We have so many things to offer our societies in so many ways, It is time we start showing society those remarkable Islamic values: Let people see your muslim values;

1. Respect to parents: Islamic values of respect to parents are so beautiful, we need as individuals to imbibe those values and teach them to our chidren:

O mankind! reverence your Guardian-Lord, who created you from a single person, created, of like nature, His mate, and from them twain scattered [like
seeds] countless men and women;- reverence Allah, through whom ye demand your mutual [rights], and[b] [reverence] the wombs [That bore you][/b]: for Allah ever watches over you. (Q4:1)

"And your Lord has decreed that you not worship except Him, and to parents, good treatment. Whether one or both of them reach old age [while] with you, say not to them [so much as] 'uff' [i.e., an expression of irritation or disapproval] and do not repel them but speak to them a noble word. And lower to them the wing of humility out of mercy and say: 'My Lord! Have mercy upon them as they brought me up [when I was] small.'" [Quran 17:23-24]

"We have enjoined on man kindness to parents…" [Quran 29:8]

"And We have enjoined upon man [care] for his parents. His mother carried him, [increasing her] in weakness upon weakness, and his weaning is two years. Be grateful to Me and your parents; to Me is the [final] destination. But if they endeavour to make you associate with Me that of which you have no knowledge, do not obey them but accompany them in [this] world with appropriate kindness and follow the way of those who turn back to Me [in repentance]. Then to Me will be your return, and I will inform you about what you used to do." [Quran 31:14-15]

It was narrated by Abu Hurayrah  that a man came to the Prophet  and asked him: 'Who is most deserving of my close companionship?' He  replied: “Your mother; your mother; your mother; then your father; then the next closest to you in kinship; then the one next closest.”

In Islam, respect for parents is so great that the child and his wealth are considered to be the property of the parents: `Aa’ishah narrated that a man came to the Prophet  in order to resolve a dispute that he had with his father regarding a loan he had given him. The Prophet  said to the man: "You and your wealth are to (i.e., the property of) your father."

2. The Orphans/ the needy: Remember the prophet himself was an orphan:

And they feed, for the love of Allah, the indigent, the orphan, and the captive,- [Saying],"We feed you for the sake of Allah alone: no reward do we desire
from you, nor thanks. (Q 76 8-9)


Nay, nay! but ye honour not the orphans! Nor do ye encourage one another to feed the poor!-  And ye devour inheritance - all with greed, And ye love wealth with inordinate love! Nay! When the earth is pounded to powder, And thy Lord cometh, and His angels, rank upon rank, And Hell, that Day, is brought [face to face],- on that Day will man remember, but how will that remembrance profit him? (Surah 89 17-23)

And what will explain to thee the path that is steep?-[It is:] freeing the bondman; Or the giving of food in a day of privation To the orphan with claims of relationship, Or to the indigent [down] in the dust. Then will he be of those who believe, and enjoin patience, [constancy, and self-restraint], and enjoin deeds of kindness and compassion. Such are the Companions of the Right Hand. (Surah 90:12-18)

Seest thou one who denies the Judgment [to come]? Then such is the [man] who repulses the orphan [with harshness], And encourages not the feeding of the indigent. (surah 107 1-3)

3. Social Justice: It is time we stand up for social justice everywhere,  We are to be Just even to those who hate us:

O ye who believe! Stand out firmly for Allah, as witnesses to fair dealing, and let not the hatred of others to you make you swerve to wrong and depart from justice. Be just: That is next to Piety: And fear Allah. For Allah is well acquainted with all that ye do.

And come not nigh to the orphan's property, except to improve it, until he attain the age of full strength; give measure and weight with [full] justice;-
no burden do We place on any soul, but that which it can bear;- whenever ye speak, speak justly, even if a near relative is concerned; and fulfil the
covenant of Allah: thus doth He command you, that ye may remember. (surah 6:152)

, Give just measure and weight, nor withhold from the people the things that are their due; and do no mischief on the earth after it has been set in order: that will be best for you, if ye have Faith.

4. Dawah: Invite others to this beautiful deen,  Remember you will be asked as to how you delivered this message.

Surah 3:104. Let there arise out of you a band of people inviting to all that is good, enjoining what is right, and forbidding what is wrong: They are the ones to attain felicity.

Respect your parents, give to the poor and stand up for Justice and invite to the deen,

Salam Aleikum

If I only Had
By: Kashif Naseem Dilkusha

Every morning when we rise from our sleep and open our eyes, we see the roof and walls of our room, we see our spouse and children (if we’re married and/or have children), and I am sure that parents can not even begin to describe the coolness that they feel in their eyes upon seeing their children.

Yet, how many of us have ever reflected upon how great a blessing these eyes are? How many of us have felt a sense of gratitude for this tremendous favor of Allāh (subḥānahu wa ta‘āla)? Unfortunately, not many of us, as Allāh (SWT) mentions in Sūrat’l-Mulk, verse 23:

قُلۡ هُوَ ٱلَّذِىٓ أَنشَأَكُمۡ وَجَعَلَ لَكُمُ ٱلسَّمۡعَ وَٱلۡأَبۡصَـٰرَ وَٱلۡأَفۡـِٔدَةَ‌ۖ قَلِيلاً۬ مَّا تَشۡكُرُونَ

“Say it is He Who has created you, and endowed you with hearing (ears), seeing (eyes), and hearts. Little thanks you give.”

In Sūrat’l-A‘rāf, our greatest enemy the ‘Shayṭān’ accuses Allāh (subḥānahu wa ta‘āla) saying:

قَالَ فَبِمَآ أَغۡوَيۡتَنِى لَأَقۡعُدَنَّ لَهُمۡ صِرَٲطَكَ ٱلۡمُسۡتَقِيمَ (١٦) ثُمَّ لَأَتِيَنَّهُم مِّنۢ بَيۡنِ أَيۡدِيہِمۡ وَمِنۡ خَلۡفِهِمۡ وَعَنۡ أَيۡمَـٰنِہِمۡ وَعَن شَمَآٮِٕلِهِمۡ‌ۖ وَلَا تَجِدُ أَكۡثَرَهُمۡ شَـٰكِرِينَ

“(Iblîs) said: ‘Because You have sent me astray, surely I will sit in wait against them (human beings) on Your Straight Path (16) Then I will come to them from before them and behind them, from their right and from their left, and You will not find most of them as thankful ones (i.e. they will not be dutiful to You).’”

The Shayṭān, after mentioning his evil strategy to Allāh (subḥānahu wa ta‘āla), declares his ultimate objective, that he will cause most of mankind to be ungrateful to Allāh (subḥānahu wa ta‘āla). And in pursuit of his mission, he has injected a virus not only in the non-believers, but in most of the Muslims which is called the “If I only had…” virus.

This virus causes a person to always say, ‘If I only had more money, I would be more pious’. ‘If I only had my own house, I would spend more in the path of Allāh (subḥānahu wa ta‘āla)’. ‘If I only had a better car, more sons, more wealth, etc.…’ and the list goes on and on.

As a result of this virus, we are constantly focused on what we do not have instead of being thankful for the things which we do have.

This is why Allāh (subḥānahu wa ta‘āla) has constantly reminded us to be thankful to Him in the Holy Qurʾān, and has revealed approximately 70 verses mentioning the importance of ‘shukr’ (thankfulness or gratefulness) in the Qurʾān.

Our beloved Prophet Muḥammad (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) has guided us on how we can protect ourselves from becoming infected with this virus. Whenever such evil thoughts from the whispers of Shayṭān arise within us, we should not look towards those people who are more blessed than us in the worldly things which we crave; rather we should look towards those people who do not have the worldly possessions which Allāh (subḥānahu wa ta‘āla) has bestowed upon us.

Have you ever wondered how spacious the home of Rasūlullāh (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam), the mercy to all mankind, was? It was so spacious that when our Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) used to go down into sujūd, our mother ‘Ā’ishah used to have to fold her legs in order to give him space to place his head. Yet, in spite of all this, when Prophet Muḥammad (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) used to stand for “Qiyām ul layl”, he would stand for so long that his feet would become swollen. And when he was asked why he stands for so long, he replied,

“Should I not be a thankful slave?”

Allāh (subḥānahu wa ta‘āla) has divided people into two categories as revealed in Sūrat’l-Insān, verse 3:

إِنَّا هَدَيۡنَـٰهُ ٱلسَّبِيلَ إِمَّا شَاكِرً۬ا وَإِمَّا كَفُورًا

“Verily, We showed him the way, whether he be grateful or ungrateful”

Furthermore, in Sūrah Ibrāhīm verse 7, Allāh (subḥānahu wa ta‘āla) declares that if we show gratefulness to Him, He will shower more blessings upon us; however, if we show ungratefulness, then we are deserving of severe punishment:

وَإِذۡ تَأَذَّنَ رَبُّكُمۡ لَٮِٕن شَڪَرۡتُمۡ لَأَزِيدَنَّكُمۡ‌ۖ وَلَٮِٕن ڪَفَرۡتُمۡ إِنَّ عَذَابِى لَشَدِيدٌ۬

“And (remember) when your Lord proclaimed: ‘If you give thanks (by accepting Faith and worshiping none but Allāh), I will give you more (of My Blessings), but if you are thankless (i.e. disbelievers), verily! My Punishment is indeed severe.’

So whenever Shayṭān attacks one of us with the “If I only had…” virus, we should always remember the above mentioned verses and seek refuge in Allāh (subḥānahu wa ta‘āla). Furthermore, we should also bring to mind the tremendous sacrifices and accomplishments of the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) and our pious predecessors despite their severe lacking in worldly means.

Finally, I would request all our readers to think about all those blessings of Allāh (subḥānahu wa ta‘āla) which we may have forgotten about and share these with others. This will help us to become more thankful, grateful slaves of Allāh (subḥānahu wa ta‘āla).

http://muslimmatters.org/2011/12/15/if-i-only-had/