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!