The World, A Showroom of The Hereafter With Sample Displays

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

Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

People tend to be consumed by their immediate condition and puts all concerns of the past and future out of their minds. They take the present as everything, don't bother to refer to the past or show concern for the future. Therefore, a suffering after a blessing makes the person lose hope and slide into ungratefulness. They never think that Allah who blessed them before could bless them again.

Similarly, if one gets comfort after suffering, then he, rather than recall his past suffering, turn to Allah and be grateful to Him, starts waxing more proud and arrogant. He forgets his past and goes about thinking that Allah's blessings were his right, that he has to have these, and that he remains under the impression that this was how he would continue for the rest of his life. It just doesn't occur to him that the way the days of suffering did not continue any more, the same thing could happen to the days of comfort and they too could vanish.

Allah Almighty says,

وَلَئِنْ أَذَقْنَا ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ مِنَّا رَ‌حْمَةً ثُمَّ نَزَعْنَـٰهَا مِنْهُ إِنَّهُۥ لَيَـُٔوسٌ كَفُورٌ‌ۭ ﴿٩﴾ وَلَئِنْ أَذَقْنَـٰهُ نَعْمَآءَ بَعْدَ ضَرَّ‌آءَ مَسَّتْهُ لَيَقُولَنَّ ذَهَبَ ٱلسَّيِّـَٔاتُ عَنِّىٓ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ لَفَرِ‌حٌ فَخُورٌ‌ ﴿١٠﴾ إِلَّا ٱلَّذِينَ صَبَرُ‌وا۟ وَعَمِلُوا۟ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ لَهُم مَّغْفِرَ‌ةٌ وَأَجْرٌ‌ۭ كَبِيرٌ‌ۭ ﴿١١

And if We give man a taste of mercy from Us and then We withdraw it from him, indeed, he is despairing and ungrateful. (9) But if We give him a taste of favor after hardship has touched him, he will surely say, "Bad times have left me." Indeed, he is exultant and boastful - (10) Except for those who are patient and do righteous deeds; those will have forgiveness and great reward. (11)

[Qur'an, Hud 11:9-11]

The real blessing and suffering is in the Hereafter. Neither is the comfort of the mortal world the whole of it, nor is its suffering the whole of it. They should be taken at the level of tasting and sampling so that human beings could have some idea of the blessings and sufferings of the Hereafter. So, neither are the comforts of this world something to be happy about unnecessarily, nor are its sufferings something to grieve about too much. This whole world is only a showroom of the Hereafter with sample displays of comfort and suffering.

The Qur'an brings lesson-oriented events of the past into sharp focus for heedless person to see things in this perspective and have a little concern for what would happen to them in the future. The lesson they teach is: Ponder over the changing conditions of the universe you are in and get to know the power working behind these.

A perfect human being is one who is able to perceive the hidden Power behind every change, revolution, sorrow and comfort, ignore their transitory phases, dismiss their material causes as the sole explanation. The mark of an intelligent person is that he looks at the originator or causer of causes more than he would look at causes, and it is with Him alone that he would relate to as firmly as possible.

People who are not affected by common human frailty have two qualities: Sabr (patience) and al-'Amal as-Salih (good deeds).

The word: (sabr) is used to convey a much wider range of meanings in the Arabic language, much wider than conveyed by its translation as 'patience' in English. The real meaning of sabr is to tie, check, stop or hold back. In the terminology of the Qur'an and Sunnah, to hold the desiring human self back from going for the impermissible is Sabr. Therefore, the sense of Sabr (patience) includes abstention from all sins and doings counter to the dictates of the Shari'ah and al-'Amal as-Salih (good deeds) covers all that is obligatory (fard), necessary (wajib), Sunnah and recommended (mustahabb).

People who are not affected by common human weaknesses are those who have faith in Allah and fear the reckoning of the Day of Judgment. They are those who abstain from everything disliked by Allah and His Messenger (sallallahu alayhi wassallam) and race towards every deed that brings the pleasure of Allah and nearness to Him.

This Ramadhan, avoid sins and anything that could lead to them. Put aside a big chunk of your time daily with the Qur'an -- recite it, teach it and keep learning it.

May Allah increase us in iman and grant us sabr. Ameen.

And Allah alone grant success.

Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wassallam.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Strive For Excellence In Ramadhan

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

Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Human beings are not all alike. Among them there are those who believe and have faith. And among the latter, there is someone who is the best in deeds. And it goes without saying that, among the progeny of Adam (alayhissalaam), the best in deeds is our Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wassallam), who is the best model for humankind until the Last Day.

Allah Almighty says,

... وَهُوَ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَ‌ٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْ‌ضَ فِى سِتَّةِ أَيَّامٍ وَكَانَ عَرْ‌شُهُۥ عَلَى ٱلْمَآءِ لِيَبْلُوَكُمْ أَيُّكُمْ أَحْسَنُ عَمَلًا

And He is the One who created the heavens and the earth in six days and His Throne was on water so that He might test you as to who among you is best in deed...

[Qur'an, Hud 11:7]

ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَ ٱلْمَوْتَ وَٱلْحَيَو‌ٰةَ لِيَبْلُوَكُمْ أَيُّكُمْ أَحْسَنُ عَمَلًا ۚ وَهُوَ ٱلْعَزِيزُ ٱلْغَفُورُ‌ ﴿٢

[He] who created death and life to test you [as to] who among you is best in deed - and He is the Exalted in Might, the Forgiving - (2)

[Qur'an, Al-Mulk 67:2]

There is something we should take note that Allah said: أَيُّكُمْ أَحْسَنُ عَمَلً (who among you is best in deed), and Allah says nothing about the number of deeds. From here we learn that Allah favors the quality of deed more than He does the abundance or profusion or frequency of good deeds such as, prayers, fasting, giving charity, reciting of Qur'an and Dhikr of Allah. This beauty or excellence of deeds has been expressed through the word: 'ihsan' in the well-known hadith of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wassallam) known as Hadith Jibreel. When the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wassallam), is asked to define ihsan, he replies: "It is to worship Allah as if you see Him, for though you do not see Him, surely He sees you."

Essentially, 'ihsan' means the doing of a deed for the good pleasure of Allah alone with no worldly motive attached to it. It is also necessary to do it in a way that is liked in the sight of Allah. This way has been demonstrated by the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wassallam) through his conduct and he has made it necessary for his community to follow his Sunnah.

The idea of ihsan is powerful, not some abstract, and the definition of ihsan, as explained by the Prophet is clear. It is the highest form of worship. It is the act of excellence defined above we must keep that as our goal in anything we undertake in this life from now on.

This Ramadhan, while we may be doing a lot of worship and doing good deeds, strive for excellence. I keep seeing youth in the masjid, doing taraweeh without proper hijab or praying sitting on chairs. Similarly, when I looked down from the upper level of the women prayer hall (to see if my sons made it to the first row behind the imam), I keep seeing able bodied men sitting on chairs to pray. Where do all these come from? It is not ignorance so much, but they see this habit from their parents and other adults and elders around them, so it didn't compel them to return to the way of the Sunnah.

We are examples of people around us especially for our children. Examples of excellence are the greatest motivator towards excellence. Most children can identify excellence in action. If we, as parents or someone people look up to, are satisfied with our mediocre work, children and people who look up to us, will absorb that as a habit. So, remember the hadith: “Verily, Allah loves that when anyone of you does a job he should perfect it" (Al-Bayhaqi). Though Allah alone is perfect, we should strive for it in all of our endeavors.

وَقِيلَ لِلَّذِينَ ٱتَّقَوْا۟ مَاذَآ أَنزَلَ رَ‌بُّكُمْ ۚ قَالُوا۟ خَيْرً‌ۭا ۗ لِّلَّذِينَ أَحْسَنُوا۟ فِى هَـٰذِهِ ٱلدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةٌ ۚ وَلَدَارُ‌ ٱلْءَاخِرَ‌ةِ خَيْرٌ‌ۭ ۚ وَلَنِعْمَ دَارُ‌ ٱلْمُتَّقِينَ ﴿٣٠﴾ جَنَّـٰتُ عَدْنٍ يَدْخُلُونَهَا تَجْرِ‌ى مِن تَحْتِهَا ٱلْأَنْهَـٰرُ‌ ۖ لَهُمْ فِيهَا مَا يَشَآءُونَ ۚ كَذَ‌ٰلِكَ يَجْزِى ٱللَّهُ ٱلْمُتَّقِينَ ﴿٣١

...For those who do good in this world is good; and the home of the Hereafter is better. And how excellent is the home of the righteous - (30) Gardens of perpetual residence, which they will enter, beneath which rivers flow. They will have therein whatever they wish. Thus does Allah reward the righteous - (31)

[Qur'an, An-Nahl 16:30-31]

May Allah enable us to do much good deeds and with excellence. Ameen.

Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wassallam.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Full text of Hadith Jibreel

On the authority of `Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) who said:

While we were one day sitting with the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wassallam) there appeared before us a man dressed in extremely white clothes and with very black hair. No traces of journeying were visible on him, and none of us knew him. He sat down close by the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wassallam) rested his knees against the knees of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wassallam) and placed his palms over his thighs, and said: "O Muhammad! Inform me about Islam." The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wassallam) replied: "Islam is that you should testify that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad is His Messenger (sallallahu alayhi wassallam), that you should perform salah (ritual prayer), pay the zakah, fast during Ramadan, and perform Hajj (pilgrimage) to the House (the Ka`bah at Makkah), if you can find a way to it (or find the means for making the journey to it)." He said: "You have spoken the truth." We were astonished at his thus questioning him (sallallahu alayhi wassallam) and then telling him that he was right, but he went on to say, "Inform me about Iman (faith)." He (the Prophet) answered, "It is that you believe in Allah and His angels and His Books and His Messengers and in the Last Day, and in fate (qadr), both in its good and in its evil aspects." He said, "You have spoken the truth." Then he (the man) said, "Inform me about Ihsan." He (the Prophet) answered, "It is that you should serve Allah as though you could see Him, for though you cannot see Him yet He sees you." He said, "Inform me about the Hour." He (the Prophet) said, "About that the one questioned knows no more than the questioner." So he said, "Well, inform me about its signs." He said, "They are that the slave-girl will give birth to her mistress and that you will see the barefooted ones, the naked, the destitute, the herdsmen of the sheep (competing with each other) in raising lofty buildings." Thereupon the man went off. I waited a while, and then he (the Prophet) said, "O `Umar, do you know who that questioner was?" I replied, "Allah and His Messenger know better." He said, "That was Jibril. He came to teach you your religion." [Muslim]

A Door to Happiness

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

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Happiness will not come to those who fail to appreciate the blessings they already have.

Allah, Al Qayyum, is the One who is constantly maintaining His creation. He is the One who is keeping us in existence. True gratitude is something we are incapable of. If every breath of ours was devoted back in gratitude, it still won’t be enough to thank Him. Just existing at that moment is just one blessing. What about other blessings? Maintenance by Allah is not just our lives, but it’s the wholeness of our lives - sanity, serenity, safety in the land, our limbs, faculties, brain, eyes, nose, etc. Every step we take is a blessing of Allah, the food we eat is a blessing of Allah, and so on

Indeed, the blessings of Allah upon us are countless. Allah Almighty says,

وَإِن تَعُدُّوا۟ نِعْمَتَ ٱللَّهِ لَا تُحْصُوهَآ ۗ إِنَّ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ لَظَلُومٌ كَفَّارٌ‌ۭ ﴿٣٤ ...

... And if you should count the favor of Allah, you could not enumerate them. Indeed, mankind is [generally] most unjust and ungrateful. (34)

[Qur'an, Ibrahim 14:34]

Imam al-Shafi said: “Praised be Allah, Who, whenever He is thanked for one of His blessings, provides another blessing which in turn obliges one to thank Him again!”

Al-Junayd said: “I once heard al-Sari saying, ‘Because to give thanks for blessings is itself a blessing, one can never cease to give thanks.”

Allah commands us to thank Him,

فَٱذْكُرُ‌ونِىٓ أَذْكُرْ‌كُمْ وَٱشْكُرُ‌وا۟ لِى وَلَا تَكْفُرُ‌ونِ ﴿١٥٢

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

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

In Surah Ar-Rahman (The Most Gracious), this Verse is repeated many times,

فَبِأَىِّ ءَالَآءِ رَ‌بِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ

So which of the favors of your Lord would you deny?

قُلِ ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ وَسَلَـٰمٌ عَلَىٰ عِبَادِهِ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱصْطَفَىٰٓ ۗ ءَآللَّهُ خَيْرٌ‌ أَمَّا يُشْرِ‌كُونَ ﴿٥٩

Say, [O Muhammad], "Praise be to Allah, and peace upon His servants whom He has chosen. Is Allah better or what they associate with Him?" (59)

[Qur'an, An-Naml 27:59]

Suhaib (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: “Strange are the ways of a believer for there is good in every affair of his and this is not the case with anyone else except in the case of a believer for if he has an occasion to feel delight, he thanks (Allah), thus there is a good for him in it, and if he gets into trouble and shows resignation (and endures it patiently), there is a good for him in it.” [Muslim]

So, thank Allah for all the blessings, say Alhamdulillah (All praise and gratitude belong to Allah) in every situation and every moment of your life.

It was narrated that when Prophet Dawood alayhissalaam was in the state of thanking Allah and expressing gratitude to Allah, he said, 'How can I show true gratitude to You when my very gratitude is a gift from you.' Then Allah reveals to him that 'Now you have shown Me gratitude'

When we come to Allah, recognizing that we are unable to show Him gratitude, that is the gratitude Allah wants from us. We are acknowledging Him as Al-Qayyum.

May Allah make us of those who are grateful to Him. Ameen.

Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wassallam.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Let's Read Surah Kahf Today (Friday) -- Renewing Our Commitment to the Book 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.

Allah Almighty says,

ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ ٱلَّذِىٓ أَنزَلَ عَلَىٰ عَبْدِهِ ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ وَلَمْ يَجْعَل لَّهُۥ عِوَجَا ۜ ﴿١﴾ قَيِّمًا لِّيُنذِرَ‌ بَأْسًا شَدِيدًا مِّن لَّدُنْهُ وَيُبَشِّرَ‌ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ ٱلَّذِينَ يَعْمَلُونَ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِ أَنَّ لَهُمْ أَجْرً‌ا حَسَنًا ﴿٢

[All] praise is [due] to Allah, who has sent down upon His Servant the Book and has not made therein any deviance. (1) [He has made it] straight, to warn of severe punishment from Him and to give good tidings to the believers who do righteous deeds that they will have a good reward (2)

[Qur'an, Al-Kahf 18:1-2]

The Qur'an is upright and safeguards the best interest of slaves. It will set anybody right. Even in the toughest of time, the Qur'an can help us stand up straight. It teaches us to stay within limits. It does not put a burden or responsibility upon the slaves of Allah the kind of burden or responsibility that they can't carry.

It will never fall short in the realm of guidance. That's why Allah sent the Qur'an as the last Book. The Qur'an is a complete guidance. Whatever troubles or crisis we are having -- personal, national, ethical, political, factional, ignorance, morality, shamelessness, etc -- the Qur'an has the solution for it.

The world we live in now is not much different than the world before in terms of its crookedness and deviations. Qur'an is committed to rectify the most crooked of nations. So we must have hope that when we restore the relationship with the Qur'an to people, beginning with ourselves, then there will be good things lie ahead. The Qur'an is straight and no matter how much society deviates, it will remain straight. It has the power to take that which is bent and make it straight.

We tend to think that Ramadhan is the month of fasting but Allah introduces it as the month of Qur'an in the only verse of Ramadhan,

شَهْرُ رَمَضَانَ ٱلَّذِىٓ أُنزِلَ فِيهِ ٱلْقُرْءَانُ هُدًى لِّلنَّاسِ وَبَيِّنَـٰتٍ مِّنَ ٱلْهُدَىٰ وَٱلْفُرْقَانِ ۚ فَمَن شَهِدَ مِنكُمُ ٱلشَّهْرَ فَلْيَصُمْهُ ۖ وَمَن كَانَ مَرِيضًا أَوْ عَلَىٰ سَفَرٍ فَعِدَّةٌ مِّنْ أَيَّامٍ أُخَرَ ۗ يُرِيدُ ٱللَّـهُ بِكُمُ ٱلْيُسْرَ وَلَا يُرِيدُ بِكُمُ ٱلْعُسْرَ وَلِتُكْمِلُوا۟ ٱلْعِدَّةَ وَلِتُكَبِّرُوا۟ ٱللَّـهَ عَلَىٰ مَا هَدَىٰكُمْ وَلَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ ﴿١٨٥﴾ وَإِذَا سَأَلَكَ عِبَادِى عَنِّى فَإِنِّى قَرِيبٌ ۖ أُجِيبُ دَعْوَةَ ٱلدَّاعِ إِذَا دَعَانِ ۖ فَلْيَسْتَجِيبُوا۟ لِى وَلْيُؤْمِنُوا۟ بِى لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْشُدُونَ ﴿١٨٦

The month of Ramadhan [is that] in which was revealed the Qur'an, a guidance for the people and clear proofs of guidance and criterion. So whoever sights [the new moon of] the month, let him fast it; and whoever is ill or on a journey - then an equal number of other days. Allah intends for you ease and does not intend for you hardship and [wants] for you to complete the period and to glorify Allah for that [to] which He has guided you; and perhaps you will be grateful. (185) And when My servants ask you, [O Muhammad], concerning Me - indeed I am near. I respond to the invocation of the supplicant when he calls upon Me. So let them respond to Me [by obedience] and believe in Me that they may be [rightly] guided. (186)

[Qur'an, Al-Baqarah 2:185-186]

These verses were revealed after more than 2/3 of the Qur'an has been revealed. Interesting to note that in this particular verse, Allah is telling us that the Qur'an is guidance for the people and the criterion between right and wrong as if people don't already know this. Why? Because in the month of Ramadhan we are supposed to be reintroduced to the Qur'an almost as though we don't know anything about it. This is the spirit we should enter Ramadhan with -- we refresh our relationship with the Qur'an all anew as if we never had a relationship with it before.

The actual relationship we have with the Qur'an is when we are standing in prayer and reciting it, and when we are standing behind an imam and listening to it being recited. Our relationship with the Qur'an happens five times a day at least. If somebody's prayer is good, his Qur'an is good, and if someone is not engaging with the Qu'ran in his prayers, then his relationship with the Qur'an is entirely superficial.

Make this Ramadhan a starting point to train ourselves to have that actual relationship with the Qur'an. Pick a few surahs, memorize them, know the meanings and tafsir of the surahs and learn the vocabulary also. Make this your family project this Ramadhan. If you have not memorized much Qur'an, start with the oft-recited surahs like Al-Mulk (67), Al-Waqi'ah (56), Al-Kahf (18), Ya-Sin (36), Al-A'la (87). If you can do more, continue with Al-Hadid (57), Al-Jumu'ah (62), Al-Munafiqun (63), Al-Taghabun (64). Recite what you have memorized in your prayers everyday throughout Ramadhan. All this boils down to so we can have a better prayer. Inshaa Allah, this exercise will continue beyond Ramadhan and your prayer will become better and better as you progress in your memorization and understanding of the Qur'an.

May Allah bring us closer to His Book. Our Lord, grant us from Yourself mercy and prepare for us from our affair right guidance. Ameen.

Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wassallam.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Saving Yourself From Drowning In Loss

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

Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Time is a precious capital and we are losing it with each breath we take.

Allah tells us in Surah Al-'Asr the fact that all human beings are actually drowning in loss, i.e. failing, except those who can accomplished these four things -- they believe, they do good deeds, they counsel/advise each other truthfully, they counsel/advise each other patiently.

وَٱلْعَصْرِ‌ ﴿١﴾ إِنَّ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ لَفِى خُسْرٍ‌ ﴿٢﴾ إِلَّا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَعَمِلُوا۟ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِ وَتَوَاصَوْا۟ بِٱلْحَقِّ وَتَوَاصَوْا۟ بِٱلصَّبْرِ‌ ﴿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 102:1-3]

When you read any passage in the Qur'an, it talks about one of these four things -- 1) how to believe and what to believe, 2) tell about faith or some kind of good deed, 3) how people give advise, and 4) they didn't just give counsel and ran out of steam, but they are patient and stick to it.

In this Surah, Allah swears by Time. Why? Could be for a number of reasons - Allah is possibly angry; or people are not taking Time seriously - people hear but they don't care; a way to grab our attention with time itself; or Allah himself is testifying that human beings are in loss. The idea of Time is a sense of urgency. Allah will swear by something in order to give us evidence and in order to describe a witness. This is the Qur'anic reason, and is the most powerful. Allah will take whatever He swears by (in this case Time) and He will bring it forward and make it a witness to reality.

Time, as in history, is the greatest witness that human beings are in loss. Time itself has been watching human beings played out the drama of their lives over and over again. If you can ask Time, how we have been doing, Time will say, 'Human beings are just in loss!' Nations come and they think they are doing well and they disobeyed Allah. So they get destroyed. For example, the nation of Thamud and 'Ad. People have wealth and they lose their sense of right and wrong. A young man hits puberty and he thinks he owns the world and talks to his parents how ever way he wants. A girl feels she is an adult now and she can dress how ever way she wants and hangs out with who ever she wants and you can't control her. And then they crashed.

Time has witnessed everything over and over again throughout the ages, no difference in what people do and desire, except different players. Allah is calling Time as a witness. In fact, in our personal life, Time is a witness. Whatever you have gone through in life, Allah created Time as a witness -- the lies you've made, the mistakes you've made, the moments of regret, the decisions you've made and you wish you didn't make, the things you've done in secret, time is always there witnessing.

You don't have a whole life ahead of you. Who knows how long you will live. Did the people in the graves knew when they were going to die? Some people had a lot of time on this earth and some people didn't have a lot of time on this earth. People died at different age, not just old people, not just sick people. My beloved sister just passed away unexpectedly and she was much younger than me. May Allah have mercy on her. Our brother who is diagnosed with a stage 4 cancer thought he would die before any of us siblings. May Allah grant him cure and patience. None of us know how long we are going to be around. This means, all of us who are still breathing should have a sense of urgency and make good use of the time we have left.

If we look back at our life, every one of us can say, "I could have done better." It doesn't matter who you are, young or old, rich or poor, sick or healthy, one thing we can never get back is time that we have lost. Once this moment is gone, once today is over, they are not coming back. They are gone forever. It's a loss that cannot be recovered. And every single day, the time that we lose increases. The ultimate proof of loss is time. People who think they are on top of the world because they have money, health, status, titles, beauty, youth and so on, when time passes through, those things don't mean anything. You can hold on to it as long as you can but what you cannot hold on to is time. Don't be obsessed with the wrong things.

Like any business the aim is to maximize the return in our investment. We can profit, break even or even lose all our capital. It all depends on how we use our capital. So, invest your time prudently -- work on and strengthen your faith, rush to good deeds, counsel/advise each other truthfully, and counsel/advise each other patiently.

May Allah keep us on the straight path, make us of those who are consistent in doing righteous deeds and grant us sincerity and patience. Ameen.

Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wassallam.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Fight The War Against Your Lower Self (Nafs) This Ramadhan

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

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Each one of us has many shortcomings and our iman is not as strong as the great Companions (may Allah be pleased with them all). In fact, it can be quite wobbly at times. This is the month where we can work really hard to remove those shortcomings, strengthen our faith and do tremendous good deeds. Let's turn to Allah and ask for His forgiveness and strong faith.

The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassalaam said,

“Whoever fasts during Ramadan with faith and seeking his reward (from Allah) all his past sins will be forgiven. Whoever prays during the night in Ramadhan with faith, seeking his reward (from Allah), all his past sins will be forgiven. And whoever passes Lailat-ul-Qadr in prayer with faith and seeking his reward (from Allah the Most Exalted) all his past sins will be forgiven.” [Bukhari]

May Allah enable us to worship Him by day and by night and bless us with the reward of lailat-ul-Qadr.

Ramadhan is the month when the doors of heaven are opened and the doors of hell are closed, and the rebellious shaytan are chained, and in it there is a night (worshiping in it) which is better than (worshiping for) a thousand months. We thank Allah for keeping us alive and giving us another opportunity to redeem and better ourselves.

Allah chose the month of Ramadhan for us to fast for the entire month, and not just parts of it.

Allah Almighty says,

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

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

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

The purpose of the fasting is not to starve and dehydrate us or make us feel what the homeless and poor feel without food and water for a whole day. The very purpose of fasting is so we may become people of taqwa (righteousness, piety, Godfearingness).

Fasting is an act of self control/restraint from which a person is meant to acquire a state which is of the most and emphasized of human state -- a state of being conscious of the Lord and wary of disobeying Him in one's action. It is to break the desire for lust, and to cool the fire of selfishness, so that the soul instead of being inclined towards the desires of lust, it becomes obedient towards the commands of the Almighty.

Tawqa of Allah (iitaqullah) means to do something (shield of good deeds) to place between yourself and the anger of Allah. It is also used with respect to Hell (ittaqunnar) or the Last Day (wattaqu yauman fihi illallah). Each of these, Hell and the Last Day, there is something to be frightened of.

If you are not going to chase after taqwa this Ramadhan, then there is no point of starving yourself during the day.

So, if you are not going to leave the prohibitions (e.g. selling/drinking liquor, involving in riba, smoking shisha at night, showing awra (nakedness), failing to lower your gaze towards the opposite gender, etc) then there is no point of starving yourself.

If you can't stop backbiting your own brothers/sisters, can't control your mouth speaking ill of others or using bad/foul language in your speech, or can't stop showing off and having pride in yourself, there is no point of starving yourself.

If you insist on cheating, lying, breaking promises, arguing, breaking family ties, being bad to your parents or people under your charge, then there is really no point of starving yourself during the day.

If you are fixed to do what you regularly do that is wasteful, unproductive and generally wasting time (e.g. watching TV, going to the movies/concerts, useless texting, wasting food, idle chats, etc) then there is no point of starving yourself during the day.

The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassalaam said,

“When any of you is fasting, let him not commit sin.”

"If one (who is fasting) does not give up falsehood and action according to it, Allah has no need that he should give up his food and his drink." [Bukhari]

"How many a faster has no share of his fasting save hunger and how many a person who stands the night in prayer has no share of his prayer except sleeplessness." [Al-Nasa'i]

Don't feel too happy because you have performed 8 or even 20 rakaat of taraweeh prayers every night while you disobeyed Allah during the day, while the food you just ate at iftar time is haram or from haram source and your clothing you are wearing is purchased from haram earnings and you are feeding your family from haram. Allah is pure and He only accepts what is pure.

Shaytan is not around to come in between us and our good deeds. We cannot blame the Shaytan this time. It's just you and your nafs now. If you are not doing what Allah wants you to do, you know it is your nafs getting in the way. You have no one to blame except your self. So, fight it. Commit to this war against your nafs this entire Ramadhan. Leave all sins and avoid doing bad things and anything that you don't like others to do to you. Wake up for sahur, go pray at the masjid, wake up for tahajjud, don't sleep all day. Give charity and fulfill the rights of people that you owe a duty to. This is a sign of an accepted fasting.

The one whose fasting is accepted, Allah has ready for him a tremendous reward beyond measure, something you cannot imagine. Only Allah, the All Generous, knows the extent of his reward and how much his good deeds will be multiplied.

The Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: “Every deed of the son of Adam will be rewarded between ten and seven hundred fold. Allah said: ‘Except fasting, for it is for Me and I shall reward for it’”

Paradise has got a gate named Rayyan. None except a fasting person will enter Paradise by that gate."

May Allah grant us tawfiq. May Allah accept our fast, good deeds and supplications, and bless us with His closeness and make us of those who have taqwa. Ameen

Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wassallam.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

The Passing Of My Beloved Sister: A Moment of Reflection

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

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

While grieving the death of my sister, a beloved friend, and someone who survived many hardships that brought her close to the Book of Allah, it got me to think more about my life and where I am going. Indeed, this life is a struggle, but it is nothing compared to the after life.

Death for a Muslim is the beginning of the next journey. It is the first stop to eternity. All future stops will be determined by our death.

Our next stop will be our life in the grave -- it's either a torment or blessing. If you die as a believer, then a gate to Paradise will be opened for you, and you will feel its rest and provision and blessings. If you die as an unbeliever, then a gate to Hell will be opened for you, and your grave will constrict until your ribs intermingle, and your grave will be like one of the pits of Hell, and You will feel its heat and torment. May Allah not make us die except as Muslims, in complete submission to Him.

The next stop will be Judgment Day when everyone will find their final abode -- Paradise or Hell. There is no other stop after this.

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّـهَ حَقَّ تُقَاتِهِۦ وَلَا تَمُوتُنَّ إِلَّا وَأَنتُم مُّسْلِمُونَ ﴿١٠٢

O you who have believed, fear Allah as He should be feared and do not die except as Muslims [in submission to Him]. (102)

[Qur'an, AleImran 3:102]

When Allah Almighty says to have Taqwa of Allah (fear Allah) as He deserves to have, it is a personal judgment call for you and me. If you can tell yourself "I am doing everything I can to please Allah," knowing fully well that Allah knows what on the tongues and in the hearts, then that's fine, but if not, then keep trying and push yourself to a higher standard of Islam, but don't dare to die except as Muslims.

Death will come whether we are obeying or disobeying Allah. You better be in obedience when your death comes. You better not be doing something in disobedience when your death arrives. You better not get caught red-handed in the middle of a sin when the angel of death visits you. The state in which you die is a good indication of what Allah has in store for you.

Time is running out. All our life amounts to inhales and exhales and it will never come back. Every single breath is a step closer towards death. We are marching forward, heading towards our Master. Whether we accept this or not, whether we are oblivious or not, whether we face forward or backward, we are still heading forward with eyes open or close. Don't close your eyes to this reality.

O Allah, forgive my sister, grant her Your Mercy, expand and brighten her grave, and admit her in Your company among Your elect servants in Your highest Paradise.

Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un (Verily, we belong to Allah and to Him shall be the return)

May Allah bring us closer to His Book and make us of His people of the Qur'an. May Allah make us of those who protect themselves from displeasing Him. May Allah grant us a state of Islam throughout our lives and grant us an excellent ending (husnul khaatimah).

May Allah forgive us, our families, and all the Muslims from among the living and the dead, and reunite us and our families and all our loved ones who have gone before us in the highest Paradise. Ameen.

Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wassallam.

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

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

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

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

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Your life probably doesn’t always look exactly the way you want it to be. And know that it won’t be, ever. Life is not meant to be perfect.

Allah Almighty have created man in toil. Allah Almighty says,

لَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ فِى كَبَدٍ ﴿٤

We have certainly created man into hardship. (4)

[Qur'an, Al-Balad 90:4]

If you realize that this world, its people, its possessions, its situations, its emotions are not meant to be perfect, an enormous freedom will enter your heart and you will feel the tranquility in your heart.

Say, Alhamdulillah (All praise and gratitude belong to Allah). Check what's going on deep inside yourselves.

Alhamdulillah is a statement of fact. Allah doesn't need our Hamd (praising and having gratitude of Allah). Rather, we are the beneficiary of Hamd. Hamd is the means of attaining the Perfection of Allah. If you are not grateful and appreciative of Allah, Hamd becomes only a philosophical concept with no real meaning. The One whose perfection can only truly be tasted is when you yourself has the sentiment of Hamd inside of you. If you don't have it inside of you, then you will not be able to reach what Allah wants you to reach. Then the only love and appreciation you have is yourself.

الْحَمْدُ لِلَّـهِ الَّذِي أَنزَلَ عَلَىٰ عَبْدِهِ الْكِتَابَ وَلَمْ يَجْعَل لَّهُ عِوَجًا ۜ ﴿١

[All] praise is [due] to Allah, who has sent down upon His Servant the Book and has not made therein any deviance. (1)

[Qur'an, Al-Kahf 18:1]

The superior reason we say Alhamdulillah is the revelation of the Book of Allah. The purpose of the Book is to teach us how to be a slave of Allah. Nobody is more of a slave to Allah than someone who is close to Allah.

Everything in creation declaring His Perfection (Tasbih) by doing His Hamd.

تُسَبِّحُ لَهُ السَّمَاوَاتُ السَّبْعُ وَالْأَرْ‌ضُ وَمَن فِيهِنَّ ۚ وَإِن مِّن شَيْءٍ إِلَّا يُسَبِّحُ بِحَمْدِهِ وَلَـٰكِن لَّا تَفْقَهُونَ تَسْبِيحَهُمْ ۗ إِنَّهُ كَانَ حَلِيمًا غَفُورً‌ا ﴿٤٤﴾ وَإِذَا قَرَ‌أْتَ الْقُرْ‌آنَ جَعَلْنَا بَيْنَكَ وَبَيْنَ الَّذِينَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِالْآخِرَ‌ةِ حِجَابًا مَّسْتُورً‌ا ﴿٤٥﴾ وَجَعَلْنَا عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِمْ أَكِنَّةً أَن يَفْقَهُوهُ وَفِي آذَانِهِمْ وَقْرً‌ا ۚ وَإِذَا ذَكَرْ‌تَ رَ‌بَّكَ فِي الْقُرْ‌آنِ وَحْدَهُ وَلَّوْا عَلَىٰ أَدْبَارِ‌هِمْ نُفُورً‌ا ﴿٤٦

The seven heavens and the earth and whatever is in them exalt Him. And there is not a thing except that it exalts [Allah] by His praise, but you do not understand their [way of] exalting. Indeed, He is ever Forbearing and Forgiving. (44) And when you recite the Qur'an, We put between you and those who do not believe in the Hereafter a concealed partition. (45) And We have placed over their hearts coverings, lest they understand it, and in their ears deafness. And when you mention your Lord alone in the Qur'an, they turn back in aversion. (46)

[Qur'an, Al-Isra' 17:44-46]

May Allah fill our hearts with Alhamdulillah and make us His obedient slaves. Ameen.

Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wassallam.

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

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam.

Prepare for Allah's Gaze Tonight: Look Into Your Heart

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

Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

I wish you and your family a blessed Ramadhan. Please forgive me and my family for all our shortcomings.

In preparation for the first night of Ramadhan, I would like to share with you an address by Shaykh Abdul Karim Yahya,

As we wait in eager anticipation of the noble guest who approaches, the blessed month of Ramadan in which the Qur'an was revealed, we undoubtedly are making physical and spiritual preparations therefore.

Among the preparations that the scholars of Islam have encouraged is preparing our hearts for Allah's gaze. Baihaqi relates, “When it is the first night of the month of Ramadan, Allah, Mighty and Majestic, gazes to them and the one to whom Allah looks, He does not punish him, ever.” The place to which Allah looks is the heart. So what will Allah see in your and my heart if He were to look to us on the first night of Ramadan?

One of the qualities that would prevent us from this blessed gaze (and from many other opportunities for forgiveness) is malice. The Prophet, May Allah bless him and grant him peace, taught us of the Night of Power and the Half Night of Sha’ban that those who harbor rancor, mistreat parents, severe bonds of kinship or drink are prevented from Allah’s merciful gaze. Do we want Allah to look to His servants on the first night of Ramadan and overlook us because we are bearing ill will against each other? Is whatever anyone has done to hurt us so important that we can not overlook it in exchange for an opportunity for eternal salvation from Allah's punishment? What about all of those whom we have wronged? Do we not need Allah's pardon as well as theirs?

We can purify our hearts in preparation for this gaze from our Merciful, Forgiving Lord and also expose ourselves to an opportunity for His pardon when we need it most, by pardoning His servants. Allah said, "The one who pardons and reconciles his reward is upon Allah;" Qur'an (42:40). Tabarani relates that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "A caller will call [on the Day of Rising], ‘Let him stand whose reward is upon Allah and let him enter paradise’ Then he will call a second time, ‘Let him stand whose reward is upon Allah and let him enter paradise’ It will be said, ‘Who is the one whose reward is upon Allah, Mighty and Majestic?’ He will say, ‘Those who pardon people.’ Then he will call a third time, ‘Let him stand whose reward is upon Allah and let him enter paradise.’ Then so and so many thousand will stand and enter paradise without reckoning." Imagine being among that fortunate group and having all of our many sins forgiven and receiving our reward directly from Allah!

In preparation for the blessed first night of Ramadan, Insha'Allah, and that day in which each of us will meet Allah, let us pardon one another and all of Allah's servants. I will begin with my own sinful self. O Allah, if any of Your slaves have transgressed the rights You have prescribed to me, they are excused. I ask you to grant them and me Paradise, and that You make us among its dwellers whom You have described in Your saying, "We have removed what was in their breasts of rancor, brethren on couches facing one another;" Qur'an (15:47). I also ask anyone who I have wronged to seek their due from me and to forgive me.

“Our Lord forgives us and our brethren who preceded us in faith and do not place in our hearts ill will towards those who believe. Our Lord, indeed you are compassionate and merciful.” Qur'an (59:10)

And Allah alone grants tawfiq (success),
Abdul-Kareem Yahyaa

Let's Read Surah Kahf Today (Friday) -- Having Both Eyes Open and Protecting From Trial (Fitnah) of Dajjal

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

Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

There are many signs of the Last Hour which have been reported in various narrations. Some of them are Al-Harj (killings), disappearance of trust, preferential treatments, zina (fornication/adultery) shall abound, alcohol drinking will be common, liars will be in abundance, and bedouins shall compete with each other in constructing high buildings. All those are considered as minor signs, which most, if not all, are already here. This means that we are living in a time in which the world is coming to an end in not too far distance, although it will not happen until certain major signs appear, one being the appearance of the Dajjal.

It was narrated that Hudhaifah bin Asad Al-Ghafari (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Allah's Messenger (Allah bless him and grant him peace) came to us all of a sudden as we were (busy in a discussion). He said: What do you discuss about? They (the Companions) said. We are discussing about the Last Hour. Thereupon he said: It will not come until you see ten signs before and (in this connection) he made a mention of the smoke, Dajjal, the beast, the rising of the sun from the west, the descent of Is, son of Maryam (Allah be pleased with him), the Gog and Magog (Ya'juj and Ma'juj), and land-slidings in three places, one in the east, one in the west and one in Arabia at the end of which fire would burn forth from the Yemen, and would drive people to the place of their assembly. [Muslim]

Who is Dajjal?

It was narrated that An-Nawwas bin Sam’an said: Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and grant him peace) mentioned Dajjal one morning, sometimes describing him as insignificant and sometimes describing him as significant, until we thought that he was in the cluster of date palms.

When we went to him in the evening, he could see that in our faces and he said, “What is the matter with you?”

We said, “O Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and grant him peace), you mentioned the Dajjal this morning, sometimes describing him as insignificant and sometimes describing him as significant, until we thought that he was in the cluster of date palms.”

He said, “It is something other than Dajjal that I fear most for you. If he emerges while I am among you, I will deal with him on your behalf, and if he emerges among you then each man must deal with him on his own behalf. Allah will take care of every Muslim on my behalf. (Then he said)… He (Dajjal) is a young man with curly hair, and his right eye is blind. He most resembles Abdul-Uzza bin Qatan. Whoever among you sees him, let him recite the opening verses of ‘Surah Al-Kahf’ over him. He will emerge in a place between Ash-Sham and Al-Iraq, and will spread mischief right and left. O slaves of Allah, be steadfast.”

We said, “O Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and grant him peace), how long will he stay on earth?”

He said, “Forty days; a day like a year, a day like a month, a day like a week, and the rest of the days like your days.”

We said, O Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and grant him peace), on that day which is like a year, will the Salat of one day be sufficient for us?”

He said, “No. Calculate the time.”

We said, “O Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and grant him peace), how quickly will he travel through the land?”

He said, “Like a cloud driven by the wind. He will come to people and call them, and they will believe in him, and respond to his call. Then he will command the sky, and it will rain, and he will command the earth, and it will bring forth produce. Their herds will come back to them in the evening with their humps as high as they ever were, and their udders full, and their flanks stretched. Then he will come to other people and call them, and they will reject what he says, so he will leave them, and they will be afflicted with drought, with none of their wealth on their hands. He will pass by ruins and say: Bring forth your treasure.., and its treasure will follow him like a swarm of bees. Then he will call a man brimming with youth and strike him with a sword, cutting him in two. He will place the pieces as far apart as a target is from an archer, then he will call him, and he will come with his face gleaming and laughing...” [Muslim]

Narrated Anas (may Allah be pleased with him): The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said, "No Prophet was sent but that he warned his followers against the one-eyed liar (i.e. Dajjal). Beware! He is blind in one eye, and your Lord is not so; and there will be written between his eyes Kafir." [Bukhari]

Narrated `Abdullah ibn Umar: The Dajjal was mentioned in the presence of the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace). The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said, "Allah is not hidden from you; He is not one-eyed," and pointed with his hand towards his eye, adding, "While Al-Masih Ad-Dajjal is blind in the right eye and his eye looks like a protruding grape." [Bukhari]

The person of Dajjal is very specific as mentioned in the hadiths. Dajjal can only see with one eye (the left eye). His right eye is blind. Dajjal's entire view of the entire world actually coincides with his physical description and all of his wonders point to this world only -- one eye (left eye).

When we talk about the fitnah of Dajjal, truly it is a fitnah of materialism. The materialism we are experiencing in this time is unprecedented. The world now is more beautiful, more glitter and more glow than it was ever before. The things that Allah is going to make open through Dajjal is not a shocker as we see the world now.

There are two dimensions of reality -- the seen reality and the unseen reality. If you look at one and not the other, there is a problem with Allah. Our view true of reality can only happen when we have both eyes open. When we see things in the physical reality, we also internalize the unseen reality.

The 'vision of left eye' is linked to external sight and the knowledge acquired externally. People who are limited to 'vision of left eye' can see the things around them which are visible to naked eyes only. And therefore, they believe only in what they see by their eyes. When they see the glitter of the world, they believe in that, they believe that the success remains in the glitter of this world; and hence, all their efforts and focus are in the direction of achieving the success and benefits of this world i.e. money, fame, power, glamor, etc. This is the world of materialism; this is the world of Dajjal. The focus of Dajjal is to get people mesmerized with what lies in this world.

People who have both eyes open are those who do not accept the false reality of this perishable world and its glamor on its face value. They see the things from the vision of their hearts; their hearts are illuminated with the Light of Allah, which enlightens their sight/vision. This is the vision of truth. This is the vision based on knowledge acquired internally i.e. the knowledge acquired from Qur’an and the Sunnah. He does not believe in the false glitter of the worldly affairs around, and sticks to Qur’an and Sunnah which leads to ultimate success in the Hereafter, by the Grace of Allah.

In times when morality keep shifting, we need something that stand straight. That is the Book of Allah.

ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ ٱلَّذِىٓ أَنزَلَ عَلَىٰ عَبْدِهِ ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ وَلَمْ يَجْعَل لَّهُۥ عِوَجَا ۜ ﴿١﴾ قَيِّمًا لِّيُنذِرَ‌ بَأْسًا شَدِيدًا مِّن لَّدُنْهُ وَيُبَشِّرَ‌ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ ٱلَّذِينَ يَعْمَلُونَ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِ أَنَّ لَهُمْ أَجْرً‌ا حَسَنًا ﴿٢﴾ مَّـٰكِثِينَ فِيهِ أَبَدًا ﴿٣﴾ وَيُنذِرَ‌ ٱلَّذِينَ قَالُوا۟ ٱتَّخَذَ ٱللَّهُ وَلَدًا ﴿٤

[All] praise is [due] to Allah, who has sent down upon His Servant the Book and has not made therein any deviance. (1) [He has made it] straight, to warn of severe punishment from Him and to give good tidings to the believers who do righteous deeds that they will have a good reward (2) In which they will remain forever (3) And to warn those who say, "Allah has taken a son." (4)

[Qur'an, Al-Kahf 18:1-4]

The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) has said, "...Whoever among you sees him (the Dajjal), let him recite the opening verses of ‘Surah Al-Kahf’ over him."

This Surah has a very strong protection against the fitnah of Dajjal. Don't miss reciting this Surah every Friday.

May Allah protect us all from the fitnah of Dajjal and grant us guidance through His Book. Ameen.

Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wassallam.

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

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Talking to Our Children About Homosexuality

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

Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Homosexuality and gay marriages have become increasingly visible, moving from acceptance and normalization to celebration and promotion. This is happening in every area of life, from education to entertainment, from the media to the marketplace, and from cities and states to courts. As of 1 January 2015, about seventeen countries allow same-sex couples to marry. Polls show rising support for legally recognizing same-sex marriage in America and most of Europe.

Our children, if they don't see it, they hear it. Children typically spend anywhere from 900-1,000 hours a year in school, which means by the time they graduate from high school, they’ve spent over 11,000 hours in the classroom. Add in the time spent texting, on the Internet, watching television and movies and playing video games, and it adds up to a lot of hours of influence from various cultures. And most of it isn’t coming from a Muslim or Islamic perspective.

How do we protect our children from the fitnah that are all around us?

Make Du'a

Prophet Lut (alayhissalaam) suffered from this fitnah.

وَلُوطًا إِذْ قَالَ لِقَوْمِهِۦٓ أَتَأْتُونَ ٱلْفَـٰحِشَةَ وَأَنتُمْ تُبْصِرُ‌ونَ ﴿٥٤﴾ أَئِنَّكُمْ لَتَأْتُونَ ٱلرِّ‌جَالَ شَهْوَةً مِّن دُونِ ٱلنِّسَآءِ ۚ بَلْ أَنتُمْ قَوْمٌ تَجْهَلُونَ ﴿٥٥
فَمَا كَانَ جَوَابَ قَوْمِهِۦٓ إِلَّآ أَن قَالُوٓا۟ أَخْرِ‌جُوٓا۟ ءَالَ لُوطٍ مِّن قَرْ‌يَتِكُمْ ۖ إِنَّهُمْ أُنَاسٌ يَتَطَهَّرُ‌ونَ ﴿٥٦

And [mention] Lot, when he said to his people, "Do you commit immorality while you are seeing? (54) Do you indeed approach men with desire instead of women? Rather, you are a people behaving ignorantly." (55) But the answer of his people was not except that they said, "Expel the family of Lot from your city. Indeed, they are people who keep themselves pure." (56)

[Qur'an, An-Naml 27:55-56]

He was so worried about what was happening outside with his people and he made this du'a. It is recorded in the Qur'an for us.

رَ‌بِّ نَجِّنِى وَأَهْلِى مِمَّا يَعْمَلُونَ ﴿١٦٩﴾

My Lord, save me and my family from [the consequence of] what they do." (169)

[Qur'an, Ash-Shu'ara 26:169]

When people do evil things it starts to contaminate the society. Prophet Lut made this du'a asking Allah to rescue him and his family from the evil actions of his people, i.e asking Allah "to not make us the victims of their crimes, to keep us from doing what they do, and to keep us away from the harms of their actions." Then Allah rescued him and his family.

فَنَجَّيْنَـٰهُ وَأَهْلَهُۥٓ أَجْمَعِينَ ﴿١٧٠﴾ إِلَّا عَجُوزًا فِى ٱلْغَـٰبِرِ‌ينَ ﴿١٧١﴾ ثُمَّ دَمَّرْ‌نَا ٱلْءَاخَرِ‌ينَ ﴿١٧٢﴾ وَأَمْطَرْ‌نَا عَلَيْهِم مَّطَرً‌ۭا ۖ فَسَآءَ مَطَرُ‌ ٱلْمُنذَرِ‌ينَ ﴿١٧٣﴾ إِنَّ فِى ذَ‌ٰلِكَ لَءَايَةً ۖ وَمَا كَانَ أَكْثَرُ‌هُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ ﴿١٧٤

So We saved him and his family, all, (170) Except an old woman among those who remained behind. (171) Then We destroyed the others. (172) And We rained upon them a rain [of stones], and evil was the rain of those who were warned. (173) Indeed in that is a sign, but most of them were not to be believers. (174)

[Qur'an, Ash-Shu'ara 26:170-174]


Spend in the Cause of Allah

Allah Almighty says,

هَـٰٓأَنتُمْ هَـٰٓؤُلَآءِ تُدْعَوْنَ لِتُنفِقُوا۟ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ فَمِنكُم مَّن يَبْخَلُ ۖ وَمَن يَبْخَلْ فَإِنَّمَا يَبْخَلُ عَن نَّفْسِهِۦ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ ٱلْغَنِىُّ وَأَنتُمُ ٱلْفُقَرَ‌آءُ ۚ وَإِن تَتَوَلَّوْا۟ يَسْتَبْدِلْ قَوْمًا غَيْرَ‌كُمْ ثُمَّ لَا يَكُونُوٓا۟ أَمْثَـٰلَكُم ﴿٣٨

Here you are - those invited to spend in the cause of Allah - but among you are those who withhold [out of greed]. And whoever withholds only withholds [benefit] from himself; and Allah is the Free of need, while you are the needy. And if you turn away, He will replace you with another people; then they will not be the likes of you. (38)

[Qur'an, Muhammad 47:38]

This is a reminder for us, especially for those parents who wouldn't mind spending their entire savings for their children's secular education but nickel-and-dime to death when it comes to spending for their children's Islamic education and for promoting Islam. Spending in the path of Allah keeps us from being replaced and then their children will be honored instead to carry Islam further.

You see, Allah doesn't need us but we need Him. He has destroyed great nations before due to their shirk and kufr. However, when the destruction of the nations are narrated, the salvation of those who believed is mentioned, too. The following verses can be given as examples regarding the issue:

وَأَنجَيْنَا مُوسَىٰ وَمَن مَّعَهُۥٓ أَجْمَعِينَ ﴿٦٥﴾ ثُمَّ أَغْرَ‌قْنَا ٱلْءَاخَرِ‌ينَ ﴿٦٦﴾ إِنَّ فِى ذَ‌ٰلِكَ لَءَايَةً ۖ وَمَا كَانَ أَكْثَرُ‌هُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ ﴿٦٧

And We saved Moses and those with him, all together. (65) Then We drowned the others. (66) Indeed in that is a sign, but most of them were not to be believers. (67)“We delivered Moses and all who were with him; But We drowned the others.”

[Qur'an, ash-Shu'ara 26:65-66]

فَأَنجَيْنَـٰهُ وَمَن مَّعَهُۥ فِى ٱلْفُلْكِ ٱلْمَشْحُونِ ﴿١١٩﴾ ثُمَّ أَغْرَ‌قْنَا بَعْدُ ٱلْبَاقِينَ ﴿١٢٠﴾ إِنَّ فِى ذَ‌ٰلِكَ لَءَايَةً ۖ وَمَا كَانَ أَكْثَرُ‌هُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ ﴿١٢١

So We saved him and those with him in the laden ship. (119) Then We drowned thereafter the remaining ones. (120) Indeed in that is a sign, but most of them were not to be believers. (121)

[Qur'an, ash-Shu'ara 26:119-121]

وَمَكَرُ‌وا۟ مَكْرً‌ۭا وَمَكَرْ‌نَا مَكْرً‌ۭا وَهُمْ لَا يَشْعُرُ‌ونَ ﴿٥٠﴾ فَٱنظُرْ‌ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَـٰقِبَةُ مَكْرِ‌هِمْ أَنَّا دَمَّرْ‌نَـٰهُمْ وَقَوْمَهُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ ﴿٥١﴾ فَتِلْكَ بُيُوتُهُمْ خَاوِيَةًۢ بِمَا ظَلَمُوٓا۟ ۗ إِنَّ فِى ذَ‌ٰلِكَ لَءَايَةً لِّقَوْمٍ يَعْلَمُونَ ﴿٥٢﴾ وَأَنجَيْنَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَكَانُوا۟ يَتَّقُونَ ﴿٥٣

And they planned a plan, and We planned a plan, while they perceived not. (50) Then look how was the outcome of their plan - that We destroyed them and their people, all. (51) So those are their houses, desolate because of the wrong they had done. Indeed in that is a sign for people who know. (52) And We saved those who believed and used to fear Allah. (53)

[Qur'an, An-Naml 27:50-53]

Keep the Conversation Open with Your Children

We ourselves should have an age appropriate conversation with our children about homosexuality and we should not shy away from it. The reality is, if you don’t, someone else probably will—or already is. And you may not like what they have to say. Before your children are even aware of homosexuality, begin by giving them the Islamic perspective about life. For young children, this may be done through reading Islamic story books to them.

We always want to start with what’s good when talking about difficult subjects, so we begin by teaching our children about our creation and the purpose of life. That gives us a foundation for then discussing any problem issues.

Your children need to hear from you directly that they may safely talk to you about difficult issues. Don’t assume: Ask questions, listen well and encourage them to speak freely.

May Allah protect us us and our families from His warth, and not leave us alone even for a blinking of an eye. Ameen.

Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wassallam.

Pleased don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazak Allahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Have You Talked With Your Children About The Day of Judgment Lately?

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

Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Sometimes our concern for our children is everything except their life in the Hereafter. We send them to good schools to get good degrees so they can land in good jobs when they graduated. We work tireless to save money for our children so they are set for life. Will they? What is going to happen to them in the Day of Judgment?

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّاسُ ٱتَّقُوا۟ رَ‌بَّكُمْ وَٱخْشَوْا۟ يَوْمًا لَّا يَجْزِى وَالِدٌ عَن وَلَدِهِۦ وَلَا مَوْلُودٌ هُوَ جَازٍ عَن وَالِدِهِۦ شَيْـًٔا ۚ إِنَّ وَعْدَ ٱللَّهِ حَقٌّ ۖ فَلَا تَغُرَّ‌نَّكُمُ ٱلْحَيَو‌ٰةُ ٱلدُّنْيَا وَلَا يَغُرَّ‌نَّكُم بِٱللَّهِ ٱلْغَرُ‌ورُ‌ ﴿٣٣﴾ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عِندَهُۥ عِلْمُ ٱلسَّاعَةِ وَيُنَزِّلُ ٱلْغَيْثَ وَيَعْلَمُ مَا فِى ٱلْأَرْ‌حَامِ ۖ وَمَا تَدْرِ‌ى نَفْسٌ مَّاذَا تَكْسِبُ غَدًا ۖ وَمَا تَدْرِ‌ى نَفْسٌۢ بِأَىِّ أَرْ‌ضٍ تَمُوتُ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ خَبِيرٌ‌ۢ ﴿٣٤﴾

O Mankind, fear your Lord and fear a Day when no father will avail his son, nor will a son avail his father at all. Indeed, the promise of Allah is truth, so let not the worldly life delude you and be not deceived about Allah by the Deceiver. (33) Indeed, Allah [alone] has knowledge of the Hour and sends down the rain and knows what is in the wombs. And no soul perceives what it will earn tomorrow, and no soul perceives in what land it will die. Indeed, Allah is Knowing and Acquainted. (34)

[Qur'an, Luqman 31:33-34]

It is very important that we have frequent conversations with our children about the Day of Judgment and life of the Hereafter. Not once or twice, not just send them to Shaykhs, youth camps, Islamic conferences or retreats, but we ourselves talk with them about it, everyday. The Qur'an mentions the Day of Judgment in almost every page of the 600 pages of the Qur'an. If we read the Qur'an everyday, which we should be doing and also doing it as as a family, we will be reminded of it and it will spur us to work on what is permanent -- life in the Hereafter, which is either Paradise or Hell.

أَيَوَدُّ أَحَدُكُمْ أَن تَكُونَ لَهُۥ جَنَّةٌ مِّن نَّخِيلٍ وَأَعْنَابٍ تَجْرِ‌ى مِن تَحْتِهَا ٱلْأَنْهَـٰرُ‌ لَهُۥ فِيهَا مِن كُلِّ ٱلثَّمَرَ‌ٰ‌تِ وَأَصَابَهُ ٱلْكِبَرُ‌ وَلَهُۥ ذُرِّ‌يَّةٌ ضُعَفَآءُ فَأَصَابَهَآ إِعْصَارٌ‌ۭ فِيهِ نَارٌ‌ۭ فَٱحْتَرَ‌قَتْ ۗ كَذَ‌ٰلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ ٱللَّهُ لَكُمُ ٱلْءَايَـٰتِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَفَكَّرُ‌ونَ ﴿٢٦٦

Would one of you like to have a garden of palm trees and grapevines underneath which rivers flow in which he has from every fruit? But he is afflicted with old age and has weak offspring, and it is hit by a whirlwind containing fire and is burned. Thus does Allah make clear to you [His] verses that you might give thought. (266)

[Qur'an, Al-Baqarah 266]

Allah wants us to think the volatility of the things we own and everything that we have -- the money that we save for our children, the house, the job, the title, the status, the fame or popularity, etc. They can disappear just like that, if Allah wills.

If you think you are doing well with your finances, remember you are not doing anything to be in that situation. The moment you think you are set or the moment you think you are in charge, you strike yourself a great danger of Allah removing everything from you. You are not bad people if you have a good job, savings and house is paid off but it is problematic if you stop considering that Allah who sets you and that you are in need of Him all the time.

It's better that you spend your time with your children talking about how they are going to be reunited with you in the Day of Judgment than working extra for that extra money for them. This could be your bonding time with your children in this life and will resume in the Paradise inshaa Allah.

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلْإِنسَـٰنُ إِنَّكَ كَادِحٌ إِلَىٰ رَ‌بِّكَ كَدْحًا فَمُلَـٰقِيهِ ﴿٦﴾ فَأَمَّا مَنْ أُوتِىَ كِتَـٰبَهُۥ بِيَمِينِهِۦ ﴿٧﴾ فَسَوْفَ يُحَاسَبُ حِسَابًا يَسِيرً‌ۭا ﴿٨﴾ وَيَنقَلِبُ إِلَىٰٓ أَهْلِهِۦ مَسْرُ‌ورً‌ۭا ﴿٩﴾ وَأَمَّا مَنْ أُوتِىَ كِتَـٰبَهُۥ وَرَ‌آءَ ظَهْرِ‌هِۦ ﴿١٠﴾ فَسَوْفَ يَدْعُوا۟ ثُبُورً‌ۭا ﴿١١﴾ وَيَصْلَىٰ سَعِيرً‌ا ﴿١٢﴾ إِنَّهُۥ كَانَ فِىٓ أَهْلِهِۦ مَسْرُ‌ورً‌ا ﴿١٣

O mankind, indeed you are laboring toward your Lord with [great] exertion and will meet it. (6) Then as for he who is given his record in his right hand, (7) He will be judged with an easy account (8) And return to his people in happiness. (9) But as for he who is given his record behind his back, (10) He will cry out for destruction (11) And [enter to] burn in a Blaze. (12) Indeed, he had [once] been among his people in happiness; (13) Indeed, he had thought he would never return [to Allah]. (14)

[Qur'an, Al-Inshiqaq 84:6-14]

May Allah not leave us alone even for a blinking of an eye. May Allah grant us works that are most pleasing to Him and enable us to worship Him with excellence. Ameen.

Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wassallam.

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

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam.

Don't Give Up On Your Children

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

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Many parents tend to think their child is special. And there are parents who go to extremes -- those who think that their child is an angel, who can do no wrong and is free from all sins, and those who think that their child is useless and worthless. Of course, they both are wrong. Our children are human beings. They can do great things and at the same time they can do mistakes. They too are susceptible to the waswasa (whispers) of shaytan.

We have to be concerned that Shaytan will never leave us and our children alone. The waswasa of Shaytan not only come to you but also to your children. Shaytan will never leave us alone. He has promised that he will swarm the children of Adam to destroy them. If he cannot get us directly, he will try to get us through our children. We seek refuge with Allah from the accursed Shaytan.

قَالَ أَرَ‌ءَيْتَكَ هَـٰذَا ٱلَّذِى كَرَّ‌مْتَ عَلَىَّ لَئِنْ أَخَّرْ‌تَنِ إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ لَأَحْتَنِكَنَّ ذُرِّ‌يَّتَهُۥٓ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا ﴿٦٢﴾ قَالَ ٱذْهَبْ فَمَن تَبِعَكَ مِنْهُمْ فَإِنَّ جَهَنَّمَ جَزَآؤُكُمْ جَزَآءً مَّوْفُورً‌ۭا ﴿٦٣﴾ وَٱسْتَفْزِزْ مَنِ ٱسْتَطَعْتَ مِنْهُم بِصَوْتِكَ وَأَجْلِبْ عَلَيْهِم بِخَيْلِكَ وَرَ‌جِلِكَ وَشَارِ‌كْهُمْ فِى ٱلْأَمْوَ‌ٰلِ وَٱلْأَوْلَـٰدِ وَعِدْهُمْ ۚ وَمَا يَعِدُهُمُ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنُ إِلَّا غُرُ‌ورً‌ا ﴿٦٤

[Iblees] said, "Do You see this one whom You have honored above me? If You delay me until the Day of Resurrection, I will surely destroy his descendants, except for a few." (62) [Allah] said, "Go, for whoever of them follows you, indeed Hell will be the recompense of you - an ample recompense. (63) And incite [to senselessness] whoever you can among them with your voice and assault them with your horses and foot soldiers and become a partner in their wealth and their children and promise them." But Satan does not promise them except delusion. (64)

[Qur'an, Al-Isra 17:84]

You should do whatever you can to give your children Islam because that is your duty as parents. But there are very difficult realities that we have to mentally prepare for as parents despite all our efforts to give and teach them Islam. Our children may turn out bad. Even Prophets had bad children -- Prophet Nuh has a bad child, Prophet Ya'qub has many bad children. Why?

إِنَّكَ لَا تَهْدِى مَنْ أَحْبَبْتَ وَلَـٰكِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَهْدِى مَن يَشَآءُ ۚ وَهُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِٱلْمُهْتَدِينَ ﴿٥٦

Indeed, [O Muhammad], you do not guide whom you like, but Allah guides whom He wills. And He is most knowing of the [rightly] guided. (56)

[Qur'an, Al-Qasas 28:56]

We ourselves are not in charge of our own guidance, so how can we be in charge of our children's guidance. We can only be in charge of our responsibility to facilitate that guidance and to open the doors to that guidance, but at the end of it all our children have to lead themselves. In their childhood, we are ultimately responsible to lead them to guidance but in their adulthood they are responsible to guidance.

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

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

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

They are some people who are practically spiritually dead. Even the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) was told that he can't make people listen. If the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) can't make people listen, how then can we make someone listen.

Allah Almighty says,

فَإِنَّكَ لَا تُسْمِعُ ٱلْمَوْتَىٰ وَلَا تُسْمِعُ ٱلصُّمَّ ٱلدُّعَآءَ إِذَا وَلَّوْا۟ مُدْبِرِ‌ينَ ﴿٥٢﴾ وَمَآ أَنتَ بِهَـٰدِ ٱلْعُمْىِ عَن ضَلَـٰلَتِهِمْ ۖ إِن تُسْمِعُ إِلَّا مَن يُؤْمِنُ بِـَٔايَـٰتِنَا فَهُم مُّسْلِمُونَ ﴿٥٣

So indeed, you will not make the dead hear, nor will you make the deaf hear the call when they turn their backs, retreating. (52) And you cannot guide the blind away from their error. You will only make hear those who believe in Our verses so they are Muslims [in submission to Allah]. (53)

[Qur'an Ar-Rum 30:52]

But we are not the ones who can decide if someone is a hopeless case or not. Allah can bring anything back to life, physically and spiritually.

أَوْ كَٱلَّذِى مَرَّ‌ عَلَىٰ قَرْ‌يَةٍ وَهِىَ خَاوِيَةٌ عَلَىٰ عُرُ‌وشِهَا قَالَ أَنَّىٰ يُحْىِۦ هَـٰذِهِ ٱللَّهُ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهَا ۖ فَأَمَاتَهُ ٱللَّهُ مِا۟ئَةَ عَامٍ ثُمَّ بَعَثَهُۥ ۖ قَالَ كَمْ لَبِثْتَ ۖ قَالَ لَبِثْتُ يَوْمًا أَوْ بَعْضَ يَوْمٍ ۖ قَالَ بَل لَّبِثْتَ مِا۟ئَةَ عَامٍ فَٱنظُرْ‌ إِلَىٰ طَعَامِكَ وَشَرَ‌ابِكَ لَمْ يَتَسَنَّهْ ۖ وَٱنظُرْ‌ إِلَىٰ حِمَارِ‌كَ وَلِنَجْعَلَكَ ءَايَةً لِّلنَّاسِ ۖ وَٱنظُرْ‌ إِلَى ٱلْعِظَامِ كَيْفَ نُنشِزُهَا ثُمَّ نَكْسُوهَا لَحْمًا ۚ فَلَمَّا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُۥ قَالَ أَعْلَمُ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ قَدِيرٌ‌ۭ ﴿٢٥٩

Or [consider such an example] as the one who passed by a township which had fallen into ruin. He said, "How will Allah bring this to life after its death?" So Allah caused him to die for a hundred years; then He revived him. He said, "How long have you remained?" The man said, "I have remained a day or part of a day." He said, "Rather, you have remained one hundred years. Look at your food and your drink; it has not changed with time. And look at your donkey; and We will make you a sign for the people. And look at the bones [of this donkey] - how We raise them and then We cover them with flesh." And when it became clear to him, he said, "I know that Allah is over all things competent." (259)

[Qur'an, Al-Baqarah 2:259]

Hearts can die but Allah can bring hearts back to life. Allah gives many examples in the Qur'an about life coming out of death.

أَلَمْ يَأْنِ لِلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ أَن تَخْشَعَ قُلُوبُهُمْ لِذِكْرِ‌ ٱللَّهِ وَمَا نَزَلَ مِنَ ٱلْحَقِّ وَلَا يَكُونُوا۟ كَٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُوا۟ ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ مِن قَبْلُ فَطَالَ عَلَيْهِمُ ٱلْأَمَدُ فَقَسَتْ قُلُوبُهُمْ ۖ وَكَثِيرٌ‌ۭ مِّنْهُمْ فَـٰسِقُونَ ﴿١٦﴾ ٱعْلَمُوٓا۟ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُحْىِ ٱلْأَرْ‌ضَ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهَا ۚ قَدْ بَيَّنَّا لَكُمُ ٱلْءَايَـٰتِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ ﴿١٧

Has the time not come for those who have believed that their hearts should become humbly submissive at the remembrance of Allah and what has come down of the truth? And let them not be like those who were given the Scripture before, and a long period passed over them, so their hearts hardened; and many of them are defiantly disobedient. (16) Know that Allah gives life to the earth after its lifelessness. We have made clear to you the signs; perhaps you will understand. (17)

[Qur'an, Al-Hadid 57:17]

Allah tells us if He can bring dead earth to life, He can bring dead heart to life. So don't give up on people especially your own children. Make du'a for them.

May Allah guide us and guide our children. Ameen.

Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wassallam.

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

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

If You Reach To Old Age

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

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Allah gives abstract wisdom through concrete examples in the Qur'an. One of the reminders of death in the Qur'an is an example of the physical state of an old person.

وَمَن نُّعَمِّرْ‌هُ نُنَكِّسْهُ فِى ٱلْخَلْقِ ۖ أَفَلَا يَعْقِلُونَ ﴿٦٨

And he to whom We grant long life We reverse in creation; so will they not understand? (68)

[Qur'an, Yaasin 36:68]

After having been nourished and grown for nine months inside the womb of the mother, a perfect human being came into this world. Of course, perfect it was, but the body it had was weak. Nature took care of that by placing in the breast of the mother food that would suit an infant's physical requirement. This gave it the gradual supply of needed energy. From that time to the time of youth, passed many stages and then came a strong body at its total bloom. Then came claims of the power thus acquired and rose the desire to defeat every conceivable adversary.

But, that was not the end. When the Creator and Master of this new aspirant into the world decided otherwise, all these strengths started waning. Even the decline was not sudden. It took time. There were countless stages. Finally, came the fag end of the years of life. Once there, just imagine, has this person not reached back into the stage of one's childhood. Habits started changing. Reflexes became different. Things that used to be the dearest started appearing hateful. What was comfort once turned into suffering. This is what the Qur'an calls "tankis تنكس" that is, to reverse, invert or turn upside down.

We trust what we see with our own eyes and what we hear with our own ears in the life of this world. This too does not remain trustworthy during the later years of old age. Clearly understanding what is being said becomes difficult because we will have a hard time hearing. The same thing happens to the sense of sight that becomes weak. We cannot see well enough.

Not only that this major change in a human's frame of existence is a standing manifestation of the unique power of Allah, it is also a great favor to him. Is it not that all strengths the supreme Creator has placed in the living presence of a human being are, in reality, the God-given functional devices issued to him with the clarification that they were neither his property nor were they everlasting and that, finally, they will be taken back from him.

This obviously required that, once came the time of such take over, all such strengths should have been taken back simultaneously. But, the Most Merciful and Sublime Lord has not elected to do that. Instead, He has allowed that these strengths be taken back in installments that too are prominently long and spaced apart. Thus, these are taken back gradually, bit by bit, so that one gets alerted and starts getting ready to embark on the ultimate journey of the Hereafter.

Some people when they get to old age, their backs start to give in and they can't sit or stand up straight anymore. Their bodies are bent forward. We started off from dirt and our bodies started to bend forward (slightly or a lot) at our old age, physically looking down at our next home -- the dirt. Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un (Verily, we belong to Allah and to Him is the return.)

‏اللهم إني أسألك الهدى، والتقى، والعفاف، والغنى

Allahumma inni as'alukal-huda, wat-tuqa, wal-'afafa, wal-ghina

O Allah! I beseech You for guidance, piety, chastity and contentment.

May Allah bless us with good health so we may worship Him well, and grant us good in this life and the next and save us from the Hellfire.

Ameen.

Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wassallam.

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

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Lightening Pains During Tribulations

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

Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Let the pain of tribulation be lightened for you
by knowing that it is He Most Glorious who is making trial of you;

For Him from whom you are faced with the blows of fate
is He who has accustomed you to His choosing well.

[Hikam Ibn 'Ata Illah]

Difficult times are opportunities for us to get to know Allah through His Majesty. When Allah sends a difficult time it is a reminder to us about our neediness of our Lord. It spurs us to Him. When it does that, then it is something good because anything that spurs us to Allah is good for us. We believe that hidden in the difficulty is something good for us although we may not understand what it is.

When Allah sends us difficulties, we should remember all of the favors that He has lavished upon us. We should remember the blessing of our health; we should remember the blessing of our limbs (eyes, feet, hands, fingers, toes...); we should remember the blessing of living in a place where no bombs are being dropped next door; and countless other blessings which Allah has bestowed upon us. So, you can infer that there is goodness in the tribulations because He has accustomed you to His choosing well for you.

This may be understood with respect to your relationship with your mother. You know that your mother did not spare anything looking after you since you were born, spends her money on you, and making all the many sacrifices a mother would do for their children. When your mother tells you to do something that you might feel difficult or unpleasant and if you are thinking logically and reasonably, you can conclude, from your experience with her, that she is making you do it out of love for you and wanting what's best for you, not out of dislike for you.

If we reflect upon Allah’s generosity in lavishing His blessings upon us, then it is easy for us to think the best of Allah in difficult times and lighten our pain.

The Prophet (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said, “Allah the Most High said, ‘I am as My servant thinks (expects) I am. I am with him when he mentions Me. If he mentions Me to himself, I mention him to Myself; and if he mentions Me in an assembly, I mention him in an assembly greater than it. If he draws near to Me a hand’s length, I draw near to him an arm’s length. And if he comes to Me walking, I go to him at speed.’” [Sahih Al-Bukhari]

When something bad happens to you, your thinking there is good in it will make good in it. How? Least of all, by your patience and your good opinion of Allah in this difficult time will be your good deed on the Day of Judgment.

If you think that this is bad and you get frustrated, and accusing that Allah always done the worse for you, so that is what's happening to you. Because by your lack of patience and your ingratitude, your experience will become something that will become your bad deed in the Day of Judgment.

Sayyid Qutb (may Allah have Mercy upon him) said: “As for the believers whose hearts are connected to Allah, whose souls are close to Him, who experience His constant bounty – they do not despair of the Mercy of Allah even if they are surrounded on all sides by disaster and severe hardship. The believer is in the mercy of the shade of his faith, the pleasure of his connection to his Lord, and the tranquility of his confidence in his Guardian even when he is in the throes of hardship and disaster.”

He (may Allah have Mercy upon him) also said: “The believing heart assumes the best of its Lord, and always expects the best from Him. It expects good from Him in times of ease and times of hardship, and it believes that Allah wants good for him in either situation. The secret of this is that his heart is connected to Allah, and the flow of good from Allah is never cut off. So, whenever the heart is connected to Him, it touches upon this fundamental reality and experiences it in a direct and sweet way.” [Fi Dhilal al-Qur’an]

The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: “Let none of you die except having the best opinion of Allah.” [Muslim]

May Allah increase us in imaan (faith in Allah) and not make us die except in complete submission to Him. Ameen.

Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wassallam.

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

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Asking Forgiveness From Allah Is The Solution To Every Problem

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

Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Maybe you are trying to have a child for a long time and you are getting old and you are losing hope. Maybe you are having money problems or money is tight even though you are making a six-figure income. Maybe you are disturbed, depressed, anxiety surrounds you, or you are feeling terrible for whatever reason. There is a secret by means of which Allah might give you children, increase you in wealth, or get you out of your bind. Make serious istighfar i.e., saying “Astaghfirullah” (I seek forgiveness of Allah) a lot. The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) make istighfar at least 100 times a day.

Hasan Al-Basri (may Allah have mercy on him) mentioned that a man complained to him concerning drought so it was said seek forgiveness from Allah, another complained about another matter so it was said seek forgiveness from Allah, another complained about lack of rain for his land so it was said seek forgiveness from Allah, another complained of no offspring so it was said seek forgiveness from Allah, then he (Hasan al Basri) recited.

فَقُلْتُ ٱسْتَغْفِرُ‌وا۟ رَ‌بَّكُمْ إِنَّهُۥ كَانَ غَفَّارً‌ۭا ﴿١٠

يُرْ‌سِلِ ٱلسَّمَآءَ عَلَيْكُم مِّدْرَ‌ارً‌ۭا ﴿١١﴾ وَيُمْدِدْكُم بِأَمْوَ‌ٰلٍ وَبَنِينَ وَيَجْعَل لَّكُمْ جَنَّـٰتٍ وَيَجْعَل لَّكُمْ أَنْهَـٰرً‌ۭا ﴿١٢

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

[Qur'an, Nuh 7:10-12]

[Taken from: ‘Fath al-Bari’ Chapter: the Best Method of Seeking forgiveness]

al-Hafidh Emaad ad-Deen Isma’eel Ibn Katheer (d. 774 A.H.) (may Allah have mercy on him) said in his Tafseer about the previous Ayaat:

‘If you repented to Allah and sought forgiveness from Him and showed obedience to Him your Rizq (provision) would increase and rain would fall from the blessings of the skies, and the blessings of the earth would spring forth, crops would grow for you. You will be given abundant livestock. You will be aided with wealth and offspring; meaning that offspring and wealth would be given to you. And you will be given gardens that have numerous types of fruits and through out there will be rivers that flow in these gardens. This is the way of giving Dawa’ by encouragement.’

[Taken from: ‘Tafseer al-Qur’aan al-Atheem’ 4/p.536]

The virtue of seeking forgiveness from Allah is well-known. It is a reason of obtaining forgiveness, entering Paradise, having good provisions, increasing one’s strength, repelling harm, having affairs facilitated, the descent of rain, and increasing in wealth and children. It is the gateway of relief and happiness. It is a means by which anxieties are removed, sadness are relieved, du'as are answered, doors of sustenance and knowledge are opened. Making istighfar is an effective method of calming our self and wipes away the variety of worldly worries from our mind and body. It also helps us to refrain from all forms of sins. Regularly saying "Astaghfirullah" reminds us that Allah is everywhere and in this way there is very small chances of doing wrongful actions.

Ibn Abbas (May Allah be pleased with them) said: The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said,

"If anyone constantly seeks pardon (from Allah), Allah will appoint for him a way out of every distress and a relief from every anxiety, and will provide sustenance for him from where he expects not.” [Abu Dawud].

In short, asking forgiveness from Allah is the solution to every problem. People often forget the importance of this simple yet powerful du'a (supplication).

Allah Almighty says,

وَأَنِ ٱسْتَغْفِرُ‌وا۟ رَ‌بَّكُمْ ثُمَّ تُوبُوٓا۟ إِلَيْهِ يُمَتِّعْكُم مَّتَـٰعًا حَسَنًا إِلَىٰٓ أَجَلٍ مُّسَمًّى وَيُؤْتِ كُلَّ ذِى فَضْلٍ فَضْلَهُۥ ۖ وَإِن تَوَلَّوْا۟ فَإِنِّىٓ أَخَافُ عَلَيْكُمْ عَذَابَ يَوْمٍ كَبِيرٍ‌ ﴿٣

And [saying], "Seek forgiveness of your Lord and repent to Him, [and] He will let you enjoy a good provision for a specified term and give every doer of favor his favor. But if you turn away, then indeed, I fear for you the punishment of a great Day. (3)

[Qur'an, Hud 11:3]

One of the beautiful Names of Allah is Al-Ghaffaar (الْغَفَّارُ) – The Great Forgiver The Forgiver, the One who forgives the sins of His slaves time and time again.

The door of repentance is always open. So, don’t delay your repentance in a hope of tomorrow, as tomorrow is uncertain. So, repent now and make it a habit to ask Allah’s forgiveness by reciting “Astaghfirullah” constantly.

إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُحِبُّ ٱلتَّوَّ‌ٰبِينَ وَيُحِبُّ ٱلْمُتَطَهِّرِ‌ينَ ﴿٢٢٢

...Indeed, Allah loves those who are constantly repentant and loves those who purify themselves." (222)

[Qur'an, Al-Baqaeah

May Allah make us of those who are constantly repentant and of those who purify themselves. May Allah envelope us with His love and mercy. Ameen.

Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wassallam.

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

And Allah knows best.
Wassallam

The Night of 15th Sha'ban and Preparing Your Hearts for Ramadhan -- Pardoning People

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

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Tonight is the eve of the 15th of Sha'ban and is one of the greatest nights of the year. `Ata’ bin Yasar said that after Laylat al-Qadr there is no night better than the 15th night of Sha`ban. Its greatness is due to the Divine gifts that are bestowed during it.

It was the habit of some of the early Muslims to “bring life” to this night. They encouraged people to come together in the mosque on this night to pray, supplicate and seek forgiveness.

The Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said that when this night comes we should spend it in prayer and fast the following day, because truly Allah calls out to His slaves from sunset until dawn: “Is there anyone seeking forgiveness from Me so that I may forgive him? Is there anyone seeking provision from Me so I may provide for him? Is there anyone suffering so I may relieve his suffering?” [Ibn Majah]

A number of the hadith that talk about the immense gifts which Allah bestows on this night mention several categories of people that are excluded from receiving these gifts. Among those mentioned are those who attribute partners to Allah and those who have rancor in their hearts for their fellow Muslims. Some of the scholars mentioned specifically those who insult the Companions or the early generations of the Muslims or declare their fellow Muslims to be disbelievers or innovators. Other categories mentioned are those who fornicate, cut the ties of kinship or disrespect their parents. These categories of people are also denied forgiveness and acceptance on other great nights such as the first night of Ramadhan and Laylat al-Qadr. We should do our utmost to avoid these attributes.

The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: “Allah gazes at His creation on the 15th night of Sha`ban and then forgives all His slaves except for two types of people: those who attribute partners to Allah and those who have rancor for their fellow Muslims.” [Ahmad]

This night, after Maghrib or Isha prayer it is traditional practice to read Surah Yasin and make special supplications for good health, protection from calamities and increased Iman. It is the practice of many of the pious people of the Ummah to recite Surah Yasin three times. The first time they read it with the intention of being blessed with a long life spent in obedience to Allah, the second time with the intention that calamities are diverted and the third time with the intention of not being in need of people and being blessed with a good ending.

The 15th of Sha'ban also means that the blessed month of Ramadhan, in which the Qur'an was revealed, is arriving within 2 weeks. As we wait in eager anticipation of the noble guest, we do not spare ourselves in order to receive our noble guest in top shape physically and spiritually, starting tonight.

Among the preparations that the scholars of Islam have encouraged is preparing our hearts for Allah's gaze. Baihaqi relates, “When it is the first night of the month of Ramadhan, Allah, Mighty and Majestic, gazes to them and the one to whom Allah looks, He does not punish him, ever.” The place to which Allah looks is the heart. So what will Allah see in your and my heart if He were to look to us on the first night of Ramadhan?

One of the early scholars said: “The best attributes are to have a sound heart, a generous soul and sincerely want good for the Ummah. Through these qualities the great ones reached the stations that they reached, not through a great amount of prayer and fasting.”

We can purify our hearts in preparation for this gaze from our Merciful, Forgiving Lord and also expose ourselves to an opportunity for His pardon when we need it most, by pardoning His slaves.

Allah Almighty said,

وَجَزَ‌ٰٓؤُا۟ سَيِّئَةٍ سَيِّئَةٌ مِّثْلُهَا ۖ فَمَنْ عَفَا وَأَصْلَحَ فَأَجْرُ‌هُۥ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ لَا يُحِبُّ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ

And the retribution for an evil act is an evil one like it, but whoever pardons and makes reconciliation - his reward is [due] from Allah. Indeed, He does not like wrongdoers. [Qur'an, Ash-Shura 42:40]

Tabarani relates that the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said, "A caller will call [on the Day of Rising], ‘Let him stand whose reward is upon Allah and let him enter paradise’ Then he will call a second time, ‘Let him stand whose reward is upon Allah and let him enter paradise’ It will be said, ‘Who is the one whose reward is upon Allah, Mighty and Majestic?’ He will say, ‘Those who pardon people.’ Then he will call a third time, ‘Let him stand whose reward is upon Allah and let him enter paradise.’ Then so and so many thousand will stand and enter paradise without reckoning." Imagine being among that fortunate group and having all of our many sins forgiven and receiving our reward directly from Allah!

Let us pardon one another and all of Allah's servants.

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

...Our Lord, forgive us and our brothers who preceded us in faith and put not in our hearts [any] resentment toward those who have believed. Our Lord, indeed You are Kind and Merciful. [Qur'an, Al-Hashr 59:10]

May Allah not deprive us of any of the gifts that are bestowed on this great night. May He give us the ability to seek His pleasure by praying to Him and seeking His forgiveness in this night. We ask that He decrees for us all that is good and deflects from us all that is harmful. May Allah enable us to reach Ramadhan.

Ameen.

Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wassallam.

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

And Allah knows best.
Wassallam

Prayer On The 15th Night Of Sha'ban
The 15th Night of Sha'ban