Question
How can we utilize goodness?
I have read that 'One of the qualities of ignorant persons is that they are not aware of the various ways in which they can utilize their goodness.' Can you please explain?
Answer
Some people talk about another's goodness but what is the value of this goodness when it does not benefit that person and the others around? We can apply this to relationships and other social dealings as well. This goodness is of no value. An ignorant person is never surrounded by commendable people; in fact an ignorant person actually rebuffs the good people and welcomes the detestable ones. We as Muslims are supposed to love, hate, give and deny for the sake of Allah (swt). We know that companions of the Prophet SAW, after developing Iman, completely immersed themselves in the way of Allah (swt) and discovered that the moment they had the loyalty towards Allah (swt) nothing else really mattered, not even their parents or families etc.
Many Muslim women suffer from this. From the past twenty years of my experience in da'awah around eighty to eighty five percent of Muslim women living with their Muslim or non-Muslim husbands, are unable to live as devoted Muslims. The reason I mentioned non-Muslims is that most of these men only carry a Muslim name but are almost atheists without any belief in Allah (swt) and the Quran. How many women can actually put their foot down and say that they do not want to be in a relationship that is haram because according to Shari'ah the marriage contract is off.
Some of them only pray when they are threatened of being deserted by their wives. There was a sister who said that her husband in a period of twenty five years prayed only a few times. This sister was a wonderful woman, but she had wasted all of her time, love, quality and her devotion for an atheist. What is the matter with us?
So how do we apply this, i.e. utilize our goodness in the right way?
This can be determined only if we have Iman. Iman helps us to distinguish right from wrong. This takes us back to the topic of
niyyah (intention) and the sincerity of our intention.
If we belong to Allah (swt), we can ask Him and He will help us distinguish between right and wrong. But if we have not attained that level of knowledge and iman, or are not sure of our intuition, then we can ask a knowledgeable person about which of our good deeds are higher in rank. Very few people can actually do that because it requires absolute humbleness and humility to Allah SWT as well as those who carry the knowledge of Allah. Moreover, the answers we receive are usually against our own desires therefore, it requires humility to subdue our egos and accept the message of Allah SWT.
Question
What is the best 'Ibadah (Worship)?
What is the best 'ibadah (worship) during Ramadan apart from the obligatory prayers?
Answer
The best
'ibadah is the one accepted by Allah (swt); this is the
'ibadah performed with sincerity, devotion and concentration. Allah (swt) does not care about the quantity but the quality; according to His ordainment, any action performed with sincerity is an accepted one.
The question can be rephrased as, how can we perform pure
'ibadah, an
'ibadah sincerely for Allah (swt)?
The first thing you can do for your
'ibadah during Ramadan is not eat too much. Abu Hamid Al-Ghazali (ra) said that Allah (swt) wants us to reduce the consumption of food during Ramadan.
And if you ask me, the ultimate Bid'ah in the Ummah is to prepare special food for the month of Ramadan. This has nothing do with the Qur'an and the sunnah. Most of the things we prepare are either too oily or too sweet; both of which are not healthy. With all this special food spread in front of us we end up eating more than usual which goes against the very spirit of Ramadan. 'Isa (as) is reported to have advised his disciples against eating too much in the following words: "Don't eat too much because if you eat too much, you will drink too much; if you drink too much, you will sleep too much; if you sleep too much, you will lose too much."
We end up wasting our Ramadan between eating, sleeping, and our trips to the washroom because of excessive food intake. Where is the time to worship? Prophet Muhammad (saw) said: "Make sure to have your suhoor meal, for suhoor is blessed." He (saw) neither mentioned that there must be a variety of food during suhoor or at the time of breaking of the fast. If it was virtuous, he (saw) would certainly have mentioned it.
My mother used to announce before the arrival of Ramadan that she had been cooking for the past eleven months and now it was time for the family to do their own cooking. How many women can actually do something like that and dedicate the time in worship?
Some of the qualities of
'ibadah are:
Being vigilant,
Saving time, and
Protecting our souls from any sort of indulgence.
Let the food be light on the stomach, quick to make and something that would get digested easily. Do not waste time on cooking. Show Allah (swt) that we are sincere, vigilant, and take time out to make dhikr, dua, and to recite Quran.
In the Muslim world, there is this urge to complete with the recitation of the entire Quran, but this makes no difference to the reader who reads it without understanding the meaning. What is better, to recite a single chapter complete with the meaning and the tafseer or reciting the whole book?
What better month than Ramadan to know about Allah (swt), to recite the Quran with
Tafseer, to read the
Ahadeeth of the Prophet (saw) with their meanings? Do we want to make the supplications that come straight from the heart or from our lips? Do we want just two units of
Salaah accepted by Allah (swt) and focus all our energies to attain that? Do we care about a single sajdah purely for Allah (swt) without any random thoughts about cooking, husband, kids and the other trivial issues in life? This is pure
'ibadah, the one that is most beloved to Allah SWT.
Have we ever pondered about
jannah and
jahannam? Let us be practical. We only talk the talk but we do not walk the walk. Talk is cheap and we need to follow it up with actions. The reality of our life is that we live like hypocrites and liars. Our talk is decorated but our actions are bereft of all the decoration.
Let us wake up and place our hearts and time in the right place, let us be real and not fake!
Most of the goodness I have acquired so far is because of a
shaykh who taught me twenty five years ago and only for two months. I was privileged to live with him during the month of Ramadan under the condition of total obedience from me. He decided that I must eat only one bread daily without any sweets and to sleep only for two hours during the day. These two hours were divided into fifteen minute sections; and he woke me up even before time to the point at times I only slept for five minutes. It was tough, but nevertheless the best way to train my Nafs and to prevent me from completely surrendering to my habits.
It is amazing even to me when I think about it but once a
Shaykh of mine prevented me from eating anything for three days except a cup of water during suhoor and iftar; the first day was tough but on the second day I felt amazingly light, I slept very little thus gained from my time, and I was more alert in my manners and worship.
One of the main purposes of fasting is to train our
nafs and we can never develop good quality with excessive eating and sleeping. The first requirement of learning under any good
Shaykh is to learn in an empty stomach, second is to sleep less and third is to be in constant
dhikr in order to empty our hearts from dunya.
Abu Hamid Ibn al-Ghazali (ra) also recommended that during Ramadan we should cook the best thing we like and not to eat from it but to offer it to the person we dislike, therefore subjugating our egos. He also suggested that we eat food that we are not fond of, again for the purpose of overcoming our
nafs.
According to the companions of Prophet Muhammad (saw), he (saw) was more generous than a guided breeze during the month of Ramadan. How many of us are generous especially during Ramadan? Usually we give leftovers to the beggars and we rejoice in eating fresh food; are we not aware that Allah (swt) is watching us? How many of us prepare the best of food for the poor people? One of the ways to soften our hearts and remove the stains from it is by feeding the needy and what better time to clean our hearts than Ramadan?
If we can handle this, the best
'ibadah to do during Ramadan is to sell eighty percent of our jewelry and spend the money for Sabeelillah and supplicate on the first night of Ramadan, saying: "Oh Allah (swt) I spent the money on the poor only for Your sake Ya Allah. Cleanse my heart, make me for You and give me this Ramadan Ya Allah."
Because the rewards for good deeds, including spending, are multiplied during the month of Ramadan, many people in the Ummah pay their annual zakah at that time. It is easier to be virtuous during the month of Ramadan because then we are only fighting ourselves and our
shaytaan (i.e. Qareen) whereas the remaining eleven months we have to fight ourselves, our
qareen and the
shayateen of the mankind and the
jinns. Ramadan is the month we can blame nobody but ourselves, it is the time to check ourselves, our manners and habits (both good and bad).
A brother once complained to me about his wife who had a habit of making a menu of things that they would eat during Ramadan. It sounds crazy but this is the reality, our Ummah is famous for preparing delicacies during Ramadan and we usually see a non-Muslim going to such places only to enjoy the food. Astaghfirullah al 'adheem. This attitude negates the very purpose of Ramadan which is to remove
dunya from our hearts. If we are unable to trim our
nafs, we cannot achieve anything.
The fasting of the Muslims is not only abstinence from food and drink. A person has to fast from his eyes, tongue, ears, hands, and heart by preventing them from indulging in prohibited actions. The Prophet Muhammah (saw) said: "Fasting is not just (abstention) from food and drink, rather fasting is (abstention) from idle and obscene talk." He (saw) also said: "A fasting person may get nothing from his fast except hunger and the one who prays at night may get nothing from his
qiyaam but a sleepless night." The things a Muslim must abstain from in order to guard his fast are the following:
A lustful gaze (men gazing at women and vice versa), a wishful look at
dunya, looking at others with envy and jealousy.
Lying
Swearing by Allah (swt) over false things.
Bearing false witness to something or someone.
Backbiting and bad manners.
Question
Does faith in consonant with logic or science?
Can blind faith over ride logic/science. What we learn in life is the law of cause and effect. The Book says Adam was the first men on earth but science have proven otherwise. Science has also proven that earth is not the centre of the universe and earth moves around the sun and not the other way around. The world is not created 6 heaven days. In fact, it was created longer than that and if God is merciful, He won't allow sufferings by the innocents. In fact, bad people steadily flourish on earth. If sentences are met after death, then it is too late for the mortals for they would not have the peace and leisure to please God i.e. via ibadah. Most of their life are spent on finding food to eat and nothing else. At the sight of loaf the poors would trade anything for it, including faith and belief.
It says that every tribes would be sent a messenger so that they be forewarned of the true path, so that they would not go astray. How do you explain those living in isolated places which have no modes and means of communication to receive the words of Allah?
People in Amazon, Artic, Scandinavians and most parts of South America and even Asia have not heard the words of Islam. Could they be faulted?You replies are much appreciated. Thank You. God Bless
Answer
Assalamu-alaikum Brother,
You have to understand Allah SWT is the wise. If you understand Islam, this particular concept of Allah sending diferent messenger and prophet to nations. This was in the past. After the prophet Mohammed Swt, there is no more prophet. But every muslim is responsible to live the message and to convey the message to the maximum. And today if we are really a true muslim we will have different organization and different groups preparing to go to different area in the earth to convey the message. If we do not do so, we will be responsible on the day of judgment.
Also, everything around us is a sign. by this way all the farmers, fishermen, people in the jugle, they believe in the supreme power or sometime they call the highest spirit. So this way Allah SWT deep inside led them to be somehow a believer, minus us. Shaitaan has a job and that is to decieve the poeple and he is doing his job. The muslim also has a job, that is to spread the message. We are not doing it. We are busy with our selfish and greedy material life. And we forget the message, the concept of it and the purpose of it. Which we are the carrier and the inheritor of the message until the day of judgment.
And everyone will be question according to his ability and capability, knowledge money and time and how much you make an effort to spread the message. May Allah swt open for us. And make us the cause of spreading the message of mercy to mankind.
Note, Please go to my website and listen to me Dawa 1, 2 and 3. And also, go and listen to the final chapter "A message to Mankind" or all of them. Whatever you like. It will make you understand alot. May Allah accept you and make you among those who will spread the message to mankind.
I wish to answer you fully. But this will take a lot of time and a lot of writing. Please read my article about Rizk 1 and 2. Go to the final chapter, and listen to them. What you said is true. But you forget, today muslim or non muslim we are too far from faith. To the point, today you have alot of multi multi billionaire controlling a lot of wealth. Which is not a benefit to them or mankind. If they distribute it among the people it will bring alot of harmony and tranquility to poor people. But their greed, selfishness and blindness makes them think about only accumulation. They forget that money comes with responsibility. What happens if they do not fulfill their own responsibility. Thus, the condition you see on earth is not by God. It is by their negligence and irresponsibility. They will be accountable for it and accountable for it.
About what is going on ie. war, diseases, oppression, earthquakes, volcanos, tornado, tsunami. Nothing can happen without the will of Almighty, his wisdom. If you go to BBC documentary, the planet Earth. You see the Whale going in deep of the ocean and eating tons and tons of fish. We say "oh the poor fish". But Allah has his wisdom and he knows the best. No one can comprehend it.
My advise is go to Queens College power of communication video session 1. About the scientist, if you study the history of all science theory in the last 70 years, it keeps on changing according to what they know. We are still illiterate about our planet. Inside the earth, ocean, orbits, galaxy. There is a beautiful book you can read and study is called "the Bible, the Quran and Science" by dr. Maurice Bucaille. Please, this is a MUST book to read. And I say a MUST.
Also, there is another book in the market, called How Allah Provide. By Muhammad M. al-Sha'rawi. Dar Al Taqwa LTD 7A Melcombe Street. London NW1 6AE . also another book called the Man and the Universe by Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya. Also, The Iinvocation of God by the same author.
By the time you finish reading these books, it might lead you to find alot of your answer. And also if you like just keep listening to me, read my articles in general. And little by little it will help you to understand the many of the questions that you have.
May Allah the creator, the Almighty guide you and open your heart to the understanding of the universe and His wisdom and the purpose of our lives.
By the way, you can go also to the "Introductory of the Names of Allah." It will teach you alot.
Forgive me, your questions needs alot of knowledge to answer. If you take my advise seriously, read all these books and listening to my sessions. You will come to a beautiful understanding.
Keep in touch, but after you do your research.
Again, May Allah swt open your heart and let you see and comprehend our existence in the planet earth.
Salam,
Ahmed Moait
Question
As a muslim what is my most important duty?
Allah has blessed me with every thing health, energy,wealth and education. But i am confused how to share with my other sisters.
sir, Is islam only to say prayers, fasting and performing Haj or Umra? Thank u sir
Answer
Asalaam alaikum, sister,
May Allah put baraka in you, accept you and use for your deen.
To answer your question, please, I am going give you the things to do when you finish, you will understand more and you can contact me any time.
But please, do what I tell you exactly, you will understand more.
Go to my website and listen to...
Dawwah 1,2,3
Final chapter (all of them)
Once you finish those, you will understand my message which you want to leave a legacy in this Earth. You want to have some goodness in Earth to witness to you. You want some People to make Dua for you.
Please, go ahead, and when you finish you can get in touch with me again.
Again,
May Allah open your heart and allow you to leave a legacy in this Earth beloved to Allah before you die.
May Allah allow you to use His bounty which He granted to you as Amaanah ( meaning Trust) to be used for His pleasure and His deen.
Question
I Cant Concentrate... What Can I Do?
I'm always sad and I just hate it when people think they are better than me. No one has confidence in me. people think im stupid , boring, ugly and a loser. Sometimes it gets dso hard I just want to die. I know that my problems are nothing compared to those that dont have enough to provide for themselves, abed to sleep in etc but sometimes as humans , we dont see all of that especially when you know that people are judging you. And it's so hard to swallow the critisms and you feel like you keep falling down. Its hard and i hate it when people look down at me to make themselves feel better. Why cant God let me win for once?
I feel like everyone is moving on, they just passed by me and are now much ahead.And me, im still where I was. It's so hard to live. everyone thinks im weak. I hate it. they dont give me a chance. They see me beneath them always. sometimes its scary cause i dont know what im capable of doing when Im so stressed. I dont have the job that Ive wanted. I couldnt study well in university , they say it too late to take up school now .they say im too old and ,stupid, slow and a freak. Im not like the others. why cant people say nice things? encouraging and positive things? Its a stupid world. And I hate them. It feels lonely here sometimes. Just so lonely that its sad. And you want it to end
But you seem like nice people. I hope that you could give me the strength that i need to pick myself up from the ground. Im pathetic, thats what people think of me. And I dont want to stay that way. I want to prove them wrong. I worked hard when I was younger but they dont see that. they refuse to see it. And that has an effect on me.
Answer:
Salaamu Alaikum Warahamatullahi Wabarakatuhu,
Please believe in Allah swt and do not believe in people. You have trapped yourself to what everybody says and you have forgotten that the owner of quality is Allah swt. If you turn to Allah swt, with honesty and respect for what Allah swt has created you for, He is the only one who will decorate you on the inside and out. You cannot be a slave to what everybody says but rather be the slave of Allah swt.
You have to believe in Allah swt and not what people have to say. Please visit my website, keep listening, keep reading, develop your faith and stop being crying baby. Believe in Allah swt as He is the only one who can change your condition.
Remember that a believer cannot be sad, down, or show desparity as these are the signs of weak and/or no eman. You need to strengthen yourself with knowledge and ability. And these qualities can only be provided by Allah swt. Remember that no body is empty from quality, every body has some quality, Allah swt has created them with it.
How can one strengthen his/her Emaan firmly?
Answer:
Have you been created with eyeglasses? Or, you go to the doctor, get prescription and then get eyeglasses? Similarly for Emaan, we have to go for it, we have to shop, we have to make every effort to get the eye glasses of Emaan because the way you have eye glasses in your face, you need eye glasses for your heart, your brain, your thinking, and for everything.
According to the effort you make to gain Emaan, Allah [swt] will give your heart and mind eye glasses. It's not like the one who says , this is why Allah [swt] wants you to think about him , learn about him, do zikr for him, read Quran, go to the gathering etc this will give you Emaan. But all this together is a struggle to the journey of Emaan, journey of Emaan is not a quest that's finished overnight, there are no magic pills, and it's an effort and a struggle.
How much money are you willing to spend for emaan, how much of your time are you willing to spend for emaan?
Today we are running after Duniya and all of a sudden when we have a calamity or we have a disease or when we have a major crisis, we say o Allah [swt] I want some Emaan. By this way, I am seeking Emaan at the time of tragedy but if you are lucky you will seek Emaan at the time of ease. Because you can have an eyeglass but if your eyeglass is dirty, what will happen? You cannot see clearly or it can give you a headache and when it gives you a headache you cannot be okay.
It is a journey by itself. Your Emaan grows depending on how much effort you put.
For e.g. if you open a business and give it 12-13 hrs per day, sooner or later you will have a successful business. Today if you ask me, why our Emaan is weak? It is because we are giving journey of Emaan few hours in a week, a month, or ' whenever I find time'. However, for Duniya, for cooking, for daily routine we have all the time. By this way one of the trial we have today in life is, if I am really valuing the journey of Emaan, how much time and money am I willing to spend for it? how much am I willing to sacrifice.
Read the life of Abu Ad Darda [RA]
Prophet Muhammad [saws] gave him the title 'the most wise man in the ummah'. When he was very poor and some of the companions wanted to make him have some business, they asked him, let's make a business for you ?; he said, I cannot do it. They said Ya Abu Darda, making business is not haram, he said I do not say business is haram, business is halal but me Abu Ad Darda RA do not want to be left out from the people whom Allah [swt] talked about in these verses.
Now read what Allah [swt] says in these verses.
(Lit is such a Light) in houses, which Allah hath permitted to be raised to honour; for the celebration, in them, of His name: In them is He glorified in the mornings and in the evenings, (again and again), (24:36)
By men whom neither traffic nor merchandise can divert from the Remembrance of Allah, nor from regular Prayer, nor from the practice of regular Charity: Their (only) fear is for the Day when hearts and eyes will be transformed (in a world wholly new),- (24:37)
That Allah may reward them with the best of what they did, and increase reward for them of His bounty. Allah giveth blessings without stint to whom He will. (24:38)
Abu Darda RA refused to open a business; he was scared to lose the sight to remember Allah [swt]. Today we are drowning in Duniya. We have great difficulty to take out a few moments to remember Allah [swt]. This is scary and today we cannot balance. Even the word balance does not exist, because either you are making more effort towards Duniya or making more effort towards Akhirah. You will never have both, either you make more effort to Akhirah or Duniya. It is up to you to choose! Today we can tomorrow we cant !!
How Do We Balance Our Life...
In Between Growing Poor And Growing Rich?
In The Book Of End We Read...
The Poor Will Enter Jannah* First
Followed By Rich Entering Jannah By 500 Years Later!
Our Question Is...
How We Balance Our Life After Reading This?
We Get Afraid Of The Amount Of Material We Have
Please Guide Us On This.
Answer:
The word balance is misunderstood by a lot of Muslims. If you go to any Islamic book or Hadith, you will find a major concept, in which Allah swt* wants us to love Akhirah* more than Dunia*, to sacrifice Dunia for Akhirah, to spend Dunia for Akhira. And this is a challenge, according to your Imaan, you will spend more of your Dunia for Akhirah.
I cannot explain it in few lines. But the more you get closer to Allah swt, the more you are willing to do what pleases Allah swt and gain His pleasure above anybody else!
My advice, go to any major Hadith book and read about all the Hadith regarding Loving Dunia and Akhirah. Another advice, read about the companions of our beloved Prophet saws. For example, Man around the messenger, by Muhammad Khalid. And Hayatul Sahabah, by Muhammad Yusef Al-Kaandhlawi and other.
And another advice, keep listening to me, take one seriese at a time and little by little you will understand.
May Allah swt put love of Akhira in our heart, give you baraka and noor* and kabul, inshallah!
*Note
Baraka Allah swt Blessing
Noor - light
Saws May Peace Be Upon Him
Swt Subhanahu wa-ta'ala [glorified and exalted be He]
Akhirah - Life Here After
Dunia - World
Jannah - Paradise
What Is The Goal For Me As A Muslim?
A Muslim Has Two Major Goals:
- To worship ALLAH SWT (to be in a state of worship all the time, it does not refer to the rituals alone)
- To spread the message of ALLAH SWT: HIS oneness, mercy and this is the meaning of our life
What Do I Have To Inherit...
Islam or Real Islam?
To be honest, today as Muslims we have not embraced Islam, the real Islam. All we did was inherit the outward shape and the skeletal remains of it. Inside it is all empty. I have seen it all over the Masaajid and this is exactly what we teach our kids. We are shoving rituals to them like wearing the Hijaab, growing a beard, making Salah, Fasting and this and that.
But inside, they are empty, they do not know why they are Muslim and this is why once they enter college and they are questioned about Islam, they will be finished! The mere ritual they follow is wiped out. Once they are in this kind of a situation anyone can go to them and convince them that Islam is only a ritual, culture and a custom they inherited from their fathers and that it is not true. Little by little, they will be exposed to psychological and sociological views and before you know it, it will break everything down. The result, our own generation does not have the basic understanding of Islam.
Knowledge is the core of Faith. If we do not have the concrete and right knowledge, we will not survive.
What is the difference between each one of us as Muslims reading this?
The amount of desire we have to gain knowledge. We are like cassette recorders but we are different because a cassette recorder cannot do anything until we interrupt and make it work. We human beings are beautiful recorders connected to Allah. According to our sincerity, Allah will allow our knowledge to bloom, grow and benefit us.
So, what do you want to inherit and give to your children?
Do you want to generate a hypocrite and a puppet Muslim, or a true Muslim?
A true Muslim is one who brings about the reality of Islam in their hearts and if this is achieved then the reality of Islam will bloom outside of them. We should stop worrying about the outside faade and start worrying about what is inside and within us.
When I was young, I used to complain to my father about the limited amount of knowledge he taught me. He told me not to worry about it and said that I will gain knowledge, but not now. When I asked him why, he told me to first learn manners (adhab and aqhlaaq) because if we have manners knowledge will come in the right time and its foundation is adhab (manners). It will benefit us and others around us.
And he said that if he gives me only knowledge without any manners it will destroy me and others around me.
This is what is happening to us nowadays. We should all ask ourselves about which knowledge is the priority; knowledge of the supreme master, the owner, the creator as opposed to the knowledge that has been taught by mankind.
I meet people whose age varies from 21 to 25 who have done 3 three years of psychology and they argue with me about the presence of Allah, the creator!
In addition, they just know the basics of psychology without reading too many books. Imagine what would happen to them if they get a Masters Degree. By the time, they finish one or two Degrees they are finished Why you ask?
It is because they become arrogant. But the knowledge of Allah makes you humble. The knowledge of Duniya (schools and colleges) teaches us to be arrogant, question others, and become disrespectful towards elders. What does this mean? They are missing manners. Once we lack manners, we are finished, as a person and for others.
Our marriage will be failure because we will never have the ability to be in a state of obedience. It makes us selfish, blind and greedy as a person. Before we know it, we are in a small shell concerned only about ourselves, exactly like shaytan.
We think we accomplish something great but we never accomplished anything. All we did was destroy ourselves.
When I was young I used to go sit with people elder than me to learn from them and watch them.
The early scholars used to say,Knowledge can be derived from books, but manners are something we have to learn from other scholars because manners are developed through companionship.
Nowadays we want to gain knowledge without a companion.
How much time do we devote to our kids and how much manners do we have as parents towards our kids? How many good people are we connected to so that they spend some time with our kids?
A male is different from a man and a female is different from a woman.
A man is one who has good manners, a constitution of principles. If he does not have a principle what is he fit for? Nothing.
A female without manner is nothing, unless she has a constitution of principles.
If we keep arguing, act arrogantly, inattentive and we question everything that comes by us, who are we?
I said it to my own kids. If you do not have a good companion, who are you? Look at your friends and you will know who you are.
We are as human beings are imitating machines. If we spend some time with good people by Allah, you will build some sort of good manners.
If we spend some time with out of whack people eventually, we will be out of whack!
So we need to be careful of whom we are spending time with. If we are spending too much time in front of the television, we will see what it does to us, and our manners.
So it is very important to distinguish between real Islam and inherited rituals. We cannot inherit Islam, we have to struggle for Islam. Allah asked us to struggle and the Prophet (s.a.w) taught us to struggle. We cannot struggle for our daughters or sons, but we can struggle for good deeds, as this will bring in the mercy of Allah for them. But they have to make an effort, if they dont make an effort there is nothing we can do. Some of there hearts are open and some of their hearts are closed. We cannot open or close any ones heart. Allah guides whomever he wants in the time he wants and he leads astray whomever he wants in the time he wants and we cannot do anything about it.
