Whose Footsteps Are You Following?

One of the most difficult matters for most of us is to praise our peers and colleagues, and find good in them. Shaytan whispers to us to inflate our egos, and to make us feel that *we* are better than others. And so, rather than looking at other people's praiseworthy characteristics, we look at their worst characteristics, and assume that we are better than them. Of course Shaytan would do this, for was he not the one who said, when Allah created Adam, "I am better than him!"?

Yet, look at the prophets of Allah. When Allah appointed Musa to go to the Israelites, and told him that He has preferred him over everyone else, Musa in his modesty and humility felt that his brother Harun (Aaron) was more eloquent than him, and asked Allah to make him a prophet as well, and to send him alongside Musa to the Pharaoh: "And my brother Harun - he is more eloquent than me, so send him as my helper and to confirm my truthfulness" [Qasas: 34]

So examine your own character: do you always see good in others, and assume they have qualities you do not have? If so, you are following in the footsteps of the prophets. Or do you always think you are better than others, and have qualities no one else has. If so, you are following in the footsteps of the enemy of the prophets.

Our Prophet (salla Allah alayhi wa sallam) said, "Whoever humbles himself for the sake of Allah, Allah will exalt him." May Allah make us of the humble.

[From: Shaykh Yasir Qadhi's FB Status]

Be Great, Anyway!

When you stand up and reach towards higher goals, those around you want you to sit back down, to lower your standards and to be average just like them. Greatness makes them uncomfortable.

But believers are not meant to be average, they are meant to stand out.

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “Islam began as something strange and will revert to being strange as it began, so give glad tidings to the strangers.”

Do not fear being a “stranger” in wanting to follow the footsteps of our pious predecessors. They were never average! They were people of action, people of determination, people of lifelong commitment.

From: Brother Muhammad Alshareef's Facebook Status