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

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.