Takes a bath on Friday

[Bukhari Vol. 2 Bk. 13 Num. 33]
Narated By Salman Al-Farsi : Allah's Apostle (p.b.u.h) said,"Anyone who takes a bath on Friday and cleans himself as much as he can and puts oil (on his hair) or scents himself; and then proceeds for the prayer and does not force his way between two persons (assembled in the mosque for the Friday prayer), and prays as... much as is written for him and remains quiet when the Imam delivers the Khutba, all his sins in between the present and the last Friday will be forgiven."

MOTHER WAS AN ANGEL

This story begins when I was a child: I was born poor. Often we hadn't enough to eat. Whenever we had some food, Mother often gave me her portion of rice. While she was transferring her rice into my bowl, she would say "Eat this rice, son! I'm not hungry."This was Mother's First Lie.
As I grew, Mother gave up her spare time to fish in a river near our house; she hoped that from the fish she caught, she could give me a little bit more nutritious food for my growth. Once she had caught just two fish, she would make fish soup. While I was eating the soup, mother would sit beside me and eat what was still left on the bone of the fish I had eaten; My heart was touched when I saw it. Once I gave the other fish to her on my chopstick but she immediately refused it and said, "Eat this fish, son! I don't really like fish." This was Mother's Second Lie. Then, in order to fund my education, Mother went to a Match Factory to bring home some used matchboxes which she filled with fresh matchsticks. . This helped her get some money to cover our needs. One wintry night I awoke to find Mother filling the matchboxes by candlelight. So I said, "Mother, go to sleep; it's late: you can continue working tomorrow morning." Mother smiled and said "Go to sleep, son! I'm not tired." This was Mother's Third Lie When I had to sit my Final Examination, Mother accompanied me.. After dawn, Mother waited for me for hours in the heat of the sun. When the bell rang, I ran to meet her.. Mother embraced me and poured me a glass of tea that she had prepared in a thermos. The tea was not as strong as my Mother's love, Seeing Mother covered with perspiration; I at once gave her my glass and asked her to drink too. Mother said "Drink, son! I'm not thirsty!". This was Mother's Fourth Lie. After Father's death, Mother had to play the role of a single parent. She held on to her former job; she had to fund our needs alone. Our family's life was more complicated. We suffered from starvation. Seeing our family's condition worsening, my kind Uncle who lived near my house came to help us solve our problems big and small. Our other neighbors saw that we were poverty stricken so they often advised my mother to marry again. But Mother refused to remarry saying "I don't need love." This was Mother's Fifth Lie. After I had finished my studies and gotten a job, it was time for my old Mother to retire but she carried on going to the market every morning just to sell a few vegetables. I kept sending her money but she was steadfast and even sent the money back to me. She said, "I have enough money." That was Mother's Sixth Lie. I continued my part-time studies for my Master's Degree. Funded by the American Corporation for which I worked, I succeeded in my studies. With a big jump in my salary, I decided to bring Mother to enjoy life in America but Mother didn't want to bother her son; she said to me "I'm not used to high living." That was Mother's Seventh Lie In her dotage, Mother was attacked by cancer and had to be hospitalized. Now living far across the ocean, I went home to visit Mother who was bedridden after an operation. Mother tried to smile but I was heartbroken because she was so thin and feeble but Mother said, "Don't cry, son! I'm not in pain." That was Mother's Eighth Lie. Telling me this, her eighth lie, she died.
YES, MOTHER WAS AN ANGEL!
For those of you who are lucky to be still blessed with your Mom's presence on Earth, this story is beautiful. For those who aren't so blessed, this is even more beautiful.

Some Tips on Dua

First off, make sure you have both ikhlaas and i'tibaa - sincerity in intention and correction of action. Is your intention truly to bring this person closer to the truth? Or is it to prove him wrong? Or to show off your oratory skills? Make sure your intention is solely for the pleasure of Allah. To bring this person closer to the truth and to guide him to the deen of Allah, al-Islam. And make sure you are performing this daawah in the correct manner, at the proper place and time.
- Know what you're talking about. Make sure you have a sound, deep knowledge of what you say. Remember that Rasulullah, may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, promised a seat in the Hell fire for whoever says a lie about him. Make sure what you say is absolutely correct. Be honest if you don't know. If you do not have a solid knowledge of what you are saying, your contribution may be negative instead of positive.
- Have complete faith in what you're saying with no doubt. It is said that what comes from the mouth goes to the ear, but what comes from the heart goes to the heart. The Arabic saying goes, if you do not have it, you cannot give it. If you don't truly believe something, you can't get someone else to. Your sincerity and certainty in your faith plays a large part in your successfulness at daawah.
- Practice what you preach. The best daawah is by way of example. Don't discuss the importance of truth and honesty in Islam when you lie and cheat constantly. Make sure your actions express the beautiful beliefs and commands of Islam. Hypocricy turns people away.
- Don't compromise Islam or it's beliefs. Don't feel the need to hedge around the truth because it will turn people away. Can men have four wives? Why can't we date? Why don't we accept homosexuality? Don't be apologetic about certain aspects of Islam. Explain it in a way people can understand, but don't change it or act like it's incorrect or archaic.

Do not become angry

Do not become angry. Don't let people effect you or cause you to change your conduct. Have adab always. If someone refuses to hear you out, walk away. Don't sink to their level. Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says what means in the Quran, "Hold to forgiveness; command what is right; but turn away from the ignorant". He subhanahu wa ta'ala also says what means, "And when they hear vain talk, they turn away therefrom and say: 'To us our deeds, and to you yours; peace be to you: we seek not the ignorant.' It is true thou wilt not be able to guide every one whom thou lovest; but Allah guides those whom He will and He knows best those who receive guidance." Don't waste your time or energy with those who refuse to listen.
- Use proper functions. Go to interfaith programs and open discussions.
- Stay away from missionaries. This cannot be emphasized enough. Their goal is to take your faith apart and cause you to doubt. Leave the missionaries to those who are trained to deal with them. Missionaries have been trained to seem friendly and willing to learn on the outside, when their sole goal and objective is to cause you to reject Islam. Do not talk to missionaries. Do not open a discussion of Islam with them. Do not visit their sites. Do not waste your time with them. Your time can be used in a much more beneficial way than trying to argue with someone who has been trained to cause you to doubt.
- Don't insult the other person's faith. No matter how tempting it would be to talk about the errors and inconsistancies in other people's beliefs, don't do it. It offends people, and will possibly give them a bad impression of Islam. Talk about how Islam is different, and in that perhaps exposing the other belief's errors, but do not openly insult another person's faith. Be respectful. A daawah horror story: a Muslim was speaking at a local high school, and began his speech with: "You're all going to Hell." With that, he lost his whole audience before he even started his speech.

Milk mixed with water

Bukhari :: Book 3 :: Volume 47 :: Hadith 774Narrated Sahl bin Sad:
A drink (milk mixed with water) was brought to the Prophet who drank some of it while a boy was sitting on his right and old men on his left. The Prophet said to the boy, "If you permit me, I'll give (the rest of the drink to) these old men first." The boy said, "I will not give preference to any one over me as regards my share from you, O Allah's Apostle!" The Prophet then put that container in the boy's hand. (See Hadith No. 541).

Bukhari :: Book 3 :: Volume 47 :: Hadith 777Narrated Abu Huraira:
Allah's Apostle owed a man some debt (and that man demanded it very harshly). The companions of the Prophet wanted to harm him, but the Prophet said to them, "Leave him, as the creditor has the right to speak harshly." He then added, "Buy (a camel) of the same age and give it to him." They said, "We cannot get except a camel of an older age than that of his." He said, "Buy it and give it to him, as the best amongst you is he who pays back his debt in the most handsome way.'

Bukhari :: Book 3 :: Volume 47 :: Hadith 781Narrated Ibn 'Umar:

That he was in the company of the Prophet on a journey, riding a troublesome camel belonging to 'Umar. The camel used to go ahead of the Prophet, so Ibn 'Umar's father would say, "O 'Abdullah! No one should go ahead of the Prophet." The Prophet said to him, "Sell it to me." 'Umar said to the Prophet "It is for you." So, he bought it and said, "O 'Abdullah! It is for you, and you can do with it what you like."

Bukhari :: Book 3 :: Volume 47 :: Hadith 783Narrated Ibn Umar:

Once the Prophet went to the house of Fatima but did not enter it. 'Ali came and she told him about that. When 'All asked the Prophet about it, he said, "I saw a (multi-colored) decorated curtain on her door. I am not interested in worldly things." 'Ali went to Fatima and told her about it. Fatima said, "I am ready to dispense with it in the way he suggests."

Enjoy the fragrance

[Sahih Bukhari]
Rasul Allah (PBUH) said: "The example of a good companion and a bad one is the bearer of musk and the worker on the fires. A bearer of musk would give you some, you might buy some from him, or you might enjoy the fragrance of his musk. The worker on the fires, on the other hand, might spoil your clothes with sparks from his bellows, or you get a bad smell from him."

Men choose women for four reasons

Abu Hurairah(RAD) the companion of Holy Prophet (AW)related that the Prophet Muhammad(AW) said: “Men choose women for four reasons: for their money, for their rank, for their beauty and for their religion, but marry one who is religious and you will succeed” (Bukhari, Muslim).

Abu Hurairah RA relates that Nabi Muhammad SAW said:
"Allah Ta'ala has mercy on a person who stands up at night to perform Tahajjud and also awaken his wife. If she does not wake up, he sprinkles water on her face. And Allah Ta'ala has mercy on a woman who stands up for Tahajjud and also awakens her husband. If he does not wake up, she sprinkles water on his face." (Abu Dawud and Mishkaat)