Ramadan Reminders; Day 14

Assalam Alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu! :)

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

Daily Reminder 14:

As the end of Ramadan is approaching, Subhan Allah it is so beautiful to see ladies of all ages and colour, greeting each other with Salam, standing shoulder to shoulder, offering their prayers, crying and making Dua to Allah swt! 

As much as I love attending the Masjid, I cannot help but mention about those who cause a teeny tiny bit of hindrance in enjoying the peace and calmness of a divine and sacred setting. 

And no, I’m not talking about toddlers and young kids. But I’m speaking about the grown-up, matured, responsible individuals!

Let’s get down to a few points that I feel I NEED TO address!

#1. I’m totally against the norms that Masjids are supposed to be places where you can’t smile and greet one another. But I also live by the Hadith of Rasulullah (saws): “Indeed the Houses of Allah were built for the remembrance of Allah, prayer and recitation of the Quran.” [Sahih Muslim]

Please don’t make the Masjid a place of social gathering or a discussion of hot topics which are actually unimportant. Personally, this gets a little annoying and is a huge distraction and disturbance for those who come there purely for the worship and Dhikr of Allah!

#2. As soon as you enter the Masjid, perform Tahiyyatul Masjid before anything else as said by the Prophet (saws): “If one of you enters the Masjid, he should pray 2 units of prayer before sitting”. [Sahih Bukhari & Muslim]

#3. Yes, it’s prohibited for the women to use strong fragrances when they’re out of their homes but that IN NO WAY gives a person an excuse to not smell decent! I apologise for coming out as rude, but this makes it difficult for a person to concentrate in their prayers. 

Allah says in Surah A’raf, v.31; 

“O Children of Adam! Take your adornment while attending the Masjid (prayer)”.

You could apply a mild fragrance that does not attract attention or carry a small bottle of perfume with you.

#4. It is our responsibility to keep the house of Allah clean! I often notice ladies leaving their trash (used tissues and bottles) behind and I’m amazed if they would do the same in their houses! The Prophet (saws) ordered that the Masjid should be cleaned and perfumed. [Musnad of Imam Ahmed]

Next time you find any trash, take the responsibility of picking it up and disposing it with the right intention! You’d be earning a lot of rewards In sha Allah!

#5. Turning your mobile phone into silent mode, not crossing through people and making yourself a place in the first row even though there is no spot for you and not staring at others are matters of basic etiquettes ya all! 

All of these things causes disturbances that affects the spirit and tranquility of prayer and the ones who offer their prayers.

#6. The Most Important Point – Let’s not judge anybody for the way they dress or wear hijab or their way of reciting or holding the Quran. Everybody is a beginner at some point. In fact, treat them with humility and kindness, advise them privately, make sincere Dua for them and never mock or taunt them. Let’s not be the reason for driving these people out of the Masjids and away from the Deen of Allah.

And if there’s anybody advising you and you don’t even find it right, don’t argue or stare at them as though you’d want to pull their eyeballs out! Smile and let go! If there’s an opportunity to speak to them privately, tell them what’s right along with authentic references In sha Allah!

Verse of the Day:

Juz: 14

Surah: Al Hijr

Verse: 39

قَالَ رَبِّ بِمَا أَغْوَيْتَنِي لَأُزَيِّنَنَّ لَهُمْ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَلَأُغْوِيَنَّهُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ

[Iblees] said, “My Lord, because You have put me in error, I will surely make [disobedience] attractive to them on earth, and I will mislead them all.”

Ever wondered the reason behind our distractions from the obedience to Allah swt? Why do we fall into sins? Why is our heart inclined towards the pleasures of this life? Sure, there is desires inside each one of us. But who runs this desire…?

When Iblees disobeyed one command of Allah in all his pride and arrogance, Allah swt abandoned him and cursed him for the rest of his life. 

Now imagine how cruel and vicious Iblees is that he blamed Allah for him straying away, asked Allah for a favour to live until the Judgement Day and also vowed to lead His most precious creations away from the worship of Allah! Look at his guts! 

He is also challenging the Lord of all mankind and the worlds that he has the power of taking over our hearts and inciting evil desires within us. And how is he going to do all of this? By making every single thing in this Dunya, attractive, pleasing to our hearts and minds and provoking us towards them!

For instance, at the time of Fajr, shaytan makes the sleep so attractive and the sight of our beds and blankets so comfortable that our desire to sleep surpasses our desire to stand in worship of our Lord! 

Or the shaytan creates within us the want and the desire of eating junk and all those things that make us sluggish and tired that ends in lack of concentration in Salah or missing of a prayer or two!

Tell me, if a person comes to your mom and challenges her that her child (i.e.) you are the most incapable and discourteous child there ever is, are you not going to react? Is it not going to sting your heart and you feel like throwing this person off the cliff? Aren’t you going to put in your sweat and blood in proving this person wrong? 

That’s exactly what the shaytan did. He thinks you’re weak and incapable of dealing with your own nafs. That is why he challenged Allah against you. 

And if Allah is so Merciful and so Loving and Caring towards His slaves, why did He even give shaytan what he wanted? That’s called TRUST. 

Allah swt trusts His creations that they will never give in to shaytan and his evil whisperings. He trusts us so much so that he even gave us free will to choose our path! Because He knows that we belong to Him and we will return back to Him!

Is there any relationship greater than this? Any love or trust greater than this?

In fact, Allah swt gave us all the tools to stay away from the shaytan! The Quran! The gift of repentance! He sent down Prophet Muhammad (saws) to our ummah so that we can learn how exactly does a person has to live his life if he wants to boo the shaytan, put him down and raise our status in front of Allah, in this Dunya and the Aakhirah!

Subhan Allah!

May Allah swt strengthen our soul, heart and mind to deal with the shaytan and help us establish pure love and obedience to Allah in our lives! Ameen.

Sunnah Challenge 14:

How many of us knew that we have to say Bismilllah when we trip or fall?

Abu Al-Malih narrated that a man said: “I was riding behind the Prophet (saws) and his mount stumbled. I said: “May the Shaytan perish! The Prophet (saws) said: “Do not say” May the Shaytan perish,” because when you say that he swells up so much that he becomes like a house and says, “By my power.” Rather say: Bismillah (In the name of Allah), “for if you say that the Shaytan shrinks until he becomes like a fly.”

[Abu Dawud]

We learn that whatever happens to us, be it a blessing or a calamity comes from Allah (swt). Even if it is a small hurdle that comes in our way, is never because of Shaytan, but the will of Allah. 

Shaytan has no power to control anything that happens in the way of Allah!

That is the reason why we need to take Allah's name, to establish His remembrance at all times. And when we remember Him, during the calamity, Shaytan reduces so much as a fly! Allah is indeed the greatest and the most powerful, and even a leaf would move without His will. 

May Allah bestow upon all of us His remembrance at all times, good and bad, highs and lows, and help us overcome the whisperings of the Shaytan! Ameen.

Assalam Alaykum.

Ramadan Reminders; Day 13

Assalam Alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu! :)

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

Daily Reminder 13:

When it comes to Dua, there are many posts about its importance, the different times of acceptance of Duas, the best Dua, why we shouldn’t be giving up on Dua and so on…

But what I’m going to ask you is a bit different. Has it ever happened that you sincerely made a Dua to Allah swt and it wasn’t accepted…? Did it not hurt you at least a little bit that in spite of constantly and sincerely asking for just one thing, it still wasn’t accepted by Allah…? Didn’t you think, “Sure nothing is impossible for Allah swt, then why didn’t He make my wish possible…?”

What if I tell you that by not accepting your Dua, Allah swt is making your accountability easy on the Day of Judgement… He swt is paving your road to Jannah…? And by not fulfilling your wish, Allah is stocking up on those things that will prevent you from entering the Fire…?

On the Day of Judgement, there will be a person who will see many mountains full of rewards. This person will be surprised and confident that it doesn’t belong him because he feels he didn’t even live that long enough to commit those many abundant good deeds! 

Quite a long time will pass by and he will notice that no one has come to claim their rewards… He’ll turn to Allah swt and ask Him, “O Allah! These mountain full of rewards! Who are they for?”

Allah swt will reply, “This is for you, My servant!”

This person will be astonished and amazed and in doubt too as to what made him accumulate these many rewards!

Allah swt will tell him, “My servant! When you were in the Dunya, you used to make Dua to me. I never accepted your Dua. But what I did in return is I gave you reward. I kept on giving you rewards for the Dua you used to make. And today those duas are a mountain full of rewards!”

And this person will say, “O Allah! In that case, why did You accept any of my Duas!”

[Ahmed]

Subhan Allah!

If only we truly understood why Allah swt is The Most Merciful and why He keeps repeating in the Quran that the reward of the believers will not be lost!

When you ask Allah swt for something, ask Him with full conviction and faith. Keep asking Him consistently and constantly in your prayers and also outside of your prayers. But if you don’t see a response, don’t be in haste. Leave it in the Hands of Allah! Because Allah swt has knowledge over things which we are clueless about! Yes, His Wise Decisions are not always what you wanted but it is always in YOUR FAVOUR!

Imagine, on the Judgement Day, you’ll find your mountains of rewards and realise that it is because of these unaccepted Duas, you will be welcomed in Jannah! After all, isn’t that our ultimate goal?

Ask Allah swt for the smallest needs and desires, even if it was new Converse shoes you saw at the mall! Or your desire to eat at a specific restaurant or to get you that watch your friend was wearing the other day! Absolutely everything! 

Because if Allah accepts your Dua, He is increasing your Imaan and wants you to do Shukr! But if He hasn’t accepted your Dua, you’re assured that He swt is working on something even better! 

Verse of the Day 

Juz: 13

Surah: Ibrahim

Verse: 7

وَإِذْ تَاَذَّنَ رَبُّكُمْ لَئِن شَكَرْتُمْ لأَزِيدَنَّكُمْ وَلَئِن كَفَرْتُمْ إِنَّ عَذَابِي لَشَدِيدٌ

And [remember] when your Lord proclaimed, “If you are grateful, I will surely increase you [in favour]; but if you deny, indeed, My punishment is severe.”

Every ayah in the Quran is a miracle sent down by Allah swt and it holds many treasures, some of which may be unknown to us. A Believer will always try to find a lesson for himself in each ayah of the Quran.

But this verse from Surah Ibrahim is one of the most explicit and beneficial verse for all of mankind. Sadly, these days the non-Muslims exercise gratitude much more than the Muslim community. There are several books on gratitude – the how’s and why’s and when’s, most of which are written by non-Muslim authors.

Brothers & Sisters! This is a command given by Allah swt, much before the non-Muslims even discovered the word ‘gratitude’! We should be acting upon Shukr for each and every second of our life! 

The fact that Allah swt keeps giving us another day to live, to repent and gives permission to our heart for every beat is something we have taken for granted! And this is the same reason why the non-Muslims are so deeply thankful for.

Guess what the American author, Melody Bettie feels about gratitude. She said, “Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough and more. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend!” Isn’t this beautiful?!

Imagine, as Muslims how grateful should we be to Allah swt for He has blessed us with those things we never even asked Him for!

Did you know that the above command of Allah in Surah Ibrahim, v.7 was what Musa (as) told his people after they crossed the sea?

These are the same people who suffered at the hands of the tyrant, Firaun! Their sons were killed by him! He was an oppressor! After being under trials for such a long period, Musa (as) is asking his people to be grateful instead of being patient! Why?

Because we cannot be patient if we’re not grateful! Subhan Allah!

Imagine, a car meets with an accident but the entire family is safe. What is the man or the woman going to say? “Thank God nothing happened to us!” And because they’re grateful that God didn’t cause harm to their family, they’re able to be patient during this trial. 

Now generally, giving thanks or Shukr is understood by performing this act when we’re blessed with something right…?

What about Yusuf (as)? Do you think he would go on to become the Treasurer or something like a Finance Minister of a country if he wasn’t taken up as slave or if he wasn’t thrown into that well by his brothers?

What does this teach us? Gratitude is not to be done only when we’re blessed with something but also when we’re afflicted with a trial!

Because you never know which trial or hardship is going to turn out to be the best blessing in your life! Or through which difficulty you were saved from a much bigger problem!

And the beauty of this ayah is that Allah swt didn’t limit gratitude to anything. Meaning no matter what you’re thankful for and how much you’re grateful to Allah, Allah swt will increase that for you! 

In other words, repeating ‘Alhamdullilah’ a 100 times does not necessarily mean you’re grateful. But if you truly feel thankful to Allah in your heart, then one Alhamdullilah is going to suffice your feeling of gratitude! Subhan Allah! 

Indeed, Alhamdullilah for the greatest gift Allah has bestowed upon me, the understanding of the Quran, without which I would be lost like a wanderer in the desert!

What are you grateful to Allah swt for? ;)

Sunnah Challenge 13:

Do you want to know of a deed that will multiply its reward TEN times? 

The Prophet (saws) said:

“When you hear the Mu’adhin calling for the prayer, repeat his words then ask Allah’s blessings upon me, because the one who asks Allah’s blessings upon me once will be rewarded ten blessings by Allah.” 

[Sahih Muslim, The Book of Prayer, Hadith 384]

We can ask for Allah's blessings upon the Prophet (saws) by reciting the salawat:

اللهم صلِّ علَى محمد، و علَى آلِ محمد، كما صليت علَى إبراهيم و علَى آلِ إبراهيم، إنك حميد مجيد

اللهم بارك علَى محمد، و علَى آلِ محمد، كما بَارَكْت علَى إبراهيم و علَى آلِ إبراهيم إنك حميد مجيد

Allahumma salli ala Muhammadin wa ala ali Muhammadin, kama sallayta ala Ibrahima wa ala ali Ibrahima innaka Hameedun Majeed. 

Allahumma Barik ala Muhammadin wa ala aali Muhammadin kama barakta ala Ibrahima wa ala aali Ibrahima innaka Hameedun Majeed.

“O Allah, bestow your favor on Muhammad and on the family of Muhammad as You have bestowed Your favor on Ibrahim and on the family of Ibrahim, You are Praiseworthy, Most Glorious. O Allah, bless Muhammad and the family of Muhammad as You have blessed Ibrahim and the family of Ibrahim, You are Praiseworthy, Most Glorious”. 

[Al-Bukhari]

Next time you hear the Adhaan, don't just recite one Dua that follows it, but remember to include the salawat for our Rasulullah (saws)!

May Allah swt reward us for our good deeds, protect us from straying into the wrong path, and make us among the righteous! Ameen. 

Assalam Alaykum.

Ramadan Reminders; Day 12

Assalam Alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu! :)

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

Daily Reminder 12:

How many of you truly feel content and satisfied with your life? How many of you can claim that your heart is at peace and there is absolutely no distress and frustrations in your life? And how many times has your prayer been able to calm you down (like literally melt your anger and makes you feel blissful)?

Let’s start reasoning our answers with some statistics.

On an average we perform about 34 Sujood (excluding the Sunnah and Witr prayers) in a day. Take a moment and ask yourself. “I bow down in prostration, let my head touch the ground so many times in a day but has this act ever touched my heart once…? Did at least one sujood bring a single tear in my eye…? Am I really prostrating to Allah with my heart and soul or is just my body prostrating to Allah…?”

We’ve heard many times that when you’re upset fall into Sujood, we’re closest to Allah in Sujood and a Dua made during Sujood is always accepted by Allah swt.

But take a step back. Are you making Sujood for yourself or for your Creator and The Creator of every single atom in this world? Because if we truly made Sujood for The One who created us, we wouldn’t spend even a fraction of a second in doubt or complains! 

Sujood is a part of the gift that Rasulullah (saws) himself went up to the Heavens to receive it directly from Allah! Sujood is an act of Shukr, it is humbling yourself in front of your Lord and it is a form of telling your Creator, “My Lord, You are The Greatest, I am weak, I am your slave, You alone are in control of my life and that is why I’m resting the highest part of my body on to the ground for You!”

If we would sincerely reflect on these feelings, we wouldn’t lift our heads from prostration immediately after reciting “Subhana Rabbi al A’la”. 

One single Sujood would wipe off every ounce of agony and fear from our minds. We would prostrate to Allah not only in times of dejection or sorrow, confusion or doubts but also when we’re happy or ecstatic! 

With every Sujood, we would feel elated because Allah swt raises us by one degree in Jannah and forgives a sin of ours! [Ahmed] 

This Dunya is imperfect and is literally an accumulation of all the things that can feed on your soul and suck out peace from your life. This is why Allah swt blessed us with Sujood.

The Prophet (saws) was suffering from distress from being harmed by the enemies of Islam. So Allah swt gave our Prophet (saws) a remedy by revealing the following verses from Surah Hijr;

وَلَقَدْ نَعْلَمُ أَنَّكَ يَضِيقُ صَدْرُكَ بِمَا يَقُولُونَ

فَسَبّـِحْ بِحَمْدِ رَبّـِكَ وَكُن مّـِنَ السَّاجِدِينَ

“And We already know that your breast is constrained by what they say.”

“So exalt [Allah] with praise of your Lord and be of those who prostrate [to Him]”

For every negative emotion we experience, the cure is in Sujood! It is a position where you exchange your worries for blessings! It heals your soul of all the damage it has suffered. It elevates your spirit and fills it up with hope and positivity. 

It is the act that brings about peace and comfort! And yet it the act we have taken for granted.

May Allah swt give us the ability to truly appreciate His gifts and blessings upon us, allow us to be among those who are grateful to Him and who find peace only in His remembrance! Ameen.

Verse of the Day:

Juz: 12

Surah: Yusuf

Verse: 42

وَقَالَ لِلَّذِي ظَنَّ أَنَّهُ نَاجٍ مّنْهُمَا اذكُرْنِي عِندَ رَبّكَ فَاَنسَاهُ الشَّيْطَانُ ذِكْرَ رَبّهِ فَلَبِثَ فِي السّجْنِ بِضْعَ سِنِينَ 

“And he said to the one whom he knew would go free, “Mention me before your master.” But Satan made him forget the mention [to] his master, and Joseph remained in prison several years.”

I’m sure all of you have come across the beautiful story of Yusuf (as) which Allah swt Himself testified as the best story ever!

Subhan Allah his story is one where we can extract a number of life lessons. Every incident in his life and every hardship he went through seems like an amazing puzzle whose outcome was truly a divine success!

The ayah I picked for the day is actually a continuation of an incident where two of the prison mates of Yusuf (as) approach him for the interpretation of their dreams. 

According to their dreams, one man among them was to be crucified while the other was going to be set free. And as a favour, Yusuf (as) asked the other man to mention to the king upon his release that he’s been in the prison even though he is innocent. But shaytan caused that man to forget about this request of Yusuf (as).

What I want you to focus here is the patience, faith and forgiving nature of Prophet Yusuf (as).

First and foremost, he is serving his most precious time – the youth in the prison in spite of being innocent! And yet, he never complained of his situation ever! Instead he devoted his talent and time in the way of Allah swt and spread His Deen! Subhan Allah!

Many a time we may feel restricted and that nobody gives importance to our strengths or even our existence! Yes, we don’t complain but how is our attitude at such times? Cranky? Moody? Do we even praise and thank Allah in such circumstances? No! We deal with these situations as if they’re a burden upon us! 

But look at the life of Yusuf (as). Allah swt knew best that in this period of seclusion in the prison, He azza wa jal was preparing His Prophet for the greater role he was to play very soon! Allah swt kept Yusuf (as) away from all the harm and distractions so that he focuses on building his relationship with Allah and also invite people around him to the Deen of Allah! Imagine doing Dawah in the prison! 

And Yusuf (as) wasn’t even guilty, yet he had faith and trust in the decree of Allah and instead of spending the period in wait, he devoted his time, his mind, his soul and his talent in the way of Allah! And how was he rewarded? He was made the Treasurer of Egypt! Such a powerful position!

Secondly, when we provide our help to our friends or family, we do it with the intention of both praise and acknowledgement or with an expectation of receiving good from them. And when we don’t receive any of it, we say, “I’m never going to help them again! They don’t deserve it! Could have at least said ‘thanks’” and we enter a whole new negative zone!

How do you think Yusuf (as) would have felt when there was no news from the king about his release? Don’t you think he would have felt betrayed? Because of this, he had to spend several years in the prison!

Yusuf (as) knew that it is Allah alone who rewards and He alone sends the relief! He continued his dawah and ibadah with sincerity, humility, positivity and patience! There is so much we could learn from this man, Subhan Allah!

I understand sometimes the situation gets out of our tolerance level, we feel as though everything is against us and we start losing hope. We’re unable to concentrate in Salah or while reciting the Quran. We lose the ability to think well and good for ourselves let alone for others. 

But it is at such times that we need to keep our cool. It is in these situations that our Imaan is being tested. And Allah, The Most Wise intended this period for us because He is preparing us for a much bigger and better position in this life and the Hereafter! 

Trust Him and continue with the best of deeds, be positive and encourage others around you, spread good and mercy! And watch how The Best Planner beautifies your life and rewards you with that which you never expected in your possession, In sha Allah!

Sunnah Challenge 12:

Children are one of the biggest blessings from Allah in this world, the coolness of our eyes, and the future leaders of our Ummah.

Protecting our children from evil is a huge responsibility as this Dunya is full of trials and tribulations, with Shaytan trying to stray every person and every path.

The Prophet (saws) used to say the following to seek the protection of Allah for Al-Hassan and Al-Hussein:

Evils are of all kinds and it is necessary to protect our children, be it our own children, siblings or any other children from all sorts of harm.

1. Always remember to recite Surah Baqarah as Shaytan RUNS away from a home where this Surah is recited! [Sahih Muslim]

2. Make it a habit to repeat Surah Falaq and Naas before going to bed along with Ayatul Kursi, with the kids! [Sahih Bukhari] 

3. Remember to keep them indoors during the time Shaytan lurks out, the early hours of Maghrib![Sahih Muslim]

May Allah swt protect our children from all kinds of harm and make them as ones who turn to Allah in times of despair! Ameen.

Assalam Alaykum.

Ramadan Reminders; Day 10

Assalam Alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu! :)

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

Daily Reminder 10:

It seems as though only a few days ago I was preparing myself for the coming of Ramadan! Time flies by faster than light these days! :P

In a blink of an eye we have completed the first leg of Ramadan, Alhamdullilah. 

For some of us, these 10 days would have been an initiating phase (i.e.) getting adjusted to changes in the sleep schedules, constantly pondering over the Book of Allah, engaging in Dhikr and of course my favourite, the late night Taraweeh prayers. 

For those of us (including me :P) who still feel they haven’t given their 100%, now is the time to buck up! Leave behind the fatigue and laziness. Let’s ensure that each and every minute of ours is being dedicated to the worship of Allah. Even if we’re in the kitchen or doing the laundry or cleaning up the house or even working on our home works and assignments, let’s incorporate Dhikr and the recitation or the Tafseer of the Quran. 

Let not guilt overtake our hearts and minds at the end of Ramadan because we couldn’t give it our all!

But for those of you who are content with the amount of your Duas and prayers, keep going In sha Allah! Also remember that there is always room for more. 

May Allah swt grant His Barakah in our time and help us devote ourselves in His praise and worship! Ameen.

Just a short reminder that while we’re making abundant Duas for ourselves and crying over our sins in prayers, please include our oppressed Muslim brothers and sisters in your Duas. This very moment when you’re sitting in the comfort of your house and with the luxury of safety and care, there are kids who’re being abducted and forced into slavery, women are being disrespected and the men, the protectors and care-takers of a family are being killed mercilessly. Why? Because they’re Muslims! 

If we can’t reach out to them personally, we can always send them our Duas! A Dua made for a fellow Muslim in their absence is always accepted, Bi idhnillah.

Verse of the Day:

Juz: 10

Surah: Al Anfal

Verse: 53

ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّ اللَّهَ لَمْ يَكُ مُغَيِّرًا نِعْمَةً أَنْعَمَهَا عَلَىٰ قَوْمٍ حَتَّىٰ يُغَيِّرُوا مَا بِأَنْفُسِهِمْ ۙ وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ

“That is because Allah would not change a favour which He had bestowed upon a people until they change what is within themselves. And indeed, Allah is Hearing and Knowing.”

Ever occurred when you had a blessing and it all faded away one day…? Think about it. Anything that you thought was taken away from your life and you immediately turned to Allah and questioned Him, “Why?”…? 

It could be a loss in some business or you were scoring high percentage in school or university but in one particular exam your grades have dropped down or you’ve worked hard on a presentation and you’re a pro in giving one but this time, it didn’t go as planned…?

Do you want to know why…?

Allah swt does not take away a favour or blessing from a person until he does something himself which becomes a cause of being deprived of those blessings.

This what today’s ayah is all about.

At the first strike of a calamity or a problem or you realise that a blessing has been taken away by Allah, either we turn to people expressing our distress and seeking their comfort or we turn to Allah in frustration. 

Don’t be like Iblis who blamed Allah for his dismissal from Paradise!

Instead ponder over your thoughts and your deeds. Maybe you would have been ungrateful for those blessings or perhaps committed a sin or a deed that Allah dislikes. Through this loss, Allah swt wants to redirect your attention towards Him and seek Him. 

So whenever we see that a blessing has been taken away from us that all of a sudden something that we enjoy is gone, we need to analyse ourselves. Did I do something that Allah dislikes? What went wrong? 

We need to ask Allah of forgiveness, express our gratitude for what we still have and ponder over our actions.

Mu’adh (ra) reported:

The Messenger of Allah (saws) took hold of my hand and said, “O Mu’adh! By Allah I love you, so I advise you to never forget to recite after every prayer: 

 اللهم أعني على ذكرك، وشكرك، وحسن عبادتك

Allahumma a'inni ala dhikrika, wa shukrika, wa husni 'ibadatika 

(O Allah, help me remember You, to be grateful to You, and to worship You in an excellent manner).”

[Abu Dawud]

Let’s increase our saying of this Dua, In sha Allah!

Sunnah Challenge 10:

Controlling our anger. 

We read so much of it everywhere. But it more often easier said than done. Someone provokes us, and the next moment they are the target of all our destructive words and actions!

Let us look at a hadith from our Prophet (saw).

Abu Huraira reported:

I heard Allah's Messenger (saws) as saying: One is not strong because of one's wrestling skillfully. They said: Allah's Messenger, then who is strong? He said: He who controls his anger when he is in a fit of rage.

[Sahih Muslim]

Why is a person who controls their anger given such a high status in Islam? Because it really IS a tough position to achieve!

When a person is angry, the least that they do is lash out hurtful words at the other person, and it may extend upto cursing or physically harming the other for some people! It is indeed difficult to control anger when a person is provoked for a reaction.

Allah tells us in the Holy Quran, in Surah Al Imran (133-134), when talking of the people of Paradise;

".. Those who repress anger.." 

He also reminds us again in Surah Ashura (36-37), of the character of the people in Paradise as; 

".. When they are angry, they forgive."

Subhan Allah! Controlling our anger makes us one among the ones in Jannah!

But how do we control this emotion, which often get the better of us, mostly leading to regret?

1. Respond to your anger by repressing the tongue and be silent:

Ibn Abbas said, "The Messenger of Allah (saws) said; 'Teach and make it easy. Teach and make it easy.' three times. He went on, 'When you are angry, be silent' twice."

[Al Adab Al Mufrad]

2. Recite the Ta'awwuz:

Mu'adh bin Jabal narrated that one of the two men cursed the other next to the Prophet (saws), until anger could be recognized in the face of one of them. So the Prophet (saws) said: “Verily, I know a statement, that if he were to say it, his anger would leave: ‘I seek refuge in Allah from Shaitan, the rejected (Audhu billahi min Ash shaitan ar rajim.).’”

[Jami At-Tirmidhi]

3. Changing positions such as sitting down or lying as these positions will reduce or chances of harming a person physically. And it also reduces the blood pressure:

Narrated Abu Dharr:

The Messenger of Allah (saws) said to us: "When one of you becomes angry while standing, he should sit down. If the anger leaves him, well and good; otherwise he should lie down".

[Sunan Abi Dawud]

May Allah help us all in following the Sunnah of Rasulullah (saws) and make us one among the people of Jannah! Ameen.

Assalam Alaykum.

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.

Ramadan Reminders; Day 8

Assalam Alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu! :)

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

Daily Reminder 8:

Have you ever experienced intense emotional distress that you literally feel in your body…? The kind of pain that stresses your mind, affects your appetite and frustrates you to the core…? You have no clue as to what is happening in your life, you don’t understand whom to approach to get rid of your worry and you just feel like giving up on happiness…?

Well, whom you need to approach is The One who made you and who truly grants comfort and peace into your life! 

Tell me, if you’ve created an art piece or a project for school or university, how are you going to treat it? Are you going to let it suffer the smallest scratch? No! You’re going to protect it like a little baby! And once your project has completed it’s purpose, you may even to discard it.

If that’s how you care for a non-living project, how much do you think Allah cares for you…? And He will never ever let you be alone even for a blink of an eye!

How does a mother care for her child…? What does a mother do when her child is in pain…? She is going to do anything in her might to give her child comfort!

Allah loves you more than your mother! So if you’re in pain or confusion or any emotion that causes you extreme mental sickness, don’t you think He is going to provide you with comfort…?

Yes! He will! All you need to do is seek Him! If you experience any doubts or frustration, go to Allah. Lay the prayer mat and contact Him through your Salah! Be sincere and firm that Allah is The Lord of Worlds. And if He can provide for the birds and fishes of this world, He will provide for you too! Increase your voluntary acts of worship and watch how He favours you and blesses you! 

Never underestimate the power of the optional prayers because they will also compensate the obligatory prayers on the Judgement Day!

Verse of the Day:

Juz: 8

Surah: Al A’raf

Verse: 8

وَالْوَزْنُ يَوْمَئِذٍ الْحَقُّ فَمَن ثَقُلَتْ مَوَازِينُهُ فَأُوْلَـئِكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ

“And the weighing [of deeds] that Day will be the truth. So those whose scales are heavy - it is they who will be the successful.”

Weighing of deeds – Isn’t it something that we’ve heard over and over again? 

“Do good! Your deeds will be weighed! Make sure your good deeds are heavier than your bad deeds! Recite this dua to make the scale heavier! Good character will be heavy for the scale!” 

These are few things that you might have come across when there is a talk about the scale or ميزان.

But what is this scale? What is the size of ميزان? Do you think the good deeds we commit are actually enough to fill the good side of the scale?

The Prophet (saws) said: “On the day of judgment huge scales will be set up, so huge that even if the sky and the earth were to be weighed in it, it would become vast for it”.

[Al-Silsilat Al-Saheehah, 941]

Imagine this! A scale, on which if you place the sky and the earth, it would still carry them! Subhan Allah!

All of our deeds, no matter how big or small they are, will be weighed on the ميزان. 

Given the fact about the size of the scale, do you think that the amount of deeds we’ve committed is sufficient for us…? Can we be certain that whatever deeds we’ve done, is going to fill up THAT scale and make it heavy…? No! We should always strive to do more and better good deeds than we’ve done or still continue to do! There’s always room for more!

And secondly, what we really need to be concerned about is the worth and quality of the deeds we are performing! 

“Are they even acceptable to Allah? Are they done in a way that Allah would be pleased with? Was the intention correct? Was the methodology correct? Was it done really to earn the pleasure of Allah?”

Umar ibn al Khattab (ra) said, “Hold yourself accountable before you’re held accountable. And weigh your deeds before they are weighed for you.”

[Musnad Ahmed]

Let us all focus on the quality of our deeds, that will cause the plates to become heavy and our accountability easy! Even if it is a deed that nobody acknowledges or is a very small deed in your eyes, it may be the heaviest on the Day of Recompense! Allah is aware of each and every act of goodness and kindness we commit. May Allah swt make it easy for us to put our knowledge into action, not only in Ramadan but also throughout our lives! Ameen.

Sunnah Challenge 8

Today's Sunnah challenge is an important one. And it truly is a challenge considering the times that we live in. 

Islam is not just about our connection with the Rabb, but it is also about how we live in this world with everyone around us. 

But have we given a second thought about how we treat the people around us?

Many a time, we let our ego slide into our relationships, and stay consumed so much with ourselves that it causes us to easily belittle others. We sometimes treat people as inferior to us, sometimes we wish evil for someone more acquired than us.

On the authority of Abu Hamzah Anas bin Malik (ra) - the servant of the Messenger of Allah (saws) - that the Prophet (saws) said :

“None of you will believe until you love for your brother what you love for yourself.” 

[Sahih Muslim]

Subhan Allah, the golden words of Rasulullah (saws) reaches right into our society!

He tells us to treat people the way we like to be treated, wish for people the way we wish for ourselves. He gives it such importance, that unless we achieve this, we are NOT even a believer!

Let us make it a change in ourselves to extend our love a little more, and to stop negative thoughts about any person. Let’s make sure we treat them right at all times and not belittle them for any reason. 

When we gift someone let it be something that we would like to give and not something that we would throw. When we see someone with great achievements we wish them for Good and pray to Allah to bless them in all that they do.

These positive thoughts will remove the weeds of negativity in our hearts and make it purer for us In sha Allah.

Assalam Alaykum.

Ramadan Reminders; Day 7

Assalam Alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu! :)

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

Daily Reminder 7:

No, this is not just another post where the ‘male folks’ are going to be blamed for not helping around at home. 

But this is a kind and gentle reminder about how noble a deed it is to help your mothers or wives or sisters at home because this is what our beloved Prophet (saws) did for his wives and daughters!

Once, Aishah (ra) was asked, “What did the Prophet (saws) do in his house?” To this she replied, “He used to keep himself busy serving his family (كَانَ يَكُونُ فِي مِهْنَةِ أَهْلِهِ) and when it was the time for prayer he would go for it.”

[Sahih Bukhari]

What’s important to notice here is the use of the word – مِهْنَةِ

This literally translates to ‘work’ or ‘profession’. This implies that serving family and looking after a home is considered as a profession equal to other professions of this world.

Rasulullah (saws) had the biggest responsibility on his shoulders of setting an example for the entire mankind, the people who lived then and the people who were yet to be born. If he had the time and energy to help at home, who are we…?

Apart from being a noble deed, there are also rewards for following a Sunnah and also earn the duas of your mothers or wives or daughters or sisters! Just imagine the abundant good deeds you would have accumulated during Ramadan (rewards being multiplied)! Subhan Allah!

To the women folks! Don’t nag your sons or husbands or brothers to help you with the chores. Nobody likes to be ordered around. Even if you did get them to work after that, they’re going to remain grumpy and moody all day. 

Instead, speak words of kindness to them. Make them realise how much their help and cooperation means to you. Most importantly, don’t put them down if they don’t get a task done in the right manner. Encourage them and move on! 

Let us make our homes a zone of comfort, peace and contentment In sha Allah!

Verse of Day:

Juz: 7

Surah: Al An’am

Verse: 17

وَإِن يَمْسَسْكَ اللّهُ بِضُرٍّ فَلاَ كَاشِفَ لَهُ إِلاَّ هُوَ وَإِن يَمْسَسْكَ بِخَيْرٍ فَهُوَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدُيرٌ

“And if Allah should touch you with adversity, there is no remover of it except Him. And if He touches you with good - then He is over all things competent.”

We’ve probably heard or seen this ayah a couple of times but let’s try to relate this ayah to our everyday life or rather every minute of our lives In sha Allah.

A ضُرّ or adversity is not just limited to a calamity or a problem that hits us. For instance, you’ve hit your foot on the table or you’ve burnt your favourite hijab while ironing it or you’ve hurt yourself while chewing food or somebody ‘accidentally’ broke your favourite mug, or somebody has hurt you emotionally, these are all different forms of ضُرّ. And they wouldn’t have happened without Allah’s will, His permission!

Now, why did this happen to you? What was your fault?

Rasulullah (saws) has said, “No eye quivers and no vein quivers from pain except that it is because of the sins that the servant has committed and Allah pardons much”.

Allah swt does forgives much of our sins but for the rest, we need to give an expiation.

Think about it. All these ضُرّ that we experience have a reason behind them. Perhaps an arrogant thought or a negative thought about an individual would have crossed your mind or your behaviour must have hurt someone or we haven’t invoked upon Allah for a very long time. The ضُرّ are effects of our sins! 

How can we expect to get rid of a ضُرّ without working on the root of the issue…? 

We spend our time complaining about the physical hurt or emotional hurt but why are we hurt in the first place? Because we’ve sinned! And what is the remedy of sin? Repentance.

It is Allah who gave you that ضُرّ. So turn to Him. Ask Him to remove the ضُرّ and fix your situation. Seek His help and His forgiveness. Allah swt will surely respond to you. Because when a person is in a state of difficulty and he calls upon Allah, that difficulty or ضُرّ turns into a stepping stone for him in his journey to Allah. Subhan Allah!

Remember what Rasulullah (saws) said? 

“No tiredness, exhaustion, worry, grief, distress or harm befalls a believer in this world, not even a thorn that pricks him, but Allah expiates some of his sins thereby.”

[Sahih Bukhari & Muslim]

May Allah swt provide us ways through which we can get closer to Him, ease all our affairs, forgive our sins and help us become worthy of Jannah! Ameen.

Sunnah Challenge 7:

Lower your gaze!

As human beings, it is extremely natural to get carried away with our sight, and what fascinates us that we often don't see the thin line between seeing and sinning. 

Hadith - Sahih Muslim 5372, Narrated Jabir ibn Abdullah (ra):

“I asked Allah's Messenger (saws) about the sudden glance (that is cast) on the face (of a non-Mahram). He commanded me that I should turn away my eyes.”

After all, why is such a normal act, such as gazing prohibited in Islam?

We all are naturally attracted to the whims and luxuries of this Dunya. So much that we spend most of our life unknowingly following the Dunya alone!

But we also must know, that as Muslims, all that glitters is not gold!

A Haram sight maybe entertaining or fulfilling for the moment, but imagine yourself, standing in front of Allah on the Day of Judgement and being questioned for the sights you put your eyes through? And this is not a private conversation my friends, but it is in front of every single human being, whoever existed on this earth. Would we then like such a questioning?

Lowering your gaze does not apply to only averting your gaze from a non-mahram, but it also applies to averting your gaze from looking into the houses of people, it also includes averting our gaze from the worldly achievements of other people (status, wealth, family, etc).

Lowering your gaze helps you focus on your own inner self and keep the mind away from wandering into the desires of the Dunya. It disciplines oneself and keeps the heart pure.

Next time you ever feel a little unsatisfied about yourself or your life, maybe the thing you need to change is this - the way you see.

This will completely transform you from within! 

Though it might not seem like a major deed, averting our gaze from the haram makes us a content and a strong person. It also earns respect from those who are around you!

This small act really makes a huge impact in our lives and hence we must keep in mind to follow this Sunnah in our everyday lives In sha Allah!

Assalam Alaykum