The Sign of The Forerunner

The prophetic significance of Muslim beheadings of Christians.

The Beheading of St John the Forerunner, commemorated August 29 in the Orthodox Church.

John the Baptist�s rich and descriptive title in the Orthodox Church is, �The Holy, Glorious Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist, John.� He is much more than �John the Baptist.�  He is a sign, a mystery. 

As �The Forerunner� he is a clear sign of the First Coming of Christ, but also of the Second Coming; he is a mystery of the fulfillment of this age, and of its trials and woes.

Jesus Himself called John �the greatest born of woman� and �more than a prophet.� The Church considers him to be the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophets, just as the Virgin Mary  � the Mother of God � is the fulfillment of righteousness through the Old Testament lineage in preparation for the Messiah. 

As the Messiah Himself spoke to the crowds after John�s disciples came and saw the signs He was doing:

Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John� �What did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet. For this is he of whom it is written: 

�Behold, I send My messenger before Your face,Who will prepare Your way before You.� [Malachi 3:1]

�Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.�  (Matthew 11:7-12)

John is the Forerunner of Christ, fulfilling the prophecy of Elijah coming to restore all things:

�Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophetBefore the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord��(Malachi 4:5-6)

�For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come.�  (Matthew 11:13-15)

John the Forerunner was beheaded �for righteousness sake,� for warning and calling the corrupt and dissipated King Herod to repentance. Yet this is not some dark and dire event, but a radiant, joyous, shining witness (Greek: martyria) for us to emulate.

St. Justin Popovich teaches that St. John "had become the first of all the Holy Martyrs of the New Testament":

See how he suffered for God's truth in this world! He suffered joyously! In today's principal hymn and prayer to him it is said that he went to his death rejoicing, and that he suffered rejoicing. [See John 3:29.]  Thus he became the first example and inspiration to all the Holy Martyrs in the New Testament, beginning with St. Stephen the Protomartyr and through today. 

All of the Holy Martyrs go to their death rejoicing...

As the first one beheaded for righteousness sake � that is, for his witness to Christ, for Christ is our righteousness � John is shown to be the Forerunner of the last great wave of martyrs for Jesus:

�Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God�� (Apocalypse 20:4)

The Holy, Glorious Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist, John, is revealed in our time precisely as the Forerunner �of those who are being beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God.�

Today, faithful Christians by the thousands, throughout the Middle East, Africa, and the Islamic world, are being beheaded by Muslims for their witness to Jesus Christ. And an exiled archbishop from Mosul warns, �I have lost my diocese to Islam; you in the West will also become victims of Muslims.�

�It�s later than you think... 

The apocalypse is now!�

~ Hieromonk Seraphim Rose (�1982)

We are already in the Great Persecution. 

We who slumber in deceitful comfort, wondering what will happen next, yet shopping and entertaining ourselves in our fools' paradise in the West, have not discerned the signs of the times, and are in for for a brutal awakening.  We all are infected to some degree by the spirit of this age of apostasy. The lukewarm deny Christ with their faint and vague affirmations, and the Lord Himself warns them that He "will vomit them out of His mouth" (Apocalypse 3:16).

But the Lord has not abandoned us! He sends us signs, trials, reminders, to rekindle in us the fire of faith, calling us to repentance:

"As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne." (Apocalypse 3:19-21)

And as he did before the Lord�s First Coming, the Holy, Glorious Prophet John the Baptist � the Forerunner of those beheaded for their witness to Jesus � calls us to "repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."

If we will not heed his voice, let us at least be shocked into soberness and repentance by the sign of those beheaded for their witness to Jesus Christ. 

Let us fall on our faces and beg the Lord to waken us, to prepare us for the times now close at hand. And let us promise and vow to never deny our Lord Jesus Christ, but to be faithful witnesses to Him unto the end, and even that we may do so as all the Holy Martyrs have done... joyously!

Amen!

In Times Of Difficulty : Touching Story

ISIS: Still Beheading Like It's the End of the World

Timothy Furnish continues to shine the light of knowledge on the foul darkness of the Islamic State Caliphate (formerly ISIS) and its apocalyptic dreams.

See also: Muslim cleric justifies Islamic State beheadings: �Islam is a religion of beheading�

by Timothy R. Furnish, Mahdi Watch � August 21, 2014

The �Islamic State� [IS], formerly the �Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham� [ISIS or ISIL�the latter if one prefers �Levant�], ended Ramadan 1435/2014 with another issue of its propagandistic �Dabiq� magazine. (Issue #1 thereof, which had come out at the beginning of the Islamic holy month, I dissected here.) 

This second issue is book-ended with apocalyptic references: p. 2 repeats the Abu Mus`ab al-Zarqawi (who went to meet the huris, 2006) quote�adduced several times in issue #1�about the spark that had been lit in Iraq eventually burning the �crusader armies in Dabiq;� while the final page excerpts a hadith foretelling the Muslim conquest of Arabia, Persia, Rome and the defeat of the Dajjal (the �Deceiver,� the Islamic antichrist figure).  IS�s flagship publication also brags that the group is coming for Palestine and, as per another hadith, that it will �fight the barbaric jews and kill those of them hiding behind the gharqad trees�� But the second installment of �Dabiq,� unlike the first, does not obsess about the End Times breaking into today�s Middle East; rather, it focuses like a Bond supervillain laser beam on two related topics: the Biblical/Qur�anic flood, and the Islamic practice of mubahalah.  

I don't know...I might take my chances and swim.

The Flood, which is the title of the entire issue, is adduced because the Islamic State posits  the state of the world to be just as it was in the time of prophet Nuh�with even the Muslims so ignorant of true religion (Islam, of course) that they are in need of saving. And the Ark today is none other than the Islamic State, where true shari`ah is enforced and where no one is �free to choose��because the witless masses are incapable of choosing religious truth, and so must have it imposed upon them.  Moderate Muslims who believe in choice and �peaceful means of change� are fools spouting �twisted methodology.�  Just as in prophet Nuh�s time, �it�s either me or the flood.�

�Dabiq�#2 goes on at length about �the widespread ignorance amongst the people��meaning Muslims, who �are like a hundred camels amongst which you can�t find any that are fit for riding.�  Only by fleeing to the Ark of the Islamic State can Muslims be saved from �baathism, secularism, liberalism, democracy or anything else that would contradict the essence of tawhid [Islamic teaching of strict �oneness� of Allah].�   

IS also devotes almost � of this entire publication to explicating mubahlah and invoking it over against their opponents�mainly Jabhat al-Nusrah. Mubahalah comes from the verb bahala, which can mean either �to curse� or �to supplicate/implore Allah.�  It is, in essence, a religious ordeal in which two disputing religious parties summon Allah as witness to curse the incorrect/dishonest one.  It is referenced in Sura `Ali �Imran [III]:39ff, and explicated by later Muslim commentators as referring to a dispute between Muhammad and some Christians from Najran over the position of Jesus.  IS, perhaps feeling the sting of criticism from its erstwhile allies, challenges JN (as well as Syria�s Islamic Front) to trial-by-mubahalah�confident that it is entirely within Allah�s will.

Ali beheading Nadir b. al-Harith, a poet who had mocked "the prophet," at Muhammad's directive.  How can IS be "un-Islamic" when it's following the example of its founder?

The only other major theme which IS pushes in this issue of �Dabiq� is the demand for (Sunni) Muslims to migrate to the domains of the new caliphate, or if that is not possible at least to �organize bay`at (pledges of allegiance) to the Khalifah Ibrahim� among family, friends and neighbors and post them on the Internet.  

Much of the rest of this magazine�some 18 pp. out of the total of 44�consists of photographs of the usual jihadist favorite subjects: dead Kurds and Shi`is, dynamited Shi`i shrines and mosques, triumphant bearded and heavily armed caliphal warriors �liberating� areas of Syria and Iraq. It ends with the aforementioned hadith predicting that the Muslims would go from conquest to conquest, ultimately prevailing over even the Dajjal.

Urban renewal, courtesy of IS: the dynamited tomb/shrine of Ahmad al-Rifa`i, founder of the Rifa`i Sufi order.

Observations: 

1) This issue of �Dabiq� appears more defensive, indeed apologetic, than the first one.  The invoking of mubahalah clearly indicates that criticism from other Muslims (not from Obama or David Cameron) has had some effect.   Perhaps the rector of al-Azhar or the Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia should take IS up on the mubahalah challenge, since the group clearly takes the issue very seriously and would have its legitimacy degraded by Allah failing to curse the Egyptians or Saudis (although IS spokesjihadists might try to claim that any negative events in those countries amounted to evidence of divine retribution for failing the test).

2) Once again, creating such a glossy and lengthy publication in English demonstrates that the newly-minted caliphate is trying to manipulate Western, or at least Western Muslim, public opinion.  Considering how many British (and perhaps also, now, American) volunteers it has attracted, continuing such a strategy makes sense.

3) Although, as already noted, this second installment of �Dabiq� is less eschatological than the first one, it does nonetheless continue to invoke Islamic apocalyptic themes�showing either that the IS leadership is enamored of the End Times, it knows the resonance of such a theme for many (Western/Westernized) Muslims�or both. 

4) I would maintain that IS atrocities like the beheading of James Foley and the mass murders of Shi`is and Yazidis are, in effect, "bizarre rituals intended to bring about the end of the world"--or at least to spark the Mahdi's coming.  I truly think that IS has passed into the realm of trying to hotwire the apocalypse.   God willing no one is stupid enough to try and find "moderate ISIS" with whom to negotiate. 

IS human sacrifice of American journalist James Foley.  It won't induce the coming of the Mahdi--but hopefully it will cause the avenging coming of American military forces.

Islamic Sharia Law in America: An Orthodox Christian Perspective (AUDIO)

Not integrating well into Western Civilization. Notice the black flags of jihad.

This is a very challenging talk by Fr Josiah Trenham, providing an in-depth look at Islam and sharia throughout history and in America today. Fr. Josiah also contrasts the threat from sharia with the threat from secularism, homosexualism, etc.

Though I agree with much of what Fr. Josiah says, including his warning that we are facing these threats because we have allowed ourselves to be co-opted by the world, and have become too interested in our own comfort and prosperity, I most adamantly disagree with his belief that we can partner with Muslims against the pressures of secularism, and that the United States should enable the implementation of Islamic sharia law for religious matters. Sharia never stops at merely "religious matters," as can be seen in the implementation of sharia courts in the UK.

As seen in Londonistan.

Though Fr. Josiah is obviously extremely well educated and widely traveled, a lover of the Church and Patristic teaching, in this case he seems to prefer to ignore what has happened in England, France, and throughout Europe, where Muslims have been allowed to apply sharia within their communities. Wherever Muslims get close to 10% of the population, sharia no-go zones develop, where even the police fear to go. Witness the wild, fiery Muslim riots in recent years in France, Sweden, Denmark, London, and so on. This is what Raymond Ibrahim has documented and termed "Islam's Rule of Numbers."

Even though Muslims in America are still well below 10%, there are growing enclaves in Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Tennessee, and elsewhere, where Muslim population density and political clout is prompting the virtual enforcement of sharia, with Christians stoned by Muslims in broad daylight, arrested at "Arab" festivals, prohibited from speaking in public, etc. These are not-so-early warning signs of creeping sharia and stealth jihad.

Furthermore, four separate studies over the past fifteen years have consistently found that upwards of 80% of mosques in the U.S. teach jihad, disseminate jihad reading materials, and preach the replacement of the Constitution with sharia law.

Sharia advocates.

Fr. Josiah acknowledges that Muslims will always strive to advance the dar al-Islam in order to make the whole world Muslim, yet he seems to think secularism is the greater threat. (I personally see Orthodoxy caught in a multi-pronged attack from Islam, secularism, and the heresy of pan-ecumenism from without, and spiritual deception, lukewarmness and hesitancy within.) In holding such a position, he seems to dismiss the lessons of history of which he is fully aware. The Islamic approach could be described as three stages of jihad: peaceful, incremental and stealthy when Muslim numbers are small, assertive and demanding when they can get away with it, and open violence as soon as Muslim numbers reach critical mass. It seems odd to me that in affirming America to be still a "Christian nation," that Fr. Josiah would hold a position enabling the enemy of mankind to freely sow tares among the wheat.

On the positive side, Fr. Josiah shows great faith and bravery, and a sincere evangelical love for Muslims, suggesting that we welcome Muslims to our communities with a copy of the New Testament! That is a touch that I think New Martyr Fr. Daniil Sysoev would endorse. Advocating for sharia law and collaboration with Muslims? Definitely not.

Worth a carefully guarded listen.


Islamic Sharia Law in America: An Orthodox Christian Perspective
by Fr. Josiah Trenham, Patristic Nectar Publications
Free download or listen in browser.
h/t anonymous

Muslims practicing sharia in the UK.

This is a 72 minute long lecture given at the St. Barbara Orthodox Monastery in Santa Paula, Ca. The lecture provides a general survey of what Christian life is like under Islamic rule for the past 14 centuries and the current judicial and financial trends in the West today. This lecture reflects upon the growing intersection between Islam and the West, with a special focus on the Islamic request of Western governments to be governed by Islamic Sharia law instead of Western law. What is Sharia law? Why are Muslims asking for it to be applied in the West, and how should Americans respond? Why are Muslims in the West forming a growing Islamic identity instead of assimilating to their new countries? 

This complimentary gift is available by clicking here.

Terry Mattingly: The West Struggles to See Threat to Eastern Church

"Americans are open to seeing religion's role in the politics of the region, but they just cannot seem to see the Christians there... The idea that these Christians have been there for 2,000 years just doesn't register." �Philip Jenkins

by Terry Mattingly, uexpress � August 20, 2014
h/t Fr. Alex

At first glance, there was a bizarre gap in the proclamation Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi issued as his forces rolled to victory after victory in their rush to rebuild a caliphate in Iraq, Syria and beyond.

The modern world, he said, in a July 1 statement circulated on Twitter, has "been divided into two camps and two trenches, with no third camp present: The camp of Islam and faith, and the camp of kufr (disbelief) and hypocrisy -- the camp of the Muslims and the mujahidin everywhere, and the camp of the Jews, the crusaders, their allies and with them the rest of the nations and religions of kufr, all being led by America and Russia, and being mobilized by the Jews."

Missing from this list were key groups immediately impacted by the rise of the Islamic State -- the region's ancient churches. In one stunning blow, ISIS forces seized Mosul and other Nineveh Plain communities that have sheltered Christians since soon after the faith's birth. Jihadi militiamen burned churches, or turned them into mosques, and marked Christian homes with "n" for "Nisrani" or "Nazarene."

Thus, believers with 2,000 years worth of local roots were declared foreigners -- Nazarenes. They were ordered to convert to Islam, to flee as refugees or face execution, perhaps by crucifixion. Baghdadi called them "crusaders," with other Western infidels.

The exiled leader of Mosul's Chaldean Catholics has warned believers in foreign lands not to feel secure.

"Our sufferings today are the prelude of those you, Europeans and Western Christians, will also suffer," said Archbishop Amel Nona, in an interview with Corriere della Sera in Italy. "I lost my diocese. The physical setting of my apostolate has been occupied by Islamic radicals who want us converted or dead. But my community is still alive."

Archbishop Amel Nona of Mosul in a church destroyed by the Islamic State Muslim army.

The tragedies in Iraq and Syria -- affecting Christians and other religious minorities, such as members of the Yazidi sect -- have inspired fervent pleas for help from religious leaders around the world, including Pope Francis and Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby.

Nevertheless, it has taken time for Western leaders to be shaken into the realization that -- after decades of rising persecution -- the futures of the Middle Eastern churches are literally hanging in the balance. Part of the problem is that Americans and Europeans have long misunderstood the pivotal role of Eastern Christianity, according to historian Philip Jenkins, author of "The Lost History of Christianity: The Thousand-Year Golden Age of the Church in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia -- and How It Died" and numerous other acclaimed books.

When thinking about Christian history, the "movie that plays in the minds" of most Western believers says that the church was born in Jerusalem, moved to Rome, then on to Europe, the Americas and the rest of the world, he said. This is simply wrong, since the faith immediately spread east and to the south, into Africa.

"The great churches of the East were just as important, if not more so, for many ages," said Jenkins. One famous monastery near Mosul contained, for centuries, thousands of monks and scholars. "This was the heart of Christianity. ... But that isn't in the movie in Western Christian minds."

Meanwhile, many Western leaders fail to grasp that there are Arab Christians and, thus, equate Arab identity with Islam -- a stance similar to that of many Muslims. For decades, he said, Western elites in politics, journalism and academia have viewed conflict in the Middle East as clashes between Islam and Judaism, period.

"Americans are open to seeing religion's role in the politics of the region, but they just cannot seem to see the Christians there," said Jenkins. "Europeans have had a tendency to ignore the role of religion altogether. ... The idea that these Christians have been there for 2,000 years just doesn't register."

Is there hope? Surrounded by the storm, the bishops of the Damascus-based Eastern Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch have, in a public epistle, refused to surrender.

"We reconfirm that we were and are still committed to the message of our Gospel, which has arrived to us from our ancestors 2,000 years ago. Our forefathers carried and transferred this message to us enduring numerous afflictions. And we will keep this seed which we have received here in the East, growing it and being loyal to it."

"Verily, After Hardship Comes Ease"

Life gets so tough sometimes but this hadith and ayat makes you feel so much better- Hadith: �Remember that there is much good in bearing with patience that which you dislike, and that victory comes with patience, and that with hardship comes a way out and with difficulty comes ease.�(Narrated by Ahmad)

Allah (swt) says: For truly with hardship comes ease; truly with hardship comes ease. (Surat al-Inshirah: 5-6)

"...Bear with patience whatever befalls you...." (Qur'an 31:17) and "Be not sad, surely Allah is with us." (Qur'an 9:40)

Our Prophet (pbuh) said: "Verily, if Allah loves a people, He makes them go through trials. Whoever is satisfied, for him is contentment, and whoever is angry upon him is wrath." [Tirmidhi]

Being sad is not encouraged in Islam

"So do not become weak, nor be sad..." (Qur'an 3:139)
"And grieve not over them, and be not distressed because of what they plot." (Qur'an 16:127)



Sadness prevents one from action instead of compelling one towards it. The heart does not benefit through grief. The most beloved thing to the devil is to hinder the worshipper in the path of Allah. The Muslim must repel sadness and fight in any way that is permissible in Islam.

Allah is sufficient for us

"Allah is sufficient for us, and He is the best Disposer of affairs. So they returned with Grace and Bounty from Allah. No harm touched them; and they followed the good Pleasure of Allah. And Allah is the owner of Great Bounty." (Qur'an 3:173-174)

"And put your trust in Allah if you are believers indeed..." (Qur'an 5:23)
"O you who believe! Seek help in patience and the prayer..." (Qur'an 2:153)



By leaving your affairs to Allah by depending on Him, by trusting in His promise, by being pleased with His decree, by thinking favourably of Him, and by waiting patiently for His help, you reap some of the greater fruits of faith. When you incorporate these qualities, you will be at peace concerning the future, because you will depend on your Lord for everything. As a result, you will find care, help, protection and victory.

Pre-ordainment

"No calamity befalls on earth or in yourselves but is inscribed in the Book of Decrees � before We bring it into existence." (Qur'an 57:22)

The pen has dried, and the pages have been lifted: all events shall come to pass have already been written. Whatever has befallen you was not meant to escape you, and whatever has escaped you was not meant to befall you: if this belief were to be firmly ingrained in your heart, then all hardships and difficulty would become ease and comfort.

The Prophet (pbuh) said, "Whoever Allah wishes good for, He inflicts him (with hardship)." [Bukhari]

For those who are afflicted with disaster, glad tidings await them: so remain patient and happy with your Lord. "He cannot be questioned as to what He does, while they will be questioned." (Qur'an 21:23)

Verily, with hardship, there is relief

"Verily, with hardship there is relief" (Qur'an 94:6)
"Perhaps Allah may bring victory or a decision according to His Will." (Qur'an 5:52)

Prophet Ibrahim ('alayhissalam) did not feel its heat because of the help he received from Allah. "We (Allah) said : O' fire! Be you coolness and safety for Ibrahim." (Qur'an 21:69)

The sea would not drown Prophet Moses ('alayhissalaam) because he uttered in confident, strong and truthful manner: "Nay verily! With me is my Lord, He will guide me." (Qur'an 26:62)

And the Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said to 'Abdullah bin 'Abbas (radiyallahu 'anhu): "..Be mindful of Allah, you will find Him before you. Get to know Allah in prosperity and He will know you in adversity... And know that victory comes with patience, relief with affliction, and ease with hardship." [Tirmidhi]

Accept life as it is

If you read the Qur'an you will see that all the Prophets went through trials and tribulations. Life is a test so let us learn from the best examples of our Prophets. "Or think you that you will enter Paradise without such (trials) as came to those who passed away before you? They were afflicted with severe poverty, ailments and were shaken." (Qur'an 2:214)



We should know that if we are pleased with our Lord, He will be pleased with us. And if you are pleased with your Lord no matter what the situation is, then you will find that you have earned your Lord's pleasure. On the other hand, there are hypocrites whom Allah rejects their deeds. They are displeased with what Allah sends down and they hate seeking His pleasure; thus their deeds are performed in vain.


Your recompense is with Allah

When Allah, the Exalted takes something away from you, He compensates it with something better, but only if you are patient and seek His reward.

Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said, "Whoever loses a loved one from the people of this world and then seeks recompense with his Lord, will be compensated with Paradise."

Those who are in this world and are close to Allah will be raised in the highest of heaven: "Peace be upon you, because you peresevered in patience! Excellent indeed is the final home!" (Qur'an 13:24)

Truly, the life of this world is short and its treasures are few. O' afflicted ones, if you are patient you lose nothing; and though you may not perceive it, you are profiting.
Extract honey but do not break the hive

"Repel (the evil) with one which is better, then verily! He, between whom and you there was enmity (will become) as though he was a close friend." (Qur'an 41:34)

"�.and harm them not. And put your trust in Allah." (Qur'an 33:48)

Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said, "Verily, Allah ordered me to keep relations with those that cut off, forgive the ones who does an injustice with me, and to give to those who withhold from me."

"Those who repress anger, and who pardon men; verily, Allah loves the good-doers." (Qur'an 3-134)



Remembrance of Allah

"Verily, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest." (Qur'an 13:28)
"Therefore remember Me and I will remember you�" (Qur'an 2:152)

We should not be surprised when we hear that people who remember Allah are at peace. What is truly surprising is how the negligent and unmindful survive without remembering Him. Allah says in the Qur'an, "They are dead, lifeless and they know not when they will be raised up." (Qur'an 16: 21)

Truly, He is near when supplicated: He hears when he is called and He answers when He is invoked, so humble yourself before Him and ask of Him sincerely. Repeat His beautiful names, and mention Him alone as worthy of worship. Mention His praises, supplicate to Him: you will find then � by the will of Allah � happiness, peace and illumination. �So Allah gave them the reward of this world and the excellent reward of the Hereafter.� (Qur�an 3:148)



Loving Allah, knowing Him, remembering Him, seeking peace in Him, singling Him out for complete love, fear, hope and dependence � these qualities when combined in a person, constitute a sort of heaven on earth.

These are qualities that bring peace to those who love Allah, a sort of peace that has no comparison in this world.It is important that a special relationship exists in the heart between the slave and his Lord, a relationship that allows the slave to feel so close to his Lord that he requires no other.

Thus, he finds company when he is alone, and he tastes the sweetness of remembering Him and supplicating to Him. Allah's slave will continually face hardship and difficulty until he dies, but if he has a special relationship with his Lord, all of the hardships of life will become easy for him.

The prayer�.the prayer � we must return to our mosques

"O' you who believe! Seek help in patience and the Prayer." (Qur'an 2:153)

By earnestly performing the five daily prayers, we achieve the greatest of blessings: cleared off our sins and increase in rank with our Lord. Prayer is a potent remedy for our sickness, for it instills our faith in our souls.

As for those that keep away from the mosque and away from prayer, for them is unhappiness, wretchedness and an embittered life.

"For them is destruction and Allah will make their deeds vain." (Qur'an 47:8)

Take a moment to reflect

O whose mind has wandered in grief, O' you whose eyes are loaded with tears; relax and know that your Creator aids, and that His mercy will bring you peace. And know that your reward is secure with He Who doesn�t disappoint the one who seeks to please Him. Be at peace, for after poverty comes joyous meeting, and after sleeplessness comes sound rest. O you who are oppressed in the lands, who suffer from hunger, pain, sickness and poverty, rejoice in the knowledge that you will soon be satisfied with food and that you will be happy and in good health.

Let us make these supplications, their purpose being to eliminate hardship, anxiety and grief:

"There is no worthy of worship except Allah, the Ever Forbearing, the Most Great. There is none worthy of worship except Allah, the Lord of the Tremendous Throne. There is none worthy of worship One Who sustains and protects all that exists, there is none worthy of worship except You, and by Your Mercy do we seek Your aid."

"So be patient, with a good patience..." (Qur'an 70:5)

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