Hang In There; Best Days Are Yet To Come

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

We cannot judge an affair from the outside but what is important is what's inside you.

Sakinah (tranquility) descends upon those with Iman, those who have trust in Allah (tawakkul), rely on Allah alone and are grateful to Allah. If we depend on Allah and attribute our successes to none other than Allah, the help of Allah will come in times of difficulties. Otherwise, even on a land that is wide and spacious, you will feel congested and constrained.

If we follow the rules of Allah even though we might go through difficulties, Allah promises us ease.

فَإِنَّ مَعَ ٱلْعُسْرِ يُسْرًا ﴿٥﴾ إِنَّ مَعَ ٱلْعُسْرِ يُسْرًا ﴿٦

For indeed, with hardship [will be] ease. (5) Indeed, with hardship [will be] ease. (6)

[Qur'an Ar-Sharh 94:5-6]

In the Battle of Badr, the first meeting between the Muslims and the non-believers, it was a very difficult moment for the Muslims because they didn't know what the outcome would be. They saw with their eyes an adversary, more than 3 times their number and better in preparation while they were few (about 300 men). In this difficult times with difficult feelings in their heart, Allah gave them tranquility--Allah gave them sleep.

Allah Almighty says,

وَلَقَدْ نَصَرَكُمُ ٱللَّـهُ بِبَدْرٍ وَأَنتُمْ أَذِلَّةٌ ۖ فَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّـهَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ ﴿١٢٣

And already had Allah given you victory at [the battle of] Badr while you were few in number. Then fear Allah; perhaps you will be grateful. (123)

[Qur'an AleImran 3:123]

... ثُمَّ أَنزَلَ عَلَيْكُم مِّنۢ بَعْدِ ٱلْغَمِّ أَمَنَةً نُّعَاسًا يَغْشَىٰ طَآئِفَةً مِّنكُمْ

Then after distress, He sent down upon you security [in the form of] drowsiness, overcoming a faction of you, ... (154)

[Qur'an AleImran 3:154]

At the battle of Hunain, the Muslim had a big army and they felt confident of victory. When the enemy arrows were falling on the Muslims from every direction, Muslims were caught by surprise and most of the 12,000 Muslim army started fleeing from the battlefield. They lost trust in Allah. Camels were stumbling on one another--it was a chaotic scene and the alignment of the Muslim army was gone. The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, started calling those who were running towards the sea. It was a very difficult time. But Allah revealed tranquility on the Messenger, Allah bless him and grant him peace, and on the believer and He supported them with soldiers, and this changed the situation in ways unimaginable.

Allah Almighty says,

لَقَدْ نَصَرَكُمُ ٱللَّـهُ فِى مَوَاطِنَ كَثِيرَةٍ ۙ وَيَوْمَ حُنَيْنٍ ۙ إِذْ أَعْجَبَتْكُمْ كَثْرَتُكُمْ فَلَمْ تُغْنِ عَنكُمْ شَيْـًٔا وَضَاقَتْ عَلَيْكُمُ ٱلْأَرْضُ بِمَا رَحُبَتْ ثُمَّ وَلَّيْتُم مُّدْبِرِينَ ﴿٢٥﴾ ثُمَّ أَنزَلَ ٱللَّـهُ سَكِينَتَهُۥ عَلَىٰ رَسُولِهِۦ وَعَلَى ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَأَنزَلَ جُنُودًا لَّمْ تَرَوْهَا وَعَذَّبَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ ۚ وَذَٰلِكَ جَزَآءُ ٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَ ﴿٢٦

Allah has already given you victory in many regions and [even] on the day of Hunayn, when your great number pleased you, but it did not avail you at all, and the earth was confining for you with its vastness; then you turned back, fleeing. (25) Then Allah sent down His tranquillity upon His Messenger and upon the believers and sent down soldiers angels whom you did not see and punished those who disbelieved. And that is the recompense of the disbelievers. (26)

[Qur'an at-Tawbah 9:25-26]

Even though the world is a great mess out there, Allah can give us sakinah. On the other hand things could be great and peaceful, but Allah can put in the heart the exact opposite feeling--feeling of despair.

May Allah pour upon us sakinah, make the best of our lives the end of it, the best of our deeds the last of them and the best of our days the day we meet Him. Ameen.

Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Remember Allah

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Why are we having so many problems in our lives?

It is because our hearts are filled with everything else except Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala. We need to empty this vessel from the gunk of this world and fill it with remembrance of Allah.

Allah Almighty invites us so many times to call Him in remembrance:

فَٱذْكُرُونِىٓ أَذْكُرْكُمْ وَٱشْكُرُوا۟ لِى وَلَا تَكْفُرُونِ ﴿١٥٢

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

[Qur'an al-Baqarah 2:152]

Remembrance of Allah forbids one to commit what is shameful, and vile deeds and words. Allah Almighty says,

ٱتْلُ مَآ أُوحِىَ إِلَيْكَ مِنَ ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ وَأَقِمِ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ ۖ إِنَّ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ تَنْهَىٰ عَنِ ٱلْفَحْشَآءِ وَٱلْمُنكَرِ ۗ وَلَذِكْرُ ٱللَّـهِ أَكْبَرُ ۗ وَٱللَّـهُ يَعْلَمُ مَا تَصْنَعُونَ

Recite what has been revealed to you of the Book and establish prayer. Indeed, prayer prohibits immorality and wrongdoing, and the remembrance of Allah is greater. And Allah knows that which you do.

[Qur'an al-Ankabut 29:45]

What better way to remember Him than reciting His Speech?

Allah Almighty says,

إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ يَتْلُونَ كِتَـٰبَ ٱللَّـهِ وَأَقَامُوا۟ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَأَنفَقُوا۟ مِمَّا رَزَقْنَـٰهُمْ سِرًّا وَعَلَانِيَةً يَرْجُونَ تِجَـٰرَةً لَّن تَبُورَ ﴿٢٩﴾ لِيُوَفِّيَهُمْ أُجُورَهُمْ وَيَزِيدَهُم مِّن فَضْلِهِۦٓ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ غَفُورٌ شَكُورٌ ﴿٣٠

Surely those who recite the Book of God and perform the prayer, and expend of that We have provided them, secretly and in public, look for a commerce that comes not to naught, (29) that He may pay them in full their wages and enrich them of His bounty; surely He is All-forgiving, All-thankful. (30)

[Qur'an Fatir 35:29-30]

إِنَّ هَـٰذَا ٱلْقُرْءَانَ يَهْدِى لِلَّتِى هِىَ أَقْوَمُ وَيُبَشِّرُ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ ٱلَّذِينَ يَعْمَلُونَ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِ أَنَّ لَهُمْ أَجْرًا كَبِيرًا ﴿٩

Indeed, this Qur'an guides to that which is most suitable and gives good tidings to the believers who do righteous deeds that they will have a great reward. (9)

[Qur'an Al-Isra 17:9]

"Whomever the Qur'an and My remembrance preoccupy him from beseeching Me, I give him the best of what the beseechers are given. The superiority of the Word of God, Sublime and Most High, over all others is like the superiority of God Most High over His creation." (Tirmidhi)

"Someone without Qur'an in the heart is like a ruined house." (Tirmidhi)

InshaAllah this will motivate you to read the Qur'an often and start memorizing some Qur'an. Even if it means reading a few verses and memorizing only one verse a day, it is big step in the right direction.

فَٱذْكُرُونِىٓ أَذْكُرْكُمْ وَٱشْكُرُوا۟ لِى وَلَا تَكْفُرُونِ ﴿١٥٢

So remember Me; I will remember you. And be grateful to Me and do not deny Me.[Qur'an al-Baqarah 2:152]

Don't say, "I can't!"

Golden Advices for Qur'an Memorizers by a blind Shaykh

(youtube.com)

Recommended watch
An Autistic Shaykh Ahmed Mosalam memorized the entire Qur'an and more

اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْألُكَ عِلْماً نَافِعاَ وَعَمَلاً صَالِحاً وَحِفْظاً قَوِيّاً وَفَهْماً كَامِلاً وَعَقْلاً سَالِماً بِرَحْمَتِكَ يَا اَرْحَمَ ٱلرَّاحِمِينَ

O Allah I ask You for beneficial knowledge, good deeds, strong memory, perfect understanding and sound intellect by Your mercy, O the Most Merciful of the merciful ones.

اللَّهُمَّ إنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ عِلْماً نَافِعاً، وَرِزقاً طَيِّباً، وَعَمَلاً مُتَقَبَّلاً

Allaahumma 'innee 'as'aluka 'ilman naafi'an, wa rizqan tayyiban, wa 'amalan mutaqabbalan.

O Allah, I ask You for knowledge that is of benefit, a good provision, and deeds that will be accepted.

Ameen.

Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Finding Mr. Right

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Chivalrous men are not easy to find. What we see often out there are unmanly guys who can't even carry a sack of rice on their backs, or carry or push a baby stroller without complaining. It seems as though chivalrous men are a symbol of the past and now are officially gone.

But don't despair, decent men do still exist. Keep these important qualities in mind when looking for Mr. Right, so you don't lose sight of him.

Knows his purpose in life
A man who knows his purpose in life is a man worth marrying. He will remain confident while pursuing his life's goals and what drives his soul. Because he knows his purpose, he will probably be more prepared to face any shortcomings. Since he has this quality, he will continue to be an inspirational force in your life after you two are married.

Strong moral code
A man who abides by a moral code is definitely a keeper. He is the type of man who knows the difference between right and wrong. He always grounds his decisions in life on an understanding of a high moral ground. A man who prides himself in morality and becomes your future husband will definitely instill moral values in your children.

Faithful
A man who is faithful not only to you, but also to God, will make for a great husband. This type of man will value the gift of marriage. He will also value your importance in his life as his wife and the mother to his children. His faithfulness to you will also underlie the steps he takes to keep your marriage stable for your children. In addition, a God-fearing man will let God unify and strengthen your relationship, will highly prioritize your marriage, and will make sure morals form the foundation of your family.

Good relationship with his family
A man who has a close and loving relationship with his family is a man you want to be with. This type of man knows the importance of family and truly cherishes family time. He will most likely place great importance on family after he marries you and begins to raise a family with you. Also, a man who treats his mother with respect will most likely treat you with respect and is obviously worth having as a husband.

Understands the sanctity of marriage
A man who truly understands the real purpose and importance of marriage will most likely uphold a life-long commitment of fidelity and love to you and the children that will potentially result from your marriage.

Respects human life
A man who values the sanctity of human life from womb to tomb will also make a great husband. A man who knows that human life is precious will be more open to welcoming children into the world after you get married. He will also do his best to ensure that the elderly in your family are cared for, protected, and live their life to the fullest.

Shared life goals
Apart sharing the same belief, a man who shares similar life goals with you will make for a great husband. Sharing that similarity with you, he will most likely support your efforts in life. He will always be there to comfort you when you hit your lows and rejoice with you when you achieve your goals. Walking along the same trajectory in life, you both will most likely maintain a strong marriage, despite any setbacks you may face.

Hard work ethic
A man who has a hard work ethic will make a good husband. He will never give up when working towards his ambitions. He will always work hard to provide your future family financial support, no matter what circumstances come his way. He will also instill this same value in your future children. A man stricken with a case of the "entitlement mentality," you should stay away from.

Selfless
A man who puts others before himself and gives a helping hand to those in need is a man you should not overlook. A man who values selflessness will most likely be a loving, supportive husband and father. When he becomes your husband, he will also encourage your children to be charitable towards others in your community. A man who has a heart for humanity is a man you want to be with for the rest of your life.

Honors your femininity
A man who recognizes your beauty, inside and out, and honors your femininity is worth keeping. He will respect you as a woman and have a better understanding of your purpose in your marriage. He will value you completely, not only for your physical appearance or features. A man who cherishes this quality in a woman will also teach his daughters to maintain their femininity and self-worth as they get older.

Decent men are becoming scarce everywhere, but know in your heart that there is a pious decent man out there who would love to make you his wife one day. Likewise, he has a similar plight--finding a pious lady to marry, a lady who cherishes her femininity, does not conform to the morally decayed culture, and is not swayed by the false promises of third-wave feminism.

Do your homework. A decent man that you want to share a beautiful marriage with is out there. Although he may not be easy to spot, he will come and "sweep you off your feet" when you least expect it. Just make sure that he has these 10 qualities, so you know you are heading on the right track.

Don't be sad if all your friends are married and you are not. Don't rush to marry. So what if your biological clock is ticking? Do not let the whispers of shaytan lead you astray. Accept Allah's decree and thank Him for His blessings. Be kind to yourself, and remember that there are millions of women who are not married, and there are millions of couples who can't have children. Perhaps if you saw the wife who has a hard-hearted husband who shows no compassion, and you heard her complaints about her continual suffering, you would praise Allah for saving you from marriage. Perhaps if you sit with a divorced woman, who regretted having married, and listen to her complaints and sufferings during her marriage and just now able to regain her sense of security, you would praise Allah for not giving you a husband and save you the troubles. Perhaps if you sit with a struggling single mother, who is chasing after her little kids while trying to work; or perhaps if you watch parents with their troubled teenagers, you might realize that the grass isn't so green on the other side.

Allah Almighty says,

فَعَسَىٰٓ أَن تَكْرَهُوا۟ شَيْـًٔا وَيَجْعَلَ ٱللَّـهُ فِيهِ خَيْرًا كَثِيرًا ...

...Perhaps you dislike a thing and Allah makes therein much good.

[Qur'an al-Nisa’ 4:19]

ٱلْخَبِيثَـٰتُ لِلْخَبِيثِينَ وَٱلْخَبِيثُونَ لِلْخَبِيثَـٰتِ ۖ وَٱلطَّيِّبَـٰتُ لِلطَّيِّبِينَ وَٱلطَّيِّبُونَ لِلطَّيِّبَـٰتِ ۚ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ مُبَرَّءُونَ مِمَّا يَقُولُونَ ۖ لَهُم مَّغْفِرَةٌ وَرِزْقٌ كَرِيمٌ ﴿٢٦

Corrupt women for corrupt men, and corrupt men for corrupt women; good women for good men, and good men for good women -- these are declared quit of what they say; theirs shall be forgiveness and generous provision.

[Qur'an An-Nur 24:26]

قُل لِّلْمُؤْمِنِينَ يَغُضُّوا۟ مِنْ أَبْصَـٰرِهِمْ وَيَحْفَظُوا۟ فُرُوجَهُمْ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ أَزْكَىٰ لَهُمْ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّـهَ خَبِيرٌۢ بِمَا يَصْنَعُونَ ﴿٣٠﴾ وَقُل لِّلْمُؤْمِنَـٰتِ يَغْضُضْنَ مِنْ أَبْصَـٰرِهِنَّ وَيَحْفَظْنَ فُرُوجَهُنَّ وَلَا يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلَّا مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا ۖ وَلْيَضْرِبْنَ بِخُمُرِهِنَّ عَلَىٰ جُيُوبِهِنَّ ۖ وَلَا يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلَّا لِبُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ ءَابَآئِهِنَّ أَوْ ءَابَآءِ بُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ أَبْنَآئِهِنَّ أَوْ أَبْنَآءِ بُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ إِخْوَٰنِهِنَّ أَوْ بَنِىٓ إِخْوَٰنِهِنَّ أَوْ بَنِىٓ أَخَوَٰتِهِنَّ أَوْ نِسَآئِهِنَّ أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَـٰنُهُنَّ أَوِ ٱلتَّـٰبِعِينَ غَيْرِ أُو۟لِى ٱلْإِرْبَةِ مِنَ ٱلرِّجَالِ أَوِ ٱلطِّفْلِ ٱلَّذِينَ لَمْ يَظْهَرُوا۟ عَلَىٰ عَوْرَٰتِ ٱلنِّسَآءِ ۖ وَلَا يَضْرِبْنَ بِأَرْجُلِهِنَّ لِيُعْلَمَ مَا يُخْفِينَ مِن زِينَتِهِنَّ ۚ وَتُوبُوٓا۟ إِلَى ٱللَّـهِ جَمِيعًا أَيُّهَ ٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ ﴿٣١

And tell the believing women to reduce [some] of their vision and guard their private parts and not expose their adornment except that which [necessarily] appears thereof and to wrap [a portion of] their headcovers over their chests and not expose their adornment except to their husbands, their fathers, their husbands' fathers, their sons, their husbands' sons, their brothers, their brothers' sons, their sisters' sons, their women, that which their right hands possess, or those male attendants having no physical desire, or children who are not yet aware of the private aspects of women. And let them not stamp their feet to make known what they conceal of their adornment. And turn to Allah in repentance, all of you, O believers, that you might succeed. (31)

[Qur'an An-Nur 24:30-31]

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ قُوٓا۟ أَنفُسَكُمْ وَأَهْلِيكُمْ نَارًا وَقُودُهَا ٱلنَّاسُ وَٱلْحِجَارَةُ عَلَيْهَا مَلَـٰٓئِكَةٌ غِلَاظٌ شِدَادٌ لَّا يَعْصُونَ ٱللَّـهَ مَآ أَمَرَهُمْ وَيَفْعَلُونَ مَا يُؤْمَرُونَ ﴿٦

O you who have believed, protect yourselves and your families from a Fire whose fuel is people and stones, over which are [appointed] angels, harsh and severe; they do not disobey Allah in what He commands them but do what they are commanded. (6)

[Qur'an At-Tahrim 66:6]

May Allah grant you tawfiq. Ameen.

Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Related Archives:
Where are the Chivalrous Men?
A Woman You Don't Want To Be or Be With
Choose Your Friend Carefully

A Woman You Don't Want To Be or Be With

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said,

"A woman is married because of her righteousness, wealth or beauty. So go for the one who is religious and may your hands be filled with dust." (Muslim)

"A man marries a woman for four reasons: for her property, for her rank, for her beauty, and for her religion (and character). So marry the one who is best in the religion and character and prosper." (Bukhari and Muslim)

"He who marries a woman for her possessions and beauty loses both beauty and her possessions; (but) he who marries her for the sake of her faith will be blessed by God with her possessions and her beauty."

"A woman should not be married (only) for her beauty, because her beauty may destroy her; neither for her wealth, as this may make her tyrannical, (rather) marry the woman for her religious faith."

The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, emphatically recommended religious faith, because such a woman would bolster the husband's faith. If she is not pious, she will be an element of distraction and of trouble in her husband's religion.

Good character is important requisite in the search for emptying the heart and in the pursuit of favorable surroundings for religion. If the woman is vicious, ill-tongued, ill-mannered, and ungrateful, more harm than good will come from her.

Do not marry one of the following six types of women:

1. an anaanah (hypochondriac) -- a woman who whines and complains, constantly ill or feigns illness, loses her head over everything.
2. a mannaanah (upbraider) -- a woman who constantly needling her husband by saying, "I did such and such for you."
3. a hannaanah (yearner) -- a woman who yearns after a previous husband or after her offspring from some other husband.
4. a hiddaaqah (coveter) -- a woman who looks at everything, covets it, and forces her husband to buy it.
5. a barraaqah narcissist) -- a woman who spends the whole day fixing her face or making it up and beautifying it in order to give it lustre, or the one who becomes angry at mealtime, thus eating only by herself and singling out her share from everything (a woman who pouts).
6. a shaddaaqah (prattler)-- a woman who prattles a great deal (a talkative/loudmouthed woman)

It is related that the Azdi traveler, during his journey, met Ilyaas who ordered him to get married and discouraged him from celibacy. He then said, "Don't marry a woman of the following four types:

1. a mukhtali'aah (divorce-minded) -- a woman who asks for the divorce (khul') every hour for no reason
2. a mubaariyah (boaster) -- a woman one who boasts of the superiority of another and is proud of her worldly advantages
3. an 'aahirah (harlot) -- a loose woman who is known to have boyfriends or paramours. To her the Almighty referred when He said, "nor of loose conduct." (Qur'an 4:25]
4. a naashiz (conceited) -- the one who adopts a haughty attitude toward her husband in deed and word.

Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, used to say, "The worst characteristics of men constitute the best characteristics of women: namely, stinginess, pride, and cowardice; for if the woman is stingy, she will preserve her own and her husband;s possessions; if she is proud, she will refrain from addressing loose and improper words to everyone; and if she is cowardly, she will dread everything and will therefore not go out of her house and will avoid compromising situations for fear of her husband."

May Allah remove our blameworthy traits and adorn us with noble characteristics, and grant us righteous companions. Ameen.

Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

When the Honeymoon is Over

Source: Imam Ghazali's Ihya' Ulum Al-Din (The Revival of Religious Sciences)

Bittersweet

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

When you are sad, down and alone, remember Hajar (may Allah be pleased with her) being left alone with her infant son, Ismael (may Allah grant him peace,) in an arid desert of Makkah with no food and 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 the millions of people following her footsteps between Safa and Marwah during hajj every year and umrah every day until the Day of Judgment. We cannot imagine the reward she is getting in Paradise for her patience.

Allah Almighty says,

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اصْبِرُوا وَصَابِرُوا وَرَابِطُوا وَاتَّقُوا اللَّـهَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ ﴿٢٠٠

O you who have believed, persevere and endure and remain stationed and fear Allah that you may be successful. (200)

[Qur'an AleImran 3:200]

وَاصْبِرْ فَإِنَّ اللَّـهَ لَا يُضِيعُ أَجْرَ الْمُحْسِنِينَ ﴿١١٥

And be patient, for indeed, Allah does not allow to be lost the reward of those who do good. (115)

[Qur'an Hud 11:115]

If something happens that displeases you, it would be unwise to be unhappy with Allah. The wise thing to do is to accept and be pleased with it.

Yes, we don't want discomfort or difficulties. But Allah will keep testing us, with difficulties and with ease. Sometimes the test of ease is more difficult than the test of difficulties.

Allah Almighty says,

أَحَسِبَ ٱلنَّاسُ أَن يُتْرَكُوٓا۟ أَن يَقُولُوٓا۟ ءَامَنَّا وَهُمْ لَا يُفْتَنُونَ ﴿٢﴾ وَلَقَدْ فَتَنَّا ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ ۖ فَلَيَعْلَمَنَّ ٱللَّـهُ ٱلَّذِينَ صَدَقُوا۟ وَلَيَعْلَمَنَّ ٱلْكَـٰذِبِينَ ﴿٣

Do the people think that they will be left to say, "We believe" and they will not be tried? (2) But We have certainly tried those before them, and Allah will surely make evident those who are truthful, and He will surely make evident the liars. (3)

[Qur'an Ankabut 29:2-3]

The higher your station with Allah, the harder the tests. Just like our elementary school tests, they were not so easy from our little perspective at the time, but you know now that they were not near as difficult as your college exams which you endured nonetheless. Why? Because you want the promise of a good career and to reach the status of those who are successful in the field.

Remember, the One Who is testing you is the Most Wise (Al-Hakeem), All Merciful (Ar-Rahman, Ar-Raheem), Most Loving (Al-Wadood). He did not send the difficulties to cause you pain or to destroy you. Rather, He wants you to come close to Him--through your supplication to Him, seeking His protection filled with humility, and complaining to Him, alone, in the depths of the night. The difficulties you are facing is a reminder for you to return to Allah and ask for His forgiveness. Who knows, if He didn't give you this difficulty, maybe you would have strayed away from Him far, far away.

Difficulties are like medicine: even though it is bitter, yet, in spite of its bitterness you still give it to the one whom you love. Your difficulties are a sign of Allah's love for you. Be patient and wait for the fruits of your patience.

Think what the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: “Paradise is surrounded with difficulties, and Hell is surrounded with desires.”

The bitterness of this world is the essence of sweetness in the Hereafter. Similarly the sweetness of this world is the essence of bitterness in the Hereafter. It is better to move from temporary bitterness to eternal sweetness than the other way round.

Have faith in the All Merciful and trust in Him and although sometimes we may not understand the reason behind certain things, know that as long as we obey Him, whatever is happening, whatever situation we are in is, in fact, for our betterment.

How many times in life have you looked back and seen the wisdom behind all the things that happened to you? Allah decides when you should lose or gain something. Allah is All-Knowing, All Wise. [Qur'an Al-Mumtahina 60:10]

Allah Almighty says,

وَيَرْزُقْهُ مِنْ حَيْثُ لَا يَحْتَسِبُ ۚ وَمَن يَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى ٱللَّـهِ فَهُوَ حَسْبُهُۥٓ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّـهَ بَـٰلِغُ أَمْرِهِۦ ۚ قَدْ جَعَلَ ٱللَّـهُ لِكُلِّ شَىْءٍ قَدْرًا ﴿٣

And will provide for him from where he does not expect. And whoever relies upon Allah - then He is sufficient for him. Indeed, Allah will accomplish His purpose. Allah has already set for everything a [decreed] extent. (3)

[Qur'an at-Talaaq 65:3

The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

If you put your trust completely in Allah, He will arrange for your sustenance in the same way as He provides for the birds. They go out in the morning with their stomachs empty and return filled in the evening.

(Tirmidhi-saheeh).

And He, Allah bless him and grant him peace, also said:

On the Day of Resurrection, when people who had suffered affliction are given their reward, those who were healthy will wish their skins had been cut to pieces with scissors when they were in the world (when they see the immense rewards for the afflictions they suffered).

(Tirmidhi-Saheeh by al-Albaani)

May Allah make us of those who are content with His decisions and adorn us with wisdom in dealing with ourselves and others and with spreading His message. May Allah increase us in patience and compensate our losses with something better. Ameen.

Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Time Alert

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

We all believe in the One God and we believe that Prophet Muhammad, Allah bless him and grant him peace, is His Messenger. This is our faith (Iman).

But what is the state of our faith?

How many times during the day do we think about Allah, the Hereafter, and the two angels that are recording all of our deeds? How strong is our faith on destiny? Do we say: "Why is this happening (to me)?" or do we take it as a test from Allah and try our best to change/overcome the situation? What is the state of our faith with Allah’s Book? Do we just have the faith or do we care to develop our relationship with it by studying and practicing it? How do you live your life? What is the quality of your prayers, fasts, zakat/charity, manners, morals, dealings, etc? Are you trying to put into practice as much as possible what the Prophet had brought for this Ummah? Are you trying to follow his examples? Or are we all too busy with our daily routine or too afraid to practice this religion to the fullest?

Allah alerts us with His oath by time.

وَالْعَصْرِ ﴿١﴾ إِنَّ الْإِنسَانَ لَفِي خُسْرٍ ﴿٢﴾ إِلَّا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالْحَقِّ وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالصَّبْرِ ﴿٣

By time, (1) Indeed, mankind is in loss, (2) Except for those who have believed and done righteous deeds and advised each other to truth and advised each other to patience. (3)

[Qur'an Al-Asr 103:1]

Imam Shafi'i (may Allah have mercy on him) said, "If nothing of the Qur'an was revealed to people except this surah it would have sufficed them."

It has been narrated that the companions of the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, would not part company until one of them recited this surah to the other.

Majority of mankind are in loss because they don't use their time wisely.

Time is our capital and our life is a transaction. Time will outstrip us because our life in this world is temporary and each moment that pass by is a moment closer to the end of our life in this world.

Each of us has a capital which we must use to make a profit. If we fail to do so we lose our capital--this is a clear loss. If we don't understand what time represents, then we cannot profit from it. If we understand the significance of time, our attitude to life would be very different. We would struggle to make sure every moment of our time is spent in a way that will give us maximum profit in the next life. Wherever we are with Allah, there is a closer rank and higher station, so we don't stop striving. We should not be satisfied with the minimum. However pure our prayer is, for example, there is always a purer prayer that we can aimed for. "I just need to scrape in into Paradise" should not be in our vocabulary and should not be attitude.

So lay out a plan of action to reach a higher rank. We will still be rewarded for our plans even if we are not able to execute our plans in the entirety. For example, if you have laid a plan to memorize the entire Qu'ran, and follow through, even if you die before you memorized the entire Qur'an, inshaAllah the All Merciful, the All Generous, the All Loving, will reward you as if you have memorized the entire Qur'an.

Patience is a key to all these. Patience in doing the righteous deeds; patience in avoiding the prohibitions/sins; patience to put up with the difficulties and unexpected things in life. Putting up with difficulties without complaining and without losing hope is of the highest ranks of patience and has a tremendous reward.

We need each other to remind us to be patient. We have to work as a team and advise each other to obey Allah and His Messenger, Allah bless him and grant him peace, in every aspect of our lives. Each of us has this responsibility as part and parcel of doing righteous deeds and perfecting ourselves to reach that high "profitable" rank with Allah. The surah emphasizes this social responsibility as well as the urgency of time and the need to do good as many good deeds as we can. Iman, righteous deeds and patience are necessary conditions for success in this life and the next.

The good deeds in Islam are the truths of Islam. Enjoining to truth includes putting up with things we don't like. So the single most important good deed is to enjoin people to patience because patience is what people need the most when enjoining people to the truth and when striving oneself to nearness to Allah.

Where will we find the truth? In the Qur’an and in the Sunnah of the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace. But if we are not able to even understand the Qur’an, then how are we going to counsel others to the truth effectively? If we ourselves are not doing what the Qur'an and Sunnah tell us, how are we going to be effective in counseling others to do righteous deeds and to patience?

So, first, your prayers must be in place. Otherwise, nothing is going to work for you. Prayer is an important pillar in Islam, i.e. if this pillar is weak, your Islam is wobbly and will eventually collapse, because it is so easy for Shaytan to steal your Iman). Losing one's Iman is one's ultimate loss because if he remains in this state until he dies, there is no more hope for Paradise for him and he will abide in the Hellfire forever.

Therefore, put the time to learn how to pray properly, both outwardly and inwardly, including understand what you are saying and reciting in prayer. This is your best investment of your time. Someone whose prayer is proper speaks a lot about the person.

Prayer is supposed to transform you to become a better human being--a better parent, child, spouse, brother/sister, neighbor, friend, student/teacher, leader, and so on. You can pray 5 times a day, year after year, but you (and people around you) won't see any change because you didn't do it correctly.

Each day we should strive to better our prayer and this can only be done through having the right knowledge and implementation of that knowledge. No matter how long/how much we have prayed, there is always a better prayer. Strive to make the current prayer better than the one before. If you are praying the same way as you have been for the past 20 years, or if you don't rush to prayer, or if you still find prayer more of a burden than a comfort to you, or if you are rushing to finish your prayer, you are not truly appreciating the gift of prayer and therefore, you won't feel the benefit of your prayer.

May Allah guide us on the straight path and grant us patience and tawfiq. Ameen.

Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Recommended Reads

Advising Others
Intimate Gift

Entering the Market and Invocation

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Abu Hurayra states that the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said,

The most beloved places on Earth to Allah are its mosques, and the most despised places on Earth to Allah are its markets.

[Muslim].

From all the places on Earth, Allah loves the mosques above all else. They fulfill the most important function. They are the places where those on Earth make contact with their Creator and Sustainer.

The marketplace is not "the most despised places on Earth to Allah" because of the buying and selling that goes on there but because of all the deception and fraud that goes on in the marketplace. The markets are places where false measure is given, and where every day false oaths are sworn. They are places of wastefulness, stinginess, avarice, wrangling, and disputation.

The mosque and the marketplace are both integral parts of society and it is permissible to engage in buying and selling. But, people must not allow their commerce distract them from the remembrance of Allah. There is harmony between the rights of this world and the rights of the Hereafter.

Allah Almighty says,

وَابْتَغِ فِيمَا آتَاكَ اللَّـهُ الدَّارَ الْآخِرَةَ ۖ وَلَا تَنسَ نَصِيبَكَ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا ۖ وَأَحْسِن كَمَا أَحْسَنَ اللَّـهُ إِلَيْكَ ۖ وَلَا تَبْغِ الْفَسَادَ فِي الْأَرْضِ ۖ إِنَّ اللَّـهَ لَا يُحِبُّ الْمُفْسِدِينَ ﴿٧٧

But seek, through that which Allah has given you, the home of the Hereafter; and [yet], do not forget your share of the world. And do good as Allah has done good to you. And desire not corruption in the land. Indeed, Allah does not like corrupters. (77)

[Qur'an al-Qasas 28:77]

In the marketplace (whether real/physical or virtual/online), the world is presented with all its glory and glitter. And people tend to forget Allah. Let us remind ourselves that Allah alone can fulfill our needs. Our money has no power. Allah alone has power over everything. The actual control is with Allah only. Everything else are just means. Allah created these means for us to draw closer to Him, not for us to be heedless of Him.

The tall buildings of the market, the displays/showcases, people browsing and shopping and so on, should not make us forget that everything belong to Allah. When you see new products, new gadgets, latest fashions, or anything that is enticing us to buy, don't be mesmerized by them, but you praise Allah that He has endowed humans with all the resources and ability. He Alone gives the mind, the materials, the ideas to people and all the resources so that people could invent new things and produce things for human consumption.

We should not think the things will give us benefit and enjoyment. If Allah wills, these same things can become poison and cause problems for us. You might have your favorite dinner out in your favorite local restaurant with your favorite person only to spend painful weeks of effects of food poisoning, or you might finally able to buy your dream car only to get into a fatal accident, or you might buy the latest model phone for your spouse only to keep him/her on the phone all day/night playing games or texting, etc., and neglecting you and your kids. Things cannot have any good in them on their own. You can enjoy them only if Allah places good in them. He alone can help us benefit from these things. All good is in Allah's hands only.

The market represents the peak of life in any place, full of worldly attractions and glitter. We should remember that this market life is given by Allah only. One day all this glitter will end. Those who visit it happily and those who sell and buy – all are going to die. Only Allah's presence will remain forever.

When entering the market, it is recommend to recite this invocation so we are reminded of Allah, the One Who has power over all things, unto Whom you shall return.

La 'ilaha 'illallahu wahdahu la sharika lahu, lahul-mulku wa lahul-hamdu, yuhyi wa yumitu, wa Huwa hayyun la yamutu, biyadihil-khayru, wa Huwa 'ala kulli shay in Qadir.

None has the right to be worshipped but Allah alone, Who has no partner. His is the dominion and His is the praise. He brings life and He causes death, and He is living and does not die. In His Hand is all good, and He is Able to do all things. [Tirmidhi]

May Allah protect us from being drowned in the marketplace and heedless of Allah. May Allah help us benefit from all the things He has given us. Ameen.

Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Recommended Reads:

Most Hated Place by Allah

The Tongue: A Deadly Weapon

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Much can be said of a person’s character by the way he uses his tongue. The tongue is one of the smallest organs of one's body yet it possesses great capacity to be used for evil that plunge one into the Hellfire. May Allah save us from the Fire.

Once the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, held his tongue and said that people are thrown into Hell on their faces because of the sins of their tongues.

Types of Bad Tongues:

1. The Lying Tongue: If it is not true, it is a lie. Someone who lies has one of the four characteristics of a hypocrite. Lying tongue is a misuse of a deadly weapon. It can be used to harm others near at hand (a maul), a few feet away (a sword), or a great distance away (an arrow). Shaytan is the father of lies. Remember how he tricked our father, Adam? And many many many people, religious or otherwise, for his ultimate evil purpose--to make mankind his companions in Hell.

When we speak, we speak truthfully and wisely in straightforward words; know what to say, how to say it and when to say it.

Allah Almighty says,

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّـهَ وَقُولُوا قَوْلًا سَدِيدًا ﴿٧٠﴾ يُصْلِحْ لَكُمْ أَعْمَالَكُمْ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ ۗ وَمَن يُطِعِ اللَّـهَ وَرَسُولَهُ فَقَدْ فَازَ فَوْزًا عَظِيمًا ﴿٧١

O you who believe, fear Allah, and speak in straightforward words. (70) If you do so, Allah will correct your deeds for your benefit, and forgive your sins for you. Whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger achieves a great success. (71)

[Qur'an Ahzab 33:70-71]

2. The Backbiting Tongue: A backbiter is someone who uses his tongue against you when you aren’t around. Yet he will not face you with his charges when you are present. This is a cowardly person who would rather stir up problems than solve them.

The Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace, was asked,

"What is backbiting?" He said, "Mentioning your brother with what he detests." He asked, "Have you considered if what I say is really in him?" He answered, "If what you say is in him then you have backbitten him, and if what you say is not in him then you have calumniated/slandered him."

[Tirmidhi]

Allah Almighty says,

وَيْلٌ لِّكُلِّ هُمَزَةٍ لُّمَزَةٍ ﴿١﴾ الَّذِي جَمَعَ مَالًا وَعَدَّدَهُ ﴿٢﴾ يَحْسَبُ أَنَّ مَالَهُ أَخْلَدَهُ ﴿٣﴾ كَلَّا ۖ لَيُنبَذَنَّ فِي الْحُطَمَةِ ﴿٤﴾ وَمَا أَدْرَاكَ مَا الْحُطَمَةُ ﴿٥﴾ نَارُ اللَّـهِ الْمُوقَدَةُ ﴿٦﴾ الَّتِي تَطَّلِعُ عَلَى الْأَفْئِدَةِ ﴿٧﴾ إِنَّهَا عَلَيْهِم مُّؤْصَدَةٌ ﴿٨﴾ فِي عَمَدٍ مُّمَدَّدَةٍ ﴿٩

Woe unto every backbiter, slanderer, (1) who has gathered riches and counted them over (2) thinking his riches have made him immortal! (3) No indeed; he shall be thrust into the Crusher; (4) and what shall teach thee what is the Crusher; (5) The Fire of God kindled (6) roaring over the hearts (7) covered down upon them, (8) in columns outstretched. (9)

[Qur'an Al-Humaza 104:1-9]

3. The Talebearing Tongue: Talebearing (carrying and telling tales) spreads all sorts of hurtful information around, and shaytan uses such information to try to hinder and tear down good works. A victim of talebearing is truly an oppressed person.

A believer should honor other people. Abu Hurayrah (radi Allahu anhu) reported that the Messenger of Allah (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said:

Do not envy one another; do not inflate prices by overbidding against one another; do not hate one another; do not harbor malice against one another; and do not enter into commercial transaction when others have entered into that (transaction); but be you, O slaves of Allah, as brothers. A Muslim is the brother of another Muslim; he neither oppresses him nor does he look down upon him, nor does he humiliate him. Piety is here,(and he pointed to his chest three times). It is enough evil for a Muslim to hold his brother Muslim in contempt. All things of a Muslim are inviolable for his brother-in-faith: his blood, his property and his honor.

[Muslim]

4. The Argumentative Tongue: Some people just find a reason to argue about anything and everything as if they have nothing else to do. What do you do when you detect such a people? Spare your words. Don't argue with them. Apply the Prophetic guidance--remain silent. And your silence is your sabr (patience). It is raising your rank with Allah. And Allah is with the patient.

The Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

Let him who believes in Allah and the Last Day speak good, or keep silent; and let him who believes in Allah and the Last Day be generous to his neighbor; and let him who believes in Allah and the Last Day be generous to his guest.

[Bukhari and Muslim]

5. The Flattering Tongue: Flattery is akin to exaggeration. It is a form of lying.

Be careful with our praises of someone. Although it is permissible to praise someone who is doing something good, don't do it too much. It is prohibited to praise a person unless you are sure that there won't be any harm either to you, the one praising, and the one praised. Too much praise can backfire when given in a way that is insincere, make the person praised afraid to try new things or take a risk for fear of not being able to stay on top where people's praises have put them, or the one praised may depend on what he heard of praise and ignore acquiring more good deeds.

Abdur-Rahman bin Abi Bakrah said that a man was once mentioned in the presence of the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and grant him peace. Another man said good words of praise about him. The Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and grant him peace, then said, what translated means,

Woe unto you! You have beheaded your friend. If one of you has to praise, let him say, ‘I think this and that’ (about the praised man), if he thinks that he deserves it, ‘And his reckoning is with Allah,’ and let him not ascribe purity (to anyone).

[Bukhari and Muslim]

6. The Proud Tongue: Proud-tongued people are generally so full of themselves that they learn so little from anyone. They will talk much of their accomplishments, but little or none about their Lord. They are hard to teach or reason with because they think they know it all.

Don't fall into the mistake of shaytan by thinking that you know more than the person next to you lest it might set things on fire.

Proud tongues come from proud people. Wars, destruction, bribery, theft, hate and so many other kinds of corruption on this earth are consequences of people's pride and arrogance.

7. The Overused Tongue: People think they appear smart by much talking but it is very much the opposite. Much talk, more problems; less talk, less problems.

8. The Swift Tongue: Some people are guilty of speaking swiftly when they really need to wait before saying anything. How many times have you had to eat your own words because you spoke swiftly? Why do you suppose Allah gave us two ears but only one mouth?

9. The Cursing Tongue: People curse because their life is miserable. They are unhappy so they make it known with their dirty speech.

10. The Silent Tongue: Silence is golden, but not in the case when you are depriving others of the message of Islam by your silence. We believe that Islam is our ultimate good and we should want this good for others.

The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

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

[Bukhari]

We have an obligation to spread the message of Islam. We have a collective duty of commanding the good and forbidding the evil.

وَلْتَكُن مِّنكُمْ أُمَّةٌ يَدْعُونَ إِلَى ٱلْخَيْرِ وَيَأْمُرُونَ بِٱلْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ ٱلْمُنكَرِ ۚ وَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْمُفْلِحُونَ

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.

[Qur'an AleImran 3:104]

وَٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ وَٱلْمُؤْمِنَـٰتُ بَعْضُهُمْ أَوْلِيَآءُ بَعْضٍ ۚ يَأْمُرُونَ بِٱلْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ ٱلْمُنكَرِ وَيُقِيمُونَ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَيُؤْتُونَ ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ وَيُطِيعُونَ ٱللَّـهَ وَرَسُولَهُۥٓ ۚ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ سَيَرْحَمُهُمُ ٱللَّـهُ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّـهَ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٌ

The believing men and believing women are allies of one another. They enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong and establish prayer and give zakah and obey Allah and His Messenger. Those - Allah will have mercy upon them. Indeed, Allah is Exalted in Might and Wise.

[Qur'an At-Tawba 9:69]

You don't need to have a high level of knowledge to convey the message of Islam.

`Abdullah ibn `Amr ibn Al-`As (may Allah be pleased with them) reported: The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said,

Convey from me even an Ayah of the Quran; relate traditions from Banu Israel, and there is no restriction on that; but he who deliberately forges a lie against me let him have his abode in Hell.

[Bukhari]

And you don't need to be a great da'i (caller to Islam) to do this. Start with your own dependents, family and close friends with simple and basic teachings. For starters, teach our children good character.

Abu Ad-Darda reported that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said,

There is nothing that weighs more heavily on the scales than good character.

[Abu Dawood]

A believer acts with purpose. Whoever is careful with consequences remain safe. Act only upon due consideration. Think through and play out in your mind what you want to say. Hasty words can harm relationship. We must use our tongues with extreme caution, as wrongful use of speech will be held against us on the Day of Judgement and can land us in Hellfire.

Allah Almighty says,

مَّا يَلْفِظُ مِن قَوْلٍ إِلَّا لَدَيْهِ رَقِيبٌ عَتِيدٌ

Not a word does he (or she) utter, but there is a watcher by him ready (to record it).

[Qur'an Qaf 50:18]

May Allah protect us from the many many sins of the tongues and give us tawfiq to use our tongues only for what pleases Him, for dhikr and for service of Islam, not for disobedience like backbiting and other vain talks. Ameen.

Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Recommended Reads:

If You Are Caught Lying
Don't Backbite; Leave What Does Not Concern You
Silence: The Easiest Worship
Arguing
Convey Even An Ayah
Commanding Good and Forbidding Evil
Sincere Concern
Magnificent Character
Praising

Optimism

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

In the world in which we live today, there isn't much to contribute toward one being optimistic. But we ought to be the most optimistic people in the world because of our belief in the One God, the Sovereign, the Creator.

In the midst of a troubled world, there is hope of the future. Allah's plan for mankind is on track, and the believers are the recipients of a blissful life that is eternal.

Allah is Al Hakim. He created this the world in Wisdom. Wisdom according to the ulama' is the word they used for the idea of cause and effect. Allah created the world in absolute cause and effect.

For example, when we put our feet on the ground, we are going to be on the ground. We are not going to be floating in the air. They called this gravity. If we hit our head on the rock, it hurts. Next time when you hit your head on the rock, it will still hurt. They called this you haven't learned your lesson. The sun rise in the east and sets in the west. You don't see the sun rise one day from the east and another day from the west (we would be in great trouble if we see this!) Everything is consistent and everything make sense. That's why we can study the cause and effect and come up with technology.

So part of the adab/manners with Allah is to use these causes and effects. We work and we make ourselves subject to the Wisdom that Allah created this world, a world of means, but at the same time we realize that our taking the means, means nothing because ultimately Allah is the Creator of every effect. That does not mean that we don't do anything and wait for something to happen. But we separate the exterior from the interior: meaning externally we make plans and we execute our plans for the sake of slavehood to Allah because that is the world of Wisdom and the way of the Prophets, but internally we don't feel that we are responsible for giving ourselves anything or for changing the situation. We don't feel that our efforts are going to guarantee for us anything. Rather, we realize that He is the One who will create whatever He wills. And we trust the All-Merciful and we believe that He wants good for us.

So our efforts do not bring along with them extra stress. We don't stress ourselves with this idea that I am responsible to bring peace and stability, to create food for our dependents, and so on. Allah is creating the peace and Allah is creating the food. And to please Him we work for it and we work well, and when we have peace and stability and when we have food in front of us, we think of those who are not as fortunate as we are--those who are being displaced from their homes, those who are homeless, those who are orphaned, those who have to scrape the garbage for food, those who are fighting for their lives. And so we cannot but grateful to the Lord, As-Salaam, Al-Mu'min, Ar-Razzaq.

When we are grateful, we naturally give. We give our all for His sake. And you know you cannot ever outdo Al-Karim. You know you can never outdo the All-Merciful. So the more you give, the more Allah gives you.

May Allah bring peace to the world we live in and make us keys to unlock good and to lock evil. May Allah increase us in provision both spiritually and physically. Ameen.

Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Attaining A Good Life

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate

Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Everybody desires a good life. It is inherent within all of us. To enjoy a good life, there are a number of things one must do first.

Good life is a reward of being righteous.

Allah Almighty says,

مَنْ عَمِلَ صَالِحًا مِّن ذَكَرٍ أَوْ أُنثَىٰ وَهُوَ مُؤْمِنٌ فَلَنُحْيِيَنَّهُ حَيَاةً طَيِّبَةً ۖ وَلَنَجْزِيَنَّهُمْ أَجْرَهُم بِأَحْسَنِ مَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ ﴿٩٧

Whoever does righteousness, whether male or female, while he is a believer - We will surely cause him to live a good life, and We will surely give them their reward [in the Hereafter] according to the best of what they used to do. (97)

[Quran Al-Nahl 16:97]

But what is this 'good life?' Good life includes feeling tranquility in all aspects of life.

Ali ibn Abi Talib interpreted good life as contentment. This was also the opinion of Ibn Abbas, Ikrimah and Wahb bin Munabbih. Ali bin Abi Talhah recorded from Ibn Abbas that it meant happiness. [Tafsir ibn Kathir]

If you are not happy and content with your life, try this:

1. Let go of wanting to be in control. Don't try to control people. Don't try to change people. Don't try to bend things your way. It's gonna break sooner of later--either you or the other person or both. Don't get upset if things don't go your way. Remember, Allah is in control of everything. Trust your affairs with Allah Al-Wakeel. Do your part and trust that He will give you the best result. This will give you peace.

رَّبُّ الْمَشْرِقِ وَالْمَغْرِبِ لَا إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ فَاتَّخِذْهُ وَكِيلًا ﴿٩

[He is] the Lord of the East and the West; there is no deity except Him, so take Him as Disposer of [your] affairs. (9)

[Quran Al-Muzzammil 73:9]

2. Let go of complaining. When does complaining ever make you feel honorable? Positive thinking is extremely powerful. You can complain because roses have thorns or you can rejoice because thorns have roses.

Look at those who stand at a lower level than you but don’t look at those who stand at a higher level than you, for this would make the favors (conferred upon you by Allah) insignificant (in your eyes). [Muslim]

3. Let go of always wanting to be right. Shaytan loves to cause dissension between people. No one is perfect, no one is always right, and this maybe the one time you might be wrong. It is more important being kind than being right. If someone tells you the sky is blue when it is cloudy, so what? ...move on. Look up to the sky and find a small patch of blue in it and agree, and you will make the person love you (even more), rather than hate you.

The Prophet salallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said, “I guarantee a house in Jannah for one who gives up arguing, even if he is in the right . . . (part of the hadith)” [Sunan Abu Dawud]

4. Let go of criticizing others. Stop when you find yourself criticizing someone and check your intention. Is it for the sake of Allah or is it for your own image or reputation?

The Prophet salallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said: Make things easy for the people, and do not make it difficult for them, and make them calm (with glad tidings) and do not repel them (i.e. make them hate good deeds and run away from Islam). [Bukhari]

5. Let go of the self-defeating mindset. Whatever Allah commands us to do, it is something we can do, and whatever difficulties we go through, it is something we can handle. Allah does not put a burden on any soul more than it can bear.

... لَا يُكَلِّفُ اللَّـهُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا وُسْعَهَا ۚ لَهَا مَا كَسَبَتْ وَعَلَيْهَا مَا اكْتَسَبَتْ ۗ

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]

Belief and good deeds make you the best of creatures.

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ أُولَـٰئِكَ هُمْ خَيْرُ الْبَرِيَّةِ ﴿٧

Indeed, they who have believed and done righteous deeds - those are the best of creatures. (7)

[Quran Al-Bayyinah 98:7]

6. Let go of blaming others. When you point your finger at anyone, it is often a moment of judgement. We point our fingers when we want to scold someone, point out what they have done wrong. But each time we point, we simultaneously point three fingers back at ourselves. Pointing fingers at others do you no good. Stop putting your moods and happiness in the hands of others and take responsibility yourself.

مَّنْ عَمِلَ صَالِحًا فَلِنَفْسِهِ ۖ وَمَنْ أَسَاءَ فَعَلَيْهَا ۗ وَمَا رَبُّكَ بِظَلَّامٍ لِّلْعَبِيدِ ﴿٤٦

Whoever does righteousness - it is for his [own] soul; and whoever does evil [does so] against it. And your Lord is not ever unjust to [His] servants. (46)

[Quran Al-Fussilat 46]

7. Let go of trying to impress others. Remember, the one you are trying to impress doesn't have anything that doesn't belong to Allah.

Don't worry about what people think of you when suddenly you start praying, fasting, going to the masjid, putting on the hijab, learning Qur'an, etc. Stop wasting time explaining yourself to others because your friends don’t need it and your enemies won’t believe it anyway. Just do what you know in your heart is right.

The Prophet salallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said: Whoever seeks knowledge in order to compete with the scholars, or to debate with the foolish, or to draw people’s attention, Allah will put him into the Fire. [Narrated from At-Tirmidhi as taken from Mishkat]

8. Let go of attachment to this world. Attachment often comes from a place of fear. Love and attachment are two different things. You can love a person or a thing but you should not attach to it, being left completely empty when you lose it.

"O Men, if you have been worshipping Muhammad, then know that Muhammad is dead. But if you have been worshipping Allah, then know that Allah is living and never dies." [Abu Bakr radiyallahu ‘anhu]

Many of the things we desire are expensive. The truth is, the things that really satisfy us are totally free--love, smiles, laughter and working on our passion. Our passion should be drawing near to Allah, Most High. This is the most pleasurable job and the easiest but many people don't realize this and so they run away and hide from it.

9. Let go of your excuses. Excuses stands in the way of our own happiness. Most people who fail are the ones who have a habit of making excuses. Successful people turn obstacles into assets. They have at hand— whatever comes along—and try to use everything at their disposal in achieving their goals. And that is why they are grateful for surprises, obstacles, and even disappointments. It gives them more information and resources to draw upon.

The Prophet salallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said: Mankind will not perish till they make excuses for their conduct to themselves. [Mishkat]

10. Let go of the past. Don't dwell on the past. It is a place to visit but you don't want to live there. Live in the present. You are not a slave of the past, you are a slave of Allah to Whom you will be returning. So turn towards Him and start moving.

No amount of guilt can change the past and no amount of worrying can change the future. Go easy on yourself for the outcome of all affairs is determined by Allah’s Decree. [Umar ibn al-Khattab radiyallahu ‘anhu]

11. Let go of your fears. Fear is just an illusion. When you let go of your fears and only fear Allah, you will be free.

إِنَّمَا ذَٰلِكُمُ الشَّيْطَانُ يُخَوِّفُ أَوْلِيَاءَهُ فَلَا تَخَافُوهُمْ وَخَافُونِ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ ﴿١٧٥

That is only Satan who frightens [you] of his supporters. So fear them not, but fear Me, if you are [indeed] believers. (175)

[Qur'an AleImran 3: 175]

12. Let go of living up to others’ expectations. Pleasing people is never easy. If you please one person, another person might not be pleased with you. Start doing things to please only Allah and you will never feel stuck between two hard rocks.

The Prophet salallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said: If anyone seeks Allah’s satisfaction at the expense of people’s anger, Allah will be pleased with him and will cause people to be pleased with him. However, if anyone seeks people’s satisfaction at the expense of Allah’s anger, Allah will be angry with him and will cause people to be angry with him. [Ibn Hibban]

May Allah grant us tawfiq and good in this life and the next and save us from the Fire. Ameen.

Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Content Soul

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

We are pleased with Allah as our Lord. We are pleased with the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, as His Messenger. We are happy with Islam as our religion (deen). If you are not, then find a way to feel this way. Otherwise, you are losing a great deal and your worship is nothing more than a body without spirit.

Islam is true and everything else besides is false. If you are not clear about this, then find clarity. Go learn this deen properly. It is your best investment.

كَيْفَ تَكْفُرُونَ بِاللَّـهِ وَكُنتُمْ أَمْوَاتًا فَأَحْيَاكُمْ ۖ ثُمَّ يُمِيتُكُمْ ثُمَّ يُحْيِيكُمْ ثُمَّ إِلَيْهِ تُرْجَعُونَ ﴿٢٨﴾ هُوَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ لَكُم مَّا فِي الْأَرْضِ جَمِيعًا ثُمَّ اسْتَوَىٰ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ فَسَوَّاهُنَّ سَبْعَ سَمَاوَاتٍ ۚ وَهُوَ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيمٌ ﴿٢٩

How can you disbelieve in Allah when you were lifeless and He brought you to life; then He will cause you to die, then He will bring you [back] to life, and then to Him you will be returned. (28) It is He who created for you all of that which is on the earth. Then He directed Himself to the heaven, [His being above all creation], and made them seven heavens, and He is Knowing of all things. (29)

[Qur'an Al-Baqarah 2:28-29]

Allah has commanded us to do many things. He has commanded us to live our lives in a certain way, following the Prophetic guidance. He has commanded us to pray, to fast, to give zakat, to feed the poor and the orphans, to go to hajj, to be of good character, to put on our hijab, to lower your gaze, to be kind to our parents, to maintain family ties, to give people their due rights, to eat halal, to guard our tongues, to have haya, to protect our private parts, to seek knowledge, and so on. He has commanded us not to steal, cheat, lie, slander, backbite, harm others, sever family ties, eat/drink haram, take property of orphans, and so on.

There is a tremendous benefit for you to obey what Allah has commanded us and you will avert tremendous detriment when you avoid what He prohibits. If we obey Allah, we will gain in this life before the next. It is by His sheer generosity that He reward us with good in this life and the next when we obey Him. He could make it the other way. So when we follow His commands, it should be with a heart full of gratitude.

Everything that Allah has commanded us to do has a hidden benefit within them. Whether you see it or not, it does not change anything. We must obey Allah's commands because He is the Master and we are the slaves of the Master. Venerating the command is this spirit of slavehood and submission, which is the key to the closeness to Allah and the key to the greatest joy in this life.

If it seems barbaric, unfair, cruel or don't make sense, don't be foolish and turn against Allah because He doesn't need us but we need Him; He knows what is good for us but we don't know; He does not wrong us but we wrong ourselves.

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا قُوا أَنفُسَكُمْ وَأَهْلِيكُمْ نَارًا وَقُودُهَا النَّاسُ وَالْحِجَارَةُ عَلَيْهَا مَلَائِكَةٌ غِلَاظٌ شِدَادٌ لَّا يَعْصُونَ اللَّـهَ مَا أَمَرَهُمْ وَيَفْعَلُونَ مَا يُؤْمَرُونَ ﴿٦

O you who have believed, protect yourselves and your families from a Fire whose fuel is people and stones, over which are [appointed] angels, harsh and severe; they do not disobey Allah in what He commands them but do what they are commanded. (6) [Qur'an At-Tahrim 66:6]

When Allah commands us to do something it becomes good. Nothing is more beneficial for us than doing what Allah has commanded us to do.

يَا أَيَّتُهَا النَّفْسُ الْمُطْمَئِنَّةُ ﴿٢٧﴾ ارْجِعِي إِلَىٰ رَبِّكِ رَاضِيَةً مَّرْضِيَّةً ﴿٢٨﴾ فَادْخُلِي فِي عِبَادِي ﴿٢٩﴾ وَادْخُلِي جَنَّتِي ﴿٣٠

As for an obedient man, it will be said to him,) “O content soul, (27) Come back to your Lord, well-pleased, well-pleasing. 6 (28) So, enter among My (special) servants, (29) And enter My Paradise.” (30)

(30) [Qur'an Al-Fajr 89:27-30]

May Allah grant us tawfiq to do what pleases Him. Ameen.

Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Reaching Diamonds

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

All humans are dead except those who have knowledge; and all those who have knowledge are asleep, except those who do good deeds; and those who do good deeds are deceived, except those who are sincere; and those who are sincere are always in a state of worry. -- Imam Shafi'i

If you want knowledge, there will be struggles and hardships. This is part of the process.

Based on the level of your struggle you will gain a high lofty station. [Imam Shafi'i]

Don't let the struggles of other people or lack thereof define for you how much you should struggle. They achieve their station with their struggle and you will achieve your station with your struggle. If you struggle a little you will get a little station.

Allah has put signs in His creation for us to ponder and reflect. Look at how diamonds are formed. The carbon didn't become diamond without going through immense pressure. There is a lot of pressure, the weight of the overlying rock bearing down, so that combination of high temperature and high pressure is what's necessary to grow diamond crystals in the Earth, 100 miles below the surface, which is very hot. [Smithsonianmag.com] You can be that precious diamond or remain a worthless carbon that no one would want on their fingers and around their necks.

You have to give your all. Knowledge will not give you a little of it until you give it all yourself [Imam Malik]

Don't say, "I am too busy to study," "I don't have time." All of us have time to study. Our problem is not about not having time but poor time management. If you have time surfing topics known to mankind on the internet, twitting, or texting for 2 or more hours a day, you definitely have plenty of time to seek knowledge.

And don't blame it on your spouse, your children or your family for taking all your time or for not being supportive. When we blame other people for the situation we are in, we are blaming Allah. Allah chose the situation we are in. We have to work with what Allah has given us.

Allah has given us an example: The wife of Fir'aun, Asiya, one of the four greatest women of all time, alongside with Maryam (the mother of Prophet Isa,) Khadijah (the first wife of the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace,) and Fatimah (the daughter of the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace.) Fir'aun was the most oppressive and evil man in history. Asiya went through immense struggles but she never lost her faith. She was tortured to death and Allah granted her request for a home in Paradise.

وَضَرَبَ اللَّـهُ مَثَلًا لِّلَّذِينَ آمَنُوا امْرَأَتَ فِرْعَوْنَ إِذْ قَالَتْ رَبِّ ابْنِ لِي عِندَكَ بَيْتًا فِي الْجَنَّةِ وَنَجِّنِي مِن فِرْعَوْنَ وَعَمَلِهِ وَنَجِّنِي مِنَ الْقَوْمِ الظَّالِمِينَ ﴿١١

And Allah presents an example of those who believed: the wife of Pharaoh, when she said, "My Lord, build for me near You a house in Paradise and save me from Pharaoh and his deeds and save me from the wrongdoing people." (11)

[Qur'an At-Tahrim 66:11]

Recall the experience of the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, during his seclusion in the cave of Hiraa' on a mountain near Makkah before he was given knowledge. Angel Jibril (alayhissalaam) came down to the him and told him to read but he said he couldn't read. Then Jibril squeezed him so hard that he felt that he could crush him to death. Only after the third time of Jibril asking and squeezing him, the first revelation was given to him.

The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

The angel caught me (forcibly) and pressed me so hard that I could not bear it any more. He then released me and again asked me to read. I replied, "I do not know how to read". Thereupon he caught me again and pressed me a second time till I could not bear it any more. He then released me and again asked me to read, but again I replied, "I do not know how to read" (or what shall I read?). Thereupon he caught me for the third time and pressed me, and then released me and said, (Recite in the name of your Lord who created - Created man from a clinging substance. Recite, and your Lord is the most Generous - Who taught by the pen - Taught man that which he knew not. Qur'an Al-Alaq 96:1-5)

Aisha, the Mother of the Believers, narrated that Al-Harith ibn Hisham asked the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, "O Allah's apostle. How is the divine inspiration revealed to you?" The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, replied, "Sometimes it is 'revealed like the ringing of a bell, this is the hardest of all, and then it passes off after I have grasped what is inspired. Sometimes the Angel comes in the form of a man and talks to me and I grasp whatever he says." [Bukhari]

The ulama' have derived from this experience that knowledge can only be given through pressure and hardship. It came with a price. Any normal human being would not be able to carry it. The revelation that can crush mountains, the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, was able to carry it. For the remainder of humanity that pressure is spread out over a period of time but it has to be there. The beautiful knowledge cannot be gotten without immense pressure and hardships.

You have to remove every obstacles that come your way of treading the path of knowledge--the path to reach the lofty station with Allah. Sometimes you have to make financial sacrifices--delay your career or leave your career, drop out of college (not necessarily you don't come back to it), or take lower paying job or take a pay cut. Sometimes you have to move to a far away land. Sometimes you have to let go the comfort/luxury/conveniences that you have been accustomed to. Sometimes you have to move away from your family.

Make your intention to seek knowledge purely for the sake of Allah. Knowledge is sought for other than for the sake of Allah will refuse to come to us.

May Allah give us strength, dedication and commitment to seek the sacred knowledge and grant us tawfiq to live by the knowledge we have gained and teach it to others. Ameen.

Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

You Can Do It

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Allah Almighty says,

... لَا يُكَلِّفُ اللَّـهُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا وُسْعَهَا

Allah does not charge a soul except [with that within] its capacity...

[Qur'an Al-Baqarah 2:286]

Therefore, doing what Allah wants us to do is within our capacity. He knows what we can do and what we cannot do. If we cannot do it, He would not have commanded it. He is good and He does not wrong His slaves.

"O My servants, I have forbidden oppression for Myself and have made it forbidden amongst you, so do not oppress each other..." [Hadith Qudsi -- related by Muslim]

If you are sincere about wanting to obey Allah, it should be very easy to do.

If you don't pray, fast, pay zakat, give charity, perform hajj, put on your hijab/cover your nakedness, learn the Qur'an, seek knowledge, avoid prohibitions, or perform certain sunnahs, etc., it has nothing to do with the command being difficult. It means you have to work on your Imam (Faith/Belief).

First repent to Allah. We should never lose hope in the Mercy of Allah. Repent sincerely, i.e., accept that you sinned, feel sorry, and have a firm intention of never repeating the sin. Always have a firm belief that Allah will accept your repentance.

إِنَّهُ كَانَ تَوَّابًا ﴿٣ ...

Indeed, He is ever Accepting of repentance. (3)

[Qur'an An-Nasr 110:3]

On the authority of Anas (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) say:

"Allah the Almighty said: 'O son of Adam, so long as you call upon Me and ask of Me, I shall forgive you for what you have done, and I shall not mind. O son of Adam, were your sins to reach the clouds of the sky and were you then to ask forgiveness of Me, I would forgive you. O son of Adam, were you to come to Me with sins nearly as great as the earth and were you then to face Me, ascribing no partner to Me, I would bring you forgiveness nearly as great as it.'"

[At-Tirmidhi (also by Ahmad ibn Hanbal). Its chain of authorities is sound.]

Make du'a. Ask Allah to guide you, help you do what pleases Him and give you tawfiq.

Allah is All Powerful. "Nothing is difficult if you seek it through your Lord, and nothing is easy if you seek it through yourself." [Hikam of Ibn Ata'ila]

Put all your trust in Allah alone and never despair.

Now, how do you know what Allah wants you to do. It's not that difficult actually. There are so many resources on Islam out there at the touch of your fingertips. But be careful, you might get lost in the jungle. Nothing replaces a real teacher. So seek qualified teachers to teach you this Deen.

If you haven't read the Imam An-Nawawi's Forty hadith, pick up the book today and start reading cover to cover. InshaAllah it is a good start to familiarize yourself with this Deen and put some of the teachings into practice right away.

"Every person wishing to attain the Hereafter should know these hadith because of the important matters they contain and the directions they give in respect of all forms of obedience, this being obvious to anyone who has reflected upon it." [Imam An-Nawawi]

May Allah guide us on the straight path and bring us teachers who He is pleased with. Ameen.

Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

No Passive Listening

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

When we hear a prayer being called, Qur'an being recited, or hadith being mentioned, immediately we should go to action.

If it is a call to prayer, repeat after the muezzin and say the du'a after adhan. Immediately go take wudu' and pray. If you can go to the masjid or if the masjid is close by, get to the masjid before the iqamah. You can do some extra worship--make up old missed prayers, do dhikr, recite Qu'ran, perform some sunnah prayers while waiting. Don't be waiting for iqamah before you walk to the masjid or worse, if you don't even have wudu' and properly dressed by that that time. You might miss a raka'a or two and if you join after the last ruku' of the iman you have deprived yourself of the reward of a group prayer. Especially for Jumu'ah prayer, there are great rewards for coming early to the masjid.

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: “Whoever does ghusl on Friday like ghusl for janaabah, then goes to the prayer (in the first hour, i.e., early), it is as if he sacrificed a camel. Whoever goes in the second hour, it is as if he sacrificed a cow; whoever goes in the third hour, it is as if he sacrificed a horned ram; whoever goes in the fourth hour, it is as if he sacrificed a hen; and whoever goes in the fifth hour it is as if he offered an egg. When the imam comes out, the angels come to listen to the khutbah.” [Bukhari and Muslim]

If it is Qur'an being recited, listen attentively and try to understand what it is saying, ask Allah to make you able to understand it, ask Allah to give you tawfiq to take lessons from it and perform His commands in best way, and so on--do something, don't ignore it. If you can't understand, immediately take steps to learn it. Similarly, when you hear a hadith being mentioned (or someone forwarded it to you, etc.), immediately project it into your life.

Everything from the Qur'an and Hadith is meant for immediate action, no passive listening. If it is a commandment, do it; if it is a prohibition, stay away from it; if it is a story, take lessons from it; and so on. Whatever fell into our ears is not by chance, it is not a coincidence. It is your test...Allah wants to see what you are going to do with it. Most people failed -- perhaps ignorance, perhaps heedlessness. But not the true believers--their heart quakes when God is mentioned and when His signs are recited, it increases them in faith.

Allah Almighty says,

نَّمَا الْمُؤْمِنُونَ الَّذِينَ إِذَا ذُكِرَ اللَّـهُ وَجِلَتْ قُلُوبُهُمْ وَإِذَا تُلِيَتْ عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتُهُ زَادَتْهُمْ إِيمَانًا وَعَلَىٰ رَبِّهِمْ يَتَوَكَّلُونَ ﴿٢﴾ الَّذِينَ يُقِيمُونَ الصَّلَاةَ وَمِمَّا رَزَقْنَاهُمْ يُنفِقُونَ ﴿٣﴾ أُولَـٰئِكَ هُمُ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ حَقًّا ۚ لَّهُمْ دَرَجَاتٌ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ وَمَغْفِرَةٌ وَرِزْقٌ كَرِيمٌ ﴿٤

Those only are believers who, when God is mentioned, their hearts quake, and when His signs are recited to them, it increases them in faith, and in their Lord they put their trust, (2) those who perform the prayer, and expend of what We have provided them, (3) those in truth are the believers; they have degrees with their Lord, and forgiveness, and generous provision. (4)

[Qur'an, Al-Anfal 8:2-4]

Remember the story of Ukasha? The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, told the sahabah that there will be 70,000 people who will enter Paradise without account and he described their special characteristics. What would most people do if an imam read this part of the hadith to them and it is the first time they heard it? You can experiment this in your masjid or with your group...you will find that most people don't have any reaction--it makes no difference to them whether you say it or not, it doesn't move them; and most who appear to be listening would forget it in the next instant like a news item.

The sahabah did not take what the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, told them as news items, but they would be busy reflecting it on themselves. Ukhasha immediately stood up and said, 'Ask Allah to make me one of them.' The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'You are one of them.' Then another sahabah stood up and said, 'Ask Allah to make me one of them.' He said, 'Ukkasha beat you to it.'

Ibn 'Abbas (Allah be pleased with him) said, "The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said,

'All the nations were shown to me and I saw a Prophet with a small group, and a Prophet with one or two men, and a Prophet with no one at all. Then an enormous mass was shown to me and I thought that they were my community. I was told, "This is Musa and his community, but look to the furthest horizon," and there was an enormous mass. It was said to me, "This is your community. Among them are seventy thousand who will enter the Garden without reckoning or punishment."' Then he got up and entered his house and the people discussed concerning those who would enter the Garden without reckoning or punishment. Some of them said, 'Perhaps it is those who were with the Messenger of Allah,' while others said, 'Perhaps it is those who are born in Islam and do not associate anything with Allah,' and they mentioned various things. The Messenger of Allah came out to them and said, 'What are you discussing?' They told him and he said, 'They are those who do not make charms or ask others for charms, and do not seek omens. They trust in their Lord.' 'Ukasha ibn Muhsin stood up and said, 'Ask Allah to make me one of them.' He said, 'You are one of them.' Then another man stood up and said, 'Ask Allah to make me one of them.' He said, "'Ukasha beat you to it.'" [Bukhari and Muslim]

May Allah awaken our hearts, enable us to hear and obey His commands, help us be active Muslims and enable us to make Islam a complete way of life for ourselves and our own families. Ameen.

Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Related Archives:
Call of Prayer (Adhan)

Be The First

Adhan and Du'a After Adhan

Adhan is a dhikr in harmony. The Mu'aththin is the leader, when he pauses in between, then we, the people, repeat after him (except when he comes in the middle of the adhan.)

الله أكبر
Allahu Akbar - four times
(Allah is the greatest)
**Listener repeats

أشهد لا اله إلا الله
Ash hadu an la ilaha illal lah - two times
(I bear witness that there is no god but Allah)
**Listener repeats

أشهد أن محمدا رسول الله
Ash hadu anna Muhammadan Rasulullah - two times
(I bear witness that Muhammad, Allah bless him and grant him peace, is Allah's Messenger)
**Listener repeats

حَيَّ عَلَى الصَّلاَةِ
Hayya 'ala-salahh - two times
(Hasten to prayers)
**Listener says--"la hawla wala quwwata illa billah" (there is no might and power except by Allah)

حَيَّ عَلَى الْفَلَاح
Hayya 'ala 'l-falah - two times
(Hasten to salvation/ultimate success)
**Listener says--"la hawla wala quwwata illa billah" (there is no might and power except with Allah)

الصلاة خير من النوم
Assalatu khayrun min annawum -- two times for Fajr prayer adhan only
(Prayer is better than sleep)
**Listener says: sadaqta wa barikta

الله أكبر
Allahu Akbar - two times
(Allah is greater than any description)
**Listener repeats

لا إله إلا الله
La ilaha illal lah - two times
(There is no god but Allah)
**Listener repeats

After replying to the call of the Mu'aththin, you should recite the du'a after adhan:

"اللَّهُمَّ رَبَّ هَذِهِ الدَّعْوَةِ التَّامَّةِ، وَالصَّلَاةِ الْقَائِمَةِ، آتِ مُحَمَّداً الْوَسِيلَةَ وَالْفَضِيلَةَ، وَابْعَثْهُ مَقَاماً مَحْمُوداً الَّذِي وَعَدْتَهُ، [إَنَّكَ لَا تُخْلِفُ الْمِيعَادَ].

Allaahumma Rabba haathihid-da 'watit-taammati wassalaatil-qaa'imati, 'aati Muhammadanil-waseelata walfadheelata, wab 'ath-hu maqaamam-mahmoodanil-lathee wa'adtahu, ['innaka laa tukhliful-mee'aad]

O Allah , Lord of this perfect call and established prayer. Grant Muhammad the intercession and favor, and raise him to the honored station You have promised him, [verily You do not neglect promises].

On the authority of Jabar bin Abdullah, may Allah be pleased with him, the Messenger of Allah, may Allah's peace be upon him, said, "Whoever says,'O Allah, Owner of this perfect call and Owner of this prayer to be performed, bestow upon Muhammad al waseelah (a station in Paradise) and al fadeelah (a rank above the rest of creation) and send him upon a raised platform which you have promised him. Verily, You never fail in Your Promise', he will have my intercession on the Day of Judgment".

Audio of Du'a after Adhan

And Allah knows best.

Softening the Tough and Rough Heart

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Human heart is tough and rough. What softens this tough and rough heart is if we remember death often and if we live for the Hereafter.

In this age of instant media, we don't need death in our family or community to remind us of death. The media spend a great deal of time and space on events connected to death and dying. Deaths of celebrities, people with local, regional, or national prominence, or victims of natural disasters, accidents or wars routinely fill the time allotted for news programs.

Human beings have a certain degree of fascination with this topic but what do they do with this information?

Life has 100% mortality rate. Everybody know that they are going to die one day. But why many many people don't behave like they are going to die? It is not so much of ignorance but insufficient iman or lack thereof. Their hearts are attached to this world, not the Creator.

We have to work on our iman because our term in this life is fixed. It will not change. It could be next month, next week, tomorrow or next minute when we are counted as the inhabitants on the other side and it would be too late to repent or do any good deed.

When we hear a massacre or deaths all over the media, it is more than merely a sad news or a tragedy. It should compel you to remember Allah, Al Muhyiy (the Giver of Life), Al Mumit (the Causer of Death) and move you to straighten out your acts and rush to good deeds. You could be next. A person next to you could be next. Thank Allah for giving you more time to get your acts together and repent for your sins and make amends with those you have harmed, however slight, and increase in your obedience to Him.

Death will come unannounced and will happen wherever Allah decides. We cannot try to run away from death.

Allah Almighty says,

كُلُّ نَفْسٍ ذَآئِقَةُ ٱلْمَوْتِ ۖ ثُمَّ إِلَيْنَا تُرْ‌جَعُونَ

Every soul shall taste death. Then to Us will you be returned.

[Qur'an al-Ankabut 29:57]

أَيْنَمَا تَكُونُوا۟ يُدْرِ‌ككُّمُ ٱلْمَوْتُ وَلَوْ كُنتُمْ فِى بُرُ‌وجٍ مُّشَيَّدَةٍ ۗ وَإِن تُصِبْهُمْ حَسَنَةٌ يَقُولُوا۟ هَـٰذِهِۦ مِنْ عِندِ ٱللَّهِ ۖ وَإِن تُصِبْهُمْ سَيِّئَةٌ يَقُولُوا۟ هَـٰذِهِۦ مِنْ عِندِكَ ۚ قُلْ كُلٌّ مِّنْ عِندِ ٱللَّهِ ۖ فَمَالِ هَـٰٓؤُلَآءِ ٱلْقَوْمِ لَا يَكَادُونَ يَفْقَهُونَ حَدِيثًا

Wherever you may be, death will overtake you, even if you should be within towers of lofty construction. But if good comes to them, they say, "This is from Allah "; and if evil befalls them, they say, "This is from you." Say, "All [things] are from Allah." So what is [the matter] with those people that they can hardly understand any statement?

[Qur'an An-Nisa 4:78]

And Allah knows best.

May Allah forgive all our sins, increase and strengthen our iman, and grant us an excellent ending at the highest of iman. Ameen.

Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

Wassalaam

Keeping Your Best Company

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Qur'an is your best company whether you realize it or not. Do whatever it takes to keep it with you by reciting it everyday. Allah has honored you to read His Speech so you can be close to Him. Are you going to say no, thank you? You are essentially saying that if you are not in a habit of reading it.

If you don't feel motivated to read the Qur'an, actually you are not alone. Most Muslims don't read it on regular basis and many more don't read it all. If Allah doesn't make it obligatory to recite Al-Fatiha and another verse in prayer, then most won't have recited any Qur'an at all.

Imagine if you have a book in Spanish and you don't know Spanish, would you read it?

Similarly with Qur'an, even if you happen to read it, but if you don't understand what you read, you will not go very far with it and you will not look forward to read it again. Likewise, if you couldn't pronounce the words properly, you will not read it with interest. So you should try to understand the Qur'an and read it properly by learning Arabic and tajweed rules.

There is immense pleasure in reciting the Qur'an and if you don't learn how to read it properly you are missing a great deal.

There are people who consider learning tajweed unimportant. They think by just reading, not paying attention to whether it is read correctly or not, will bring them rewards. On the contrary, you might create a sin for yourself for changing the meaning of the Qur'an.

Allah's Book is to be recited exactly in the way it was revealed and with measured recitation (tarteel).

Allah Almighty says,

الَّذِينَ آتَيْنَاهُمُ الْكِتَابَ يَتْلُونَهُ حَقَّ تِلَاوَتِهِ أُولَـٰئِكَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِهِ ۗ وَمَن يَكْفُرْ بِهِ فَأُولَـٰئِكَ هُمُ الْخَاسِرُونَ ﴿١٢١

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 2:121]

أَوْ زِدْ عَلَيْهِ وَرَتِّلِ الْقُرْآنَ تَرْتِيلًا ﴿٤

Or add to it, and recite the Qur'an with measured recitation. (4)

[Qur'an Al-Muzzammil 73:4]

Ali ibn Abi Talib, may Allah be pleased with him, said in the explanation of this verse that tarteelan, which means measured recitation, is defined as the tajweed of the letters and knowing where to stop correctly.

When Umm Salamah, may Allah be pleased with her, was asked about the recitation of Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, and she expressed his recitation as, "clearly distinguished letter by letter..."

Imagine you are the sahabah who heard the Speech of Allah from the the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, himself. Have you done justice to Allah's Speech when you were the one reading it?

If not, make it a priority in your life to learn how to read the Qur'an properly. Seek a qualified teacher, as tajweed and its application can only be learned properly by listening and reciting and there should be someone to correct any mistakes. Get a hold of a good tajweed book and start learning it step by step. Put aside a few minutes a day to listen to a good Qur'an reciter like Shaykh Al Husary or Shaykh Abdul Basit and notice their application of tajweed.

Practice and repetition will make perfect. "...there is no obstacle between it (learning tajweed) and leaving it, except that a person must exercise his mouth with it." [Ibn Al-Jazari]

Once you’ve learned tajweed, you can go through this checklist to see whether you have "perfected" your tajweed.

1. The articulation points of the letters: If you know how to pronounce each word distinctly, then your knowledge of tajweed is good.

2. The characteristics of the letters and the usage of the tongue: If you’re familiar with the features of each letter and your tongue automatically moves to it, then your tajweed sounds better.

3. Rules change in the letters: If you know the rules change in each letter due to the influence of other letters and know where to stop them, then your tajweed is the best.

If you still recite with difficulty, don't despair. Keep trying and keep reading. You have a double reward because you recite the Qur'an and are putting your best effort to learn it despite the difficulty.

Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, related that the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "The one who recites the Qur'an precisely will be in the company of the noble and obedient angels, and as for the one who recites with difficulty, stammering and stumbling through its verses, then he will have twice that reward.” [Bukhari and Muslim]

All of us know the importance of Qur'an in our lives. But we are not showing it in our actions. We lost the very basic--ability to read the Qur'an. And whose fault is it? We can point fingers at others--such as our ignorant parents, bad teachers, no teachers, busy imams, etc. But we are adults and we are responsible for our own actions now. So if we were not taught the basics when we were young, then we should learn it now. Didn't Allah give us life long enough? Make sure we don't deprive our children of this basic of learning the Qur'an and of the beauty of the Qur'an.

وَلِلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا بِرَبِّهِمْ عَذَابُ جَهَنَّمَ ۖ وَبِئْسَ الْمَصِيرُ ﴿٦﴾ إِذَا أُلْقُوا فِيهَا سَمِعُوا لَهَا شَهِيقًا وَهِيَ تَفُورُ ﴿٧﴾ تَكَادُ تَمَيَّزُ مِنَ الْغَيْظِ ۖ كُلَّمَا أُلْقِيَ فِيهَا فَوْجٌ سَأَلَهُمْ خَزَنَتُهَا أَلَمْ يَأْتِكُمْ نَذِيرٌ ﴿٨﴾ قَالُوا بَلَىٰ قَدْ جَاءَنَا نَذِيرٌ فَكَذَّبْنَا وَقُلْنَا مَا نَزَّلَ اللَّـهُ مِن شَيْءٍ إِنْ أَنتُمْ إِلَّا فِي ضَلَالٍ كَبِيرٍ ﴿٩﴾ وَقَالُوا لَوْ كُنَّا نَسْمَعُ أَوْ نَعْقِلُ مَا كُنَّا فِي أَصْحَابِ السَّعِيرِ ﴿١٠﴾ فَاعْتَرَفُوا بِذَنبِهِمْ فَسُحْقًا لِّأَصْحَابِ السَّعِيرِ ﴿١١
And for those who disbelieved in their Lord is the punishment of Hell, and wretched is the destination. (6) When they are thrown into it, they hear from it a [dreadful] inhaling while it boils up. (7) It almost bursts with rage. Every time a company is thrown into it, its keepers ask them, "Did there not come to you a warner?" (8) They will say," Yes, a warner had come to us, but we denied and said, 'Allah has not sent down anything. You are not but in great error.'" (9) And they will say, "If only we had been listening or reasoning, we would not be among the companions of the Blaze." (10) And they will admit their sin, so [it is] alienation for the companions of the Blaze. (11) Indeed, those who fear their Lord unseen will have forgiveness and great reward. (12)

[Qu'ran Al Mulk 67:6-11]

May Allah enable us to make the Qur'an our best companion in this life and the next and make reciting it beloved to our tongues than anything else and listening to it beloved to our ears than anything else. Ameen.

Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Click here for Recommended tajweed website

Recommended Qur'an reciters: (click below links)

Shaykh Abdul Samad Abdul Basit
Shaykh Mahmud Al Husary
Shaykh Ahmed Trabulsi
Shaykh Mahmud Ali Albanna

The Jazariyya (Tajweed) Poem