Yes! I am the richest woman but the unhappiest....

Here lies an eventful story which proved beyond doubt that wealth, whatever the amount one holds, cannot by itself be the basis for the achievement of real happiness! Here is the story which for years dominated the minds of writers, reporters and newsmen, as well as the pages of newspapers, books and magazines! This is the story of Christina Onassis daughter of the famous Greek tycoon, Aristotle Onassis who owned fleets of ships and aeroplanes, lakes and islands, real estates, huge bank deposits, etc. Following the death of her father, Christina was the only one left behind as the legal heiress to the vast resources of her father besides her late father's second wife Jacqueline Kennedy. The enormous liquid inheritances were to the tune of billions of dollars besides the immovable properties, the fleet of ships and aeroplanes, lakes and islands, real estates, large bank deposits, etc 'What an inheritance that was! Certainly, to the judgment, reasoning, feelings and standards of most people, someone inheriting such a huge fortune should be the happiest person on earth but was this true for Christina? The answer to this question can only be arrived at after going through the following pages which briefly explain the known course of her life. 

            Christina got married to an American during her father's lifetime; but only a few months thereafter the marriage broke up and ended up in divorce. After the death of her father, she got married to a Greek for the second time but their marriage lasted only a few months, if not weeks, before it was all over! 

            Christina stayed out of marriage for quite some time apparently looking for a happy life outside the marriage bond. However, that happiness did not materialize and, after a few years had elapsed, she felt like flying to find a life of happiness under the marriage bond once again. This time her choice for a husband was from a completely different camp from communist Russia! To many who knew her free style western life, this step, indeed, became an interesting, if not perturbing or excruciating experience. And when once asked by a pressman of this move, she had a ready answer which was simple, short, but frank: "I am searching for happiness". 

            Of course, her two previous marriages were with men from the West; and since they both failed, she thought that she could "discover" some happiness in the East. But here too she was only trying out her luck with no guarantees. When pressmen interviewed her for a second time her unchanged reply was: "I am searching for happiness..!" 

            But was she really happy about her marriage in Russia? Never! She hardly remained with the Russian for more than a year before she eventually divorced him! 

            Apparently, that was not the end of the marriage "dilemma". Back in Europe she decided to give it one more final try this time with a French industrialist, the fourth husband from a fourth different country in hardly a period of two years! What a miserable and unsecured life it has been. It was during one of those occasions at a party relating to this last marriage that a pressman asked her whether she was the richest woman and her frank reply went as follows: Yes! I am the richest woman but the unhappiest.... 

            The marriage with the French industrialist went ahead as planned but it took only a few months to exist before it was all gone! 

            Having failed to achieve happiness under marriage life, Christina vowed not to marry again and endeavored to achieve happiness "on her own". However, happiness was impossible for her even on her own and she spent the rest of her life in a desperate manner full of frustrations and disappointments and of frenzy travels between the world's major cities until, finally, she was found lying dead inside a hotel in Argentina. Who killed her? She committed suicide! What an unhappy ending for a very, very wealthy lady!

            Was her wealth able to buy her happiness? 

            NEVER, INDEED!!!!!!!

Source:The Way To Happiness 
Based on:  "Happiness Between Illusion And Reality" By Dr. Nasser Al-Omar And "Causes Of Happiness" By Sheikh Abdur-Rahman Al-Sa'adi. 

Note: Wealth and poverty, by Islamic standards, have nothing to do with material possessions, they are based on contentment and discontent. If you are content with what you have been blessed with, you are wealthy. This is because wealth is not the possession of abundance; wealth is freedom from need.

(From: Treatise For The Seekers of Guidance)

Distinction is earned by achievement.

A rich man said:

I have no special feelings about being the richest man in the world. I live an ordinary life in a modest apartment with my wife. I do not  drink or smoke and I do not like the billionaire lifestyle as depicted in news papers, with luxury yachts, mansions in country sides, noisy parties and marriage too beautiful girls, which usually ends in divorce with settlements costing millions of dollars.

I like working and I'm happy to work. I usually take my lunch with me to eat it in the workplace. I d not feel happy when I think about all the millions I own. What makes me happy is when I remember how I helped to change my home town of Tokyo from a humble town to a capital city that is the focal point of word attention with its modern architecture that I introduced...in brief, my happiness comes from my achievements.

Beaver brook said: “I accumulated a great deal of wealth, but i realized from experience that persisting in that game—the game of accumulating wealth—was very dangerous and had no end, and it would consume my life and happiness. So, i changed my profession and found a job i liked in the publishing field, which did not generate much wealth, but it brought me happiness and served society. I advise every man who has accumulated enough wealth to suffice him, to stop playing this money-game and retire early, so he can enjoy what he has achieved and plan to do the work that he likes, so tat he can serve society and enjoy his time.”

-Taken from One of the books of Dr. Aidh al-Qarni

'L' is for learning and 'O' is for observing

Let them make their own choice! Let your children decide! Recent studies by Dr Justin Barrett, a senior researcher at the University of Oxford's Centre for Anthropology and Mind, show that children are born believers in God.

Prophet Muhammed (peace be upon him) already told us this 1400 years ago!

He said: “Every child is born on the Fitrah (natural disposition), however his parents make him a Jew, Christian or Zoroastrian”. (Bukhari & Muslim).

One of the first lessons a human being ever learned was taught by a crow (Quran: Al-Ma'eda 5:31), yet it seems that until this day, there's still a few things that some humans could learn from crows!~Sheik Waleed Abdul Hakeem

People don't appreciate what they have until it's gone.

A farmer was preparing his land for planting crops. As he dug through the soil the equipments kept getting stuck in one place. Out of curiosity he decided to check out what was in there. He dug the ground and discovered a big box. 

The farmer quickly opened the box to see what was in it but to his disappointment, there were only black stones inside the box. He decided to throw those stones at the birds when they come to eat the crops at the time for harvesting. 

Eventually, a day came when the crops were ready and the birds come to eat them. So, he started throwing the stones at the birds from where ever they showed up. 

One day a man was walking by the field who sells precious stones such as pearls, diamonds, rubies etc. Two stones happened to fall right in front of him when the farmer threw them at the birds. 

The man brought the stones to the farmer and asked if he was willing to sell them to him for $5,000 each. The farmer thought that the man was joking so he replied, "No." Then the man offered $50,000 for each stone and explained that they were precious jewels. Now the farmer started crying saying that he had only 1 or 2 stones left and the rest were thrown away. 

Moral of the Story:
In fact, every second of our time is  valuable. Today, we are just throwing them away here and there. But on the Day of Judgement, we will realize how valuable they were but it will be too late.

Let's seek it...

“Let not the people come to know except of your happiness, and let them not see except your smile. If life becomes constricted upon you, then within the Qur’an lies your orchard. If you feel curtailed and restricted, then to the heavens raise your call. And if they ask you of your affairs, then praise Allah and smile. 

If you see an ant on the path, then do not crush it, and seek the Face of Allah thereby, so that He will have mercy on you like you had mercy on it, and remember that it glorifies Allah, so do not halt this glorification by killing it.

And if you pass by a bird drinking from the blessing of water, then do not pass close to it in case you startle it, and seek the Face of Allah thereby, so that He grants you safety from fear on the Day when hearts shall reach the throat.

And if you come across a cat in the middle of the road, then avoid hitting it, and seek the Face of Allah thereby, so that He protects you from an evil death.

And if you want to throw out food, then make it your intention that animals can eat from it, and seek the Face of Allah thereby, so that He provides you from whence you do not expect.

Do good, no matter how small it seems to you, because you do not know which good deed will enter you into Paradise.

And if you wish to spread this statement, then intend good, so that Allah may relieve you of a trial from the trials of this world and the Hereafter.”

                                                  -- Shaykh Abu Ishaq al-Huwayni (hafidhahullah)

Three Things...

"Ask Allah to keep 3 things away from you: Poverty, life-constraints, and sorrow. 

And ask Him to preserve 3 things for you: Your soul, your family, and your religion. 

And ask Him to delight you with 3 things: Extended provisions, gratitude for blessings, and a long life.

And ask Him to divert 3 things away from you: The Fire of Hell, the eye of the jealous one, and the rancor of the spiteful ones.

Ameen O Allah, Lord of the Worlds."

Sheik Shuraim memorably stated

An important reminder on how to prioritize the love for the two most important women in your life.


In a rare interview with the Al Watan newspaper, when asked about his wife's role in his success, Saud Ash-Shuraim memorably stated,

"Before I say something about my wife, I can’t forget my mother’s love and mercy for me in my childhood and youth as well; As she raised me in orphanage in childhood... her love is a tonic for me. May Allah shower His mercy upon her as she did with me when I was a child.And as for my wife, she has proven herself to be the best companion for me in happiness and sorrow, she is there when I need her, cheers me up, and tries her best to lighten my sorrows. May Allah include this in her good deeds."

A Poet Wrote...

Know that Love came from God, while Lust came from the devil.

Love is wonderful,while Lust is not.

Woe onto those who said Love is hurtful, for they have yet to taste the true love.

Love is an eternity pleasurable thing. It can not harm the lover nor the beloved.

But lust is a hurtful thing, for its pleasures are only temporary.

People complains on how they were hurt when they were in love.

What liars are they? for they have yet to taste the true love.

For what they thought is love was actually lust.

Love is one of the purest thing in the world,

It is what makes the World go around.

The reason that every atom is vibrating.

For their love for the Divine is uncontrollable,

For He is the Most Loving!

The Father Of Hanifa.

In a delightful report about how Imam Abu Hanifa received his name (his original name was Numan bin Thabit bin Zuta bin Mah), an account of why the wife is forbidden to take more than one husband is recounted. 'Abu Hanifa' is an unusual name because it means 'the father of Hanifah', and Hanifah was his daughter. It was not the custom in those days to do this. Normally, the name would be 'the father of the name of a son.' How this came about is quite edifying.

One day Imam Abu Hanifa was asked a question that, for the first time in his illustrious career, he was unable to answer. The question was, "Why were women forbidden to marry more than one husband at a time?"

To make a long story short, Abu Hanifa's daughter said that she knew the answer and would solve this question if her father would make a promise to her that if she succeeded in solving this problem, he would then assure her a place in history. Abu Hanifa agreed.

So she gathered a group of women together and gave each of them a cup. Then she brought in a large bowl of milk and asked each of them to dip their cups in the milk and to fill their cups. They did so. She then asked them to pour back the milk into the bowl. They did this too. She then asked them to re-fill their cups taking back only their own milk that they had poured into the bowl.

This, obviously, was impossible to do. Hanifah had clearly demonstrated the kind of predicament that would be created if a woman had several husbands. With more than one husband, if she were to become pregnant, she would have exceptional difficulties determining who the actual father was? Identifying parentage and lineage would then be insurmountable for the offspring.

Imam Abu Hanifa was so pleased with her answer that he took the name 'Abu Hanifa', 'the father of Hanifah', so his daughter did indeed earn a place in history.

Prophet's Wisdom.

When Prophet Muhammad (salallahu alayhi wa sallam) was travelling on the road with his cousin, Al-Fadl ibn Abbas, a woman stopped him to ask him a question. The woman was very beautiful, and Al-Fadl couldn’t help but stare at her.
Seeing this, Prophet Muhammad reached out his hand and turned his cousin’s face away.”
He didn’t tell the woman to cover her face.
He didn’t tell her to change her clothing.
He didn’t tell her that her appearance was too tempting or indecent.
He averted his cousin’s impolite stare instead.

“

—	Bukhari Volume 8, Book 74, Number 247

He left her with the desire to repent....

Both of them lived in a small town that was populated by only tens or hundreds of people. He was in love with her, and so when he saw her walking alone one night, he followed her until he had her cornered. When he came near to her, he said, “Woman, I crave for you.”

She said, “First go and see if all the people are asleep.”

Very pleased at her response, he walked around the town and returned. “Everyone is asleep,” he said.

“What about Allah Azza wa Jal?” she asked. “Is He sleeping at this hour?”

“Woman, what are you saying?” he exclaimed. “Indeed, Allah does not sleep: neither slumber nor sleep overtake Him.”

“The One Who hasn’t slept and doesn’t sleep sees us, even if people don’t see us,” she said. “Do you not fear He Who neither sleeps nor is heedless of anything that happens?”

The man left her alone with tears flowing from his eyes, having nothing in mind except the desire to repent to the One Who neither sleeps nor is heedless of anything that happens.
SOURCE : “Stories of Repentance” ; Compiled by: Muhammad Abduh Mughawiri

Man was created, not evolved.

Subhanallah, if you were to take down every single part of a car and lay it down on the floor, this is how it would look like, but if you do the same to a human body, just the total length of the blood vessels would be 96,000 Km in length (It would extend around the world twice!)

Ironically, you will never find someone telling you that this car has created itself, or "evolved" from a tiny engine!

Allahuakber Kabeera! Highest, Lofty and Perfect Praise Be to Almighty Allah (swt) alone who created us, the finest and the best of all creations.

Transitory things are preferred over Permanent ones..

A poor righteous man asked a father for the hand of his daughter in marriage, but he refused because the young man didn’t have enough money in his bank account, then that father accepted to give his daughter in marriage to a rich man who wasn’t a practicing Muslim. People asked the father:” how could you accept to marry your daughter to such person?” he just replied:“Allah The Guide, will show him the right path in InshaAllah”.

But didn’t he know that Al Hadi “The Guide” who will guide that rich man is Ar-Razzaq “The Provider” Who will provide that poor man? Allah says in Qur’an: “And marry those among you who are single and the pious of your slaves and maid-servants. If they be poor, Allah will enrich them out of His grace. Allah is of ample means, Aware.” [ Sûrah al-Nûr : 32]

Unfortunately we are in a time where status and wealth are more important than Deen and good manners! We are in a time where some parents think that money is the secret of their daughter’s happiness. They forget that a righteous husband is the key to her Jannah and that is the ultimate happiness. They forget that marrying their daughter to a righteous man, they makes sure that the husband gives her happiness for the sake of Allah. If the man has a healthy relationship with Allah Azzawajal, he will be good to her for Allah’s sake, he will automatically obey her, respect her, love her and care about her for the sake of Allah (Subhanu Wa Tala).


Taken from Islamic Stories.

This story resembles our life cycle.

"Not long ago, three friends came to the New York City. They decided to stay in a hotel during the visit. It so happened that their room ended up being on the 60th floor. The policy of the hotel was that every night after 12:00 a.m. the elevators are shut down for security reasons. 

So on the next day, the three friends rented a car and went out to explore the city. They enjoyed movies, concerts, and other things throughout the whole day. At one point, they remembered that they have to get back to the hotel before 12 a.m. When they arrived, it was beyond 12 a.m. at night. The elevators were shut down. There was no other way to get back to their room but to take the stairs all the way to the 60th floor.

All of a sudden, one friend got an idea. He said "For the first 20 floors, I will tell jokes to keep us going. Then another one of us could say wisdom stories for the next 20 floors. Then, we will cover the other 20 floors with sad stories."

So, one of the friends started with the jokes. With laughs and joy, they reached the 20th floor.

Now, another friend started saying stories that are full of wisdom. So, they learned a lot while reaching the 40th floor.

Now, it was time for the sad stories. So, the third friend started thus, "My first sad story is that I left the key for the room in the car."

Now, what is the point of this story? This story resembles our life cycle. For the first 20 years of our life, we spend time in joking and enjoying whatever is out there. Then, after we reach 20, we go into the work force, get married, have kids and this is the time when we use our wisdom. Then, if we reach 40, we finally see the white hairs and begin to think that my life is coming to an end.It's better that we start our life in the very beginning by remembering death rather than preparing for it at the end our life when very few of us have the energy to obey Allah completely.

"I am because we are"

An anthropologist proposed a game to the kids in an African tribe. He put a basket full of fruit near a tree and told the kids that who ever got there first, won the sweet fruits. 

When he told them to run they all took each others hands and ran together, then sat together enjoying their treats.

When he asked them why they had run like that as one could have had all the fruits for himself they said:
''UBUNTU, how can one of us be happy if all the other ones are sad?''

'UBUNTU' in the Xhosa culture means: "I am because we are"

''None of you [truly] believes until he loves for his brother that which he loves for himself''
(Prophet Muhammed salAllahu alayhi wasalam).


UBUNTU! Lets END hunger!

For the sake of honor...

One of the [french] soldiers wrote in his diaries during the liberation war [of Algeria]:

“When we use to perform raid and sweep operations in the villages and mountains looking for the Mujahideen, I used to feel a pain in my heart and humiliated with myself by the reaction of the women as they used to run and escape with the speed of lightning into the animal stables when they saw us and would quickly stain themselves with animal waste and droppings so that we would be disgusted by them when we tried to rape them and not come close to them because of the foul smell which comes out from them…truly a picture that will not depart my mind so long as I am alive and makes me respect those who used to swim in animal waste for the sake of their honor.”

Realization of a Rich Man...

Everything can be price tagged but not love .

This following story I read on the facebook and felt like sharing ...

Today, I interviewed my Uncle, the owner of a multimillion dollar insurance company, for a school research paper. As we discussed wealth as a measurement for success, he said, “You know, the wealthiest I’ve ever felt was the day I married your aunt, because I finally realized I had something money could never buy.”
Oh ALLAH! Grant us the love of Mohammad (Peace be upon him) and Khadijah (R.A). Oh ALLAH, grant us pious spouses and offspring Aameen.

A Shortest Love Story.

They Found Allah and lived happily ever after..

See deep in yourself and find the secret of life,
At least unite with yourself if you refuse to be mine,
Man’s world is but play and waste,
Eternal is the wealth of the Hereafter,
Man’s wealth comes and goes like a shadow,
You lose everything, world and Hereafter, when you submit to someone else, except the creator.

An Enlightening Example.

When you see a sign warning about a danger ahead, you don't get angry at the person who put the sign and accuse him of limiting your freedom of walking. On the contrary, you feel happy that this person has saved you from an upcoming danger!
In the same way, there is a huge difference between a person who sees the laws of Allah as a limit on his freedom, and those who see it as a protection and safety measure for their own good!

 (Inspired by Sh. An'Nabulsi)

O Men, Let's Imitate This Man...

He awoke at night and prayed for his nation until his ankles swelled. In return, his nation sleeps at night till there eyes swell. (SalAllahu Alaihi Wa Sallam)

I know a man who lost his parents at a young age. He was very good looking, impressive, 

intelligent, wise, courageous, fearless and a hard worker . He never judged anyone on 

their pasts or looks, and was moderate, open minded and tolerant. He Cleaned after 

himself and sewed his own clothes .  He was a man enough to love a woman fifteen years

older than him, He worked for her and made her stronger, opened his heart to her, 

shared his fears to no one but her. He was romantic and was faithful to her till her last 

breath. His neighbour was a Jewish and his cousin-in- law was a Christian priest. 

Beaten and exiled when he was helpless but was merciful when he became stronger. He 

built a long lasting nation out of nothing in the last 20 years of his noble life. He had no 

parents, but loved his daughters and grandchildren very much and His last will was 

“Be good to women”. 

This man was a mercy for all mankind, this is our Prophet Muhammad salalahu alayhi wasalaam /Peace be Upon Him ♥

Happiness is The Wealth of The Poor.

Contentment is the greatest richness in this world.

From the book, “The True Secret” by Sister Amira Ayad. The story carries a strong and meaningful message behind it.

The author says, “When I was a young girl, my grandmother used to tell me a bedtime story about a wealthy and powerful sultan who was always unhappy. All the physicians and alchemists of the kingdom came to heal him, but nothing was wrong with his health. Some of them suggested healthful food, special herbs, holidays…he tried it all but he had no success; he was still unhappy.

One day a wise man came to the sultan and suggested that he would only find happiness if he took the shirt of a continuously happy person and wore it. All of the sultan’s men went out on an extensive search for a person who was continuously happy. It seemed like an easy task in the beginning, but it turned out to very challenging. None of the people that they questioned could claim happiness. They were happy sometimes, maybe even most of the time, but none of them was happy all the time.

The sultan’s men had almost given up. Then, while one of them was walking home through the woods one day, he heard singing. It was the singing of a poor wood-chopper who was cutting trees. For days, the sultan’s men watched the lowly wood-chopper while he happily performed his tremendously exhausting job. He was the one they were looking for. He was always happy.

Finally, they stepped forward and asked the man: “Are you always happy?” The wood-chopper replied surprisingly: “Yes, Alhamdulillah.” The men were thrilled, they had finally found the cure for their sultan. They offered the wood-chopper a bag of gold coins in exchange for one of his shirts. The poor wood-chopper replied innocently: “I’m sorry. I can’t give you any shirts.” The men were taken aback and offered him a large fortune; they even offered him a palace. The poor man replied: “It’s not about money, you see. I’m simply so poor that I don’t have any shirts!”

My grandmother always ended her story with her famous conclusion. The only man in the kingdom who was happy all the time was the poorest one of all. He did not even have a shirt to wear, but that did not stop him from finding continuous happiness.

I have to admit, I did not enjoy this story very much when I was young. It was not funny and not exciting, so what was it all about, I wondered. It was a difficult concept for me to grasp at the time.

My grandmother’s story shares an age-old wisdom: you can choose to be happy, if you want to, no matter what your circumstances. Happiness has nothing to do with your wealth, your occupation, or your social position. It is all in your mind. Your happiness is your own decision. It is your decision to accept, acknowledge and embrace the blessings of Allah سبحانه وتعالى; it is your decision to be content, grateful, and satisfied. Remember the verse in the Qur’an:

فَمَنِ اتَّبَعَ هُدَايَ فَلا يَضِلُّ وَلا يَشْقَى

Then whoever follows My guidance shall neither go astray nor fall into distress and misery. (Surah Taha: 123)

Happiness is an inner feeling; it is the contentment and satisfaction of your soul. You are the only one responsible for your own happiness. I know many people who keep saying, “If I were richer, I would be happier,” or “If I pass this exam, I will be happier.”  There is always an ‘if’ involved. Their happiness is dependent on some worldly objective in their lives, but let me assure you that even “if” this objective is reached, there will always be another one waiting, further postponing their happiness. Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم said: “Seek the help of Allah, and do not be frustrated. If something befalls you, do not say: If I had done this, such and such would have happened. Say: Allah decreed, and what Allah wills, He does. Indeed, the word ‘if’ opens the door for evil.” (Sahih Muslim)” (Pg 45-47)