Modest Islamic clothing: Shukr Islamic Fashion

Modesty (Iffah)

Allah (SW) made the adherence to the Hijab manifestations for chastity and modesty.Allah says: يَا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ قُل لِّأَزْوَاجِكَ وَبَنَاتِكَ وَنِسَاءِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ يُدْنِينَ عَلَيْهِنَّ مِن جَلَابِيبِهِنَّ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ أَدْنَىٰ أَن يُعْرَفْنَ فَلَا يُؤْذَيْنَ ۗ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ غَفُورًا رَّحِيمًا
﴾ “O Prophet! Tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to draw their cloaks (veils) over their bodies (when outdoors). That is most convenient that they should be known and not molested.” (Qur’an 33:59)

In the above Ayah there is evidence that the recognition of the apparent beauty of the woman is harmful to her. When the cause of attraction ends, the restriction is removed. This is illustrated in the case of elderly women who may have lost every aspect of attraction. Allah (SW) made it permissible for them to lay aside their outer garments and expose their faces and hands reminding, however, that it is still better for them to keep their modesty.“And ad for women past child-bearing who do not expect wed-lock, it is no sin for them if they discard their (outer) in such a way as not to show their adornment; but it is best to be modest and Allah knows and sees all things provided they do not make a display of their beauty; but it is best to be modest and Allah knows and sees all things.” (Qur’an 24:60)

Righteousness (Taqwah)

Allah (SW) says: يَا بَنِي آدَمَ قَدْ أَنزَلْنَا عَلَيْكُمْ لِبَاسًا يُوَارِي سَوْآتِكُمْ وَرِيشًا ۖ وَلِبَاسُ التَّقْوَىٰ ذَٰلِكَ خَيْرٌ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ مِنْ آيَاتِ اللَّهِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَذَّكَّرُونَ

“O Children of Adam! We have bestowed clothing upon you to cover yourselves (screen your private parts, etc) and as adornment. But the clothing of righteousness, that is better.” (Qur’an 7:26)

The widespread forms of dresses in the world today are mostly for show off and hardly taken as a cover and shield of the woman’s body. To the believing women, however, the purpose is to safeguard their bodies and cover their private parts as a manifestation of the order of Allah. It is an act of Taqwah (righteousness).

Belief Or Faith (Emaan)

Allah (SW) did not address His Words about the Hijab except to the believing women, Al-Mo’minat:“And say (O Muhammad SAAW) to the believing women.” (Qur’an 24:31)In another Ayah Allah (SW) also says:“And the believing women” (Qur’an 33:59)
A’isha (RAA) the wife of the Prophet (SAAW) addressed some women from the tribe of Banu Tameem who came visiting her and had light clothes on them:“If indeed you are the believing women, then truly this is not the dress of the believing women, and if you are not believing women, then enjoy it.”

Bashfulness ( Hayaa)

Bashfulness (Hayaa’)The Prophet (SAAW) said:
“Each religion has morality and the morality of Islam is Haya’ (bashfulness).”
He (SAAW) also said: “Bashfulness is from belief and belief is in Al-Jannah (Paradise).”
Furthermore, he (SAAW) said: “Bashfulness and belief are fully associated together if one is lifted the other follows suit.”
The Mother of the believers, A’isha said: “I used to enter the room where the Messenger of Allah (SAAW) and my father were later buried in without having my garment on me, saying it is only my husband and my father.” But when Umar (RAA) was later buried in (the same place), I did not enter the room except that I had my garment on being shy from Umar (RAA).”
The Hijab fits the natural bashfulness which is part of the nature of women.

Honor (Gheerah)

The Hijab fits the natural feeling of Gheerah which is intrinsic in the straight man who does not like people to look at his wife or daughters. Gheerah is a driving emotion that drives the straight man to safeguard women who are related to him from strangers. The Straight Muslim man has Gheerah for all Muslim women.
Many in the world had lost this great moral aspect. In response to lust and desire men look (with desire) at other women while they do not mind that other men do the same to their wives or daughters! In “free” societies you see men sitting with strange women who are half-naked “enjoying” the scene! They introduce their wives to other strange men. Mutual looks here and there! Affairs develop and phone calls are exchange. “Love affairs” destroys many families and children suffer most. What kind of “love” is this?The mixing of sexes and absence of Hijab kills the Gheerah in men. The eyes “eat up” other men and women! The inner “justification” is: since I can look they can look. It’s a “free choice”! Few are those who feel anything when they discover their wives have “affairs”. They become numb!! No dignity! No honor! The bottom line is that in many societies of this modern World the animalistic behaviors are becoming very apparent.
Ali (RAA) said: “It was related to me that you women used to crowd the Kuffar (disbelieving men) from the non-Arabs in the markets; don’t you have Gheerah? There is no good in the one who does not have Gheerah.”Islam considers Gheerah an integral part of faith. The dignity of the wife or daughter or any other Muslim woman must be highly respected and defended.O! We Hear and We ObeyThe Honest Muslim receives the order of Allah (SW) and hastens to manifest his love to Islam into action and listens to and obeys the Sunnah of the Prophet (SAAW). He does not give attention to the lost and misleading ways of the masses of human beings who do not realize their awaiting destiny. Allah (SW) negated the existence of belief in those who turn away from Him and from His Messenger (SAAW) saying:“They (hypocrites) say: “We have believed in Allah and in the Messenger (Muhammad SAAW), and we obey” then a party of them turns away thereafter, such are not believers. And when they are called to Allah (i.e. His Words-the Qur’an) and His Messenger to judge between them, Lo! A party of them refuses to come and turn away.” (Qur’an 24: 47-48)Therefore, there is no choice but to submit the order of Allah and no hesitation should exist in following the ruling of Allah. So come for repentance. O my Muslim Sister, and watch for words like “I will repent, I will pray, I will cover with Hijab,” because delaying the repentance is a sin that you must repent from! Say as Allah (SW) said on the tongue of Musa (May All’s peace be upon him):“I HASTENED TO YOU, O MY LORD, TO PLEASE YOU” (QUR’AN 20:84)And say as the believing men and women said:“WE HEAR AND WE OBEY. (WE SEEK) YOUR FORGIVENESSS, OUR LORD, AND TO YOU IS THE RETURN” (QUR’AN 2:285)

Guide Us to the Straight Path

We recite Surah Fatihah in our 5 times daily prayer and in the Fifth Verse we ask Allah: Guide us to the Straight path. Everyone is asking for guidance five times a day, the righteous of us and the non-righteous of us. Even the Prophet Peace Be Upon him, was reciting Fatihah in his prayers asking for guidance.
What is Guidance? Does everyone need Guidance? Why do we as Muslims have to ask for Guidance 5 times in a day? What about those who are already guided like prophets and other righteous people, why then they have to ask for guidance in the five times daily prayers?
One of the best explanations of Hidayah or Guidance is given by Imam Raghib al-Isfahani that is: Hidayah signifies leading someone towards his destination, gently and kindly; while guidance in the real sense comes forth from Allah alone and has several degrees.
First Degree of Guidance:
The first degree of guidance is general and it covers everything in this whole creation, from smallest particles like atoms to minerals, plants, animals etc. It might seem a bit surprising to some that minerals and atoms need guidance but the Holy Book of Allah makes it clear that all form of existents in the universe possess some form of life, sensitivity and even consciousness and understanding in their own degree and according to their own sphere of existence. Some of these existents may have more of this essence than others and some may have less. And those who have less of consciousness, sensitivity, and understanding are considered as inanimate. Humans and Jinn are of those creatures that are considered rational beings. They possess faculties of reason, logic, understanding and above all we have been honored with a Free Will to Choose. Therefore, we humans are made subservient to the injunctions and Laws of Shariah and accountable for our actions. This first type of Guidance is given to all creations by Allah regardless their level of consciousness, sensitivity, life form etc. As the Holy Quran says:
قَالَ رَبُّنَا الَّذِي أَعْطَىٰ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ خَلْقَهُ ثُمَّ هَدَىٰ
He gave to everything its distinctive form, and then Guided it (20:50)
And in another Surah Allah says:
الَّذِي خَلَقَ فَسَوَّىٰ ﴿٢﴾ وَالَّذِي قَدَّرَ فَهَدَىٰ
Allah created all things, Well proportioned them, and Who has determined and Guided them. (87:1-2)

From the above verses we can deduce that, Allah has given every creature a particular nature and function and guided it in a way which should correspond to its station in the scheme of things. Because of this Guidance that Allah has given to every creature in this universe, we see a balance and a perfect order in this whole existence around us. Every single object is performing its function according to the Guidance it has been given by its Creator and thus everything is in perfect harmony. Hydrogen and Oxygen for example, know through this Guidance how many of atoms they need to exchange in the chemical reaction to form a drop of water. And it is the Ears that hear a sound not the Eyes and similarly it is the nose that smells but not the eyes. The human heart is Guided how to pump blood and distribute it to the rest of the body organs. It is this guidance that makes able the birds and animals how to build a nest and feed their babies. It is this Guidance that makes a spider able to net his web in such a marvelous way. As exactly Allah says in the Verse above He created the creation and guided them to perform their functions.
Analogically, this guidance is like that Software we call Operating System in a Computer unit we have today. As we know that a computer cannot function without an operating system. It is this Operating Software (Guidance) that tells every small and large chip or unit inside the computer what to do, how to do, when to do a certain function. Likewise every created thing in this universe works in the same way as that computer. Allah created them in certain fashion and form for certain purpose to perform certain function and gave them that Guidance. This Guided Nature of this creation brings another very important point in mind that it shows that everything in this creation has been created for a purpose. If every single object is created with guidance and has certain function then logically it can be said that they must be created for a purpose. They are certainly not created in vain. As Allah says in the Holy Quran:

وَمَا خَلَقْنَا السَّمَاءَ وَالْأَرْضَ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا لَاعِبِينَ ﴿١٦

“Not for (idle) sport did We create the heavens and the earth and all that is between!” ( 21:16)

We human beings make and build things for a purpose, like the very computer, car, Airplane etc. If we create things for a reason and a purpose then all this creation must have a bigger and very important purpose which is created by the All-knowing Creator as well. The flawlessness, the perfect order and the balance in this creation tells us that everything is Guided thus they exist for a very important purpose.

The Second Degree of Guidance:

Unlike the first degree of Guidance, this degree of Guidance is not general but particular and limited only to the Rational Beings with a free will like humans and Jinns. This type of guidance is a higher level of guidance consciously accepted and received from Prophets and the Revealed Scripture. This degree of guidance comes in the form of a message from the Creator through His Messengers informing them of their purpose and duties in this life. This message tells human beings and jinn that they are created for a purpose and thus guides them toward goodness and a moral life and that their actions are going to be judged. Rejection of this Guidance will result in perdition and hardships in this Worldly life and the Hereafter as well. As rational beings they can use their Free Will to accept this guidance or reject it. Those who accept it, become believers (Muslims) but those who do not accept it becomes Disbelievers (Kafirs).
Allah has sent this Guidance time and again since the creation of Adam, peace be Upon him. As Allah refers to this in the Quran after Adam eats from the tree and tells them to go and down to Earth and I will send you Guidance. Today we have the last and final of this degree of Guidance in its complete and unadulterated form the Holy Quran and the Teachings of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, Peace be Upon him.

The Third Degree of Guidance

The third degree of guidance is even more particular and special only to the true Believers ( Muminin) and the God-Fearing (Muttaqeen). This Guidance directly descends to the certain individuals who has already accepted the second degree of guidance and wholeheartedly submitted to the Will of their Lord by applying all the injunctions in their life. This degree of Guidance is called Tawfeeq. That is to say, Allah’s Rahma or Grace provides a man with internal and external means and circumstances which should make it easy and even pleasant for him to accept and act upon the Guidance of the Holy Quran, and difficult to ignore or oppose it. The scope of the third degree of guidance is limitless and its level indefinite. In this sphere of guidance man can acquire and reach to a very high level of spiritual progress through the agency of virtuous deeds. The more virtuous deeds a man performs the more increase in direct divine guidance he gets.
As Allah Says:
وَالَّذِينَ اهْتَدَوْا زَادَهُمْ هُدًى وَآتَاهُمْ تَقْوَاهُمْ
As for those who follow the straight path, Allah will increase their Guidance. (47:17)

وَمَن يُؤْمِن بِاللَّهِ يَهْدِ قَلْبَهُ ۚ وَاللَّهُ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيمٌ
And whoever believes in Allah, He guides his heart.( 64:11)

وَالَّذِينَ جَاهَدُوا فِينَا لَنَهْدِيَنَّهُمْ سُبُلَنَا ۚ وَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لَمَعَ الْمُحْسِنِينَ
Those who strive for Us, We will surely guide the in Our paths. (29:69)

It is in this field of progress that we see even the greatest prophets and men of Allah striving, and it is an increase in the Divine Guidance and help that they keep seeking to their last breath. May Allah Guide us all to the straight path, the path of the prophets, messengers, all those righteous whom Allah had blessed with guidance.

Signs of Weak Iman and How to Increase It

Signs of weak Faith:
ท Committing sins and not feeling any guilt.
ท Having a hard heart and no desire to read the Quran.
ท Feeling too lazy to do good deeds, e.g. being late for salat
ท Neglecting the Sunnah.
ท Having mood swings, for instance being upset about petty things and bothered and irritated most of the time.
ท Not feeling anything when hearing verses from the Quran, for example when Allah warns us of punishments and His promise of glad tidings.
ท Finding difficulty in remembering Allah and making dhikr.
ท Not feeling bad when things are done against the Shariah.
ท Desiring status and wealth.
ท Being mean and miserly, i.e. not wanting to part with wealth.
ท Ordering others to do good deeds when not practising them ourselves.
ท Feeling pleased when things are not progressing for others.
ท Being concerned with whether something is haram or halal only; and not avoiding makroo (not recommended) things.
ท Making fun of people who do simple good deeds, like cleaning the mosque.
ท Not feeling concerned about the situation of Muslims.
ท Not feeling the responsibility to do something to promote Islam.
ท Liking to argue just for the sake of arguing without any proof.
ท Becoming engrossed and very involved with dunya, worldly things, i.e. feeling bad only when losing something in terms of material wealth.
ท Becoming engrossed and obsessive about ourselves.

Okay, how to increase our faith then ?

Recite and ponder on the meanings of the Quran.
Tranquility then descends and our hearts become soft.
To get optimum benefit, remind yourself that Allah is speaking to you.
People are described in different categories in the Quran; think of which one you find yourself in.
Realize the greatness of Allah.
Everything is under His control.
There are signs in everything we see that points us to His greatness.
Everything happens according to His permission.
Allah keeps track and looks after everything, even a black ant on a black rock on a black moonless night.
Make an effort to gain knowledge, for at least the basic things in daily life e.g. how to make wudu properly.
Know the meanings behind Allah's names and attributes. People who have taqwa are those who have knowledge.
Attend gatherings where Allah is remembered. In such gatherings we are surrounded by angels.
We have to increase our good deeds. One good deed leads to another good deed.
Allah will make the way easy for someone who gives charity and also make it easy for him or her to do good deeds.
Good deeds must be done continuously, not in spurts.
We must fear the miserable end to our lives; the remembrance of death is the destroyer of pleasures.
Remember the different levels of akhirah, for instance when we are put in our graves, when we are judged, whether we will be in paradise or hell.
Make dua, realize that we need Allah. Be humble.
Don't covet material things in this life.
Our love for Subhana Wa TaAla must be shown in actions.
We must hope Allah will accept our prayers, and be in constant fear that we do wrong.
At night before going to sleep, we must think about what good we did during that day.
Realize the effects of sins and disobedience- one's faith is increased with good deeds and our faith is decreased by bad deeds.
Everything that happens is because Allah wanted it.
When calamity befalls us- it is also from Allah. It is a direct result of our disobedience to Allah

Sunday, April 19, 2009

Shukr Islamic Fashion

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A Letter From A Christian To Muslim Women

March 7th, 2007By Joanna FrancisWriter, Journalist - USABetween the Israeli assault on Lebanon and the Zionist "war onterror," the Muslim world is now center stage in every American home.I see the carnage, death and destruction that have befallen Lebanon,but I also see something else: I see you. I can't help but notice thatalmost every woman I see is carrying a baby or has hildren around her.I see that though they are dressed modestly, their beauty still shinesthrough. But it's not just outer beauty that I notice. I also noticethat I feel something strange inside me: I feel envy. I feel terriblefor the horrible experiences and war crimes that the Lebanese peoplehave suffered, being targeted by our common enemy. But I can't helpbut admire your strength, your beauty, your modesty, and most of all,your happiness.Yes, it's strange, but it occurred to me that even under constantbombardment, you still seemed happier than we are, because you werestill living the natural lives of women. The way women have alwayslived since the beginning of time. It used to be that way in the Westuntil the 1960s, when we were bombarded by the same enemy. Only wewere not bombarded with actual munitions, but with subtle trickery andmoral corruption.Through TemptationThey bombarded us Americans from Hollywood, instead of from fighterjets or with our own American-made tanks. They would like to bomb youin this way too, afterthey've finished bombing the infrastructure ofyour countries. I do not want this to happen to you. You will feeldegraded, just like we do. You can avoid this kind of bombing if youwill kindly listen to those of us who have already suffered seriouscasualties from their evil influence. Because everything you seecoming out of Hollywood is a pack of lies, a distortion of reality,smoke and mirrors. They present casual sex as harmless recreationbecause they aim to destroy the moral fabric of the societies intowhich they beam their poisonous programming. I beg you not to drinktheir poison. There is no antidote for it once you have consumed it.You may recover partially, but you will never be the same. Better toavoid the poison altogether than to try to heal from the damage it causes.They will try to tempt you with their titillating movies and musicvideos, falsely portraying us American women as happy and satisfied,proud of dressing like prostitutes, and content without families. Mostof us are not happy, trust me. Millions of us are on anti-depressantmedication, hate our jobs, and cry at night over the men who told usthey loved us, then greedily used us and walked away. They would liketo destroy your families and convince you to have fewer children. Theydo this by presenting marriage as a form of slavery, motherhood as acurse, and being modest and pure as old-fashioned. They want you tocheapen yourself and lose your faith. They are like the Serpenttempting Eve with the apple. Don't bite.Self-ValueI see you as precious gems, pure gold, or the "pearl of great value"spoken of in the Bible (Matthew 13: 45). All women are pearls of greatvalue, but some of us have been deceived into doubting the value ofour purity. Jesus said: "Give not that which is holy unto the dogs,neither cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them undertheir feet, and turn again and rend you" (Matthew 7: 6). Our pearlsare priceless, but they convince us that they're cheap. But trust me;there is no substitute for being able to look in the mirror and seeingpurity, innocence and self-respect staring back at you.The fashions coming out of the Western sewer are designed to make youbelieve that your most valuable asset is your sexuality. But yourbeautiful dresses and veils are actually sexier than any Westernfashion, because they cloak you in mystery and show self-respect andconfidence. A woman's sexuality should be guarded from unworthy eyes,since it should be your gift to the man who loves and respects youenough to marry you. And since your men are still manly warriors, theydeserve no less than your best. Our men don't even want purityanymore. They don't recognize the pearl of great value, opting for theflashy rhinestone instead. Only to leave her too! Your most valuableassets are your inner beauty, your innocence, and everything thatmakes you who you are. But I notice that some Muslim women push thelimit and try to be as Western as possible, even while wearing a veil(with some of their hair showing). Why imitate women who alreadyregret, or will soon regret, their lost virtue? There is nocompensation for that loss. You are flawless diamonds. Don't let themtrick you into becoming rhinestones. Because everything you see in thefashion magazines and on Western television is a lie. It is Satan'strap. It is fool's gold.A Woman's HeartI'll let you in on a little secret, just in case you're curious:pre-marital sex is not even that great. We gave our bodies to the menwe were in love with, believing that that was the way to make themlove us and want to marry us, just as we had seen on televisiongrowing up. But without the security of marriage and the sureknowledge that he will always stay with us, it's not even enjoyable!That's the irony. It was just a waste. It leaves you in tears.Speaking as one woman to another, I believe that you understand thatalready. Because only a woman can truly understand what's in anotherwoman's heart. We really are all alike. Our race, religion ornationalities do not matter. A woman's heart is the same everywhere.We love. That's what we do best. We nurture our families and givecomfort and strength to the men we love. But we American women havebeen fooled into believing that we are happiest having careers, ourown homes in which to live alone, and freedom to give our love away towhomever we choose. That is not freedom. And that is not love. Only inthe safe haven of marriage can a woman's body and heart be safe tolove. Don't settle for anything less. It's not worth it. You won'teven like it and you'll like yourself even less afterwards. Then he'llleave you.Self-DenialSin never pays. It always cheats you. Even though I have reclaimed myhonor, there's still no substitute for having never been dishonored inthe first place. We Western women have been brainwashed into thinkingthat you Muslim women are oppressed. But truly, we are the ones whoare oppressed; slaves to fashions that degrade us, obsessed with ourweight, begging for love from men who do not want to grow up. Deepdown inside, we know that we have been cheated. We secretly admire andenvy you, although some of us will not admit it. Please do not lookdown on us or think that we like things the way they are. It's not ourfault. Most of us did not have fathers to protect us when we wereyoung because our families have been destroyed. You know who is behindthis plot. Don't be fooled, my sisters. Don't let them get you too.Stay innocent and pure. We Christian women need to see what life isreally supposed to be like for women. We need you to set the examplefor us, because we are lost. Hold onto your purity. Remember: youcan't put the toothpaste back in the tube. So guard your "toothpaste"carefully!I hope you receive this advice in the spirit in which it is intended:the spirit of friendship, respect, and admiration.From your Christian sister "With Love"

Virtues of hijaab- An Act of Obedience To Allah

The Hijab is an act of obedience to Allah SW and to His Messenger Muhammad (SAAW). Allah (SW) says:“It is not for a believer, man or woman, when Allah and His Messenger have decreed a matter that they should have an option in their decision. And whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger has indeed strayed in a plain error.” (Qur’an 33:36)Allah (SW) also says: “But no by your Lord, they can have no Faith, until they make you (Muhammad (SAAW) a judge in all disputes between them, and find in themselves no resistance against your decisions, and accept (them) with full submission.” (Qur’an 4:65)Indeed Allah (SW) ordered that women must put on the Hijab. Allah (SW) says:“And tell the believing women to lower their gaze (from looking at forbidden things) and protect their private parts (from illegal sexual acts, etc) and not to show off their adornment except what must (ordinarily) appear thereof, that they should draw their veils over their Juyubihinna (cover the body, hands or face)”(Qur’an 24:31)Allah considered the dazzling display of beauty an act of ignorance:“And stay in your houses and do not display yourselves like that of the times of Jahilyeeyah (the days of ignorance prior to the Revelation of the Qur’an)”(Qur’an 33:33)He, Most Glorified says:“And when you ask the Prophet’s wives for anything you want, ask them from behind a screen.” (Qur’an 33:53) The above Ayah (verse) does not apply only on the Prophet’s wives but to all of the believing women. Allah says: “O Prophet! Tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to draw their cloaks (veils) over their bodies (when outdoors). That is most convenient that they should be known and not molested.” (Qur’an 33:59)Allah created us for the single purpose of worshipping Him alone. He detailed all the ways to fulfill this purpose in the Last Revelation to all mankind, the Qur’an. In it we can find how women and men can safeguard their dignity, honor, and morality. The worship of Allah is manifested in the following of His orders. Allah orders that men and women must avoid all the roads that lead to animalistic ways of living. The Hijab is one of Allah’s commands. It is an honor and protection from women as well as a true freedom for her body from the hands and eyes of aggression and molesters.The Prophet (SAAW) said:“The woman (any woman) is A’wrah that is she must be covered.

Description of Paradise

"And if you ask about its ground and its soil, then it is of musk and saffron.And if you ask about its roof, then it is the Throne of the Most Merciful.And if you ask about its rocks, then they are pearls and jewels.And if you ask about its buildings, then they are made of bricks of gold and silver.And if you ask about its trees, then it does not contain a single tree except that its trunk is made of gold and silver.And if you ask about its fruits, then they are softer than butter and sweeter than honey.And if you ask about its leaves, then they are softer than the softest cloth.And if you ask about its rivers, then there are rivers of milk who's taste does not change, and rivers of wine that is delicious to those who drink it, and rivers of honey that is pure, and rivers of water that is fresh.And if you ask about their food, then it is fruits from whatever they will choose, and the meat of whatever birds they desire.And if you ask about their drink, then it is Tasneem, ginger, and Kaafoor.And if you ask about their drinking cups, then they are crystal-clear and made of gold and silver.And if you ask about its shade, then a fast rider would ride in the shade of one of its trees for a hundred years and not escape it.And if you ask about its vastness, then the lowest of its people would have within his kingdom and walls and palaces and gardens the distance that would be traveled in a thousand years.And if you ask about its tents and encampments, then one tent is like a concealed pearl that is sixty miles long.And if you ask about its towers, then they are rooms above rooms in buildings that have rivers running underneath them.And if you ask about how far it reaches into the sky, then look at the shining star that is visible, as well as those that are far in the heavens that the eyesight cannot possibly reach.And if you ask about the clothing of its inhabitants, then they are of silk and gold.And if you ask about its beds, then its blankets are of the finest silk laid out in the highest of its levels.And if you ask about the faces of its inhabitants and their beauty, then they are like the image of the Moon.And if you ask about their age, then they are young ones of 33 years in the image of Adam, the father of humanity.And if you ask about what they will be hearing, then it is the singing of their wives from among the Hoor al-'Ayn, and better than that are the voices of the Angels and the Prophets, and better than that is the Speech of the Lord of the Worlds.And if you ask about their servants, then they are young boys of everlasting youth who resemble scattered pearls.And if you ask about their brides and wives, then they are young and full-breasted and have had the liquid of youth flow through their limbs; the Sun runs along the beauty of her face if she shows it, light shines from between her teeth if she smiles; if you meet her love, then say whatever you want regarding the joining of two lights; he sees his face in the roundness of her cheek as if he is looking into a polished mirror, and he sees the brightness from behind her muscles and bones; if she were to be unleashed upon the World, she would fill what is between the Heavens and the Earth with a beautiful wind, and the mouths of the creation would glorify, praise, and exclaim greatness, and everything between the East and the West would be adorned for her, and every eye would be shut from everything but her, and the light of the Sun would be outshone just as the light of the Sun outshines the light of the stars, and everyone on the face of the Earth would believe in the Ever-Living, the one who Sustains and Protects all the exists.And the covering on her head is better than the World and all that is in it, and she does not increase with age except in beauty; free from an umbilical cord, childbirth and menses, and pure of mucous, saliva, urine and other filthy things; her youth never fades, her clothing is never worn out, no garment can be created that matches her beauty, and no one who is with her can ever become bored; her attention is restricted to her husband, so she desires none but him, just as his attention is restricted to her so she is the sole object of his desire, and he is with her in utmost safety and security, as none has touched her before of either humans or Jinn.And if you ask about the Day of Increase (in reward) and the visit of the all-Mighty, all-Wise, and the sight of His Face - free from any resemblance or likeness to anything - as you see the Sun in the middle of the day and the full Moon on a cloudless night, then listen on the day that the caller will call: 'O People of Paradise! Your Lord - Blessed and Exalted - requests you to visit Him, so come to visit Him!' So they will say: 'We hear and obey!'Until, when they finally reach the wide valley where they will all meet - and none of them will turn down the request of the caller - the Lord - Blessed and Exalted - will order His Chair to be brought there. Then, pulpits of light will emerge, as well as pulpits of pearls, gemstone, gold, and silver. The lowest of them in rank will sit on sheets of musk, and will not see what those who are on the chairs above them are given. When they are comfortable where they are sitting and are secure in their places, and the caller calls: 'O People of Paradise! You have an appointment with Allaah in which He wishes to reward you!' So they will say: 'And what is that reward? Has He not already made our faces bright, made our scales heavy, entered us into Paradise, and pushed us away from the Fire?'And when they are like that, all of a sudden a light shines that encompasses all of Paradise. So, they raise their heads, and, behold: the Compeller - Exalted is He, and Holy are His Names - has come to them from above them and majestified them and said:'O People of Paradise! Peace be upon you!' So, this greeting will not be responded to with anything better than: 'O Allaah! You are Peace, and from You is Peace! Blessed are You, O possessor of Majesty and Honor!' So the Lord - Blessed and Exalted - will laugh to them and say: 'O People of Paradise! Where are those who used to obey Me without having ever seen Me? This is the Day of Increase!'So, they will all give the same response: 'We are pleased, so be pleased with us!' So, He will say: 'O People of Paradise! If I were not pleased with you, I would not have made you inhabitants of My Paradise! So, ask of Me!' So, they will all give the same response: 'Show us your Face so that we may look at it!' So, the Lord - Mighty and Majestic - will remove his covering and will majestify them and will cover them with His Light, which, if Allaah - the Exalted - had not Willed not to burn them, would have burned them.And there will not remain a single person in this gathering except that his Lord - the Exalted - will speak to him and say: 'Do you remember the day that you did this and that?' and He will remind him of some of his bad deeds in the Worldly life, so he will say: 'O Lord! Will you not forgive me?' So, He will say: 'Of course! You have not reached this position of yours (in Paradise) except by my forgiveness.'So, how sweet is this speech to the ears, and how cooled are the righteous eyes by the glance at His Noble Face in the Afterlife...
{Some faces that Day will be shining and radiant, looking at their Lord...} (al-Qiyaamah:22-3)

Why is Our Dua Not Accepted??

Al-Qurtubi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
It was said to Ibraaheem ibn Adham: Why is it that we supplicate and receive no response? He said because you know Allaah but you do not obey Him, and you know the Messenger but you do not follow his Sunnah, and you know the Qur’aan but you do not act in accordance with it, and you eat from the blessings of Allaah but you do not give thanks for them, and you know Paradise but you do not seek it, and you know Hell but you do not flee from it, and you know the shaytaan but you do not fight him rather you agree with him, and you know death but you do not prepare for it, and you have buried the dead but you do not learn a lesson from that, and you ignore your own faults and are preoccupied with other people’s faults. Tafseer al-Qurtubi (2/312).

Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
It was narrated that ‘Umar Ibn al-Khattaab (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: By avoiding that which Allaah has forbidden, Allaah will accept du’aa’ and tasbeeh. And it was narrated that Abu Dharr (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: “The amount of du’aa’ with righteousness that is sufficient is like the amount of salt that is sufficient with food.” And Muhammad ibn Waasi’ said: A little du’aa’ is sufficient with piety.

One of the salaf said: Do not expect a response when you have blocked the way with sins. One of the poets also commented on this by saying:
We call upon Allaah for every hardship, then we forget Him when the hardship is relieved.
How can we hope for an answer to our du’aa’s, when we have blocked its way with sins?
Jaami’ al-‘Uloom wa’l-Hukam (1/107, 108).