“God does not forbid you from being good to those who have not fought you in the religion or driven you from your homes, or from being just towards them. God loves those who are just.” 

Surah al-Mumtahana: ayah 8

رَبَّنَا أَفْرِغْ عَلَيْنَا صَبْرًا وَتَوَفَّنَا مُسْلِمِينَ

Rabbana afrigh 'alayna sabraw wa tawaffana Muslimeen

Our Lord! pour out on us patience, and cause us to die as Muslims.

Surah Al-A'raf - 7:126

May the sun never burn your skin.

May no rain make you cold.

May no stone get in your way.

Come back to your tribe like a flowing river.

The tragedy of life is not death,

but what we let die inside of us while we live.

Norman Cousins

The vision must be followed by the venture.

It is not enough to stare up the steps.

We must step up the stairs.

Vance Havner

Zalia lace blouse, Bazaar22 pastel pink palazzo, 

Kate Spade Delancey St Noel Camden bag, Zalora suede cream heels, pink shawl

And one of His signs is that He created mates for you from yourselves that you may find tranquility in them, and He put between you love and compassion; most surely there are signs in this for a people who reflect.

Surah Al Rum: ayah 21

وَمَا تَنْقِمُ مِنَّا إِلَّا أَنْ آمَنَّا بِآيَاتِ رَبِّنَا لَمَّا جَاءَتْنَا ۚ رَبَّنَا أَفْرِغْ عَلَيْنَا صَبْرًا وَتَوَفَّنَا مُسْلِمِينَ 

Wama tanqimu minna illa an amanna biayati rabbina lamma jaatna rabbana afrigh AAalayna sabran watawaffana muslimeena

And you do not resent us except because we believed in the signs of our Lord when they came to us. Our Lord, pour upon us patience and let us die as Muslims (in submission to You)."

Surah Al-Araf: ayah 126

It is not the beauty of the building you should look at, 

it's the construction of the foundation that 

will stand in the test of time.

David Allen Coe

يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّا خَلَقْنَاكُمْ مِنْ ذَكَرٍ وَأُنْثَىٰ وَجَعَلْنَاكُمْ شُعُوبًا وَقَبَائِلَ لِتَعَارَفُوا ۚ إِنَّ أَكْرَمَكُمْ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ أَتْقَاكُمْ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ خَبِيرٌ

Ya ayyuha alnnasu inna khalaqnakum min thakarin waontha wajaAAalnakum shuAAooban waqaba-ila litaAAarafoo inna akramakum AAinda Allahi atqakum inna Allaha AAaleemun khabeerun

Human beings, We created you all from a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes so that you may know one another. Verily the noblest of you in the sight of Allah is the most God-fearing of you.Surely Allah is All-Knowing, All-Aware.
(Surah Al Hujuraat:13)

إِذْ قَالَ يُوسُفُ لأَبِيهِ يَآ أبَتِ إنّي رَأَيْتُ أَحَدَ عَشَرَ كَوْكَباً وَالشَّمْسَ وَالْقَمَرَ رَأَيْتُهُمْ لِي 

سَاجِدِينَ

Ith qala yoosufu liabeehi ya abati innee raaytu ahada AAashara kawkaban waalshshamsa waalqamara raaytuhum lee sajideen

"When, Yusuf said to his father: ‘O my father! Verily I did see (dreamt) eleven stars and the sun and the moon: I saw them prostrating themselves unto me".(Surah Yusuf: ayah 4)

 وَأَلْقَيْتُ عَلَيْكَ مَحَبَّةً مِنِّي وَلِتُصْنَعَ عَلَىٰ عَيْنِي

Wa-alqayka ‘alayka mahabbatan minnii walitushna’a’laa ‘ainii

"And I spread My love over you in order that you might be reared in My sight."
(Surah Taha: ayah 39)

وَإِن يَمْسَسْكَ اللّهُ بِضُرٍّ فَلاَ كَاشِفَ لَهُ إِلاَّ هُوَ وَإِن يَمْسَسْكَ بِخَيْرٍ فَهُوَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدُيرٌ

Wain yamsaska Allahu bidurrin fala kashifa lahu illa huwa wain yamsaska bikhayrin fahuwa AAala kulli shayin qadeerun

"And if Allah should touch you with adversity, there is no remover of it except Him. And if He touches you with good – then He is over all things competent."

(Surah-Al-Inaam: ayah 17)

And We have enjoined upon man, to his parents, good treatment. His mother carried him with hardship and gave birth to him with hardship, and his gestation and weaning (period) is thirty months. (He grows) until, when he reaches maturity and reaches (the age of) forty years, he says, "My Lord, enable me to be grateful for Your favour which You have bestowed upon me and upon my parents and to work righteousness of which You will approve and make righteous for me my offspring. Indeed, I have repented to You, and indeed, I am of the Muslims.

 (Surah Al-Ahqaf: ayah 15)

Prophet Sulaiman (as), was a king, a military leader and a Prophet. He had been given by Allah (swt) the ability to communicate with and command the birds and animals, and they were among his battalions of human and jinn. He was a strong, decisive leader of the people and animals and a great Prophet of Allah which came first and foremost over his kingship and the power and riches bestowed upon him by Allah (swt). He had good command over his armies and good knowledge of them so that when one bird, the Hudhud was missing he was able to notice his absence.

He inspected the birds, and said: “What is the matter that I see not the hoopoe? Or is he among the absentees?". (20)

“I will surely punish him with a severe torment, or slaughter him, unless he brings me a clear reason.” (21)

The Hudhud eventually returned telling Sulaiman that he had important information about Queen of Sheba, knowledge which Sulaiman did not have. Saba was ruled by a wealthy queen but that the queen and her people worshipped the sun; the Hudhud bird brought many fine details about the queen of Saba (the queen of Sheba) and her people. Note that the Hudhud bird mentions the greatness of the throne of the queen.

But the Hudhud stayed not long, he (came up and) said: “I have grasped (the knowledge of a thing) which you have not grasped and I have come to you from Saba’ (Sheba) with true news. (22)

“I found a woman ruling over them”, she has been given all things that could be possessed by any ruler of the earth, and she has a great throne. (23)

However, the bird did not judge the queen and her people according to the dunya things that they possessed but rather he judged them according to their kufr - he stated that he found the queen and her people worshipping the sun. Having mentioned the greatness of the throne of the queen, he goes on to praise Allah (swt) stating that Allah is the Owner of the Supreme Throne and none has the right to be worshipped but Him:

“I found her and her people worshipping the sun instead of Allâh, and Shaitân (Satan) has made their deeds fair-seeming to them, and has barred them from (Allâh’s) Way, so they have no guidance,” (24)

As Shaitân (Satan) has barred them from Allâh's Way, so they do not worship (prostrate themselves before) Allah who brings to light what is hidden in the heavens and the earth, and knows what you conceal and what you reveal. (Tafsir At-Tabarî) (25)

Allâh, Lâ ilâha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He), the Lord of the Supreme Throne! (26)

Sulaiman listened to the information given by the Hudhud bird and then sent the bird back to Saba with a letter to deliver.

Sulaiman said: “We shall see whether you speak the truth or you are (one) of the liars." (27)

“Go you with this letter of mine, and deliver it to them, then draw back from them, and see what (answer) they return.” (28)

The letter was simple, beginning in the name of Allah (swt), telling the queen she should not consider herself exalted against Sulaiman, that is to say that she was not equal to him and that she should come to Sulaiman in submission. She was not equal in the sense that that Sulaiman was a Prophet and had greatness bestowed upon him by Allah. The command to come to Sulaiman as muslims has been explained by the mufassireen in two ways. It can mean ‘come as Muslims’ or ‘come in submission’ since the words islam and muslim mean ’submission’.

She said: “O chiefs! Verily! Here is delivered to me a noble letter, (29)

“Verily, It is from Sulaimân, and verily, It (reads): In the Name of Allâh, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful; (30)

“Be you not exalted against me, but come to me as Muslims (true believers who submit to Allâh with full submission)’ ” (31)

The Queen of Saba was a wise woman who used ’shura’ (consultation) in her dealings. Allah guided her to Islam through her hikmah that she had before Islam, so after reading the letter she told her chiefs, I never make a decision without first consulting you so give me your advice:

She said: “O chiefs! Advise me in (this) case of mine. I decide no case till you are present with me (and give me your opinions).” (32)

The chiefs saw the letter of Sulaiman as a threat of invasion and they reminded her of their great military might and encouraged her to meet Sulaiman’s threat and go to war but as a wise woman she told those chiefs that whenever there is war, those who are victorious enter the country and it’s towns and bring humiliation and slavery. She realised that if Sulaiman were to win a war against her, her country would be reduced to the lowest, so she decided to send some of her men on a reconnaissance mission, taking with them gifts:

They said: “We have great strength, and great ability for war, but it is for you to command; so think over what you will command.” (33)

She said: “Verily! Kings, when they enter a town (country), they despoil it, and make the most honourable amongst its people the lowest. And thus they do. (34)

“But verily! I am going to send him a present, and see with what (answer) the messengers return.” (35)

The messengers of the queen entered the palace of Sulaiman with their gifts and saw the riches upon riches that he already had and the powerful armies present, those armies consisting of humans, animals and birds. Instead of accepting the gifts he rebuffed the messengers telling them that he already had prophethood, wealth and a kingdom and his only interest was to bring the people to Tawhid (believing in and submitting to the One which is Allah). He sent the emissaries away back to Saba, they delivered the message of Sulaiman and told her about the riches and the armies they had seen and she decided to visit Sulaiman herself.

So when (the messengers with the present) came to Sulaimân (Solomon), he said: “Will you help me in wealth? What Allâh has given me is better than that which He has given you! Nay, you rejoice in your gift!” (36)

Then Sulaimân said to the chief of her messengers who brought the present]: “Go back to them. We verily shall come to them with hosts that they cannot resist, and we shall drive them out from there in disgrace, and they will be abased.” (37)

After the emissaries from Saba had left Sulaiman spoke to his armies, including the jinns among them and asked who could bring to him the throne of the queen. One jinn offered to bring the throne but obviously Sulaiman wanted the throne much quicker than what was offered, so another jinn offered to bring it in the twinkling of an eye:

He said: “O chiefs! Which of you can bring me her throne before they come to me surrendering themselves in obedience?” (38)

An Ifrît (strong one) from the jinn said: “I will bring it to you before you rise from your place (council). And verily, I am indeed strong, and trustworthy for such work.” (39)

One with whom was knowledge of the Scripture said: “I will bring it to you within the twinkling of an eye!” Then when Sulaiman saw it placed before him, he said: “This is by the Grace of my Lord - to test me whether I am grateful or ungrateful! And whoever is grateful, truly, his gratitude is for (the good of) his own self, and whoever is ungrateful, (he is ungrateful only for the loss of his own self). Certainly! my Lord is Rich (Free of all wants), Bountiful.” (40)

The next step was to disguise the throne a little, to keep the main essence of the throne but make some changes to see if the queen would recognise it. When she arrived and was asked if this was like her throne, she looked at it and could see the striking similarities but as far as she knew her own throne was in her palace in Yemen so she cleverly stayed in between the two answers of yes or no saying, “It is as though it were the same.” Sulaiman noted that she was a diplomatic woman.

He said: “Disguise her throne for her that we may see whether she will be guided (to recognise her throne), or she will be one of those not guided.” (41)

So when she came, it was said (to her): “Is your throne like this?” She said: “(It is) as though it were the very same.” And Sulaiman said: “Knowledge was bestowed on us before her, and we were submitted to Allah (in Islam as Muslims before her).” (42)

And that which she used to worship besides Allah has prevented her (from Islam), for she was of a disbelieving people. (43)

The final test for her and show of Sulaiman’s greatness was when she entered the part of the palace which was floored with glass under which water flowed. Glass was something unknown at that time so when she entered she thought there was only water and she would get wet so she lifted her clothes as she prepared to walk through the water. This was a show of ignorance on her part and she finally realised that she was in the company of one on whom Allah had bestowed many great things and she submitted to Allah:

It was said to her: “Enter As-Sarh” [(a glass surface with water underneath it) or a palace], but when she saw it, she thought it was a pool, and she (tucked up her clothes) uncovering her legs, Sulaiman said: “Verily, it is Sarh [(a glass surface with water underneath it) or a palace].” She said: “My Lord! Verily, I have wronged myself, and I submit (in Islam, together with Sulaiman , to Allah, the Lord of the ‘Alamîn (mankind, jinn and all that exists).” (44)


(Surah An-Naml: ayah 20-44)

Reference:

http://religion4humanity.blogspot.com/2013/10/tafseer-story-of-sulaiman-queen-of-sheba.html

Gratitude is knowing that whatever we have is from Allah. 
Gratitude helps us focus our minds on Allah, something that has unfortunately become so difficult today on account of life’s distractions and attractions. Gratitude, therefore, corrects our perceptions by reminding us that everything that happens to us doesn’t happen because of its own volition and thus we shouldn’t take matters for “granted”. 

Allah says in the Quran: 
“And whatever of blessings and good things you have, it is from Allah.”
(Surah Al-Nahl 16:53) 

Allah also says, 
“And He found you poor and made you rich (self sufficient with self contentment.)” 
(Surah Al-Duha 93:8)

Therefore, let's us constantly remind ourselves of Allah’s bounties by expressing our gratitude to Him in prayers and at other times.

Reference:
http://www.iqrasense.com/muslim-character/the-blessings-of-gratitude-and-shukr.html

This touches deep within my soul. 

I can't help but to just smile.

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
Time is witness that, surely, mankind suffers loss,
except for those of faith,
Who do good, and become a model of truthful living,
and together practice patience and constancy.

(Surah Al Asr: 1-3)

It's nice to have someone who reminds you, 

shows mercy on you,

being there for you.

Alhamdulillah.

By time, 

surely man is in lost.

Save those who believe and do good deeds, 

and enjoin on each other truth and enjoin on each other patience. 

Surah Al Asr: ayah 1-3

I just feel like I need to save everyone.

To redeem myself.

(Thomas, The Maze Runner)

وَإِذَا مَرِضْتُ فَهُوَ يَشْفِينِ

wa-idzaa maridhtu fahuwa yasyfiin

"And when I am ill, it is He who cures me."

(Surah Ash-Shura: ayah 80)