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.

The Departure and The Arrival

Assalam Alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu! :)

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

Let me start by giving you all a situation to imagine. You’ve been away from home since a very long time (let’s say 7-8 months). You were being held up with work, assignments and deadlines. On the other hand, your friends or colleagues or people around you are in a complete bliss. It’s been really frustrating but somehow manage to stay on track, avoid distractions and finally you’ve pulled it through. After a long wait, the day arrives when you head back home. Neither can you stop looking at the tickets nor can you stop thinking about your family. And you can’t wait to be treated like royalty! :P And obviously, your mum has prepared your favourite food (my mom would usually prepare macaroni. A LOT of macaroni :P), your siblings clean their bed for you and you know that as soon as you get home, you’ll be at peace, you’ll be pampered, all your wishes would be your family’s command. You’d be absolutely thrilled throughout the journey! Your departure is filled with excitement that’s only doubled upon your arrival.

Okay so now you’re done spending gala time at home and it’s time for you to return back to the dreaded place of workloads and expectations. You know you’re not going to be receiving any pampering there and you just have to eat the usual dal chawal (that’s like the Indian version of toast and butter). And you’re just back to killing your wishes again. How would you be throughout the journey? Would you have the heart of leaving a place of bliss for a place of horror? Uh huh. Your departure is agonizing and it only gets even more painful on your arrival.

So this is your departure and arrival in this world. But what about your departure FROM this world? What’s your journey going to be like? Sure your body remains in this world, but your soul? Well it got to face The One who created it and the consequences of the actions and feelings that were feeding on it. And when it does? All of the deeds you’ve committed throughout your life, the things you strove for, the way they’ve affected your soul and if they got you closer to your Lord or took you away from Him will flash before your very own eyes. 

Because Allah swt says in Surah Naziyat, verse 35:

يَوْمَ يَتَذَكَّرُ الْإِنْسَانُ مَا سَعَىٰ

“That Day (Day of Judgement) man shall remember what he strove for.”

When we depart from this world, there’s just one arrival destination. To our Lord, our Creator. Waiting for our deeds to be weighed on the scale so that we can be dealt with justly. Each and every soul in this world has to go through this evaluation. And we will be admitted into the abode we truly deserve and That is the place we’re going to be in for eternity.

In this modern, contemporary world, enhancing the outer appearance has taken precedence over nurturing the soul. We spend days and months or even several years dedicating ourselves to the gym, beauty treatments, dieting, but what are we really feeding the soul what it NEEDS to be fed? Are we taking care of the soul the way it NEEDS to be taken care of?

In a day of 24 hours, how many hours or even minutes do we spend on pondering about our soul? It goes through all sorts of crap and trash. When there’s a physical wound, we visit a physician, sometimes we visit a number of them only to compare their diagnosis. We care so much about our physical frame, forgetting that the healing actually resides in a deeper part of our body. The part where the spirit exists. Have we ever made an effort to heal the wounds of our spirit? Our soul? Our heart? There was a quote I came across recently, it read: “Stab the body and it heals but injure the heart and the wound lasts a lifetime”. 

After an exhausting day, all we sit down with is a cup of coffee and wish for a massage (for once, you may even get that) but how many us focus on revitalising our soul? The amalgam of emotions we experience throughout the day takes a toll on our gentle soul more than the body and this goes unnoticed very easily…

Allah azza wa jal has given us the therapy to heal and nourish the heart and the soul in His Book. Allah says in Surah Ra’d, verse 28:

أَلاَ بِذِكْرِ اللَّهِ تَطْمَئِنُّ الْقُلُوبُ

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

Now, what does it mean by remembering Allah?

Most of us think that to remember Allah is to recite duas and azkars in Arabic or to keep repeating the terms – “Subhan Allah” “Alhamdullilah” “La Ilaha Illa Allah” “Allahu Akbar” “Astaghfirullah”. Well what’s the point of reciting these terms when it’s only the lips that move and not the heart?

Remembering Allah is to:

Remember the blessings that He has bestowed you with. Even the drop of water that quenches your thirst or the first morsel of food that satisfies your hunger, considering the fact that there are countless number of people who cry out for basic necessities. This remembrance leads to gratitude. The element that increases your blessings. (Surah Ibrahim, verse 7)

Remember The Power He possess. And when this sinks in your heart, it leads to the unshakable trust in Allah, no matter what you go through. Even if you’ve had a bad day, you turn to His remembrance to find solace and comfort. 

Remember His favours upon you. The greatest of which is making you a Muslim and granting you knowledge. The job that gets you tired and frustrated is the job that several others strive for. Parents whose concern gets you irritated at times, is being craved by thousands who’ve lost their parents. The kids who get on your nerves, are being yearned for by many couples. The remembrance of Allah’s favours increases love for Him.

Remember His Omniscience in the open and the hidden for it serves as an impetus for our chastity.

Remember His magnitude and greatness for it causes one’s humility and submission towards Him.

Remember His forgiveness and generosity that serves as our sources of hope and repentance.

It’s okay if you want to refresh yourself with lemonade or coffee (or teaaaa :P) but that’s not what’s going to give you peace and comfort. Unless you resort to the remembrance of Allah, understand that your soul needs to be rejuvenated as much as your body, you’re going to go through the same old tiring, tedious and monotonous routine every day, adding up to your frustration and anxiety. 

Now, why is it that you need to care for your soul as much as you care for your body or even more and constantly remember Allah, His blessings, favour, mercy and His might?

Because just like I mentioned in the beginning, the thoughts, emotions and actions that has been feeding on your soul in this dunya is going to be evaluated the day you meet your Lord. You will be judged on the state of your soul and not the state of your body. 

How do you know what kind of actions are going to lead you to which destination in the Hereafter?

Allah says, in Surah Naziyat, verse 37-41:

فَأَمَّا مَنْ طَغَىٰ

وَآثَرَ الْحَيَاةَ الدُّنْيَا

فَإِنَّ الْجَحِيمَ هِيَ الْمَأْوَىٰ

“Then as for him who transgressed,

And preferred the life of this world,

Shall have his abode in Hell.”

The Arabic word طَغَىٰ is translated as transgression. Its root – ط غ ي gives the meaning – “to exceed a limit”, “exceed the bound” or “deviate”. When we cross the bounds/limits that Allah swt has laid for us, repeatedly disobey Allah, commit sins, the fitnah or temptations of this world begins to lure us and we start preferring (آثَرَ) the life of this world over the Hereafter. In such a state, we follow our desires, give in to temptations, forget about The Lord Almighty and pave our way for a painful and humiliating afterlife and destine ourselves to the Hell fire.

وَأَمَّا مَنْ خَافَ مَقَامَ رَبِّهِ وَنَهَى النَّفْسَ عَنِ الْهَوَىٰ

فَإِنَّ الْجَنَّةَ هِيَ الْمَأْوَىٰ

“But he who feared standing before his Rabb and curbed his evil desires,

Shall have his home in Paradise”

The word مقام is translated as “position” or “rank” or “standing”. And this can mean 2 things. One, those people who fear the position of their Lord and believe that Allah’s position is the Highest. He is Al Azeez (The Almighty). He is The One who has power and authority over all things. Two, those people who fear standing in front of Allah (On the Judgement Day). Because it is on this day when Allah will ‘personally’ deal with all of mankind and hold them accountable for each and every deed they committed in this dunya. 

Secondly, the Arabic word الْهَوَىٰ is used for evil desires or lust. There’s no doubt that Allah has placed الْهَوَىٰ in every human being. And that is where He swt tests us. Our goal should be to fight or curb these desires that go against the bounds laid by Allah, in other words the desires that lead to طغيان (transgression). 

The Prophet (saws) has been reported saying, “The Paradise is surrounded by hardships and the Hell fire is surrounded by temptations” (Sahih Muslim). And for those who abide by this teaching of Allah, will have Jannah in their possession for eternity. Subhan Allah. 

The Quran is indeed the ultimate source of guidance and the best manual there is for attaining a successful life in this world and the Hereafter. 

And going down the recent world events, the day of judgement is just round the corner. Allah azza wa jal gives us this warning in Surah Anbiya, verse 1:

اقْتَرَبَ لِلنَّاسِ حِسَابُهُمْ وَهُمْ فِي غَفْلَةٍ مُّعْرِضُونَ

“Closer and closer to mankind comes their Reckoning; yet they heed not and they turn away”.

So my dear brothers and sisters, If not until now, then now it is. :)

Let’s turn towards our Lord, our Rabb not only in times of need and distress but also during ease and happiness. May Allah azza wa jal help us all in seeking solace and comfort through His Book and His remembrance, and bless us with Jannah, Ameen. :)

Assalam Alaykum.