Ramadan Reminders; Day 30

Assalam Alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Baraktuhu! :)

May the peace, mercy and blessings of Allah swt be upon you!

Daily Reminder 30:

Alhamdullilah for having witnessed yet another Ramadan in our lives. Ramadan did come to an end but that shouldn’t bring about a pause in our Ibadah. 

During Eid and the post-Eid parties, we tend to forget half of the knowledge we’ve gained during Ramadan and let our efforts run down the drain. 

Let not the end of Ramadan be a beginning for our sins. 

Have a blessed post-Ramadan year! 

Verse of the Day:

Juz: 30

Surah: An Nazi’at

Verse: 35

يَوْمَ يَتَذَكَّرُ الْإِنسَانُ مَا سَعَىٰ

“The Day when man will remember that for which he strove”

Allah swt says that on the Day of Judgement, we will remember those things for which we strove for.

For instance, in this Dunya, the only thing we put effort and struggle into was to earn money or build a house or look pretty for a wedding, that is what will be going on in our minds when we will be standing before our Lord.

But if we strive for the sake of Allah, curb our desires and temptations and struggle in the way of Allah, that is what we will remember about our lives on the Judgement Day.

On the Day of Judgement, when a person will look at his Book of Deeds, he will wonder, what did he really accomplish over all those years he lived. He will remember all that he strove for in Dunya.

We need to constantly ponder over what have we achieved every day; if it is only for this Dunya or if it’s going to benefit us in the Hereafter as well…

Sunnah Challenge 30:

Alhamdullilah I had a great time putting up all the different Sunnah Challenges! 

Now the biggest challenge lies with every single one of us. 

The Prophet (saws) said, “Convey from me, even if it is one verse.”

[Sahih Bukhari]

Let us encourage those around to follow the ways and path of our Prophet (saws). For every good deed we preach, we earn rewards for every time it is practiced…

Assalam Alaykum.

*A huge shoutout and Dua request for my beautiful friend, Sumayya Sirajuddin for working on the content of the Sunnah Challenge.* 

Ramadan Reminders; Day 29

Assalam Alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu! :)

May the peace, mercy and blessings of Allah swt be upon you!

Daily Reminder 29:

Most Muslims these days have an urge to judge someone as soon they look at their attire or hear their accent. What’s really upsetting here is that we even judge a person on the manners of their prayers or the kind of Hijab they wear! We judge a person’s Iman! 

Here’s my question for you. If Allah swt has concealed a person’s heart over layers of blood, flesh, skin and also their personal feelings, who are we to judge their state of heart…? 

Who gave us the right to judge a slave of Allah, a belonging of Allah and also hurt them by passing comments or even stealing glances…?! That heart could be dearer to Allah than ours! How dare we even think negative of His slave?!

Allah swt is The Judge, The Wise and The Just. He says in Surah Qalam, v.7;

إِنَّ رَبَّكَ هُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِمَن ضَلَّ عَن سَبِيلِهِ وَهُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِالْمُهْتَدِينَ

“Indeed, your Lord is most knowing of who has gone astray from His way, and He is most knowing of the [rightly] guided.”

Judgement especially of a person’s character and Iman lies with Allah alone. We have no right to raise questions upon a person’s character or their level of Iman even if that person is younger to us!

Rasulullah (saws) himself was never judgemental! He even forgave those people responsible for his uncle, Hamza’s (ra) death! Bilal’s (ra) status did not stop the Prophet (saws) from making him the first Muezzin of Islam! The Prophet (saws) made a Dua of Hidayah for Umar (ra) despite his vile and harsh treatment towards the Muslims! 

Guess whose path do we follow when we judge a person based on their external appearances?

What reason did Iblis give for not prostrating to our father, Adam (as)?

Wasn’t that reason based on external appearance? That he was made of fire and Adam (as) of clay. For his judgement based purely on the outward make of Adam (as), Allah swt declared him cursed for eternity!

How many times are WE guilty of judging someone or making fun of them or passing comments and making them conscious and hurt?

And we also know that if we follow the shaytan in the smallest aspect, we’re destined to the Fire, just like him. 

Let us become humble, appreciative, kind and merciful towards the slaves of Allah, our Muslim brothers and sisters and strengthen each other thereby strengthening the Ummah of Rasulullah (saws).

Verse of the Day:

Juz: 29

Surah: Al Mulk

Verse: 23

قُلْ هُوَ الَّذِي أَنشَأَكُمْ وَجَعَلَ لَكُمُ السَّمْعَ وَالْأَبْصَارَ وَالْأَفْئِدَةَ ۖ قَلِيلًا مَّا تَشْكُرُونَ

Say, “It is He who has produced you and made for you hearing and vision and hearts; little are you grateful.”

Do we take a moment every day to contemplate over the blessings we might have never asked for…? Do we ask Allah swt to allow our heart to pump blood? Do we make Dua for our hands and feet to work well? Do we thank Allah for bestowing the gift of sight upon us?

Have we ever thought about our lives without these blessings…? Without an efficiently working heart, sight, hearing or probably being handicapped? 

There are countless people out there who do deal with such problems and for Allah swt to be blessing us with these unasked for and priceless gifts is something we need to be grateful for!

This does mean that we keep repeating “Alhamdullilah” a couple of times during the day and forget about it at night. 

What would you do if you buy your favourite dress or you’re gifted with a beautiful accessory? Would you wrap it up and keep it unused or use it to your hearts content? And even if you do save it for a later time, don’t you think it would be ruined by rust or dust? 

The same goes with the gifts Allah swt has blessed us with. If we have sight but we don’t use it to reflect on the beautiful creations of Allah, if we can hear, but we don’t use it to hear the words of Allah, if we can speak but we don’t recite Adhkaars and if we have intellect but we don’t comprehend the knowledge of the Quran, have we truly acknowledged the blessings of Allah swt…?

Just like the materialistic things, when we don’t use our senses for the purpose it has been made for, it starts getting rusted. And it reaches a point where none of the senses will get reminded of Allah swt. The sense continues to work but it will be dead in terms of remembering Allah swt.

And for those who do not remember Allah, Allah swt Himself appoints a shaytan as their companion! As Allah swt says in Surah Al Zukhruf, v.36;

وَمَن يَعْشُ عَن ذِكْرِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ نُقَيِّضْ لَهُ شَيْطَانًا فَهُوَ لَهُ قَرِينٌ

“And whoever is blinded from remembrance of the Most Merciful - We appoint for him a devil, and he is to him a companion.”

May Allah swt prevent our hearts from going astray, guide us to remember Him, increase our blessings and allow us to struggle for His cause! Ameen.

Sunnah Challenge 29:

Follow the Sunnah of Eid!

Our process of Sunnah revival does not end at Ramadan. We continue it all the way to Eid as well!

As Eid is approaching us closely, don't forget to follow the Sunnah of Rasulullah(saws) during the auspicious day of Eid!

1. Take a bath before prayer [Malik]

2. Eat an odd number of dates before you leave your home. [Sahih Bukhari]

3. Dress your absolute best (but with modesty). [Ibn Khuzaymah]

4. Proclaim Takbir while traveling to the masjid. [Al Zuhri]

The Takbir for Eid goes as follows:

"Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, la ilaha illAllah, Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, walillahi al-hamd"

5. Congratulate on another by saying, "May Allah accept from us and you." [Ibn Hajar]

6. Return home by a different path from which you went to the masjid, so that the two paths will testify in your favour on the day of Judgement. [Sahih Bukhari]

May Allah accept all our deeds, prayers and duaas and bless us and our families with happiness and peace in this world and the Aakhirah! Ameen.

Assalam Alaykum!

Ramadan Reminders; Day 28

Assalam Alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu! :)

May the peace, mercy and blessings of Allah swt be upon you!

Daily Reminder 28:

When we leave Ramadan as a better Muslim, we promise ourselves that we’d be keeping up with our Ibadah routine throughout the year. 

But as months go by, we indulge ourselves deeply into the hustle and bustle of this Dunya so much so that we don’t even remember the promise we made to ourselves. 

And when it is time for Ramadan 2019 to begin, we start from the same point as Ramadan 2018. 

Well Allah swt does not bless us with Ramadan every year to repeat the same old story. Every Ramadan is supposed to make ourselves more worthy of Jannah than the previous year. And if we’re stuck on the same boat, what is the point of chaining up the devils...? The storm of shaytan is held away from us so that we could glide a little more closer to Jannah! But if the rest of the year pulls us back to the start line, what have we done...? 

Ramadan does change us for the better because we spend most of our time at least thinking about the Quran! 

And by the way, our responsibility as a Muslim is not just reciting the Quran in an express mode or in the most beautiful voice! 

The fundamental Haqq of the Quran is it’s comprehension, appreciation, validation and implementation! 

The more we ignore the Haqq or rights of the Quran, the more stronger is shaytans control over our hearts! And it only gets stronger by the minute until eventually we sell our souls and integrity to the enemy of Allah! 

If we want Allah swt to bless us with a peace of mind, a calmness in the heart and to accept our Duas, we need to accept His invitation for the Quran! He has made this Book for you! For each and every one of us! 

As a student of the Quran, I could find myself in a number of places in the Quran! And when I did, I was awestruck! This did not happen as soon as I completed Juz 1. It takes time and effort. Only if our intentions are pure and our efforts don’t die, Allah swt will open up His treasure and this gift will literally get you down on your knees! And Subhan Allah, I’ve never experienced anything more beautiful! 

Pick up the Quran. Listen to audios that speak about its glory. Understand the translation. If that does not give you goose bumps, listen to the summary (like the Fahm al Quran) of the Quran at least! Don’t stop with half a Juz and complain that you couldn’t find anything relatable. You will not find the treasure unless you dive deep into its glory. And when you do find yourself, there won’t be any looking back, In sha Allah!

Verse of the Day:

Juz: 28

Surah: As Saff

Verse: 3

كَبُرَ مَقْتًا عِندَ اللَّهِ أَن تَقُولُوا مَا لَا تَفْعَلُونَ 

“Great is hatred in the sight of Allah that you say what you do not do.”

Has it ever occurred that you decided to do something but you did not? For instance, you promised your friend you’d give her earrings that match her dress but forgot…? Or perhaps your mom asks you do to the dishes and you agree as well but eventually it slips out of your mind…? Or you promise to give a chocolate to a kid if he recites the “twinkle twinkle” rhyme for you while you don’t really have a chocolate…? Or maybe after listening to an Islamic lecture you said yourself that you’d be implementing the advice in your life but later on you happen to forget about it…?

Pretty much countless number of times right…?

Once the Prophet (saws) was in the house of Abdullah bin Amar (when he was a child). His mother called out to him and said, “Come here and I will give you something.”

So the Prophet (saws) asked her, “What did you intend to give him?”

She replied, “I intended to give him some dates”.

To which the Prophet (saws) said, “If you were not going to give him anything, a lie would be recorded against you”.

[Sunan Abi Dawood, 4993]

Subhan Allah we struggle so much to stay away the major sins, while it is these minor sins that end up making a huge pile of sins! 

We need to keep in mind that we should be abiding by our words and intentions. Because failing in these aspects of not fulfilling a promise or lying for the sake of fun is completely unacceptable and disliked by Allah swt.

So many times we indulge in activities that are sinless in our view but it holds a great deal of importance in the sight of Allah swt. And we wonder why Allah swt does not accept our Duas and tests us in matters of our needs! 

Subhan Allah! Little do we realise that the hardships we face, even if it is a broken slipper, He cleanses our sins because He only wants to protect us from the Hell Fire! 

The times of grief and trials are in reality an expiation of our sins! But due to our tiny wisdom, we spend that period whining instead of thanking Allah for purifying our sins in this world and not holding them against us in the Aakhirah! 

Sunnah Challenge 28:

How many times do we binge on food in a day? 

What if I told you that for every time you’re done eating, all of your past sins will be forgiven without any effort...?

The Prophet (saws) said, “He who has taken food and says at the end,

ألْحَمْدُ للهِ الَّذِي أطْعَمْنِي وَرَزَقَنِيهِ مِنْ غَيرِ حَولٍ مِنِّي وَلا قُوَّةٍ

All praise is due to Allah Who has given me food to eat and provided it without any endeavour on my part or any power -

All his past sins will be forgiven.”

[At Tirmidhi]

Subhan Allah just one single Dua after every meal or snack and imagine the number of sins that get wiped off through it!

Assalam Alaykum!

Ramadan Reminders; Day 27

Assalam Alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu! :)

May the peace, mercy and blessings of Allah swt be upon you!

Daily Reminder 27:

It is an undeniable fact that during Ramadan, it is easier to stay away from things which are disliked by Allah swt. Be it songs or movies or making faces at your mother or being a lazy chicken. 

Subhan Allah our inner strength increases to such an extent that even though our phones have music of different genres, we still refrain from listening to it! 

But just as we begin to savour the sweetness in obeying the commands of Allah and spending each day and each night in His remembrance, the month of Ramadan comes to an end...

And before we even realise, we’re back listening to filth again... or let’s say back to being a lazy chicken. 

What we need to realise is that the struggle we go through during Ramadan, is the struggle we need to go through for our lives! Allah swt deserves to be worshipped and glorified for every single day of the entire year and not just during 30 days of a year! 

Allah swt Himself says in the Quran that He does not expect us to worship Him through the nights and the days! All He is asking us to is to be sincere and loyal to Him, be consistent in offering the obligatory prayers and commit deeds that are loved by Him. And HE WILL TAKE CARE OF THE REST! 

Your armour and weapon against the shaytan is your Dua and the Quran! If you stick to them, there is no force in the entire world that can take you away from Allah’s Love, Mercy and Protection! 

Verse of The Day:

Juz: 27

Surah: Al Qamar

Verse: 17

وَلَقَدْ يَسَّرْنَا الْقُرْآنَ لِلذِّكْرِ فَهَلْ مِن مُّدَّكِرٍ

“And We have certainly made the Qur'an easy for remembrance, so is there any who will remember?”

The Mushrikeen of Makkah were fierce enemies of the Prophet (saws) and the religion he preached. They would abuse and also taunt him and demand miracles from him only to prove that he is the Messenger of Allah.  

Their ignorance knew no limits so much so that they couldn’t accept the fact that the Quran revealed to the Prophet (saws) was a miracle too! The Quraysh would be dumbstruck when they heard the Quran. Their leaders would listen to the Prophet (saws) reciting the Quran stealthy, in the middle of the night! Being masters of the Arabic language themselves, they had never come across the likes of the Quran before! But their arrogance and pride kept them off from accepting Islam. 

The only reason Allah swt did not bring about any “physical” miracle through the Prophet (saws) was because even if the Mushrikeen were shown a miracle, they would still remain stubborn and vile.

And when Allah swt did allow the splitting of the moon for the Prophet (saws), the Mushrikeen termed it as magic. 

What we do need to understand here is that yes, our Prophet (saws) was given the miracle of the moon splitting but a greater miracle that he was bestowed with is the Quran itself! 

We limit a miracle to the eye, but the Quran is a miracle for the eyes, ears, the mind and the soul. A miracle for the sight may die after a group of people have witnessed it, like the splitting of the sea for the people of Musa (as). But the Quran is such that its power and might is not just for a limited number of people, but for the entire world until the end of time! 

The Quran is not just a theory or a science or linguistic chapter that is only memorised and not pondered over. It is an anchor that pulls you up when you’re drowning in agony, fear, sadness or the troubles of this Dunya. It is a magnet that constantly pulls your heart towards the Love of Allah, His mercy and away from the temporary, materialistic fascinations of this world. 

The fact that Allah swt asks the question about 4 times in just one Surah really shows how ignorant and careless we can be towards His Book. And it also indicates the magnitude of people who just recite the Book for mere religious obligations and only a handful of those who treat this Book like their saviour and guide through this world. These people also spend a great deal of time and effort in understanding, implementing and spreading the knowledge they gain from the Quran.

May Allah swt make us among the people of the Quran and give us the opportunity to learn and follow His Book and His commands, Ameen!

Sunnah Challenge:

Imagine you are having a pleasant walk in the park, and you are greeted with a small pebble which almost makes you trip, what do you do? 

Some of you would groan at the pebble and walk away in another direction, some would kick it out of your path, and some would go to the length of picking it up and placing it somewhere where it wouldnt harm anybody. 

How long would it take, if you knew that removing that pebble would be an act of sadaqah that could save you from the hell fire? 

According to the narration in Al-Bukhari and Muslim: Messenger of Allah (saws) said, “While a man was walking, he saw a thorny branch on the road, so he removed it and Allah appreciated his action and forgave him”.

It is also mentioned in Bukhari and Muslim that “And removing a harmful thing from the path is a charitable act.”

Our surroundings are often filled with trash and other stuffs which often cause harm to others. 

We must take the responsibility to not be the cause of harm for others and at the same time keep our surroundings clean from them! 

It is hard to take responsibility for nature, or someone else's actions, but if you think about the magnitude of reward that you get for such an act, it is definitely worth the effort!

Assalam Alaykum.

Ramadan Reminders; Day 26

Assalam Alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu! :)

May the peace, blessings and mercy of Allah swt be upon you!

Daily Reminder 26:

How did you feel when you scored high grades in your school? Or how about the time when you received a certificate or trophy? Or when you got your new iPhone? Didn’t you want to scream on top of your lungs and declare to the world about your achievements and possessions?

Similarly when we start with a good deed, like learning about the Quran or teach about our Deen or spend in charity, we want to be acknowledged. And we become hungry for praises. We just want someone to say, “Oh Ma sha Allah, you’re doing the Tafsir!” or “Subhan Allah you’re teaching about Islam!”

Well if this is what we want to hear, then in reality our deeds are not for the sake of Allah but for the sake of the praises we want to hear from people! 

The Prophet (saws) said;

“Verily, what I fear most for you is the lesser idolatry.” And he elaborated, “It is showing off. Allah the Exalted will say to them (who show off), on the Day of Resurrection when the people are being rewarded for their deeds: Go to those whom you wished to show off in the world and look for your reward with them.” 

[Musnad Ahmad, 23119]

Riya or showing off or committing an act of Ibadah which is not for the sake of Allah is a form of Minor Shirk!

Imagine a camera recording all our actions. Wouldn’t we feel conscious?

In the process of showing off or “broadcasting our deeds”, we forget the fact that Allah swt is ever watchful of all the things we do and He also knows about the condition of our hearts! There is not one atom that is hidden from Him!

And if we’re conscious of this fact of Allah swt watching over us and personally monitoring our actions, we wouldn’t even spare a minute thinking about others! 

The more importance we give to this world and it’s possessions, the more we get trapped in its web of deceit. And guess who’s going to make that trap super comfortable for us? Our intimate enemy of course! 

The Prophet (saws) said, “He who lets the people hear of his good deeds intentionally, to win their praise, Allah will let people know his real intention (on the Day of Resurrection), and he who does good things in public to show off and win the praise of the people, Allah will disclose his real intention (and humiliate him).” 

[Sahih Bukhari]

Well why even put ourselves into trouble when we can save ourselves from humiliation on the Day of Judgement? 

So let’s constantly renew our intentions and seek help from Allah if we’ve been a victim of Riya! May Allah swt provide ease and comfort! Ameen.

Verse of the Day:

Juz: 26

Surah: Al Fath

Verse: 1

إِنَّا فَتَحْنَا لَكَ فَتْحًا مُّبِينًا 

“Indeed, We have given you, [O Muhammad], a clear conquest”

The first time I looked into this ayah, I was taken aback and I was so amazed at how wise and beautiful are Allah’s plans and how weak we humans are in terms of wisdom and patience!

This ayah indicates towards the Treaty of Hudaibiyyah which apparently looked like a defeat for the Muslims. The Treaty was signed between the Muslims and Mushriks of Makkah. 

Back story (in Madinah) – the Prophet (saws) saw a dream where he along with the Muslims were performing Umrah. So they travelled to Makkah in Ihram, choose a completely new route because the usual route had the Mushriks waiting to stop the Prophet (saws) and they eventually reached Hudaibiyyah (the outskirts of Makkah).

In spite of several people trying to convince the Mushriks, they never budged. Finally, they decided on a Treaty. According to which the Muslims were to perform Umrah only next year, there would no battles between them for 10 years and if any person from Makkah migrated to Madinah, he had to be returned back on the other hand if anybody from Madinah went back to Makkah, the Mushriks need not return him! 

So the Treaty was completely against the Muslims and when Allah swt revealed the above ayah, Umar (ra) said, “Is this Fath (victory)?” It was clearly a failure for the Muslims!

But later on, it was through this Treaty of Hudaibiyyah that the Muslims were able to conquer Makkah! (Long story short, the allies of the Mushriks happened to break the Treaty which led to the victory of the Muslims). 

Had it not been for what it seemed to be like a temporary failure, the Muslims wouldn’t have gained control over Makkah and it is through this conquest that about 600 idols in Makkah were destroyed by the Muslims and the Kabah was purified after so many years! 

So you see, sometimes in life, we feel restricted. We feel as though we’ve failed a test and that all the doors of success are closed for us. We regret over our decisions and start over-thinking. What we don’t realise is that if we truly believe in Allah and follow His commands then nothing that happens to us can be a failure!

Yes, there may be a temporary set-back but this is vital to reach for the pinnacle of success, in this world and the Aakhirah! Allah swt will never take anything from us except to make way for something bigger, better and long lasting!

So right now, if you’re at a phase where you cannot understand the whereabouts of your life and you begin to feel lost and a failure, remember, the Treaty of Hudaibiyyah. And just like how Allah swt led it to the Conquest of Makkah, He will lead your set-back to a victory you could have never imagined!

Sunnah Challenge 26:

Gratitude is a characteristic that needs to be embedded in every person, in every walk of life.

It is only the feeling of gratitude that helps us overcome every ounce of negativity and setback in our lives.

Gratitude helps us overlook the faults and get a better picture of the life that we are living in, and the life yet to come! 

We should be grateful to Allah swt, Who has blessed us beyond what we ask for, Who removes every obstacle from our path, Who guides us from the darkness to the light. Isn't it our Lord for Whom we should be grateful for? 

Our Prophet (saws) used to perform the Sajdah as Shukr (Prostration of Thankfulness) whenever he was blessed with something good from Allah swt. 

Among the Ahadith is the Hadith of Abu Bakrah (ra), who said that when the Prophet (saws) heard any news that made him glad, he would fall down prostrating to Allah, may He be exalted.

[Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah]

Because indeed, every good thing we are led to, and every bad thing that we are averted from, is due to Allah swt! 

We can perform Sajdah as Shukr as soon as we hear a good news, or when we are prevented from harm. Sajdah as Shukr does not require us to be in a state of Wudhu or purity, and can be performed at any point of time, by glorifying our Lord, The Most High.. Just as we perform our Sajdah in our prayers! 

A very simple act of sunnah, which weighs heavy on the scales, which brings our hearts peace, and certainly puts us into a better state, is something we should not miss out on In sha Allah!

Assalam Alaykum!