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.

Ramadan Reminders; Day 5

Assalam Alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu! :)

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

Daily Reminder 5:

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ibn Abbas narrates;

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

[Agreed Upon]

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

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

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

Verse of the Day:

Juz: 5

Surah: An Nisa

Verse: 36

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sunnah Challenge 5:

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

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

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

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

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

[At Tirmidhi]

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

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

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

The dua is as follows:

اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ الْجَنَّةَ وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ النَّارِ

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

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

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

Assalam Alaykum.

Ramadan Reminders; Day 4

Assalam Alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu! :)

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

Daily Reminder 4:

Imagine yourself committing abundant good deeds. You spread the word of Allah, completed an entire recitation of the Quran in Ramadan, stand in Taraweeh, give charity, help your mom with the household chores, attend Islamic lectures and so much more. You’re content with yourself on the amount of good deeds you’ve committed. 

But when it is The Time for your deeds to be weighed and you’re anticipating your Lord to send you to Jannah, you see that all your deeds are nothing but dust now. You’re not going to be benefited by all the hard word you did in dunya. 

What do you think would have caused that?

When our intention is not to please Allah, but what we intended from our good acts was only worldly benefits. Or perhaps the reason behind our abundant good deeds was to brag about their quantity. 

Umar ibn al Khattab (ra) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (saws) said, 

“The reward of deeds depend upon the intentions and every person will get the reward according to what he intended.”  

            

[Sahih Bukhari]

So when you engage in any act of goodness and you don’t set your intention right, you don’t do it for the sake of Allah and to please Allah but you only commit those deeds as a chore, how can you expect to get the reward for it…?

Whatever good deed you think of committing, then do so with the intention of pleasing Allah. Because if you intend to do a good deed for the sake of Allah (and you haven’t yet done it) then in your book of records, it is written as one good deed. But if you complete that good deed with the intention of pleasing Allah, it is written as ten good deeds. 

[Sahih Muslim]

So next time you sit down with the Quran or you help your mother in the kitchen or you’re on your way for taraweeh or you control your anger, do it for the sake of Allah and to please Allah swt. Even if you do just a limited number of good deeds in a day, its fine!! Because the most beloved deed to Allah is the most regular and constant, even though it were little. 

[Sahih Bukhari]

Fix your intention and it will fix your Aakhirah!

Verse of the Day

Juz: 4

Surah: Al Imran

Verse: 104

وَلْتَكُن مِّنكُمْ أُمَّةٌ يَدْعُونَ إِلَى الْخَيْرِ وَيَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنكَرِ وَأُوْلَـئِكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ

“And let there be [arising] from you a nation inviting to [all that is] good, enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong, and those will be the successful.”

This ayah needs no overview. The message is upright and clear that a group among the Muslim ummah should dedicate their lives to calling people to the Quran, to all works of righteousness, to the deen of Allah swt.

This was the job of all the Prophets sent down by Allah – they preached good, spread the word of Allah, the Oneness of Allah, urged their people to seek forgiveness from Allah, warned them about the consequences of sinning and gave them the good news of the rewards of being righteous!

And now, Allah is ordering that a group of Muslims should take up the same job like that of the Prophets. What does this mean??

You are now the torch bearer of the task that was given to the Prophets. The line of Prophets is complete, Prophet Muhammad (saws) is the Seal of the Prophets. Why? Because Allah revealed the Quran to him, the best gift to mankind, the manual for mankind which includes the dos and don’ts of life. Now it is your responsibility that you carry this message forward, call people to righteousness just as the Prophets of Allah did. 

Such an honourable position to be at! Such a divine and glorious task your Lord has bestowed upon you! Are you now, going to back off from this task?

Prophet Muhammad (saws) has said,

“Whoever calls to guidance will have a reward similar to that of those who follow it, without the reward of either of them being lessened at all.” 

[Sahih Muslim]

Therefore, use your talent in the way of Allah swt. If you cannot do this full time, then do it whenever you get the opportunity. But don’t let go of this task. For indeed the people of this task are the successful ones in the Hereafter. This is what Allah swt says in Surah Fussilat- verse 33 about the all the full term and part time daees out there,

“Who speaks better than one who calls to Allah, does good works and says, ‘I am surely one of the Muslims?”

The Prophet (saws) also said in this respect, 

“If Allah guides one man through you, this will be better for you than possessing red camels.” 

[Sahih Bukhari & Sahih Muslim]

(Camels were considered the most valuable property in ancient Arabia and the red variety was the most prized of all.)

May Allah swt make us among this who work in spreading His Deen and call people to righteousness while being righteous ourselves! Ameen.

Sunnah Challenge 4:

Don't forget to put up a smile next time you see your family or a friend!

It is the smile which draws love from people and makes you more approachable! It is smile which puts you back into a better way from your depressing state!

Abdullaah ibnul-Haarith ibn Hazm (ra) said: 

"I never saw anyone smile more than the Prophet (saws)." 

[At-Tirmidhi]

Assalam Alaykum.