How can I Take "him" Down?!!

Peace be onto you all!

I hope you all are in the best state of health and Iman. :)

In my previous two articles, "You Are Chosen" and "Time to take him Down" I tried my best to emphasize on the abundant treasures at the time of Fajr.. Apart from the rewards I had mentioned, there's still a lot more that's known only to Allah! What I had mentioned was only a glimpse of the actual treasure-trove!

Keeping the streak going, this article includes some tips that is easy to follow cause I've tried it myself and it has helped me in a great way and hopefully In sha Allah we have the lights on during the last part of the night... ;)

But before I reveal those tips, there's a question from my side.. 

If there is someone or something you dislike, and it totally annoys you, distracts you all time.. What exactly would you do to them..? If it's a thing, like your alarm clock with an annoying tone, you might break it into zillion pieces or if it's a person, you might just want to pull their hair off! (Under no circumstances I encourage it!!!)

What if we replace that something or someone with the Shaytaan? Like I said in my previous article, the reason behind our every not-so-good deed is Shaytaan.. He is definately someone I hate the most! He annoys me terribly especially when I make the intention to do wudhu and distracts me completely when I'm about to begin Salah.. If only we knew the troubles caused by Shaytaan, we would wana kick the day lights out of him!! And guess what??? We can!!!

Every time we give the Adhaan or read the Quran, he is destroyed!! It literally burns him! It's waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay better than wacking him with a cricket bat! :P

So starting with the first tip :

1 - Remember Allah as soon as you wake up

Recite the morning dua. Or start reciting the Adhaan in your mind. This would definately drive the negative thoughts (whisperings of Shaytaan) away and it will be easier to literally part with your bed! :P

2 - Keep Reminding yourself of it's Benefits

You can also remind yourself of how fortunate you are that Allah chose you among 6 billion people to worship Him and to let your stress and tensions out because Allah wants to relieve you of it!! Allah Himself is has called out to you.. how on earth can we ignore his call? You know what happens when you miss your mom's call! It's not even deliberate!! And yet there's a 3 hour long discussion on what made you "ignore" the call. -_- 

Anyway, you can remind yourself of it before going to bed and after waking up. :)

3 - Have a glass of water

Have a glass of water before bed. It will keep your body hydrated. An unhydrated body makes you feel sluggish and eventually makes it harder for you to wake up.

4 - Keep the alarm away

 The hardest part in waking up is parting with your bed and the super comfy blanky. Here's a tip. Keep the alarm away from your reach (I suggest the bathroom! :P) This will force you to leave the bed as soon as possible. And then the rest is easy. :)

5 - Be your own alarm clock

Subhan Allah it so happens with me.. Sometimes when I hit the bed late (I don't recommend it at all!) and there's just 3-4 hours left for Fajr, I find myself awake even before the alarm rings.. Tell yourself you’re going to get up by a certain time, often your body will wake you up naturally. Say you need to get up at 5:00 a.m, set your alarm clock for 5:15 a.m. (Just in case!) You may be surprised to find that you wake up right on time, give or take a few minutes. 

6 - Spiritual tips

This is to prepare yourself just like your preparation before a football match (You just can't start playing without warming yourself!!). Same way, prep for Fajr starts the night before.. 

#Pray Witr and supplicate to Allah Azzwa jal to help you wake up for Fajr. 

#End your day with some verses from the Quran. Know that Rasullulah (SAWS) recommended us to recite Surah Mulk and Surah Sajdah before bed. 

#Make Wudhu before you sleep. For if we are in the state of wudhu while we're asleep, every turn we make, an Angel asks to Allah to forgive us because we went to bed in a state of purity.. Subhan Allah!! 

7 - Remember Allah before you sleep

We do have control over ourselves but Allah has authority over us.. So ask Allah to help you wake up for Fajr rather than blaming the snooze-er. When you have His help, you don't need any alarm clock!!

May Allah make it easy for all of us to wake up for Fajr and utilize this amazing opportunity to relieve ourselves from the wordly stress and make us one among the successful people in this life and the Hereafter. Ameen. :)

Before I end, there's a lil request to all my readers.. 

Please take a minute to pray for all our Muslim brothers and sisters who're going through the worst situations possible.. There are children crying, dying of hunger while we sleep on full stomachs.. The ice-cold weather freezing their limbs and hitting their bones while we rest under our blankets with a roof over our head and four walls to protect us.. Mothers wailing and shedding tears over their children suffering every minute of their lives.. Fathers burying their children by turning their hearts into stone.. 

Our brothers and sisters in Islam are in need of our prayers.. 

We may not need the latest iPhone as much as they need warm clothes, proper food and hygienic water to drink..

May Allah grant our Muslim brothers and sisters with patience and strength through this extremely tough phase and reward their struggle with Jannah! May Allah reunite the parents with their children in a much better and enduring world! May Allah protect them all and lastly.. May Allah accept all our duas. Ameen..

As Salam Alykum

Time to Take "him" Down!!

Peace be on to you all! :)

It's about time we take "him" down.. It's about time we establish control on our lives.. It's about time we set our priorities right.. No I'm not talking about taking a government down! (Chill!! :P)

I'm talking about our common enemy. The one we all need to stand up against and defeat. (Yes! You know him!) The evil Shaytaan. It's time we take the Shaytaan down! I thought of mentioning him quite later but like I said It's about time we start realizing his role in our lives. In simple words, every time we procrastinate, every good deed we do, every good intention of ours that seems to fade away for some silly reason, every time we keep postponing our duties towards our Creator (the obligatory prayers being first in that list...) and in every step we take to get closer to Allah, IF we hear thoughts and voices speaking of negativity then it's from the Shaytaan. We need to rise above that and establish our control on our lives rather than following the voices of the evil. 

And for those of us who think Shaytaan is imaginary, he is out there.. He is closer to us than we can imagine and he is affecting us big time! Sadly, many of us don't realize this happening because we're just too engrossed setting things right in this temporary world. 

But why do I start talking about Shaytaan all of a sudden? That's because his role in our life cannot be disregarded. He does not leave a chance for us to communicate with Allah especially when Allah is the Caller here.. 

The reason we find it difficult to wake up for Fajr is not our laziness or the bitter cold or the extremely early timing. It's Shaytaan. That doesn't mean we aren't at fault at all. Our biggest mistake is going along the lines of the evil. To rectify this mistake, we need to know what Shaytaan actually does that it becomes nearly impossible for us to wake up and converse with Allah..

It's said in a Hadith by Rasullulah (SAWS) :

"Satan puts three knots at the back of the head of any of you if he is asleep. On every knot, he reads and exhales the following words, 'The night is long, so stay asleep.' When one wakes up and remembers Allah, one knot is undone; and when one performs ablution, the second knot is undone, and when one prays, the third knot is undone and one gets up energetic with a good heart in the morning; otherwise one gets up lazy and with a mischievous heart."

(Authenticity : Saheeh Bukhari)

I think after reading the above Hadith, there is no room for questions or doubts. Clearly, waking up for Fajr and starting our day with the remembrance of Allah is the BEST start to ANY day! This doesn't ensure you have a day filled with only happiness or a day where your boss won't yell at you or a day when your teacher embarrasses you or a day your mom loads you with extra chores or a day your siblings literally kill you (no I'm just being funny :P). This ensures you have the power to deal with anything the day has in store for you! This ensures no matter what happens, you have the blessings of the Almighty and when one has the blessings and love of his Creator, what more can they ask for...?

So remember. As soon as you wake up:

1 - Remember Allah. 

2 - Perform wudhu.

3 - Start your prayer.

With this I come to the end in dealing with the reason behind our negligence to the call of Allah. 

Coming up next are some easy-to-follow tips to wake up for Fajr that I myself follow and it has benefitted me in a great way, Alhamdullilah.

As Salam Alykum

You Are Chosen!!!

Peace! :)

Congratulations!! You've been chosen by The President for a special meal!!! Only problem is you will have to dine with him at 3 am! Once more, 3:00 AM!! Oh and he will grant you one wish as well!!! Are we, 'hungry for special consideration' youth gonna miss such an awesome opportunity??!!! Who in the world would wana miss this meeting??? It's with The President!!!

What if I phrase it this way...

Congratulations!! You've been chosen by The President of all the presidents in the world!!! You have the meeting scheduled at 3 am! Oh and He will grant you WHATEVER you wish for!! Best part about this meeting is, you get the opportunity everyday!!! Are we gonna miss this beyond awesome opportunity???

Who in the world would wana...........Oh yes we do. Sadly, we do miss this opportunity. :(

What we fail to realize is the beauty of this time of the day.. 

Imagine having a heart to heart talk with someone very close to you. You pour out heart infront of them.. express your fears, emotions and dreams.. How content would we feel..?

It's like someone just took load off our chests..

But Allah says He is closer to you than your Jugular vein! (Surah Qaf. Verse 16)

And here, Allah Himself is inviting us to share our worries with him.. A meeting where there's only you and your Lord.. He has chosen YOU to spend time with Him.. And yet we choose to ignore His call?? The call of The Master of the world..?You have a chance to ask him whatever you are in need of.. You have a chance to cry out in front of your Lord, share your fears, rectify your faults, express yourself..

Then what's stopping us from utilizing this priceless opportunity..? So what if it's early? The rewards are humongous! By praying Fajr, you will receive blessings and treasures that'll surpass your imagination! Nope..that's not me saying it.. Let's see who...

The Messenger of Allah (SAWS) has said: "Whoever prays the two cooler prayer times (Fajr and Asr) will enter Paradise."

(Authenticity : Saheeh Bukhari and Muslim)

Abu Hurayra reported that the Messenger of Allah (SAWS) said, "And if they only knew what was in the prayers of Isha and Fajr, they would come to them even if they had to CRAWL." 

(Agreed upon)

<I could imagine myself crawling if there was a box of 100,000 $ left outside my door..> When the rewards of praying Fajr is beyond 100,000 $, is unimaginable, surpasses the definition of 'priceless' in this world, you are guaranteed treasures that cannot be compared with the meager treasures of this world, why can't we respond to the call of our Lord..? Think, my readers! 

If we do wake up (chances are almost nil) then how exactly do we present ourselves before Allah? 

Scarf wrapped around like a towel on our heads, water dripping from our night suits, yawning continuously  (like its as essential as breathing), eyes struggling to keep itself wide open, scratching here and there... Can you imagine the sight???

Would we visit.. or rather dare to visit the president in such a state??? You might be thinking I'm out of my mind or maybe that's what the president might think.. (LOL)

Then why are dressed in rags when we stand infront of The Lord of the worlds, The President of presidents...? 

I think I've made myself pretty clear in stating the importance of Fajr Salah. And trust me when I say this (cause I've experienced it myself) one CANNOT have a better start to their day than offering 2 rakahs and seeking Allah's guidance.. It's Allah's promise - You call to Him and He WILL respond. :)

Now. Question arises, if something is still stopping us from experiencing this amazingly beautiful meeting.. And if we have made up our minds to wake up for Fajr, how can we put it into practice..?

I'll be back with the answers in my next article.. ;)

Until then,  الصَّلَاةُ خَيْرٌ مِنْ النَّوْمِ

(Prayer is Better Than Sleep)

As Salam Alykum :)

Yes! I can do it! (Part 2)

Peace be onto you! :)

This is the second part of my article 'Yes! I can do it!' where we're to analyze the INTERNAL STROKE. 

But before I talk about them, let me make it clear that the whole purpose of Salah is to be ever conscious of Allah, the Creator and Sustainer of all things. Salah is indeed, one of the most comprehensive forms of Dhikr (Remembrance). 

There is a Hadith where Allah says, "Out of all the ways through which My servant gets closer to Me, Salah is the dearest to Me." 

(Authenticity : Saheeh Bukhari) 

It is unfortunate that we do not always take full advantage of this gift.

Moving on. In the first part we came across tips that we can put into action before starting our prayer and dealt with spiritual and physical techniques. Let's look into the methods that we can apply in our Salah and start experiencing the the effects of the greatest medicine.. ;)

1. Pray with HUMILITY both in your mental state and in your physical manner. Pray with hope and awe.

2. Remind yourself that you are talking to the most important 'One' in your life - your Creator, Sustainer, Protector, Provider and your Guardian! :D You are facing Him and are also involved in a DIALOGUE with Him! (Surah Fatiha)

3. Commence your Prayer by seeking Allah's help and PROTECTION from the influences of... (You know who..) Shaytan.

4. Lower your GAZE (sight at the place where you rest your forehead for Sujood) while praying and do not allow the physical environment to distract you. 

5. Adopt a WHISPERING TECHNIQUE in your recitation in order to remain focused on what you are saying, but at the same time make sure it isn't disturbing others praying near you.

6. As you recite from the Quran, translate it into your own LANGUAGE (in your mind) so that your attention is held. As you ponder upon the meaning and implications of the words, In sha Allah all worldly thoughts will disappear. :)

7. On each occasion that you recite the Sifat or ATTRIBUTES OF ALLAH in Ruku and Sujood, consider how indebted you are and how grateful you should be to Allah. The fact that we have a proper functioning body, with no ailment is itself a priceless gift from Allah! :)

8. Utilize the position of SUJOOD to make additional dua to Allah. The Prophet (SAWS) said: "A servant is nearest to his Lord when he is in Sujood, so increase your supplication when in Sujood." 

(Aunthenticity : Saheeh Muslim)

9. Give due regard to the proper performance of all the PHYSICAL POSTURES. Do not 'peck like a crow' when doing Ruku and Sujood as every posture in Salah is important.

10. Last but not the least (as the saying goes..) Pray as if it is your LAST PRAYER. The Prophet (SAWS) said: When you stand up to pray, perform your prayer as if it were your last...'

We need to start 'experiencing' Salah rather than just 'offering' Salah. Only then will we be able to unveil the unimaginable treasures.. It's obvious I don't mean diamonds and rubies! :P

But I can assure it'll be waaaaaaaayyy better than all the riches of this world. ;)

Last thing we need to remember is the saying of the Prophet (SAWS): "If a man performs two rakas of Salah without the distraction of any worldly thought, all his previous sins will be forgiven." 

(Aunthenticity : Saheeh Bukhari)

Subhanallah!! Are we to miss such great benefits..? Nah! I hope In sha Allah we all experiance that contentment in every Salah we pray. :D

See you all in my next article! ;)

As Salam Alykum.