Ten Things We Waste

1. Our Knowledge: Wasted by not taking action with it.

2. Our Actions: Wasted by committing them without sincerity.

3. Our Wealth: Wasted by using on things that will not bring us ajr (reward from Allah). We waste our money, our status, our authority, on things which have no benefit in this life or in akhirah (hereafter).

4. Our Hearts: Wasted because they are empty from the love of Allah, and the feeling of longing to go to Him, and a feeling of peace and contentment. In it's place, our hearts are filled with something or someoneelse.

5. Our Bodies: Wasted because we don't use them in ibadah (worship) and service of Allah.

6. Our Love: Our emotional love is misdirected, not towards Allah, but towards something / someone else.

7. Our Time: Wasted, not used properly, to compensate for that which has passed, by doing what is righteous to make up for past deeds.

8. Our Intellect: Wasted on things that are not beneficial, that are detrimental to society and the individual, not in contemplation or reflection.

9. Our Service: Wasted in service of someone who will not bring us closer to Allah, or benefit in dunyaa(this world).

10. Our Dhikr (Remembrence of Allah): Wasted, because it does not touch us or our hearts.

Source: Precious Moments

Eating Fresh Fruits

Source: Precious Moments

Kesan zikir terhadap otak manusia

Otak hanyalah aktiviti-aktiviti bio-elektrik yang melibatkan sekumpulan saraf yang dipertanggungjawabk an untuk melakukan tugas-tugas tertentu bagi membolehkan ia berfungsi dengan sempurna. Setiap hari 14 juta saraf yang membentuk otak ini berinteraksi dengan 16 juta saraf tubuh yang lain. Semua aktiviti yang kita lakukan dan kefahaman atau ilmu yang kita peroleh adalah natijah daripada aliran interaksi bio-elektrik yang tidak terbatas.

Oleh itu, apabila seorang itu berzikir dengan mengulangi kalimat-kalimat Allah, seperti Subhanallah, beberapa kawasan otak yang terlibat menjadi aktif. Ini menyebabkan berlakunya satu aliran bio-elektrik di kawasan-kawasan saraf otak tersebut. Apabila zikir disebut berulang-ulang kali, aktiviti saraf ini menjadi bertambah aktif dan turut menambah tenaga bio-elektrik. Lama-kelamaan kumpulan saraf yang sangat aktif ini mempengaruhi kumpulan saraf yang lain untuk turut sama aktif. Dengan itu, otak menjadi aktif secara keseluruhan. Otak mula memahami perkara baru, melihat dari sudut perspektif berbeza dan semakin kreatif dan kritis, sedang sebelum berzikir otak tidak begini. Otak yang segar dan cergas secara tidak langsung mempengaruhi hati untuk melakukan kebaikan dan menerima kebenaran.

Hasil kajian makmal yang dilakukan terhadap subjek ini dimuatkan dalam majalah Scientific American, keluaran Disember 1993. satu kajian yang dilakukan di Universiti Washington dan ujian ini dilakukan melalui ujian imbasan PET yang mengukur kadar aktiviti otak manusia secara tidak sedar. Dalam kajian ini, sukarelawan diberikan satu senarai perkataan benda. Mereka dikehendaki membaca setiap perkataan tersebut satu persatu dan mengaitkan perkataan-perkataan dengan kata kerja yang berkaitan. Apabila sukarelawan melakukan tugas mereka, beberapa bahagian berbeza otak mempamerkan peningkatan aktiviti saraf, termasuk di bahagian depan otak dan korteks.

Menariknya, apabila sukarelawan ini mengulangi senarai perkataan yang sama berulang-ulang kali, aktiviti saraf otak merebak pada kawasan lain dan mengaktifkan kawasan saraf lain. Apabila senarai perkataan baru diberikan kepada mereka, aktiviti saraf kembali meningkat di kawasan pertama. Ini sekali gus membuktikan secara saintifik bahawa perkataan yang diulang-ulang seperti perbuatan berzikir, terbukti meningkatkan kecergasan otak dan menambah kemampuannya.

Ketika saintis Barat baru menemui mukjizat ini, kita sebagai umat Islam terpilih ini telah lama mengamalkannya dan menerima manfaatnya. Malang bagi mereka yang masih memandang enteng kepentingan berzikir dan mengabaikannya.

Sumber artikel: Precious Moment

Do you love me?

The cheerful girl with bouncy golden curls was almost five. Waiting with her mother at the checkout stand, she saw them: a circle of glistening white pearls in a pink foil box.

"Oh please, Mommy. Can I have them? Please, Mommy, please!"

Quickly the mother checked the back of the little foil box and then looked back into the pleading blue eyes of her little girl's upturned face.

"A dollar ninety-five. That's almost $2.00. If you really want them, I'll think of some extra chores for you and in no time you can save enough money to buy them for yourself. Your birthday's only a week away and you might get another crisp dollar bill from Grandma."

As soon as Jenny got home, she emptied her penny bank and counted out 17 pennies. After dinner, she did more than her share of chores and she went to the neighbor and asked Mrs. McJames if she could pick dandelions for ten cents.

On her birthday, Grandma did give her another new dollar bill and at last she had enough money to buy the necklace.

Jenny loved her pearls. They made her feel dressed up and grown up. She wore them everywhere--Sunday school, kindergarten, even to bed. The only time she took them off was when she went swimming or had a bubble bath. Mother said if they got wet, they might turn her neck green.

Jenny had a very loving daddy and every night when she was ready for bed, he would stop whatever he was doing and come upstairs to read her a story. One night when he finished the story, he asked Jenny, "Do you love me?"

"Oh yes, Daddy. You know that I love you."

"Then give me your pearls."

"Oh, Daddy, not my pearls. But you can have Princess--the white horse from my collection. The one with the pink tail. Remember, Daddy? The one you gave me. She's my favorite."

"That's okay, Honey. Daddy loves you. Good night." And he brushed her cheek with a kiss.

About a week later, after the story time, Jenny's daddy asked again, "Do you love me?"

"Daddy, you know I love you."

"Then give me your pearls.""Oh Daddy, not my pearls. But you can have my babydoll. The brand new one I got for my birthday. She is so beautiful and you can have the yellow blanket that matches her sleeper."

"That's okay. Sleep well. God bless you, little one. Daddy loves you." And as always, he brushed her cheek with a gentle kiss.

A few nights later when her daddy came in, Jenny was sitting on her bed with her legs crossed Indian-style. As he came close, he noticed her chin was trembling and one silent tear rolled down her cheek.

"What is it, Jenny? What's the matter?"

Jenny didn't say anything but lifted her little hand up to her daddy. And when she opened it, there was her little pearl necklace. With a little quiver,she finally said, "Here, Daddy. It's for you."

With tears gathering in his own eyes, Jenny's kind daddy reached out with one hand to take the dime-store necklace, and with the other hand he reached into his pocket and pulled out a blue velvet case with a strand of genuine pearls and gave them to Jenny.

He had them all the time. He was just waiting for her to give up the dime-store stuff so he could give her genuine treasure.