equated with belief

and ungratefulness with disbelief:

Lo! We have shown him the way whether he be grateful or

disbelieving. Lo! We have prepared for disbelievers manacles

and chains and a raging fire.

Lo! The righteous shall drink of a cup whereof the mixture

is of water of camphor….

Surah Dahr verses, 3-6.

The attitude of respect is the backbone of prayers. Without

respect prayers are meaningless:

That you may believe in Allah and His messenger, and

may honor Him and revere Him and may glorify Him at early

dawn and the close of day.

Al Fath, verse, 9.

The religion of Muhammad, peace be upon him, starts on

the note of respect and ends on the note of passionate love. If

one lacks a respectful attitude, he has not embraced the true

spirit of Islam.

Respect is the first step in the path of love.

The believers have been warned in the Quran not to raise

their voices before the holy Prophet, peace be upon him, lest all

their deeds are nullified and they remain unaware of that.

With God you may become careless but with Muhammad

be alert.

Allah sent the prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, as a

blessing for the entire universe and if anyone shows any

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aversion towards him or is disrespectful, then all his good deeds

will stand annulled.

That is because they are averse to that which Allah has revealed;

therefore He makes their actions fruitless.

Surah Muhammad, verse 9.

Lo! Those who disbelieve and turn from the way of Allah and

oppose the messenger after the guidance has been manifested

unto them; they hurt Allah not a jot, and he will make their

actions fruitless.

Surah Muhammad, verse 32.

‗To see him is to worship him, to know him is to trust him.‘

How do we train ourselves to have a respectful attitude? This

training starts right from ones childhood. We love our parents

and teachers because they are kind and caring. We respect them

because we love them. They guide us and we respect them for

that purpose also. They protect us, they provide us food and

shelter, they clothe us, and they fulfill our needs. We are totally

dependent upon them. All these things that they do evince

respect from us. In fact respect, love and gratitude are linked

together. The kindness which we have received from our elders

demands that we love and respect them. Later in life we learn to

respect authority, courage, knowledge and wisdom. In fact

wherever we find a display of essential virtues like true

selflessness, sacrifice, courage, loyalty, truth and integrity we

respect that individual. All the gifts that we receive in life are all

from Allah Almighty and the Prophet, peace be upon him, is the

guide and benefactor who has shown us the way we should lead

our lives. He is the source of all our blessings, and we must

never fail to show him that respect from the depth of our hearts.

If this kind of a response is missing, then there are serious

personality disorders that need to be addressed on crash basis.

Self Esteem: Self Esteem is very vital for positive thinking.

However, self esteem at times gets eroded because of wrong

behavior. Undue criticism by close ones can undermine self

confidence. Real damage occurs when promises made are not

kept, when there is a gap between what is said and done, Self

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esteem also suffers a blow when physical pleasures override

sound judgment, when the intellect is not used, when self

control does not exist. One can live with guilt feelings in

moderate quantities but a wounded and badly bruised self

esteem generates feelings of inadequacy which lead to hostility

and anger towards others. One must remember that the holy

Kaa‘ba for a long period of time was occupied by idols. The

prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, emptied it of all idols.

The human heart must learn to break the idols of lust, pride,

ignorance etc; and replace these with the concept of Tauheed;

that is the oneness of Allah only then will the heart become the

true Kaaba of the individual.

The feeling of not being wanted or needed produces frustration,

aging, illness. The feeling that opportunities have been missed

and that ones life is totally a failure also give rise to loss of

esteem. In order to develop positive thinking one must set things

in order. This cannot be accomplished instantaneously. All the

defects cannot be done away with. However, an honest effort

must be made to bring about a general reformation spread over a

certain period of time and the many idols of ignorance that exist

in ones mind must be replaced with the concept of Tauheed.

Strength of Character: Human beings have been given

intelligence and have been guided by the Creator through

prophets and the revealed Books. The prophets and saints were

men of unimpeachable character who served as role models.

Their mission was to educate the masses, to correct their belief

systems, to purify them and to teach them wisdom. They

instructed the masses to lead noble lives, to be just and kind and

to remind them that they would be held accountable for their

deeds. They also told them what was legitimate and what was

illegitimate for them. God in His infinite mercy has permitted

man lot of things but has stopped man from few things which

are harmful for him and for the members of the society in which

he lives. If one follows the orders, then there are no problems.

However when man becomes greedy, and becomes disobedient

and gives way to lust and desires he loses the most cherished

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commodity which is strength of character. If he mends his ways

and truly repents there is hope and mercy for him, otherwise

perdition lies in store for him. There is little hope of positive

thinking from one who has become totally characterless. Guard

your character in the face of greed, hate and vices of diverse

kinds.

Integrity: Integrity basically is honesty. A person with integrity

is one who does what he says. There is no duality about him. He

lives and abides by principles. Thus principles become the

guiding force of his life. He listens to the voice of his conscience

and is not carried away by his desires. If he gets overpowered by

his moods or desires, the resilience of his character brings him

back to the true north of his compass. He leads a life in which

his conscience keeps on guiding him in the right direction. On a

deeper level we can say that there is no conflict in his

personality. We can also say that between his conscious self and

his unconscious there is unity and harmony. This inner harmony

shows the harmony between his microcosm and the macrocosm

or the universe. Since he lives by principles, he is selfless. He

endeavors to move from self centeredness to God centeredness.

Having relegated his personal desires to principles he is a fully

integrated human being.

The person who has integrity does not believe in one thing

and does another. He is not in conflict with his own principles. It

is the absence of inner conflict which gives a man the extra

energy which makes people successful. Integrity means having

certain built in set of attitudes. This includes:

Putting in a wholehearted effort to achieve what you

believe in.

It means having a highly developed sense of honor.

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Integrity means having a conscience and paying heed

to it.

It means having the courage to stand by ones

convictions.

It means self discipline in which principles are the

guiding stars.

Integrity is rare, it is character developed to

excellence; the dividends of integrity are very

rewarding:

Boldness or courage is one outcome; tenacity is

another; and serenity is the final outcome. There are other

positive fall outs like admiration, respect and trust. Integrity can

be developed by a sincere effort to observe honesty in

everything one does. In fact if one considers these three virtues,

courage, tenacity and serenity, they are three stages of a virtue

that is growing in stature. The initial seed is that of courage,

which when allowed to grow, turns into a tree, well entrenched

and firmly anchored in the soil. As it further matures, it adopts a

stately form and appears stately and majestic. This is the final

reach of growth and maturity in this direction.

Self Confidence: Self confidence is of utmost importance;

however, at times it gets eroded and has to be restored in order

to live a fuller life. Normally when we confront cases of lack of

self confidence then normally two main things emerge; these are

fear and anger or resentment. The underlying causes may give

rise to other complications. Before constructive steps are taken

for building up self confidence; fear and anger have to

eliminated in order to arrive at a state of mind in which

normalcy is restored.

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Lack of self-confidence apparently is one of the great

problems besetting people today. The basic cure lies in

visualizing that you are in His presence, that He is watching you

and helping you. Visualize it everyday for a few minutes, affirm

it and then allow the idea to get hold of you. Refer to verse 6 of

Surah Al Hadid:

He is with you where so ever you may be.

It would be better if the Arabic text is memorized and

repeated several times while visualizing the Divine Presence.

This would help you to behave morally and avoid injustices in

life because you would be aware that you are in the presence of

Allah.

Our Relationship with Others

Optimism: Optimism is an essential feature of positive

thinking. One is always hopeful of things turning out for the

better. The journey of optimism is from good to better and then

to the best.

‗After every hardship there is ease‘

Your next day should be better than your previous day.

We must never allow our optimism to depart from us.

Even if we have sinned against ourselves, our sins shouldn‘t bog

us down for the Almighty tells us not to lose hope.

The atonement of sins is repentance and avoidance of

those sins in future and performance of good deeds to erase your

misdeeds.

‗Emerson says that the human personality can be touched

with Divine power and thus greatness can be released from it.

William James points out that the greatest factor in any

undertaking is one‘s belief about it. Thoreau tells us that the

secret of achievement is to hold a picture of a successful

outcome in mind.‘

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Good Humor: Good humor doesn‘t mean laughter & jokes.

Good humor means that you look at life as a Gift of God in

which tremendous opportunities exist for growth and for doing

good deeds. If you take life in this spirit then you have a smiling

face otherwise your spirits would remain dampened and the

moroseness of your spirit would be reflected on your face.

Stephen R. Covey says in ‗Seven Habits‘:

Laughter is a great tension releaser. It‘s a producer of

endorphins and other mood altering chemicals in the brain that

gives a sense of pleasure and relief from pain‘.

He adds: ‗People who can laugh at their mistakes,

stupidities, and rough edges can get back on track much faster

than those perfectionist souls who place themselves on guilt

trips. However humor should never be allowed to be carried to

excess where nothing is taken seriously. It should not result in

light-mindedness; it should result in light heartedness‘.

Good humor acts as a pressure releasing valve. When

things start going from bad to worse, good humor helps in

restoring balances. Total lack of humor reflects despondency

and despair.

I used to laugh at my own plight

Now I laugh at nothing

"To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent

people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of

honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to

appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to leave the world a

bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a

redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed

easier because you have lived."—Emerson

Engage yourself in work: The benefits of work are immense.

Work keeps you busy; it gives you a sense of belonging. It adds

to your esteem and keeps you focused and well organized. If

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you are pleasantly occupied then there is no tension. Work also

provides you with the opportunity to apply your skills in

practical situations. You learn to face challenges and set goals to

achieve which keeps you in a state of mental alertness. The

following excerpt from the sermons of Hazrat Ali merits full

attention:

Work while there is time and while it allows you to

work. Work honestly, sincerely, diligently and piously. Work

for good of mankind, work for the rewards reserved in Heaven,

work when time, life and opportunities allow you, work and free

yourself from clutches of vice and wickedness, work and attain

higher standards of morality. The realm of the Lord is closed to

easy going, overfed, overdressed, pleasure-seeking persons; its

doors are always open for hardworking, honest, intelligent,

pious and God fearing men‖.

―Work, work and do good work while you still have life.

Health and opportunities; while there is possibility for you to do

good, while your good deeds can still be recorded by the angels

and while there is still time for you to repent from vice and turn

towards virtue and piety‖.

‗Through His liberal benevolence and munificent

kindness, He calls all those who have turned their faces away

from Him. He informs them there is hope and chance for the

sinners to repent of sins, to retrace their steps from vice and

wickedness and reclaim their place in the realm of His Grace

and Favor. He advises them to work while there is still time to

work; while there are opportunities to do good, while there is

still life and energy in the body, while the door of repentance is

still left open and while those angels who guard them and record

their deeds are still with them.‘

‗It is for every man to do good for himself, to provide for

his hereafter during his life-time, to try to attain eternal bliss

with deeds done through his mortal days. Every person who has

been allotted a span of life and has be graced with time and

opportunities to work must thank God and must be afraid of

Him.‘

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‗He is a true and brave man who can keep under perfect

restraint his passions and desires, who can keep his conscience,

his mind and spirit free from evil thoughts and vicious desires,

which can forbid and prevent his own self from disobeying his

Lord and-his Master and force it to obey His orders and

interdictions.‘

‗God wants you to show your gratitude to Him and He

granted you some of his power and authority. He has also given

you opportunities in the limited span of your life, so that every

one of you may try to surpass the other to reach his domain of

glory and favor. Tie your girdles tightly, get ready. Remember

that firm determination and enjoyable entertainments do not go

hand in hand, comfortable sleep in luxurious beds breaks from

courage and tenacious fortitude.‘

Be Organized: Life has to be well organized. If one manages

his time constructively and divides his activities in such a

manner that work, growth, exercise, entertainment and rest are

given due time one feels refreshed. One‘s self confidence

increases for time management is a part of positive thinking. All

the forces of Nature work according to a time schedule. Time

management reflects organization, self discipline and self

control. It is a very effective defense against laziness, negative

thinking and excesses. All undue and disproportionate

enjoyments leave you with a hangover. Avoid excesses. A well

organized life leaves no room for excesses.

Organized people have a great capacity for hard work;

they do not tire easily. The basic reason is that they are in

harmony with Nature. Nature reveals discipline and

organization. That is why the romantic poets, especially

Wordsworth and Blake revered it. You need not be a very pious

person to achieve organization in your life. It is a matter of

common sense and self discipline. If you adopt it you adopt one

of the universal principles of Nature and reap the dividends.

If you do not want to follow me it‘s alright

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But at least be honest to yourself.

Our physical condition is determined very largely by our

emotional condition, and our emotional life is profoundly

regulated by our thought life and our thought life is determined

by the amount of clear and organized thinking.

Remain happy: A person who is organized, who is engaged in

work and is enjoying it, whose faith and belief is strong will

remain happy. The rudeness of others, the challenges of

adversity will not affect him. Who doesn‘t have his share of

problems? Everyone faces problems of one sort or the other but

to have faith that these problems would be surmounted keeps

you happy. Set yourself attainable goals. Realization of those

would help you in gaining confidence & self esteem.

We have talked so far about positive thinking with regard

to oneself. However, there may be certain situations when the

negativity of others interferes with your positivity. This becomes

more challenging and may disturb you tremendously. Again

other factors like disease and poverty and hostility from evil

people may negatively affect you. Getting out of the spiral of

negativity then becomes difficult.

When faced with extraneous adverse factors take recourse

to endurance and patience.

There are certain things which take time and fretting and

worrying about those may increase worry and may impair your

positivity.

Under these circumstances seek help as is stated in the

Holy Quran.

Be patient and invoke help through prayers.

‗To become a happy person have a clean soul, eyes that

see romance in the commonplace, a child‘s heart, and spiritual

simplicity‘.

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‗Happiness can be achieved and the process for obtaining

it is not complex. Anyone who desires it, who wills it, and who

learns and applies the right formula may become a happy

person. Our happiness or unhappiness depends to an important

degree upon the habit of mind we cultivate. ‗Where love is

present God is also present‘ said Tolstoy.‘

Learn to Channelize Thoughts: Worry is there because of

negative thoughts. Thinking is without brakes. Most of the time

one cannot get rid of anxiety causing thoughts. Something like

thirty thousand thoughts cross one‘s mind every day. This

powerful current of thoughts must be channelized. If out of these

thirty thousand, some three hundred are negative then there are

three hundred punches that can mentally knock you out. One can

live longer if one has positive thoughts. Abstain from thoughts

which can decrease your age. Inside our mind there exists a

huge macrocosm of thought energy. In the face of danger, or an

emergency we display two responses, one of fight or flight.

Hormones are secreted in emergency situations. When there is a

lingering sense of lurking danger which remains permanent then

these hormones will be secreted which were meant for

emergency situations. A negative thought is a like a thorn that

pricks you constantly. Love people for Allah‘s sake and dislike

people for Allah‘s sake. Surrender yourself completely to

Allah‘s will. Negate yourself.

Change your habits with positive thinking. Thoughts are your

‗inner speech‘. Change your thinking, change your life. Note

your inner speech for a day or two. Then rectify, bring your

thoughts in line with the universal principles. Respect your

children; allow them to share their inner speech with you. It is

love which stops you from sin.

The Reiki Method: This is a method of natural healing which is

centered upon ‗universal life energy‘, the meaning of the

Japanese word Reiki.

The Reiki Masters tell us to do five things:

Don‘t get angry

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Don‘t Worry

Display Integrity

Be respectful

Be helpful

They say try it for one day, not only will you experience

peace but will be able to give peace to others. Those who use

Reiki regularly often find that they are more joyful, lively and

their own inbuilt energy is enhanced; ‗their batteries are

charged‘. They learn to overcome their conflicts. As this

improvement develops, the natural processes of renewal and

removal of toxins are enhanced and rendered more effective,

ultimately opening up more of the body to life energy.

Now anger is like an acid and your mind is the container,

you will corrode yourself if you tend to remain angry most of

the time. Stop fretting and complaining and think positive

thoughts. An angry person most of the time is a victim of self

pity. Overcome this negative attitude and do it now.

‗What is worry? It is simply an unhealthy and destructive

mental habit. You were not born with the worry habit. You

acquired it. And because you can change any habit and any

acquired attitude, you can cast worry from your mind. Since

aggressive, direct action is essential in the elimination process;

there is just one proper time to begin an effective attack on

worry, and that is now. So let us start breaking your worry habit

at once and get rid of this modern plague.‘

Many diseases are injected into your system because of

worry. Worry habit also makes one disinclined to exercise and it

is said that your waist line determines your age; reduce the waist

line and increase your age. Doctors say that a waist line of 40

inches and above is an unhealthy sign. For removing worries

from your mind a therapeutic session is essential. Seek Allah‘s

help. Recitation of the following Quranic verse 10 to 15 times

will be very helpful:

Allah is my Protector and my friend; and what a superb

Protector and Friend is He!

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Fill your mind with positive thoughts of faith. In the face

of fears and worries the only remedy is faith. Recall the words

of the holy Quran and repeat the following verse 10 times:

And the friends of Allah have no fear and no anxiety.

And do not doubt that Allah is your friend. If he were not a

friend of yours, He would not have given you the opportunity to

recite it. Try to tackle your problems coolly and objectively.

Resentment and animosity will take you nowhere; animosity not

only corrodes the soul, but disorganizes thought processes as

well.

‗Little faith gives you little results, medium faith gives you

medium results, great faith gives you great results.‘

If you allow resentment to get hold of you and fail to

resolve your worries intelligently your will power get weakened

and disorganized. Grief and disappointment are known to cause

Diabetes and some medical practitioners say that repressed fear

is a very important factor in high blood pressure. So if worry

and fears are not driven out they multiply in the shape and form

of diseases also. There is a saying of Hazrat Ali: ‗When you

start worrying about your worries, you add to your worries.

‗You have to look for solutions, for which you must devise

intelligent plans. Attack your worries in a systematic way. First

address the minor ones then go for the major ones.

Introversion Vs Extroversion: By introversion here is meant

self analysis and reflection. Periods of extroversion that is

activity should be followed by sessions of introversion. At the

end of a day or a week sit back and reflect about your activities

and subject yourself to personal scrutiny, then in the light of that

scrutiny try to bring about a positive change. Instead of a

complete ascetic withdrawal Islam advocates a very short

withdrawal for purposes of introspection. Before the advent of

Islam the Prophet, peace be upon him, used to visit Mt Hera for

meditation. Long after Islam had become a vibrant force, the

prophet used to sit for ‗itakhaf‘ in the mosque for the last ten

days of Ramzan.

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Be a problem solver: One main reason why people are unhappy

is that they get disturbed when they confront a problem. This

reflects lack of self confidence. Moping will get you nowhere;

you will get caught in the whirlpool of negative thinking. One

should adopt a positive mode of thinking and instead of getting

perturbed one should have the attitude of problem solving. Self-

knowledge is the beginning of self-correction.

Inner Peace: In order to resolve problems and to face

challenges one should develop inner peace. This comes through

strong faith and conviction. Meditation is helpful in achieving

this state. Besides this a certain degree of detachment is

necessary for retaining the cool & calm state of mind which is

necessary for problem solving. For this learn to detach yourself

from materialistic pursuits. The Holy Quran tells us:

That you grieve not for the sake of that which has escaped you,

nor yet exult because of that which has been given. Allah loves

not all prideful boasters. Remember, inner peace cannot be

achieved without remembrance of Allah. Surah Al Hadid, verse

23:

Enjoy Silence: The technique of enjoying silence is helpful in

developing a peaceful mind. Let‘s look at what Norman V Peale

says:

‗Another effective technique in developing a peaceful

mind is the daily practice of silence. Everyone should insist

upon not less than a quarter of an hour of absolute quiet every

twenty-four hours. Go alone into the quietest place available to

you and sit or lie down for fifteen minutes and practice the art of

silence. Do not talk to anyone. Do not write. Do not read. Think

as little as possible. Throw your mind into neutral. Conceive of

your mind as quiescent, inactive. This will not be easy at first

because thoughts are stirring up your mind, but practice will

increase your efficiency. Conceive of your mind as the surface

of a body of water and see how nearly quiet you can make it, so

that there is not a ripple. When you have attained a quiescent

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state, then begin to listen for the deeper sounds of harmony and

beauty and of God that are to be found in the essence of silence.‘

The growing tension around us keeps us in a state of

constant anxiety and the adrenalin which was meant to be

secreted in times of emergency is constantly oozing out and a

state of red alert or high security keeps us on our toes. No one

can long survive a red alert situation. We need to slow down the

tempo of our life so that we achieve what Carlyle called ‗the

calm supremacy of the spirit over its circumstances.‘

Think good of others unless they prove otherwise: Always

have a positive opinion of others unless they prove otherwise.

Good opinion of others generates over all good feelings &

promotes mutual respect which is vital for a healthy society.

Remember the principle of action and reaction. If you send out

negative vibes, as a reaction you too would receive negative

vibes. A quote from Stephen Covey‘s book, The 7 habits of

Effective Families, deserves attention:

‗Between stimulus and response, there is a space. In that

space lies our freedom and power to choose our response. In our

response lies our growth and happiness.‘ We should learn to

control our responses. Our actions should not be merely

reactions.

Imagination: Imagination is the deliberate making of images

with a view to expanding your mind energy. Imagination is the

controlling force behind mind energy so you must discipline it.

If it is undisciplined it will increase negativity. Human brain is

such that what it visualizes & imagines is stored as real action in

its nerve cells. The brain cells capture the acted action or the

imagined action as one and the same. Wendi Friesen on ‗You

Tube‘ gives a detailed account of this phenomenon in her video

programs entitled ―Human Brain Power‖. So there is a need to

visualize positive things happening in your life. If you are stuck

up with past mistakes and keep thinking about them over and

over again you would be moving in circles or you would be

caught up in the whirlpool of negative emotions & thoughts. To

come out of this learn to think positively and imagine good

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things happening to you. This also requires understanding how

the brain works. If one understands how the brain works then

one can discard bad habits, wrong thinking patterns and can

become stronger. First the underlying principle must be grasped.

There are more 10 billion brain cells. When one starts thinking,

the brain starts growing dendrites; these are finger like

projections which start working on the task which is being

contemplated. These dendrites form an intense network of

communicating roads referred to as a neural network. Thoughts

are things. Whatever you persistently think about or focus on

expands. If you persistently think of failure, the dendrites that

continue to grow strengthen the idea of failure. You must

visualize success so that dendrites grow on a different pattern.

An experiment was conducted in which three groups of players

were selected for throwing basket ball in the basket. One group

practiced on the sports field. The other group practiced for half

the time and visualized half the time throwing the ball in the

basket. The third group only visualized. Later when the three

groups were tested in the ground; the group that had visualized,

scored the maximum. The reason was that they had visualized

dropping all the balls in the basket. Those who practiced in the

field had a mixed memory of successes and failures therefore

their performance was not good. Here another fact surfaces, that

for the human brain at the subconscious level, there is no

difference between past or future memory. Therefore in order to

get out of failures and self condemnation envision yourself in a

future mode where you are happy and successful. For the brain,

future fake memory is as valid as the past stressful memory. The

brain doesn‘t really know the difference between past and

imagined events. In order to get out of the stressful mode you

need to imagine positive situations so that new neural networks,

composed of dendrites are created that help you in getting out of

the rut of failure. Imagine yourself getting up every morning

refreshed and reinvigorated. Memory holds emotions, these

emotions in turn release chemicals which influence your moods

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and keep you happy or sad. Cheer up and use your brain

intelligently.

You become what you imagine: ‗There is a deep tendency in

human nature to become precisely like that which you habitually

imagine yourself to be.‘

Whatever opinion you have of yourself and whatever you

visualize about yourself you become that; so visualize yourself

in the company of the righteous and you become one.

Not only will you think righteous thoughts but will try to

sit in the company of the righteous, thus partaking some of their

virtues; a man is known by the company he keeps.

You can actually think yourself into or out of situations.

You can make yourself ill with your thoughts and by the same

token you can make yourself well by the use of positive and

healing types of thought.

Believe and succeed: Do not form mental pictures of

difficulties and failures, do not become a victim of self pity. Get

out of this mode of thinking, lift your mind and visualize

success and achievements. When you elevate your thoughts into

the area of visualized attainment you will gradually learn to

tackle your problems with greater confidence. Keep the idea of

prosperity, of achievement, and of attainment firmly fixed in

your mind. Never give in to a defeatist mentality. If a thought of

defeat crosses your mind replace it with a positive affirmation

like the verse:

‗Allah‘s help has come and victory is very near.‘

‗The mental vision which you create and firmly hold in

consciousness will be actualized if you continually affirm it in

your thoughts and if you work diligently and effectively.‘

With the help of faith, prayers, hope and positive

visualization you can achieve success. The holy Quran tells us:

‗And do not lose hope of Allah‘s blessings….‘

Take your problems as challenges and fight them with full

energy seeking Allah‘s help all the time. There is nothing that is

not achievable. We know that vast reservoirs of enormous

energy exist in the universe. This same force of energy is

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resident in the human mind. Nothing on earth is greater than the

human mind in potential power. The problem with most of us is

lack of self confidence. Norman V. Peale says:

‗Whatever your situation may be, you can improve it.

First, quiet your mind so that inspirations may rise from its

depths. Believe that God is now helping you. Visualize

achievement. Organize your life on a spiritual basis so that

God‘s principles work within you. Hold firmly in your mind a

picture not of failure but of success. Do these things and creative

thoughts will flow freely from your mind. This is an amazing

law, one that can change anybody‘s life including your own.‘

Reduce the amount of error in yourself and increase the

amount of truth. Discard one bad habit and adopt one good habit

on a monthly basis. This will prove very helpful in self

improvement.

Mind is Energy: Mind is energy and can travel everywhere in

the world. ‗Talents become stronger, more powerful when

someone has positive expansive mind energy. Artists are for

ever looking outwards, away from themselves, as are sculptors,

singers, musicians, surgeons, anyone who is a giver rather than a

taker. The more outward-thinking you are, the more expansive

the mind energy and the more you will link up with the

knowledge of the Universal Mind. Intuition is the result of

linking up with the Universal Mind, whether by intention or

accident.‘ - Betty Shine

She adds,‘ the expansion of mind energy is therefore a must for

those who want to remain healthy and successful. Negativity can

become an incurable disease. It is a habit that is all too easily

acquired. Learning positivity demands time and effort at first but

the moment will come when it is a part of your everyday

routine.‘

Goal Setting: Goal setting is very important for positive

thinking. Through goal setting one measures one‘s success. It is

important because it keeps the mind focused, one can have short

term and long term goals. Initially one should not set over

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ambitious goals because if one fails in the initial stages then this

would result in loss of confidence. As one keeps on gaining

successes his self confidence would increase. Always make

Allah a party to your projects for without His help nothing is

possible. Your goals should be in conformity with what are the

universal moral laws, for if you are violating those then Allah‘s

support is withheld from you.

Man is difficult from animals in that man has the ability to set

goals. Among men the difference also lies in their goals. What is

the goal of one‘s life? Theoretically it is one thing, practically it

is another thing.

Everyone in the world has some problem. Those who are

determined to work hard can usually cope with their problems.

Those who give up – Those people who are not determined – are

usually very unhappy. Don‘t let anything discourage you. Keep

right on trying. Then you will do what you want to do and you

will be happier.

‗The marvelous richness of human experience would lose

something of the rewarding joy if there were no limitations to

overcome‘. – Helen Keller

Practice Abstinence and be with the Truthful:

Try to avoid sins, especially the cardinal ones and

transgressions of all sorts. In this Age when sensuousness is

promoted through the media, avoidance of pornographic

material is very important. Do not allow lewd thoughts to get

hold of you. If you allow your mind to grow on garbage then

you allow all garbage eaters to attack you. Avoid all evils

because they block light and distance you from the company of

the truthful. Barriers and blockades are created and your access

to the truthful is denied.

Concept of Emanation: The root meaning of emanate is to

flow out, and Plotinus used the metaphor of emanation to

explain the creation and nature of the world. ‗The world issues

from God or proceeds from God by necessity, there being a

principle of necessity that the less perfect should issue from the

more perfect.

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Plotinus saw the emanation process as radiation of light,

this emanation gradually grows dim until it comes to total

darkness; matter itself, is seen as the privation of light. Thus evil

or darkness has no strength of its own. Darkness is the absence

of light. That is why the Quran says: And Right has come and

Evil has departed and Evil had to depart.

This brings us to the question of man‘s place in this

scheme of emanations.‖ Individual human souls proceed from

the World-soul, and they are subdivided into two elements… a

higher element which belongs to the sphere of spirit and a lower

element, which is directly connected with the body. The soul

pre-existed before its union with the body, which is represented

as a fall, and survives the death of the body. Because of this

union with body, the soul is contaminated and must work

through an ethical ascent toward union with the One. The

process of ascent involves man working himself free of

dominion of the body and the senses, transcending above sense

perception, into union with God.

Paradise Lost and Regained: In the holy Quran, the spirits of

all human beings were collectively addressed, in the words –

‗Am I not your Lord?‘ This reminds us of this basic fact that our

souls emanated from the Creator and must return to Him.

Through a gradual process of purification and ascent we must

spiritually ascend the path from where we descended. When

Adam and Eve fell from paradise we being their progeny also

experienced the fall; now through obedience and purification we

must work our way back to paradise and live in the realm of ‗La

Hoot‘ close to our Creator and Sustainer.‘

As already discussed, the concept of Emanation explains that all

creation flows out from Allah, This flow is from the most

refined source to the lesser forms of refinement. The spiritually

enlightened, explain that the highest, is the Creator, Whose

domain is the most exalted and it is referred to as ‗Ha Hoot‘;

from it emanated ‗La Hoot‘ which is the domain of flashes of

Noor or ‗Tajaliat‘ and may be referred to as the realm of Glory.

Next in descending order is the domain of ‗Jabroot‘ or pure light

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or Noor. Lower than it, is the domain of ‗Malaqoot‘ or the world

of spirits. It is also referred to as the realm of light; light being

less pure than Noor. At the lowest rung of this Divine Ladder is

the world of ‗Nasoot‘ or physical matter. This is the world in

which we live. Our soul is encapsulated in our bodies. The body

belongs to the world of matter and is destructible; whereas the

soul belongs to the world of ‗La Hoot‘ and is indestructible.

When our souls descend from La Hoot‘ and enter our bodies in

the human fetus, then that marks ‗The Fall.‘ This fall, is

analogous to the fall of our ancestors, Adam and Eve, who were

expelled from Paradise. We share the common destiny of all

human beings in experiencing this fall. The return journey is in

the form of an ascent, up the path from where the descent took

place. We have to reclaim our place in Heavens through a moral

effort, so that we stand redeemed. This can be achieved if we

allow the soul to grow strong; and the soul grows robust, if it is

engaged in noble tasks. If however, bodily pleasures rob the soul

of its strength it can never travel back. The soul grows

encapsulated in the confines of the body. The lease of life given

to us is to enable us to grow strong spiritually so that we return

to our heavenly abode successfully.

O heavenly bird, death is better than

The nourishment which shortens your flight

By heavenly bird is meant the human soul, which longs to

return to its actual home; the heavens from where it came. All

material attachments which adversely affect spiritual growth

must be avoided.

In this material existence we make use of the five senses gifted

to us to survive and try to develop our perceptions and feelings

on the correct moral lines. If we have developed ourselves in a

proper way our souls can climb to the first rung, which is the

domain of spirituality. The world of spirits is inhabited by spirits

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which may be good or bad. As we actively enter this world, we

face the maximum resistance. In order to face these obstacles

one should be morally strong. In this world of spirits, only one

faculty is available as compared to the five that were available in

the world of matter or ‗Nasoot.‘ This one faculty is the faculty

of thinking. At this stage the journeyer may face lot of agonizing

thoughts. This stage of ‗Malaqoot‘ or light is also referred to as

the domain of ‗Barzakh.‘

After death, the souls before they are again united with their

bodies on the Day of Judgment will have to remain in Barzakh.

This is a place of long waiting. Thoughts here assume shapes. If

one did not clean himself mentally in the world, he would be

haunted by his evil thoughts. Perhaps this is what is being

referred to in the following verses:

And he whose sight is dim to the remembrance of the

Beneficent, We assign unto Him a devil who becomes his

comrade.

And lo! They surely turn them from the way of Allah, and yet

they deem they are rightly guided;

Till when he comes to Us, he says unto his comrade; Ah, would

that between me and you there were the distance of the two

horizons—an evil comrade.

Surah Zukhruf (Ornaments of Gold), verses, 36-38

Our state in purgatory would be as per our habits. One must

learn to identify one‘s bad habits and try to get rid of those.

If a man‘s habits are like animals then his spiritual face becomes

that of animals.

At all stages hurdles will be there. In the stage, which is the

world of ‗Noor,‘ or ‗Jabroot‘ the human spirit is left with only

one faculty and that is intuition, which depends on Divine Grace

and is bestowed by the Creator of His own accord. At this stage

one may experience true dreams, wafts of fragrance and many

other inspiring forms of guidance. Much would depend on the

spiritual development of the individual soul. If it qualifies all the

requirements of this stage and moves on steadfastly braving all

obstacles, it may be allowed to advance to the next stage, which

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is the realm of ‗Glory‘ or ‗La hoot‘. This stage is characterized

by intense love. All other faculties now cease to exist. The

human soul has surrendered itself totally to Divine Will. This

state can be entered only through Divine Grace. Love of Allah is

from Allah Himself; the only effort that counts at this stage is

total self surrender.

We are slaves of time & space but the soul in free from time &

space.

Count your Blessings: God has blessed us with countless

blessings. If you sit back and reflect, besides the blessings that

He has showered upon us, as human beings and Muslims, there

are many specific favors that He has bestowed upon us. Sit back

and reflect. In the matter of parentage, in the matter of

education, in the selection of a career, your marriage, your

promotion, your children, in the matter of providing you

opportunities for growth, in rescuing you from troubles which

could have totally ruined you, in saving you from accidents

which would have proved fatal and preserving you from

dangerous diseases, in guarding your honor and covering up of

your faults, the exposure of which would have defamed you; in

giving you a longer lease of life as compared to that given to

many of your friends. How much of your planning went into

receiving all these favors? The answer is virtually nothing. All

these were given to you by a Gracious Lord, Who loves you and

expects obedience and gratitude from you. If you are ungrateful

then who is to blame. If you suffer from a negative attitude of

ingratitude, it is high time you corrected it. Have faith in His

munificence, and leave your affairs in His Hands; trust Him and

He will guide you. Do not violate His universal laws and He

will continue to help you as He did help you in your past. When you start expecting immediate reward for any good action

that you performed through His kindness, then you demonstrate

impatience and lack of trust which is a serious failing. Serve

Him selflessly; He is a very kind Master, Who will reward you

without your asking. You should develop the habit of writing the

special favors that you have received from your Lord on small

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neatly cut papers of a small size. Keep them in your wallet and

daily read those, so that you remember His kindness towards

you.

Knowledge and Action: The soul‘s life lies in knowledge and

knowledge without action is meaningless. Your knowledge must

be translated into action. If focus is the outcome of your

knowledge then execution of that focus is essential. The concept

can be better understood if we take into account the Urdu

equivalents of the word knowledge and execution. In Urdu ‗ilm‘

stands for knowledge and ‗aml‘ stands for action, the word

‗alam‘ stands for flag of the leader. In all the three words, three

letters have been used, those are: ‗ain‘, ‗lam‘ and ‗mim‘. Thus

we have ‗ilm‘, ‗aml‘, and ‗alam‘; knowledge, followed by action

or execution. If these two requirements are fulfilled then the

individual emerges as a leader and the flag of leadership is

placed in his hands. He is then equipped to lead. The word focus

has been used as a substitute or synonym for knowledge. The

following quote from Professor Whitehead explains the reason:

‗In a sense, knowledge shrinks as wisdom grows, for

details are swallowed up in principles. The details for

knowledge will be picked up ad hoc in each avocation of life,

but the habit of the active utilization of well understood

principles is the final possession of wisdom.‘

Wisdom: There are three stages involved in wisdom; first is

information, second is knowledge, third is clear cut guidance

and sense of moral direction. Without guidance knowledge is of

no avail and it does not reach the higher level of intellect called

wisdom. Wisdom and integrity are inter-related, both are

focused on principles. Humility and courage are essential

ingredients of wisdom. Humility makes us accept that there are

natural laws or principles that govern the universe. They are in

charge we are not. Humility teaches us to understand and live by

principles, because they ultimately govern the outcome of our

behavior.

To live truly by these moral principles one requires

courage in the face of existing norms and social mores. Wisdom

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comes to those people who purify themselves and obey their

conscience.

‗I believe that the rendering of useful service is the

common duty of mankind and that only in the purifying fire of

sacrifice is the dross of selfishness consumed and the greatness

of the human soul set free.‘

John D. Rockefeller, Jr.

Dedication produces great results. Hospitals are built. Diseases

are cured. But dedication can be quite simple. Everyday

dedicated people are kinder and more helpful to those around

them. Only you can decide whether dedication to something

outside yourself can give your life great meaning and can make

you a better, more complete person.

‗We can rest when we are dead; right now we have work to do.‘

My humanity is like money. If I keep it in a jar on a shelf it can

do nothing. But if I spend it on others who knows what can

happen.

I have been given so many gifts. How I can take them for

granted? I must share them.

Wisdom has the element of universality about it. The saying that

all good men think alike expresses this idea. The saying of the

holy prophet, peace be upon him, that wisdom is the lost

heritage of a Momin and that he should take it from wherever it

comes. In the process of mining for rich ideas, you have to work

like a miner; there is lot of gravel that has to be removed before

one digs out a nugget.

Patience and Destiny: Sheikh Abdul Qadir Gilani says in one

of his sermons:

‗If you want to become pious and want to surrender

yourself to Allah‘s will, then develop the virtue of patience,

for it is the foundation of all virtues. First of all develop the

intention of being patient for the sake of Allah; in turn Allah

will place His love and closeness in your heart. Patience lies in

accepting the destiny Allah has laid down for you….Rich is that

person whose heart is attached with Allah and poor is he who is

deprived of it.‘

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O ye who believe! Seek help with Patience and Prayer; surely,

Allah is with the steadfast.

O believers! If you help Allah‘s cause, He will help you

and will make your foot hold firm.

Surah Muhammad, verse, 6.

Every Dark Cloud has a Silver Lining: Every dark cloud has a

silver lining; sometimes in life we come across adverse

situations, and sometimes we come across adversaries or

enemies who tend to block our path. This too is a blessing for it

helps the individual to remain on guard. The principles which

hold good for States also hold good for individuals. All States

maintain armies to ward off enemies. Individuals too must

remain vigilant against enemies. They must not become lazy or

irresponsible; otherwise their enemies would get an opportunity

to rejoice at their failures. In the face of enemies we need to

demonstrate responsibility and faith in Allah Almighty, for He is

our true Protector.

Competition: Competition is another thing which keeps us

going. It energizes us and makes us more enthusiastic in facing

the challenges of life. This, however, must be based on

principles. We must compete with each other in matters of good

conduct. It should be with a view to obtaining the favors of a

Benign Creator and for gaining His proximity.

―Know that the life of this world is only play, and idle talk,

and pageantry, and boasting among you and rivalry in

respect of wealth and children; as the likeness of

vegetation after rain, whereof the growth is pleasing to the

husbandman, but afterward it dries up and you see it

turning yellow, and then it becomes straw. And in the

Hereafter there is grievous punishment, and (also)

forgiveness from Allah and His good pleasure, whereas the

life of the world is but a matter of illusion‖.

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Race one with another for forgiveness from your Lord and

a Garden where of the breadth is as the breadth of the

heavens and the earth, which is in store for those who

believe in Allah and His messengers. Such is the bounty of

Allah, which He bestows upon whom He will, and Allah is

of Infinite bounty.

Surah Al-Hadid – verses 20 – 21.

‘Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into

the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them

that love Him.‘ Believe in Allah; believe in His system of

thought and practice; believe and you will overcome all fear,

hate, inferiority, guilt, and every form and manner of defeat. In

other words, no good thing is too good to be true. You have

never seen, never heard, and never even imagined the things

God will give to those who love Him.

The Gates of Paradise: The Gates of Paradise which are eight

in number will be opened up for you if you think & act

positively. The roads leading to these eight gates may be

summed up as follows: -

a. Truthfulness & Honesty

b. Wisdom & Knowledge

c. Courage

d. Faith

e. Love

f. Generosity- service to humanity

g. Obedience and Devotion

h. Hard work and consistency

Life is a journey towards an end. That end finishes on a

note of final accountability. Life was leased out to you, what did

you do with it? Was it spent in the pursuance of lust and greed

or in the pursuance of noble goals? If you tread the path of

righteousness, you will face problems but through intelligence,

strong faith and perseverance you will overcome those and an

unfailing reward awaits you. Sheikh Abdul Qadir Gilani says

that we must fight against the Devil, our own Nafs, our

inordinate desires, our bad habits and our temperament.

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‗It seldom happens that a man changes his life through his

habitual reasoning. No matter how fully he may sense the new

plans and aims revealed to him by reason, he continues to plod

along in the old paths until his life becomes frustrating and

unbearable-he finally makes the change only when his usual life

can no longer be tolerated.‘ Tolstoy

So when that turning point comes in your life, then avail it.

Don‘t lose it by seeking distractions.