When You Are Sad, Down and Alone

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم 

When you are sad, down and alone...

remember Hajar being left alone with her infant son, Ismail A.S. in an arid desert of Makkah, no food, no water. Hajar did not know what Allah had hidden for her but she obeyed and remain patient. And now you know some of the tremendous things that were hidden for her--which include millions of people following her footsteps between Safa and Marwah during hajj and umrah rituals every day until the Day of Judgment. We cannot imagine the reward she is getting in Paradise for her patience.

A Great Worship

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم 

Bringing happiness to the heart of a Muslim is a great ibaadah (worship). Imagine the reward of bringing happiness to the heart of your mother on the Day of Arafah, the best day of the year.  It is not a small matter.

Days In Which Righteous Deeds Are More Beloved To Allah

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم 

There are no days in which righteous deeds are more beloved to Allah than are done during the first 10 days of Dhul-Hijjah. Rush to good deeds and strike it big. May Allah accept our good deeds and make it a means to enter Paradise. Aameen.

"The Fast Is For Me" -- Don't Miss Fasting In The 10 Best Days

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم 

Narrated Abu Huraira:

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Allah said: The Fast is for Me and I will give the reward for it, as he (the one who observes the fast) leaves his sexual desire, food and drink for My Sake. Fasting is a screen (from Hell) and there are two pleasures for a fasting person, one at the time of breaking his fast, and the other at the time when he will meet his Lord. And the smell of the mouth of a fasting person is better in Allah's Sight than the smell of musk."

حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو نُعَيْمٍ، حَدَّثَنَا الأَعْمَشُ، عَنْ أَبِي صَالِحٍ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏ "‏ يَقُولُ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ الصَّوْمُ لِي وَأَنَا أَجْزِي بِهِ يَدَعُ شَهْوَتَهُ وَأَكْلَهُ وَشُرْبَهُ مِنْ أَجْلِي، وَالصَّوْمُ جُنَّةٌ، وَلِلصَّائِمِ فَرْحَتَانِ فَرْحَةٌ حِينَ يُفْطِرُ وَفَرْحَةٌ حِينَ يَلْقَى رَبَّهُ، وَلَخَلُوفُ فَمِ الصَّائِمِ أَطْيَبُ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ مِنْ رِيحِ الْمِسْكِ ‏"‏‏.‏

 [Sahih Bukhari]

If you haven't made the intention to fast in these 10 best days of the Islamic year, try to fast on the 9th Dhul-Hijjah (Day of Arafah) for it will also wipe off your sins next year and the previous year. 

May Allah make it easy. Aameen.

Time Is Of The Essence

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم 

Time is of the essence...

Allah's mercy encompasses everything. He did not create us and leave us to roam. He sent us Prophets and Books to guide us.  Not only that, He created for us occasions and opportunities. The 4 sacred months (Dhul Qaidah, Dhul Hijjah, Muharram, Rajab) and Ramadhan, five months of unique opportunities to really strike it big and take it home. Are we going to take advantage of these opportunities? 

3 of the 10 BEST DAYS of the Islamic year have passed. Whether we take advantage of these days or not, they will pass very quickly.

If you were upon a sin, repent and then focus on worship. If you have improved in your worship, then work on becoming a true Muslim in all encompassing word. If you have become a true Muslim, then work on becoming a true believer, a Mu'min. And if you have attained that level, then go for excellence (ihsaan). So we are constantly moving forward, not backward. 

Allah puts us here for a finite time. So, time is of the essence. We understood this in the worldly business context but when it comes to the next life, we keep on putting off doing the things that will help us in our graves and beyond. 

May Allah give us safety and tranquility. Aameen.