Nobody Is Beyond Hope

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

Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Nobody is beyond hope. Everyday is a new life. So you have a fresh start every time Allah gives you an opportunity to wake up.

The door of repentance is open so long as we are not in the throes of death, for the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said,

Allah accepts the repentance of His servant so long as death has not reached his collar bone.

[At-Tirmidhi]

As long as you are sincere in your repentance, Allah Almighty will accept your repentance and forgive you your sins.

أَلَمْ يَعْلَمُوٓا۟ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ هُوَ يَقْبَلُ ٱلتَّوْبَةَ عَنْ عِبَادِهِۦ وَيَأْخُذُ ٱلصَّدَقَـٰتِ وَأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ هُوَ ٱلتَّوَّابُ ٱلرَّ‌حِيمُ ﴿١٠٤

Do they not know that it is Allah who accepts repentance from His servants and receives charities and that it is Allah who is the Accepting of repentance, the Merciful? (104)

[Qur'an, At-Tawbah 9:104]

قُلْ يَـٰعِبَادِىَ ٱلَّذِينَ أَسْرَ‌فُوا۟ عَلَىٰٓ أَنفُسِهِمْ لَا تَقْنَطُوا۟ مِن رَّ‌حْمَةِ ٱللَّهِ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَغْفِرُ‌ ٱلذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعًا ۚ إِنَّهُۥ هُوَ ٱلْغَفُورُ‌ ٱلرَّ‌حِيمُ ﴿٥٣

Say, "O My servants who have transgressed against themselves [by sinning], do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. Indeed, it is He who is the Forgiving, the Merciful." (53)

[Qur'an, Az-Zumar 39:53]

When the resurrection happens people wake up and realize that they had made mistakes in the past and they wish they could go back to correct their mistakes and start fresh.

فَلَوْ أَنَّ لَنَا كَرَّ‌ةً فَنَكُونَ مِنَ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ ﴿١٠٢

Then if we only had a return [to the world] and could be of the believers... " (102)

[Qur'an, Ash-Shu'ara 26:102]

That is one wish that won't be granted. But that wish is being granted to us everyday. Today is a new life for you. So let go of your sins and get off your bad habits and heedlessness and start a new life of obedience to the Almighty.

If you have committed sin or evil but have repented sincerely, and changed your life around for better, then Allah has certainly promised to grant you mercy and forgiveness. If not, do not put off repentance; take the necessary steps immediately, for no one can tell when the death will overtake us. We must never be complacent or slack in hastening to taking steps towards repentance.

While speaking of repentance, we must rush to add, that it cannot be considered as valid unless one takes the following steps:

1- One must feel deep remorse for the sins one has committed.
2- One must refrain from it totally while also abstaining from all those leads or circumstances that led him to such a sin in the first place.
3- He must be firmly resolved never to sin again, and immediately becoming occupied in whatever good deeds that he can in order to wipe out his past sins.
4- All of the above relate to sins involving the rights of Allah; if, however, your sins involve the rights of human beings, then you must also do whatever it takes to return or compensate or redress the grievances of the person you have wronged. Paying him his dues or compensating him in whatever ways possible becomes an essential condition of valid repentance.

Remember,

يَوْمَ يَتَذَكَّرُ‌ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنُ مَا سَعَىٰ ﴿٣٥﴾ وَبُرِّ‌زَتِ ٱلْجَحِيمُ لِمَن يَرَ‌ىٰ ﴿٣٦﴾ فَأَمَّا مَن طَغَىٰ ﴿٣٧﴾ وَءَاثَرَ‌ ٱلْحَيَو‌ٰةَ ٱلدُّنْيَا ﴿٣٨﴾ فَإِنَّ ٱلْجَحِيمَ هِىَ ٱلْمَأْوَىٰ ﴿٣٩﴾ وَأَمَّا مَنْ خَافَ مَقَامَ رَ‌بِّهِۦ وَنَهَى ٱلنَّفْسَ عَنِ ٱلْهَوَىٰ ﴿٤٠﴾ فَإِنَّ ٱلْجَنَّةَ هِىَ ٱلْمَأْوَىٰ ﴿٤١

The Day when man will remember that for which he strove, (35) And Hellfire will be exposed for [all] those who see - (36) So as for he who transgressed (37) And preferred the life of the world, (38) Then indeed, Hellfire will be [his] refuge. (39) But as for he who feared the position of his Lord and prevented the soul from [unlawful] inclination, (40) Then indeed, Paradise will be [his] refuge. (41)

[Qur'an, An-Nazi'at 79:16]

إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُحِبُّ ٱلتَّوَّ‌ٰبِينَ وَيُحِبُّ ٱلْمُتَطَهِّرِ‌ينَ ﴿٢٢٢...

No doubt, Allah loves those who are constantly repentant and loves those who purify themselves." (222)

[Qur'an, Al-Baqarah 2:222]

May Allah make us of those who oft-repentant and purify themselves. Ameen.

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

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Du'a When You Wake Up

Let's Memorize Today Prophetic Supplication (#36) - Du'a When You Wake Up

بسم الله الرحمن الرحي
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)

Du'a when you wake up

الْحَمْدُ للهِ الَّذِي أَحْيَانَا بَعْدَ مَا أَمَاتَنَا وَإِلَيْهِ النُّشُورُ

Alhamdu lillahil-ladhi 'ahyana ba'da ma 'amatana wa'ilayhin-nushur

Praise is to Allah Who gives us life after He has caused us to die and to Him is the return.

Bukhari 11/113; Muslim 4/2083

لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ، لَهُ الْمُلْكُ وَلَهُ الْحَمْدَ، وَهُوَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ. سُبْحَانَ اللهِ، وَالْحَمْدُ للهِ، ولَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللهُ، وَاللهُ أَكْبَرُ، وَلَا حَوْلَ وَلَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِاللهِ العَلِيِّ الْعَظيِمِ، ربِّ اغْفِرلِي

La "illaha "illallahu wahdahu la sharika lahu, lahul-mulku wa lahul-hamdu, wa Huwa 'ala kulli shay"in Qadir Subhanallahi, walhamdu lillahi, wa la "ilaha "illallahu, wallahu "akbar, wa la hawla wa la Quwwata "illa billahil-'Aliyyil-'Azim, Rabbighfir li

There is none worth of worship but Allah alone, Who has no partner, His is the dominion and to Him belongs all praise, and He is able to do all things. Glory is to Allah. Praise is to Allah. There is none worth of worship but Allah. Allah is the Most Great. There is no might and no power except by Allah's leave, the Exalted, the Mighty. My Lord, forgive me.

Whoever says this will be forgiven, and if he supplicates Allah, his prayer will be answered; if he performs ablution and prays, his prayer will be accepted.

Bukhari, 3/39, the wording here is from Ibn Majah 2/335

الْحَمْدُ للهِ الَّذِي عَافَانِي فِي جَسَدِي، وَرَدَّ عَلَيَّ رُوحِي، وَأَذِنَ لِي بِذِكْرِهِ

Alhamdu lillahil-ladhi "afani fi jasadi, wa radda 'alayya ruhi, wa 'adhina li bidhikri

Praise is to Allah Who gave strength to my body and returned my soul to me and permitted me to remember Him.

Tirmidhi 5/473

It is sunnah to recite the last 10 verses of Surah Ale-Imran when you wake up.

A Narrated ibn `Abbas:

That once he stayed overnight in the house of his aunt, the wife of the Prophet (ﷺ). He added: I lay on the cushion transversely while Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) lay along with his wife in the lengthwise direction of cushion. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) slept till the middle of the night, either a bit before or a bit after it, and then woke up rubbing the traces of sleep off his face with his hands, and then recited the last ten Verses of Surah Ale-Imran. Then he got up and went to a hanging water skin, performed ablution from it ---- and performed it perfectly. Then he stood up to perform the prayer. I also did the same as he had done and then went to stand beside him. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) put his right hand on my head and held and twisted my right ear. He then offered two rak`at, then two rak`at then two rak`at, then two then two rak`at, then two rak`at, and finally, one rak`a witr. Then lay down again till the Muadhdhin (i.e. the call-maker) came to him, whereupon he got up and offered a light two rak`at prayer and went out (to the masjid) and offered the (compulsory congregational) Fajr prayer.

إِنَّ فِى خَلْقِ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَ‌ٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْ‌ضِ وَٱخْتِلَـٰفِ ٱلَّيْلِ وَٱلنَّهَارِ‌ لَءَايَـٰتٍ لِّأُو۟لِى ٱلْأَلْبَـٰبِ ﴿١٩٠﴾ ٱلَّذِينَ يَذْكُرُ‌ونَ ٱللَّهَ قِيَـٰمًا وَقُعُودًا وَعَلَىٰ جُنُوبِهِمْ وَيَتَفَكَّرُ‌ونَ فِى خَلْقِ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَ‌ٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْ‌ضِ رَ‌بَّنَا مَا خَلَقْتَ هَـٰذَا بَـٰطِلًا سُبْحَـٰنَكَ فَقِنَا عَذَابَ ٱلنَّارِ‌ ﴿١٩١﴾ رَ‌بَّنَآ إِنَّكَ مَن تُدْخِلِ ٱلنَّارَ‌ فَقَدْ أَخْزَيْتَهُۥ ۖ وَمَا لِلظَّـٰلِمِينَ مِنْ أَنصَارٍ‌ۢ ﴿١٩٢﴾ رَّ‌بَّنَآ إِنَّنَا سَمِعْنَا مُنَادِيًا يُنَادِى لِلْإِيمَـٰنِ أَنْ ءَامِنُوا۟ بِرَ‌بِّكُمْ فَـَٔامَنَّا ۚ رَ‌بَّنَا فَٱغْفِرْ‌ لَنَا ذُنُوبَنَا وَكَفِّرْ‌ عَنَّا سَيِّـَٔاتِنَا وَتَوَفَّنَا مَعَ ٱلْأَبْرَ‌ارِ‌ ﴿١٩٣﴾ رَ‌بَّنَا وَءَاتِنَا مَا وَعَدتَّنَا عَلَىٰ رُ‌سُلِكَ وَلَا تُخْزِنَا يَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ ۗ إِنَّكَ لَا تُخْلِفُ ٱلْمِيعَادَ ﴿١٩٤
فَٱسْتَجَابَ لَهُمْ رَ‌بُّهُمْ أَنِّى لَآ أُضِيعُ عَمَلَ عَـٰمِلٍ مِّنكُم مِّن ذَكَرٍ‌ أَوْ أُنثَىٰ ۖ بَعْضُكُم مِّنۢ بَعْضٍ ۖ فَٱلَّذِينَ هَاجَرُ‌وا۟ وَأُخْرِ‌جُوا۟ مِن دِيَـٰرِ‌هِمْ وَأُوذُوا۟ فِى سَبِيلِى وَقَـٰتَلُوا۟ وَقُتِلُوا۟ لَأُكَفِّرَ‌نَّ عَنْهُمْ سَيِّـَٔاتِهِمْ وَلَأُدْخِلَنَّهُمْ جَنَّـٰتٍ تَجْرِ‌ى مِن تَحْتِهَا ٱلْأَنْهَـٰرُ‌ ثَوَابًا مِّنْ عِندِ ٱللَّهِ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ عِندَهُۥ حُسْنُ ٱلثَّوَابِ ﴿١٩٥﴾ لَا يَغُرَّ‌نَّكَ تَقَلُّبُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُ‌وا۟ فِى ٱلْبِلَـٰدِ ﴿١٩٦﴾ مَتَـٰعٌ قَلِيلٌ ثُمَّ مَأْوَىٰهُمْ جَهَنَّمُ ۚ وَبِئْسَ ٱلْمِهَادُ ﴿١٩٧﴾ لَـٰكِنِ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱتَّقَوْا۟ رَ‌بَّهُمْ لَهُمْ جَنَّـٰتٌ تَجْرِ‌ى مِن تَحْتِهَا ٱلْأَنْهَـٰرُ‌ خَـٰلِدِينَ فِيهَا نُزُلًا مِّنْ عِندِ ٱللَّهِ ۗ وَمَا عِندَ ٱللَّهِ خَيْرٌ‌ۭ لِّلْأَبْرَ‌ارِ‌ ﴿١٩٨﴾ وَإِنَّ مِنْ أَهْلِ ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ لَمَن يُؤْمِنُ بِٱللَّهِ وَمَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكُمْ وَمَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْهِمْ خَـٰشِعِينَ لِلَّهِ لَا يَشْتَرُ‌ونَ بِـَٔايَـٰتِ ٱللَّهِ ثَمَنًا قَلِيلًا ۗ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ لَهُمْ أَجْرُ‌هُمْ عِندَ رَ‌بِّهِمْ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ سَرِ‌يعُ ٱلْحِسَابِ ﴿١٩٩﴾ يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱصْبِرُ‌وا۟ وَصَابِرُ‌وا۟ وَرَ‌ابِطُوا۟ وَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ ﴿٢٠٠

Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of the night and the day are signs for those of understanding. (190) Who remember Allah while standing or sitting or [lying] on their sides and give thought to the creation of the heavens and the earth, [saying], "Our Lord, You did not create this aimlessly; exalted are You [above such a thing]; then protect us from the punishment of the Fire. (191) Our Lord, indeed whoever You admit to the Fire - You have disgraced him, and for the wrongdoers there are no helpers. (192) Our Lord, indeed we have heard a caller calling to faith, [saying], 'Believe in your Lord,' and we have believed. Our Lord, so forgive us our sins and remove from us our misdeeds and cause us to die with the righteous. (193) Our Lord, and grant us what You promised us through Your messengers and do not disgrace us on the Day of Resurrection. Indeed, You do not fail in [Your] promise." (194) And their Lord responded to them, "Never will I allow to be lost the work of [any] worker among you, whether male or female; you are of one another. So those who emigrated or were evicted from their homes or were harmed in My cause or fought or were killed - I will surely remove from them their misdeeds, and I will surely admit them to gardens beneath which rivers flow as reward from Allah, and Allah has with Him the best reward." (195) Be not deceived by the [uninhibited] movement of the disbelievers throughout the land. (196) [It is but] a small enjoyment; then their [final] refuge is Hell, and wretched is the resting place. (197) But those who feared their Lord will have gardens beneath which rivers flow, abiding eternally therein, as accommodation from Allah. And that which is with Allah is best for the righteous. (198) And indeed, among the People of the Scripture are those who believe in Allah and what was revealed to you and what was revealed to them, [being] humbly submissive to Allah. They do not exchange the verses of Allah for a small price. Those will have their reward with their Lord. Indeed, Allah is swift in account. (199) O you who have believed, persevere and endure and remain stationed and fear Allah that you may be successful. (200) [Qur'an, AleImran 3:190-200]

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

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Let's Read Surah Kahf Today (Friday) -- Allah, The Best Teacher

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

Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

When the young men made it to cave, fleeing from oppression of the society, Allah put them to sleep.

فَضَرَ‌بْنَا عَلَىٰٓ ءَاذَانِهِمْ فِى ٱلْكَهْفِ سِنِينَ عَدَدًا ﴿١١

So We cast [a cover of sleep] over their ears within the cave for a number of years. (11)

[Qur'an, Al-Kahf 18:11]

فَضَرَ‌بْنَا عَلَىٰٓ ءَاذَانِهِمْ literally to pat someone on the ears -- the image of that of a mother affectionately putting her child to sleep by patting on the ears. The idiom also means to prevent somebody from hearing something, i.e. by sealing off somebody ears.

Allah's love is expressed in this one expression. The young men were patted to sleep and as a result they were saved from hearing the painful things that have forced them to take refuge in the cave -- it is the idea that Allah lovingly patting these young men to sleep.

Everything in the Qur'an has a purpose, nothing in it is put haphazardly. Allah does not tell us the exact number of years the sleepers were in the cave. One thing we have to understand is that a good teacher purposely keeps certain information from his students when they are not ready for it. Even if you ask repeatedly, your teacher won't give it to you because if you get the information when you are not ready for it, it will either distract you from the actual learning that you must do or it will cause harm that you will get things confused. Just like medication or a diet food has a certain time and proportion, there is a certain order of things in life, and similarly with learning.

The Qur'an teaches us that there are things we need to know and there are things we don't need to know. The idea that Allah being the teacher is that Allah knows which question deserves an answer and which one does not. Perhaps He will teach you something far more valuable than your question and perhaps by Him not answering your question is the best education you ever received. By answering a question you get information but sometimes by answering it with a different answer you get not just information but wisdom.

When Allah kept ambiguous the number of years the sleepers were in the cave is extremely profound. If we think about it, Qur'an is not a massive Book -- only 114 Surahs revealed in 23 years. If we were going to author a book for 23 years, we could have many more than 600 pages. The Qur'an is extremely limited compared to any of what is left of the sacred texts, compared to the Bible and the Old Testament. It only has a fraction of the information those texts have. There are no extended family names, village names, or dates in the Qur'an. From the information perspective there is very limited information in the Qur'an and lots of repetition.

Allah is going to tell us something that is contested among the Christians -- how long the men stayed in the cave. Allah could have given the exact number but He didn't. He only tells us,

فِى ٱلْكَهْفِ سِنِينَ عَدَدًا

[within the cave for a number of years]

It is really important to note what Allah tells us and it is equally important to note what Allah decided not to tell us. Everything we need to know, Allah tells us in His Book. Qur'an is a Book of teaching and not a Book of information. Teaching is different than giving information. Teaching is a constant back and forth with lots of repetition.

So every ayah in the Qur'an is extremely valuable.

The purpose of every ayah is to give us something of value. The purpose of this ayah is the love Allah expresses for these young righteous men. We were given the image of babies being put to sleep. Babies are not put to sleep on a rock but a place of comfort. These young men were being treated with this kind of loving care and that Allah did not forget them. They were given this comfort in the cave for some number of years -- sleeping like a baby, saved from the fitnah of the society outside. But Allah didn't tell us exactly how long they were sleeping in the cave. Even if it was a month it would already be miraculous but Allah tells us they were sleeping for some number of years. This is enough for a believer to appreciate Allah's power. Thus, the exact number becomes irrelevant.

May Allah increase our love for the Qur'an and teach us the Qur'an and help us to live by the Qur'an. Ameen.

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

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Related Archive
Let's Read Surah Kahf Today (Friday) -- The Beginning of Great Things Begins With A Du'a

Don't Fall Back After Ramadhan -- Eat to Live, Not Vice Versa

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

Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Last Ramadhan was a training ground for disengaging from unproductive things and engaging in productive things. In Ramadhan, we couldn't eat during the day and so we have more time to concentrate on other things in life. In the evening we couldn't eat much because the stomach had shrunk and so we sufficed ourselves with a few morsels of simple foods. We didn't have much time to repeat eating because the night is short and we had to catch the Maghrib, 'Isha and taraweeh prayers at the masjid, continue with qiyamulail and get a little sleep.

Allah has blessed us with Eid after a month of fasting in which we can splurge a little during those open houses. But it is over. We are not free to splurge until next Ramadhan. Don't unshrunk your stomach now. If you are finding yourself eating too much, or spending too much time thinking about food, or preparing food, go back to your good Ramadhan habits. The best way to do this is to pick up the various sunnah fasting, especially the Mondays and Thursdays fasting.

Engaging in something excessive is unproductive and it is wrong. Eating beyond your fill is excessive and thus unproductive. Spending too much time thinking about food or what food to cook today or where to eat is unproductive. Having more than one or two-course meal is excessive because not only you will wind up eating more than you need, someone will have to cook more and clean more. This is unproductive for everybody.

Though food is essential, we were not created to eat. A Muslim eats to live; not vice versa. Heedlessly indulging in blessings, in complete oblivion to the purpose of our life and the wisdom in being given these blessings, turns blessings into a curse, and barrier to Allah. Moderation is essential. Restaurants thrive because people love to eat and dine. There is so much waste in the food industry and a ridiculously high demand in food products because of the consumers' excessive eating habits. If we are one of those who frequent the restaurants and love to eat out, we should start cutting it down, and suffice ourselves to simple foods at home.

If we embrace the Islamic value of eat to live, we free ourselves from one of the most unproductive things we do in life so that we have more time to do more important things and those things that we have kept putting off or finding no time for, like reading and memorizing the Qur'an or learning Arabic.

Eating and drinking come under the following categories:

(1) Obligatory -- This is the amount needed to ward off death and to enable us to offer the prayers standing [and fulfill our other obligations].

(2) Recommended -- This is the amount that enables us to undertake recommended acts of worship, and teaching and studying sacred knowledge.

(3) Permissible -- This is the eating up to our fill to increase our strength.

(4) Disliked -- This is eating above the fill slightly to a degree that does not harm us.

(5) Forbidden -- This is eating above our fill unless it is for the intention of strengthening ourselves for a fast or so that our guest is not ashamed to eat or the like.

May Allah remove our blameworthy traits and protect us from wastefulness and being unproductive, and make us of those who are grateful and productive. Ameen.

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

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Can A Leader Succeed Without Justice and Ihsan? -- Reflecting on Omar's Leadership

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

Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Abu Bakr As Siddiq and Omar ibn Al-Khattab Al-Farouq (may Allah be pleased with both of them) were the two closest companions of the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace). Ali bin Abu Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) is reported to have said that Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) went out in the morning with Abu Bakr and Omar and he would return at night with Abu Bakr and Omar. The Prophet himself (Allah bless him and grant him peace) called Abu Bakr and Omar his eyes and ears, and said they were his advisors from the inhabitants of earth. [Tirmidhi] Omar stood beside the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) in all of the trials and tribulations that faced the Muslim Ummah.

Ummah means the community of believers bound together with a purpose - to worship Allah. Together they are strong, divided they are weak. Each member is united with all of the others in a spiritual way that can even have physical manifestations. When one part of the Ummah is in pain, the whole Ummah hurts. [Bukhari & Muslim]

وَإِنَّ هَـٰذِهِۦٓ أُمَّتُكُمْ أُمَّةً وَ‌ٰحِدَةً وَأَنَا۠ رَ‌بُّكُمْ فَٱتَّقُونِ ﴿٥٢

“And verily this Ummah of yours is One Ummah and I am your Lord and Cherisher: therefore fear Me (and no other).”

(Qur'an, Al-Mu'minoon 23:52)

Omar’s path to the Truth began with a vehement hatred of the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) and the religion of Islam but that hatred soon turned into a fierce love. The supplications of Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) and the sublime beauty of Qur'an changed his mind, his heart, and his life. After Omar accepted Islam he became a man devoted to the Ummah, he was pleased when the Ummah was pleased and displeased when the Ummah was displeased.

Omar was a strong and assertive man. When the enemies of Islam heard the name of Omar, their knees would tremble. When Shaytan saw Omar walking down the street, he would turn the other way. Even Omar’s friends would sometimes find his presence intimidating, and they too feared his anger. However, this man of strength and power, cried easily, and had a soft and compassionate heart. Omar was humble without being weak. Omar combined two opposing character traits and that made him unique amongst the men around the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace). The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said, “if there was to be a Prophet after me it would have been Omar ibn Al Khattab.”

Omar was the second Caliph of the Muslim Ummah, and the first Muslim leader to be called the Commander of the Faithful. After the Prophet's (Allah bless him and grant him peace) death, his closest friend Abu Bakr became his successor and led the Muslims for around two years. When Abu Bakr felt his own death approaching, he gathered his closest friends and advisors around him and informed them that their allegiance to him was over. Abu Bakr hoped that these men would choose his successor from among themselves. However, after much discussion Abu Bakr’s companions returned to him and asked him to choose for them for they trusted his choice beyond question. Abu Bakr chose Omar.

Some of the men around Abu Bakr voiced their concern that Omar, known to be a very harsh and tough man would be too hard on the people. Abu Bakr responded by saying that he considered Omar to be the best among them. Despite these initial reservations among some men of Madinah, Omar was appointed as the second Caliph of the Muslims. He began his reign by addressing the people and immediately explaining his expectations for himself. Omar knew the people were wary of his reputation for toughness and he addressed this issue.

He said, “Oh people, know that I have been appointed to govern your affairs, so recognize that my roughness is now weakened, but I will continue to be rough and harsh on the people of oppression and transgression and will put their cheeks into the dirt [This was an expression used by the Arabs of that time, to denote a harsh response, one that leaves no doubt that oppression of others and the transgression of their rights will not be tolerated.] Know also that I will put my own cheek into the dirt to defend the people of piety.”

Omar went on to explain to the people that he would take nothing from what their land produced or from the spoils of war except what Allah ordained and that he would only spend that money in a way that was pleasing to Allah. Omar was acutely aware of the importance of financial justice, and that he would be held accountable for every penny or dirham that belonged to the Muslim Ummah. Omar also informed the people that he would increase their salaries and provisions and guard their borders.

The young Muslim nation that the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) and his companions (may Allah be pleased with them all) had worked so hard to establish was an Ummah unlike no other. Benefits were paid to every member of the Ummah from the Muslim treasury; it was not necessary to be a government employee, the wealth of the ever-expanding nation was shared equally. Omar did not institute this, he was merely following the already established way of his predecessors, but he did promise to increase the payments.

Omar also promised not to send the Muslim armies “into destruction”, meaning that he would not send the armies out unless the risks were evaluated and deemed acceptable. He promised not to keep the soldiers away from their families for an extended period and reassured the men that while they were away fighting for the Muslim Ummah, and if they did not return, he, the Caliph would be the father of their children and the caretaker of their wives. Omar believed the role of the leader was to protect the people.

This concept seems very unusual nowadays when we see Presidents and Prime Ministers surrounded by bodyguards and willing to trample over anyone to protect themselves and their power. Omar, although he was the leader of an Empire, never felt it necessary to have a bodyguard. He walked the streets of Madinah like any ordinary citizen, even at night. In fact, it was during the nights that he roamed the streets checking up on those under his protection and anonymously distributing charity.

One of the years of Omar’s reign came to be known as the Year of Ashes. This year was a great test for the Muslim Ummah. It was a time of drought and famine, when the wind was so hot it burnt the skin as if with hot ashes. Meat, butter, and milk became unavailable, and the people existed on little more then dry bread sometimes dipped in oil. Omar took an oath that he would not eat or drink anything that was not available to the people. Even when foodstuffs became available in the markets again, Omar refused to buy them for inflated prices. He was heard to say, “How can I be concerned about and understand my own subjects if I am not going through the same trials that they go through?”

More then fourteen hundred years after his reign, Omar is still remembered as a man of justice. Drawing on the principles of justice, mercy and compassion inherent in Islam, Omar treated all those under his care equally, whether they were rich or poor, black or white, powerful or weak. He constantly feared that Allah would question him about his actions. He worried that there may be sick or poor people among the believers that he had not cared for correctly. Omar never appointed judges or governors who expressed a desire for such a job but chose wisely from the most pious members of the Ummah. His judges and governors were audited and if they had more assets than what they started with before they became judges or governors, the excess would be confiscated.

Omar's kindness towards animals was glowingly recorded in Islamic history. He learned from Islam that in every living being there is reward, and that it is not permissible in Islam to abuse animals, to destroy them for no reason, to use them in ways for which they were not created or to force them to do more than they are able. He declared that if a mule stumbled in Iraq [he was in Madinah], he was responsible for not having the road paved. Once Omar saw a camel which appeared exhausted and sick. He went to it, laid his hand on the camel's back and examined it, saying, "I am afraid that I will be questioned about you (i.e., on the Day of Resurrection)."

Omar considered himself an ordinary Muslim but history has recorded that he was anything but ordinary. Omar was strong, physically and spiritually, he was generous, noble and lived a life of humility. Omar followed in the footsteps of his beloved Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace). He followed his example and upheld his traditions. Omar’s whole being was focused on pleasing Allah; he feared Allah’s punishment but hoped for Paradise. Omar was able to distinguish between the truth and falsehood, he felt pain when the Ummah or any member of it was hurting, and he felt joy when those under his care were content and happy worshiping their Lord. Omar was one of four rightly guided Caliphs. Even today, he continues to be a role model for strength, justice, love, and mercy.

Remembering that Allah is always watching is the key to guidance and goodness and is the essence of worship -- to worship Allah as if you see him, and even though you do not see Him, He sees you. [Bukhari & Muslim]. Even with regard to a sick camel, Omar feared that his Lord would question him about it. This is the essence of Islam, awareness of Allah's watching and fear of Him that stills the heart.

Can any ruler or leader succeed without this? Can he escape the reckoning of Allah when he has been appointed in charge of His slaves?

May Allah guide our leaders, and strengthen and unite the Ummah in good. May Allah protect us from the trials and tribulations of this life and the next and forgive our shortcomings. Ameen.

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

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Keeping The Spirit of Ramadhan Alive and Increasing Our Love for The Messenger ﷺ -- Fasting Outside Ramadhan

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

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

For Muslims, the blessed month of Ramadhan is the most wonderful time of the year. The benefits and beauties of this month are boundless. Ramadhan is over and obligatory fasting is over. We can eat, drink, and be merry again when the sun is shining. And that special feeling you have in your heart -- the one that keeps you going despite your hunger and thirst, gradually fades away.

There are numerous voluntary fasts we are encouraged to undertake throughout the year which will help us keep the spirit of Ramadhan alive for the rest of our lives.

For instance, the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wassallam) encouraged Muslims to follow up Ramadhan fasting with six days of Shawwal fasting. The reward is equivalent to fasting the entire year. "Fasting Ramadhan is like fasting ten months, and fasting six days [of Shawwal] is like fasting two months. That is like fasting a full year." [Ahmad & Nasa’i] “Whoever fasts Ramadhan then fasts six days of Shawwal, it is as if he fasted for a lifetime.” [Muslim]

In a few months, the season of Hajj will begin, and those Muslims who do not perform the Hajj are encouraged to fast the first 9 days of Dhul-Hijjah, including the day of Arafat (9th of Dhul-Hijjah), when all the pilgrims will be standing on that plain and begging Allah for forgiveness. We should plan to fast that day.

We should also plan to fast in these months:

In the month of Muharram: it is Sunnah to fast whatever one can of this month, because of the hadith: “The best of fasting after Ramadhan is the month of Allah Muharram, and the best of prayer after the obligatory prayers is prayer at night (qiyaam al-layl).” [Muslim]

For Ashura, the 10th of Muharram, the day that commemorates the exodus of the Children of Israel from Egypt, we are encouraged to fast that day as well as the day before or the day after. It was narrated that Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) was asked about fasting on the day of Ashura. He said, “I do not know of any day on the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and grant him peace) fasted that was better than this day and any month that was better than this month, meaning Ramadhan.” [Bukhari & Muslim]. It is Sunnah to fast the day before or the day after along with Ashura, in order to be different from the Jews.

In the month of Sha’ban, as it was narrated that Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) said: “The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and grant him peace) used to fast until we thought that he would never break his fast, and he would not fast until we thought that he would never fast. I never saw the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and grant him peace) fast an entire month apart from Ramadhan, and the month in which I saw him fast the most was Sha’ban. He used to fast all of Sha’ban or all of it apart from a few days.” [Bukhari, Muslim]

The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam also used to fast Mondays and Thursdays, and we should follow this Sunnah to the best of our ability. And there is also the fast during the 3 white days (13, 14, 15 of each lunar month) that we can try to do each month. In this Shawwal, the 3 white days will be this Wednesday, Thursday and Friday in most places. For those who haven't performed the six days of Shawwal fasting, perhaps they can plan to fast on these white days and enjoy the benefits these fasts.

“The observance of three days' fast every month and that of Ramadhan every year is equivalent to fasting for the entire year. I seek from Allah that fasting on the day of Arafah may atone for the sins of the preceding and the coming years, and I seek from Allah that fasting on the day of Ashura may atone for the sins of the preceding year.” [Muslim]

The very ambitious could even fast in the tradition of the Prophet Dawood alayhissalaam -- fasting every other day. If this is too much, perhaps you can fast one, two, or three days each month.

Whatever the number, we should try to fast outside of Ramadhan.

The Muslim who is keen to do good must realize the great virtue of performing voluntary fasts for the sake of Allah, as it says in the hadith of the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace): “Whoever fasts one day for the sake of Allah, Allah will keep his face seventy years’ distance from Hell,” [al-Nasaa’i]

Fasting will help increase our love for Allah's beloved Messenger (sallallahu alayhi wassallam) by being aware that we are following him in our fasting; applying the sunnahs pertaining to fasting which he taught us; reading the supplications which he taught us and bestowing prayers and peace upon him throughout our fast; and being aware that this act of worship and the great reward that it entails came to us by means of him. Because of him, Allah concealed for us in this act of worship a reward which only He knows. Allah says in the hadith Qudsi that every action has a fixed reward – “except for fasting – it is for Me and I reward accordingly;”

May Allah accept our Ramadhan fasts and grant us the tawfiq to perform all other voluntary fasts throughout the year. May Allah increase our love for His beloved Messenger (sallallahu alayhi wassallam) and resurrect us with him in the Day of Judgment and enter us into the highest Paradise with him without reckoning. Ameen.

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

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Related Archives
Fasting on the White Days

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

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

Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

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

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

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

رَ‌بَّنَآ ءَاتِنَا مِن لَّدُنكَ رَ‌حْمَةً وَهَيِّئْ لَنَا مِنْ أَمْرِ‌نَا رَ‌شَدًا

Our Lord, grant us the mercy from your special behalf and furnish for us within our matter, a right course. [Qur'an, Al-Kahf 18:10]

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

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

رَ‌بَّنَآ ءَاتِنَا مِن لَّدُنكَ رَ‌حْمَةً وَهَيِّئْ لَنَا مِنْ أَمْرِ‌نَا رَ‌شَدًا

May Allah save us from the trials and tribulations of this life and the next. May Allah guide us, our families, our teachers, our leaders and the ummah. Ameen.

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

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

How Do You Fare In Your Life Tests?

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

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Life is a series of tests. Everyday we are put to tests. In fact, right at this moment we are being put to test. No one who lives on this earth and no one will leave this world without being tested.

When the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wassallam) was asked which people are afflicted with the toughest of tribulations, he said,

The Prophets, then the next best and the next best. A man will be tested in accordance with his level of religious commitment. If his religious commitment is strong, he will be tested more severely, and if his religious commitment is weak, he will be tested in accordance with his religious commitment. Calamity will keep befalling a person until he walks on the earth with no sin on him.

[at-Tirmidhi]

We will be tested with evil, something that hurts, and with good, something pleasant and that makes us happy. Either way we are required to be patient and thankful to Allah.

كُلُّ نَفْسٍ ذَآئِقَةُ ٱلْمَوْتِ ۗ وَنَبْلُوكُم بِٱلشَّرِّ‌ وَٱلْخَيْرِ‌ فِتْنَةً ۖ وَإِلَيْنَا تُرْ‌جَعُونَ ﴿٣٥

Every soul will taste death. And We test you with evil and with good as trial; and to Us you will be returned. (35)

[Qur'an, Al-Anbiya' 21:35]

وَلَنَبْلُوَنَّكُم بِشَىْءٍ مِّنَ ٱلْخَوْفِ وَٱلْجُوعِ وَنَقْصٍ مِّنَ ٱلْأَمْوَ‌ٰلِ وَٱلْأَنفُسِ وَٱلثَّمَرَ‌ٰ‌تِ ۗ وَبَشِّرِ‌ ٱلصَّـٰبِرِ‌ينَ ﴿١٥٥

And We will surely test you with something of fear and hunger and a loss of wealth and lives and fruits, but give good tidings to the patient, (155)

[Qur'an, Al-Baqarah 2:155]

Among the many tests, children and wealth are two of the most difficult ones in this era. Many of use failed miserably.

إِنَّمَآ أَمْوَ‌ٰلُكُمْ وَأَوْلَـٰدُكُمْ فِتْنَةٌ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ عِندَهُۥٓ أَجْرٌ‌ عَظِيمٌ ﴿١٥

Your wealth and your children are but a trial, and Allah has with Him a great reward. (15)

[Qur'an, Taghabun 64:15]

No doubt, our children are a constant trial. So, He may know our ability of (correct) upbringing of our children. Whether they are young or adult, single or married, good or bad, dependent or independent, we are being tested. We have to recognize that when our children are good and successful, our pride and ego are also being put to test. Are we going to toot our own horn or are we going to remember Allah, thank Him and be grateful to Him? When our children are disobedient and difficult, our patience are being tested the most. Are we going to throw in the towel or be angry or are we going to recognize our mistakes and try to correct them? Many of us have failed miserably in the tests of our children. The deterioration of morals in the society gives testimony to how many of us have failed as parents.

Similarly, wealth is a test from Allah to His slaves, so that He may know who among us are generous and will spend this blessing, give charity and pay zakah for His sake. Many of us fail miserably in this area as well. In these days of great material bounty, millions have little opportunity to lift themselves from the abyss of poverty and 1 billion children are living in poverty. Amid the great abundance that exists, however, the poor often have little opportunity to improve their lot in life. When refugees are driven to starvation because of war, when stores of food rot because of political manipulation, and when market forces push the cost of life’s necessities to levels that the poor cannot pay, are we there to help these most vulnerable people and the impoverished humans?

Remember, "The world is the prison of the believer, and a Paradise for the non-believer." [Muslim]

So the truthful believer has patience upon what afflicts him in the world so that it becomes for him the everlasting delights, and the non-believer is delighted in the world as if it is his paradise, and it becomes his everlasting punishment on the day of reward.

May Allah make us of those who are truthful, grateful and patient. Ameen.

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

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Related Archive
Patience! Patience! Patience!

Why Fast the Six Days of Shawwal?

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

Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

One shouldn’t put off the six day fasting of Shawwal such that one ends up missing the immense reward of fasting the six days.

The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) stated explicitly that:

Fasting Ramadan is like fasting ten months, and fasting six days [of Shawwal] is like fasting two months. That is like fasting a full year.

[Ahmad & Nasa’i]

This is because the reward of actions is multiplied (at least) ten-fold. So Ramadhan is like fasting 300 days, and the six days of Shawwal like fasting 60 days.

The sooner you do them, the better, because Allah says,

... فَٱسْتَبِقُوا۟ ٱلْخَيْرَ‌ٰ‌تِ ...

...so race to [all that is] good...

[Qur'an, Al-Ma'ida 5:48]

وَسَارِ‌عُوٓا۟ إِلَىٰ مَغْفِرَ‌ةٍ مِّن رَّ‌بِّكُمْ وَجَنَّةٍ عَرْ‌ضُهَا ٱلسَّمَـٰوَ‌ٰتُ وَٱلْأَرْ‌ضُ أُعِدَّتْ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ ﴿١٣٣

And hasten to forgiveness from your Lord and a garden as wide as the heavens and earth, prepared for the righteous (133)

[Qur'an AleImran, 3:133]

قَالَ هُمْ أُو۟لَآءِ عَلَىٰٓ أَثَرِ‌ى وَعَجِلْتُ إِلَيْكَ رَ‌بِّ لِتَرْ‌ضَىٰ ﴿٨٤

He (Musa alayhissalaam) said, "They are close upon my tracks, and I hastened to You, my Lord, that You be pleased." (84)

[Qur'an, Ta-Ha 20:84]

Among the benefits of fasting the six days of Shawwal is:

1- Sign of acceptance of Ramadhan fasts. It is a sign of the acceptance of one’s Ramadhan fasts. This is because a sign of Allah’s accepting a good deed is to be granted the success to perform similar good deeds, with consistency.

2- Consistency itself is beloved. The actions most beloved to Allah and the Messenger (Allah bless him and grant him peace) are those done most consistently.

3- Sign of thankfulness. Fasting these six days is an expression of thankfulness for the reward of fasting that Allah grants on the day of Eid. Continuing to fast is a sign of being, as the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) described himself, “A truly thankful servant.” Thankfulness is the key to increase, and a means of securing one’s blessings and good.

4- Sign of commitment to continue. Fasting these six days is a sign of one’s commitment to continue in worship and submission to Allah willingly and not merely out of obligation.

If you are unable to fast the six days of Shawwal due to some genuine excuse, make a firm intention that if this excuse didn’t exist you would have fasted. If this intention is sincere, inshaa Allah you will have the full reward of fasting these days, because, “Actions are by their intentions, and each person shall have whatever they intended,” as the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) explained. [Muslim] The signs of being true in one’s intention is that if one’s excuse is lifted, one hastens to fulfill the intended matter.

May Allah accept our Ramadhan fasts and enable us to complete the six day fasting of Shawwal and grant us good works that are consistent. Ameen.

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

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Let's Memorize Today Prophetic Supplication (#35) - Let Me Live If You Know That Life Is Good For Me...

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)

"اللَّهُمَّ بِعِلْمِكَ الْغَيْبَ وَقُدْرَتِكَ عَلَى الْخَلْقِ أَحْيِنِي مَا عَلِمْتَ الْحَيَاةَ خَيْراً لِي وَتَوَفَّنِي إِذَا عَلِمْتَ الْوَفَاةَ خَيْراً لِي، اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ خَشْيَتَكَ فِي الْغَيْبِ وَالشَّهَادَةِ، وَأَسْأَلُكَ كَلِمَةَ الْحَقِّ فِي الرِّضَا وَالْغَضَبِ، وَأَسْأَلُكَ الْقَصْدَ فِي الْغِنَى وَالْفَقْرِ، وَأَسْأَلُكَ نَعِيماً لَا يَنْفَذُ، وَأَسْأَلُكَ قُرَّةَ عَيْنٍ لَا تَنْقَطِعُ، وَأَسْأَلُكَ الرِّضِا بَعْدَ الْقَضَاءِ، وَأَسْأَلُكَ بَرْدَ الْعَيْشِ بَعْدَ الْمَوْتِ، وَأَسْأَلُكَ لَذَّةَ النَّظَرِ إِلَى وَجْهِكَ وَالشَّوْقَ إِلَى لِقَائِكَ فِي غَيْرِ ضَرَّاءَ مُضِرَّةٍ وَلَا فِتْنَةٍ مُضِلَّةٍ، اللَّهُمَّ زَيِّنَّا بِزِينَةِ الْإِيمَانِ وِاجْعَلْنَا هُدَاةً مُهْتَدِينَ".

Allaahumma bi'ilmikal-ghayba wa qudratika 'alal-khalqi 'ahyinee maa 'alimtal-hayaata khayran lee wa tawaffanee 'ithaa 'alimtal-wafaata khayran lee, Allaahumma 'innee 'as'aluka khashyataka fil-ghaybi wash-shahaadati, wa 'as'aluka kalimatal-haqqi fir-ridhaa walghadhabi, wa 'as'alukal-qasda fil-ghinaa walfaqri, wa 'as'aluka na'eeman laa yanfadu, wa 'as'aluka qurrata 'aynin laa tanqati'u, wa 'as'alukar-ridhaa ba'dal-qadhaa'i, wa 'as'aluka bardal-'ayshi ba'dal-mawti, wa 'as'aluka laththatan-nadhari 'ilaa wajhika wash-shawqa 'ilaa liqaa'ikafee ghayri dharraa'a mudhirratin wa laa fitnatin mudhillatin, Allaahumma zayyinnaa bizeenatil-'eemaani waj'alnaa hudaatan muhtadeen.

O Allah, by Your Knowledge of the unseen and by Your Power over creation, let me live if You know that life is good for me, and let me die if You know that death is good for me. O Allah, I ask You to grant me fear of You in private and in public. I ask you for the word of truth in times of contentment and anger. I ask You for moderation in wealth and in poverty. I ask you for blessings never ceasing and the coolness of my eye (i.e pleasure) that never ends . I ask You for pleasure after Your Judgment and I ask You for a life of coolness after death. I ask You for the delight of gazing upon Your Face and the joy of meeting You without any harm and misleading trials befalling me. O Allah, dress us with the beauty of Faith, and make us guides who are upon (correct) guidance. [Related by An-Nisa'i]

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]

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Related Archive
Learn the Prophetic Supplications

With the Highest Companions

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

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Islam is the last religion brought to mankind and Muslims believe in the everlasting abode. One day we will cease to exist in this transient world and move on to our next eternal world.

It is a human phenomenon to want to live even if it means being kept alive by machines and tubes. In reality our lives is measured in breaths. Two people can have the same one minute passed but they both had an entirely different realities.

Our reality is just days. Every time that a day goes by part of us goes away. Every breath we take means we are closer to the moment of truth -- death. The more you come to terms with this reality now, the more you will be able to come to terms with it when the moment of truth comes.

Learn to live frugal lives. Frugality is different than stinginess. Frugality means to lower the intake and consumption, the trait of someone who is not wasteful, a praiseworthy trait. Stinginess is not liking to give or spend, a blameworthy trait.

Realize that the world is fleeting and the more you try to chase after the world, the more it want to run away from you and the more you run away from it, the more it will run after you.

From ‘Ubaadah ibn al-Saamit (radi Allahu anhu), from the Prophet (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) who said: “Whoever loves to meet Allah, Allah will love to meet him, and whoever hates to meet Allah, Allah will hate to meet him.” Aisha (radi Allahu anha) or one of his wives said: “But we all dislike the idea of death.” He said, “It is not what you are thinking. When death approaches the believer and he is given the news of Allah’s pleasure and honor, nothing will be more dear to him than what lies ahead of him, so he will love to meet Allah and Allah will love to meet him. But when death approaches the disbeliever and he is given the news of Allah’s wrath and punishment, nothing will be more disliked by him than that what lies ahead of him, so he will hate to meet Allah and Allah will hate to meet him.” [Sahih Al-Bukhari]

The last words of the Prophet (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) – before he bade farewell to this world – were: “O Allah, (with) the highest companions”. Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) narrated that: When the Prophet (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) was healthy, he used to say, “No soul of a Prophet is taken until he has been shown his place in Paradise and then he is given the choice.” When death approached him while his head was on my thigh, he became unconscious and then recovered consciousness. He then looked at the ceiling of the house and said, “O Allah! (with) the highest companions." I said (to myself), “He is not going to choose (to stay with) us.” Then I understood what he meant when he said that to us when he was healthy. The last words he spoke were, "O Alaah! (with) the highest companions.”

[al-Bukhaari, Muslim]

Death is the gift of the believer who has refined his heart, who implements the shari'ah outwardly and who travels the path to his Lord inwardly.

If you want to know your state, then look at your heart and were death to come to you at this moment, are you longing for it or not? If your heart is overwhelmed with the love of this world, you want to remain here. But if you have the ability to detach, when that moment comes, you will be longing for that moment.

Let's make this Prophetic supplication.

"اللَّهُمَّ بِعِلْمِكَ الْغَيْبَ وَقُدْرَتِكَ عَلَى الْخَلْقِ أَحْيِنِي مَا عَلِمْتَ الْحَيَاةَ خَيْراً لِي وَتَوَفَّنِي إِذَا عَلِمْتَ الْوَفَاةَ خَيْراً لِي، اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ خَشْيَتَكَ فِي الْغَيْبِ وَالشَّهَادَةِ، وَأَسْأَلُكَ كَلِمَةَ الْحَقِّ فِي الرِّضَا وَالْغَضَبِ، وَأَسْأَلُكَ الْقَصْدَ فِي الْغِنَى وَالْفَقْرِ، وَأَسْأَلُكَ نَعِيماً لَا يَنْفَذُ، وَأَسْأَلُكَ قُرَّةَ عَيْنٍ لَا تَنْقَطِعُ، وَأَسْأَلُكَ الرِّضِا بَعْدَ الْقَضَاءِ، وَأَسْأَلُكَ بَرْدَ الْعَيْشِ بَعْدَ الْمَوْتِ، وَأَسْأَلُكَ لَذَّةَ النَّظَرِ إِلَى وَجْهِكَ وَالشَّوْقَ إِلَى لِقَائِكَ فِي غَيْرِ ضَرَّاءَ مُضِرَّةٍ وَلَا فِتْنَةٍ مُضِلَّةٍ، اللَّهُمَّ زَيِّنَّا بِزِينَةِ الْإِيمَانِ وِاجْعَلْنَا هُدَاةً مُهْتَدِينَ".

Allaahumma bi'ilmikal-ghayba wa qudratika 'alal-khalqi 'ahyinee maa 'alimtal-hayaata khayran lee wa tawaffanee 'ithaa 'alimtal-wafaata khayran lee, Allaahumma 'innee 'as'aluka khashyataka fil-ghaybi wash-shahaadati, wa 'as'aluka kalimatal-haqqi fir-ridhaa walghadhabi, wa 'as'alukal-qasda fil-ghinaa walfaqri, wa 'as'aluka na'eeman laa yanfadu, wa 'as'aluka qurrata 'aynin laa tanqati'u, wa 'as'alukar-ridhaa ba'dal-qadhaa'i, wa 'as'aluka bardal-'ayshi ba'dal-mawti, wa 'as'aluka laththatan-nadhari 'ilaa wajhika wash-shawqa 'ilaa liqaa'ikafee ghayri dharraa'a mudhirratin wa laa fitnatin mudhillatin, Allaahumma zayyinnaa bizeenatil-'eemaani waj'alnaa hudaatan muhtadeen.

O Allah, by Your Knowledge of the unseen and by Your Power over creation , let me live if You know that life is good for me, and let me die if You know that death is good for me . O Allah , I ask You to grant me fear of You in private and in public . I ask you for the word of truth in times of contentment and anger . I ask You for moderation in wealth and in poverty . I ask you for blessings never ceasing and the coolness of my eye (i .e . pleasure) that never ends . I ask You for pleasure after Your Judgment and I ask You for a life of coolness after death . I ask You for the delight of gazing upon Your Face and the joy of meeting You without any harm and misleading trials befalling me. O Allah, dress us with the beauty of Faith, and make us guides who are upon (correct) guidance.

[An-Nasa'i, Ahmad]

Ameen.

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

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Don't Fall Back After Ramadhan

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

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

We have left behind the blessed month of Ramadhan, the month of mercy, forgiveness and freedom from the hellfire, but we have challenged our nafs (lower self) and our desires and we made progress. The progress came from our internal commitment, special prayers, fasting, charity and avoiding sins. We must continue that progress and don't fall back.

Taraweeh prayer can become Tahajjud prayer (Qiyam Al-Layl). Allah Almighty said to the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wassallam)

يَا أَيُّهَا الْمُزَّمِّلُ ﴿١﴾ قُمِ اللَّيْلَ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا ﴿٢﴾ نِّصْفَهُ أَوِ انقُصْ مِنْهُ قَلِيلًا ﴿٣﴾ أَوْ زِدْ عَلَيْهِ وَرَتِّلِ الْقُرْآنَ تَرْتِيلًا ﴿٤

O you who wraps himself [in clothing], (1) Arise [to pray] the night, except for a little - (2) Half of it - or subtract from it a little (3) Or add to it, and recite the Qur'an with measured recitation. (4)

[Quran, Al-Muzzammil, 73:1-4]

It is reported that the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wassallam) said:

Allah, Our Lord, descends (in a manner befitting His Majesty) to the nearest heaven to us of this universe during the last third of the night and says: ‘Is there anyone to call upon Me so that I shall respond to him (fulfill his prayer). Is there anyone to ask of Me that I may grant his request. Is there anyone to seek My forgiveness so that I shall pardon him (and forgive his sins)’.

[Bukhari & Muslim]

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported Allah’s Messenger (sallallahu alayhi wassallam) said:

The most excellent fast after Ramadhan is Allah’s month, al-Muharram, and the most excellent prayer after what is prescribed is prayer during the night.

[Bukhari]

Fasting may continue with sunnah fasting. Allah has spread other blessed times throughout the year for fasting. It is a shield from falling into sin and giving in to our own nafs. Abu Hurayrah reported, Allah’s Messenger sallallahu alayhi wassallam said, “Fasting is a shield.” [Muslim] Also, remember the tremendous rewards of fasting. Allah Almighty said: The Fast is for Me and I will give the reward for it. [Bukhari & Muslim]

Our first opportunity for Sunnah fasting is fasting 6 days in Shawwal, the month following Ramadhan. The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wassallam) said: Whoever fasts Ramadhan and follows it up with six from Shawwal, it is as though he has fasted all of time, because each day is equivalent to ten days. Whoever performs a good deed, he will have ten like it.

It is the practice of many Muslims to fast for 6 consecutive days starting the 2nd Shawwal. Strive to start on 2nd Shawwal and delay any open houses to the evening or after 7th Shawwal.

The next opportunity for Sunnah fasting are fasting on the white (nights) in every other month (i.e. 13th, 14th, 15th of each month).

Narrated Qatadah Ibn Malhan al-Qaysi: The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wassallam) used to command us to fast the days of the white (nights): thirteenth, fourteenth and fifteenth of the month. He said: “This is like keeping perpetual fast.” (Abu Dawud)

Other opportunities for Sunnah fasting:

1) Fasting on Mondays and Thursdays.

Abu Hurayrah reported Allah’s Messenger (sallallahu alayhi wassallam) as saying the deeds of people would be presented every week on two days, i.e. Monday and Thursday. (Muslim) Abu Hurayrah also reported Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and grant him peace) as saying: The gates of Paradise are not opened but on two days, Monday and Thursday. (Muslim) Relative to the first, the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wassallam) is reported to have acknowledged fasting on these two days “because I want my deeds to be presented while I am fasting.” (Muslim)

The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wassallam) was asked about fasting on Monday. He said: “It was the day on which I was born, and on which revelation was sent to me.” (Muslim)

2) Fasting on the first 9 days of Dhulhijjah

About the first 10 days of Dhul-hijjah, the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wassallam) said,

"There are no days in which righteous deeds are more beloved to Allah than these ten days." The people asked, "Not even Jihad for the sake of Allah?" He, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Not even Jihad for the sake of Allah, except in the case of a man who went out to fight giving himself and his wealth up for the cause, and came back with nothing (Bukhari).

Fasting on the day of ‘Arafah (9th Dhul-hijjah).

Abu Qatadah (Allah be pleased with him) related that the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said, “Fasting the Day of `Arafah expiates for two years, one prior and one forthcoming.” [Reported by Muslim, Abu Dawud, Nasa’i, and Ibn Majah]

3) Fasting in the month of Muharram

Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wassallam) said: "The best fasting after Ramadhan is fasting Allah's month of Muharram." [Muslim]

Day of 'Ashura' (i.e. 10th Muharram)

The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and grant him peace) taught us to commemorate this day, primarily by fasting. He informed us that if we do so Allah wipes out the sins of the previous year. [Muslim]

The day of Ashura had special significance before fasting during Ramadan was commanded. Narrated Ibn ‘Abbas: When the Prophet came to Medina, he found (the Jews) fasting on the day of ‘Ashura'. They used to say: “This is a great day on which Allah saved Moses and drowned the folk of Pharaoh. Moses observed the fast on this day, as a sign of gratitude to Allah.” The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, “I am closer to Moses than they.” So, he observed the fast (on that day) and ordered the Muslims to fast on it. [Bukhari] When Ramadan was commanded, the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: “He who wishes to observe this fast may do so, and he who wishes to abandon it may do so.” (Muslim)

4) Sha'ban fasting

The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wassallam) used to fast most of the month in Sha'ban. Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, said, "Prophet Muhammad ﷺ used to fast the whole of Sha'ban. I said to him, 'Messenger of Allah, is Sha'ban your most favorite month for fasting?' He said, 'In this month Allah prescribes the list of the persons dying this year. Therefore, I like that my death comes when I am in a state of fasting."

Umm Salamah, may Allah be pleased with her, said: "I have never seen the Messenger of Allah fasting for two months continuously except in the months of Sha'ban and Ramadhan."

Fast regularly throughout the year and that will keep you in training and make you a better slave of Allah, inshaAllah. Besides, fasting has many physical, moral and social benefits.

Continue giving charity everyday even with a smile.

Remember, adding supererogatory works to obligatory works is a recipe to gain Allah's love. On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (Allah be pleased with him), who said that the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wassallam) said: Allah (mighty and sublime be He) said:

Whosoever shows enmity to someone devoted to Me, I shall be at war with him. My servant draws not near to Me with anything more loved by Me than the religious duties I have enjoined upon him, and My servant continues to draw near to Me with supererogatory works so that I shall love him. When I love him I am his hearing with which he hears, his seeing with which he sees, his hand with which he strikes and his foot with which he walks. Were he to ask [something] of Me, I would surely give it to him, and were he to ask Me for refuge, I would surely grant him it. I do not hesitate about anything as much as I hesitate about [seizing] the soul of My faithful servant: he hates death and I hate hurting him.

(Bukhari)

May Allah grant us tawfiq and accept our Ramadhan worship and good deeds. Ameen.

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

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Celebrating Eid With Fireworks -- Is It Okay?

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

Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Hardly had the noise from the first rocket subsided than another rocket went up in the air. Within the blink of an eye, the surrounding atmosphere was lit by flares of varying colors. It is difficult to miss such display of fireworks on an Eid night in many parts of the Muslim world.

With a penchant for celebrating festivals in a glamorous way, the use of rockets and fireworks is an integral part of festivities. In Malaysia where I grew up, whether it is the Muslim’s Eid celebration or the Chinese New Year or the Hindu festive celebration (Deepavali), residents and visitors are often inundated with series of firework displays and the deafening noise that accompanies them.

Though no one knows precisely when the first set of fireworks were produced, there is evidence that fireworks were already in use in ancient China prior to its adoption by other countries.

According to John Bennet, editor of UK based FIREWORKS magazine, the Chinese invented paper and gun powder, two vital components of fireworks. In a bid to scare away evil spirits and demons, they made loud noises at festivals and religious gatherings using firecrackers. By making a fuse out of very thin paper and twisting gunpowder into a long string, reliable firecrackers were produced.

It’s been more than 2,000 years now since the chance discovery and ancient Chinese firecrackers have gone through series of metamorphoses. With the introduction of metallic salts, it became possible to witness colors in fireworks. Colors such as Strontium Red, Sodium Yellow, Copper Blue, and Barium Green are common features in modern day fireworks display.

Considering the reason for its use in ancient China, some people who are intimately aware of this history have strong reservations about the use of fireworks during Eid.

Obviously, Eid has nothing to do with evil spirits and there are better ways of celebrating our religious occasions. The money spent on firecrackers could be used to assist less privileged people in various parts of the world.

Fireworks are permissible in principle but they could lead to something forbidden, which is the loss of money and spending money inappropriately. Wasting money is forbidden and wasting in general is not the way of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wassallam).

The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wassallam) said, "Do not waste water, even if you perform your ablution on the banks of an abundantly-flowing river." [Ibn Majah]

If we can't waste water that is flowing abundantly to make wudu' to worship Allah, why do you think you can spend limited resources (money) on making noises like the war zone?

Every Muslim should strive for ihsan (excellence) and the most excellent Muslim is the one from whose tongue and hands the other Muslims are safe. Fireworks no doubt disturb the peace of the neighbors who are captured audience.

Abu Musa Al-Ash'ari (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:
I asked the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ): "Who is the most excellent among the Muslims?" He said, "One from whose tongue and hands the other Muslims are secure." [Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Fireworks can cause unintended harm to one self and others and can cause destruction to property by misusing and mishandling of the fireworks.

Lots of people were alarmed when the consumer product safety commission of the US published its annual fireworks report in 2005. During the year under review, over 9,000 people were treated for fireworks-related injuries.

More shocking was the fact that children under the age of 15 accounted for 40% of the injuries, 23% of which happened to children below the age of five. These findings were met with outcries in the US and subsequently led to the enactment of restrictive laws by the government. Some states even settled for an outright ban.

For these reasons alone, Muslims should stay away from using fireworks themselves as part of their Eid celebration.

While it is desirable to savor every moment of this unique season, efforts should be made to ensure the limits set by Allah are not transgressed during the course of celebrating.

May Allah grant us sound understanding of His Deen and guide us to excellence. Ameen.

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

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Related Material
History of Fireworks and Celebrations
Fireworks Injury Statistics

Some Pitfalls You Should Keep Away During Eid

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

Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

As Eid is approaching, we would like to point out some things that some people do out of ignorance of the laws of Allah and the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wssallam). These include the following:

1. Visiting graves on the two Eid days.

This is contrary to the purpose of Eid which is to express joy and happiness, and it goes against the teaching of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wssallam) and the actions of the salaf. It comes under the general meaning of the Prophet’s prohibition on visiting graves on a specific day and making that like a festival, as the scholars stated.

2 – Forsaking the jamaa’ah (congregation) and sleeping late and missing the prayer.

Unfortunately you see some Muslims missing the prayer and Muslim men forsaking the jamaa’ah to celebrate Eid. The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wssallam)) said: “The covenant that stands between us and them is the prayer; whoever forsakes it is a kaafir.” [al-Tirmidhi, al-Nasaa’i]

And he said: “The most burdensome prayers for the hypocrites are the ‘Isha’ and Fajr prayers. If they knew (what goodness) there is in them, they would come to them even if they had to crawl. I had thought of ordering the call to prayer to be given, then I would tell a man to lead the people in prayer, then I would go, taking some men with me carrying bundles of wood, to people who do not attend the prayer, and would burn their houses down around them.” [Muslim]

3. Women mixing with men in the prayer place, the streets and elsewhere, and crowding together with men in those places.

This is a source of great fitnah (temptation) and serious danger. Both women and men should be warned against that, and the necessary means should be taken to prevent that as much as possible. Men and youth should not leave the prayer place or the mosque until after the women have dispersed completely.

4. Some women going out wearing perfume and makeup, and without veils.

This is a problem which is widespread, and many people take this matter lightly. Allah is the One Whose help we seek. Some women even dress up in their finest clothes and put on the best perfume when they go to the masjid to pray Taraaweeh or go to the Eid prayers, etc. The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wssallam) said: “Any woman who puts on perfume and passes by people so that they can smell her fragrance, is an adulteress.” [al-Nasaa’i, al-Tirmidhi]

It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah ((sallallahu alayhi wssallam)) said: “There are two types of the people of Hell whom I have not seen. People with whips like the tails of cattle with which they beat the people, and women who are clothed yet naked, going astray and leading others astray, with their heads looking like the humps of camels, leaning to one side. They will not enter Paradise nor even smell its fragrance, although its fragrance may be detected from such and such a distance.” [Muslim]

The guardians of women must fear Allah with regard to those who are under their care, and fulfill the duty of protecting and maintaining that Allah has enjoined upon them, because,

... ٱلرِّ‌جَالُ قَوَّ‌ٰمُونَ عَلَى ٱلنِّسَآءِ بِمَا فَضَّلَ ٱللَّهُ بَعْضَهُمْ عَلَىٰ بَعْضٍ وَبِمَآ أَنفَقُوا۟ مِنْ أَمْوَ‌ٰلِهِمْ ۚ

Men are in protectors and maintainers of women by [right of] what Allah has given one over the other and what they spend [for maintenance] from their wealth...

[al-Nisa’ 4:34]

So they must guide them and show them that which will lead to their salvation and their safety in this world and in the Hereafter, by means of keeping away from that which Allah has forbidden and striving for that which will bring them closer to Allah.

5. Listening to singing and haraam things.

Among the evil things that are widespread in these times is music and singing. They have become very widespread and people take this matter lightly. It is on TV and radio, in cars, homes and marketplaces. There is no power and no strength except with Allah. Even cell phones are not free of this evil. There are companies which compete in putting the latest music on the ringers of their cell phones, and in this way music has even reached the masjids. This is a great problem and a great evil whereby music is heard in the houses of Allah. This confirms the words of the Prophet ((sallallahu alayhi wssallam), “There will be among my ummah people who will regard adultery, silk, alcohol and musical instruments as permissible.” [al-Bukhari]

The Muslim has to fear Allah and realize that the blessing of Allah means that he is obliged to give thanks to Him. It is not gratitude for the Muslim to disobey his Lord, when He is the One Who has bestowed this blessing upon him.

One of the righteous passed by some people who were engaged in idle entertainment on the day of Eid and said to them, “If you did well in Ramadhan, this is not the way to give thanks for that. If you did badly in Ramadhan, this is not the way that the one who did badly should behave.”

May Allah make us of those who say "We hear and we obey" and protect us from disobedience and doing things that cause His displeasure and wrath. Ameen.

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

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

source: http://islamqa.info/en/36856

Bidding Farewell to Ramadhan -- What's Next?

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

Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

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

Allah Almighty says,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[Nasa’i]

People who have lost out in Ramadhan were those who had busied themselves with things that did not concern them -- those things that they cannot take with them to their graves, i.e. things that cannot help them succeed in the Hereafter. Our concern in this life should be Allah alone, our standing with Him, and our next life to come. And this is the concern that we trained ourselves in Ramadhan and should have from now and until we breathe our last.

Ramadhan was our training ground. Don't let that training go to waste.

You stood many hours for Taraweeh and qiyamu lail in Ramadhan, and that was a good month long practice indeed. So you should not have much problem doing extra prayers and waking up for tahajjud every night from now on.

You recited and listened to a lot of Qur'an in Ramadhan. Don't stop doing this. Recite the Qur'an regularly and listen attentively to Qur'an everyday. We should strive to complete reciting the entire Qur'an at least every 30 or 40 days. If you haven't studied the Qur'an with a qualified teacher, you should plan to do so as soon as possible. Reciting Qur'an the correct way is the way of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wassallam). It is incumbent upon every Muslim to learn how to recite the Qur'an properly in order to recite the verses correctly, especially during prayer. It is also important that we memorize the Qur'an and understand the meanings. Imagine the connection you would have with the Qur'an by next taraweeh if you do this -- when the imam and a few of the people in congregation are crying while the Qur'an is being recited during prayers, we won't be just listening to the crying anymore. You have to learn Arabic.

You had self restraint in Ramadhan. You held yourself from food and drink during the day and you eat little at night because your stomach has shrunk. Don't expand it by eating beyond your fill during this Eid celebration and forward. Some of you quit smoking in Ramadhan. Alhamdulillah. You have more patience in Ramadhan. Don't let your nafs take you back to your bad old habits before Ramadhan and avoid the unlawful.

You were very generous and charitable, not just with your money but also with your heart. You gave sadaqatul fitr, zakat and extra charity, and you forgave a lot of people. Continue to give charity all throughout the year and before you go to sleep, forgive those who have wronged you and ask Allah for their forgiveness.

You made a lot of du'as in Ramadhan. Continue making those du'as and ask Allah to forgive the Muslims in your prayers. Allah loves your asking Him.

It is Sunnah of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wassallam), to fast 6 days in Shawwal, Mondays, Thursdays, three white days of each lunar month, the day of Arafah, the first 10 days of Zulhijjah, Ashura, and most of Sha'ban and Muharram. People who maintain the sunnah fasting throughout the year would have found this year's Ramadhan quite easy despite the long hours.

Fast regularly throughout the year and that will keep you in training, starting with fasting the 6 days Shawwal fasting (beginning 2nd day of Eid). Yes, all those Eid food and many Eid open houses and invitations sound like it is going to be difficult to fast when everyone is celebrating, but try it. Allah will make it easy for you. You can always accept evening invitations.

The Prophet صلى الله عليه و سلم said: "Whoever fasts the month of Ramadan and he follows it with six days of Shawwal, it is as if he has fasted the whole year."

The Prophet صلى الله عليه و سلم said: "Whoever fasts Ramadhan and follows it up with six from Shawwal, it is as though he has fasted all of time, because each day is equivalent to ten days. Whoever performs a good deed, he will have ten like it."

The Prophet صلى الله عليه و سلم said: "The most beloved action to Allah is that which is most consistent."

We don't limit our fasting and certain acts of good deed in Ramadhan only. If we are consistent with our fasting and doing other good deed, not only this is a sign of the acceptance of one’s Ramadan fasts and good deed because a sign of Allah’s acceptance of a good deed is to be granted the success to perform similar good deeds, with consistency, this is a sign of one's commitment to continue in worship and submission to Allah, willingly, and not merely out of duty and obligation.

The recipe to gain Allah's love is to perform the obligatory religious duties and add supererogatory works.

On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (Allah be pleased with him), who said that the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه و سلم said: Allah (mighty and sublime be He) said:

Whosoever shows enmity to someone devoted to Me, I shall be at war with him. My servant draws not near to Me with anything more loved by Me than the religious duties I have enjoined upon him, and My servant continues to draw near to Me with supererogatory works so that I shall love him. When I love him I am his hearing with which he hears, his seeing with which he sees, his hand with which he strikes and his foot with which he walks. Were he to ask [something] of Me, I would surely give it to him, and were he to ask Me for refuge, I would surely grant him it. I do not hesitate about anything as much as I hesitate about [seizing] the soul of My faithful servant: he hates death and I hate hurting him.

[Bukhari]

Good deeds raise one's rank and erase the person's sins (except major sins which require sincere repentance for forgiveness).

One of the signs of the righteous is patience and restraint. If we fasted correctly, then we would have benefited from one of the effects of Ramadhan--an increase in patience. One can never have too much patience. Lack of patience can cause lots of problems--to oneself as well as to others. Patience is an acquired trait which many people don't have or many lose it very easily. If you have patience, nothing befalls you disturbs or bothers you. You will go through challenges, difficulties, uneasiness and discomfort in stride. The pious and the righteous people, who are not free from trials and tribulations of this life, are the happiest people because they have patience and restraint.

You made much remembrance of Allah (dhikr) in Ramadhan. Keep that up. If you did not, strive to do that.

On the authority of Abu Hurayrah, Allah be pleased with him, who said that the Prophet, صلى الله عليه و سلم, said: Allah the Almighty said:

I am as My servant thinks I am. I am with him when he makes mention of Me. If he makes mention of Me to himself, I make mention of him to Myself; and if he makes mention of Me in an assembly, I make mention of him in an assembly better than it. And if he draws near to Me an arm's length, I draw near to him a fathom's length. And if he comes to Me walking, I go to him at speed.

May Allah grant us forgiveness and acceptance of our fasting, prayers, charity, du'a and any good deeds in Ramadhan, and make us of those decreed salvation from Hellfire and grant us the keys to Paradise. Ameen.

Eid Mubarak to you and your families. Kullu 'am wa antum bi khair.

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

Allah alone grant success.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Related Archive:
Piling Up Mountains of Good Deeds With Two Beautiful Statements

Piling Up Mountains of Good Deeds With Two Beautiful Statements

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

Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Imagine coming on the Day of Judgment and seeing mountains of good deeds filling up your Scale. Where did these good deeds come from?

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said,

There are two statements that are light for the tongue to remember, heavy in the Scales and are dear to the Merciful: سبحان الله و بحمده -- Subhan-Allahi wa bihamdihi, سبحان الله العظيم -- Subhan-Allahil-Adheem (Glory be to Allah and His is the praise, (and) Allah, the Greatest is free from imperfection)’.

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said,

He who utters 100 times in a day these words: `La ilaha illallahu, wahdahu la sharika lahu, lahul-mulku wa lahul-hamdu, wa Huwa `ala kulli sha’in Qadir (there is no true god except Allah. He is One and He has no partner with Him; His is the sovereignty and His is the praise, and He is Omnipotent),’ he will have a reward equivalent to that for emancipating 10 slaves, 100 good deeds will be recorded to his credit, 100 of his sins will be blotted out from his scroll, and he will be safeguarded against the devil on that day till the evening; and no one will exceed him in doing more excellent good deeds except someone who has recited these words more often than him.

And he who utters: `Subhan-Allahi wa bihamdihi’ 100 times a day, his sins will be obliterated even if they are equal to the extent of the foam of the ocean.

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said to me,

Shall I tell you the expression that is most loved by Allah?” It is `Subhan-Allahi wa bihamdihi’

[Muslim].

Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said,

For him who says: `Subhan-Allahi wa bihamdihi,’ a palm-tree will be planted in Jannah.

[At-Tirmidhi].

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said,

He who recites in the morning and in the evening the statement: `Subhan-Allahi wa bihamdihi’ 100 times, will not be surpassed on the Day of Resurrection by anyone with better deeds than one who utters the same words or utters more of these words.

[Muslim].

You might already know these ahadeeth, but do you remember to say the adhkar everyday?

So won't you say سبحان الله و بحمده (Subhan-Allahi wa bihamdihi) سبحان الله العظيم (Subhan-Allahil-Adheem) now for 100 times and repeat it every day for the rest of your life? If you have children, say all 100 together with them to instill this beautiful daily habit in them. It doesn't take more than a few minutes to say them.

May Allah make it easy on our tongues to glorify and praise Allah and keep our tongues moist with His remembrance. Ameen

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

Allah alone grant success.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Ramadhan Is Slipping Away -- Save Yourself From Destruction

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

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Every person is responsible for his or her own actions, and only his or her own deeds are carried forward to the next life, starting with his grave.

The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam said, "Three things follow the bier of a dead person. Two of them come back and one is left with him: the members of his family, wealth and his good deeds. The members of his family and wealth come back and the deeds alone are left with him." [Muslim]

Ramadhan is slipping away from our fingers. Don't let these final days of Ramadhan pass you by with things that won't benefit you in your next life. Don't let anyone or anything take you away from your worship in these final days. Leave all distractions of this dunya (world). Ramadhan is going to be over before you realize it.

Allah has made this month very special -- it is the month of mercy, forgiveness and salvation from Hellfire. The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) used to make preparations for this month 6 months in advance -- when they kept asking Allah to let them reach Ramadhan and in good health, and then for the next six months, they kept asking Allah to accept their worship of Ramadhan. This is the way of the best generation of the nation of Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wassallam. They took the matter of worshiping Allah very seriously. It is their way of life.

The purpose of our existence is to worship Allah and no other (i.e the gods of this world -- those things that people are absorbed with or drawn to like money, people, things, status/prestige, places, food, news, social media network, ballgame -- creations of Allah that cause people to forget the Creator, sometimes even cause people to harm or even kill each other for).

What have we been doing this Ramadhan? In terms of worship, even our taraweeh and qiyamu alail (night prayers) in the last 10 days of Ramadhan could not even match the the Companion's one regular day in Ramadhan. But that should not stop us from trying our best. We should strive to do whatever is necessary to receive Allah's Mercy and His forgiveness and to be one of those chosen to be set free from Hellfire.

In the last 10 days of Ramadhan, Allah is choosing from those who are on the path to Hell to be set free from the Fire. Those who fast and do whatever necessary to get Allah forgiveness and receive his mercy, Allah will then decree those people be set free from entering the Hellfire.

So in these final days of Ramadhan, leave disobedience and rush to do obligatory works and supererogatory works. If you haven't been praying, start praying. If you have been lazy to wake up for Fajr, start waking up for Fajr. If you pray all five prayers everyday, add the sunnah prayers that are connected to the prayers. If you already have that in place, add the other sunnah prayers. Go to the masjid and join the taraweeh and qiyamu lail, stay up at night and read lots of Qur'an and make lots of du'a. Ask Allah for forgiveness a lot and keep asking. You ask for yourself, your parents, your family and the ummah. You can't afford to pass by these last few days.

All of us sinned and no sin should be taken lightly. Each sin do carry certain punishment in this life or the next life or both, unless it is forgiven. In this life, Allah may punish us individually or collectively or both for the sins committed. Something we should reflect when we hear the injustices and atrocities committed against the Muslims and killings of our innocent or when we hear all the calamities that are happening one after another.

We need Allah's mercy to protect us from His anger and punishment and to be set free from entering the Hellfire. Spend a little longer time in prostration during your prayers and beg Allah for His mercy and forgiveness for yourself and the Muslim ummah.

The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam said Ameen thrice when Jibreel alayhissalaam come and said..

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

'Destruction to him who found the blessed month of Ramadhan and let it pass by without gaining forgiveness'

upon that I said ‘Ameen’. When I climbed the second step, he said,

'Destruction to him before whom your name is taken and then he does not make Du'a for Allah’s blessing on me (by saying, for example, sallallahu alayhi wassallam).”

I replied ‘Ameen’. When I climbed the third step, he said

'Destruction to him in whose lifetime his parents or either one of them reaches old age, and (through failure to serve them) he is not allowed to enter Paradise'.

I said ‘Ameen’. [Hakim]

Note: In this Hadith, it appears that Jibreel (alayhissalaam) gave expression to three curses, upon which Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wassallam) said Ameen every time. Being an angel of such high mark, Jibreel‘s giving these curses is sure to be accepted.

We may at times have turned our backs on Allah through our disobedience or our wasting of time all year with all our devices and quests for material, but Allah never turns His back on us. He is always near. When you realize that Allah is near, you become different forever. What better conversation to have other than with Allah, Mighty and Majestic? Allah has blessed us with this Ramadhan so we can train ourselves to jump the hurdles and talk to Him. So spend the bulk of your time in these final days of Ramadhan with the Book of Allah by reciting, memorizing and learning it. Inshaa Allah the peace and tranquility you experience this Ramadhan will carry over after Ramadhan and for the rest of your life.

May Allah grant us good health and enable us to complete Ramadhan strong, and accept our worship. May Allah pardon us and make us among those who He decreed for complete salvation from Hellfire.

Ameen.

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

Allah alone grant success.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Taste the Sweetness and Richness of the Last Days of Ramadhan -- Reminding Ourselves the Prophet's Sermon of Ramadhan

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

Dear Friends

I pray that you are having a truly blessed Ramadhan and are maximizing your benefit and tasting the sweetness of these last remaining days. In these last few days remaining of this blessed month, let's exert ourselves in the worship of our Lord.

“When the last ten days of Ramadan would come, the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wassallam) used to tighten his lower garment belt, spend the whole night in prayer and worship, and wake his family up (at night for prayer and worship).” [Bukhari and Muslim]

“The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wassallam) would strive his utmost (in prayer and worship) during the last ten [nights of Ramadan] much more than he did at any other time.” [Muslim]

Don't waste your time. Cut all idle chats, gossips, arguments, ill-feelings, etc, and turn off the electronics especially during the nights.

Abu Hurayrah reported: The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wassallam) said, “Allah the Exalted said: O son of Adam, busy yourself with my worship and I will fill your chest with riches and alleviate your poverty, but if you do not do so I will fill your hands with problems and never alleviate your poverty.” [Tirmidhi]

Read lots of Qur'an everyday.

Give charity everyday even with a date or a smile.

Don't miss the taraweeh prayers. Do lots of prayers and dhikir, and make lots of du'a especially at night. A prayer at night is not the same as a prayer during the day -- in it's virtues and reward. It's your shortcut to Paradise.

The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wassallam) said: “The Lord descends every night to the lowest heaven when one-third of the night remains and says: ‘Who will call upon Me, that I may answer Him? Who will ask of Me, that I may give him? Who will seek My forgiveness, that I may forgive him?’” [Bukhari and Muslim]

Let's now remind ourselves of the sermon of the beloved Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wassallam) at the beginning of Ramadhan. In it he (sallallahu alayhi wassallam) said,

“O People! The month of Allah (Ramadhan) has come with its mercies, blessings and forgiveness. Allah has decreed this month the best of all months. The days of this month are the best among the days and the nights are the best among the nights and the hours during Ramadan are the best among the hours. This is a month in which you have been invited by Him (to fast and pray). Allah has honored you in it. In every breath you take is a reward of Allah, your sleep is worship, your good deeds are accepted and your invocations are answered.

Therefore, you must invoke your Lord in all earnestness with hearts free from sin and evil, and pray that Allah may help you to keep fast, and to recite the Holy Qur’an. Indeed!, miserable is the o­ne who is deprived of Allah’s forgiveness in this great month. While fasting remember the hunger and thirst o­n the Day of Judgement. Give alms to the poor and needy. Pay respect to your elders, have sympathy for your youngsters and be kind towards your relatives and kinsmen. Guard your tongue against unworthy words, and your eyes from scenes that are not worth seeing (forbidden) and your ears from sounds that should not be heard.

Be kind to orphans so that if your children may become orphans they will also be treated with kindness. Do repent to Allah for your sins and supplicate with raised hands at the times of prayer as these are the best times, during which Allah Almighty looks at His servants with mercy. Allah Answers if they supplicate, Responds if they call, Grants if He is asked, and Accepts if they entreat. O people! you have made your conscience the slave of your desires.

Make it free by invoking Allah for forgiveness. Your back may break from the heavy load of your sins, so prostrate yourself before Allah for long intervals, and make this load lighter. Understand fully that Allah has promised in His Honor and Majesty that, people who perform solat (prayer) and sajda (prostration) will be guarded from Hell-fire o­n the Day of Judgement.

O people!, if anyone amongst you arranges for iftar (meal at sunset) for any believer, Allah will reward him as if he had freed a slave, and Allah will forgive him his sins. A companion asked: “but not all of us have the means to do so” The Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wassallam) replied: Keep yourself away from Hell-fire though it may consist of half a date or even some water if you have nothing else.

O people!, anyone who during this month cultivates good manners, will walk over the Sirat (bridge to Paradise) o­n the day when feet will tend to slip. For anyone who during this month eases the workload of his servants, Allah will make easy his accounting, and for anyone who doesn’t hurt others during this month, Allah will safeguard him from His Wrath o­n the Day of Judgement. Anyone who respects and treats an orphan with kindness during this month, Allah shall look at him with kindness o­n that Day. Anyone who treats his kinsmen well during this month, Allah will bestow His Mercy o­n him o­n that Day, while anyone who mistreats his kinsmen during this month, Allah will keep away from His Mercy.

Whomever offers the recommended prayers during this month, Allah will save him from Hell, and whomever observes his obligations during this month, his reward will be seventy times the reward during other months. Whomever repeatedly invokes Allah’s blessings o­n me, Allah will keep his scale of good deeds heavy, while the scales of others will be tending to lightness. Whomever recites during this month an ayat (verse) of the Holy Qur’an, will get the reward of reciting the whole Qur’an in other months.

O people!, the gates of Paradise remain open during this month. Pray to your Lord that they may not be closed for you. While the gates of Hell are closed, pray to your Lord that they never open for you. Satan has been chained, invoke your Lord not to let him dominate you.”

Ali ibn Talib (radhi Allah ‘anhu) said: “I asked, ‘O Messenger of Allah, what are the best deeds during this month’?” ‘He replied: ‘O Abu-Hassan, the best of deeds during this month is to be far from what Allah has forbidden’.”

May Allah have mercy on us, our parents, our children, our families, and all the Muslims, from the living and the dead.

May Allah forgive our sins and shortcomings, and keep us away from sins and doing anything that would cause Him displeasure.

May Allah save us from the agonies of death and the torment of the grave, the Day of Judgment and the Hellfire.

May Allah grant us nearness to Him and His highest Paradise, al-Firdaus, without reckoning.

May Allah accept our worship, fasting, charity and all good deeds, and help us complete Ramadhan with excellence.

Ameen.

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

Allah alone gives success.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam