Journey2Allah: April 2014

Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Let's Memorize Today -- Prophetic Supplication #12 -- asking for mercy and forgiveness

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

اللّهُمّ صَلّ عَلَى مُحَمّدٍ وَآلِ مُحَمّدٍ

Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala ali Muhammad

O Allah, send peace and blessings upon Muhammad (ﷺ) and the family of Muhammad (ﷺ)

Ibn Mas'ud (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: One of the supplications of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was:

‏اللهم إني أسألك موجبات رحمتك، وعزائم مغفرتك، والسلامة من كل إثم، والغنيمة من كل بر، والفوز بالجنة، والنجاة من النار‏

Allahumma inni as'aluka mujibati rahmatika, wa 'aza'ima maghfiratika, was-salamata min kulli ithmin, wal-ghanimata min kulli birrin, wal-fawza bil- jannati, wannajata mina-nar

O Allah! I beg You for that which incites Your Mercy and the means of Your forgiveness, safety from every sin, the benefit from every good deed, success in attaining Jannah and deliverance from Fire. [Al-Hakim].

Ameen

The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam said: "There is nothing more honorable to Allah than supplication." [Tirmidhi]

Aisha (radhiAllahu anha) said that Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wassallam said: "The deeds most loved by Allah (are those) done regularly, even if they are small." [Bukhari and Muslim]

Tawfiq.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Related Archive
Learn the Prophetic Supplications

Sunday, April 27, 2014

Let's Memorize Today -- Prophetic Supplication #11 -- seek refuge from trials

Secret To Success

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

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Sincerity is the foundation of any work that we do. If the foundation is corrupt, then the building can easily be broken.

Allah Almighty says,

قُلْ إِنَّ صَلَاتِى وَنُسُكِى وَمَحْيَاىَ وَمَمَاتِى لِلَّـهِ رَبِّ ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ ﴿١٦٢

Say, "Indeed, my prayer, my rites of sacrifice, my living and my dying are for Allah, Lord of the worlds. (162)

[Qur'an, Al-An'am 6:162]

This verse tells us that everything can be for the sake of Allah. "Actions are judged according to intentions. Every person shall have what they intend." [Bukhari]. Though, only those things done for the sake of Allah are ‘religious’ things, by the same token, everything that is done for other than Allah, however ‘religious’ it may seem – is a worldly act. So, striving to earn a living to support your family and to spend for the cause of Allah, seeking only Allah’s pleasure, is a highly spiritual act. Similarly, if you intend your sleep at a certain time in order that you can wake up for Fajr prayer, then your sleep is for Allah and you are rewarded for all that time you are sleeping.

One should worship Allah for Allah, not for some other reasons. The same applies when we are setting out intentions to do work. We should be seeking the pleasure of our Lord with it. We do not seek anything for worldly gain or prestige.

We all know the famous story of the prostitute who was rewarded with Paradise for giving water to a dog – but what truly got her into Paradise? Was it just that simple act? It could not have been, because there are scholars, martyrs and charitable people who will be thrown in hell because they were insincere. But she was helping the dog for Allah sake only. Look at how your intention elevates your deeds. This is why the scholars have said that intention is the most important act of worship of the heart – to have the driving force of your acts be to please Allah.

Imam Al-Ghazali said that: If you want to know whether something you did was purely for the sake of Allah or not, you should test your reaction when someone acts ungratefully. Do you feel self-righteous, like you were doing the person a favor? Do you feel angry that they did not appreciate your work? It may not mean that your act was ostentatious, but it points to the fact that it was not solely for the sake of Allah. We were expecting, at the very least, recognition and respect from the person as a result of the good we did for them.

Sincerity is the secret to success and tawfiq -- in this life and the next life. We should adorn ourselves with sincerity. If you are not inherently sincere, ask Allah to enable you to be sincere and pretend sincerity until it becomes one innate's nature.

وَمَآ أُمِرُوٓا۟ إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُوا۟ ٱللَّـهَ مُخْلِصِينَ لَهُ ٱلدِّينَ حُنَفَآءَ وَيُقِيمُوا۟ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَيُؤْتُوا۟ ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ ۚ وَذَٰلِكَ دِينُ ٱلْقَيِّمَةِ ﴿٥

And they were not commanded except to worship Allah, [being] sincere to Him in religion, inclining to truth, and to establish prayer and to give zakah. And that is the correct religion. (5)

[Qur'an, Al-Bayyinah 98:5]

So, whether you are trying to memorize Qur'an or studying medicine, whether you are an English teacher or a Qur'an teacher, whether you are helping in a refugee camp or feeding a stray cat, or doing anything else, whether considered as religious or mundane, big or small, it is important that you are doing it for the sake of Allah, seeking His pleasure. If you do that you are on the road to success inshaAllah.

The more complete sincerity becomes, the more the person is upright. We are prone to making mistakes, and we may find that sometimes our intentions are mixed; sometimes there may not be an apparent intention behind whatever act we are doing. That is why we need to always aspire to be of the sincere.

May Allah make us among those who are sincere and grant us tawfiq. Ameen.

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

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Saturday, April 26, 2014

Let's Memorize Today -- Prophetic Supplication #10 -- seek refuge from hunger, worst companion etc

Who Is Proud?

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

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Some people become proud when they can do something, when they have something, or when they accomplished something, forgetting how small they are in front of the Creator, Al-Aziz Al-Mutakabbir (The Almighty, The Supreme, The Majestic), forgetting they were once a thing unremembered.

Allah Almighty says,

هَلْ أَتَىٰ عَلَى ٱلْإِنسَـٰنِ حِينٌ مِّنَ ٱلدَّهْرِ لَمْ يَكُن شَيْـًٔا مَّذْكُورًا ﴿١﴾ إِنَّا خَلَقْنَا ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ مِن نُّطْفَةٍ أَمْشَاجٍ نَّبْتَلِيهِ فَجَعَلْنَـٰهُ سَمِيعًۢا بَصِيرًا

Has there [not] come upon man a period of time when he was not a thing [even] mentioned? (1) Indeed, We created man from a sperm-drop mixture that We may try him; and We made him hearing and seeing. (2)

[Qur'an, Al-Insan 76:1-2]

We should remind ourselves in everything we do only to Allah belong the absolute pride.

هُوَ ٱللَّـهُ ٱلَّذِى لَآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ٱلْمَلِكُ ٱلْقُدُّوسُ ٱلسَّلَـٰمُ ٱلْمُؤْمِنُ ٱلْمُهَيْمِنُ ٱلْعَزِيزُ ٱلْجَبَّارُ ٱلْمُتَكَبِّرُ ۚ سُبْحَـٰنَ ٱللَّـهِ عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ ﴿٢٣

He is Allah, other than whom there is no deity, the Sovereign, the Pure, the Perfection, the Bestower of Faith, the Overseer, the Exalted in Might, the Compeller, the Superior. Exalted is Allah above whatever they associate with Him. (23)

[Qur'an, Al-Hashr 59:23]

We should never be full of pride and arrogance, nor misuse our rights and privileges and look down upon others.

Allah Almighty absolutely hates arrogance and pride in His creation.

Allah Almighty says,

إِنَّ ٱللَّـهَ لَا يُحِبُّ مَن كَانَ مُخْتَالًا فَخُورًا ﴿٣٦ ...

... Surely God loves not the proud and boastful (36)

[Qur'an, An-Nisa 4:36]

وَلَا تُصَعِّرْ خَدَّكَ لِلنَّاسِ وَلَا تَمْشِ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ مَرَحًا ۖ إِنَّ ٱللَّـهَ لَا يُحِبُّ كُلَّ مُخْتَالٍ فَخُورٍ ﴿١٨﴾ وَٱقْصِدْ فِى مَشْيِكَ وَٱغْضُضْ مِن صَوْتِكَ ۚ إِنَّ أَنكَرَ ٱلْأَصْوَٰتِ لَصَوْتُ ٱلْحَمِيرِ ﴿١٩

And do not turn your cheek away from people, and do not walk on the earth haughtily. Surely, Allah does not like anyone who is arrogant, proud; (18) And be moderate in your walk, and lower your voice. Surely, the ugliest of voices is the voice of the donkeys. (19)

[Qur'an, Luqman 31:18-19]

وَيَوْمَ يُعْرَضُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ عَلَى ٱلنَّارِ أَذْهَبْتُمْ طَيِّبَـٰتِكُمْ فِى حَيَاتِكُمُ ٱلدُّنْيَا وَٱسْتَمْتَعْتُم بِهَا فَٱلْيَوْمَ تُجْزَوْنَ عَذَابَ ٱلْهُونِ بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَسْتَكْبِرُونَ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ بِغَيْرِ ٱلْحَقِّ وَبِمَا كُنتُمْ تَفْسُقُونَ ﴿٢٠

And the day the disbelievers will be presented before the Fire, (it will be said to them,) “You have consumed your good things in your worldly life, and have enjoyed them. So, you will be punished today with the torment of humiliation for the arrogance you used to show on earth with no right (to do so), and for the sins you used to commit. (20)

[Qur'an Al-Ahqaf 46:20]

ذَٰلِكُم بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَفْرَحُونَ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ بِغَيْرِ ٱلْحَقِّ وَبِمَا كُنتُمْ تَمْرَحُونَ ﴿٧٥﴾ ٱدْخُلُوٓا۟ أَبْوَٰبَ جَهَنَّمَ خَـٰلِدِينَ فِيهَا ۖ فَبِئْسَ مَثْوَى ٱلْمُتَكَبِّرِينَ ﴿٧٦

It will be said to them,) “This is because you used to rejoice on the earth wrongfully, and because you used to show arrogance. (75) Enter the gates of Hell to live in it forever. So, how evil is the abode of the arrogant. (76)

[Qur'an Ghafir 40:75-76]

The Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wassallam said that Allah, Exalted and High is He, says: ‘Pride is my Cloak, and Greatness My Robe; and he who competes with Me in respect of either of them I shall cast into Hell-fire.’ [Muslim]

The disease of pride and arrogance deletes all traces of goodness and piety. Allah will put the proud to disgrace and ill-repute (dishonor) in the Hereafter.

One of the Salaf (Pious Predecessors) said: "Indeed a servant commits a sin by which he enters Paradise; and another does a good deed by which he enters the Fire." It was asked: How is that? So he replied: "The one who committed the sin, constantly thinks about it; which causes him to fear it, regret it, weep over it and feel ashamed in front of his Lord - the Most High - due to it. He stands before Allah, broken-hearted and with his head lowered in humility. So this sin is more beneficial to him than doing many acts of obedience, since it caused him to have humility and humbleness - which leads to the servant's happiness and success - to the extent that this sin becomes the cause for him entering Paradise. As for the doer of good, then he does not consider this good a favor from his Lord Upon him. Rather, he becomes arrogant and amazed with himself, saying: I have achieved such and such, and such and such. So this further increases him in self adulation, pride and arrogance - such that this becomes the cause for his destruction."

The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam said, "Paradise and Hell (Fire) quarreled in the presence of their Lord. Paradise said, 'O Lord! What is wrong with me that only the poor and humble people enter me?' Hell (Fire) said, 'I have been favored with the arrogant people.' So Allah said to Paradise, 'You are My Mercy,' and said to Hell, 'You are My Punishment which I inflict upon whom I wish, and I shall fill both of you. (The Prophet added, "As for Paradise, (it will be filled with good people) because Allah does not wrong any of His created things, and He creates for Hell (Fire) whomever He will, and they will be thrown into it, and it will say thrice, 'Is there any more,' till Allah (will put) His Foot over it and it will become full and its sides will come close to each other and it will say, 'Qat! Qat! Qat! (Enough! Enough! Enough!)." [Bukhari]

The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam said, "Whosoever has in his heart, even a atom of pride he will not enter paradise.”

Narrated by Abdullah ibn Mas'ud, the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wassallam said: ‘He who has in his heart the weight of a mustard seed of pride shall not enter Paradise.’ A person (amongst his hearers) said: ‘O Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wassallam, Verily a person loves that his dress should be fine, and his shoes should be fine.’ He (the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam remarked: ‘Verily, Allah is Graceful and He loves Grace. Pride is disdaining the truth (out of self-conceit) and contempt for the people.’ [Sunan of Abu-Dawood]

Narrated by Jabir ibn Atik, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam said: ‘There is jealousy which Allah loves and jealousy which Allah hates. That which Allah loves is jealousy regarding a matter of doubt, and that which Allah hates is jealousy regarding something which is not doubtful. There is pride which Allah hates and pride which Allah loves. That which Allah loves is a man's pride when fighting (in the Cause of Allah) and when giving sadaqah; and that which Allah hates is pride shown by oppression or by boasting."

It is of utmost importance that we get rid of this spiritual malady, if we hold any hope of entering Paradise.

Humility is the absence of pride. We are taught to think pride is a good thing. But pride functions only when comparing others to yourself. Don’t base your self-worth on how you stack up to others. Instead, focus on yourself and how you can improve.

In their quest to be humble, people often confuse humility with false modesty. I think we’ve all been guilty of this at one time or another. When we are recognized for a great accomplishment, we act as though what we did really wasn’t that important or that big of a deal. For example, we spend many hours meticulously putting together an excellent presentation for work, and when people praise us we say, “Oh, it was just something I threw together.” We have a tendency to devalue what we’ve done under the pretense of humility. In fact, people often take on the guise of false humility for the sake of receiving more praise and adulation from others. You want people to think “Wow, he said he just threw that together! Imagine what he could do if he had spent hours on it.” When you do something well, don’t toot your own horn excessively, but truthfully acknowledge what you accomplished.

How to Practice Humility

1) Recite Ayatul Kursi after each prayer and reflect on the meanings.

ٱللَّهُ لَآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ٱلۡحَىُّ ٱلۡقَيُّومُ‌ۚ لَا تَأۡخُذُهُ ۥ سِنَةٌ۬ وَلَا نَوۡمٌ۬‌ۚ لَّهُ ۥ مَا فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٲتِ وَمَا فِى ٱلۡأَرۡضِ‌ۗ مَن ذَا ٱلَّذِى يَشۡفَعُ عِندَهُ ۥۤ إِلَّا بِإِذۡنِهِۦ‌ۚ يَعۡلَمُ مَا بَيۡنَ أَيۡدِيهِمۡ وَمَا خَلۡفَهُمۡ‌ۖ وَلَا يُحِيطُونَ بِشَىۡءٍ۬ مِّنۡ عِلۡمِهِۦۤ إِلَّا بِمَا شَآءَ‌ۚ وَسِعَ كُرۡسِيُّهُ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٲتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضَ‌ۖ وَلَا يَـُٔودُهُ ۥ حِفۡظُهُمَا‌ۚ وَهُوَ ٱلۡعَلِىُّ ٱلۡعَظِيمُ

Allah - there is no deity except Him, the Ever-Living, the Sustainer of [all] existence. Neither drowsiness overtakes Him nor sleep. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. Who is it that can intercede with Him except by His permission? He knows what is [presently] before them and what will be after them, and they encompass not a thing of His knowledge except for what He wills. His Kursi extends over the heavens and the earth, and their preservation tires Him not. And He is the Most High, the Most Great. (255) [Qur'an Al-Baqarah 2:255]

This verse is meant for us to feel we are are nothing. So we will act like someone who is nothing, remove our pride and arrogance and submit to Allah's Will. Your feelings or your sense of worth is meaningless. Look at where Iblis ended up because he wanted to follow his own sense against Allah's Will.

The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam said, "Whoever recites Ayatul Kursi after every prescribed prayer, nothing prevents him from entering Paradise except death." (An-Nasa'i)

2) Give credit where credit is due. The prideful person will take as much credit for a success as he possibly can. The humble person seeks to shine the light on all the other people who contributed to the success. No man rises on the strength of his bootstraps alone. Innate talent, a supportive family member, friend, teacher or coach always contribute somewhere down the line. Ultimately, Allah Alone gives success and nothing happens without His Will.

3) Don’t name/experience drop. Have you ever been in a conversation with a person who felt it necessary to interject how he has travelled the world, got a 4.0 in college, dines with some great person, or knows a famous person, is involved in various humanitarian or charitable organizations, at points in the conversation where such tidbits of information didn’t belong? These people are basically trying let others know how great they are. Their exaggerated sense of self-importance leads them to demand the lion’s share of attention. These people are clearly insecure; they do not think they can win the interest of others without frontloading all of their attention grabbers. A humble person can hold back on sharing his strengths. He understands that others have equally important and interesting stories to share, and his turn will come.

4) Do what’s expected, but don’t make a big deal about it.

Perform service and charity anonymously. Prideful people want everyone to know when they do a charitable act. They drop the amount of money they donated to a cause into conversation, they post pictures of their service to Facebook, and they never miss a chance to remind someone they served of their generosity towards them. They are obviously doing service for the wrong reason: to stoke their ego and gain acclamation. Real charity is not self-seeking and is done for the benefit of others, seeking solely to please Allah, for the sake of Allah. Next time you do something nice, try keeping it completely to yourself. It’s a tough test of your humility.

5) Stop one-upping people. These are people who must constantly one-up others during conversation. Whatever someone says, the one-upper must do him one better. Resist the urge to take part in these kind of contests. You usually end up humiliating yourself anyway. If you notice someone who wants to engage in this show of one-upmanship, be the better person and let him have his moment of glory.

May Allah protect us from pride and arrogance and make us among those who are grateful and humble. Ameen.

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

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Friday, April 25, 2014

Surah Kahf Day: Ending Arguments

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, out of His complete Mercy, has set forth everything we need in the Qur’an. Allah gave us many examples to explain the religion so that we may comprehend it.

But instead of understanding and taking a lesson, man argues.

Allah Almighty says,

وَلَقَدْ صَرَّفْنَا فِى هَـٰذَا ٱلْقُرْءَانِ لِلنَّاسِ مِن كُلِّ مَثَلٍ ۚ وَكَانَ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنُ أَكْثَرَ شَىْءٍ جَدَلًا ﴿٥٤

And indeed We have explained in this Qur'an every subject in various ways for the people. But man is most quarrelsome of all things. (54)

[Qur'an Al-Kahf 18:54]

Tasreef is to diversify and repeat. Tasreef is used for winds, because winds come from all directions and come again and again. Allah has presented different way, styles, and every kind of example that is necessary for them so that man can understand. Allah mentions parables, warnings, glad tidings to convey the message to mankind.

Jidaal is an argument in which two parties try to overcome each other. Jidaal is not an ordinary debate but it is a severe argument; none of the parties are willing to give up. If there is one thing mankind is good at, it is arguing.

That man is most quarrelsome has been testified through a hadith narrated by 'Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) in which the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam has been reported to have said, "On the day of Judgment, a man from among the disbelievers will be brought forth. He will be asked, 'what was your response to the messenger We had sent to you?' He will say, '0 my Lord, as for me, I did believe in You and in Your messenger too and that I obeyed him in everything I did.' Allah will say, 'here is your book of deeds before you. All this you say is not there.' This man will say, 'I do not believe in this book of deeds.' Allah will say, 'what about these angels of Ours? They used to watch you. They bear witness against you.' This man will say, 'I do not accept their testimony as well, nor do I know them, nor have I seen them while I was doing what I did.' Allah will say, 'if so, this Preserved Tablet is before you. Written here too is the same thing about you.' He will say, 'my Lord, have You granted me asylum from injustice or have you not?' Allah will say, 'Of course, you have your refuge against injustice with Us.' So then, he will say, '0 my Lord, how can I accept the verdict of those unseen witnesses I am not familiar with at all? As for me, I can only accept a witness that comes from my own person.' At that time, his mouth will be sealed, and his hands and feet will bear witness against his kufr and shirk. After that, he will be released and thrown into the Hell.

In Surah Al-Baqarah, the first example Allah mentions is the mosquito and He mentions the objection of those who hear this example, that why would Allah use a mosquito to strike a parable. The objective behind an example is to make the concept easier for understanding, and is not meant for dispute.

We can end arguments and disputes by silence. The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam promised a house in the middle of Jannah for the person who leaves an argument even if they are in the right.

May Allah save us from Hellfire. Ameen.

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

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Let's Memorize Today -- Prophetic Supplication #9 -- enough of what you make lawful

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

اللّهُمّ صَلّ عَلَى مُحَمّدٍ وَآلِ مُحَمّدٍ

Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala ali Muhammad

O Allah, send peace and blessings upon Muhammad (ﷺ) and the family of Muhammad (ﷺ)

'Ali (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: A slave who had made a contract with his master to pay for his freedom, came to me and said: "I am unable to fulfill my obligation, so help me." He said to him: "Shall I not teach you a supplication which the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) taught me? It will surely prove so effective that if you have a debt as large as a huge mountain, Allah will surely pay it for you. Say:

‏اللهم اكفني بحلالك عن حرامك، وأغنني بفضلك عمن سواك‏

Allahumm-akfini bihalalika 'an haramika, wa aghnini bifadlika 'amman siwaaka

O Allah! Grant me enough of what You make lawful so that I may dispense with what You make unlawful, and enable me by Your Grace to dispense with all but You. [At- Tirmidhi]

The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam said: "There is nothing more honorable to Allah than supplication." [Tirmidhi]

Aisha (radhiAllahu anha) said that Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wassallam said: "The deeds most loved by Allah (are those) done regularly, even if they are small." [Bukhari and Muslim]

Tawfiq.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Related Archive
Learn the Prophetic Supplications

Thursday, April 24, 2014

Bringing Out the Good in People

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

Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Most of us want to bring out the best in people, whether that’s at work or in life. Some of us have had the pleasure of knowing and working with people who we feel bring out the best in us.

Bringing out the good in people requires us to be good first.

يا معشر القراء يا ملحَ البلد - من يُصلح الملحَ إذا الملحُ فسد
O company of readers O salt of the earth - who will purify the salt if the salt is contaminated
Let other people thrive. If we can set aside our own desire to look good and instead work on being good, we’ll challenge and encourage other people to contribute and maximize all that talent to achieve the best outcome.

Demonstrate what it means to be good. "Do what I say and not what I do" is not a strategy which brings out the best in people very often.

Praise where praise is due even during a dispute. Once two of the Prophet's (Allah bless him and grant him peace) wives had a confrontation with each other in his presence. Zainab bint Jahsh (may Allah be pleased with her) started to say some harsh things to Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her). Aisha kept quiet at first as Zainab went on. Aisha spoke some words in response to Zainab, until Zainab was silenced. She mentions many of Zainab’s good qualities and praises her righteousness, “I have never seen a woman more advanced in religious piety than Zainab; more God-conscious, more truthful, more alive to the ties of blood, more generous and having more sense of self-sacrifice in practical life, and having more charitable disposition, and thus more close to God, the Exalted. She, however, lost her temper very soon, but was soon calm.” This is very important lesson because we often tend to completely overlook, ignore and undermine the positive traits of those with whom we have disagreements.

What will you do this week to both be good and to bring out the good in people?

May Allah make us of those who unlock good and lock evil. Ameen.

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

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Let's Memorize Today -- Prophetic Supplication #8 (Inspire in me guidance)

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Going To Paradise With Your Family

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

Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Despite the perfect picture families that always seem to loom over us on the media, there are many more complexities and dynamics to families than all smiles and laughter. All families are different, and all families have their own issues, but one thing we all have in common right now and forever, is Allah, Mighty and Majestic, to Whom we belong and to Him shall be the return, inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un. So put aside all your family problems, all the darkness, all the baggage, ... and imagine the beauty of being with your family in Paradise, enjoying pure pleasure together forever and ever.

Allah is giving us a beautiful message of optimism.

جَنَّـٰتُ عَدْنٍ يَدْخُلُونَهَا وَمَن صَلَحَ مِنْ ءَابَآئِهِمْ وَأَزْوَٰجِهِمْ وَذُرِّيَّـٰتِهِمْ ۖ وَٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةُ يَدْخُلُونَ عَلَيْهِم مِّن كُلِّ بَابٍ ﴿٢٣﴾ سَلَـٰمٌ عَلَيْكُم بِمَا صَبَرْتُمْ ۚ فَنِعْمَ عُقْبَى ٱلدَّارِ ﴿٢٤

Gardens of perpetual residence; they will enter them with whoever were righteous among their fathers, their spouses and their descendants. And the angels will enter upon them from every gate, [saying], (23) "Peace be upon you for what you patiently endured. And excellent is the final home." (24)

[Qur'an, Ar-Ra'd 19:23-24]

Imagine you will be someone who will be honored by Allah because of your good deeds and can lift up your whole family by the will of Allah with you to Paradise.

So, it’s time to strive to get our families to the highest Paradise with us, inshaAllah! There's no time to dwell into the negatives of our families ever! And you can do it, inshaAllah.

The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam said, "Time will pass rapidly, good deeds will decrease, ..... this world and in the Hereafter, but you people are being put to test in this issue."

Allah tests us to see who among us is best in conduct. Your family is a tremendous way to practice patience, mercy, helpfulness, generosity and other virtues with one another. The key to success is patience. Remember, Allah is with the patient one and the reward for patience is tremendous indeed -- in this life and the next. Patience is a key skill of exceptionally happy people and happy people are insanely grateful and extremely generous. May Allah grant us tawfiq.

With the right amount of work and determination, you can pass this test with flying colors and make your family life the very best in this life and the next. So, strive to develop your relationship with them and learn more about yourself and your relatives. No one's family life is perfect; but you can make yours good, so why not take the steps towards it.

1) Understand your family well. If you don't then there can be many misunderstandings and fights. Be with them whenever you can and get to know them better. A lot of families now don't get to know each other too well because they're too busy. Plan some family time, like, Islamic family games or even as little as eating dinner or folding the laundry together.

2) Hold regular creative Islamic knowledge sessions

Have at least one session a week in which you sit together, for example after dinner, and discuss an Islamic topic. Each week someone else of the family can be appointed to share their favorite ayah or hadith. Look online for fun Islamic games or quizzes. Another idea is to set shared goals: for example have a notice board and each day pick an ayah or a hadith to put on the board in the morning. All family members make it their mission to reflect that ayah during the day and act upon it as much as they can.

3) Do a Qur'an course together

Having a study buddy can greatly motivate you. Why do we always think of friends or colleagues to study together with? How beautiful would it be to study the Book of Allah and bring the message to life at home with those who are so close to you? Sign up to a Qur'an course together as a family, it will strengthen your bond and you will gain lots of reward in helping each other to something good. Also competition in results can bring excitement in your daily routine. You can hang up a chart on the wall with the progress of each family member and have a weekly reward for those who made most effort.

4) Start double-rewarding du'a habit

The Prophet salallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said: The supplication of a Muslim for his brother in his absence will certainly be answered. Every time he makes a supplication for good for his brother, the angel appointed for this particular task says: `Ameen! May it be for you, too.’ [Muslim] How often do you make du'a for your younger sister, or your older brother? Make it a habit to supplicate from the bottom of your heart for each of your brother, sister, son or daughter and mother and father. You can start by making a general du'a for all of them, key is that you try to remember to do it each day. When you have set this habit, you can make a personal du'a for each of them and even ask them which du'a they would love you to make for them. The benefits are manifold; it will strengthen your relationship (reward for keeping family ties), you will get reward for supplicating to Allah and the same du'a will be repeated for you. . . by an angel.

5) Respect your family. They are humans like you. They also have an opinion or suggestion. Sometimes it can be bad, sometimes good. Never be angry with someone's opinion, they have their opinions, and no one's perfect.

Respect your parents no matter how they treat you. Help your parents with whatever they need. Do chores around the house when asked and when not asked so that they know you care and respect them. If it bothers you that you are doing all of the work, try and talk it out or maybe write a list.

Listen to your parents and follow their rules. The rules may sound strict and unfair, but your parents have probably made those rules to help you or for a good reason. If you feel like they are unfair, ask them for an appointment to talk about the rules to help you understand them and the reason for them.

Try not to argue with your family. Work your conflicts out with your siblings. Don't have temper tantrum.

Overlook slips. The Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wassallam said, “Overlook the slips of respected people.” [Bukhari] Everybody make mistakes, including your parents. So overlook their slips.

Give them 70 excuses. Hamdun al-Qassar, one of the great early Muslims, said, “If a friend among your friends errs, make seventy excuses for them. If your hearts are unable to do this, then know that the shortcoming is in your own selves.” [Imam Bayhaqi] Why 70 Excuses? This is because the default assumption about all humans and their actions is that they are sound and free of error. This is considered our operating certainty. After this, if we find something that makes us doubt about them, we are not permitted to leave this operating certainty that they did not err for mere doubts or misgivings. Allah Most High commanded us: “Believers! Leave much doubt, for most doubt is sinful.” [Qur'an, Al-Hujurat 49.12]

Look at everyone with the eye of sincere concern (nasiha) and mercy. The Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wassallam said that, “Religion is sincere concern (ad-dinu’n nasiha).” [Muslim and Nasa'i] And, “It is only the merciful who are granted mercy by the All-Merciful. Be merciful to those on earth and the Lord of the Heavens will be merciful to you.” And, “None of you believes until they wish for others as they wish for themselves.” [Abu Dawud and Tirmidhi]

Be polite. Respect also means manners. Being family doesn't mean you can omit the greetings of peace (assalaamu alaykum) with one another, or saying 'please', 'thank you', jazakAllahu khairan, or any other expression of thankfulness and gratitude. If your younger siblings don't seem to remember this, try and remind them, so they too will see how important being polite is, and don't talk back. Respecting people doesn't just mean being nice to them. Talking back, rolling your eyes, smacking your lips - these responses are bad for all relationships, not just family.

If you get punished, accept it and don't make a fuss. You have done something wrong, so you have to take the consequences. Be mature and just get on with it, for example if you are grounded or certain privileges taken away, don't cross the boundaries and it will be over and done with sooner than you think.

Be the responsible one around the house. If a sibling won't clean up something, do it. It will show them you are the responsible child and you basically deserve more.

Last but not the least, think of all the things you love about this unique family of yours. Everyone has their own unique traits, respect that. Remind yourselves that manners, love and respect is the key to every healthy relationship.

6) Give time. No one wants to be ignored just for some meeting or work. Give time to each and every one of them so you can understand every individual properly and this can prevent any misunderstandings in the future.

7) Treat everyone as equal. Whether he/she is your first born or middle born or last born child, your older brother/sister or your younger brother/sister, they all deserve love and affection from you. Treat everyone like you would want to be treated, and getting along with your family should be easy.

8) Never scream or shout at anyone. This can create hatred for you in their hearts. By simply making them understand can do a lot. Why waste energy when you can do it calmly? Try not to fight with your siblings. Fighting can tear your relationship apart and you'll regret it when you get older. Treasure the time you have with your siblings, you can't get it back.

Realize that things can be handled well at all times; it's just a matter of what kind of attitude you put into it. Take deep breaths.

Get away from situations where your anger might get the better of you, such as when someone is teasing you. Ignore the other person and walk away. If you must, do this a few times until the person gets the hint that you will not tolerate it. It's okay to use your words or body language to tell somebody you will not tolerate how they are treating you, as long as you respond to them in a calm and matter of fact manner, without being overtly hurtful or trying to embarrass them as they have you. It's never okay to hit somebody for making fun of you.

Realize that no one likes to be around people who get angry easily, and act abusive. The only way you can change the situation is by starting with yourself.

Be considerate of others, and ultimately, yourself. The way you react will ultimately affect your surroundings. If you have to rebuke someone for doing something wrong, you can always do it calmly, in a private place. This method is always better for everyone in the long run.

If you are angry and you are standing, sit down; if you are sitting, lie down. Say, a'udhubillahi minash-shaytaanir-rajeem (I seek refuge with Allah from the accursed shaytan)

Remember, 5 seconds stand between you and logic. Count to 5, and remember that logic always beats anger.

Stop talking to that person for a few minutes to whom you are angry and take deep breath around 5-7 times. Try breathing slowly in through your nose, and out through your mouth. This will calm you down.

Think about the good things that person has done for you. What bad have you done to them? Chances are, you've done at least something to them to make them resentful towards you. Make sure you have a clear conscience-then speak.

Remember that your temper can ruin your life. When your eyes are opened it might be too late, so try to control your anger and follow the above steps. It will definitely get you away from tension.

Take wudu' (ablution), you will feel a bit calmer and you will feel much better if you follow it up with a 2-cycle prayer.

Don't say hurtful things. Saying hurtful things could be very risky and dangerous and it can hurt someone's heart, so remember to stay calm when you feel hyper. "Say good or remain silent."

9) Never discriminate.

10) Learn to compromise. When you or someone else in your family wants the total opposite of each other, find a way to work it out to give you all what you want.

11) Help each other. When you see your sibling or parent needs help, help them. Doing little things such as holding the door for them, or helping someone with homework.

12) Organizing surprise parties, celebrating any individual's achievements and giving regular gifts can really help.

13) Avoid using offensive and abusive words against each other.

14) Sometimes teenagers can feel sad or lonely. First ask them about it and if they don't want to share then its OK. If you think that something is really bad, ask their close friends and help him/her.

15) Never ever break any promise. This can hurt them or make them feel that you are a liar and every time will break promises.

16) Learn to forgive. There is nothing too big for Allah to forgive us. Allah is Al-Ghaffur Ar-Rahim. So why not do the same for your family?

17) Don't scold too much. Scolding can be good for them but never overdo it.

18) Make them realize in an easy way. If someone in your family has done something wrong or have betrayed your trust, make them realize their mistake in an easy way.

Remember, dutifulness to kinship is one of the greatest and loftiest good deeds that bring one closer to Allah.

Allah Almighty says,

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّاسُ ٱتَّقُوا۟ رَبَّكُمُ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَكُم مِّن نَّفْسٍ وَٰحِدَةٍ وَخَلَقَ مِنْهَا زَوْجَهَا وَبَثَّ مِنْهُمَا رِجَالًا كَثِيرًا وَنِسَآءً ۚ وَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّـهَ ٱلَّذِى تَسَآءَلُونَ بِهِۦ وَٱلْأَرْحَامَ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّـهَ كَانَ عَلَيْكُمْ رَقِيبًا ﴿١

O mankind! Be dutiful to your Lord, Who created you from a single person (Adam), and from him (Adam) He created his wife [Hawwa (Eve)], and from them both He created many men and women; and fear Allah through Whom you demand (your mutual rights), and (do not cut the relations of) the wombs (kinship). Surely, Allah is Ever an All-Watcher over you. (1) [Qur'an An-Nisa 4:1]

Avoid the punishment that Allah imposes on those who do not fulfill their duties to the kith and kin.

Allah Almighty says,

In a hadith reported by Al-Bukhari and Muslim, Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that Allah's Messenger, prayers and peace of Allah be upon him, said, “Allah created the creatures, and when He had finished, kinship stood up and said, 'This is the standing up of one who seeks Your Protection from being cut off.' Allah said, 'Yes. Would it not please you if I were to take care of those who take care of you and cut off those who cut you off?' It said, 'Of course.' Allah said, 'Then, your prayer in granted ...'”.

[Qur'an Muhammad 47:22-23]

May Allah bring our families together and gather us all together in eternal bliss of the highest Jannah, gazing upon His Noble Countenance. Ameen.

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

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Let's Memorize Today -- Prophetic Supplication #7 -- direct our hearts to Your obedience

Tuesday, April 22, 2014

Love For The Sake of Allah

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

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

After the grave of our deceased friend (may Allah have mercy on him) was covered and talqin (instructing the deceased) ended and people started to leave, a group of us who stayed behind, gathered around the grave to make du'a led by one of the brothers, an Imam of masjid. He began with a few striking words that should make everyone stop and asked himself/herself -- "Do I really love this person for the sake of Allah?". The Imam said: "If you really love this brother, make sincere du'a for him now."

In this life we utter various words to indicate our love for someone ("I love you, I love you for the sake of Allah, ...), but do we really know what love is? How many of those people we claim we love who are now deceased (perhaps your mother, your father, your brother/sister, your best friend...) that we make du'a for them on daily basis? This is the real test of our love for them and for the sake of Allah.

Abu Hurairah (radhiAllahu anhu) reported: The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said, "Seven are (the persons) whom Allah will give Shade of His Thrown on the Day when there would be no shade other than His Throne's Shade: A just ruler; a youth who grew up worshipping Allah; a man whose heart is attached to mosques; two persons who love and meet each other and depart from each other for the sake of Allah; a man whom an extremely beautiful woman seduces (for illicit relation), but he (rejects this offer by saying): `I fear Allah'; a man who gives in charity and conceals it (to such an extent) that the left hand does not know what the right has given; and a person who remembers Allah in solitude and his eyes well up".
[Bukhari and Muslim].

Sayyiduna Anas (radhiAllahu anhu)) relates that the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said, 'Anyone who possesses three attributes will experience the sweetness of faith (iman): that he loves Allah and His Messenger more than anything else; that he loves someone for the sake of Allah alone; and that he hates the idea of reverting to disbelief, after Allah has released him from it, as much as he would hate being thrown into fire.' [Bukhari and Muslim]

Loving for the sake of Allah means one loves an individual simply because of the connection he holds with Allah; either because he worships Allah and is doing something to further the deen of Allah, or, even more praiseworthy, merely because he is from the creation of Allah. There is no worldly motive behind this love such as a favor done by him, and is not subject to any fluctuation. As such, it is not increased by the character and kindness of the one loved and not decreased by his shortcomings.

Abu Karima al-Miqdad ibn Ma'dikarib (radhiAllahu anhu) relates that the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said, 'When a man loves his brother, he should inform him that he loves him.' (Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi)

As such, it is a Prophetic recommendation to inform the person one loves for the sake of Allah of this love, since this will increase their mutual love and strengthen the bond of brotherhood. It is also good to disclose that this love is for Allah's sake alone, and not because of any worldly gain or motive.

Anas ibn Malik said: A man passed the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم who was in the company of some people, so a man from those with him said, 'Indeed I love that person for Allah's sake.' So the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم said, ' Have you informed him?' He said, 'No.' He (the Messenger of allah) said,' Go to him and inform him.' So he went and informed him, so he replied, 'May the One for whose sake you have loved me love you.' Then he returned and the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم asked him and he told him what he had said. So the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم said, 'You will be with the one whom you have loved and there will be for you the reward that you hoped for.'[Abu Dawud, Ahmad, al-Haakim, and others]

In light of this practice of the Companion (radhiAllahu anhu), if one is informed by someone that they love one for the sake of Allah (uhibbuka fi-Allah), one should respond by saying, 'ahabbakalladhi ahbabtani lahu,' meaning may Allah Most high, for the sake of Whom you have love for me, love you. It is a way of reciprocating them for their love and making Du'a for them, Insha Allah.

The Du'a for those you love does not end at their death but should continue until your death, and inshaAllah those people who said they love you will make du'a for you until they die, and their children will continue to do same.

"None of you are true believers until you love for your brother what you love for yourself."

It was narrated from ‘Asim al-Ahwal that ‘Abdullah ibn Sarjis said: I saw the Prophet (peace an blessings of Allah be upon him) and I ate bread and meat with him – or he said: thareed. He (the narrator) said: I said to him: Did the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) pray for forgiveness for you? He said: Yes, and for you. Then he recited this verse:

فَٱعْلَمْ أَنَّهُۥ لَآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا ٱللَّـهُ وَٱسْتَغْفِرْ لِذَنۢبِكَ وَلِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَٱلْمُؤْمِنَـٰتِ ۗ وَٱللَّـهُ يَعْلَمُ مُتَقَلَّبَكُمْ وَمَثْوَىٰكُمْ ﴿١٩

So know, [O Muhammad], that there is no deity except Allah and ask forgiveness for your sin and for the believing men and believing women. And Allah knows of your movement and your resting place. (19)

[Qur'an, Muhammad 47:19]

رَبَّنَا ٱغْفِرْ لِى وَلِوَٰلِدَىَّ وَلِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ يَوْمَ يَقُومُ ٱلْحِسَابُ ﴿٤١

Our Lord! Forgive me, and my parents, and all the believers, on the Day on which the Reckoning will be established. [Qur'an, Ibrahim 14:41]

رب اغفر لي ولوالدي وللمؤمنين والمؤمنات والمسلمين والمسلمات الأحياء منهم والأموات إلى يوم الدين

Our Lord, forgive me, and my parents, and the believing men and women and the Muslim men and women, from the living and the dead until the Day of Judgment.

Ameen.

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

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Let's Memorize Today -- Prophetic Supplication #6 -- make my heart steadfast in Your religion

Monday, April 21, 2014

If You Think You Are Somebody

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
Assalaamu alaykum

I pray that you are well.

Just look up to the skies and see what's up there -- it is tremendous. Imagine if we can see what is beyond the sky. It is something more tremendous beyond our imagination.

All that is known of the universe, including what we can see, is within what is called the lowest heaven (part of the temporary world).

All the stars are located within the lowest heaven and we haven't been able to reach to the end of the creation of the stars. So it is a vast creation. Above it is six more heavens and above it is Bait-ul-Ma'mur and above it is Sidratul Muntaha, a lote tree which marks the end of the heavens. Beyond that is another world -- Paradise with rivers emanating from it, the Throne of Allah, the Footstool (Kursi).

The lowest heaven, which we are in, compared to the one above it is like a ring in the desert, and the second compared to the third is like a ring in the desert, and on and on until we get to the seventh heaven. The seventh heaven compared to the Kursi is like a ring in the desert. All the world we know today is within the seventh heaven as Allah Almighty says,

إِنَّا زَيَّنَّا ٱلسَّمَآءَ ٱلدُّنْيَا بِزِينَةٍ ٱلْكَوَاكِبِ ﴿٦

Indeed, We have adorned the nearest heaven with an adornment of stars (6)

[Qur'an As-Saffat 37:6]

How insignificant what we can see as compared to what is out there! And imagine how much more insignificant we are on the ground!

The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam said that the skies are moaning and they are justified in moaning because every space equivalent to four fingers there are angels bowing down in ruku' or prostrating in sujud worshipping Allah Almighty. Then, who are we compared to this massive and honorable creation of angels?

The same thing is to be said about Bait-ul-Ma'mur. So as here the Muslims will visit the Ka'ba in Bait-ul-Allah in Makkah, the angels will visit Bait-ul-Ma'mur. The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam said that Bait-ul-Ma'mur is visited by 70,000 new angels everyday and they never come back to it again. Imagine, this has been going on for millions or billions or whatever number of years, Allah knows best. How insignificant our worship compared to the worship of these honorable creation!

You see, there is such a vast creation up there that this itself should humble us. Every time we look up to the skies it should remind ourselves of this and we humble down and don't defy Allah. Every time we think we are somebody and start to puff up, remind ourselves of this, and humble down. Only the righteous have ranks with His most honorable creation.

Allah Almighty says,

وَمَن يُطِعِ ٱللَّـهَ وَٱلرَّسُولَ فَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ مَعَ ٱلَّذِينَ أَنْعَمَ ٱللَّـهُ عَلَيْهِم مِّنَ ٱلنَّبِيِّـۧنَ وَٱلصِّدِّيقِينَ وَٱلشُّهَدَآءِ وَٱلصَّـٰلِحِينَ ۚ وَحَسُنَ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ رَفِيقًا ﴿٦٩

And whoever obeys Allah and the Messenger - those will be with the ones upon whom Allah has bestowed favor of the prophets (Nabiyyeen), the steadfast affirmers of truth (Siddiqin), the martyrs (Shuhada) and the righteous (Salihin). And excellent are those as companions. (69)

[Qur’an An-Nisa 4:69]

Bottomline, Allah does not need us. He does not need our prayers, nor our fasts, our zakat/charity, our hajj/umrah, and He does not benefit from our worship and obedience nor harm by any disobedience. He can replace each and everyone of us at any moment with nations who love Him. We are the ones who utterly need Him. We need Him in every moment of our lives -- in this world and the Hereafter. So be grateful to Him for the innumerable blessings -- for creating you, for giving you life, limbs, parents, spouses, children, intelligence, friends, technology, science, medicine, things -- tangible and non-tangible, ..., for making the other creation subservient to humans, ...

How do you show gratitude? You must use His blessings to worship Him, to attain His pleasure, and not use them to disobey Him. You must fill up your time with acts of worship, so that no period of time elapses, whether by night or by day, without being used in some act of goodness (quoting from Imam Al-Haddad's Book of Assistance).

Learn the religion of Allah (this is part of worship with sincere intention for His sake only) so you know how to worship Him. Don't delay the learning. If you can learn from a learned person, that's good, if not find somebody who are more learned than you, and if not pick up a book, but learn now. Procrastination is not an excuse. Majority of the screaming people in the Hellfire is because of their procrastination on this earth.

Allah Almighty says,

وَلَوْ تَرَىٰٓ إِذْ وُقِفُوا۟ عَلَى ٱلنَّارِ فَقَالُوا۟ يَـٰلَيْتَنَا نُرَدُّ وَلَا نُكَذِّبَ بِـَٔايَـٰتِ رَبِّنَا وَنَكُونَ مِنَ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ ﴿٢٧
بَلْ بَدَا لَهُم مَّا كَانُوا۟ يُخْفُونَ مِن قَبْلُ ۖ وَلَوْ رُدُّوا۟ لَعَادُوا۟ لِمَا نُهُوا۟ عَنْهُ وَإِنَّهُمْ لَكَـٰذِبُونَ ﴿٢٨﴾ وَقَالُوٓا۟ إِنْ هِىَ إِلَّا حَيَاتُنَا ٱلدُّنْيَا وَمَا نَحْنُ بِمَبْعُوثِينَ ﴿٢٩﴾ وَلَوْ تَرَىٰٓ إِذْ وُقِفُوا۟ عَلَىٰ رَبِّهِمْ ۚ قَالَ أَلَيْسَ هَـٰذَا بِٱلْحَقِّ ۚ قَالُوا۟ بَلَىٰ وَرَبِّنَا ۚ قَالَ فَذُوقُوا۟ ٱلْعَذَابَ بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَكْفُرُونَ ﴿٣٠﴾ قَدْ خَسِرَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا۟ بِلِقَآءِ ٱللَّـهِ ۖ حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا جَآءَتْهُمُ ٱلسَّاعَةُ بَغْتَةً قَالُوا۟ يَـٰحَسْرَتَنَا عَلَىٰ مَا فَرَّطْنَا فِيهَا وَهُمْ يَحْمِلُونَ أَوْزَارَهُمْ عَلَىٰ ظُهُورِهِمْ ۚ أَلَا سَآءَ مَا يَزِرُونَ ﴿٣١

If you could but see when they are made to stand before the Fire and will say, "Oh, would that we could be returned [to life on earth] and not deny the signs of our Lord and be among the believers." (27) But what they concealed before has [now] appeared to them. And even if they were returned, they would return to that which they were forbidden; and indeed, they are liars. (28) And they say, "There is none but our worldly life, and we will not be resurrected." (29) If you could but see when they will be made to stand before their Lord. He will say, "Is this not the truth?" They will say, "Yes, by our Lord." He will [then] say, "So taste the punishment because you used to disbelieve." (30) Those will have lost who deny the meeting with Allah, until when the Hour [of resurrection] comes upon them unexpectedly, they will say, "Oh, [how great is] our regret over what we neglected concerning it," while they bear their burdens on their backs. Unquestionably, evil is that which they bear. (31)

[Qur'an Al-An'am 6:27-31]

May Allah grant us the ability to worship Him with excellence and protect us from disobedience. Ameen.

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

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Sunday, April 20, 2014

Let's Memorize Today -- Prophetic Supplication #5 -- for good which Prophet begged

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

اللّهُمّ صَلّ عَلَى مُحَمّدٍ وَآلِ مُحَمّدٍ

Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala ali Muhammad

O Allah, send peace and blessings upon Muhammad (ﷺ) and the family of Muhammad (ﷺ)

Abu Umamah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) made many supplications which we did not memorize. We said to him: "O Messenger of Allah! You have made many supplications of which we do not remember anything." He said, "Shall I tell you a comprehensive prayer? Say:

اللهم إني أسألك من خير ما سألك منه نبيك محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم، وأعوذ بك من شر ما استعاذ منه نبيك محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم، وأنت المستعان، وعليك البلاغ، ولا حول ولا قوة إلا بالله‏

'Allahumma inni as'aluka min khairi ma sa'alaka minhu nabiyyuka Muhammadun sallallahu 'alaihi wa sallam. Wa 'a'udhu bika min sharri mas-ta'adha minhu nabiyyuka Muhammadun sallallahu 'alaihi wa sallam. Wa Antal-Musta'anu, wa 'alaikal-balaghu, wa la hawla wa la quwwata illa billah

O Allah, I beg to You the good which Your Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) begged of You; and I seek refuge in You from the evil where from Your Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) sought refuge. You are the One from Whom help is sought and Your is the responsibility to communicate (the truth). There is no power or strength except with Allah the Exalted, the Great."'

[At- Tirmidhi]

The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam said: "There is nothing more honorable to Allah than supplication." [Tirmidhi]

Aisha (radhiAllahu anha) said that Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wassallam said: "The deeds most loved by Allah (are those) done regularly, even if they are small." [Bukhari and Muslim]

Tawfiq.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Related Archive
Learn the Prophetic Supplications

If You Have Children

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

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Parents, do you know where your children are?

I started watching a youtube video of a lecture by a famous da'i (caller to Islam) but I couldn't bring myself to watch the entire video. The graphics were too scary. How could they not be scary -- they all telling us how the moral fiber in this Muslim country is going down the dungeons. What glaring was some newspaper clippings reported a growing number of teenaged suicides, baby killings by unwed mothers, over 200000 children registered as out-of-wedlock children, and some scenes caught of youths orgies, mixed genders smoking and drinking parties and in them some girls with hijab, rather semi-hijab.

There is no other way to remedy this situation other than people start living Islam. The need for spiritual and moral education is amply demonstrated by the ills within our society. As we move more into a materialistic frame of mind we totally neglect our spiritual side leading to more disruptions within our personal and social lives. Society breaks down; the family unit breaks down as people become more distant. People rely on fantasy and entertainment, alcohol and drugs to drown out every remembrance and need of the soul inside us.

It is the duty of parents to protect their children from the Fire of Hell by teaching them Allah’s commands and prohibitions and Islamic manners (adab). It is the right of children to be brought up in accordance with the guidelines of Islam. Parents bear the brunt of the blame if their children turning out to be wild and unIslamic. So we should take heed and take what is happening out there to other people's families and children as a huge warning for us.

All the money we are accumulating by working day and night so we can buy things, to keep up with technology and trend, so we can buy our children new smartphones, iPad, car, brand clothes/shoes, etc, so we can pay for their special (educational) camps or for this lesson and that lesson, so we can take them on regular vacations, won't do our children and us any good, if they wind up in bad company and be like those kids, lost. May Allah protect our families from His wrath.

Remember, in the Day of Judgment everybody will come after those people that are owed rights to them. Parents who did not fulfill the rights of their children will run away from their children, trying to save themselves from the consequences of this reality.

Allah Almighty says,

يَوْمَ يَفِرُّ ٱلْمَرْءُ مِنْ أَخِيهِ ﴿٣٤﴾ وَأُمِّهِۦ وَأَبِيهِ ﴿٣٥﴾ وَصَـٰحِبَتِهِۦ وَبَنِيهِ ﴿٣٦

On the Day a man will flee from his brother (34) And his mother and his father (35) And his wife and his children, (36)

[Qur'an Abasa 80:34-36]

ا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا قُوا أَنفُسَكُمْ وَأَهْلِيكُمْ نَارًا وَقُودُهَا النَّاسُ وَالْحِجَارَةُ عَلَيْهَا مَلَائِكَةٌ غِلَاظٌ شِدَادٌ لَّا يَعْصُونَ اللَّـهَ مَا أَمَرَهُمْ وَيَفْعَلُونَ مَا يُؤْمَرُونَ ﴿٦﴾ يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لَا تَعْتَذِرُوا الْيَوْمَ ۖ إِنَّمَا تُجْزَوْنَ مَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ ﴿٧

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) O you who have disbelieved, make no excuses that Day. You will only be recompensed for what you used to do. (7)

[Qur'an At-Tahrim 66:6-7]

Parents should strive to cultivate in their children's hearts a deep love and respect for the Deen so that it is the central part of their adult life. And when they are confronted with choices, they can clearly tell the difference between right and wrong and inshaAllah act accordingly.

For those who send their children to an Islamic school or Qur'an school, you have a good head start. However, it is not sufficient to just drop off your children at the school, thinking that you have done wonders and you go about your worldly affairs. You have to take an active role in their lives. In fact your role is more important than that of the school. If you don't show an interest in what they learn, how could they? If learning is not important to you, how could it be important to them. The school teaches but you are their best models.

It is a well known fact that children do as parents do, not necessarily what they say. Children develop behaviors through observing their parents in day-to-day life. Every behavior that a parent engages in should be worthy of imitating because children will imitate it. If you go to the masjid everyday, they too will, without being told, if you accustomed them to go with you from young, and the environment is such that this is normal. If you are hanging on the phone all day, they will too. If you are gone all day, they will too. When you give them the car keys, while they have not been taught responsibilities, you have driven them away.

The Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: “Act upon the obedience to Allah and avoid the prohibitions of Allah, and order your children to abide by the commandments of Allah and to avoid the prohibitions of Allah, and by that you protect yourselves and them from the Hellfire.”

Some encouragements from the beloved Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wassallam:

"For a man to teach his child good adab is better than giving a sa (2 liters) of grain in charity."

"No father can give his child anything better than good manners." [Tirmidhi]

"Whoever desires to spite the jealous one, should teach his child good adab." Who is jealous of us? The Shaytan and his followers.

"The best of you is he who has learnt the Qu'ran and then taught it." [Bukhari]

So don't postpone your own Islamic learning so you can be a better parent. Learn the Qur'an so you can teach your children the Qur'an yourself. But if you can't yet, find a good teacher for them. Don't give yourself any more excuses for not doing it now. Start your children with Qur'an at early age. If they can sing the nursery rhymes or play on the iPad, they can start learning to recite the Qur'an. If you have missed the boat with your children, seek advice and guidance of those with knowledge.

May Allah give us the ability to be excellent parents and protect our families from all the evils of mankind and jinnkind, and make us from amongst the righteous. Ameen.

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

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Related Archives

Lost
Rights of Your Children and Honoring Them
Best Gift For Your Children
Ugly Evil Zina (Fornication, Adultery)

Let's Memorize Today -- Prophetic Supplication #4 -- du'a when in distress

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

اللّهُمّ صَلّ عَلَى مُحَمّدٍ وَآلِ مُحَمّدٍ

Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala ali Muhammad

O Allah, send peace and blessings upon Muhammad (ﷺ) and the family of Muhammad (ﷺ)

Ibn 'Abbas (May Allah be pleased with them) said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to say when he was in distress:

‏لا إله إلا الله العظيم الحليم، لا إله إلا الله رب العرش العظيم، لا إله إلا الله رب السماوات ورب العرش الكريم‏

La ilaha illallahul-Azimul-Halim. La ilaha illallahu Rabbul-'Arshil-'Azim. La ilaha illallahu Rabbus-samawati, wa Rabbul-ardi, wa Rabbul-'Arshil- Karim.

None has the right to be worshipped but Allah the Incomparably Great, the Compassionate. None has the right to be worshipped but Allah the Lord of the Mighty Throne. None has the right to be worshipped but Allah the Lord of the heavens, the Lord of the earth, and the Lord of the Honorable Throne). [Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam said: "There is nothing more honorable to Allah than supplication." [Tirmidhi]

Aisha (radhiAllahu anha) said that Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wassallam said: "The deeds most loved by Allah (are those) done regularly, even if they are small." [Bukhari and Muslim]

Tawfiq.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Related Archive
Learn the Prophetic Supplications

Saturday, April 19, 2014

Let's Memorize Today -- Prophetic Supplication #3 -- seek refuge from evil you have done and future

Ugly Evil Zina (Fornication, Adultery): Lower Your Gaze and Guard Your Modesty

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

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

وَلَا تَقْرَبُوا۟ ٱلزِّنَىٰٓ ۖ إِنَّهُۥ كَانَ فَـٰحِشَةً وَسَآءَ سَبِيلًا ﴿٣٢

And do not approach unlawful sexual intercourse. Indeed, it is ever an immorality and is evil as a way. (32)

[Qur'an, Al-Isra' 17:32]

When Allah forbids something it is for our own good to stay away from it and if we ignore His command, it will surely hurt us in this life before the next. Zina (fornication, adultery) has been forbidden. So stay far away from anything that could lead to zina at all costs.

Zina is a shame, gross and immodest. Whoever is denuded of modesty is denuded of human nobility itself and is rendered incapable of distinguishing the good from the bad. This is more succinctly said in a Hadith: "When goes your sense of shame (that could become a barrier against evil), so then, you will do what you will."

Therefore, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam declared sense of shame (haya') as a division of faith (Iman). [Bukhari]

Zina generates limitless social disorder the consequences of which sometimes destroy whole groups of people. In our day all sorts of crimes have increased. If investigated, the reason behind a lot of them would turn out to be some man or woman who did it. Though, this crime is not directly related to the rights of the servants of Allah but it may have been mentioned here as part of other rights taken up at this place for the reason that this crime is contagious. It brings other crimes along which disturb the rights of the servants of Allah through loss of lives and properties.

The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam had warned us that if fornication becomes prevalent in a culture, then prepare yourself for a wrath of Allah. And the wrath is in the children born out of wedlock. Just look at all the crimes and violence we hear everyday committed by youths. Majority of them don't know who and where their fathers are and they are filled with rage.

Children have the right to have fathers, the right to lineage. So Islam came to preserve that right through the prohibition of fornication and through the guidelines of Shari'ah and proper marriage.

Islam has the crime of zina to be more serious than any other crime. Then, it has also fixed its punishment as the harshest of all crimes because this one is a carrier of hundreds of crimes.

With the sexual imagery that is now invading our lives from just about every media outlet, many people are battling serious problems with lust. Remember, our physical bodies have not been made for sexual immorality, but have been made specifically to worship Allah alone. It is a great sin to have any kind of sexual activity outside the sanctity of marriage.

It appears in Hadith that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam said, "The heavens and the earth, the seven of them each, curse the married person who commits adultery. And the strong stench which spreads out from the private parts of such people will embarrass even the people condemned to Hell and thus there in Hell they will be suffering from the punishment of fire and disgrace both."

In another Hadith from Sayyidna Abu Hurairah, it has been reported that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam said, "A fornicator when fornicating is not a believer. A thief when stealing is not a believer. And a drunkard while drinking is not a believer." [Bukhari and Muslim] Its explanation, as it appears in the report of Abu Dawud, says: At the time those committing such crimes are practically involved in it, Iman (faith) leaves their heart and comes out, and when they turn away from it, Iman returns back in. (Mazhari)

We can learn a great lesson from the story of Barsisa, a pious worshipper of the time of Bani Israel, as what zina can do to oneself. He fell into zina because he took the first step of not lowering his gaze at a woman. One thing led to another, one sin led to another, until he committed disbelief and shirk, which what shaytan is planning for all of us to end our lives at so he can have all of children of Adam as his companions in Hell for eternity. We seek refuge with Allah from accursed Shaytan and save us from the torment of Fire.

Shaytan will never make you sin directly, he will always trick you using Waswasah and he is more patient than any of us. So we should always seek refuge in Allah from Shaytan. Never take any sin lightly, even it is considered minor. And never think you have enough knowledge or are strong enough to take on Shaytan. This is why the Scholars of Islam are the ones with the most Taqwa, fear of Allah. So reflect on the story, if Shaytan told Barsisa to prostrate to him in the beginning, Barsisa would have said no immediately, but Shaytan has a plan in hand it was a step by step policy that made Barsisa finally fell into the his tricks and commit Kufr.

Therefore, it is important to lower our gazes. It prevents the poisoned arrows (of the shaytan), which may lead to one's doom, from reaching the heart. Letting the gaze wander brings darkness to the heart, distracts and weakens the heart and keeps it far from Allah and creates alienation between a person and his Lord. There is nothing more harmful to a person than letting his gaze wander. Thus Allah Almighty orders the believers to lower their gazes.

Lower Your Gaze (from looking at forbidden things), The Order

Allah Almighty says,

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

Tell the believing men to reduce [some] of their vision and guard their private parts. That is purer for them. Indeed, Allah is Acquainted with what they do. (30)

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-Noor 24:30-31]

Narrated Abu Said Al Khudri: The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wassallam) said, "Beware! Avoid sitting on the roads." They (the people) said, "O Allah's Messenger! We can't help sitting (on the roads) as these are (our places) where we have talks." The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wassallam) said, "If you refuse but to sit, then pay the road its right." They said, "What is the right of the road, O Allah's Messenger" He said, "Lowering your gaze, refraining from harming others, returning greeting, and enjoining what is good, and forbidding what is evil." [Bukhari and Muslim]

Narrated Jabir ibn Abdullah: I asked Allah's Messenger (sallallahu alayhi wassallam) about the sudden glance (that is cast) on the face (of a non-Mahram). He commanded me that I should turn away my eyes. [Muslim]

Narrated Abu Sa'id al-Khudri: The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wassallam) said: A man should not look at the private parts of another man, and a woman should not look at the private parts of another woman. [Abu Dawood]

Narrated Abdullah: We were with the Prophet while we were young and had no wealth whatever. So Allah's Messenger said, "O young people! Whoever among you can marry, should marry, because it helps him lower his gaze and guard his modesty (i.e. his private parts from committing illegal sexual intercourse etc.), and whoever is not able to marry, should fast, as fasting diminishes his sexual power." [Muslim]

Those who are doomed in this world and in the next are only doomed because they ignore Allah's commands.

May Allah protect us and our families from disobedience and increase us in provision both spiritually and physically and make us die in complete submission to Him. Ameen.

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

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Related Archives

Hijab is for us not against us

Hijab and Covering Nakedness Properly

Dressed and Naked

Women Without Hijab

Modesty

Covering Your Body

Sacrifices

The Story of Barsisa, a Pious Worshipper

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

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

At the time of Bani Israel, there was a man in a small village, called Barsisa. He was, what you call, a monk. But he was a true Christian. He believed in Tawheed and believed Isa (peace be upon him) was a messenger of Allah. One day three brothers decided to go for Jihad. But they had a sister and they did not want to leave her alone. So they went looking for someone to take care of her. The town people suggested to leave her with Barsisa, because of his piety. So they went to him and when they asked him, he said, “I seek refuge from the cursed Shaytan” and said No! This was because he was scared of falling into sin ( due to the potential fitnah it may cause). Then Shaytan came to Barsisa in the form of Waswasah (Whisperings). Shaytan is very smart and knew Barsisa had a soft heart. So he told Barsisa, “What if they can’t find someone good and leave her with someone bad, wouldn’t that be your fault?” Now Barsisa did not realize this was Shaytan whispering in his heart, and because of his compassion for others, he decided to accept their request and help the woman.

He let her stay in a house opposite the church. He did this so that it would be easy for him to leave her her food outside the church and she could come get it herself. But after sometime, shaytan returned. This time he told Barsisa, “Why don’t you leave the food closer for her, so that people don’t see her moving back and forth alone!” Barsisa agreed and started leaving the food outside the house. But shaytan wasn’t happy with this either, so sometime later, he returned and ask Barsisa, “Why don’t you go in and leave it on the table, so that no one sees her coming out and going in alone all the time!” Again, Barsisa agreed and he started leaving the food on the table.

Then as time went by, Shaytan returned and said to him, “Why don’t you talk to her, she is all alone and has no one to talk to!” Barsisa agreed and started talking to her from behind a door (so as to screen himself). But this would lead them to almost shouting to each other to here themselves. Shaytan asked Barsisa to just go in and talk to her, and finally, he (Shaytan) had got the alone in a room. Shaytan had completed the difficult part. It wasn’t after Barsisa and the woman committed fornication. And to make things worse, she also became pregnant. As soon as the baby was born, Shaytan returned, and said to Barsisa, “What have you done? Look at the result of your evil (ie the child), get ride of the evidence otherwise the brothers will kill you!” Barsisa killed the baby and buried it in the same room the woman was in. Shaytan then told Barsisa, “Do you think you can kill the child of a woman and expect her not to tell anyone?!” and So Barsisa killed her and buried her along side the baby! He then made a fake grace outside and when her brothers returned, he informed them that she died of illness. After seeing the grave and make dua for her, they returned home and accepted Allah’s decree.

Later that night, Shaytan came to them in their dream and informed them about what Barsisa had done and where the child and their sister could be found. The brother got up upset and confused, and informed his brothers of the dream, and they both said they had the same dream. So they believed that it must be true, and when and dug up the fake grave and found it empty. They then dug the placed shaytan showed them in the dream and found the child and woman!

Furious, the brothers took Barsisa to the Leader to get his punishment. Barsisa knew that he would be given the death penalty. Shaytan came to Barsisa again, for the final time this time. This time he revealed himself and told him he was the one whispering the thoughts to him. And he said that he could save Barsisa, and as long as Barsisa makes sujood to him! Barsisa, out of desperation prostrated to him , this confirmed his Kufr (disbelief) and Shaytan said to him “I am free of you, I fear Allah, the Lord of the ‘Alamîn (mankind, jinns and all that exists)!” and left Barsisa was stoned to death and on the day of judgement he will be resurrected prostrating to Shaytan!

So look how shaytan tricked him. He came to him as a friend, but was in fact his biggest enemy.

كَمَثَلِ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنِ إِذْ قَالَ لِلْإِنسَـٰنِ ٱكْفُرْ فَلَمَّا كَفَرَ قَالَ إِنِّى بَرِىٓءٌ مِّنكَ إِنِّىٓ أَخَافُ ٱللَّـهَ رَبَّ ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ ﴿١٦

(Their allies deceived them) like Shaytan (Satan), when he says to man: "Disbelieve in Allah." But when (man) disbelieves in Allah, Shaytan (Satan) says: "I am free of you, I fear Allah, the Lord of the 'Alamin (mankind, jinn and all that exists)!" (16)

[Qur'an, Al-Hashr 59:16]

Shaytan will never make you sin directly, he will always trick you using Waswasah (whisperings) and he is more patient than any of us. So we should always seek refuge in Allah from Shaytan. Never think you have enough knowledge or are strong enough to take on Shaytan. This is why the scholars of Islam are the ones with the most taqwa, fear of Allah. So reflect on the story, if Shaytan told Barsisa to prostrate to him in the beginning, Barsisa would have said no immediately, but Shaytan has a plan in hand it was a step by step policy that made Barsisa finally fell into the his tricks and commit Kufr.

We seek refuge with Allah from the accursed Shaytan. May Allah protect our Iman and make us die in complete submission to Him. Ameen.

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

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Friday, April 18, 2014

Let's Memorize Today -- Prophetic Supplication #2 -- asking for Allah's love

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

اللّهُمّ صَلّ عَلَى مُحَمّدٍ وَآلِ مُحَمّدٍ

Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala ali Muhammad

O Allah, send peace and blessings upon Muhammad (ﷺ) and the family of Muhammad (ﷺ)

Abu Darda' (radhiAllahu anhu): The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "One of Prophet Dawud's supplications was:

‏اللهم إني أسألك حبك، وحب من يحبك، والعمل الذي يبلغني حبك، اللهم اجعل حبك أحب إلى من نفسي، وأهلي، ومن الماء البارد‏

Allahumma inni as'aluka hubbaka, wa hubba man yuhibbuka, wal-'amalalladhi yuballighuni hubbaka. Allahumm-aj'al hubbaka ahabba ilayya min nafsi, wa ahli, wa minal-ma'il-baridi

O Allah! I ask You for Your Love, the love of those who love You, and deeds which will cause me to attain Your Love. O Allah! Make Your Love dearer to me than myself, my family and the cold water

[At-Tirmidhi]

The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam said: "There is nothing more honorable to Allah than supplication." [Tirmidhi]

Aisha (radhiAllahu anha) said that Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wassallam said: "The deeds most loved by Allah (are those) done regularly, even if they are small." [Bukhari and Muslim]

Tawfiq.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Related Archive
Learn the Prophetic Supplications

Surah Kahf Day: Attracting Allah's Help and Support

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,

وَٱصْبِرْ نَفْسَكَ مَعَ ٱلَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ رَبَّهُم بِٱلْغَدَوٰةِ وَٱلْعَشِىِّ يُرِيدُونَ وَجْهَهُۥ ۖ وَلَا تَعْدُ عَيْنَاكَ عَنْهُمْ تُرِيدُ زِينَةَ ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا ۖ وَلَا تُطِعْ مَنْ أَغْفَلْنَا قَلْبَهُۥ عَن ذِكْرِنَا وَٱتَّبَعَ هَوَىٰهُ وَكَانَ أَمْرُهُۥ فُرُطًا ﴿٢٨

And keep yourself patient [by being] with those who call upon their Lord in the morning and the evening, seeking His countenance. And let not your eyes pass beyond them, desiring adornments of the worldly life, and do not obey one whose heart We have made heedless of Our remembrance and who follows his desire and whose affair is ever [in] neglect. (28)

[Qur'an, Al-Kahf 18:28]

When the Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam began calling to Islam, his followers were mainly of the poor and when the Quraysh would enter his gathering, they would demand that the poor leave the gathering. The Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam may have inclined to send them away to bring the Quraysh closer to Islam, but Allah forbids it even though the Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam had a good intention of doing so.

The chief of Makkah, 'Uyainah had paid a visit to the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam. Sitting there with him was Sayyidna Salman al-Farisi radhiAllahu anhu, one of the poor companions. His dress was tattered and his looks, that of a derwish. There were some other poor and humble people like him sitting within the gathering. 'Uyainah said, 'these are the people who stop us from coming to you and listening to you. We cannot sit with such broken-down people. You should remove them from your gathering, or you should, at the least, have one separate gathering for us and another, for them." The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam was advised that he should not have poor and broken-down Muslims as those close to him. Instead of that, he should prefer to have the chiefs of Makkah and the Quraysh tribe with him. If these people embraced the religion brought by him, it will advance the cause of religion.

Pursuant to events of this nature, came the Divine instruction that firmly stopped him from accepting their advice. Not only that he should not remove them from his company, in fact, he should attend to and relate to these very people, seeking their advice in essential matters and working in association with them alone.

In this verse, Allah tells us whose company we should keep: مَعَ ٱلَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ رَبَّهُم بِٱلْغَدَوٰةِ وَٱلْعَشِىِّ يُرِيدُونَ وَجْهَهُۥ - with those who call upon their Lord in the morning and the evening, seeking His countenance. This is an exclusive quality of the righteous - they remember Allah under all conditions and what they do is exclusively for the good pleasure of Allah. All these conditions around them are conditions that attract the help and support of Allah. Such are the people to whom comes the help of Allah.

Allah mentions two specific times in this ayah: الْغَدَاةِ- which is the time of fajr until sunrise. The believers call upon Allah specifically during this time. They are the ones who pray fajr on time after the adhaan and sits after praying in remembrance. الْعَشِيِّ- which is the time between 'asr and sunset. This time is also a time to remember Allah.

What is the relationship between these two times? It’s the rush hour! In the morning, we are busy preparing breakfast and get ready for work or school or help our parents/siblings/children with their needs and in the evening we are winding up our days work. These two times are difficult to remember Allah, but the righteous spend this time to remember Allah despite the fact that there is so much going on around them.

Do you use your morning and evenings to remember Allah, or in seeking worldly affairs? Many of us may not have the chance to sit in the masjid in dhikr, but even if we are busy with some matters, at least keep your tongue moist with His remembrance.

Allah Almighty alerts us in the beginning of the verse, وَاصْبِرْ نَفْسَكَ , and be patient with yourself, hold yourself. Sabr (patience) is not only when a difficulty or calamity occurs, but keeping with righteous company and continuing with the remembrance of Allah requires sabr.

Allah Almighty says, وَلَا تَعْدُ عَيْنَاكَ عَنْهُمْ تُرِيدُ زِينَةَ الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا - [and do not let your eyes pass beyond them, desiring adornments of the worldly life.] The Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam did not desire the dunya, but this part of the ayah is a reminder to not be impressed by the nobility and wealth of those of high status but to remain with those who remember Allah.

Allah Almighty compares those who call upon Him (they make du'a) and those who seek the glamor of this worldly life, because no one can have both at the same time – you are either from those who remember Allah, or of those who seek the dunya.

It is not enough for us to be with good company, but we must leave the bad company as well. Allah Almighty instructs us to avoid those people who do not have any interest in the remembrance of Allah and follow their desires. Following one’s desires leads to their affairs being fruitless because there is no purpose or goal. Moreover, being in gatherings where there is no mention of Allah -- musical concerts, theaters, ball games, hookah-shisha places, arcades, etc -- decreases one’s Iman (Faith), because a heart without His remembrance is like a fish out of water and those who remember other than Allah in their gatherings are prone to sinning – such as indulging in backbiting and slander -- and worldly because our nafs (lower self) naturally incline to the adornment of this life. The chiefs of Makkah were heedless of the remembrance of Allah; everything they did was subservient to their physical desires, and these conditions guaranteed that they stood alienated far from the mercy and support of Allah.

The righteous lives a conscious life, they are not heedless, from morning to night they are conscious of what they are doing and they have their goal and purpose. Ashaabul Kahf had a goal in their life, to seek Allah’s pleasure, and they acted upon this goal and Allah granted them success.

The Messenger of Allah sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam is being addressed in this ayah, showing us that our company does affect each and every one of us. If the Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam is being instructed with the company he should keep, then what of us?

Keeping righteous company is mentioned after the story of Ashaabul Kahf is of significance. Ashaabul Kahf chose to be amongst the group who remember Allah and not of those who seek the dunya (world). Indeed, our next life depends on our company. If we chose righteous companions, we will be amongst them in the hereafter.

Allah Almighty is giving us a direction in this verse: He, the Exalted, is guiding us to what is best for us and instructing us about what to avoid. The righteous attracts Allah's help and support in this life and the next, and in the hereafter -- "you will be with those you love." So if you love the righteous, then you will be in their company on that Day when a man would flee from his brother and his mother and his father and his wife and his children - (Qur'an, Abasa 80:34-35].

إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَعَمِلُوا۟ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِ إِنَّا لَا نُضِيعُ أَجْرَ مَنْ أَحْسَنَ عَمَلًا ﴿٣٠

Indeed, those who have believed and done righteous deeds - indeed, We will not allow to be lost the reward of any who did well in deeds. (30)

[Qur'an, Al-Kahf 18:30]

May Allah protect us from bad company and heedlessness and grant us righteous company and steadfastness and make righteous deeds beloved to us and grant us victory over the disbelieving people. Ameen.

Have a blessed Friday.

اللّهُمّ صَلّ عَلَى مُحَمّدٍ وَآلِ مُحَمّدٍ
Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala ali Muhammad.

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

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

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