Broken legs.

Abu Qilabah (d. 105 AH) was a famous Successor and student of Anas b. Malik. Once, he visited a soldier who had fallen from his house and broken both his legs. He told him, “I hope this is for your benefit and good.”

The soldier said, “O Abu Qilabah! And what benefit and good is there in having both my legs broken?”
He said, “What Allah has protected you from through this must be better.”
Three days later, the governor of Iraq sent for all the soldiers to go intercept the caravan of Hussein b. Ali b. Abi Talib at Karbala; this soldier said to his commander, “I cannot go, can’t you see my situation?” So he was excused.
A week afterwards, the news came of the massacre of the grandson of the Prophet (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam), at which the soldier said, “May Allah have mercy on Abu Qilabah! He was so true – it was better for me that my legs were broken.”
Lesson of the story: always put your trust in Allah, for what He has decreed for you will be for your own best, even if you don’t realize it at the time.
[ Ibn al-Jawzi's Sifat al-Safwa, 1/120].

A hypocrite with Khusu’

Abu Darda’ said, “Seek refuge in Allah from having khushu’ in hypocrisy.”
They asked him, “What is khushu’ in hypocrisy?”
He replied, “It is the body showing signs of khushu’ whilst the heart is empty of it.”

Meet the worst person at Hajj.

Abdullah ibn Al-Mubaarak narrates, “I went to Sufyaan ibn al-Uyaynah as the Day of Arafat was setting. He sat on his knees, his hands raised to the Heavens, and tears moistened his cheeks and beard. He turned and looked at me, so I asked him, ‘Amongst the people who have gathered here for Hajj, who is in the worst state?’

Sufyaan ibn al-Uyaynah said, “He who thinks that Allah will not forgive him.’”

Special Meeting with God

وَهَلْ أَتَاكَ حَدِيثُ مُوسَىٰ إِذْ رَأَىٰ نَارًا فَقَالَ لِأَهْلِهِ امْكُثُوا إِنِّي آنَسْتُ نَارًا لَّعَلِّي آتِيكُم مِّنْهَا بِقَبَسٍ أَوْ أَجِدُ عَلَى النَّارِ هُدًى

And has the story of Moses reached you? When he saw a fire and said to his family, “Stay here; indeed, I have perceived a fire; perhaps I can bring you a torch or find at the fire some guidance.” (20:10-11)

• This word is used for a torch. Hence this scene takes place during the night.
• Fire may contain: light and heat, only heat or only light. What Moses saw was the latter.
• If there is a fire in the desert during the night, everyone should see it. A unique quality of this fire was that only Moses could see it. The particle of emphasis is used to show that Moses had to convince his family that he is actually seeing a fire.
• This incident also highlights how to behave with one’s family. One should:
  • Not lie. To avoid lying or making a false promise la’la is used, which means perhaps.
  • Give them hope. la’la is also from huroof al-taraji, meaning hopefully.
  • Protect them. Moses is about to go into a potentially unsafe area. To prevent danger from reaching his family, he tells them to remain behind.
  • Tell them where one is going and when one may be returning. Since Moses does not know how long it will take, he tells his family to wait (mukth means to stay and wait).
  • Tell them the plan. Moses does this by saying either he is going to bring a torch or guidance.
  • Seek assistance when needed. Moses does not believe that by asking for help his manliness will be questioned.

Who is ruined?

طه مَا أَنزَلْنَا عَلَيْكَ الْقُرْآنَ لِتَشْقَىٰ

Ta. Ha.We have not sent down the Quran unto you to cause you distress (20:1-2)

From this ayah we learn that anyone who abandons the Quran will be distressed and ruined. This is explicitly mentioned in the following ayats in the same surah.

What are the rights of a Muslim?

An easy way to remember the rights of a Muslim:

1. When you enter his/her house and s/he gives you salam return the greeting.
2. At his house, he invites you for dinner: accept the invitation.
3. During the dinner, he asks for your advice: give him sincere advice.
4. While listening to the advice, he can’t stop sneezing: don’t stop saying yarhamkaallah (May Allah have mercy on you).
5. The food was contaminated and he got sick: visit him.
6. Unfortunately, he did not recover and died: attend his funeral.

Abu Hurairah (RAA) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (P.B.U.H.) said, “A Muslim has six duties towards other Muslims: When you meet him, you should salute him; when he invites you, accept his invitation; when he asks for your advice, give it to him; when he sneezes and praises Allah, say May Allah have mercy on you; when he is ill, visit him; and when he dies follow his funeral.” Related by Muslim.

How does Allah speak?

Ibn ‘Abbas was asked, “How will Allah speak to everyone at the same time on the Day of Judgement?’ He replied, ‘Just as He provides for everyone at the same time in this world.”