Ramadan Reminders; Day 9

Assalam Alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu! :)

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

Daily Reminder 9:

Personally, Taraweeh or the night prayers are one of things that I look forward to in the month of Ramadan. Although it is not obligatory, I see to that I never miss these prayers. Because as much tiring as it sounds, I feel energised by the end of Taraweeh prayers and in spite of the pains I go through, I really enjoy myself going through the words of Allah. And ending my day having worshipped Him and glorified Him through the only channels between me and The Lord of the Worlds (Salah & Quran), is the greatest peace I could ever ask for!

I know for the working folks or the students out there, it’s tough to fast the entire day let alone devote your nights too for the long prayers… It is very easy to give up on Taraweeh because they’re not compulsory. But the rewards you’d be stacking up for yourself through these prayers is unimaginable! 

At times, you’d literally have to drag yourselves to the washroom for performing wudhu and leave for Taraweeh, but the moment you step your foot inside the Masjid, you’d really begin to feel blessed and the amount of time you spend in the Masjid, a house of Allah is NEVER wasted!

Imagine, you could be in the comfort of your home, performing all the obligatory deeds and taking good rest for the next day. Always remember, Allah swt does not need us, He is The One who created us and we are the ones in need of Him. But if Allah swt has provided a way for you to stand in worship of Him for the night, seize the opportunity! This worship is not going to benefit Him, it is for you to be benefited! 

Prophet Muhammad (saws) said, “He who prays during the night in Ramadan with faith and seeking his reward from Allah will have his past sins forgiven”.

[Sahih Muslim]

We’re humans – weak and forgetful! If there are 10 sins that you might commit in your knowledge, there might be a double of those that is out of your knowledge. And I’m not talking about the major sins, but sins that usually goes unnoticed like – hurting someone unintentionally, making faces when you’re irritated, having ill thoughts for someone, not reciting the adhkaars and duas and so on. ALL of these sins that has been on your back for 15 years or 20 years or 30 years or 50 years is going to be ERASED! Subhan Allah! What a glorious opportunity! And when you’re pure from all these sins, don’t you think you become more deserving of Allah’s mercy and blessings…? 

Yes, Taraweeh does have many health benefits too but that shouldn’t be the reason for attending these prayers. The benefits will come along once you start pleasing Allah alone. What you should intend is that your sins are forgiven and Allah elevates your status in this world and the Hereafter because actions are judged by intentions! 

Verse of the day:

Juz: 9

Surah: Al A’raf

Verse: 170

وَالَّذِينَ يُمَسِّكُونَ بِالْكِتَابِ وَأَقَامُوا الصَّلاَةَ إِنَّا لانُضِيعُ اَجْرَ الْمُصْلِحِينَ

“But those who hold fast to the Book and establish prayer - indeed, We will not allow to be lost the reward of the reformers.”

Holding on to the Book of Allah and Salah is something that we sincerely follow in the month of Ramadan but usually let it sly during the rest of the year. While this command of Allah is for our ENTIRE life!

We recite the Quran as though it is like any other household chore and prayer has become a monotonous routine in our lives. Our innate ability to understand the Quran and enjoy the Salah is somewhere lost amidst the worldly tasks we follow.

But Subhan Allah for the gift of Ramadan! Perhaps Allah, The Most Wise and Merciful, knew that we would take upon these obligations as a burden on our backs. And He, being our Creator knew that we need a break from the worldly concerns and devote our entire time in His worship and experience the peace and blessings that comes through our obedience to Him! 

If I begin to list down the benefits and virtues of the Quran and Salah, I wouldn’t stop for a few hours and Allah knows best the rewards of holding on to the Words of Allah! But it these 2 channels (the Quran & Salah) through which we can connect with our Creator. These are the 2 most important means of fixing your life in this world and the Hereafter. 

With regard to the Quran, we know that it is for the righteous people and guides us to the straight path. But why is it for the righteous people? How does it guide us? What is the consequence of each of our actions? 

Guess what? Allah swt supports these answers with examples too in the form of the most amazing and interesting stories! Unless we open up the Quran and ponder over its meanings, we will never truly appreciate the reason why this Book is called a mercy for mankind!

And for every time you pick the Quran, recite a letter, ponder over its translation, learn the Tafseer, intend to implement this knowledge in your life and finally walk on the path of Knowledge, there are abundant rewards for you that only Allah knows! 

These could be the rewards that could turn away a hurdle in your life or grant you the acceptance on your dua or better, earn your place in Jannah, In sha Allah!

May Allah swt give us the ability and opportunity to connect with His Words, His Book and walk on the path of that leads us to the ultimate blissful destination, Jannah! Ameen.

Sunnah Challenge 9:

Do you remember the last time you spoke ill about someone? 

Or do you remember the last time when you spoke of something bad the person has done?

It may be not so long ago!

Let us remind ourselves to keep track of our words, especially when talking about others from the words of Rasulullah (saws).

Abu Huraira reported the Prophet (saws) as saying:

"The servant (whose fault) Allah conceals in this world, Allah would also conceal (his faults) on the Day of Resurrection."

Isn't it so easy for us to expose someone's faults? Doesn't even take a while doing it!

Would we now still continue talking about a person's faults, after knowing the beautiful reward of Allah for the person who conceals the sins of others?

Every word of our Prophet has always led to the best. Following this Sunnah is not only a way to gain Allah's pleasure, but it also makes our lives in this Dunya so much easier.

The next time we think of speaking about someone's negative side, let us also spare a thought for what they might be going through!

Maybe the sin that they committed was unintentional! 

Maybe they were forced into it! 

Maybe they are good people but are having their tough time!

What gives us the right to judge? 

How would we feel if our sins are exposed... On Yawm al Qiyamah…?

Assalam Alaykum.