Let's Read Surah Kahf Today (Friday) -- Don't Be Losers and Abandon Guidance

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم 

If you don't pass your exam, you won't get your degree and if you don't get your degree, you won't get into the career you wanted. When you know your exam is connected directly to your success, it gets your time and attention, and you wouldn't mind staying up many nights to study for your exam. A degree is seen as something valuable by modern societies so people spend a lot of money, time and effort to get the degree they wanted, with no arguments. When something is of value, it gets your time and resource automatically.

Most people don't read the Qur'an on a daily basis, let alone learning it, for whatever reason -- maybe busy, maybe lazy, maybe just don't care. When Qur'an failed to get our attention and time, then there is something wrong with our heads.

We all at least know that the Qur'an is Guidance. Most people don't see the value of guidance. Maybe because it does not come on a piece of paper like a degree or maybe it is not directly connected to your success.

قُلْ إِنَّ هُدَى ٱللَّهِ هُوَ ٱلْهُدَىٰ ۗ وَلَئِنِ ٱتَّبَعْتَ أَهْوَآءَهُم بَعْدَ ٱلَّذِى جَآءَكَ مِنَ ٱلْعِلْمِ ۙ مَا لَكَ مِنَ ٱللَّهِ مِن وَلِىٍّ وَلَا نَصِيرٍ‌ ﴿١٢٠﴾ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَاتَيْنَـٰهُمُ ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ يَتْلُونَهُۥ حَقَّ تِلَاوَتِهِۦٓ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِهِۦ ۗ وَمَن يَكْفُرْ‌ بِهِۦ فَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْخَـٰسِرُ‌ونَ ﴿١٢١

Say, "Indeed, the guidance of Allah is the [only] guidance." If you were to follow their desires after what has come to you of knowledge, you would have against Allah no protector or helper. (120) Those to whom We have given the Book recite it with its true recital. They [are the ones who] believe in it. And whoever disbelieves in it - it is they who are the losers. (121)

[Qur'an, Al-Baqarah 2:120:121]

Who then wouldn't want Allah's Guidance in his life? They are the losers. Following the guidance of Allah is the sure way to success in this life and the next. Put the same amount of attention to the Qur'an as you would to pass your exam for your degree. And do not abandon the Qur'an.

The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, has complained to Allah Almighty against those who abandon the Qur'an and turn away from it.

وَقَالَ ٱلرَّسُولُ يَـٰرَبِّ إِنَّ قَوْمِى ٱتَّخَذُوا۟ هَـٰذَا ٱلْقُرْءَانَ مَهْجُورًا ﴿٣٠

And the Messenger has said, "O my Lord, indeed my people have taken this Qur'an as [a thing] abandoned." (30)

[Qur'an Al-Furqan 25:30]

May Allah guide us and make us of those who follow His Guidance. Ameen.

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Finding Solutions To Your Problems

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم 

Some people are so miserable because they can't control their anger. Some people are consumed with jealousy and envy that it is killing them inside. Some peope are tempted by immorality and obscenity and they can't get out of it. Some people are overrun by greed and they are constantly thinking about money. 

The solutions to these problems come from Allah. You have to ask Allah for forgiveness.

And said, 'Ask forgiveness of your Lord. Indeed, He is ever a Perpetual Forgiver. (10) He will send [rain from] the sky upon you in [continuing] showers (11) And give you increase in wealth and children and provide for you gardens and provide for you rivers. (12) 

فَقُلْتُ ٱسْتَغْفِرُوا۟ رَبَّكُمْ إِنَّهُۥ كَانَ غَفَّارًا ‎﴿١٠﴾‏يُرْسِلِ ٱلسَّمَآءَ عَلَيْكُم مِّدْرَارًا ‎﴿١١﴾‏ وَيُمْدِدْكُم بِأَمْوَٰلٍ وَبَنِينَ وَيَجْعَل لَّكُمْ جَنَّٰتٍ وَيَجْعَل لَّكُمْ أَنْهَٰرًا ‎﴿١٢﴾

[Quran, Nuh 71:10-12]

What will Allah not give you if you ask Him for forgiveness? 

You might think that when you ask for forgiveness, the only thing you get is forgiveness. You can ask Allah for other things or you can ask for forgiveness and everything is covered. Not only Allah is going to help you in the akhirah, He is going to help you in this life. You will get all of it, in this life and in the next, if you genuinely seeking forgiveness.

May Allah forgive us for all our shortcomings. Aameen.

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Let's Read Surah Kahf Today (Friday) -- Alhamdulillah

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Eid Mubarak and Jumu'ah Mubarak to you and your families.

Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala begins Surah Al-Kahf with Alhamdulillah.

ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ ٱلَّذِىٓ أَنزَلَ عَلَىٰ عَبْدِهِ ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ وَلَمْ يَجْعَل لَّهُۥ عِوَجَا ۜ ﴿١

[All] praise is [due] to Allah, who has sent down upon His Servant the Book and has not made therein any deviance. (1) [Qur'an, Al-Kahf 18:1]

Hamd is from ha ح meem م daal د. Hamd is to mention the good attribute of a person, such an attribute that is the at the level of perfection. Hamd is based on mahabbah (love) and ta’dheem (greatness). It is not a fake praise, i.e. not done to please the person or with no significance, fake praise is known as madh in Arabic. Hamd implies admiration, love and magnifying the praise of Mahmud (one who is praised). Hamd is sincere, true praise, the Mahmud deserves it.

Why is hamd for Him? Because He is: <<الَّذِي أَنْزَلَ عَلَىٰ عَبْدِهِ الْكِتَابَ>> , the One who sent down upon His servant the Book. Notice that Allah Ta’ala doesn’t call the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) His Messenger, or His Prophet, or a warner, but He calls him: slave. Therefore, the most honorable name that one can be called is Abdullah or Amatullah, slave of Allah.

At the core of our Iman, the first implication of believing in Allah, is that we take all credit for everything (all goodness, all beauty, all appreciative things, all wonders, every smiles, etc) back to Allah. Even when you thank your parents or teacher, you never absent minded about the fact that it goes back to Allah. This is at the root of Alhamdulillah.

The one who is most deserving of thanks and praise from people is Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, because of the great favors and blessings that He has bestowed upon His slaves in both spiritual and worldly terms. Allah has commanded us to give thanks to Him for those blessings, and not to deny them. He says,

فَٱذْكُرُ‌ونِىٓ أَذْكُرْ‌كُمْ وَٱشْكُرُ‌وا۟ لِى وَلَا تَكْفُرُ‌ونِ ﴿١٥٢

So remember Me; I will remember you. And be grateful to Me and do not deny Me. (152)

[Qur'an, Al-Baqarah 2:152]

The celebration of Eid is a celebration of faith, and gratitude for the gifts of guidance and all good that Allah has blessed us with. When believers enter Paradise, they’ll proclaim,

 وَقَالُوا۟ ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ ٱلَّذِى هَدَىٰنَا لِهَٰذَا وَمَا كُنَّا لِنَهْتَدِىَ لَوْلَآ أَنْ هَدَىٰنَا ٱللَّهُ ۖ لَقَدْ جَآءَتْ رُسُلُ رَبِّنَا بِٱلْحَقِّ ۖ وَنُودُوٓا۟ أَن تِلْكُمُ ٱلْجَنَّةُ أُورِثْتُمُوهَا بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ ‎﴿٤٣﴾‏

"Praise to Allah, who has guided us to this; and we would never have been guided if Allah had not guided us. Certainly the messengers of our Lord had come with the truth." And they will be called, "This is Paradise, which you have been made to inherit for what you used to do." [Quran, al-A'raf 7:43]

These are Days of rejoicing with family, friends, and community. Make the most of these days. And glorify Allah with the Praise of People of Paradise: الحمد لله Alhamdulillah (All praise is Allah's)

May Allah accept all our good deeds, forgive all our sins, and grant us the highest Paradise. Aameen.

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Bidding Farewell To Ramadhan 1444

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم 

It feels like yesterday we were celebrating the first day of Ramadhan and now it is almost over. Whether you love Ramadhan so much and want it to stay; whether you fell short in Ramadhan and want it to stay so you can do more, Ramadhan got to go. You cannot stop Ramadhan from leaving. It was only here for a limited number of days -- 29 or 30. And you have to wait till next year to see Ramadhan again, that if Allah had decreed that you live long enough.

Allah Almighty says,

... يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ ٱلصِّيَامُ كَمَا كُتِبَ عَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ ﴿١٨٣﴾ أَيَّامًا مَّعْدُودَٰتٍ ۚ فَمَن كَانَ مِنكُم مَّرِيضًا أَوْ عَلَىٰ سَفَرٍ فَعِدَّةٌ مِّنْ أَيَّامٍ أُخَرَ

O you who have believed, decreed upon you is fasting as it was decreed upon those before you that you may become righteous - (183) [Fasting for] a limited number of days. ...

[Qur'an, Al-Baqarah 2:183-184]

The very purpose of fasting is so we may become people of taqwa (righteousness, piety, God-fearingness). It is meant to transform us into a better human being, a slave of Allah. Have we accomplished this purpose even a little?

The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said Ameen to the du'a of Angel Jibril (alayhissalaam), 'Destruction to him who found the blessed month of Ramadhan and let it pass by without gaining forgiveness.'

Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said,

Ramadhan, a blessed month, has come to you during which Allah the Most High has made it obligatory for you to fast. In it the doors of Heaven are opened, the doors of Hell are closed, and the rebellious shaytan are chained. In it there is a night (worshiping in it) which is better than (worshiping for) a thousand months. Whoever is deprived of its good (and blessing) has indeed been deprived of all good.

[Nasa’i]

People who have lost out in Ramadhan were those who had busied themselves with things that did not concern them -- those things that they cannot take with them to their graves, i.e. things that cannot help them succeed in the Hereafter. 

Our concern in this life should be Allah alone, our standing with Him, and our next life to come. And this is the concern that we trained ourselves in Ramadhan and should have from now and until we breathe our last.

Whatever time that's left in Ramadhan for you, don't waste it. First, repent for your sins. Do as much devotional acts you can and rush to good deeds. Give charity and pay your zakat. Hold off shopping and cooking for Eid. Do that after your last iftar.

May Allah accept our repentance and good deeds and grant us closeness to Him and the highest Paradise. Aameen.

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Before Ramadhan Ends, Pardon And Overlook

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Close relatives are really in a good position to hurt our feelings -- like husband/wife, mother/father, children, brothers/sisters, uncles/aunties/cousins, etc. They are so close to your heart which means it is easy for them to stab you in the heart. Sometimes you may forgive but that doesn’t guarantee that you don’t remember, not scarred. It is possible that you forgive somebody but your relationship with that person is not the same anymore.

When Mistah, a maternal cousin of Abu Bakr (radhiAllahu anhu), spoke about his beloved daughter, the mother of the believers and the most beloved of people to the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace), Aisha (radhiAllahu anha), during the Incident of the Slander, Abu Bakr, who had been paying his stipend, took the money back and swore that he would never give him money again. But Allah says, pardon and overlook -- means forgive and forget -- let it go, turn the page, let the heart just completely heal, don’t remember what he did, that chapter is over, love him like you love him before. Allah Almighty revealed:

وَلَا يَأْتَلِ أُو۟لُوا۟ ٱلْفَضْلِ مِنكُمْ وَٱلسَّعَةِ أَن يُؤْتُوٓا۟ أُو۟لِى ٱلْقُرْبَىٰ وَٱلْمَسَـٰكِينَ وَٱلْمُهَـٰجِرِينَ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّـهِ ۖ وَلْيَعْفُوا۟ وَلْيَصْفَحُوٓا۟ ۗ أَلَا تُحِبُّونَ أَن يَغْفِرَ ٱللَّـهُ لَكُمْ ۗ وَٱللَّـهُ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ ﴿٢٢

And let not those of virtue among you and wealth swear not to give [aid] to their relatives and the needy and the emigrants for the cause of Allah, and let them pardon and overlook. Would you not like that Allah should forgive you? And Allah is Forgiving and Merciful. (22)

[Qur'an, An-Nur 24:22]

Any father who had raised his daughter with haya' (modesty, shyness, social morality, values and behavior) and then someone comes and makes this very serious accusation against his daughter, has the right to be angry but Allah just bring the extinguisher and Abu Bakr, one of the ten promised Paradise, took it.

The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said:

ألا تحب يا أبا بكر أن يغفر الله لك

O Abu Bakr, would you not love for Allah to forgive you?

Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه said:
والله إنـي لأحبّ أن يغفر الله لـي

By Allah, verily, I would love for Allah to forgive me!

And so he resumed paying the stipend (to Mistah).

If this is not enough incentive for you, then the only problem you have is iman (faith). Don't argue that it was Abu Bakr. Allah didn't mention his name in the verse. In other words, it applies to his situation and will apply forever after.

Put a weight to your anger and put a weight to your sins. Now, how badly do you want Allah to forgive you? If you forgive and forget, Allah guarantees you His forgiveness and He will overlook your sins. Would you not love for Allah to forgive you?

Don't say "I can't do it, I just can't!", "I cant forgive, there is a big dark hole in my heart!" You can tell anything you want to yourself but the Truth does not submit to you. You submit to the Truth. Allah says He does not burden anyone with something he cannot bear.

...لَا يُكَلِّفُ ٱللَّـهُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا وُسْعَهَا ۚ لَهَا مَا كَسَبَتْ وَعَلَيْهَا مَا ٱكْتَسَبَتْ ۗ

Allah does not charge a soul except [with that within] its capacity. It will have [the consequence of] what [good] it has gained, and it will bear [the consequence of] what [evil] it has earned...

[Qur'an, Al-Baqarah 2:286]

Stop telling yourself, "I can't!" Snap out of it. There is nothing holding you back. Don't follow the whispers of shaytan. The word shatan also means rage. Shaytan wants to keep the fire of rage burning.

Anyone who harbors a grudge against someone is not free of three concerns:

He either struggles against himself in order to do good (to his enemy) and increase his consideration; this is the degree of the truly righteous, or…
He does not do any good or evil deeds. This is the degree of the moderate, or…
He does rude things to him and does not do any good; this is the degree of the vicious and the oppressors.
There is no intimacy with Allah greater than this: that you do good to him who does evil to you. If you are unable to do that, at least forgive him; for the virtue of forgiveness is great.
[al-Ghazzali]

May Allah enable us to forgive the people who have hurt us and turn the page. Ameen.

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Forgive And Forget

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم 

When Allah accepts our repentance, all our past sins are removed. But with humans, even if you forgave someone, that doesn't mean you forget what they have done to you -- memories of the hurt can come back and hurt you again. Human beings are not capable of forgiving in the same way as Allah does. 

Asking for forgiveness is for yourself, an acknowledgment that you have crossed that line. You don't expect people to forgive you or if they forgive you, you cannot expect everything will be good again. Their resentment is theirs. Whether Allah removes it for them or not, it is not up to you. Your words don't change hearts. You apologize because you did something and it is for you, for your conscience. You are trying to remove the resentment from your heart and to heal your heart. 

If you start having expections from the other person, then the apology is not genuine to begin with. Don't say things that you don't mean. Merely saying sorry doesn't  mean anything. Say it from your heart.

يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ لِمَ تَقُولُونَ مَا لَا تَفْعَلُونَ ‎﴿٢﴾‏ كَبُرَ مَقْتًا عِندَ ٱللَّهِ أَن تَقُولُوا۟ مَا لَا تَفْعَلُونَ ‎﴿٣﴾

 

O you who have believed, why do you say what you do not do? (2) Great is hatred in the sight of Allah that you say what you do not do. (3)

[Quran, al Saff 61:2-3]

Don't say things expecting from other people. Say things expecting from Allah.

وَٱلَّذِينَ جَآءُو مِنۢ بَعْدِهِمْ يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَا ٱغْفِرْ لَنَا وَلِإِخْوَٰنِنَا ٱلَّذِينَ سَبَقُونَا بِٱلْإِيمَٰنِ وَلَا تَجْعَلْ فِى قُلُوبِنَا غِلًّا لِّلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ رَبَّنَآ إِنَّكَ رَءُوفٌ رَّحِيمٌ ‎﴿١٠﴾

And [there is a share for] those who came after them, saying, "Our Lord, forgive us and our brothers who preceded us in faith and put not in our hearts [any] resentment toward those who have believed. Our Lord, indeed You are Kind and Merciful."

[Quran, Al Hashr 59:10]

وَجَزَٰٓؤُا۟ سَيِّئَةٍ سَيِّئَةٌ مِّثْلُهَا ۖ فَمَنْ عَفَا وَأَصْلَحَ فَأَجْرُهُۥ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ لَا يُحِبُّ ٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ ‎﴿٤٠﴾

And the retribution for an evil act is an evil one like it, but whoever pardons and makes reconciliation - his reward is [due] from Allah. Indeed, He does not like wrongdoers.

[Quran, Shura 42:40]

May Allah make us genuine in our relationships and remove our resentment towards other believers. Aameen.

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Ramadhan -- It's Not Over Until It's Over

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم 

The month of the Qur'an is almost over. But it's not over until it's over. 

Spend these final nights in much worship and seeking forgiveness from Allah Most High. 

Devote your time to Allah as much as you can. Reap the benefits of Ramadhan while it lasts with many other good deeds--give extra charity and pay your sadaqatul fitr (this is obligatory on every Muslim) and zakat before your Eid prayer. 

Read more Qur'an. Remember each letter you recite is one reward, and rewards are multiplied by ten of their kind. 

May Allah accept all our good deeds, forgive all our sins and save us from the hellfire. Aameen

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Let's Read Surah Kahf Today (Friday) -- Precious Last 10 Days Of Ramadhan

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم 

The month of Quran is slipping away from your fingers. In these last ten days of Ramadhan, Allah is choosing from those who are on the path to Hell to be set free from the Fire. Those who fast and do whatever necessary to get Allah's forgiveness and receive His mercy, Allah will then decree those people be set free from entering the Hellfire.

So in these last ten days of Ramadhan, leave disobedience and rush to do obligatory works and supererogatory works. 

If you haven't been praying, start praying. If you have been lazy to wake up for Fajr, start waking up for Fajr. If you pray all five prayers everyday, add the sunnah prayers that are connected to the prayers. If you already have that in place, add the other sunnah prayers. Go to the masjid and join the taraweeh and qiyamu lail, stay up at night and read lots of Qur'an and make lots of du'a, ask Allah for forgiveness a lot and keep asking. You ask for yourself, your parents, your family and the ummah. 

Read Surah Kahf today and make the intention to read it every Friday from now on. 

Ka'ab Ibn Ujrah (RA) relates that Rasulullah ﷺ said, 'Come near to the mimbar' and we came near the mimbar. When he ﷺ climbed the first step of the mimbar, he (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said 'Ameen', When he (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) ascended the second step he ﷺ said 'Ameen', When he  ﷺ climbed the third step, heﷺ said 'Ameen' When he ﷺ came down, We said 'O Rasul of Allah ﷺ we have heard from you today something which we never heard before' he  ﷺ said, When I climbed the first step, the angel Jibreel appeared before me and said,

'Destruction to him who found the blessed month of Ramadhan and let it pass by without gaining forgiveness', upon that I said ‘Ameen’. When I climbed the second step, he said, 'Destruction to him before whom your name is taken and then he does not make Du'a for Allah’s blessing on me (by saying, for example, sallallahu alayhi wasallam).” I replied ‘Ameen’. When I climbed the third step, he said, 'Destruction to him in whose lifetime his parents or either one of them reaches old age, and (through failure to serve them) he is not allowed to enter Paradise'. I said ‘Ameen’. [Hakim]

Note: In this Hadith, it appears that Jibreel (alayhissalaam) gave expression to three curses, upon which Rasulullah ﷺ said Ameen every time. Being an angel of such high mark, Jibreel‘s giving these curses and the Prophet's Ameen (ﷺ) are sure to be accepted. We ask Allah to save us from these three dangers.

This is a scary hadith but at the same time it is to show how easy it is to attain Allah's forgiveness. All you need to do is to humble yourself before Allah and repent for all your sins, lower your wings of humility towards your parents, and send Allah's blessings upon the Prophet ﷺ whenever he is mentioned. 

We ask Allah to pardon us, accept our worship this Ramadhan, and make us among those who He decreed for complete salvation from Hellfire, and admit us into Paradise without reckoning. 

رَبِّ اغْفِرْ لِيَّ وَلِوَالِدَيَّ رَبِّ ارْحَمْهُمَا كَمَا رَبَّيَانِيْ صَغِيْرَا

O Lord, forgive me and my parents, and have mercy upon them as they brought me up [when I was] small

Aameen.

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Allah Is Testing Us

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم 

Allah is testing us ...

What Allah has decreed for you, you must accept it. It is easy to accept when everything is fine, but not so easy when things are difficult. The way to accept your situation is to remember why Allah created us -- to worship Him. [Quran, Adh-Dhariyat 51:56] So in both situations you turn to Allah and do what is pleasing to Him. Of course we are allowed to be happy or sad. These are created human emotions but what we are not allowed to do is to question Allah's decree.  

Allah is testing you with your riches and with your poverty. Your wealth belongs to Allah. He gives to whomever He likes and takes away from whomever He likes. So if you are blessed with abundance, be grateful and give in abundance. Don't think twice about it. If you are poor,  give and be patient -- even half a date is charity. Your smile is charity.

May Allah make us doers of good. Aameen

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Quran, The Advocate

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

We should recite the Quran everyday and put it into practice. If we do this, the Quran will be defending us in the Day of Judgement.

"Recite the Quran for it will come in the Day of Rising as an intercessor for its people." [Ibn Hibban]

"The Quran will intercede and its intecession will be accepted and it is a witness whose testimony will be heard. Whoever puts it in front of him will be led by it to Paradise. Whoever puts it behind him will be driven by it to hell." [Ibn Hibban]

Narrated Abu Hurayra regarding Allah, Most High, saying: "And recite the Qur'an in the early dawn. Verily the recitation of the Qur'an in the early dawn is ever witnessed (17:78)." The Prophet (ﷺ) said: "It is witnessed by the angels of the night and the angels of the day."  [Tirmidhi]

Narrated Abdullah ibn Amr

that the Prophet (ﷺ) said: "Recite the Qur'an in forty (days)." [Tirmidhi]

May Allah make us of the people of the Quran and make the Quran a witness for us, not against us. Aameen.

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The Light

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم 

Narrated Abu Dharr al Ghifari r.a. that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam said, 

"Be sure to be  wary of Allah because that's the whole point of everything. Recite the Quran because it is a light for you on earth and a treasure saved up for you in heaven (with Allah). -- ibn Hibban

Our relationship with the Quran and Ramadhan is not about doing this and doing that but about being a person who fears Allah and who is careful of Allah's matters.

May Allah shower us with His Light. Aameen.

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Dealing With The Proud and Arrogant Self

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم 

All pride and arrogance starts from the feeling that you are inadequate. So when something good happens to you, or you achieve something, you feel proud, because that proves that you are not inadequate. Unfortunately, it can also make you arrogant.

The first entity to show pride and arrogance was Shaytan or as he is often called especially in the story of Adam, Iblees. He was filled with pride and arrogance because he thought that he was better than Adam. He felt superior. That feeling of superiority, "I am better than you", is the root of all pride and arrogance. 

Arrogance will not get you anywhere except falling into the path of Iblees. Arrogance is the reason Iblees lost his high position and thrown down upon the earth in utter humiliation, and condemned to Hell.

One thing that all the things that we feel superior about have in common is that they are almost exclusively related to matters of the dunya (worldly life). Love of the dunya and all its trappings actually push you further away from Paradise. Being, or appearing superior by dunya standards might just be more of a hindrance than a help. It is our God consciousness (taqwa) that makes a difference; being superior in that respect is the only superiority that counts.

The Prophet   (ﷺ) often counseled his companions about the importance of humility. He said, ... Anyone who possesses half a mustard seed of arrogance in his heart will not be granted admission to Paradise”. [Sahih Muslim]

The remedy for pride and arrogance, and the means by which one can keep well away from pride and arrogance, is as simple as remembering who you are; just a human being with the same humble beginnings, with a mother and father like everybody else. We all cry the same salty tears and bleed the same red blood. And we all have the same purpose in life; to worship Allah. We must also remind ourselves that all rizq (provision) comes from Allah. You might earn more money but it is Allah that allowed you to acquire the skills to do so. You might be more handsome or beautiful, but it is Allah that determined the quality of your genes. When we receive something that we perceive as a special blessing from Allah we should remind ourselves to be thankful and grateful. One step up from that would be to strive to use that blessing for the sake of Allah and to benefit humankind or this planet in some way.

Another remedy for arrogance is to remember Allah; to keep Him in the forefront of our minds, if possible, at all times. Remember that Allah sees all, even what is in the hearts of each person. As Muslims we are blessed with a way or a system of remembering. We pray five times a day at least, we use specific words of remembrance, and we are encouraged to make du’a and remember Allah often. We use these methods to become close to Allah, to obey His commands and please Him. In doing so we protect our own hearts from the sins of desire and greed and the sins involved in feeling superior to those around us.

This dunya is important because it is our ultimate test; not because it allows us to store up goods and chattels. We want to feel good about ourselves because we have achieved God consciousness and not because we take our rizq and deceive ourselves into thinking we created it ourselves. Pride and arrogance should be banished from our lives and replaced with kindness and compassion.

Take the opportunity of these last 10 days of Ramadhan to work on our hearts. Worship as if you are going to die tomorrow.

May Allah purify our hearts, remove even a half mustard seed of arrogance from our hearts, and make us of the muttaqeen (people with taqwa). Ameen.

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Take Advantage Of Ramadan

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم 

Take advantage of this Ramadhan. Certain deeds are very easy. Don't be cheap on ourselves. Go to the masjid and recite the Quran 

Uqba b. 'Amir reported:

When we were in Suffa, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) came out and said: Which of you would like to go out every morning to Buthan or al-'Aqiq and bring two large she-camels without being guilty of sin or without severing the ties of kinship? We said: Messenger of Allah, we would like to do it. Upon this he said: Does not one of you go out in the morning to the mosque and teach or recite two verses from the Book of Allah. the Majestic and Glorious? That is better for him than two she-camels, and three verses are better (than three she-camels). and four verses are better for him than four (she-camels), and to on their number in camels. [Sahih Muslim]

May Allah accept our recitation. Aameen.

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Connecting With The Quran

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم 

Narrated Uthman ibn Affan r.a that the Prophet  (ﷺ) said, "The best of you is the one who learns the Quran and teaches it." [Bukhari, Muslim and others]

Learning the Quran is having a good understanding of what is being said in the Quran. Learning the Quran is to understand generally what applies to you of the halal and haram and apply that in your lives, to avoid the haram and observe the obligatory and the key sunnahs, and to set examples to other people. Learning the Quran does not mean to know tons of facts and books. The point to learn the Quran is to be what Aisha r.a described the Prophet's character  (ﷺ) as being the Quran. The way we walk, talk, carry ourselves is like the Quran. It's very good to memorize the Quran and to know Arabic to get into the details of the Quran but the point is to be and to do something as oppose to just know something. 

May Allah make us of His elect people of the Quran. Aameen

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Don't Miss Being Forgiven All Your Sins In Ramadhan

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم 

Narrated by Abu Hurayrah:

Whoever stands in prayer on Night of Decree (laylatul qadr) believing in it and only seeking Allah's reward, all his previous sins will be forgiven. And whoever fasts Ramadhan believing in it and only seeking Allah's reward, all his previous sins will be forgiven. -- Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawud, Nasa'i

It is important that you repent to Allah from your sins to be forgiven.  You can't resolve to keep doing the sins and expect to be forgiven. 

Sincere repentance is subject to these conditions:

-- the person gives up the sin straight away, 

-- he regrets what has happened in the past, 

-- he resolves not to go back to the thing he has repented from, 

-- he restores people’s rights or property if his sin involved wrongdoing towards others,

-- that he repents before the agony of death is upon him.

May Allah make us the oft-repentant, accept our repentance and pardon us. Aameen.

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Making True Friendships

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم 

The object of friendship is to get benefit in the next world. True friends are hard to come by. But when you find one, hold on to your friend. Be true to your friend. Accord your friend with good treatment in words and deeds. Tell such words which your friend loves, use words of love and share his sorrows and happiness. The Prophet (ﷺ) said: When one of you love his brother, he should inform him of his love. It increases love. If he knows that you love him, he will surely love you. When you come to know that he also loves you, your love for him will increase. Love will increase from both sides. The existence of love among the believers is the object of this religion. There is never too much love. In fact the world need more love.

Anas bin Malik (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: A man was with the Prophet (ﷺ) when another man passed by and the former said: "O Messenger of Allah! I love this man (for Allah's sake)". Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) asked, "Have you informed him?" He said, "No". Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) then said, "Tell him (that you love him)". So he went up to the man and said to him, "I love you for the sake of Allah;" and the other replied, "May Allah, for Whose sake you love me, love you."

[Abu Dawud]

May Allah grant us good and righteous companions and make us good companion to our companions. Aameen.

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Let's Read Surah Kahf Today (Friday) -- The Beginning Of Great Things Begin With A Du'a

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم 

The beginning of great things begins with a du'a. The power of du'a is captured inside Surah Kahf. It is the major turning point for a few young men who flee to the cave from the people of their city who were forcing them to worship other than Allah.

The cave is wide open and more comfortable for the one who calls on Allah as their Lord and the entire open sky is tight on someone who ignores their Lord. You may have the entire world at your feet physically but you will feel discomfort because you don't have Allah in your life and you may have nothing but you will feel comfort because you have Allah to call on to.

As these young men flee towards the cave, they turned to Allah and made this du'a,

رَ‌بَّنَآ ءَاتِنَا مِن لَّدُنكَ رَ‌حْمَةً وَهَيِّئْ لَنَا مِنْ أَمْرِ‌نَا رَ‌شَدًا

Our Lord, grant us from Yourself mercy and prepare for us from our affair right guidance. [Qur'an, Al-Kahf 18:10]

Allah granted them their du'a and protected them for more than three centuries. Generations after generations of people derived lessons and benefited from their story, recite the Surah which is named after them every Friday, and made their du'a everyday in various settings -- imagine all the reward they are getting until the end of time.

If you are concerned about your future, increase your du'a. Learn this du'a and make it your daily supplication.

رَ‌بَّنَآ ءَاتِنَا مِن لَّدُنكَ رَ‌حْمَةً وَهَيِّئْ لَنَا مِنْ أَمْرِ‌نَا رَ‌شَدًا

May Allah grant us mercy from Himself and prepare for us right guidance in all our affairs. Ameen.

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Fast And Pray For The Love Of Allah

Bismillah

Allah has said, "All of the works of the son of Adam are for him except fasting for it is Mine and I recompense it."

"Every (good) action is multiplied many times over; every deed is rewarded 10 to 700 times its actual worth except for fasting because it is for Me and I recompense for because he leaves of his lust and food for My sake."

All acts of worship have something special about it and reward for it. Actions affect the heart. Some actions turn the heart to Allah, e.g. prayer, thus filling your heart with Allah. With fasting you are turning away from something other than Allah, thus emptying your heart of something else in order for the love of Allah to take place. Filling the heart with Allah or emptying the heart for Allah is love of Allah Himself. 

The reward for intangible actions is intangible, which cannot be expressed. How can you measure the love of Allah?

May Allah accept our fasts and our prayers. Aameen.

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Living Islam -- A Beautiful Du'a For Ourselves And Our Offspring

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

A sign of faith of the believer is that they pray and they establish prayer. Establishing the prayer means that we take care of it and we strive to perform it outwardly in accordance to the Prophetic teachings, and inwardly with sincerity. We are praying truly for Allah and with presence of heart or striving for presence with Allah.

Prayer, if everything else is truly good in our lives and spiritual lives, spills over as serenity within our prayers. If we are slipping up in other areas you will be able to tell in your prayers. That's why we make du'a forourselves and for our children and offspring. 

The du'a should be a navigational aid how am I doing with my children in inculcating concerned for good for them so that they seek to establish prayer. 

We may struggle in our lives but as long as we are seeking to establish our prayer and striving to do so, we are of those who are, by the grace of Allah, establising the prayer, and if you have genuinely prayed for your children and offspring, the Divine response will be manifested in their lives in ways you can never imagine and, at the very least, you have the reward of your care and concern as eternal reward with Allah. 

Also know that if you find it distressful in your family and in your children, a person is with those they love. You may not see it in this life with them but you'll find that as eternal reward and eternal company in the next life. So make this supplication for yourself and your children with complete certitude in the promise of Allah.

رَبِّ ٱجْعَلْنِى مُقِيمَ ٱلصَّلَوٰةِ وَمِن ذُرِّيَّتِى ۚ رَبَّنَا وَتَقَبَّلْ دُعَآءِ

My Lord, make me an establisher of prayer, and [many] from my descendants. Our Lord, and accept my supplication. [Quran, Ibrahim 14:40] 

Aameen.

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Be Grateful For Ramadhan

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم 

Alhamdulillah for Ramadhan, a month full of blessings. It is a month whose beginning is mercy, whose middle is forgiveness, and whose end is freedom from hell. If anyone makes things easy for his slave during it, Allah will forgive him and free him from hell.

So, be grateful to Allah for gifting us this month. Repent to Allah for all our sins, forgive and show mercy to others, and rush to good deeds.  

Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "He who observes fasting during the month of Ramadan with Faith while seeking its reward from Allah, will have his past sins forgiven."

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

May Allah rain us with His mercy, forgive and pardon us, purify our hearts, enable us to forgive others, grant us good deeds and the highest jannah. Aameen

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Compete In Good Deeds

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم 

The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam once stood before the companions and said, “It is not poverty that I fear for you, but what I fear for you is that the world (the dunya) will be presented for you just as it was presented for those before you, then you will compete for it, and it will destroy you, just as it destroyed them.” (Ibn Majah)

When you feel the urge to compete with others in material wealth or possessions – things that will not help you even a little in the hereafter – replace that competition with a competition in good deeds and gaining religious knowledge – things that will build mansions and gardens for you in the hereafter.

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