Ramadan Reminders; Day 6

Assalam Alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu! :)

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

Daily Reminders 6:

Ladies! For some reason our inner cooking skills comes to light during Ramadan! We looovveee trying out various dishes, different cuisines while failing to realise the amount of time we lose during the process.

Ramadan comes only for a limited period of 29 days (or maximum 30 days). It is the time for spiritual retreat, rejuvenation and renewal of our Imaan. Our focus should be on repairing our relationship with Allah and His Book that hasn’t been on our “to-do” list the entire year. It is a grave situation when our time in the kitchen takes precedence over our time with the Quran. 

Cooking scrumptious and nutritious meals for your family is indeed a very noble act and it turns into Ibadah when done with the right intention. But that does not mean we spend most of our time and energy in preparing Suhoor and Iftaar meals and by the time we sit with the Quran or attend Taraweeh prayers, we’re already drowning in sleep and fatigue.

Here are a few tips you can follow to ease your kitchen routine this Ramadan In sha Allah (or any other time as well):

• Plan your meals well ahead of their times. You could write on a paper (or use your phones cause it’s a digital world right now) the dishes you want to prepare and its quantity.
• Prepare a limited number of items. You’re nullifying the purpose of Ramadan if you over-indulge in eating during Iftaar. Keep it light, follow the rule of thirds (one-third food, one-third water & one-third air) and experience how enjoyable and refreshing your Taraweeh can get!
• Keep your dishes less complicated. Make meals that you’re well versed with. This will take minimum time and effort. You have an entire period of 335 days to try new food items!
• Engage in constant Dhikr or Istaghfar during your time in the kitchen or you could play the recitation of the Quran on your phones or tabs during any of your household chores. It’s a great way to earn abundant rewards, In sha Allah!
• SHARE the work. The house that has a mother-daughter duo or even a trio can relate to this point. Divide the tasks among yourselves and work them out efficiently and quickly. This can save a lot of time. 

May we all be blessed with a Productive-Ramadan-Kitchen-Routine!

Verse of the Day:

Juz: 6

Surah: Al Mai’dah

Verse: 16

يَهْدِي بِهِ اللّهُ مَنِ اتَّبَعَ رِضْوَانَهُ سُبُلَ السَّلاَمِ وَيُخْرِجُهُم مِّنِ الظُّلُمَاتِ إِلَى النُّورِ بِإِذْنِهِ وَيَهْدِيهِمْ إِلَى صِرَاطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ

“By which Allah guides those who pursue His pleasure to the ways of peace and brings them out from darknesses into the light, by His permission, and guides them to a straight path.”

As Muslims, we know that Guidance or Hidayah is from Allah. He guides whomever He wills. And He has mentioned this fact in many places in the Quran. One such verse is from Surah Al Fatir (8);

فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ يُضِلُّ مَن يَشَآءُ وَيَهْدِي مَن يَشَآءُ

“For indeed, Allah sends astray whom He wills and guides whom He wills”

Does that mean it is pre-decided by Allah about who’s going to be guided or not? 

Let’s answer the following question first.

Do you think being a Muslim is to be on Guidance? Think about it.

Over 1 billion of the world’s population are Muslims. And every Muslim knows that the Quran is the Book of Allah. How many do you think would be able to recite the Quran? How many do you think can understand the word of Allah? And how many among those would be implementing the obligations and laws of Allah? 

How many out there are not Muslims and yet they study the Book of Allah and have reverted to Islam…?

Had Allah willed, He would have guided all of mankind to the truth, a statement Allah Himself gives in the Quran [Surah An’am, verse 149];

فَلَوْ شَاء لَهَدَاكُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ

“And if He had willed, He would have guided you all”

But Allah, in His Wisdom, gave us the ability to choose and the free will to either believe in the word of Allah or disbelieve.

In order words, you have the syllabus in front of you. What you choose to do with the syllabus is in your hands. Either you focus on it, study, work hard and achieve your goal or you play ignorant. 

Allah is The Most Just. But He is also The Most Kind, The Most Merciful and The Most Loving! 

If you ask Allah for Guidance and intend to seek His pleasure and His forgiveness and start working towards it, you’ll begin to see His help and His mercy in all that you do! Subhan Allah! Just ask for Guidance and Allah will take you out of the darkness of ignorance and sins bring the light of His mercy and blessings into your lives and also keep you on the right path, the path of Guidance!

There are so many things we ask for in life right? Clothes, accessories, watches, bags, phones, water bottles, coffee mugs? What about promotions, grades and opportunities? Well we even ask for shawarmas, pizza, pasta, McDonalds and chocolates! 

Why not ask Allah for the most valuable gift we could ever ask for, Guidance…?

May Allah swt bestow on us and all Muslims with Hidayah, help us follow His Laws and Obligations, make the road to Jannah easy and save us from His Anger and Punishment! Ameen.

Sunnah Challenge 6:

After a long tiring day, what most of us would first do is crash the bed!

But before we go to bed, we need to remind ourselves of an important etiquette to follow from the footsteps of Rasulullah (saws).

Dust your bed before sleeping! 

Al-Bukhaari (6320) and Muslim (2714) narrated that Abu Hurayrah (ra) said: The Prophet (saws) said: “When one of you goes to his bed, let him dust off his bed with the inside of his lower garment, for he does not know what came onto it after he left it. Then let him say: 

“Bismika Rabbee wada’tu janbi wa bika arfa’uhu wa in amsakta nafsi farhamhaa wa in arsaltahaa fahfazhaa bimaa tuhfaz bihi ‘ibaadika al-saaliheen” 

(In Your name, my Lord, I lie down, and in Your name I rise. If You should take my soul then have mercy on it, and if You should return my soul then protect it as You protect Your righteous slaves).”

Doing this may be a hard thing to do after a tough day, but these little acts of Sunnah not only reward us for following it, but also benefit us in various ways!

Every night, the human body sheds thousands of skin cells which get accumulated in our sheets. When these penetrate the skin they could cause many diseases.

Thus a simple act such as dusting off our bed can keep us away from various infections or diseases that can be lurking off in an unkempt bed.

Subhan Allah! How wise and meaningful were the actions of the Prophet!

Assalam Alaykum.

Ramadan Reminders; Day 5

Assalam Alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu! :)

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

Daily Reminder 5:

Ramadan is only mentioned once in the entire Quran in Surah Baqarah, verse 185. And the introductory line speaks about the Quran itself!

“The month of Ramadhan [is that] in which was revealed the Qur'an, a guidance for the people and clear proofs of guidance and criterion.”

Allah swt did not describe this month as the month of fasting or prayer but He described it as the month in which the Quran was revealed.

What we need to ponder over here is that Surah Baqarah is a Madani Surah which means that it was revealed after the migration of the Prophet (saws) from Makkah to Madinah (roughly 10 years after Prophethood).

Question is, Muslims received the Quran almost a decade ago, then why did Allah introduce the Quran as though it was the first time He is speaking about His Book? 

Because this is the period when we should be renewing our relationship with the Quran. Ramadan is the month of rejuvenating our experience with the Quran like never before. In fact, this month should be the celebration of revelation itself!

Ibn Abbas narrates;

“The Messenger of Allah (saws) was the most generous person, and he would be at his most generous in Ramadan because Jibril would come to him every night and he would study the Qur’an with him. Truly, when Allah’s Messenger (saws) would meet Jibril, he would be more generous than a fleeting wind.” 

[Agreed Upon]

Such a beautiful hadith, Subhan Allah! Our Prophet (saws) would himself revise the Quran in Ramadan even though it was revealed upon him! 

If you’ve been reciting, memorising and understanding the Quran the entire year, turn it up a few notches this time. Because the beauty of the Quran is such that no matter how many times you revisit an ayah, there’s always something new to comprehend and reflect! Such is the Book of Allah, the treasures of it are never ending, Subhan Allah!

After all, at the end of the day what matters is how close you are to Allah, and what better way to get closer to Allah than constantly pondering over His words and renewing our relationship with His Book. 

Verse of the Day:

Juz: 5

Surah: An Nisa

Verse: 36

وَاعْبُدُواْ اللّهَ وَلاَ تُشْرِكُواْ بِهِ شَيْئًا وَبِالْوَالِدَيْنِ إِحْسَانًا وَبِذِي الْقُرْبَى وَالْيَتَامَى وَالْمَسَاكِينِ وَالْجَارِ ذِي الْقُرْبَى وَالْجَارِ الْجُنُبِ وَالصَّاحِبِ بِالجَنبِ وَابْنِ السَّبِيلِ وَمَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُكُمْ إِنَّ اللّهَ لاَ يُحِبُّ مَن كَانَ مُخْتَالاً فَخُورًا

“Worship Allah and associate nothing with Him, and to parents do good, and to relatives, orphans, the needy, the near neighbour, the neighbour farther away, the companion at your side, the traveller, and those whom your right hands possess. Indeed, Allah does not like those who are self-deluding and boastful.”

This ayah basically speaks about some of the key ingredients that we need to follow in order to reserve our spot in Jannah. The first and foremost being: Worship Allah alone and do not associate any partners with Allah.

Followed by the categories of people who we need to be kind and generous to:

Parents, relatives, orphans, the needy, the neighbour who stays close by (who you are well acquainted with), the neighbour who stays far away (those who are a stranger to you), the companion at your side (the one who is next to you), the traveller and your slaves or helpers.

But what caught my eye is what Allah says after this,

“Indeed, Allah does not like those who are self-deluding and boastful.”

This is something I bet each and every one of us are guilty of committing at least once in our lives.

Sometimes we think high of ourselves and belittle others. When we buy a brand new iPhone while our friends have a Samsung or we got a Gucci handbag while everybody around us have a 10$ purse or our watch belongs to the priciest brand there is, we tend to look down on others. There’s a sense of pride in us and we try to show off wherever and whenever possible.

At-Tirmidhi (1999), Abu Dawood (4091) and Ibn Maajah (59) narrated from Abdullah ibn Masood that the Prophet (saws) said: 

“No one will enter Paradise in whose heart is an atom’s weight of arrogance and no one will enter Hell in whose heart is an atom’s weight of faith.” A man said: What if I like my clothes to look nice and my shoes to look nice? He said: “Verily Allah loves beauty; rather arrogance means rejecting the truth and looking down on people.”

You have all the rights to look beautiful and to wear the best clothes, the best watch, the best shoes but that shouldn’t be the reason for you to look down on someone. Perhaps Allah has blessed them in ways you can never ever imagine!

Or maybe there’s someone sitting next to you, neither do you exchange a Salam nor do you smile, you don’t acknowledge the existence of an individual right next to you! Isn’t that being self-deluding or being lost in yourself (that’s what it means in the ayah)?

Allah swt says that He does NOT LIKE these people who are lost in themselves and who are proud and boastful. Remember, the one who is disliked by Allah, he can never be liked by people either. 

But the one who follows the above mentioned obligation and fulfills the rights of the people, commits righteous deeds, follows the ways and teachings of our Prophet (saws) is dearly loved by Allah! And whomever Allah loves, He places the love for him in the hearts of people. Subhan Allah!

May Allah swt make us humble, pure and the ones who fulfil the rights of Allah and the rights of people around us and bestow upon us His love, mercy and protection! Ameen.

Sunnah Challenge 5:

Yes you have read it right! Let Jannah make duaa for you!

But how can Jannah make dua for you...?!

Often in our prayers, we make dua to Allah to lead us to Jannah and protect us from Jahannam. But have we thought about how many times we would have asked for the same?

Anas ibn Malik (ra) narrated the Messenger of Allah (saws) said: 

“Whoever asks Allah for Jannah three times, Paradise says, “ Oh Allah enter him into Jannah. Whoever seeks protection with Allah from Hell three times, Jahanim says, “ Oh Allah protect him from the Fire.”

[At Tirmidhi]

Rasulullah (saws) tells us to ask for Jannah not once, or twice, but THREE times! Why? Because when we ask something repeatedly we emphasize on the matter until the request is earnest and sincere, from within our hearts.

And what is more glorious than Paradise itself asking for us to be entered in it?  

We can bring this small supplication into our daily duaas to ask Allah for Jannah and protection from Jahannam.. And remember to ask for it THRICE!!

The dua is as follows:

اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ الْجَنَّةَ وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ النَّارِ

Allaahumma ‘innee ‘as’alukal-jannata wa ‘a’oothu bika minan-naar.

“O Allah, I ask You for Paradise and seek Your protection from the Fire”

Reference: Abu Dawud. See also Al-Albani, Sahih Ibn Majah 2/328.

Assalam Alaykum.

Ramadan Reminders; Day 3

Assalam Alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu! :)

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

Daily Reminder 3:

How many times has it happened that you remember someone and they have no clue that you’re thinking about them? How many times has it occurred that you wanted to call someone but they aren’t available for you?

It is human nature that when we like someone, remember someone and long the company of someone, we wish that even they reciprocate to our feelings. But have you found any human being who can satisfy you in this respect? Think about it. Your friends? Family? Has it happened that each time you remembered them, showed them love and care, needed their support and they responded with similar emotions? No. But why?

Because they’re humans! Every human being is created weak. Even if they would want to remember you and spend time with you, they wouldn’t be able to because of their limited capacity. They’re bound by responsibilities which they cannot forego to be with you.

My next obvious question is, who do you think you should be remembering then? Ofcourse Allah! But why? Not me, Allah swt has answered it for you. Allah says in Surah Baqarah-verse 152,

“So remember me, I will remember you”.

Imagine, as soon as you remember Allah, Allah is thinking about YOU! Of the 7.2 billion people in this world, Allah is remembering you because you just made a dhikr of Allah! Subhan Allah what an honour!

And when Allah is telling His Angels about how you glorify Him and praise Him, He is calling you by your name, do you think there is any greater honour than that?! Do you know what that means? 

What are your feelings for someone you love? You care for them, you’d want to protect them from all kinds of harm, when they’re upset, it breaks your heart too, you’d only want to get the best things for them, even though it may not be in your power to do so. But guess what? That’s what Allah feels for you when you remember Him. And He has the power to make those things happen, to give you the best, to protect you from all harm in this world and the Akhirah, protect you from The Hell Fire! 

There are innumerable benefits of reciting dhikr of Allah. Allah also says in Surah Ra’d-verse 28, 

“Verily in the remembrance of Allah, do hearts find rest.” 

You get sukoon in the remembrance of Allah. 

Try it for yourself this Ramadan. Instead of engaging in talks that are of no benefit, make constant dhikr of Allah and experience the peace you’ll be at. 

Verse of the Day:

Juz: 2

Surah: Al Baqarah

Verse: 255 [Ayatul Kursi]

Yes, we all know the benefits of Ayatul Kursi and we recite in our adhkaars of the morning and the evening, we recite it before we go to bed and our moms recite it for us before we leave the house but in spite of all this, I just had to pick this ayah! Because IT IS the “Ayat al Kursi”! 

A Sahaba by the name Ubayy ibn Ka’b was one of the most knowledgeable companions about the Quran. So once the Prophet (saws) went to Ubayy ibn Ka’b (ra) and asked him, “O Ubayy, which ayah in the Quran is the most blessed ayah?” Ubayy (ra) out of modesty, replied, “Allah and His Messenger know best.” The Prophet (saws) insisted, “O Ubayy, what is the greatest ayah in the Quran?” So when Ubayy (ra) realised that the Prophet (saws) was seeking a response, he said, “Allahu la ilaha illa huwa al Hayyul al Qayyum…” and he recited the Ayatul Kursi.

[Sahih Bukhari]

First and foremost let’s answer this question. Why is Ayatul Kursi so important? It is but 1 ayah, 1/3rd of a page of the Quran. The Quran has about 6000+ verses, what makes this one verse stand out…?

It is because the verse deals with Allah swt, His Names and His Attributes! The most majestic and blessed verses in the Quran are the verses that talk about Allah swt because nothing is more grandiose and more beautiful to discuss than Allah. There is no topic that is worthy of being about talked about than Allah and His Praise!

That is why Surah Ikhlas is the greatest surah in the Quran because it is nothing but a praise and description of Allah’s might and majesty. That is why reciting Surah Ikhlas is equivalent to reciting 1/3rd of the Quran which is about 10 juz of the Quran!

According to a Hadith reported in Musnad Imam Ahmed, the Prophet (saws) has said, 

“Whoever recites Ayatul Kursi after every Salah, the only thing preventing him entering Jannah is his own death.” 

Tell me an easier way to get to Jannah than the recitation of Ayatul Kursi after every Fard Salah?

If you make the practice of reciting this great verse after every Salah a routine, you are already a person of Jannah and nothing can stop you from entering Jannah! Subhan Allah!

May Allah swt help us in following His commands, fulfilling our obligations towards Him, forgive our shortcomings that come in the way and help us reach the highest level of Jannah. Ameen.

Sunnah Challenge 3:

Ramadan is the time of the year where we get to taste many exquisite dishes which barely gets to the table during other days.  

And it is during Ramadan that we find ourselves overindulging in food, filling ourselves to the brim during Iftaar. Because we hadn't eaten all day. And filling our stomachs again for suhoor. Because we need to withstand all day.

You promise yourself to keep a healthier diet from the next day, only to find that samosa stealing your sight (and your health too)!

Miqdam bin Madikarib said:

"I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: ‘A human being fills no worse vessel than his stomach. It is sufficient for a human being to eat a few mouthfuls to keep his spine straight. But if he must (fill it), then one third of food, one third for drink and one third for air."

[Sunan Ibn Majah]

Eating moderately not only benefits us physically but it also impacts our spiritual self.

In the long term, moderate eating keeps the body in good health, and saves it from many lifestyle disorders such as obesity which cost a huge part of a person's life.

Keeping the portion in limited amount also helps us stay active and alert throughout the day! 

Of what purpose would our fasts be if we overeat for Suhoor and Iftaar, only to find ourselves too drowsy to perform the Salah?

Not only do we find concentration and focus, abstaining from overeating also helps us spiritually by humbling us, keeping our hearts soft and closer to Allah swt.

So challenge yourself to stick to the one-third rule, and stay healthy from outside to within, In sha Allah!

Assalam Alaykum.

Ramadan Reminders; Day 2

Assalam Alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu! :)

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

Daily Reminder 2:

I will begin with the Hadith narrated by Abu Huraira (ra). The Messenger of Allah (saws) said,

“When the month of Ramadan comes, the gates of Paradise are opened and the gates of (Hell) Fire are closed and the devils are chained”.

[Sahih Bukhari]

According to the above hadith, this month is the only period which is free of shaytan.

What this means is that the evil deeds or sins that we would commit as a result of the evil whisperings of the shaytan, we wouldn’t be committing those deeds in this month. Allah swt has given us this month to practice and establish strong control over our desires, our desires to commit deeds that are disliked by Allah. Chaining up the devils serves as a benefit for us to exercise this control.

After a busy forenoon and afternoon schedule, we’re bound to be hit by fatigue. We feel so worn out that it seems almost impossible to do any work until iftaar, let alone work on the deen part of our lives. 

But know that this month is superior in its purity and sacredness to all other months. The reward of each and every struggle of yours, how you keep yourself going throughout the day while staying away from food and water for the sake of Allah, how you endure the heat and patiently deal with people around you is all recorded by Allah. Also know that if there was the presence of shaytan during this month, this struggle wouldn’t be as sweet as it seems now.

And when Allah has favoured us by locking up the shaytan, it is our duty and responsibility to put in that extra effort in building up the blocks of sabr and love in our hearts for Allah and His Deen. 

For as much tired and weary you feel, recite the Quran, listen to its explanation, ponder over what Allah is trying to tell you, take lessons from what you listen to, figure out how you can be implementing this knowledge in your daily lives. 

Learn new duas, new adhkaars, don’t waste even a single minute until iftaar. Because when you’re in the state of sawm (fast), you’re in a state of purity, the smell of your breath is more beloved and liked by Allah than the smell of musk, you’re now closer to Allah than you could ever be, utilise this opportunity to get even more closer to Allah and become His beloved slave. Strive to be the slave of Allah who is mentioned to the Angels by Allah Himself! 

Remember, for every step you take towards Allah, Allah takes 10 steps towards you and when you walk towards Allah, Allah runs towards you. Such a Merciful and Loving Lord He is!

Verse of the Day:

Juz: 2

Surah: Al Baqarah

Verse: 186

وَإِذَا سَأَلَكَ عِبَادِي عَنِّي فَإِنِّي قَرِيبٌ أُجِيبُ دَعْوَةَ الدَّاعِ إِذَا دَعَانِ فَلْيَسْتَجِيبُواْ لِي وَلْيُؤْمِنُواْ بِي لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْشُدُونَ

“And when My servants ask you, [O Muhammad], concerning Me - indeed I am near. I respond to the invocation of the supplicant when he calls upon Me. So let them respond to Me [by obedience] and believe in Me that they may be [rightly] guided.”

The one act that draws us closer to Allah and that is regarded as the most important act of ibadah is dua which is one of the things highlighted in the above verse.

Most times, when we’re upset or frustrated or crying our eyes out, we spend most of our energy thinking about the “how’s” and “why’s” of life. And by the time the realization clicks us that we could be praying to Allah for it, our energy is completely drained out, eyes are swollen red and we resort to sleep as comfort. 

But in the 186th verse of Al Baqarah, Allah speaks of the distance between Him and His slave. The distance between you and Allah is less than the distance between you and your jugular vein (Surah Qaf, verse 16). 

Why did Allah mention the “jugular” vein and not just any other vein in our body? 

Let’s speak in biology now. The Jugular vein is located on the either sides of your neck. It is the most vulnerable vein in your body and links the heart and the brain. It is only fitting that Allah chooses that element in our body which is very crucial and without which life is impossible. There is nothing closer to you in terms of distance than this vein except for Allah. Subhan Allah!!

When this is how close Allah is to His slaves, why do you think He won’t listen to you and accept your duas?

Which is exactly what Allah says after mentioning the fact that He is indeed near. Allah will definitely answer your prayers, provided you call upon Him. Tell Him your needs and desires, seek His help, expect only from Him and be assured that you will be responded. Don’t just make dua when you’re in need of it. Make dua at all times. Dua is not an option but a necessity. And Rasulullah (saws) has said, 

“Whoever does not ask of Allah, He becomes angry with him.”

[Classed as hasan by Al-Albaani. Saheeh Sunan Al-Tirmidhi, 2686]

But the part that is mentioned after this in the above verse is usually neglected.

Allah will respond but we need to prove ourselves worthy of that response. And for that we should respond to Allah and His Guidance. 

Responding to Allah is to obey Him, worship Him, follow His guidelines, stay away from things He dislikes, engage in committing deeds that He loves, hasten to salah, learn, understand and implement the knowledge of the Quran and follow the example of His Rasul.

May Allah swt entitle us to be among those who are beloved to Him and who He responds to and who He guides. Ameen.

Sunnah Challenge 2:

As easy as the challenge sounds, it surely isn't!

As our worlds have become much more compact and interconnected, having conversations have become easy as never before. 

How much time of the day do we spend speaking or texting matters that are of no use to us?!

We spend much of our energy conversing matters of little importance, sometimes we bring gossip too, which can easily destroy our deeds in this Holy month.

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, 

"He who believes in Allah and the Last Day must either speak good or remain silent."

[Muslim]

In this Ramadan and the days to come, let us challenge and remind ourselves to refrain from chatting uselessly and speak only when it would be of benefit.

Assalam Alaykum.

Ramadan Reminders; Day 1

Assalam Alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu!

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

Before anything else, Ramadan Mubarak!

May this Ramadan bring forth abundant blessings and goodness into your lives!

May Allah swt make this Ramadan a time when you get closer to Allah and His mercy and reach for success and contentment in this life and the Hereafter. 

May He protect you against all harm and worries and ease all affairs for you, accept your good deeds and ease for you the path to Jannah al Firdous!

May Allah swt forgive all our sins, grant cure to the sick, provide comfort and solace for the broken hearts and establish justice for the oppressed. Ameen.

Alhamdullilah.

All Praise and Thanks belongs to Allah swt for allowing us to reach another Ramadan. This is in itself a sign that Allah swt loves you, He wants to forgive you and bestow upon you an abode where all your needs and demands will be fulfilled, where there is no room for negativity and sadness and where you will be allowed to meet and greet your Lord. Subhan Allah!

Through the entire course of this month, I will be publishing Ramadan Reminders - comprising 3 topics:

1. Daily Islamic Reminders
2. Verse of the Day
3. Sunnah Challenge

I pray to Allah that it serves to be beneficial for you as it has been for me. 

Starting with the Daily Reminder 1:

The first day of Ramadan is usually the most challenging in terms of trying to curb the hunger and thirst. Sometimes, the climate, working conditions, work load and even travelling gets the better of us. It becomes quite hard to control our emotions and continue with the fast while maintaining its sacredness. 

At such times, we fail to utilise the fasting hours for ibadah, dhikr and Quran recitations and wait anxiously for the time of Iftar. Some of us would pass orders to kitchen as to what we anticipate for the first iftar meal of the month. :P

In this process, we become hasty and prepare a lot more food than what is actually required. 

The entire objective of Ramadan is to instil patience and self-control and to increase the love for Allah and His deen in our hearts. This will not happen if we are in a hurry to eat to satisfy our taste and waste food which is totally against the purpose of this sacred month. 

How do we expect to enjoy the benefits, the mercy and blessings of Allah if we fail to achieve the purpose of Ramadan?

Yes, it is the Sunnah of Rasulullah (saws) to hasten to break the fast as soon as the Maghrib adhaan has been called out or it is established that the sun has set. But this is with the intention that you have completed your fast for the sake of Allah and you’re nourishing yourself to worship Allah through the night. Not with the intention of filling your stomach to the full and satisfying the taste buds. 

May Allah swt provide ease during the fasting hours and reward us abundantly for fulfilling this obligation towards Him. Ameen.

Verse of the Day:

Ramadan is the month of the Quran, undoubtedly. We are encouraged to increase the number of good deeds in this month, offer voluntary prayers and recite the Quran abundantly. 

What I feel is understanding the Quran should be our focus than rushing to complete the Quran this month. Sure, for a recitation of a single letter, we’re rewarded with 10 good deeds and these 10 will be multiplied (only Allah knows by how many times) during this month.

But understanding the Quran brings forth a number of benefits. The most important according to me is applying the knowledge of the Quran in our daily lives. 

It is an undeniable fact that certain times it becomes difficult to walk on the path of the knowledge of the Quran, the reason being the shaitan ofcourse. He is on a roll when we try to understand the Book of Allah and implement the knowledge in our lives.

But since this month is free of the evil one and his whisperings, we should utilise this opportunity in learning and understanding Allah’s Book, His guidelines and walk by this knowledge.

In sha Allah we will learn about one ayah every day from each juz, and hence complete all 30 juz by the end of Ramadan.

May Allah swt make it easy for us to understand His Book and walk on the path of knowledge. Ameen.

The ayah for the first day is from;

Juz: 1

Surah: Al Baqarah

Verse: 44

أَتَأْمُرُونَ النَّاسَ بِالْبِرِّ وَتَنسَوْنَ أَنفُسَكُمْ وَأَنتُمْ تَتْلُونَ الْكِتَابَ أَفَلاَ تَعْقِلُونَ

“Do you order righteousness of the people and forget yourselves while you recite the Scripture? Then will you not reason?”

You might have come across the English proverb, “Practice what you preach”. In a nut shell, this ayah is exactly the same.

When we learn something new, could be a hadith or a Sunnah or verse from the Quran, we’re expected to share this knowledge. But before we do that, we should be implementing that knowledge in our lives. We can’t be preaching good when we don’t practice any of it. It is not logical when an individual enjoins those around him to offer charity or be kind to others when he himself doesn’t follow it. This is plain hypocrisy and is unacceptable in Islam.

The above verse inquires all those who do not understand that they should enjoin righteousness on themselves first and do accordingly to be as an example, and then expect others to obey or follow them.

Experience has proved that words which are uttered only by the tongue, as simple statements, physically strike the ears and perish. But reasonable speech that arises from the soul and reality, settles in souls firmly and affects hearts deeply.

Sunnah Challenge 1

How often is it that we tell Bismillah or greet Salaam before we enter our homes?

Often we rush into a haste, fail to watch which foot we set in first, and run into our comfort zones forgetting some of the most important supplications before we enter.

Invoking Allah's name before entering our homes is not only a way to remember Allah or add rewards to our account, but it is also a way to protect our homes from the Shayateen!

Jabir bin Abdullah (ra) reported Allah's Messenger (SAW) as saying:

"If a person mentions the Name of Allah upon entering his house or eating, Satan says, addressing his followers: `You will find no where to spend the night and no dinner.' But if he enters without mentioning the Name of Allah, Satan says [To his followers]; 'You have found [A place] to spend the night in, and if he does not mention the Name of Allah at the time of eating, Satan says: `You have found [A place] to spend the night in as well as food." 

(Sahih Muslim, Book 23, 5006)

Along with protection, by saying a Bismillah, entering our homes with a Salam could bring Rizq, protection and even open the doors of Jannah for us!!

The Prophet(SAW) said:

“There are three who are under the protection of Allah and if he lives, he will be provided for and it will be sufficient for him, and if he dies, Allah will enter him into Jannah: whoever enters his house and gives the salaam, whoever goes out to the masjid, and whoever leaves in the way of Allah.”

(Sunan Abi Dawud)

May Allah swt make it easy for us to implement the knowledge we gain, reward us and our families abundantly, bless us with peace and contentment and bestow on us the highest level of Jannah! Ameen.

Assalam Alaykum.