While you're studying, don't let a day pass without praying 2 rakat salat ul hajat, asking Allah swt to accept you for the service of deen. 

- Abdul Rehman Ibn Yousuf

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ImAHIQ916E

The Difference

You want to know the difference between the master and the the beginner?

The master has failed more times than the beginner has even tried.

Water

Water thirsts for the person,
who thirsts for it.

Things to Invest time in

source: http://www.quora.com/What-are-the-highest-leverage-activities-that-are-best-for-ensuring-that-you-have-a-good-life/answer/Visakan-Veerasamy

TL;DR:
1: Reading
2: Exercise
3: Investing in Relationships
4: Sleep
5: Mindfulness/Conversation

Time Management

source: Quote of Marius Ursache's answer to What are the best day-to-day time-saving hacks? on Quora

I've been testing and adjusting various productivity techniques for the past five years, read lots of books (most of them repeating) and here's some of my findings:

It's not about time. It's about energy.

We try to squeeze as many hours in one work day, to be "productive", but in the end everything depends less on time, and more on your focus, motivation and overall well-being (all of them linked directly with energy levels).

I've recently talked about my productivity techniques obsessions in an internal presentation at Grapefruit, and the resulting presentation is on Slideshare:
Productivity porn

Some of the key findings:

1. Decide what's important because in 5 years, 80% of what you do today will not turn into anything. It's just busywork, no useful outcome.
2. Sleep, food and exercise can help you triple your outcome, because they increase focus, motivation and energy levels.
3. The 2-minute rule: if you can do something (like replying to an email, or a house chore) in 2 minutes, do it now. Planning it for later, remembering it, doing it in the future will take 5 minutes or more.
4. The 5-minute rule: the biggest cure against procrastination is to set your goal not to finish a scary big hairy task, but to just work 5 minutes on it. You'll find out that most times it continues well beyond the 5 minutes, as you enter a flow state.
5. Seinfeld's productivity chain: if you want to be good at something, do it every day. Including on Christmas, Easter and Judgement Day. No exceptions.
6. Tiny habits (Tiny Habits w/ Dr. BJ Fogg), highly linked with the 5-minute rule, helps you create good habits quickly. It works, I tested it.
7. Your memory sucks. Get everything out of your head, even if you're a genius. Write it down in a notebook, put it in your todo-list app, on your phone, talk to Siri, I don't care.
8. As few tools as possible. I've tested most of the todo managers and finally stayed with Cultured Code's Things app and Google Calendar (iCal is ok, but Google Calendar integrates well with Gmail, my default client). It doesn't matter what you use (pen & paper are fine) if you understand the next rule.
9. Routine beats tools. You need discipline, and this means for me two things: I plan my day first thing in the morning, and I write a short daily log every day. This helps me stay sane, prioritize well, scrap useless tasks, and do what matters. This saves me hours.
10. Pomodoros. That's timeboxing—for 30 minutes do only the task at hand. Nothing else: no phones, email, talking to people, Facebook, running out of the building in case of fire. Nothing else.
11. Always wear your headphones. You don't have to listen to music, but it will discourage people to approach you.
12. Email scheduling and inbox zero. Don't read your email first thing in the day, don't read it in the evening (it ruined many evenings for me), and try to do it only 3 times a day: at 11am, 2pm and 5pm. And your email inbox is not a todo list. Clear it: every message should be an actionable task (link it from the todo app), a reference document (send to Evernote or archive), or should be deleted now.
13. Same thing for phone calls. Don't be always available. I always keep my phone on silent, and return calls in batches.
14. Batch small tasks. Like mail, phones, Facebook etc.
15. MI3. Most important three tasks (or the alternative 1 must - 3 should - 5 could). Start with the most important first thing in the morning.
16. Willpower is limited. Don't think that willpower will help you when you get in trouble. Make important decisions in the morning and automate everything possible (delegate, batch etc.). US presidents don't have to choose their menu or suit color everyday—otherwise their willpower will be depleted at that late hour when they should push (or not push) the red button).
17. The most powerful thing. Always ask yourself what is the most powerful thing you can do right now. Then apply rule #4.
18. Ship often. Don't polish it too much—as they say in the startup world, "if you're not ashamed of your product, you've launched too late'!
19. Pressure can do wonders. Use rewards or social commitment. We've recently done this with the new Grapefruit website. The previous one took 2.5 years to launch. The new one took 2.5 days and we did it over one hackathon weekend (+Monday).
20. Scheduled procrastination. Your brain needs some rest, and sometimes that new episode from Arrow can do wonders that the smartest TED talk won't.
21. Delete. Say No. Ignore. Don't commit to schedules. I love the last one, it's from Marc Andreessen, because it allows him to meet whomever he wants on the spot. A lot of people will hate you for this, but you'll have time to do relevant stuff. Do you think you'll regret that in 20 years, or doing something for someone you don't really care about, just to be superficially appreciated.
22. Fake incompetence. It's a diplomatic way to apply the previous rule.

That's it for now. My procrastination break is over, I'm going back to work.

Why?

Whatever is gonna for Allah swt, that will endure. That will remain. Only that. 

7 Things that harden the heart

source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPf3tHLosS8&feature=share

Things that harden the heart

1. Music
2. Missing 3 jummas
3. Arguments and Conflicts
4. Arrogance
5. Breaking the promise

Stages of the hardening of the heart

1. Black spots appear on heart. I keep sinning and they start layering on top of another. 
2. So much so that the hearts become rusty. 
3. So much so that hearts become hard. Long time passes when we don't remember Allah, our hearts become like stones. In fact, harder than stones. 
4. So much so - that Allah Himself puts a seal on their hearts. When Allah seals it, who is gonna open it?
5. There's a lock on the heart. 

Its Cures

1. Ahsaas us Zia - feeling how bad our heart is. Any person who doesn't recognize that they're in trouble. The first is to perceive the problem. 
2. Crying
3. Avoiding Sins
4. Controlling the gaze
5. Regimen of dhikr
6. Recite Quran
7. Stay Hungry 
8. Duas in the last part of the night
9. With all of this: Companionship of the pious. Konoo ma'assadiqeen.

One who stays away from the remembers away from the remembrance of Allah, we designate a shaytan for him. And that Shaytan becomes his companion. 

Remember Allah abundantly. Not a bit. Who are those people who remember Allah only a bit? The munafikeen. 

Qul HuAllahu Ahad

Time

Time is in the hands of God. Give some to Him, He will open it up for you.

Raabta

Never think that you have angered or annoyed the shaykh by telling him your spiritual condition and faults, or that you have lowered yourself in his eyes. You have only raised your status in this faqīr’s
heart by being open and truthful. It may be that the devil (shaytān) tries to delude you into only writing good points about yourself from now on, but know that this would be fatal for your spiritual progress. I am hopeful that you will not be a hypocrite to yourself in this matter. There is no better judge in this world than one’s own conscience. I am hopeful that you will keep me informed of your condition from time to time. It is foolish to conceal one’s illness from one’s doctor.

source: http://www.tasawwuf.org/writings/wisdom_seeker/

© 2001 - 2010 Tasawwuf.org.  This material may be used for non-commercial use, provided it is unaltered and this copyright information and a link to our home page is included.

Lover?

source: http://www.tasawwuf.org/writings/wisdom_seeker/

In the darkness of the night, cooed a pigeon
On a branch, in weakness, while I was asleep.

I lied; By Allah, were I a lover,
The pigeon would not have outpaced me in weeping.

I assume I am lovesick, love struck
But I weep not, while animals weep.

© 2001 - 2010 Tasawwuf.org.  This material may be used for non-commercial use, provided it is unaltered and this copyright information and a link to our home page is included.

In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate. Alif, Lam, Mim, Do the people think that they will be left in the position that they say, `We have believed’, without their being tried? We tried those who were before them’ (Q. 29, 1)

"When you make true dhikr of Allah, the problem doesn't go away, but the worry of the problem does." - Shaykh Kamaluddin Ahmed

The proximity between the truth and falsehood does not make the truth falsehood nor falsehood truth. 

- Imam Ghazali (ra)

The Greatest Treasure

The greatest treasure,
you could ever discover,
was to enjoy the weather,
all by yourself.

Hanafi position on women going to the masjid

source: http://askimam.org/public/question_detail/30679

I've read from several `ulamaa' that it is makruh tahrimi for women to go to the masjid, and that this is the official stance of the Hanafi madhab.
Is this true? If this is true, can you please present some ahadith, athar, or quotes which support this stance?

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.

We refer you to the following Hadith:

صحيح مسلم) 2/400 دار ابن رجب

عَنْ عَمْرَةَ بِنْتِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ، أَنَّهَا سَمِعَتْ عَائِشَةَ، زَوْجَ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم تَقُولُ لَوْ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم رَأَى مَا أَحْدَثَ النِّسَاءُ لَمَنَعَهُنَّ الْمَسْجِدَ كَمَا مُنِعَتْ نِسَاءُ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ ‏.‏ قَالَ فَقُلْتُ لِعَمْرَةَ أَنِسَاءُ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ مُنِعْنَ الْمَسْجِدَ قَالَتْ نَعَمْ ‏.‏

Translation: 'Amra, daughter of Abd al-Rahmin, reported:

I heard 'A'isha, the wife of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: If the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) had seen what new things the women have introduced (in their way of life) he would have definitely prevented them from going to the mosque, as the women of BaniIsra'il were prevented. [1]

(Sahih Muslim V.2 Pg.400 Dar ibn Rajab)

And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best

Immad Bin Arshad

Student Darul Iftaa
California, USA

Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.

www.daruliftaa.net

[1]  حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مَسْلَمَةَ بْنِ قَعْنَبٍ، حَدَّثَنَا سُلَيْمَانُ، - يَعْنِي ابْنَ بِلاَلٍ - عَنْ يَحْيَى، - وَهُوَ ابْنُ سَعِيدٍ - عَنْ عَمْرَةَ بِنْتِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ، أَنَّهَا سَمِعَتْ عَائِشَةَ، زَوْجَ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم تَقُولُ لَوْ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم رَأَى مَا أَحْدَثَ النِّسَاءُ لَمَنَعَهُنَّ الْمَسْجِدَ كَمَا مُنِعَتْ نِسَاءُ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ ‏.‏ قَالَ فَقُلْتُ لِعَمْرَةَ أَنِسَاءُ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ مُنِعْنَ الْمَسْجِدَ قَالَتْ نَعَمْ ‏.‏

Reference    : Sahih Muslim 445 a

In-book reference  : Book 4, Hadith 161

صحيح مسلم (1/ 329)

[شرح محمد فؤاد عبد الباقي]

 [  ش (أحدث النساء) يعني من الزينة والطيب وحسن الثياب]

Tablighis

source: http://askimam.org/public/question_detail/31085

Question

One of my friends sent me the following links an I'm not capable to answer her please go through it and help me for the sake of Allah (swt) as I'm very confused about what is right an what is wrong.

http://www.ashabulhaith.com/deobandith/deobandith.htm

Please reply in detail.

Answer

The noble work of tablīgh slowly and gradually uproots all unislamic activities. No amount of political or economic activism is effective as the noble work of tablīgh. The focus is winning the hearts of people and cultivating in them the love for Allāh Ta`āla, His Rasūl ﷺ and Dīn. Tablīgh has a direct impact on the quality life of an individual.

This article is a must read to understand the inception of Tablīgh and its worldwide impact.

- Mufti Ebrahim Desai

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.

After reviewing the two websites provided above, it is obvious that the author of such websites has made it his sole aim to put down the work of Deoband by finding the minutest of details to prove his claim. To assert his ideologies upon his audience, he relates isolated incidents and shows clear signs of bigotry against the `ulamā’ of deoband and a chauvinistic attitude when aligning himself with theahl al-hadīth.

Like many others who side themselves with the ahl al-hadīth, he attempts to label all others who do not conform to his ways as the “people of bid`ah” and “those who have gone astray” with a strong hate of tasawwuf (art of spiritual rectification) and an insular view that each and every single element of Islam revolves only around his personal definition of beliefs (`aqīdah) that he calls “the way of thesalaf sālihīn (pious predecessors).”

Since the websites above contain numerous audio recordings, we believe that it will be best to examine the history of Deoband and the foundation it was built on along with the inception of the Tablīghī Jamā`at so that one may become well-acquainted with the actual intent and purpose of establishing such institutions without becoming caught up in the web of slander flung at such great luminaries who made it their life mission to reform the masses and bring them closer to dīn.

A Glimpse into the History of Deoband[1]

In 1601, an East India Company trade delegation under the leadership of Vasco Da Gama anchored at Bombay harbor in India. They requested assistance from the Indian government and promised to improve trade links between Britain and India while their ultimate goal was to bring India under their control. By 1701, many territories had fallen under British rule.

In 1702, Shāh Waliyullāh (rahimahullāh), who was the first to begin lessons of hadīth in India, was born. When he noticed that influence from the English was increasing in the sub-continent, he devised a method to preserve Islamic teachings. His first move was to translate the Qur’ān into the Persian language. It is important to take note that before Shāh Waliyullāh, the Qur’ān had never been translated into any other language for the past 1200 years.

Soon after, he authored many works that protected the sanctity of Islam and its teachings such as Hujjatullāh al-Bālighah. Through his writings, he educated the masses about the fiscal policies of Islam, the political system of Islam, and the philosophy behind Islamic law.

In 1762, after the demises of his father (Shāh Waliyullāh), Shāh `Abdul Azīz succeeded his father in teaching hadīth and furthered his effort against British rule. After the demise of Shāh `Abdul `Azīz, many came thereafter who fought for freedom by resisting British rule and letting the banner of Islam continue to sway in the face of oppression.

After 1831, when the `ulamā’ realized that the British were becoming more and more fortified in the country, they called up many meetings to find a solution to this problem. In 1856, another meeting of many senior `ulamā’ was held which was attended by great luminaries such as Hājī Imdādullāh, Mawlānā Muhammad Qāsim Nānotwī, and Mawlānā Rashīd Ahmad Gangohī (rahimahumullāh).

By 1857, a great battle for independence took place against the British in northern and central India against the East India Company’s rule. The British government brutally suppressed the opposition and further concocted a plan to eradicate the Qur`an along with any signs of Islam. From 1864 to 1867, the British government firmly resolved to eradicate all the `ulamā’ of India. During these three years, 14,000 `ulamā’ were put to death and by 1867, not a single religious institute remained whereas in 1601 there were thousands of Islamic institutes in Delhi alone. As a result of such aggression, the `ulamā’ were becoming scarce and Islamic knowledge was slowly being wiped out from the Indian subcontinent.

India was losing the Islamic spirit and Islamic knowledge was fading away. The sunnahs of our Prophets (`alayhimus salām) were being replaced by acts of polytheism, innovations, and ignorant customs that had no place in Islam. Those `ulamā’ who remained felt that there was a need to safeguard the sunnah of our Nabī ﷺ and protect the Muslims from losing their Islamic heritage. The only way to do so was to establish an institution for imparting Islamic knowledge and to equip the Muslims with divine knowledge so they may mend their lives according to Islamic teachings.

Soon thereafter, Mawlānā Qāsim Nānotwī (rahimahullāh) saw Rasūlullāh ﷺ in a dream wherein he was instructed to establish an Islamic institute in the village of Deoband. It is also mentioned that Mawlānā Qāsim Nānotwī (rahimahullāh) saw another dream where he was standing on the roof of the ka`bah and water was flowing from his hand and feet, thus reaching the four corners of the world. According to this glad-tiding, on the fifth of Muharram (May 30, 1866), Mawlānā Qāsim Nānotwī (rahimahullāh) laid the foundation of this institution in Deoband, India.

The first teacher to be appointed at this institution was Mullā Mahmūd, and the first student to study under him was Shaykh al-Hind Mahmūd al-Hasan (rahimahumallāh), who was one of the leading figures in the movement for the freedom of India. As they sat for their lessons under a pomegranate tree in the courtyard of the Chattah Masjid, the only thing on their mind was to save the Muslims from losing their Islamic past.

This institution is called Dārul `Ulūm Deoband, and its students are referred to as the `Ulamā’ of Deoband.

Mawlānā Ilyās and the Inception of the Tablīghī Jamā`at[2]

In the region of Mewat located in northwestern India, Mawlānā Muhammad Ilyās (rahimahullāh) noticed a decline in Islamic awareness and a pattern of ignorance spreading through the masses. People had lost their zeal for attaining divine knowledge, and themakātib in the areas were also not sufficient in fulfilling this purpose. Since worldly occupations had distanced the majority of Muslims from Islam, children were being sent to Islamic institutions while the growing youth and adults had already left this path.

A pattern of perpetual decline had struck the ummah, and the general masses were slowly losing their connection to this Dīn. It was then that Mawlānā Ilyās (rahimahullāh) understood that if the common Muslims do not begin practicing their Dīn, all other efforts to bring them towards Islam will remain in vain. From that day, Mawlānā Ilyās (rahimahullāh) frequently visited Mewat and made an effort to connect with the common Muslims there.

In Shawwāl, 1344 AH Mawlānā Ilyās (rahimahullāh) proceeded for Hajj in the company of Mawlānā Khalīl Ahmad Sahāranpūrī (rahimahullāh). Upon reaching Madina, he felt a burning desire to remain in the city of the Prophet ﷺ and felt grief in separating himself from this holy city. It was in this blessed city that Mawlānā Ilyās (rahimahullāh) first felt that great work would be taken from him in the future.

After returning from Hajj, Mawlānā Ilyās (rahimahullāh) began giving da`wat to the people and also asked the common Muslims to join him in teaching the masses about the foundations of Dīn (i.e. Tawhīd, Salāh, etc.). In the town of Nuh[3] a large gathering took place where Mawlānā Ilyās (rahimahullāh) expressed his desire that groups should be formed to give da`wat and make tablīgh of fundamental Islamic teachings. About a month later, a group (jamā`at) was formed and for the next few weeks they would visit different towns and cities giving da`wat to the people rendezvousing each Friday to discuss the plans for the upcoming week. For the next few years, effort was made in the district of Mewat to bring people closer to the Dīn of our Nabī ﷺ.

In 1351 AH, Mawlānā Ilyās (rahimahullāh) set out for Hajj once again and returned to Mewat with an even greater resolve. He formed even more groups and started going out in the path of Allāh for months at a time. During each of these cycles (known as adawrah), he would select certain groups and send them to makegusht (i.e. go door-to-door and make da`wat) in the neighborhood. He also advised all groups to keep themselves busy in reading the Qur’ān, revising general masā’il (rulings) and fadā’il (talks regarding virtues), and narrating stories of the Sahābah (radiyallāhu `anhum). It was an effort to bring the Muslim communities to leave their busy schedules and come out of their houses for seeking Islamic knowledge and imparting it to others to increase Islamic awareness.

Mawlānā Ilyās (rahimahullāh) wished that such groups remain under the supervision of `ulamā’; therefore, he took certain groups and set out to places that were bustling with the akābirs (senior`ulamā) such as Kandhlah and Rāypūr.

After returning to Mewat, Mawlānā Ilyās (rahimahullāh) sketched a map and set out destinations for all the different groups while designating an amīr (leader) to lead each group. Not much time passed until a special gathering (jalsah) was held in Faridabad[4]where 16 jamā`ats gathered from various places. From there they gathered in the Jāmi` Masjid in New Delhi and dispersed to different places for tablīgh.

During this time, the number of jamā`ats in Mewat increased and more and more people were encouraged to join this effort. Mawlānā Ilyās (rahimahullāh) focused on establishing a resolve in these groups to leave their worldly affairs and give time for tablīgh. He wished for them to realize that if they are in the path of Allāh Ta`ālā then Allāh Himself will take care of their homely affairs.

After exerting much effort, the district of Mewat began to change and light of Dīn was emanating from even the common Muslims living in the area. Islamic awareness was established and a concern for the hereafter was ignited within the hearts of many Muslims. The environment of Mewat was beginning to take a new form. The Islamic dress was becoming prevalent, the Sunnah of the beard was becoming more common, the drunkards and gamblers were leaving their sins behind them, and the pure light of Islam was shining through Mewat. When luminaries such as Mawlānā Ashraf Ali Thanwī (rahimahullāh) saw the fruits of this effort, they were also compelled to express their satisfaction at the work of the Tablīghī Jamā`at.

Mawlānā Ilyās (rahimahullāh) believed that until the people of a certain area will not make a personal effort to bring others closer to Islam, then such an area will slowly see the light of Islam fade away. He felt that even the common man should know the fundamentals of his Dīn for there were many who did not even know how to recite the Qur’ān or pray correctly (as is the situation throughout many parts of the world even today). He believed that the only way for them to bring an awareness of Islam in the hearts of people was to call them out of their homes and have them learn their fundamentals while giving da`wat to others in the path of Allāh Ta`ālā. Mawlānā Ilyās (rahimahullāh) stated in one of his letters:

If you do not prepare yourself for spending four-four months traveling in each city (and giving da`wat to the people of that area), then until that time comes the people of that area will never have the true taste of Dīn and Īmān.

In 1357 AH, Mawlānā Ilyās (rahimahullāh) expanded his effort and traveled to the holy cities of Makkah and Medina. There, he met with the governors of the areas so he could seek their permission in starting tablīgh in Hejaz. After hearing his plea, they showed great delight at the work of Mawlānā Ilyās (rahimahullāh) and commended the Tablīghī Jamā`at and their efforts. Thus, the spirit of tablīgh was also ignited in the holy land of Hejaz.

In 1362 AH (1943 CE), the effort was expanded to the city of Lucknow[5]. Their schedule was such that after the Asr prayer ajamā`at would leave the Dārul `Ulūm and after Maghrib they would make gusht in the surrounding areas. After Isha there would be lectures and dialogues regarding the principles of tablīgh after which each jamā`at would return to their resting areas. After the Fajr prayer, there would be a session of ta`līm followed by sessions for fixing one’s recitation of the Qur’ān (according to the rules oftajwīd) and discussing necessary rulings pertaining to day-to-day occurrences.

Soon thereafter, Mawlānā Ilyās (rahimahullāh) returned to Mewat and the effort of the Tablighī Jamā`at began to spread far and wide. The fruits of this effort were such that those who had led a life of sin, never prayed a day in their lives, and never knew a single verse of the Qur’ān were now enveloped in the sunnah from head-to-toe.

It is clear from above that the Tablīghī Jamā`at’s main focus is to bring the common man from darkness to light and enlighten him with at least the most basic teachings of Islam. While many of us may impart our knowledge through lectures at home and via the internet, we can never contend with the efforts of tablīgh. How often do we see that due to the efforts of the Tablīghī Jamā`at, cities and villages that were once unable to find even an Imam to lead them in prayer are now filled with people who are teaching others how to recite the Qur’ān. How often do we hear stories of great scholars who had lived a life of darkness but through the efforts of the Tablīghī Jamā`at they are now enlightening youngsters and adults with the light of Īmān.

It goes without saying that Mawlānā Ilyās (rahimahullāh) and hisTablīghī Jamā`at were also a part of the legacy of Deoband. The concern (fikr) he showed in the district of Mewat has now become an effort carried out by thousands of Muslims throughout the Muslim world.

This great institution of Deoband played a cardinal role in preserving the culture, tradition, and honor of Islam in the Indian subcontinent. If it was not for their efforts, millions of Muslims today would be left in the darkness sulking in worldly affairs without a sign of Dīn in their life.

As such, we request that one considers the following points before criticizing the works of such great people:

1) The efforts of Deoband (whether in the form of institutions or theTablīghī Jamā`at) have been widely accepted in each corner of the world. This shows us that such a noble effort must be backed by the help of Allāh Ta`ālā as well.

2) The `Ulamā of Deoband are academically linked right up to the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ through a consistent chain going through luminaries such as Shāh Waliyullāh, Hafiz ibn Hajar Al-`Asqalānī, `Allāmah Suyūtī, Khatīb Baghdādī, Imam Bukhārī, and Imam Muslim (rahimahumullāh).

3) The `Ulamā of Deoband are spiritually linked to the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ as well through luminaries such as Hājī Imdādullāh, Khwājah Mu`īn al-Dīn Chishtī, Hasan Basrī (rahimahumullāh), and `Alī (radiyallāhu `anh).

The author makes it a point to malign the efforts of Deoband by pointing out individual and isolated incidents while acceptance in the eyes of Allāh Ta`ālā is clearly seen through the achievements of Deoband in the world today.

For detailed answers to objections posed against Deoband and theTablīghī Jamā`at, you may refer to the following works:

Al Muhannad Aur Aiterazat Ka Ilmi Jaiza

Tas’heeh ul Khayal – Tehqeeq ul Maqaal Fi Takhreej Ahadith Fazail e A’maal

Tableeghi Jamaat Chand Haqaaiq wa Ghalat Fehmiyan

Tableeghi Jamaat Aur Kutub e Fazail – Haqaiq , Ghalat Fehmiyan

Jamat e Tableegh Per Aiterazaat Kay Jawabaat

Tohmat – e – Wahabiyat Aur Ulma – e – Deoband

Fazail -e- A’maal Per Aiterazat Kiyoon

And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best

Bilal Mohammad

Student Darul Iftaa New Jersey, USA 

Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.

www.daruliftaa.net

[1] The following has been summarized from the book “The Ulama of Deoband – Their Majestic Past” (Madrasah Arabia Islamia, 2006) and “Tārīkh Dārul `Ulūm Deoband” (Dārul Ishā`at).

[2] The following has been summarized from the book “Mawlānā Ilyās Aur Unki Dīnī Da`wat” (Maktabah Mahmudiyyah).

[3] Nuh is the district headquarters of the Mewat district in the Indian state of Haryana. It lies on the Delhi-Alwar highway and is about 45 kilometres from Gurgaon.

[“Nuh (city)”, Wikipedia, accessed on November 15, 2014]

[4] Faridabad is the largest city in the north Indian state of Haryana, in Faridabad district. It is a leading industrial center and situated in the National Capital Region near the Indian capital New Delhi.

[“Faridabad”, Wikipedia, accessed on November 15, 2014]

[5] Lucknow is the capital city of the state of Uttar Pradesh, India. A major metropolitan city of India, Lucknow is the administrative headquarters of the eponymous District and Division.

[“Lucknow”, Wikipedia, accessed on November 15, 2014]

Staying Away from Futile Activities

Salam, 

Didn't start listening to it with the intention of sharing, so didn't take notes, or transcribed. 

So just sharing the link here:

http://www.islamicspirituality.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Staying-Away-from-Futile-Things.mp3

Makes me think what kind of life I am living. 

May Allah guide us all!

Saadi

How to keep yourself motivated

This article is was originally found here:
http://www.theeffectiveengineer.com/blog/frame-your-goal-to-increase-motivation


In 2009, Dr. Heidi Grant Halvorson made a surprising discovery in the science of motivation. She conducted a series of studies where she asked participants to solve a set of puzzles and problems. In one group — the “be-good” group — participants were told that their score reflected their “conceptual and analytical abilities.” They should try to solve as many problems as possible and aim for a high score to demonstrate how good they were. In another group — the “get-better” group — participants were told that each problem was a “training tool” and that they ought to “take advantage of this valuable learning opportunity” to improve their problem-solving skills. [1]

For some participants in each group, Halvorson also increased the difficulty level by introducing a few challenges. She interrupted participants to use up some of their allotted time. She threw in extra, unsolvable problems to frustrate them, without telling participants that the problems were unsolvable.

What surprised Halvorson was how the two groups dealt with the challenges. The ones in the “get-better” group remained unfazed and solved as many as problems in the challenging conditions as the easy ones. They stayed motivated and kept trying to learn. The ones in the “be-good” group, however, were so demoralized when they faced the challenges and obstacles that they solved substantially fewer problems than those who didn’t have to face them.

And those differences happened just because of how the initial goal was framed.

Define Mastery Goals, Not Performance Ones, For Difficult Problems

Halvorson’s experiments illustrate the difference between a mastery goal, where you aim to learn and get better at some skill, and a performance goal, where you aim to be good, either to demonstrate you’re talented or to outperform other people.

Your objective for a given problem can often be framed in either way:

Are you studying for tests to learn and to grow or to demonstrate your intelligence?
Are you spending years on a PhD to innovate in your research area or to because you think it’ll be a good stepping stone for your career?
Are you training for a 10K race to improve your own time or to beat the competition?
Are you working on side projects and brushing up your coding skills to become a better software engineer or to simply get a better-paying job?

The actions you perform to accomplish a mastery goal or a performance goal might be the same, but your motivation and your mindset will be quite different. When you’re focused on improving your own skills, rather than on demonstrating them, you’re less likely to get discouraged by obstacles, time pressure, or other unexpected challenges. You’ll believe that you can still improve and do better next time. You’ll have a growth mindset.

That’s not to say performance goals don’t have their place. Professor Dan Ariely conducted a series of experiments at MIT, the University of Chicago, and in rural Madurai, India. Subjects were asked to participate in a number of games and offered either a small, moderate, or large financial incentive for performing well on each particular game — a clear example of performance goals in action. For memory games, creativity games, or motor skill games, those offered a large financial incentive actually performed worse than those offered smaller ones. The only task where participants actually performed better when offered a large financial incentive was when they were performing the mechanical task of alternating keypresses on a keyboard as quickly as possible. [2]

Daniel Pink reinforces this idea in his book Drive, explaining that when there is a clear goal and when the problem can be solved by brute force, performance-based goals — especially those incentivized by a reward — work extremely well. It’s when the problems require some ingenuity or some mental effort, that performance-based goals and rewards start to backfire and reduce performance. [3]

Making This Research Useful

Set the right type of goal for the task at hand to get better results.

You’re better off setting a performance goal when you can brute force through the problem, particularly if there’s a reward at stake. For example, performance goals work well if you’re:

Triaging through a long bug or feature list.
Responding to a long backlog of personal emails or customer support emails.
Finishing a laundry list of chores around the apartment.
Mechanically grinding through any number of mindless tasks.

It can be helpful for each of these short-term tasks, where there isn’t much opportunity to master a new skill, to instead tie a reward to the completion of the task. If you get everything done, then you’ll treat yourself (or your team) to something nice. The performance incentive can help you get things done faster.

But for our long-term goals, we’ll stay much more motivated in the long run if we adopt a mindset where we’re aiming to master our skills rather than to hit a performance goal. For example,

Rather than focusing on getting promoted to a staff engineering position at your company, focus on improving your engineering skills and your ability to create meaningful impact.
Rather than training to win at some sport — whether it’s running, a tennis match, ultimate frisbee, etc. — train to become a better player or athlete.
Rather than joining at a startup to get rich, join because you’re passionate about the problem space and excited to learn from the journey.

You’ll notice that long-term goals framed in terms of performance tend to rely on external factors outside of your control (whether your manager promotes you, whether you’re better than your opponent, or whether your startup succeeds). When you let environmental circumstances play such a large role in your success, it’s much harder to stay motivated when you encounter obstacles, just like the puzzle-solving participants in Halvorson’s experiments. If you instead focus on your own learning and on getting better, you’re much more likely to overcome pain points and actually succeed.

Notes:
Heidi Grant Halvorson, Succeed: How We Can Reach Our Goals, p64-68.
Dan Ariely, et. al., “Large Stakes and Big Mistakes”, https://www.bostonfed.org/econom....
Daniel Pink, Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us, p60.

Paralysis by Analysis

source: https://hbr.org/2013/11/stop-worrying-about-making-the-right-decision/

So while I support using available data to rank our options in some rough sense, ultimately we’re best served by avoiding paralysis-by-analysis and moving foward by:

1. Paying close attention to the feelings and emotions that accompany the decision we’re facing,
2. Assessing how motivated we are to work toward the success of any given option, and
3. Recognizing that no matter what option we choose, our efforts to support its success will be more important than the initial guesswork that led to our choice.

Things to do after waking up

1. Pray and Meditate
2. Revise High Impact Tasks
3. Read
4. Exercise Shared from Google Keep

Give it some time and you’ll be amazed at how “I must respond!” will transform into “Eh, who cares?”

source: http://www.artofmanliness.com/2011/07/13/being-a-gentleman-in-the-age-of-the-internet-6-ways-to-bring-civility-online/

All you need is 20 seconds of courage.

Discipline

Discipline is doing what is hard and necessary rather than what is
fun and easy and doing it when it’s necessary, whether you feel like doing it or not.

Brian Tracy

"For days to come, it will be the first thing you will think about. Until one day, it will be the second thing."

Reynolds Reddington

Let's see

Zeeshan

In a chat with a friend, about Islam's position, and the positions of the educated people in today's age.

look the thing is
you need to choose which side you want to be on
and wholeheartedly

With you, intimacy colours my voice even ‘hello’ sounds like ‘come here'.

—  Warsan Shire

Heart

You're my heart. You're the heart of my hearts.

When I think of you sweet smells fill my head.

When I hear your voice, it's like drinking cool water on a hot thirsty day.

When I look at you, it's as if the sun itself came up.

Through out the day, get rid of everything that takes away from Allah subhanawatala!

http://www.maryaminstitute.org/weekly-online-talk/

Zzz....

Assalam O alykum,

Lately, well, about 3-4 weeks ago. I started getting some severe headaches. Right part of the head, above my eye (please don't post your diagnosis or med-advice).

Long story short, (not really feel chatty right now) - started sleeping early and getting up early. So far I have defaulted only twice (only, hah!) once for sleeping late, that was Thursday night, and as a result for getting up late, that was today (Saturday).

Been reading up some stuff on sleep. This area has always fascinated me, and well, angered me. Cause people around me (friends/family) never really listen. My parents back home would give a fuck if I tell them to sleep (or let me sleep) at 10 pm. My friends, obviously, give a fuck too.

I have noticed, for me there's this small window, 10-11 pm. If I sleep in this window, well and good. If someone messes with me, starts up an arguments, angers me, or if I do anything mentally or physically arousing, and don't fall sleep, and the clock is way past 11 pm, then bam, I can't sleep. I can't sleep till 2 or 3, or whatever. Even if I had 2-3 hours sleep in the last 24 hours, even if I had gotten up at 5 am, and had worked out 2 hours.

Anyway, whining aside, so I have been reading about sleep. Found a couple of articles, very nice. Will share them here. I really wished I had written this post earlier than now, I actually have been feeling pretty nice lately, since Tuesday. My workout log shows regular workouts since Tuesday too!

The articles:

http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2007/10/how-to-wake-up-feeling-totally-alert/


This youtube series I listened to 1-2 years ago, I would love to say it changed my life, but it didn't www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jwPKn_9rJU

As a child, I was beaten by my uncle and scolded to go to bed early, that sort of built a negative association with sleeping early. In college, I got the full opportunity of staying up as late as I wanted and sleeping in as much as it suited, so late I slept and late I got up. Sometimes I wouldn't sleep till 8 am, and wouldn't' get up at 4 pm. Obviously, that messed me up big time. Add to that my fixation with staying online and reading crap, and voila! There you have it, a brain so messed up, that no doctor refrains from saying its chemistry is messed up, and every one of them seems to prescribe one thine - sleep the fuck early.

In Lums however, another thing happened. A very positive association was built with morning times too :) The breakfast at pdc was just a ... it was delight. The gym used to be empty after fajr, and so I had the time of my life when I did sleep early, got up early. There's only so much you can do when being social matters to you. So didn't develop this habit, so to speak.

Now, there are people giving all kinds of bullshit. 'I'm not a morning person' - 'My brain works well at night' 'My brain doesn't well in the mornings' 'I am not at my best in the morning'. I don't know about you, maybe you're alien and laws of medicine don't apply to you? Maybe you've become so smarter and known yourself so better laws of Allah don't apply to you anymore? Anyway. My brain - works SO well at night 2 am - that even if I am sleepy, and I get my hands on a puzzle, I can solve it in seconds. Programming assignment? I can do 4 hours of worth of programming in 2 hours. But here are the headaches, that really do feel like they will kill me, and here are the doctors, telling me to, go the fuck to sleep.

About one thing I really feel happy today. I missed my friends birthday party last night. Not because I had a headache, because I had to sleep early. Usually when I am missing something important, but something as 'useless' as sleep, then the sadness just keeps me up (remember the childhood reference?) - last night it didn't. I slept. I feel very proud, that was one step towards ditching all that keeps one away from sticking to what's right. There's gonna be so much more, I am afraid.

Enough rant, been in library planning to study since 2 pm. It's 3:09 now. Still have a lingering headache from waking up late, or whatever. And a gnawing anxiety that I won't get it done. It's this fear of failure that keeps from trying, trying in time, and succeeding. Amazing.

sunah hai rab hai isko kharab halon se, 
so apnay aapko barbaad karkay dekhte hain

“People will kill you over time, and how they’ll kill you is with tiny, harmless phrases, like ‘be realistic.’”

— Dylan Moran

Towards Maritial Bliss

http://www.islamicspirituality.org/lectures/workshops/towards-marital-bliss

Notes I took. Not summary. (In brackets is my BS)

Niyyat for nikah:

1. Ibadat

Allah says in Quran that a married couple is a sign of Allahs existence on earth

2. Children

Prophet says on the judgement of he will love the people who bring larger families to the day. That doesn't mean that the husband can do injustice to the wife. More on that later.

3. The person may get sukoon 

In our deen it's not enough to be married, we have to be happily married. An unhappy marriage leads to the same sins that no marriage leads to. It's even tougher in those situations.

What is sukoon? It's not just peace and tranquility. Momin knows that there will be worries/tests in this world. Sukon doesn't mean there won't be worries in this world. There would be worries, tests in this life. Sukoon means, that no matter happens, no matter what happens, a person's batin, his kalb remains content with Allah, they stay mutmain with Allah, with Sharia; no matter what happened, insides themselves they will stay content with one another. In the context of marriage, it means no matter what happens, the husband will get sukoon from the wife and the wife get sukoon from the husband. What does this mean is that when the person is happily married in deen then they will be able to bear the difficulties that Allah will definitely send them in this world. And if they're not happily married, then those difficulties will make them react and take them out on one another. (Like we around so much! Specially in non-halal relationships, or halal relationships with non-halal basis/motives). Let's say you lose something, but you have something more valuable, so you wouldn't feel bad. For example, if you lost your watch, but you had a better watch at your home, you wouldn't feel bad. It's like that, that no matter what the husband loses, he will have wife who is more valuable to him than anything else that he will never feel at loss. It means that the husband is so fulfilling to the wife, that no matter what she loses, she will always her husband, and hence won't feel bad. It's much more than the regular concept of being worry-free, or tension-free etc.

Then Allah mentions another word Mawadda. Muhabba is love, Mawadda is affectionate love. It's referring to both emotional and physical intimicay. It's referring to that unique kind of love, love that is placed betweeb azwaj (spouses). That means the husband and the wife they love one another, just for who the other person is. First they've already loved one another for the sake of Allah swt, now they genuinely love one another for who they are. They help out one another, they care for one another. Love is like an investment, your returns are directly propertional to what you put into it. It's not supposed to be a dry marriage. It's supposed to be an affair of the hearts. Another place where this words mawadda is used is the love of a mother for his child. That doting love! But where does mawadda come from? Wajala baina kum mawadda! Allah swt has placed between you mawaddah! This is the barakah of nikah... It's that the person who's on taqwa and deen will receive mawaddah. And the person who's sinning against Allah, a person who's leaving the sunnah, Allah will send this mawaddah but they will refuse the signal. You tell me if Allah places rehmat in somebody's heart, can anybody else take it out? This means that if we don't have have this mohabbat in our hearts, then we didn't receive it in the first place!

The next words Allah swt says is Rehmat. Rehmat means mercy. Allah urr Rehman irr Raheem. Allah is using the same word to describe how we're supposed to be towards our spouses. And where does this rehma come? Again Allah swt has places this in the hearts of te two spouses. They must have mawaddah for one another, they must have rehmat for one another. What does rehmat means? When we say Allah is Raheem? It means that Allah will reward us anyway, He will forgive us anyway... so what does rehmat in the hearts of husbands and wives mean? That will overlook the faults of one another. It means that they will stay in the state of mawaddah despite the faults and shortcomings of each other. Now how many of us this level of rehmat in our hearts? Everyone wants the other to be theri dream girl/dream boy... Do you think you're the dream abd of Allah? The dream ummati of Rasool ullah? The dream legacy of Abubakr Siddique? But we still seek rehmat from Allah swt? So how could this be possible that we're unhappily married! It's not possible! It's only possible when we leave Quran and sunnat. If we leave this, we will be miserable on earth. Miserable. And to be honest with you, I am not a person who gives marriage workshops. It's not my area, it's not my interest. I am doing this out of dire necessary. Main majboor aapkay samnay betha hon, because we've seen that so many religious and striving to be religious are so unhappily married. So many other things we want to teach you that, we can't even begin to teach you that if you've these problems. I can tell you in all these, the problems I have seen here in UK are huge. And compared to America you're Light Years ahead of them! I am doing this out of absolute neccessary. Otherwise the things we have to teach you in this course are too embarrassing for me to have to say! The level of sinister and devastating problems. I cannot even imagine the level of religiosity I have seen in people and at the same time the levle of betrayel! Very serious problems. Serious problems. And because our own Ulema have spent so much time on this, I feel incumbent to share that with you, so someone might be able to benefit from this. So Rehma, means to forgive. To forgive the person when they dont' deserve to be forgiven. You tell me, when you miss fajr, and you say Astaghfirullah, does that mean you deserve to be forgiven? When your entire deens tells you to be pray! When the Rasool is telling you to pray! When the Quran is telling you to pray? So first aspect is to forgive when the person doesn't deserve to be forgiven. Second aspect is to forgive with no hope or expectation of any return. Without any demand of anything in return.

This is what it means that Allah has placed mawaddah between you, And he has placed rehmat between you. And indeed there are signs for such people who can reflect on these signs!

I will give you one example of this rehmat. The husband should think, that when this woman came to me, she hardly knew me. Maybe she didn't know me at all. Or maybe she knew through very limited sharia compliant interaction through her relatives. But who I really was (am) she didn't know, that is what my sins were, she didn't know. She had no idea what she was getting into. Even I presented my best features to her father. But within very few days she knew everything about me. My flaws, my hypoocracy, my sloth, my over eating, my over sleeping, all. And she still stuck with me. She should have actually gone home. But she stayed back. She should have run for the hills. And she has grown older. And maye she has now lost her original beauty which she had. Maybe it's time for me to overlook, it's time for me to not cast my lustful gaze at every young or attractive colleague associate that I have, on every young girl that I encounter in the bus or on the street, and get neglectful of my wife, and lose affection of my wife. When she showed so many years of dedication to me. This is what the husband should think. The wife should think the same way. That when he was marrying me, he didn't even know what he was getting into. My mom showed my best picture to him. I actually didn't even look like that (:p) Special wide angle lense, on some special day. OR that he didn't know any of my bad habits. But he married me, for so many years he took care of me, he spent on me, he earned for me, he earned for my children for me, and now as he's getting older he's becoming a bit sensitive, he has a bit of a temperament.  And as he grows older he comes weaker or senile, so now I have to show some patience. I have to continue my love and affection for him. So if this mawaddah and and rehmat you want to combine these. This means to value and continue to value one another. So sukoon means then that not only are they the source of sukoon, but they're also worry free from one another. Then we can think how different we are. In the homes today, we find nothing other than worry. Dissappointment. Second guessing. Anger. Angst. Anxiety. This is the mistake many muslim couples have found themselves in.

Second ayat.
Allah swt syas in Quran ul Kareem, Hunna libassunna hum, wa anta libasunna kum. That your wives are like a garment for you, and you are like a garment for them. So the words used is ibas. Like a clothing, like a garment. It has several aspects. What is the metaphor? What is the relastionship betwene libas and nikah? Clothing covers our nakedness. Our satr. Allah uses it for libas, because the husband hides the faults of the wife. And the wife hides the faults of the husband, one of Allah's names is Sattar, that is, if anyone of us views anyone as praiseworthy, it's actually we're praising Allah's attribute of praise, because it's because of his hiding their mistakes that we love one another. So libas means that the husband and wife are suposed to conceeal one anothers faults.

Second libas is a protection. So Allah is using this word libas for nikah. Means the husband is the protection for the wife and the wife is the protection for the husband. This means several things..

(Tired of writing down now, Will just kick back and listen to the rest myself. Maybe post it later. Not now)

(I have a feeling I stopped at the most wrong juncture! :)
4.

Taha Rafiq

I would like to think I am crazy (crazy is another way of saying I am brave enough and intelligent enough to entertain heterodox ideas, but doesn't rub against other peoples egos) and so, usually, get along well with a very very small part of the society. My friends are very few in number, they all have a lot in common, and new ones rarely make it into the basket.
Anyway, so a few days ago, I was talking to this dude who was the first one in FAST Karachi to get a 4.0 since the 4 year BS program was introduced. And he has written something, and I quite liked it. I loved it. So I am sharing it here. I have been meaning to share it here for some time, but I procrastinate. Here it is:

Everything that we do from the time we gain a lucid consciousness of our actions is forever etched in our minds. We do not remember everything, in the sense that we cannot replay our memories like a recorded video, but it's still all there, tucked away is some corner of our minds. I am reminded of this from time to time when I dream of things I haven't thought of for a very long time, or when I am filled with joy or regret at an action that I did many years back. What this irreversible permanence of thoughts implies is incredibly profound. Any action that we take today will become a fundamental part of who we are tomorrow. Once we have taken any action, we can not remove it from ourself. There is no going back; there can be no selective erasure of thoughts or actions.

The prominent Muslim scholar Hasan Al-Basri is reported to have said, "Son of Adam! You are nothing but a number of days, whenever each day passes then part of you has gone." If we transform our view of ourself from our physical body as defined in space, to a view of us defined in time, then what we do at any moment is not only a part of us, but rather it defines who we are. The old adage 'you are defined by your actions' gains another meaning if we look at life in this way. We are composed of what we see, hear and do at every moment in time.

If we are defined by our actions and our actions remain with us forever, then our minds are undoubtedly the sanctuary where our actions are kept, and our eyes and ears the doors to this sanctuary. Once we let something into this sanctuary, it can never leave it. Do we treat this sanctuary with the reverence that we should? Do we try to guard the doors to this sanctuary and avoid letting in content that will pollute our minds forever? We put a lot of emphasis on keeping away from physical harm, which for the most part, heals after passage of some time. However, the scars of our minds never heal completely. For the best of us, our minds are places of contentment and tranquillity; a place where we can retreat to attain peace. For the worst of us, it's a prison where we wish we could escape from, but we cannot.

— Taha Rafiq

How to read the entire Jeeves and Wooster canon

An efficient method of reading the entire Jeeves canon is to read The World of Jeeves followed by the eleven novels in order of publication. The novels share a certain amount of sequential narrative development between them, and the later novels are essentially sequels to the earlier ones.

Exercising mindfulness might improve ADHD

Mindfulness exercise:

1. Focus on a target
2. Realize when you've become distracted
3. Bring the mind back to the target
4. Sustain!

source: Exercising the mind to treat attention Deficit

Some stuff

Some random stuff that I like reading again and again and again. Somehow it feels meaninful, obviously can't go around sharing them again and again on facebook, people already think I am crazy.

Sorrow is too great to exist in small hearts.

Love is an act of faith, and whoever is of little faith is also of little love.

Whatever you hold in your mind, you will eventually hold in your hand.

Mujahida

Mujahida

To do something, when you don't feel like doing something.
When your friends are telling you to do something.
When Shaitan is telling you to do something.
When your nafs is telling you to do something.
And you still make the effort of not doing that, that is mujahida.
Allah loves that mujahida.

Allah takes pride in people making mujahida.

Mujahida has to be made initially. And then it will translate into effortlessness.
Case in point salat. And then Fajr. This is the fruit of constant Mujahida.

If you keep doing it, keep doing it, Allah tala will give you episodes of sabr, shukr, takwa.

At first you have to make constant insistent mujahida, and it gradually starts becoming easier, and it gradually starts becoming effortless.

Eventually the whole process becomes easier. The Deen becomes second nature. The nafs becomes happy to be on deen.

For a true seeker, there's no difference between his/her spiritual state during Ramadhan and outside of Ramadhan. Except that they fast and do taraweeh.

If we're so stubborn that we go to gatherings, and we still don't make any effort. We go for hajj, umra, ehtikaaf, and still won't make effort. When a person gets so stubborn they get fixated on their idlenss, stubbornness, and they waste time on futile or even unlawful things. Then they have only themselves to blame.

In this tareeka, the only thing that Can keep a person back is the lack of effort!

May Allah accept us for this path!


Source: http://www.islamicspirituality.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Time-for-Effort.mp3

Faith - all that you need

Bits bout Typography

It's not a typo, I omitted the a on purpose. What purpose? Hahahaha...

So, one of these days, in the finals week, I decided, that instead of studying for my exams, I should read up some articles on Typography. After all, that's what one should do after one has spent the entire night typesetting one's resume that one has already submitted, before the exam day. What better way to escape from responsibilities than developing you aesthetic sense?

My exams aren't over, so I am still reading. Haha

So I googled, and came upon a number of nice looking polished articles. Finished one, the other one had links to four more, opened them up. Though 'Hey! This is cool stuff, I should bookmark it!' and discovered they were already in my bookmarks, and I hadn't read them. So I thought, might as well read them this time.

So one of them, is a very nice tutorial for beginners. I already know this stuff. But well, didn't I tell you about the important things to do before exam? Yeah...

So, this one site Interactive Guide to Blog Typography is an interactive type to blog typography. Hahaha... I mean it's really nice. As you can already see, all the rules the blogger mentions are already in place on my blog. But I will summarize them below. Why? I think by now you know better than to feel this curiosity.

Summary:

• Frame the content with whitespace
• Don't have distracting elements next to text
• Measure: 50~90 characters in a line are good for readability
• Leading should be 1.5em. For longer measures, increase; for shorter ones, decrease
• For titles, set tracking = 1.1
• Use one font. At most two
• For body copy, use fonts that are hinted (mathematically adjusted to be used on pixel grids)
• Use big enough font size for body copy. Recommended: 16px. I personally like 18px. Use even bigger for fonts with smaller x-height (like Crimson Text). Since I use such fonts, I guess that's why I like 18px
• Create Visual hierarchy with font sizes. Don't pick font sizes randomly, size2/size3 should have the same ration as size1/size2. Another designed makes the analogy of 'Font scale' with musical notes. Either they're in harmony, or discord. So choose wisely. You can use modularscale.com
• As in print, don't use the darkest black. Use like #444 or #222
• Use small caps. But in cases where they don't exist, and you use font-variant (as in my blog) the problem is clearly visible, as the text appear lighter than its neighbours

Other Good Resources for Typography

• Butterick's Practical Typography
• Thinking with Type

Quotes from Rujuta Divekar

This piece is a work in progress.

Typography

Immaculate typography is certainly the most brittle of all the arts. To create a whole from many petrified, disconnected and given parts, to make this whole appear alive and of a piece - only sculpture in stone approaches the unyielding stiffness of perfect typography. For most people, even impeccable typography does not hold any particular aesthetic appeal. In its inaccessibility, it resembles great music. Under the best of circumstances, it is gratefully accepted. To remain nameless and without specific appreciation, yet to have been of service to a valuable work and to the small number of visually sensitive readers - this, as a rule, is the only compensation for the long, and indeed never-ending, indenture of the typographer.

— Overheard on the Internet

Random Blurb

When I was coming to America... in the first few days, I thought I would always be writing to this blog, every now and then, about every this and that. Actually no, not every this and that, but I thought I would be writing a Lot about halal food incidents... and how there would be so many incidents of me not eating, explaining, others arguing.... But that didn't happen... I guess I lost the passion to explain/educate people. And the ones I eat with, learned and respect my eating habits, and so things have been going in this department without any incident. So that's that.

I also thought I would lose a lot of weight. I think that every month. Hahaha... I think the reason really is that in my mind, I think that it's okay to be fat, if I can run and walk and job and lift and be strong and whatever. Also, I think that I think it's okay to overeat if you are gonna work out. I think I don't understand diet, while believing that I understand it. I mean, the coffee that I drink like water is 250 Calories! Anyway, quite recently, the plan has been to just workout, and forget about losing weight. I can't afford to forget about it, of course. Since this is an issue that needs urgent attention, if not certain.

I quite miss the folks in Pakistan. Specially Nabeel bhai - which just reminds me - he sent a message a couple weeks ago to tell me to respond when I see it, and I haven't... oops... will do that now... *goes away* back... done that. I just called him from Google Voice, but he didn't pick up. Hopefully he will see the missed call and call back. Or at least know that I called. Either way, I will write him an email to tell a few things. That's one person I have sorely missed.

Another person that I have missed is Meraj Khattak. Ab unka main kia kahoon! he was like an elder brother that I never had. This guy... May Allah kepe him happy forever. This life and the next.

Basically... most of the world these days is filled with asses. People who think being proven right is the cool thing. People who think coming up with snide remarks is a good thing. People who think being badass in life is a good thing. People who'd go the extra mile to take revenge. To prove themselves. People who "don't take shit". People who "can be a bitch when it's needed". And so is the case with America, and so was the case with Pakistan. But when in Pakistan, I had the good fortunate of being in the company of Nicest people around! Who'd constantly be scared of saying anything wrong, who would strive to see the greatness in people, who would forgive and ask for forgiveness, people who knew a lot, yet never acted too confident, who always attributed knowledge and success to Allah, who left you feeling good about yourself. Who told you your problems, with solutions, in private. Who didn't insult, mock, taunt, swear, backbite, laugh at, talk down, or argue. These are the people I miss.

Decision Making and Negotiation

Anchoring - the right way to start
BATNA - Best Alternative to the Negotiated Agreement. What happens if you don't come to an agreement. Let me be clear what are my benefits and costs of negotiations.
Emotions - could be in favor/against you. What emotions do you want there to be?

When fighting, at the end one of the two will one. But the longer the fighting goes on, both parties lose more, in the sense that both are miserable. So the earlier the parties can agree on who's going to win, the less both parties will suffer.

"Yes Dear" is a good thing to say.

If you reward people for behavior that they're intrinsically motivated to do, after a while, the reward takes the place of the intrinsic motivation, and people aren't intrinsically motivated.

So, don't get rewarded in money for stuff you love doing. Just don't do it for the money.

Principle of Loss Aversion

People hate losing more than they love gaining.

So if I want to enforce people to behave a certain way, fining them for undesirable behavior will be more effective than rewarding them for desirable behavior.

So, punishment is more effective than rewards.

But what happens when you take them away? In which case, does the behavior continue?

In case of punishments, the behavior resumes to what it was. In case of rewards, the newly learned behavior goes on.

So, while present, punishment maybe more effective than reward. But if you want the behavior to continue, you should reward.

source: I am taking this Irrational behavior course on coursera.org taught by Dan Ariely from Duke, so all these psych posts in the next few days will be from there.

Dog Poop Problem

Two kinds of signs for a rule: 

1. The sign board that says we shouldn't do it. 

2. The clues that everybody else is doing it. 

Which one would you follow? The second is Most important. 

Okay. So How we do we go from one situation where one thing we're trying to curb is the accepted norm?

First - there's never a good day to enforce (regulate) it. There's no smooth transition. There's has to be a quick transformation. So, announce a day that the change is going to occur. Have people subscribe to it, so they all have agreed to it. Then start using huge fines to start curbing it that day. 

source: https://class.coursera.org/behavioralecon-002/lecture/135

Tonight I am happy because I am sad for you.

The Planning Fallacy

Whenever you're planning for some activity, try estimating it will take you twice as long, and then it might get done on time.

Few things I learned

That I am slowly losing...

1. Not indulging in gheebat. Not even letting the general conversation go in that direction. Not only not doing it, but not even letting it happen.

2. Being thankful about everything that happens, that is happening.

3. Seeing the good in everyone.

4. Not seeing the bad in everyone. There's good and bad in Everyone, so you can see bad if you set your mind to it. You have to train yourself to not see it. I had started doing it. Now I am seeing bad in others once again.

5. Remembering Allah when I feel lonely, so never feeling lonely. Losing this one slowly too.

6. Being comfortable with being by myself. Now I seem to require company.

7. Reading. Haven't read anything in a long time.

8. Writing. This one's kinda obvious, to you guys at least? No? Well, actually not. I have private blogs, that are now gathering dust. So yeah.

What? How?!

The White Rabbit put on his spectacles. "Where shall I begin, please your Majesty?" he asked.
"Begin at the beginning," the King said gravely, "and go on till you come to the end: then stop."

(Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Chapter 12)

"...research shows that low-level distractions can make a task feel boring..."

source: http://www.howcast.com/videos/413809-How-to-Study-for-a-Long-Time-without-Getting-Bored?p=7345

Thoughts

Everyday, you are going to have 60,000 conscious thoughts. And  each of these thoughts is either going to be bringing you closer to achieving your goals, or further away.

Lord's Prophets

Lord's prophets are not men in fancy cloths.

How to respond to rudeness

Read Quote of Marcus Geduld's answer to When you have a tattoo/tattoos and someone asks, "Don't you respect yourself?", how do you respond to it? on Quora

The God Argument

The problem of evil:

"Is he [God] willing to prevent evil, but not able? then is he impotent. Is he able, but not willing? then is he malevolent. Is he both able and willing? whence then is evil?" - Hume, David. "Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion".

But. If God doesn't exist, how do you define evil and good? What is good then, and what is evil? If there is no God, there's no evil, and there's no good. It's true that we're all wired to be 'moral'; and from a religious perspective, that makes perfect sense. But outside of the context of religion, why would the murder be wrong? Why would curing cancer be wrong? Why would creating cancer-like virus be evil?

If we agree that outside the context of religion, there's no good, and no evil, then we know that the problem of evil necessitates the existence of God. 

Why then God enables us to evil? Didn't he foresee the problem that would come arise of it?

Well He could have made us automatons. But we couldn't have loved, if we couldn't have hated. And then, there wouldn't be any choice, and then there wouldn't be any evil.

Okay. But He could have at least stopped the nature's disasters from happening. Well He could have. But He didn't. He is God. The good thing about that you don't have to seek anyone's approval. 

-- This is a work in progress. Will complete as mood be --

Wounds

The wound is the place where the Light enters you. 

Mowlana Rumi

Expertise

Life is short, [the] craft long, opportunity fleeting, experiment treacherous, judgment difficult.

—  Hippocrates (c. 400BC)

Tere ishq ne mujhay Ghum dia,
Mere ghum ki Umr daraz ho!

Ask and you shall receive

Things just got serious. Like three hours ago.

Let's do this.

Step 1. Slice off the crap out of your life. Just focus on what's important. The detrimental and wasteful would distance itself from you automatically.

On my fifth trip to France I limited myself to the words and phrases that people actually use. From the dog owners I learned “Lie down.” “Shut up,” and “Who shit on this carpet?” The couple across the road taught me to ask questions correctly, and the grocer taught me to count. Things began to come together, and I went from speaking like an evil baby to speaking like a hillbilly. “Is thems the thoughts of cows?” I’d ask the butcher, pointing to the calves’ brains displayed in the front window. “I want me some lamb chop with handles on ’em.”

— David Sedaris. Me Talk Pretty One Day

The smell of frying bread in butter, is the bread and butter, of the lonely chef.

Marcus on Writing

Some tips on writing from here


Write with your audience in your mind. Feel free to go as far as to imagine you're writing personally to one person. That person is your average-audience-person.

'One of the writer's main jobs is managing cognitive overload. If a reader has to keep more than three or four things in his head at once—or feels like he might have to—he's likely to shut down. Big walls of text often zonk readers before they even start reading. Really long paragraphs simply look daunting.'


You can use plot, characters or sensuality to entice the reader to carry one. Use verbs that entice imagery, that kind that you want your reader to feel while he/she's reading.

Another thing to keep in mind that humans think in terms of agents i.e. doers. So mention the agents where ever possible. In fact, tell a story, with a character. Humans like if there's a plot, more if there's a character, even more if the character is relatable. 

Say, "Indeed, my Lord has guided me to a straight path - a correct religion - the way of Abraham, inclining toward truth. And he was not among those who associated others with Allah." Say, "Indeed, my prayer, my rites of sacrifice, my living and my dying are for Allah , Lord of the worlds. No partner has He. And this I have been commanded, and I am the first [among you] of the Muslims." Say, "Is it other than Allah I should desire as a lord while He is the Lord of all things? And every soul earns not [blame] except against itself, and no bearer of burdens will bear the burden of another. Then to your Lord is your return, and He will inform you concerning that over which you used to differ."

—  (6:161-164)

That Look!

She looked at me in rather a rummy way. It was a nasty look. It made me feel as if I were something the dog had brought in and intended to bury time.

— P.G.Wodehouse. My Man Jeeves.1919.