Showing posts with label Readings from Islam. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Readings from Islam. Show all posts

Saturday, August 18, 2007

In the name of God the compassionate, the merciful.
All praise belongs to God, the Lord of all being. He is compassionate and merciful. He is the master of the day of judgement.
We worship only you; in you alone we seek refuge. Guide us along the straight path, the path of those whom you have blessed - not the path of those who have incurred your wrath, nor the path of those who have gone astray.
Quran 1:1 - 7

Monday, August 13, 2007

All creatures in the heavens and on the earth give glory to God. He is mighty and wise. To him belongs the kingdom of the heavens and the earth. He ordains life and death, and has power over all things. He is the first and the last, the seen and the unseen. He knows all. He created the heavens and the earth in six days. He is secure in his power. He knows all that happens below the surface of the earth, and he knows all that emerges from the earth. He knows all that comes down from the heavens, and all that ascends to the heavens. He is close to you, wherever you are. God is aware of all your actions.
Quran 57:1 - 4

Saturday, August 11, 2007

The merciful God taught you the Quran. He created human beings, and gave them language. The sun and the moon follow the course he has ordained. The herbs and trees bow down in adoration. He raised up the sky and set all things in balance; he commanded you not to upset that balance, but to respect it. He laid out the earth for all creatures; and he planted upon it trees that bear blossom and fruit, husks that carry grain, and herbs that emit fragrance. He created human beings from dry clay, as a potter creates pots; and he created spirits from the flames of fire. The Lord is present where the sun rises in summer, and where the sun rises in winter. He is present where the sun sets in summer and where the sun sets in winter. Which of the Lord's blessings would you deny?
Quran 55: 1-25

Monday, August 6, 2007

Your God is one God. There is no god but him. He is merciful and compassionate. There are many signs of God for men and women of understanding. There is the creation of the heavens and the earth. There is the alteration of night and day. There are the ships sailing the ocean with cargoes that bring pleasure to people. There is the rain that God sends down from the sky; by this means he revives the barren earth, and nourishes the creatures that live in the earth. And there are the changing winds, and the clouds that are driven through the atmosphere between the earth and the sky.
Quran 2:163-4

Saturday, August 4, 2007

Among God's signs are ships which sail like mountains across the ocean. When God pleases, he calms the wind, so the ships lie motionless on the bosom of the ocean. The wealth of this world, which God has bestowed on you, brings only fleeting pleasure. Far better and more enduring is God's re2ward to those who believe and put their trust in him; who shun the gross sins and indecencies; who, when angered, are quick to forgive; who obey their Lord, and are regular in their prayers; who take advice from other believers when they must make important decisions; who give to others parts of the wealth which God gives them; and who, when injustice occurs, strive to restore justice.
Quran: 42:32-39

Thursday, August 2, 2007

As you find God, you lose your individual identity. with the loss of individual identity your soul is made pure. In this state of purity you lose your personal attributes. As you lose your personal attributes, you become wholly present to God. By being wholly present to God, you are wholly lost to the self. When God first overwhelms you by manifesting himself, you are bewildered - as if drunk. But as you lose the self, you have the clarity of sobriety. You see all things as they are, and you know their place and qualities.
Junayd: Tawhid 1

Monday, July 30, 2007

Some people asked Rabi'a: 'Why do you not take a husband?' She replied: 'There are three questions, which absorb all my attention; if you can answer these questions, I shall take a husband. First, at the moment of death, will my faith be sound or not? Second, will the record of my deeds be put in my right hand, or in my left hand? Third, will I be in the group which is led to paradise, or in the group which is led to hell?' They said: 'We cannot answer these questions.' She said: 'With such agonizing questions on my mind, how can I concern myself with taking a husband?'
Attar: Rabi'a: 24

Sunday, July 29, 2007

It is through God that you can be guided towards him. And to obtain this guidance you may seek his permission to find him. When he grants this permission, you recognize his unity. Recognizing his unity is the essence of faith in God. Faith in God leads to knowledge of God. Knowledge of God implies obedience in his commands. Obedience to God's commands is the means whereby you ascend towards him. And by ascending towards God you will eventually reach him.
Junayd: Tawhid 1