What if your Salah is Nullified...?

Assalam Alaykum Dear Readers!

May the Peace and Blessings of Allah Almighty be upon you all.

Let me begin by asking you all to imagine a situation…

Imagine you are given a project in school. If you complete it on time and with perfection, you will be rewarded. So you start working on that project everyday…You put in all your time and effort and mind to it. You gather information, make a report, print the papers, arrange it and complete it on time. And when you submit to the incharge, they point out certain things which you may have left unnoticed.

For eg: The incharge had asked you to file your details in the front page and you happen to attach it at the last.

You lost your reward just because you missed out on your incharge’s instructions. If you had paid a little more attention perhaps you would have achieved your reward.

In the same way what if our prayers are being nullified because we don’t pay much attention to it…? We’ll be missing out on a huge reward here which is the Jannah!

Many of us are oblivious or unconscious of the fact that our Salah maybe nullified. Since Salah is the most vital fundamental things in a Muslim’s life, it is very important for us to analyse every aspect of it.

Let’s look into the 3 main reasons which can nullify our Salah;

1.   First and foremost is while making Wudu, we are in a rush. Sometimes we forget to wash the elbows or the ankles or we forget to wash the face completely. If you have a single hair span width left dry while making Wudu, then your Wudu is invalid and so your Salah is invalid.

2.  Another thing we don’t pay attention to is exposing the awrah. Again if a single hair span of our awrah is exposed, our Salah becomes invalid. The awrah of a man is the area between the navel and the knee. The awrah of a woman is everything except the face and the hands from the wrist.

3.  The third and the most prevalent one is excessive movement. Some of the jurists say that anything above three consecutive movements that are not part of the Salah for an individual during the Salah would nullify their Salah.  

The first thing Allah Azza wa jal will be asking us on the Day of Judgement is our Salah. It is the distinguisher between a Muslim and a Kaafir, keeps us away from sins and is one of the obligations of Islam which when performed on time and with perfection will lead us to Jannah.

So let’s give Salah the lil more attention it deserves and pray to Allah that He accepts and rewards us for all the good deeds we perform and forgive our sins and shortcomings. 

Ameen.

As Salam Alaykum.

 

Why me?!!

May the peace, blessings and mercy of The Almighty be on you all! :)

Imagine this scenario.

"Why me? Why do I always get yelled at by mom? Why does everyone blame me? There are 36 girls in the class but why does the teacher always pick on me! Can't I have a normal day? Unlike the other girls, I offer Salah and that too 5 times a day!! Why is life so unfair...?"

This is normal to any teenager. We expect immediate results in our favour. Something similar to the magic wishes in fairy tales.. Like you wish for a flying horse and it's right infront your sight! Patience is just not in our blood! :P

I've had the same attitude for few years of my life and it's completely understood but... cannot be justified. That's not the purpose of Salah. Salah is supposed to make you patient and trust Allah all the more because you are directly seeking His help. He is right there infront of you, listening to all your duas.. even the silent ones..

Everybody in the world can ignore you but not Allah! Allah Himself states in His Glorious Book that He will respond to the call of 'every' caller!! (Surah Baqarah, Verse 186)

Doesn't matter who you are and where you come from or what your life history is! It's a promise from your Creator that He will answer you whenever you call out to Him.. 

An amazing example that comes to my mind is our relationship with our parents. Since our birth and to this day when we're islamic-but-not-islamic-brats, our parents have always tried their best to fulfill all our needs and wants.. Even if it meant to sacrifice their comforts, they've done everything in their power to beautify our lives.. Take a minute to reflect on all those times when the only reason they smiled was seeing us happy..

Even though we do lil things like give them a glass of water and getting back to our techy games or share a joke and get back to texting our friends, we're still indebted to our parents.. Yet if we make silly demands to our parents, no matter how we treat them, they're gonna get it done for us anyway; Ofcourse that depends on whether that demand has any negative effects on us. 

Now that's what happens when we ask them for something. But what about all those times when they've surprised you..? What about all those times when you couldn't figure out how to get that teddy bear in the store but magically found it in your bedroom the next day..? What about all those times when you wanted money for your field trip but always got more than what you asked for..?

Reminds me of the day when my dad handed me an iPad when I couldn't imagine having one of my own!! It was the best day of my life!! (*feeling nostalgic*)

Yes they do yell at us. But have we ever thought 'why'..? It's either our fault or they've just had a bad day.. How many of us haven't had a bad day and yelled at somebody..? Then why is it strange if our parents go through the same issue.. they aren't supernatural beings ofcourse!! They're humans too! And anger is as natural to them as it is to us! Have we ever thought of all those times when we've been rude to them and yet they responded with kindness..? Does that stop them from fulfilling our wishes..? Ofcourse not!! 

There's a beautiful Hadith by Rasulullah (SAWS),

The Prophet (SAWS) said, "Allah is more merciful to His slaves than a lady is to her child". (Sahih Bukhari)

Now how can we ever doubt the response of Allah, who loves more than our parents..! It's all a matter of trust. Trust Allah and be hopeful of a response for nothing is impossible for Allah.. :)

 

That raises a question in my mind.. When we are fond of somebody and we love them, what do we expect from them..? (Apart from gifts that is.. :P)

How would we feel if that person shares their thoughts and desires with us and talks to us endlessly..? Will we ever ask them to 'shush'?? Now can we relate as to why it takes sometime for our duas to be fulfilled...? Rings a bell? Yes it does! :D

So it's okay if you're teacher picks on you or you are yelled at by somebody.. That doesn't make your day bad.. What makes your day bad is if it pulls you away from seeking Allah The Almighty.. We need to always remember that no matter what, Allah loves us. And when somebody loves you, you are the only thing in their mind, all they want is the best for you.. Allah wants only the best for you.. He has His own way of granting our wishes.. ;)

So trust Him. :)

As Salam Alykum.

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.

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

"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.