Yes! I can do it!

May the peace and blessings of Allah be onto you!

"How do I make my prayers consistent..?" was the question I left my readers with in the previous article. So it's time we get to work ;)

Let's accept the fact. We, young Muslims do not find comfort and joy in our prayers. We tend to treat the 5 daily prayers as a burden due to which our love and passion for Salah has vanished.. 

Our hearts have become hardened and sadly we have become the so-called 'depressed' generation! As a result many of us are searching for 'cures and remedies' through any means available... 

Phrases like "Let's go for shopping!" "Dude, let's party hard!" "Chill Mahn, we'll take revenge!" "Just sleep!!!" are SO COMMON for the 'next gen'. 

By doing so, we are just TEMPORARILY avoiding that depressed state. Eventually after shopping or partying or sleeeeeping, we are still 'dukh bhari aatma'. :(

We are unable to find any remedy to our sadness because we have ignored the greatest medicine (Yes, you know where I'm going...) It's Salah! 

The youth needs to realize the potential role of prayer in changing our life.

Absentmindedness (HUGE word..phew!!) destroys the quality of our Salah. The ability to concentrate in Salah can be improved by taking adequate preparation before the prayer and also using certain techniques during the prayer.

Here I will divide my article into two parts. Firstly I will talk about the steps that we can adopt prior to offering Salah... Which I call EXTERNAL STROKE and I have divided it into 2 :

1. Spiritual ES (External Stroke)

# Avoid praying in a state when you are mentally or physically fatigued -

In such cases I suggest, one can have few dates and a glass of water. I've tried it myself and it's a great energy booster! :D

# Keep your mind free of worldly worries - 

Happens all the time. For once, just let go of all your worries and pray with a piece of mind. You are standing in front of The One who can knock out all your worries in the blink of an eye! So concentrate! ;)

# Plan what verses/duas you are going to recite -

Sometimes, we are so lost in our wordly affairs, we hardly realize what we are reciting in our prayer. Planning it prior, will help us focus and concentrate better.

# If you do not understand Arabic, then it's better you read the meaning of the duas before hand -

Now this takes a lil effort. But trust me, it's all worth it! It will help you concentrate better. I went through the same trouble but Alhamdullilah I'm working my way out of it. I suggest to start lil by lil. For instance, you can start with the duas recited in Ruku and Sujood. And then the dua recited after the first takbeer (Sana'a). Then the meaning of the surah that you plan to recite in your Salah and so on.. :)

# Remind yourselves that engaging in prayer offers you an opportunity to release yourself from the tensions of this world.

It is a forgotten fact that Salah is the comfort of our lives. Therefore cherish this opportunity to remove the burdens of this world from your shoulders.

# Use your prayer as a source of strength, inspiration and enthusiasm for your life and activities.

2. Physical ES

# Fulfill all your personal needs before you commence your prayer. Eg: thirst, hunger, call of nature etc.

# Pray in a pure physical state. Perform wudhu with care and perfection

# Choose a place that is clean, free of noise and one where there is no distraction.

Now that we have discussed about the ES, it's pretty obvious what the next step of preparation is, INTERNAL STROKE which is on it's way in the next article... ;)

As Salam Alykum

The Most Beautiful Conversation

Peace be onto you! :)

The title probably gives an idea where one might have had an emotional, 'heart to heart' conversation with a best friend or maybe fantasize a conversation with your favourite superstar! 

But I'm talking here about a conversation that cannot be compared with the likes of any conversation in this world! This is a conversation with The King of the kings! Allah Himself! A personal talk with the One who created us! How blessed are we! Subhanallah! 

Wondering how..? Read on further.. ;)

The Prophet (SAWS) said: "Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, has said: 'I have divided the prayer between Myself and My slave, into two halves, and My slave shall have what he has asked for.'

When the slave says "Ar-Rahman nir Rahim" Allah says, "My slave has extolled me."

When the slave says, "Malikee Yawmid Din" Allah says, "My slave has glorified me" or "My servant has related all matters to Me."

When the slave says, "Iyaaka na' budu wa iyaka nasta'een" Allah says, "This is between Me and My slave, and My slave shall acquire what he sought."

When the slave says, "Ihdi naseeratal mustaqeem. Siratal lazeena an'amta 'alayhim ghayril maghdoobi 'alayhim wa la daleen" Allah says, "This is for My slave, and My slave shall have what he asked for."

(Authenticity : Saheeh Muslim)

This is the Most Beautiful Conversation.. Where Allah responds to you immediately when you mention His Name! 

If we just kept this in our minds while praying that we are indeed conversing with The King of the kings..He is responding to our call, we would definately attain that crucial element in our life... Peace..

So the next time you recite Surah Al- Fatiha in Salah, remember to take slight pauses between the ayats and also keep conscious that Allah is always watching and replying to your prayers. When you begin your Salah, pray with the best of intentions and with modesty and do not let your minds wander because Allah is closer than you think.  

By developing a focused, centered, and meaningful habit of maintaining the five daily prayers, a person will experience incredible benefits in this life and undoubtedly the next. In sha Allah.

Problem is we - the youth and many others fail to realize our closeness with Allah The Almighty. This is something that needs immediate remedy. 

Salah is an amazing exchange where you handover your worries to Allah and Allah hands over His Blessings to you! And He even takes control of our worries. Subhanallah! 

There is a beautiful quote of Shaykh Navaid Aziz. It says, "If you treat Salah as a chore, you will not enjoy it. Treat it like a conversation with Allah". 

But how do we keep a track of our prayers..? How can we make it more consistent..?

Stay tuned for my next article. ;)

As Salam Alykum. 

"How can I ever face You?"

Readers! Peace be onto you!

My first article was about having trust and faith in Allah, The Controller of all our affairs which will come about through prayer.

Since I'm a youth myself, I can say some of you might still hesitate to take the first step. Question is, what's that 'something' that's stopping us from experiencing that magical moment.. (No not magic, fellas! The indescribable feeling I talked about in my previous article......)

"How can I ever face You? I have committed heaps and heaps of sins. I don't think anyone could ever forgive me!"

"How can I ever face You? My sins are unforgivable! Even if I start praying now, there's no hope!"

Two different approaches, but it has the same explanation.

The answer lies in Surah Az Zumar, Verse 53

"O My servants who have transgressed against their own souls, despair not of the mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. Truly, He is Most Forgiving, Most Merciful."

There is hope for those who seek hope. No matter how much you've sinned or how 'corrupt' (very harsh word.. I know.. Calm down!) you are, Allah promises that He will forgive IF you seek His forgiveness. You can always take a U - turn and head back to your Creator. He is called The Most Merciful, The Beneficient, The Forgiver, The Most Kind, The Compassionate, The Loving, for a reason!

Allah calls out to His servants, a call of forgiveness, mercy and compassion. 

As we live in a world of Fitnah (temptations) and are given a free will, Allah says as long as we call on Him and seek forgiveness with sincerity and put our hope in Him, He will forgive us even if our sins were to reach the clouds of the sky or close to fill this earth.

Further a hadith declares : When a person has repented from a sin, it is as if he had never committed that sin and.. (Read this one carefully) his sins become his good deeds!!

Now THAT'S what you call Mercy!! 

This statement alone can convince one to have hope and never to despair. A sincere call to Allah can change what you may have thought was impossible to change!

Now when you make dua, seek Allah's forgiveness and ask Allah from His bounties, you need be convinced and trust Allah. There's no room for doubts! Ask Allah with will and conviction for there is nothing so great to Allah that He cannot grant it! 

So the dynamic youth! No matter how far you've gone, you still have a chance to start anew. Trust me when I say this. When you raise your hands in dua and for no reason tears start to flow and you just want to let them flow till your heart is content, that's my definition for Priceless. 

Remember this. Prayer isn't a 'spare wheel' that you pull out when you're in trouble. It is a 'steering wheel' that directs the right path throughout your life.

As Salam Alykum

 

I Trust You

I couldn't think of a better start to write this article right after offering Salah.. A proof that you trust Him.. Your Lord. 

As a youth I can attest to the fact that many young people especially Muslims, lack this basic 'necessity' - Trust and Faith in Allah. Little do they know that this is the little secret ingredient to their success.. In this world and the hereafter.

Not jumping into the practices of Islam, the point I want to put forward is.. PRAY. PRAY when in DISTRESS. PRAY when in HAPPINESS. PRAY when in FRUSTRATION. PRAY when in ANGER. Just PRAY. 

It is a matter of great sadness that people often forget that their source of peace and contentment isn't money or life insurance plans or rather beauty kits for the delicate darling beauties..

I can assure you readers, that the REAL source of peace and contentment is when you put your forehead on the ground in Sujood and feel blessed because not everyone are 'chosen' to perform this act which is the most beloved to Your Creator!

Wait.. What am I saying?! We are in such a period where we don't even know what it feels like to be at peace.. CRISES!!!

Trust me on this ya'll future of this Ummah! Just once, Make wudhu.. As the water runs down your hands, your sins get washed off.. Such a beauty Subhanallah! When you walk out and recite 'I bear witness there is no God but Allah, none has the right to be worshipped but Him. And Muhammad is his slave and Prophet' you would have already gained this spiritual feeling (NO not like the orthodox babaji's!!)

A spiritual feeling that would urge you to get even more closer to the One who created YOU!

As you place the musallah (carpet) for prayer and recite takbeer, you would have chills in your body only with the thought that you are standing in front of The Master of the Worlds! (Not to be mistaken with the chills during winter!!!)

In prostration, cry out your frustration, fear and faults. Ask your Lord. 

He is The One who has control on the tiniest of objects.. From the grasses in the sea, the varied species of fishes, the waves, the storms, the land.. To the skies that stands without any support except with the will of Allah, the stars, the moon, the unpredicted rain for that matter! And EVERYTHING in between..

I swear that experiance can ONLY be felt and NEVER be described. It is a feeling that is only between you and the One who created you. 

Take this first step towards The Creator. Allah promises that if you take a step towards Him, He will take 10 STEPS towards you!! (Authenticity : Sahih Bukhari)

You would only gained treasures, UNIMAGINABLE.

I would like to underpin my article with a verse from my favourite book.. I will leave

for you to figure that book..

"Then when you have taken a decision, put your trust in Allah, certainly Allah loves those who put their trust (in Him)"

- Surah Al Imran. Verse 109.

As Salam Alykum.