Anguish of Hearts
The anguish of hearts is a gift that reflects the compassion which Allah has placed within you. The tenderness of the heart and the tears that roll from your eyes are also a manifestation of Allah's compassion [which He has endowed you with]. Consider the twinge of your hearts and your moistened eyes as Allah's bounty. The hearts that remain unmoved by the suffering around us and the eyes that fail to well with tears are a sign of one's being removed from Allah's favour, of being impoverished. Remember well that this tenderness of emotions will act not just as the healing balm but will also be your support and a means of reward in the Hereafter.
More than Religion
Representative democracy may be the greatest social and political experiment in the history of the world. But it is an ever-evolving experiment. These days there is a tendency to regard American democracy as the model for all the world's democracies, and in some ways this is true. The seeds of democracy may have been sown in ancient Greece, but it is in American soil that they sprouted and flourished. Yet precisely for this reason, only in America is American democracy possible; it cannot be isolated from American traditions and values.
Moral Ambivalence
Unfortunately, an inordinate number of Muslim men, and also women, fail to recognize the many ways that patriarchy is an offence against morality and Islam. Too many Muslims and non-Muslims are not sufficiently sensitized to the fact that patriarchy is despotism and that it is a morally offensive condition. As an institution, patriarchy feeds on the eradication of women's moral agency; it erases and marginalizes women; and, most significantly, it negates the possibility of true surrender to God. Likewise, an inordinate number of Muslims fail to reflect upon the extent to which patriarchy exploits the instruments of religious authority but ends up displacing God's authority altogether.
Month of Allah
Muslim reported from Abu Hurayra (Allah be pleased with him), that the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, "The best of fasts after the month of Ramadan are in the Month of Allah, which you call Muharram. And the best of prayer after the obligatory prayer is the night prayer." [Muslim, 1163]
Loving Hasan
Abu Hurayrah reports: 'Whenever I see Hasan, my eyes are filled with tears because the Prophet (peace be upon him) went out one day and found me in the mosque. He took me by the hand and I walked with him. He did not speak to me until we reached the Qaynuqa market. He walked there and looked around then he left and I went with him until we returned to the mosque He sat and wrapped himself in his garment. He asked: "Where is the little one? Call me the little one". Hasan came running until he fell in the Prophet's lap, and put his hand in the Prophet's beard. The Prophet opened his mouth and Hasan's mouth touched the Prophet's mouth. The Prophet then said: "My Lord! Love him and love anyone who loves him".' [Bukhari]