Finding Your True Purpose -- The Impossibility of Satisfying Another Human Being

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

Assalaamu alaykum

Have you ever tried to satisfy a human being? Whether they be your friends, relatives, teachers, spouse or even your parents, one thing you soon realize is that it’s quite impossible to completely satisfy them in every respect.

Parents generally have high expectations of their offspring, and the higher you go the higher they expect. If you’re the best doctor in the hospital they want you to be the best in the city, then the country, then the world, etc. Far from being satisfied with you their desire will increase, and this kind of attitude may lead them to indulge in sins such as showing off the status of their children.

Even if the people in your life are satisfied with you today they may become dissatisfied with you tomorrow. Something as simple as an offensive phrase can end years of strong friendship, and the friend who loves you dearly now might soon come to hate you.

If this is the case with parents and best friends, we don’t have to mention others. These are all the results of the human weaknesses of impatience, ingratitude, and an unwillingness to forgive.

Allah Most High describes the human character in Surat Al-Ma`ārij:

إِنَّ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ خُلِقَ هَلُوعًا ﴿١٩﴾ إِذَا مَسَّهُ ٱلشَّرُّ جَزُوعًا ﴿٢٠﴾ وَإِذَا مَسَّهُ ٱلْخَيْرُ مَنُوعًا ﴿٢١

Indeed, mankind was created anxious: When evil touches him, impatient, And when good touches him, withholding [of it].

[Qur'an, Al–Ma’arij: 70:19-21]

Instead of pursuing the hopeless task of trying to please other human beings, why not strive to please and satisfy the one being whose characteristics are perfect in every aspect, the One who is kind, merciful, understanding, and much more?

Our simple brains fail to fully comprehend the perfection of our Creator’s nature. The Quran mentions that Allah is the most compassionate and the most merciful. He is the most kind, the most loving, and the most wise. He is also the Creator, the Sustainer, and the Healer. He is the One who guides, the One who protects, the One who forgives.

O son of Adam, as long as you call upon Me and put your hope in Me, I have forgiven you for what you have done and I do not mind. O son of Adam, if your sins were to reach the clouds of the sky and then you would seek My forgiveness, I would forgive you. O son of Adam, if you were to come to Me with sins that are close to filling the earth and then you would meet Me without ascribing any partners with Me, I would certainly bring to you forgiveness close to filling it. [Hadithi Qudsi]

Imagine if our Creator were to have human characteristics like impatience, bad temper, arrogance, and ignorance; we might not even be able to exist to this day because if He were to get angry the way we do He might decide to destroy the earth in no time since He has the power to do so. But alhamdulillah thumma alhamdulillah the nature of our Creator is . . . just . . . indescribably great!

It is easy to please the Rabb

Allah does not expect anyone of us to do anything beyond our ability. So forget about all those horrible tasks that your boss gave you and concentrate on what the Boss of your boss and the King of all Kings tells you to do.

First of all, we have to understand the mercy of our Creator and see that He doesn’t expect us to do anything beyond our scope.

لَا يُكَلِّفُ ٱللَّهُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا وُسْعَهَا

Allah burdens not a person beyond his scope.

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

مَآ أُرِيدُ مِنْهُم مِّن رِّزْقٍ وَمَآ أُرِيدُ أَن يُطْعِمُونِ ﴿٥٧

I do not want from them any provision, nor do I want them to feed Me.

[Qur'an, Adh-Dhariyat, 51:57]

What does Allah want us to do? It’s a simple task that requires no money or power to accomplish, and yet the reward is immense if done properly. This task is none other than to fulfill our purpose of existence.

وَمَا خَلَقْتُ ٱلْجِنَّ وَٱلْإِنسَ إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُونِ ﴿٥٦

And I (Allah) created not the jinns and humans except they should worship Me (Alone).

[Qur'an, Adh-Dhariyat, 51:56]

Allah’s right over His servants is that they worship Him without associating any partner with Him in worship, and their right over Him is that He does not punish anyone who worships Him without associating any partner with Him in worship.

[al-Bukhârî and Sahîh Muslim]

May Allah help us worship Him with excellence. Ameen.

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

And Allah knows best and is Most Wise, and He alone grants success, and to Him is the final return of all.

Wassalaam

When Hijab becomes Cultural and is not Observed (Properly)

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

Assalaamu alaykum

Wearing ḥijāb was never easy for many. I started covering in my early 30s when I realized that hijab is obligatory for women. Yes, I never knew that it was obligatory until I came across a hadith in a halal and haram book which I was reading to my young children back then.

Narrated Aisha, Ummul Mu'minin (may Allah be pleased with her):

Asma, daughter of Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with them), entered upon the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and grant him peace) wearing thin clothes. The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and grant him peace) turned his attention from her. He said: O Asma', when a woman reaches the age of menstruation, it does not suit her that she displays her parts of body except this and this, and he pointed to his face and hands. [Abu Dawud said: This is a mursal tradition (i.e. the narrator who transmitted it from 'Aisha is missing) Khalid b. Duraik did not see 'Aisha].

It was a challenge, but it slowly became my identity. I learned lessons through wearing ḥijāb that I might not have learned otherwise. It gave me confidence, self-respect and taught me to stand up for my beliefs even if I had to swim against the tide. I lost friends but I also found friends, Muslim and non-Muslim, who didn't care how I looked or how I dressed; rather, they respected me for myself and valued my friendship despite of my “strange” clothes.

A piece of cloth that made me look different, caused many to stare and laugh at me, slowly became my pride. It was not just ḥijāb anymore; it made me realize what it meant to do something for no other purpose than to please Allāh alone; to be tested and along the way to become stronger (inshā'Allāh).

Ḥijāb became a responsibility. It was a symbol or worship and servitude to Allah. I was representing my religion every time I stepped out of my house. I started enjoying being an ambassador. I used my ḥijāb to avail every opportunity to make da'wah.

There were tough times too, especially when my children noticed their mother was different from others. There were times when they stood out just because their mother looked different. Or when people at the supermarket parking lot laughed at me asking “Hey what's on your head?” Even intellectuals and professionals like among my law school classmates or my lawyer colleaques would pose such questions as, "Why do you have that thing on your head?" "Did your husband made you wear it?" "Are you bald (had chemo)?" And non-lawyers mistaken me for a non-lawyer and was chastised for waiting in the attorney line for service or using the attorney fast lane, or in court, a judge mistaken me for a client, not an officer of the court.

In the West, ḥijāb is frequently misunderstood as “cultural”. I was often appalled at this misrepresentation. It was not until I stayed in the middle east and other so-called Islamic countries for an extended period of time that I understood the grounds of Western arguments. I realized accusing ḥijāb as a cultural practice forced on women by their men folk, holds water.

Ḥijāb and jilbabs are very common there, but the oppression is reflected through the way ḥijāb is worn. Sometimes, it feels like women are in a prison waiting to break out. A sheer piece of black cloth carelessly resting midway across their head, the layers of hair slipping attractively out from the front makes these women look no less stunning than Princess Jasmine. Layers and layers of make-up makes me wonder if they get ready at salons every day. Many women use artificial hair-buns under their hijabs, making it look like a perfect “camel-hump”.

Many women wear front-open abayas that split open up at every step they take; a glance of their tight skinny jeans and high heeled sandals only make them seem far more alluring.

That's not all. Jilbabs are tight. Some women cover their faces (which is mostly forced by their families) but their skin-tight jilbabs, designed especially to enhance body curves, are enough to catch anyone's attention; forget the faces.

Many women there do not want to wear ḥijāb but are forced to by their families. I don't know how ḥijāb evolved into culture, but unfortunately it did. Even the welcoming package and little leaflets designed for expatriates introduce ḥijāb as a cultural dress code.

What would be the impression all those non-Muslim expatriates take back to their respective countries? Can they be blamed for accusing Muslims of imposing ḥijāb on women?

There is always khayr (good) in whatever happens in our lives. Firstly, difficulties and challenges are not unnecessary, rather, they reform us.

Secondly, not all Western accusations are unfounded.

We should realize that it is partially our own fault that ḥijāb is misunderstood. Had our Muslim brethren not sent out the wrong message, much against ḥijāb would have been easier to clarify. Some progressive females, who label ḥijāb as a forced cultural practice, are as ignorant of ḥijāb as many Muslim women in “Muslim” countries.

We have a lot of work to do from within. At times, it seems easier to make da'wah to non-Muslims and non families than Muslims themselves and our own families. Just look in your Facebook...so many of our friends, our youth and even older people are displaying their bodies or parts of them, by their pictures posted on their FB. Some of these people are part of practicing Muslim families, knowledgeable people or active members of Muslim communities. What kind of message are we sending to our youth, new Muslims and non-Muslims?

May Allāh make the real knowledge of Islam sink into our hearts and return us our glory and 'izzah (honor) that we have lost at our own hands. Ameen.

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

And Allah knows best and is Most Wise, and He alone grants success, and to Him is the final return of all.

Wassalaam

Taqwa--Balancing Love and Fear of Allah

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

Assalaamu alaykum

A precise definition of Al-Muttaâqun appears early in the Qur’an:

الٓمٓ ﴿١﴾ ذَ‌ٰلِكَ ٱلْكِتَـٰبُ لَا رَيْبَ ۛ فِيهِ ۛ هُدًى لِّلْمُتَّقِينَ ﴿٢

This is the Book (the Qur'an), whereof there is no doubt, a guidance to those who are Al-Muttaâqun [the pious and righteous persons who fear Allâh much (abstain from all kinds of sins and evil deeds which He has forbidden) and love Allâh much (perform all kinds of good deeds which He has ordained)].

[Qur'an, Al-Baqarah 2:1-2]

The following Ayah announces the intricate connection between Al-Muttaâqun and Taqwa:

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّاسُ إِنَّا خَلَقْنَـٰكُم مِّن ذَكَرٍ وَأُنثَىٰ وَجَعَلْنَـٰكُمْ شُعُوبًا وَقَبَآئِلَ لِتَعَارَفُوٓا۟ ۚ إِنَّ أَكْرَمَكُمْ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ أَتْقَىٰكُمْ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ خَبِيرٌ ﴿١٣

O mankind! We have created you from a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know one another. Verily, the most honorable of you with Allah is that (believer) who has At-taqwa [i.e. he is one of the Muttaqun (the pious). Verily, Allah is All-Knowing, All-Aware.

[Quran, Al-Hujurat 49:13]

That which links these two concepts together is ‘Ibaadah. Ibaadah involves those actions of the heart, mind and body that are consistent with what Allâh has ordained and avoids those actions which Allâh had forbidden. The fruit of Ibaadah is Taqwa.

Taqwa involves the cleansing and purification of the heart and soul as a consequence of endeavoring to please Allâh. This requires the introduction of a fourth concept: Ikhlaas. Ikhlaas means sincerity, that an action is performed solely for the pleasure of Allâh, as a result of one’s love for Him, while fearing that one will invoke his anger. Allâh said:

قُلْ إِنِّىٓ أُمِرْتُ أَنْ أَعْبُدَ ٱللَّهَ مُخْلِصًا لَّهُ ٱلدِّينَ ﴿١١

Say (O Muhammad) “Verily I am commanded to worship Allâh (Alone) by obeying him and doing religious deeds sincerely for His sake only.”

[Qur'an, Az-Zumar 39:11]

Considering the two Ayat quoted above in connection with one another, it is clear that having Taqwa requires the individual to possess both fear of Allâh and love of Allâh. To merely love Him but not fear Him, or to fear Him and not love Him does not represent Taqwa. Either one, by itself represents an incomplete relationship with Allâh. They must each exist in one’s heart in a state of completeness, dynamically balanced with one another for true Taqwa to exist. And the love is requited:

بَلَىٰ مَنْ أَوْفَىٰ بِعَهْدِهِۦ وَٱتَّقَىٰ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُحِبُّ ٱلْمُتَّقِينَ ﴿٧٦

But yes, whoever fulfills his pledge and fears Allah much; verily, then Allah loves those who are Al-Muttaqun.

[Qur'an, AleImran 3:76]

Taqwa comes from Allâh:

وَٱلَّذِينَ ٱهْتَدَوْا۟ زَادَهُمْ هُدًى وَءَاتَىٰهُمْ تَقْوَىٰهُمْ ﴿١٧

While as for those who accept guidance, He increases their guidance and bestows on them their piety (Taqwa)

[Qur'an, Muhammad 47:17]

The comprehensiveness and importance of Taqwa is shown in the following hadith: Narrated Ibn Ashwa: from Yazid bin Salamah Al-Ju’fi, he said: “O Messenger of Allâh, I heard so many narrations from you that I am afraid the last of them will cause me to forget the first of them. So narrate a statement to me that will encompass them. So he said: ‘Have Taqwa of Allâh with what you learn.'” [at-Tirmidhi]

The following ahadith demonstrates that Taqwa – though established in relationship to Allâh – is relevant in our dealings with our Muslims: Abu Hurayrah narrated that the Messenger of Allâh (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: “The Muslim is the brother to the Muslim, he does not cheat him, lie to him, nor deceive him. All of the Muslim is unlawful to another Muslim: His Honor, his wealth, and his blood. At-Taqwa is here. It is enough evil for a man that he belittle his brother Muslim.” [at-Tirmidhi]

The love and fear Allâh should free us from fear of Satan:

إِنَّمَا ذَ‌ٰلِكُمُ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنُ يُخَوِّفُ أَوْلِيَآءَهُۥ فَلَا تَخَافُوهُمْ وَخَافُونِ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ ﴿١٧٥

It is only Shaytan (Satan) that suggests to you the fear of his Auliya’ [supporters and friends (polytheists, disbelievers in the Oneness of Allah and in His Messenger, Muhammad (saws), so fear them not, but fear Me, if you are (true) believers.

[Qur'an, AleImran 3:175]

أَلَآ إِنَّ أَوْلِيَآءَ ٱللَّهِ لَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ ﴿٦٢

No doubt! Verily, the Auliya’ of Allâh [i.e. those who believe in the Oneness of Allâh and fear Allâh much (abstain from all kinds of sins and evil deeds which he has forbidden), and love Allah much (perform all kinds of good deeds which He has ordained)], no fear shall come upon them nor shall they grieve.

[Qur'an, Yunus 10:62]

The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said, “The most common thing which leads people to Paradise is Taqwa of Allâh and good conduct, and the most common thing which leads people to the Hell Fire is the mouth and the private parts.” (at-Tirmidhi)

Those who possess Taqwa shall be exempt from fear on the Day of Judgment.

يَوْمَ نَحْشُرُ ٱلْمُتَّقِينَ إِلَى ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ وَفْدًا ﴿٨٥

The Day We shall gather the Muttaâqun (the pious and righteous persons) unto the Most Gracious (Allâh), like a delegation (presented before a king for honor).

[Qur'an, Maryam 19:85]

ثُمَّ نُنَجِّى ٱلَّذِينَ ٱتَّقَوا۟ وَّنَذَرُ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ فِيهَا جِثِيًّا ﴿٧٢

Then We shall save those who used to fear Allah and were dutiful to Him. And We shall leave the Zalimun (polytheists and wrongdoers) therein (humbled) to their knees (in Hell).

[Qur'an, Maryam 19:72]

Tafseer ibn Kathir mentions that Atiyah As-Sa’di said the Prophet (saws) said, “The servant will not acquire the status of those with Taqwa until he abandons what is harmless out of fear of falling into that which is harmful.” (Ibn Majah, Tirmidhi)

An individual who possesses Taqwa continually strives for that which will lead to righteousness in this world and to that which Allâh has promised the Muttaâqun in the Hereafter. Allâh says:

ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَكَانُوا۟ يَتَّقُونَ ﴿٦٣﴾ لَهُمُ ٱلْبُشْرَىٰ فِى ٱلْحَيَو‌ٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا وَفِى ٱلْءَاخِرَةِ ۚ لَا تَبْدِيلَ لِكَلِمَـٰتِ ٱللَّهِ ۚ ذَ‌ٰلِكَ هُوَ ٱلْفَوْزُ ٱلْعَظِيمُ ﴿٦٤

Those who believed and used to fear Allah much (by abstaining from evil deeds and sins and by doing righteous deeds), for them are glad tidings in the life of the present world and in the Hereafter. No change can there be in the Words of Allâh. This is indeed the supreme success.

[Qur'an, Yunus 10:63-64]

May Allah make us of the people of taqwa and purify our hearts and grant us deeds that are pleasing to Him and bring us closer to Him and grant us success to the highest station. Ameen.

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

And Allah knows best and is Most Wise, and He alone grants success, and to Him is the final return of all.

Wassalaam

Let's Read Surah Kahf Today (Friday) -- The Highest Love

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

Assalaamu alaykum

Allah Most High says in Surah Al-Kahf:

قُلْ إِنَّمَآ أَنَا۠ بَشَرٌ مِّثْلُكُمْ يُوحَىٰٓ إِلَىَّ أَنَّمَآ إِلَـٰهُكُمْ إِلَـٰهٌ وَ‌ٰحِدٌ ۖ فَمَن كَانَ يَرْجُوا۟ لِقَآءَ رَبِّهِۦ فَلْيَعْمَلْ عَمَلًا صَـٰلِحًا وَلَا يُشْرِكْ بِعِبَادَةِ رَبِّهِۦٓ أَحَدًۢا ﴿١١٠

Say, "I am only a man like you, to whom has been revealed that your god is one God. So whoever would hope for the meeting with his Lord - let him do righteous work and not associate in the worship of his Lord anyone." (110)

[Quran Al-Kahf 18:110]

The most beautiful and the most elevated love we can experience is the love for the One our hearts were created to love, the One that creation was brought into existence to adore, the One who we will be returning to at the expiration of our term on this earth. This love is the love for Allah. It is your highest aspiration.

Do you feel it? Do you still feel there’s something missing deep inside you? Do you feel true in your love for Allah? If not, what exactly is it that pulls you away from loving Him?

It’s time to for you to learn three secrets about loving Allah, to find out how your love for Him can increase your productivity, and to boost yourself with some practical tips to make your heart love Allah.

Allah al-Wadood, the Most Loving, tells us:

... يُحِبُّونَهُمْ كَحُبِّ ٱللَّهِ ۖ وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ أَشَدُّ حُبًّا لِّلَّهِ ..

...They love them as they [should] love Allah. But those who believe are stronger in love for Allah...

[Quran, Al-Baqarah 2:165]

How strong is your love for Allah?

Secret #1: Worship is not burdensome.

Worship is not so burdensome and difficult that the Muslim needs to have a rest from it. Rather it is an act of love and veneration of Allah, may He be exalted.

The perfection of the Beloved, the One we love, is enough to make our heads spin. One of the salaf said: “Loving Him motivates me in such a way that is even stronger than His commands.”

Here’s the secret: love for Him, true love connected to the perfection of His Being, is the best and strongest motive for acts of worship. Worship isn’t burdensome when you do it out of love.

Secret #2: You can worship Him from your heart.

If we find that we don’t love Allah from our hearts, it’s because we don’t know Him. Can you imagine what He has prepared in Jannah? Can you imagine being able to see Him and be with Him?

Now back to earth. Why are you here? Stop and think; Allah gives the answer in His Book: illaa li ya’budun, meaning: that they may worship Me.

But how can you worship Him if you don’t know Him? This is called ma’rifah. How often do we say: I want to study Islam, but I don’t know where to start? Here’s the answer.

The scholars before us said: ‘awwalu waajibun ‘alaa al ‘abdihi ma’rifatu’llaahi bi al tawheedi, meaning: “the first duty upon a person is to know Allah via His Oneness.”

So here’s the secret: the first step toward loving Allah from your heart is to learn about Him.

Secret #3: There’s a formula for complete happiness.

Normally we love things because of the way those things make us feel. Who is the One Who gave us everything we have, the One Who gave us people to love? Allah Most High says:

وَمَا بِكُم مِّن نِّعْمَةٍ فَمِنَ ٱللَّهِ ۖ ثُمَّ إِذَا مَسَّكُمُ ٱلضُّرُّ فَإِلَيْهِ تَجْـَٔرُونَ ﴿٥٣

And whatever you have of favor – it is from Allah. Then when adversity touches you, to Him you cry for help.

[Quran, Al-Mu'minun 16:53]

Ibn Taymiyyah said: The more the servant loves his Master, the less he will love other objects and they will decrease in number. The less the servant loves his Master, the more he will love other objects and they will increase in number. [Majmoo-ul-Fataawaa, 1/94]

Here’s the secret: your heart will only find complete happiness in loving Allah and seeking to do what pleases Him.

Let’s face the fact, which slave is more productive— a slave working for one master with full focus or the slave trying to work for many masters at the same time?

Two Ways To Make Your Heart Love Allah

Now you’ve learned three secrets on how important loving Allah is for yourself; this will boost your will to pray and do good deeds, because you’ll do it out of love. It’s the best and first knowledge you should seek, and it’s the only way for your own heart in its quest for satisfaction.

How can you make your heart love Him?

Here are two of the 10 ways Ibn al Qayyim described in Madarij-us-Saalikeen to develop your love for your Lord.

1. Recitation Of The Quran With Reflection

Understand the Quran’s meanings and what’s intended by it. This also enables you to know Allah using His own words!

2. The Heart’s Comprehension Of His Names And Attributes

Witnessing them and having knowledge of them, to immerse yourself in the garden of knowledge. Whoever knows Allah by His Names and Attributes and Actions will, no doubt, love Him.

Make Du'a for the Ultimate Love

The Prophet salallaahu ‘alauhi wa sallam narrated this dua in a hasan (good) hadeeth in Tirmidhi and Ahmad:

اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ حُبَّكَ وَحُبَّ مَنْ يُحِبُّكَ وَحُبَّ عَمَلٍ يُقَرِّبُنِي إِلَى حُبِّكَ

Allāhumma Innī As’aluka Ḥubbaka Wa Ḥubba Man Yuḥibbuka Wa Ḥubba cAmalin Yuqarribunī Ilā Ḥubbika. (O Allah, I ask You for Your Love, and the love of whoever loves You, and the love of deeds that will bring me closer to Your Love.)

Use this dua to ask for Allah’s love in all its forms.

May Allah bring us closer to Him and increase our love for His beloved Messenger (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) and his family and companions, and make us taste the sweetness of faith and experience His love and the beauty of the ultimate love. Ameen.

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

And Allah knows best and is Most Wise, and He alone grants success, and to Him is the final return of all.

Wassalaam

How to Fall in Love with the Quran?

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

Assalaamu alaykum

The conventional way to love the Quran is simply to place it on a shelf and let it get dusty. After some weeks or months we take it down, dust it off, plant a kiss or two on it, and return it to the shelf. We only take it down to read it in Ramadhan or if some calamity strikes us. This is not love of the Qur'an.

How to fall in love with the Quran?

Think:

Carve out some time in your schedule and relax. Think of your life and the hereafter. Think of the attachment you have for the Quran and think about what can you do in order to fall in love with it. Make a list.

Implement:

Take this list and put it in practice. To start out, read at least a page from the Quran each day, and gradually increase it to a juz or two a day. If this is too difficult for now, start out by reading a few verses after each prayer. Don’t worry if you can’t read, for the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: Verily the one who recites the Quran beautifully, smoothly, and precisely, he will be in the company of the noble and obedient angels. And as for the one who recites with difficulty, stammering or stumbling through its verses, then he will have twice that reward.” [Bukhari & Muslim]

Understand:

Just reciting isn’t enough. You need to know the meaning of what you are reciting. If you aren’t good at Arabic, pick a translation in your language and have it at your side when reciting. Trying to understand what you are reciting is a key factor to increase your love for the Quran. (If you want to understand Quran, just click on this link and find what you want for just 10 dollars, inshaa Allah.)

Engage your senses:

Engage your senses in exploring the contents of the Quran. Feel when you read, and ponder the verses. You should have a feeling of trembling when you come across the verses of warnings, happiness when you read the verses of glad tidings, and sadness when you hear about the torments. If you can feel the Quran, then you will fall more in love with it.

Search and search:

Search for more facts from the Quran. The more you search, the more beautiful and inspiring verses you will come across. Jot down the verses and your thoughts if necessary. You will soon learn how the Quran wisely holds the truth.

Memorize:

Memorize the verses that interest you. The more you memorize, the more interested you will become until eventually you will wish to memorize the whole Quran.

وَلَقَدْ يَسَّرْنَا ٱلْقُرْءَانَ لِلذِّكْرِ فَهَلْ مِن مُّدَّكِرٍ ﴿١٧

And We have certainly made the Qur’an easy for remembrance, so is there any who will remember? [Quran, Al-Qamar 54: 17]

Include it in your prayers:

You can recite the verses you memorized in your daily five prayers. You can also include the verses in your supplications.

Don’t think of the Quran as just a book of prayer:

If you view the Quran as just a book of prayer, your love will be limited and it will be based upon selfishness. So observe the Quran from different angles, for example as a book of prayer, a book of guidance, a book of justice, a book of legislation, or a book of science. The more you observe it from different perspectives, the more you will fall in love with it.

Live by the Quran:

All the above facts will be useless if you are not living by the Quran. So take every piece of advice it provides: tips that motivate, words that inspire, skills that help, and warnings that will lead you to the correct course. Take these all into yourself and live by the Quran. Become a walking Quran, like the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) did.

Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) was asked about the character of the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) to which she replied: ‘His character was the Quran.’ [Bukhari]

Strengthen your faith:

Strengthen your faith by remembering Allah often, because faith is where love comes from. The deeper your faith, the deeper you will be in love with the Quran. So be steadfast in your faith and feel the difference.

قُلْ نَزَّلَهُۥ رُوحُ ٱلْقُدُسِ مِن رَّبِّكَ بِٱلْحَقِّ لِيُثَبِّتَ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَهُدًى وَبُشْرَىٰ لِلْمُسْلِمِينَ ﴿١٠٢

Say (O Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wasallam) ‘Ruh-ul-Qudus [Jibrael (Gabriel)] has brought it (the Quran) down from your Lord with truth, that it may make firm and strengthen (the Faith of) those who believe and as a guidance and glad tidings to those who have submitted (to Allah as Muslims).’ [Quran, An-Nahl 16:102]

May Allah guide us to love His Book and grant us a sound understanding of His Book. Ameen.

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

And Allah knows best and is Most Wise, and He alone grants success, and to Him is the final return of all.

Wassalaam

Lessons on Love in the Qur'an -- The Ayah of Marriage

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate

Assalaamu alaykum

Allah has revealed to us a verse which speaks specifically about the marital relationship:

وَمِنْ ءَايَـٰتِهِۦٓ أَنْ خَلَقَ لَكُم مِّنْ أَنفُسِكُمْ أَزْوَ‌ٰجًا لِّتَسْكُنُوٓا۟ إِلَيْهَا وَجَعَلَ بَيْنَكُم مَّوَدَّةً وَرَحْمَةً ۚ إِنَّ فِى ذَ‌ٰلِكَ لَءَايَـٰتٍ لِّقَوْمٍ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ ﴿٢١

And of His signs is that He created for you from yourselves mates that you may find tranquillity in them; and He placed between you mawaddah (affection) and rahmanh (mercy). Indeed in that are signs for a people who give thought. (21)

[Qur'an, Al-Rum 30:21]

The purpose of us having spouses is to find tranquility in them. In another ayah Allah says:

...هُوَ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَكُم مِّن نَّفْسٍ وَ‌ٰحِدَةٍ وَجَعَلَ مِنْهَا زَوْجَهَا لِيَسْكُنَ إِلَيْهَا ...

...It is He who created you from one soul and created from it its mate that he might dwell in security with her (li-yaskuna ilaiha)...

[Qur'an, A;A'raf 7:189]

Yaskunu has the same root as sukoon or sakeenah. It means tranquility, peace. We also have sukoon in Arabic writing, where it denotes letters on which there is no voweling, which are ‘motionless’. Our spouse was created so that we could find sukoon in them, so that we would feel relaxed, at ease, peaceful and happy with them.

But in many cases it’s the opposite. This indicates that there must be something very wrong going on, something against the natural laws which Allah put in place. What are we doing wrong?

In the first ayah quoted above, Allah said that He placed between spouses mawaddah and rahmah. These two are the keys to marital success.

Mawaddah

Often when the marriage is still new, spouses are head over heals in love with each other. That love often persists, but the times that we express it begin to drop. We still care about them, but maybe we don’t really go out of our way to show it, like we used to during the honeymoon period.

Mawaddah is the kind of love which is very apparent. It is caring about someone, being friends with them. One of Allah’s beautiful names is al Wudood, from the same root. His love for us is apparent all around us in the countless blessings He has given us. He has not just provided us nourishment, being ar Razzaq, He has made our food delicious and palatable, beautiful to the eyes, and aromatic, thus pleasing our senses. This is al Wudood.

Mawaddah is about keeping the honeymoon period alive and functional at all times. No matter how many problems there are in the marriage, if we have mawaddah towards each other, if both spouses care for the other and show it, and feel that the other cares about them, that creates an extremely strong bond between them.

Rahmah

Rahm means the womb. Rahmah is the kind of mercy, protection and cushioning which a fetus enjoys in the mother’s womb. Where mawaddah is something you need to practice during times of peace, rahmah is to much more effective at the battle ground. During times of extreme provocation, if we remember to have rahmah towards each other, then nothing can keep us from enjoying true sakinah in your marriage inshaa Allah. And not just that, Allah the Most Merciful will in turn shower His mercy upon us.

The merciful are shown mercy by Ar-Rahman. Be merciful on the earth, and you will be shown mercy from Who is above the heavens. The womb is named after Ar-Rahman, so whoever connects it, Allah connects him, and whoever severs it, Allah severs him. [Tirmidhi]

May Allah help us embody the meaning of His beautiful Names, shower us with mercy and love, and bring peace and tranquility to our families. Ameen.

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

And Allah knows best and is Most Wise, and He alone grants success, and to Him is the final return of all.

Wassalaam

If You Want Good in This Life and Paradise, Love and Be Dutiful to Your Parents

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

Assalaamu alaykum

All religions and cultures around the world teach that respecting parents is a fundamental lesson of good character. We have all heard about it, and know it, and believe that we follow it. But do we really? If we really did follow this fundamental tenet of being a good human being, then there would be no old folks nursing homes, and no 70 and 80-year-olds working and laboring for their survival. We won't see ungratefulness and arrogance from children to their parents, despite the gift of their very existence.

So although we all know that it is required of us to respect our parents, let us understand how important it is according to Islam, and what Allah and the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said on the subject.

Being good to parents is an obligation.

It is obligated by Allah in a unique way. In more than one place in the Quran, Allah talks about the obligation of respecting the parents right after He talks about the obligation of Tawheed.

Do not worship except Allah; and to parents do good and to relatives, orphans, and the needy. And speak to people good [words] and establish prayer and give zakah. [Quran, Al-Baqarah 2:83]

Worship Allah and associate nothing with Him, and to parents do good, and to relatives, orphans, the needy, the near neighbor, the neighbor farther away, the companion at your side, the traveler, and those whom your right hands possess. [Quran, An-Nisa 4:36]

Say, ‘Come, I will recite what your Lord has prohibited to you. [He commands] that you not associate anything with Him, and to parents, excellent treatment, and do not kill your children out of poverty;’ [Quran, An-Am 6:151]

Look at the order of the obligations mentioned in the above verses. Good treatment to parents comes right after Tawheed and before everything else.

Say Not to Them ‘Uff’

And your Lord has decreed that you not worship except Him, and to parents, excellent treatment. Whether one or both of them reach old age [while] with you, say not to them [so much as], “uff,” and do not repel them but speak to them a noble word. And lower to them the wing of humility out of mercy and say, “My Lord, have mercy upon them as they brought me up [when I was] small.” [Quran, Al-Isra 17:23-24]

Saying ‘uff’ includes showing any kind of irritation, rudeness or anger towards them.

The one who doesn’t respect his or her parents is a Jabbar

Allah says while describing the character of Yahya (peace be upon him) that he was

وَبَرًّا بِوَالِدَيْهِ وَلَمْ يَكُن جَبَّارًا عَصِيًّا*

… dutiful to his parents, and he was not a disobedient tyrant. [Quran, Maryam 19:14]

The same thing is said in the same surah by Isa (peace be upon him) about his mother:

وَبَرًّا بِوَالِدَتِي وَلَمْ يَجْعَلْنِي جَبَّارًا شَقِيًّا*

And [made me] dutiful to my mother, and He has not made me a wretched tyrant. [Quran, Maryam 19:32]

Al Jabbar is one of the beautiful names of Allah, but when applied to human beings it is a derogatory term, as if the person is trying to compete with Allah in His power. And this is the term given by Allah to the one who is not dutiful to one’s parents. If we can’t be humble towards our parents, whom we have grown up seeing everyday, how can we be humble towards Allah who is unseen? And if we’re not humble before Allah, then we are committing kibr which is an act of disbelief. That’s why Abdullah ibn Umar said, ‘The pleasure of the Lord lies in the pleasure of the parent. The anger of the Lord lies in the anger of the parent.’ [al Adab al Mufrad]

Consider the story of a man who killed another man in jealousy. He asked the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) if there is a way for him to make amends. The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) asked him if his mother was alive. She wasn’t. So the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) asked him to ‘repent to Allah Almighty and try to draw near Him as much as you can.’ The man then went to Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) and asked him, ‘Why did you ask him whether his mother was alive?’ He replied, ‘I do not know of any action better for bringing a person near to Allah than dutifulness to his mother.’ [al Adab al Mufrad]

Parents are the Keys to Two Gates of Jannah

Ibn ‘Abbas said, “If any Muslim obeys Allah regarding his parents, Allah will open two gates of the Garden for him. If there is only one parent, then one gate will be opened. If one of them is angry, then Allah will not be pleased with him until that parent is pleased with him.” He was asked, “Even if they wrong him?” “Even if they wrong him” he replied. [al Adab al Mufrad]

In the Quran there is the story of Ibrahim (peace be upon him) talking to his disbelieving father in the kindest manner, although the father was a manufacturer and worshiper of idols, and eventually kicked him out of the house for believing in Allah alone. Compare that to what our own parents have been doing for us months before we were even born, and how much importance we give to them in our lives.

May Allah grant His mercy upon our parents and help us be dutiful to our parents. Ameen.

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

And Allah knows best and is Most Wise, and He alone grants success, and to Him is the final return of all.

Wassalaam

Let's Read Surah Kahf Today (Friday) -- Simple Sunnah with Amazing Virtues

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

Assalaamu alaykum

Reciting Surah Kahf (the 18th Surah in the Qur'an) on Friday is a well-known Sunnah that we should strive to follow. This Surah gives us the message that those who believe in Allah and ask for protection from Him, He gives them the best protection the likes of which the world has never seen.

Besides this illuminating Message, there’s a simple Sunnah— with amazing virtues— created specifically for Fridays. It is invocating blessings and peace upon the Prophet salallahu ‘alayhi wasallam (salawat).

Allah Almighty establishes this noble act Himself first and foremost; how noble is an act that Allah, the Compassionate Himself confirms to do. He, The Exalted, states:

إِنَّ اللَّـهَ وَمَلَائِكَتَهُ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ ۚ يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا صَلُّوا عَلَيْهِ وَسَلِّمُوا تَسْلِيمًا ﴿٥٦

Verily, Allah and His angels send blessings upon the Prophet: O you who believe, send blessings upon him and salute him with all due respect to him. (56)

[Qur'an Al-Ahzab 33:56]

This verse is just as emphatic as the commands to pray, fast, give zakat, and so on. We should send salutations upon the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) because Allah Almighty has exhorted us to do so. It is His Command.

“Salat” is prayer or supplication (du'a). Allah’s blessing (salat) is His mercy and honoring of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wassallam). Allah’s peace (salaam) is His greeting of honor, His granting eternal peace and contentment.

The salam is also a prayer from us, asking Allah to put the Prophet’s heart at rest (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) regarding us (his community) –- that we will uphold our covenants with him, embody his guidance, and spread the light he came with (sallallahu alayhi wasallam).

There are numerous benefits and rewards of sending peace and blessings on the Prophet (salawat) sallallahu alayhi wasallam.

An immediate and a significant benefit is that our invocation to Allah Almighty for peace and blessings upon His Beloved is a means of healing, Shifa, upon our own selves.

Invoking peace and blessings upon the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) opens the floodgates of peace and blessings upon ourselves. In the midst of a world absent of peace, and starving of blessings, there is no quicker, better and greater way for the Believer of One God to seek His Grace, Protection, Favor and Blessing.

Beyond the benefits one attains in this world (removal of anxiety, harm and anarchy) by the Will of Allah, The All-Knowing All-Wise of our states and realities, there are benefits beyond this ephemeral world; the reality of such salutation’s objective being the Grace of Allah in the Hereafter. It would be remiss of us not to remind ourselves of these ultimate benefits. Here are some of the statements of the Prophet of Allah regarding them:

“From those from among my community who send blessings upon me sincerely from his heart, Allah will shower His blessings upon him ten times, elevate his status by ten, and will have the angels record ten good deeds for him and will erase ten of his sins.” [Hadith, recorded by Nasa’i]

“Without a doubt supplications are stalled between the heavens and the earth, and are not lifted up until the supplicant invokes blessings upon the Prophet (upon whom be peace and blessings of Allah, The Exalted).” [Hadith, recorded by Tirmidhi]

There is not a single Believer who does not hope for his supplication to be answered by the Answerer of supplications. Invoking blessings upon the Prophet when asking our Lord, hastens a response from our Merciful Lord. The Prophet’s intercession with our Lord is a Mercy from our Lord.

“The closest people to me on the Day of Resurrection will be those who invoked the most blessings upon me.” [Hadīth, recorded by Tirmidhi]

And who from amongst you would not want to be in the company of the Beloved of the Lord, who has been given the authority when no other authority will exist to intercede for us, let alone be closest to him!

“He who invokes blessings upon me, the angels send blessings upon him equal to that which he invoked, so let the worshiper invoke some, or increase upon that.” [Hadith, recorded by Tirmidhi]

Note here that the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) himself authorizes not only one or ten salutations, but as many as anyone wishes, that they are permitted to increase it to whatever they are capable of. Whether it is one, one hundred, one million or one billion; the right to send as many salutations upon the Prophet is your God-given right.

But take heed, that anyone who would either see the sending of salutations upon the Prophet as a wasteful act or a simple matter, or not worthy of gathering for, then the Prophet has also warned us:

“He who, when I am mentioned before him, fails to invoke blessings upon me is a miser.”

And:

“Disgraced be the person who, when I am mentioned before him, fails to invoke blessings upon me.” [both Hadīths, recorded by Tirmidhi]

Understand its irreplaceable value and hold on to those who aid and assist you to invoke Allah’s Peace and Blessings. As the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said himself:

“Allah, without any doubt, has angels that roam the earth and convey to me the greetings of my community.” [Tirmidhi]

Make a daily routine of sending blessings upon him (sallallahu alayhi wasallam). Hasten to send blessings upon him, whenever his noble name is mentioned -- out of following the Divine command, out of love, and out of gratitude for the gift of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam).

The most famous and best is: “Allahumma salli alaa Muhammadin wa alaa ali Muhammadin, kama sallayta alaa Ibraheem wa alaa ali Ibrahim” [Faydul Qadeer #1403]

Remember, what an honor it is to be able to do something that even Allah does.

Seek every gathering and every moment of your voluntary and free time and send salutation upon the one whom Allah does not reject.

May Allah's Grace be upon us all to be blessed to be part of the Prophet’s community, and may Allah, the Exalted, bestow His unbounded and overflowing peace and blessings be upon His Beloved Messenger (sallallahu alayhi wasallam).

May Allah grant us tawfiq and increase our love for His beloved Messenger sallallahu alayhi wassallam.

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

And Allah knows best and is Most Wise, and He alone grants success, and to Him is the final return of all.

Wassalaam

Sleep Reflections

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

Assalaamu alaykum

Allah Almighty says,

وَمِنْ ءَايَـٰتِهِۦ خَلْقُ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَ‌ٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ وَٱخْتِلَـٰفُ أَلْسِنَتِكُمْ وَأَلْوَ‌ٰنِكُمْ ۚ إِنَّ فِى ذَ‌ٰلِكَ لَءَايَـٰتٍ لِّلْعَـٰلِمِينَ ﴿٢٢

And of His signs is your sleep by night and day and your seeking of His bounty. Indeed in that are signs for a people who listen. (23)

[Qur'an, Ar-Rum 30:22]

Ponder on the Greatness of Your Lord

In Ayat ul Kursi, Allah says,

...لَا تَأْخُذُهُۥ سِنَةٌ وَلَا نَوْمٌ...

...Neither drowsiness overtakes Him nor sleep...

[Qur'an, Al-Baqarah 2:255]

Ponder on how weak we are and how much we are in need of Allah. Sleep is an ayah (sign) of the Power of Allah subhanahu wa ta’alaa.

Give Thanks by Sleeping with the Right Intention

Sleep is a blessing from Allah that we don’t often reflect upon. Just like our free time, our health, our wealth, you give thanks for them by using them in the right way. Sleep with the intention to be strong for worship.

Remember Your Ultimate Destination

Just as we sleep and wake up, so will we die one day and be resurrected on the Day of Judgment where we will either get rewarded for for good deeds or punished for your bad deeds. What have you prepared for this big Day? Remind yourself of the Day of Judgment every time you wake up.

وَهُوَ ٱلَّذِى جَعَلَ لَكُمُ ٱلَّيْلَ لِبَاسًا وَٱلنَّوْمَ سُبَاتًا وَجَعَلَ ٱلنَّهَارَ نُشُورًا ﴿٤٧

And it is He who has made the night for you as clothing and sleep [a means for] rest and has made the day a resurrection.

[qur'an, Al-Furqan 25:47]

Most of us sleep to fulfill a certain amount of sleep in order to get through our days. And we sleep 6, 7, 10 hours a day, and yet we don't have much energy in the morning. We can't get up for tahajjud or pray Fajr on time. The righteous before us used to sleep much less and had much more energy than us during the day. Some could even pray hundreds of rakats at night, not 2 or 4 or 8 rakats at night. How? The answer is barakah. Allah put barakah in their sleep.

May Allah put barakah in our life and grant us tawfiq (success) to the highest station. Ameen.

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

And Allah knows best and is Most Wise, and He alone grants success, and to Him is the final return of all.

Wassalaam

Very Few People Are Grateful

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

Assalaamu alaykum

If there was ever an ayah in the Qur'an that was heart-breaking and should make us feel ashamed of ourselves it is when Allah subhana wa ta’ala says,

وَقَلِيلٌ مِّنْ عِبَادِىَ ٱلشَّكُورُ ﴿١٣ ...

... And very few of My slaves are grateful. [Qur'an, Saba 34:13]

The blessings of Allah are so many that it is impossible to count them all. He blesses us in the day and in the night. He protects us from harm, and He has given us so much. Allah further says,

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

... And if you should count the favor of Allah, you could not enumerate them. Indeed, mankind is truly unjust and ungrateful. (34) [Qur'an, Ibrahim 14:34]

And for those of us who, by the permission of Allah, are indeed thankful, we usually thank Allah for some things while taking most of His blessings for granted. Who remembers to thank Allah for having good skin? It is something we have taken granted. Who thanks Allah for having good hair? Who thanks Allah for the clothing that we have in our closet? Who remembers to thank Allah for our teeth? Yet, when we have a painful tooth, the dentist pulls it out. We thank him for removing the pain, but we fail to thank Allah for allowing us the use of that teeth for years upon years. When did we last thank Allah for the blessing of eyesight? This is when we finally get to understand the words of Allah when He said, “And very few of My slaves are grateful”.

It is Allah who distributes His Blessings between His slaves

Allah says in the Quran,

أَهُمْ يَقْسِمُونَ رَحْمَتَ رَبِّكَ ۚ نَحْنُ قَسَمْنَا بَيْنَهُم مَّعِيشَتَهُمْ فِى ٱلْحَيَو‌ٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا ۚ وَرَفَعْنَا بَعْضَهُمْ فَوْقَ بَعْضٍ دَرَجَـٰتٍ لِّيَتَّخِذَ بَعْضُهُم بَعْضًا سُخْرِيًّا ۗ وَرَحْمَتُ رَبِّكَ خَيْرٌ مِّمَّا يَجْمَعُونَ ﴿٣٢

Do they distribute the mercy of your Lord? It is We who have apportioned among them their livelihood in the life of this world and have raised some of them above others in degrees [of rank] that they may make use of one another for service. But the mercy of your Lord is better than whatever they accumulate. (32) ]Qur'an, Az-Zukhruf 43:32]

And He also says,

ثُمَّ لَتُسْـَٔلُنَّ يَوْمَئِذٍ عَنِ ٱلنَّعِيمِ ﴿٨

Then you will surely be asked that Day about pleasure. (8) ]Qur'an, At-Takathur 102:8]

Allah distributes His blessings between people, and He alone chooses who gets more and who gets less. Some people are blessed with wealth, some are blessed with a long life, some are blessed with intelligence while others maybe blessed with good family members, etc. To each person different blessings, and to each person will be their own accounting on the Day of Judgment.

The wealthy maybe asked about how they spent their wealth, the strong about their strength, the intelligent about how he used his intelligence etc.

Allah mentions gratitude along with Iman in the Quran. He says,

مَّا يَفْعَلُ ٱللَّهُ بِعَذَابِكُمْ إِن شَكَرْتُمْ وَءَامَنتُمْ ۚ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ شَاكِرًا عَلِيمًا ﴿١٤٧

What would Allah do with your punishment if you are grateful and believe? And ever is Allah Appreciative and Knowing. (147) [Qur'an, An-Nisa 4:147]

Allah has joined together gratefulness and belief, and in fact mentioned gratefulness first. It is as if you are not truly grateful, you cannot truly believe. And Allah says, “What would Allah do with your punishment if you are grateful and believe?” as if, if gratefulness and iman combine, we are safe from the punishment of Allah.

Gratitude is a quality that Allah loves so much that He will grant for it rewards immediately and is guaranteed. For other qualities, Allah does at times put a condition. For example for forgiveness, Allah says,

وَلِلَّهِ مُلْكُ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَ‌ٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ ۚ يَغْفِرُ لِمَن يَشَآءُ وَيُعَذِّبُ مَن يَشَآءُ ۚ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ غَفُورًا رَّحِيمًا ﴿١٤

And to Allah belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth. He forgives whom He wills and punishes whom He wills. And ever is Allah Forgiving and Merciful. (14) [Qur'an, Al-Fath 48:14]

.. لَئِن شَكَرْتُمْ لَأَزِيدَنَّكُمْ ...

...If you are grateful, I will surely increase you [in favor]; ... [Qur'an, Ibrahim 14:7]

The ultimate aim in life for us all should be, that at the end of the day, after all we suffer and go through in this life, that Allah subhana wa ta’ala be pleased with us on the Day of Judgment. Allah says in the Qur'an,

... وَإِن تَشْكُرُوا۟ يَرْضَهُ لَكُمْ ...

... if you are grateful, He is pleased with you ... [Qur'an, Az-Zumar 39:7]

Gratitude is the soul of worship, the purpose of our creation

Allah says in the Qur'an,

وَمَا خَلَقْتُ ٱلْجِنَّ وَٱلْإِنسَ إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُونِ ﴿٥٦

And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me. (56) [Qur'an, Adh-Dhariyat 51:56]

And then Allah also mentions in another part of the Quran,

وَٱللَّهُ أَخْرَجَكُم مِّنۢ بُطُونِ أُمَّهَـٰتِكُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ شَيْـًٔا وَجَعَلَ لَكُمُ ٱلسَّمْعَ وَٱلْأَبْصَـٰرَ وَٱلْأَفْـِٔدَةَ ۙ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ ﴿٧٨

And Allah has extracted you from the wombs of your mothers not knowing a thing, and He made for you hearing and vision and intellect that perhaps you would be grateful. (78) [Qur'an, An-Nahl 16:78]

In one ayah He says He created us to worship Him, and in another ayah He says He created us so that we might be thankful. Combining the meaning of both ayat it is clear that worship and gratitude are two inseparable entities.

To be truly grateful, we need to worship Allah (do that which He loves and is pleased with), and to truly worship Allah, we need to be grateful. And if we take in the essence of gratitude, worship becomes easier.

May Allah make us of those who are grateful to Him and may Allah increase us in iman and taqwa. Ameen.

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

And Allah knows best and is Most Wise, and He alone grants success, and to Him is the final return of all.

Wassalaam

Missing 'Asr Prayers -- Like Losing Your Family and Wealth

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

Assalaamu alaykum

The two most precious possessions that one has are one's family and money. Most people spend most of their time trying to make as much money as they can to support their families and trying to make them happy.

No doubt, one will be grief-stricken if one lost his family and his wealth. Feel the same way when we miss praying the 'Asr prayer?

It is all so easy to to miss 'Asr prayer, even for the one who prays regularly, if you don't plan your day carefully. Maybe you get stuck in traffic, or resting a little too long when you arrive home after a long day at work/long drive, or maybe you are busy cooking for your family or entertaining your guests, etc.

You work hard trying to make money to support your family and give them the comfort of this life, or you want to make your family happy by cooking their favorite dishes, but it won't do you any good if you missed your 'Asr prayer and having to make it up later.

It is important that we pray all prayers in its time. So plan carefully so you don't miss praying the 'Asr prayer in its time. Maybe pray first at work before you go home perchance you get stuck in traffic or pray first before you get carried away with cooking, etc.

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

Whoever misses the ‘Asr prayer, it is as if he had lost his family and his wealth”

(Bukhari and Muslim)

There are some other hadiths that state this meaning clearly:

Narrated from Ibn-i Burayda that the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

Whoever does not pray the 'Asr prayer until the sunset and abandons it, his deeds of worship become void.

May Allah increase our iman and taqwa and enable us to do deeds that are pleasing to Him. Ameen.

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

And Allah knows best and is Most Wise, and He alone grants success, and to Him is the final return of all.

Wassalaam

Going Back to Our Haven -- Let's Pray

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

Assalaamu alaykum

We are in need and we are poor. Prayer is what Allah bless us with to enrich us. As for Allah, He is free of need of everything which He ever created.

Of the great wonders of prayer is that Allah didn't obliged it upon us on earth. Allah obliged it upon us when the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) was in heaven on the night of the Isra' (the ascension). It is an act whoever stays with it, it becomes his haven which he retreats to throughout his day. It becomes his support and his comfort.

The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "O Bilal! Comfort us with it (call to prayer)." So we can go back to our haven.

Prayer is of the most powerful of spiritual works for he who maintains it throughout his life, whether healthy or sick; traveling or staying at home; studying or having exams; watching kids or entertaining guests; shopping or working; or in cold temperature or hot weather; it will leave its mark on the person.

وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمۡ لِأَمَـٰنَـٰتِهِمۡ وَعَهۡدِهِمۡ رَٲعُونَ (٨) وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمۡ عَلَىٰ صَلَوَٲتِہِمۡ يُحَافِظُونَ (٩) أُوْلَـٰٓٮِٕكَ هُمُ ٱلۡوَٲرِثُونَ (١٠) ٱلَّذِينَ يَرِثُونَ ٱلۡفِرۡدَوۡسَ هُمۡ فِيہَا خَـٰلِدُونَ (١١)

And they who carefully maintain their prayers - (9) Those are the inheritors (10) Who will inherit al-Firdaus. They will abide therein eternally. (11)

[Qur'an A-Mu'minun 23:9-11]

Everyone knows Muslims pray five times a day. This is the basic thing people know about Islam.

The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) was asked, "What is the best of works?" He replied, "Prayer at its times." (Bukhari)

We should then pray five times a day, not two, three or four times a day. Each prayer (fajr, dhuhr, 'asr, maghrib and 'isha) is meant to be prayed in its time, not making up missed prayers everyday. Then you are not praying five times a day, but four or less times a day.

"The five prayers and Friday to Friday are expiation of whatever happens between them, as long as one avoids the major sins." (Muslim)

Of the major sins a person can commit in his life is neglecting the prayer and neglecting the times of the prayer.

The prayer itself is the most powerful of the act of worship in Islam. Suffice us to know that Allah commands us to pray five times a day. It is the most central act of worship to us. We do hajj once in a lifetime to purify ourselves; we fast Ramadhan once a year to purify ourselves but with the prayer, we can't go a day without doing it at least five times. This is to help keep us going towards our Lord. This tells us that we need the prayer. Allah does not need our prayers. Allah ordains upon us to make sure that we keep praying at times which are spread out throughout the day so we keep afloat, keep connected, keep aware of our Lord. Without the prayers we become distant; we become cut off; we become lost.

May Allah grant us steadfastness and bring us closer to Him. Ameen.

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

And Allah knows best and is Most Wise, and He alone grants success, and to Him is the final return of all.

Wassalaam

Let's Read Surah Kahf Today (Friday) -- Crossing the Bridge Over the Hellfire (As-Siraat) with Light and Speed

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

Assalaamu alaykum

Allah Almighty says,

قُلْ إِنَّمَآ أَنَا۠ بَشَرٌ مِّثْلُكُمْ يُوحَىٰٓ إِلَىَّ أَنَّمَآ إِلَـٰهُكُمْ إِلَـٰهٌ وَ‌ٰحِدٌ ۖ فَمَن كَانَ يَرْجُوا۟ لِقَآءَ رَبِّهِۦ فَلْيَعْمَلْ عَمَلًا صَـٰلِحًا وَلَا يُشْرِكْ بِعِبَادَةِ رَبِّهِۦٓ أَحَدًۢا ﴿١١٠

Say (O Muhammad), "I am only a man like you, to whom has been revealed that your god is one God. So whoever would hope for the meeting with his Lord - let him do righteous work and not associate in the worship of his Lord anyone." (110)

[Qur'an, Al-Kahf 18:110]

Did you know everything which is familiar to you now will change one day? Your house, your car, your city, your family, your friends. You will look around and witness a breath-taking scene. The laws of physics will not work anymore. Welcome to… The Day of Judgment. The universe is now not relevant anymore. Everything you once had, it’s gone. All focus now is on 3 things: Paradise, the Hellfire, the Bridge.

Allah Almighty will wrap the universe in His Hands. Stop for a moment. Can you imagine this? All that matters now is that Paradise is there and Hellfire is there and a bridge will be brought over the Hellfire. It is called: as-Siraat.

Your fuel on that bridge? Your fuel is your righteous deeds. When you are out of deeds you will be stuck there with all those hooks trying to grab you. It’s time to think now, what do you need this day when you have to cross the Siraat?

وَمَنْ أَعْرَضَ عَن ذِكْرِى فَإِنَّ لَهُۥ مَعِيشَةً ضَنكًا وَنَحْشُرُهُۥ يَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ أَعْمَىٰ ﴿١٢٤﴾ قَالَ رَبِّ لِمَ حَشَرْتَنِىٓ أَعْمَىٰ وَقَدْ كُنتُ بَصِيرًا ﴿١٢٥

And whoever turns away from My remembrance - indeed, he will have a depressed life, and We will gather him on the Day of Resurrection blind." (124) He will say, "My Lord, why have you raised me blind while I was [once] seeing?" (125) [Qur'an, Ta-Ha 20:124-125]

Imagine if you can’t see and you have to cross the bridge. But that’s not it. The sun and the moon will be joined and they will lose their light. So it will be pitch dark. You need two things to cross:

Light so you can see and speed so you can cross. Both of them are related to your deeds.

You need light and speed.

The more good deeds, the more light (nur) you will have. Some people will have a mountain of light in front of them; other’s light will go on and off, because their deeds in this life were weak. Remember the bridge is a challenge in itself and not being able to see won’t make it easier. So let’s collect as much light and speed now we can while we are still on this earth.

Friday is a special day for us Muslims where we can collect light that can help us cross the siraat inshaa Allah.

The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: “Whoever recites Suratul-Kahf every Jumu’ah, it will be for him a light from his distance to Makkah.”

So, read Surah Kahf today and put this in your weekly schedule.

The Prophet on the bridge: True love

Who is the first to cross the Siraat? It is the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace). Then he turns around and looks out for you and me, his Ummah. And he will stand there and make du'a for us: ‘Allahumma sallim’ (O Allah! Protect them!). After all his hardships in life, he can now just leave it all behind and walk straight through the Gates of Jannah. And be happy forever. But he doesn’t. He thinks about you. SubhanAllah.

And what do we do in this life? We do everything except following His Sunnah. When ask to read the Qur'an, we have so many excuses.

Let’s ask ourselves after seeing the love of the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) at the moment we need it most: How do we show our love for the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace)? By following his Sunnah. This is how we amass light in this world to guide us in the Hereafter.

Focus and amass as much light as possible in this world.
And remember, good deeds = light + speed.

Be of the fast and the righteous.

May Allah resurrect us with His beloved Messenger (Allah bless him and grant him peace) and enter us into the highest Paradise with him without reckoning. Ameen.

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

And Allah knows best and is Most Wise, and He alone grants success, and to Him is the final return of all.

Wassalaam

Are They Your Friends or Foes in the Day of Judgment?

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

Assalaamu alaykum

Friendship can either be so beautiful that it helps you towards Jannah or so ugly that it can pull you both into the fire together.

ٱلْأَخِلَّآءُ يَوْمَئِذٍۭ بَعْضُهُمْ لِبَعْضٍ عَدُوٌّ إِلَّا ٱلْمُتَّقِينَ ﴿٦٧

Friends on that Day will be enemies one to another, except al-Muttaqoon (i.e. those who have Taqwah). [Quran, Az-Zukhruf 43:67]

In our journey towards the hereafter we need good companions. The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: A person is likely to follow the faith of his friend, so look whom you befriend.

وَيَوْمَ يَعَضُّ ٱلظَّالِمُ عَلَىٰ يَدَيْهِ يَقُولُ يَـٰلَيْتَنِى ٱتَّخَذْتُ مَعَ ٱلرَّسُولِ سَبِيلًا ﴿٢٧﴾ يَـٰوَيْلَتَىٰ لَيْتَنِى لَمْ أَتَّخِذْ فُلَانًا خَلِيلًا ﴿٢٨﴾ لَّقَدْ أَضَلَّنِى عَنِ ٱلذِّكْرِ بَعْدَ إِذْ جَآءَنِى ۗ وَكَانَ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنُ لِلْإِنسَـٰنِ خَذُولًا ﴿٢٩

And (remember) the Day when the wrong-doer will bite his hands and say: Woe to me! Would that I had taken a path with the Messenger. Woe to me! If only I had not taken so- and-so as a friend! He has led me astray from this Reminder (the Qur’an) after it had come to me. And Satan is ever a deserter to man in the hour of need.

[Qur’an, Al-Furqan 25:27-29]

Two who are friends for Allah’s sake; one of them dies and is given good news that he will be granted al-Jannah, so he remembered his friend and he supplicated for him, saying: ‘O Allah, my friend used to command me to obey You and to obey Your Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) and used to command me to do good and to forbid me from doing evil. And he told me that I will meet You. O Allah, do not let him go astray after me, until you show him what you have just shown me, until You are satisfied with him, just like You are satisfied with me.’ So he is told: ‘Had you known what is (written) for you friend, would you have laughed a lot and cried a little.’ Then his friend dies and their souls are gathered, and both are asked to express their opinions about each other. So each one of them says to his friend: ‘You were the best brother, the best companion and the best friend.’

And when one of the two disbelieving friends dies, and he is given tidings of Hellfire, he remembered his friend and he said: ‘O Allah, my friend used to order me to disobey You and disobey Your Prophet, and commanded me to do evil, and forbade me from doing good, and told me that I would not meet You. O Allah, do not guide him after me, until you show him what you have just shown me and until you are dissatisfied with him just like You are dissatisfied with me.’ Then the other disbelieving friend dies, and their souls are gathered, and both are asked to give their opinions about each other. So each one says to his friend: ‘You were the worst brother, the worst companion and the worst friend.

[Ibn Katheer]

This is how important friendship is in Islam.

One of the salaf (pious predecessors) said: “If Allah intends good for His servants, He grants them righteous companions.”

With all the trials around us, choosing the right friends is crucial for keeping our religion. When the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) was sent with the Message to establish Islam he did not do it on his own. Allah, All Wise, chose for him companions who accompanied him and who carried the Message until it was complete.

Who Are Your friends?

Looking at your friends now, do you think they’re going to help you achieve the purpose of your life, or will they take you away from it? Do they want Allah’s pleasure or is this completely unimportant to them? And what about yourself— what kind of friend are you?

Productive Friends, Productive You

Part of being productive in your life is having productive friends around you. Below are some things to help you take a critical look into how you and your friends are when you are together. Ask yourself if when you’re with this friend, you:

Backbite comfortably and laugh at others together, be it a passerby or someone who’s being discussed

Call each other “funny names” with bad or derogatory language

Start a conversation with “Hi” instead of “Salaam” and immediately start talking about others

Hardly ever mention or discuss Allah, the Quran, or a Hadith in the time spent together
Get involved in activities that delay or do away with the salaah (have never prayed any salaah together)

Support each other in fulfilling every desire – for example buying anything in fashion even if you don’t need it

Discuss unimportant things and events in the smallest detail, like the latest party you went to, a film, or clothes

Never point out each other’s faults politely, and if others have an argument not being bothered to bring them together but only fire up the argument

The Beauty of Loving For Allah’s Sake

Love for the sake of Allah is the noblest and purest form of love between human beings. I can’t help reminding myself and you of this beautiful hadith. The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said, The example of the Believers, in their mutual love and mercy is like the example of a body, if one part feels pain, then all of the body suffers in sleeplessness and fever.

How can you be a real friend?

Some ways you and your friend can be true friends when together:

1. Leave each other’s company with a higher level of imaan (faith in Allah) and start the conversation with the Islamic greeting “As-Salaamu Alaykum”

2. Almost always mention Allah, the Qur’an, or Hadith in some context or the other, in your conversations.

3. Strengthen each other’s belief in the hereafter. Give each other more du'as (well wishes) than material gifts. And pray for your friends in their absence. The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace)said: The quickest prayer to be answered is a man’s supplication for his brother in his absence.

4. Attend Islamic study-circles together and never waste each other’s time in useless activities. Never invite the other to a place or gathering of sin

5. Politely point out and reform each other’s mistakes or bad habits in the best way possible.

6. Become uninterested and change the subject if the other starts to say something that is impermissible (like backbiting)

7. Always discourage the other if they plan to do something wrong and always encourage the other if they intend to do a good deed that they’re hesitant to do.

8. Address each other in a respectful and loving manner. Forgive each other’s faults and shortcomings, and hide them from others.

Hamdoon al-Qassaar said, If one of your brothers commits an error, then seek ninety excuses for him, and if not, then you are the blameworthy one.

And the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: No two people who love one another for the sake of Allah , or for the sake of Islam, will let the first minor offense of either of them come between them.

9. Don’t envy the signs of Allah’s bounty upon them. Rather be happy for them and praise Allah as if these bounties where upon you. Or do they envy men for what Allah has given them from His bounty. [Surah An-Nisa]

10. Don’t break your promises. The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said, The signs of the hypocrite are three: When he speaks he lies, when he makes a promise he breaks it and when he is entrusted he acts deceptively.

11. Don’t hold grudges. The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: The doors of Paradise are opened on Monday and Thursday, and every servant who does not associate anything with Allah will be forgiven, except for the man who bears a grudge against his brother. It will be said, `Wait for these two until they reconcile, wait for these two until they reconcile, wait for these two until they reconcile.’

Mu'adh (bin Jabal) (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:
Messenger of Allah (ﷺAllah bless him and grant him peace) held my hand and said, "O Mu'adh, By Allah, I love you and advise you not to miss supplicating after every Salat (prayer) saying: 'Allahumma a'inni 'ala dhikrika wa shukrika, wa husni 'ibadatika,' (O Allah, help me remember You, expressing gratitude to You and worship You in the best manner)".

[Abu Dawud and An- Nasa'i].

اللهم أعني على ذكرك وشكرك، وحسن عبادتك‏

May Allah make us of the righteous and give us companions that will take us away from His punishment and lead us to His pleasure and the highest chambers in Paradise. Ameen.

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

And Allah knows best and is Most Wise, and He alone grants success, and to Him is the final return of all.

Wassalaam

Make Life Pleasant -- Make The Qur'an Your Companion

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

Assalaamu alaykum

Allah Most High says,

ٱقْرَأْ بِٱسْمِ رَبِّكَ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَ ﴿١﴾ خَلَقَ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ مِنْ عَلَقٍ ﴿٢﴾ ٱقْرَأْ وَرَبُّكَ ٱلْأَكْرَمُ ﴿٣﴾ ٱلَّذِى عَلَّمَ بِٱلْقَلَمِ ﴿٤﴾ عَلَّمَ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ مَا لَمْ يَعْلَمْ ﴿٥

Recite in the name of your Lord who created - (1) Created man from a clinging substance. (2) Recite, and your Lord is the most Generous - (3) Who taught by the pen - (4) Taught man that which he knew not. (5)

[Qur'an, Al-Alaq 96:1-5]

It’s our duty as Muslims to learn Arabic and to understand the true meaning of the words in the Quran. Arabic is a vast and deep language in the Quran, and each word has its own essence; their original meaning can conquer hearts if we only strive to understand. Otherwise we will be just like those Muslims who do not know what the Lord wants from them.

The Quran effects hearts according to the condition of iman (faith). If there is strong iman in a heart one can understand more as compared to a Muslim who has weak iman.

Abu Musa quoted that the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace), "the guidance and knowledge with which Allah has sent me are like abundant rain which fell on a land. A fertile part of it absorbed the water and brought forth profuse herbage and pasture; and solid ground patches which retained the water by which Allah has benefited people, who drank from it, irrigated their crops and sowed their seeds; and another sandy plane which could neither retain the water nor produce herbage. Such is the similitude of the person who becomes well-versed in the religion of Allah and receives benefit from the Message entrusted to me by Allah, so he himself has learned and taught it to others; such is also the similitude of the person who has stubbornly and ignorantly rejected Allah’s Guidance with which I have been sent." [Bukhari]

May Allah bring us closer to Him and grant us sound understanding of His Book and religion. Ameen.

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

And Allah knows best and is Most Wise, and He alone grants success, and to Him is the final return of all.

Wassalaam

Have You Hugged Your Mother Lately?

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

Assalaamu alaykum

Muslims know that Allah has commanded children, not just be kind to their parents but to excellent to their parents. Honoring parents is a form of worship if the intention is to please the Almighty.

وَوَصَّيْنَا ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ بِوَٰلِدَيْهِ حَمَلَتْهُ أُمُّهُۥ وَهْنًا عَلَىٰ وَهْنٍ وَفِصَـٰلُهُۥ فِى عَامَيْنِ أَنِ ٱشْكُرْ لِى وَلِوَٰلِدَيْكَ إِلَىَّ ٱلْمَصِيرُ ﴿١٤

And We have enjoined on man (to be dutiful and good) to his parents. His mother bore him in weakness and hardship upon weakness and hardship, and his weaning is in two years — give thanks to Me and to your parents, unto Me is the final destination. (14)

[Qur'an, Luqman 31:14]

وَوَصَّيْنَا ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ بِوَٰلِدَيْهِ إِحْسَـٰنًا ۖ حَمَلَتْهُ أُمُّهُۥ كُرْهًا وَوَضَعَتْهُ كُرْهًا ۖ وَحَمْلُهُۥ وَفِصَـٰلُهُۥ ثَلَـٰثُونَ شَهْرًا ۚ حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا بَلَغَ أَشُدَّهُۥ وَبَلَغَ أَرْبَعِينَ سَنَةً قَالَ رَبِّ أَوْزِعْنِىٓ أَنْ أَشْكُرَ نِعْمَتَكَ ٱلَّتِىٓ أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَىَّ وَعَلَىٰ وَٰلِدَىَّ وَأَنْ أَعْمَلَ صَـٰلِحًا تَرْضَىٰهُ وَأَصْلِحْ لِى فِى ذُرِّيَّتِىٓ ۖ إِنِّى تُبْتُ إِلَيْكَ وَإِنِّى مِنَ ٱلْمُسْلِمِينَ ﴿١٥

And We have enjoined on man to be dutiful and kind to his parents. His mother bears him with hardship And she brings him forth with hardship, and the bearing of him, and the weaning of him is thirty months, till when he attains full strength and reaches forty years, he says: "My Lord! Grant me the power and ability that I may be grateful for Your Favor which You have bestowed upon me and upon my parents, and that I may do righteous good deeds, such as please You, and make my off-spring good. Truly, I have turned to You in repentance, and truly, I am one of the Muslims (submitting to Your Will)." (15)

[Qur'an, Al-Ahqaf 46:15]

وَقَضَىٰ رَبُّكَ أَلَّا تَعْبُدُوٓا۟ إِلَّآ إِيَّاهُ وَبِٱلْوَٰلِدَيْنِ إِحْسَـٰنًا ۚ إِمَّا يَبْلُغَنَّ عِندَكَ ٱلْكِبَرَ أَحَدُهُمَآ أَوْ كِلَاهُمَا فَلَا تَقُل لَّهُمَآ أُفٍّۢ وَلَا تَنْهَرْهُمَا وَقُل لَّهُمَا قَوْلًا كَرِيمًا ﴿٢٣

And your Lord has decreed that you not worship except Him, and to parents, excellent treatment. Whether one or both of them reach old age [while] with you, say not to them [so much as], "uff," and do not repel them but speak to them a noble word. (23)

[Qur'an, Al-Isra' 17:23]

It is recorded on authority of Ibn Majah that a man asked the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace), “What rights the parents had on their children.” The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) answered, “Both are your Paradise and your Hell.” [Ibn Majah]

So we should always keep in mind that obedience to parents and their service with love, compassion and due courtesy shall be the cause of entry of the person to Paradise: and the disobedience of parents and affliction of distress on them will lead the person to Hell. May Allah protect us from Hell.

Abdullah ibn Omar (may Allah be pleased with both father and son) relates that the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: “Allah’s pleasure and approval are in the pleasure and approval of the parents, and Allah’s anger lies in the displeasure of the parents”. [Tirmidhi]

The best source of earning Allah’s mercy is to seek the pleasure of one’s parents. Allah’s mercy is obviously the best blessing, and disobedience of parents and their displeasure deprives the person of earning Allah’s mercy. May Allah enable us to take care of our parents in order to earn His mercy.

Service to parents is obligatory at every age, particularly so when they grow old and become dependent for most of their normal needs. The Gracious All-Mighty is really much pleased with an individual who takes special care of his/her old parents. If however, an individual doesn’t bother to care for the old parents, he/she is certainly most unlucky to have opted for eternal condemnation in torturous Hell.

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) tells us that on one occasion the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) remarked in a trance: Let him be humbled into dust; let him be humbled into dust. It was said: Allah's Messenger, who is he? He said: He who sees either of his parents during their old age or he sees both of them, but he does not enter Paradise.

عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏"‏ رَغِمَ أَنْفُ ثُمَّ رَغِمَ أَنْفُ ثُمَّ رَغِمَ أَنْفُ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قِيلَ مَنْ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ ‏"‏ مَنْ أَدْرَكَ أَبَوَيْهِ عِنْدَ الْكِبَرِ أَحَدَهُمَا أَوْ كِلَيْهِمَا فَلَمْ يَدْخُلِ الْجَنَّةَ ‏"‏

[Muslim]

Mother has precedence over father.

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said that a man asked the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) “Who had the most priority to good treatment?” The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) replied, “Your mother.” The man asked, “And next to the mother?” The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said, “Your mother.” “And next again?” asked the man. “Your mother”, replied the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) once more. “And next”, the man persisted. “Your father”, the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) answered. [Agreed upon]

A study by University of North Carolina researchers found that hugs increase the "bonding" hormone oxytocin and decrease the risk of heart disease. The importance of oxytocin and its potentially cardioprotective effects is greater for women. Allah knows best.

So, have you hugged your mother today? If not, go and hug her now. If your mother is far away, call her now, and say "I love you Mom." If you haven't said this to her since grade school, it is the more reason you should revive that speech. Keep in touch with her. The technology has made it very easy to do this ... use it to earn you Paradise. She will be pleased.

If your mother is deceased, call her sister(s) and chat with her. You will make her (them) very happy. Bringing happiness to the heart of others, the angels will keep you company when you are alone in your grave.

Al-Bara bin Azib (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: I heard the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) saying: “A mother’s sister is equivalent to (real) mother (in status).” [At-Tirmidhi]

Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with both father and son) reports that a man came to the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) and said, “I have committed a very great sin and I wonder if it can be forgiven”. The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) asked, “Have you a mother?” The man answered that he had lost his mother. “Then, is her sister alive?” Asked the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) “She is.” The man said. “Then go and treat her well”, the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) advised. [Tirmidhi]

Respectful treatment and service to your parents shall be immediately responded by similar treatment with you by your children; and unadulterated pious personal conduct fetches faithfulness and sincerity among your family women.

Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) states that the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said, “Serve your parents with respect; your children shall also serve you with regard. Remain pious in your conduct, your women shall remain faithful to you”.

May Allah enable us to be obedient to Him and be dutiful and provide excellent treatment to our parents. Ameen

Our Lord, forgive me and my parents, and the believers, upon the day when the reckoning shall come to pass.

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

And Allah knows best and is Most Wise, and He alone grants success, and to Him is the final return of all.

Wassalaam

Love to Learn, Love to Teach, Learn to Love

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

Assalaamu alaykum

It is our duty, as Muslims, to learn while breath still fills our lungs and our brains are capable of thought.

As parents we are blessed to witness the miracle of learning and are responsible for fostering a love of learning in our children. As teachers we are gifted with spiritual and secular knowledge of the world: Quran and Sunnah, language or culture, science or mathematics, anatomy or psychology.

The great challenge we face is inspiring children to love learning more than the amusements and distractions of this life, in order to prepare them for something greater in the next. Teaching a child how to think for themselves, how to follow their dreams, and how to use their creative abilities to teach others are all necessary ingredients of a strong ummah.

All of our experiences and memories, whatever they may be, help mold our adult selves.

If your mother can teach you to love cooking fulfilling meals for the family and your father can teach you a strong, positive work ethic, how can positive memories of learning language in youth not encourage children to love language as adults?

Overcoming Learning Obstacles

As we grow into different cultures over the vast expanse of many lands, our birth language is less likely to be Arabic, and since children learn most from their parents, it is vital that parents take the necessary steps to teach or have a child taught.

إِنَّآ أَنزَلْنَـٰهُ قُرْءَ‌ٰنًا عَرَبِيًّا لَّعَلَّكُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ

Verily, We have sent it down as an Arabic Quran in order that you may understand.

[Quran, Yusuf 12:2]

It is much easier nowadays to read a translation of Quran rather than facing the “burden” of learning Arabic as an adult when the task seems difficult or impossible. If parents feel burdened to learn the language of the most important Book of our lives, how can they expect their children to feel?

If you are a parent, make du'a that learning will be easy for you so that you may teach your child and seek resources to help you and your child learn. If you are a teacher, encourage parents to take part in the learning process and help them find resources that will ease their difficulty. It is through learning that we are empowered to teach and in teaching lies immense blessing.

The Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) says, “The best amongst you is the one who learns the Quran and teaches it.” [Bukhari]

Embracing Learning Differences

Some children learn faster than others, and some teachers inspire one child more than another. The important task of teaching is to understand each individual child’s needs, interests, and learning styles. By doing so, we cater specifically to the needs of that child and enhance the learning process.

Children who are visual learners benefit from pictures and images while those who are aural learners get the most from sound. Verbal learners pick up concepts faster when using verbal instruction and practice repetition, as opposed to physical learners who must touch and feel to fully understand.

Individual students also have varying social and solitary needs, so a teacher must be able to recognize when a child feels isolated or is overstimulated, providing for them a healthy environment for learning based on those needs.

Providing children with ample opportunity to learn in a variety of ways will prove a strong foundation for grasping difficult concepts so that they may continue building a sturdy structure with education. Use videos and books, pictures and plays, be creative and be surprised at how much students appreciate the challenges and grow from them. Don’t be afraid to try something new! It may or may not be successful, but by not taking a chance you may miss out on a great learning experience.

The Parent, Teacher, and Curriculum Connection

Schools have grown immensely over the years and there is an abundance of language learning materials spread far and wide. But even with the best of curriculum, a teacher who lacks passion and enthusiasm cannot expect a child to be inspired to learn. Even the best of teachers face difficulty when parents take no interest or initiative in their child’s study and do not fully appreciate the unique accomplishments of that child.

A Quranic Arabic curriculum should provide students with the chance to hear, see, write, think, learn, and understand. A program that follows these standards will encourage a love for learning. Provide students with opportunity to practice in the classroom and at home. Give them a clearly defined goal that reaches just beyond what they may be capable of. Reward them with kindness and appreciation, a job well done, and a chance to showcase their new abilities.

Teachers should love what they do every day despite the challenges and frustrations that are bound to arise. Enthusiastic and kind teachers will open students up for learning. Harsh rules, unkind words, and lack of enthusiasm can create bad memories and bitterness in a child.

Conversely, lenient teachers who do not work hard to understand student needs or who fail to gently push each one to be their best may create mental road blocks, and stubbornness, and lack of motivation. As with all things, moderation is best.

Parental involvement holds the key to unlocking student success. If parents show no interest in what their child is learning, that child will probably do poorly or misbehave and have low self esteem. Parents must be encouraged to be involved in school and outside of school. Parents and teachers must communicate for success. Student showcases are a great way to honor achievement, and parent-teacher meetings are the perfect place to discuss a child's strengths and weaknesses.

The best lesson can be learned from the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), who had the most difficult task of all. Being unable to read or write, the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) was able to convey the message of Allah Most High, truly a miracle and a blessing for all who seek knowledge.

رَّبِّ زِدْنِى عِلْمًا

...My Lord, increase me in knowledge. [Quran, Ta-Ha 20:114]

We must strive to be the best Muslims, students, parents, and teachers, and Allah Most High knows best our capabilities and intentions. Through life we are all students and teachers at different levels and all ages. As much as we push our children to learn, we also should take care to learn from their eagerness and motivation. No matter what you teach, may Allah Most High bless your efforts and make them fruitful.

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

And Allah knows best and is Most Wise, and He alone grants success, and to Him is the final return of all.

Wassalaam

What Made Aisha Laugh?

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

Assalaamu alaykum

Out of the wives of the Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, two have received prominence above the others. The first was Khadijah (radhi Allahu anha), and the second was 'Aisha (radhi Allahu anha). Aisha was the most beloved person of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam).

The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) sent `Amr bin Al As as the commander of the troops of Dhat-us-Salasil. `Amr bin Al- `As said, "(On my return) I came to the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam)) and said, 'Which people do you love most?' He replied, 'Aisha.' I said, 'From amongst the men?' He replied, 'Her father (Abu Bakr)'. I said, 'Whom (do you love) next?' He replied, "`Umar.' Then he counted the names of many men, and I became silent for fear that he might regard me as the last of them."

قَالَ فَأَتَيْتُهُ فَقُلْتُ أَىُّ النَّاسِ أَحَبُّ إِلَيْكَ قَالَ ‏"‏ عَائِشَةُ ‏"‏‏.‏ قُلْتُ مِنَ الرِّجَالِ قَالَ ‏"‏ أَبُوهَا ‏"‏‏.‏ قُلْتُ ثُمَّ مَنْ قَالَ ‏"‏ عُمَرُ ‏"‏‏.‏ فَعَدَّ رِجَالاً فَسَكَتُّ مَخَافَةَ أَنْ يَجْعَلَنِي فِي آخِرِهِمْ‏.‏

[Bukhari]

'Aisha (radhi Allahu anha) narrated a beautiful moment from the life of the Messenger (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam).

She tells us, “On one occasion the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) came to me with a cheerful face. I said, “O Messenger of Allah, supplicate to Allah for me.”

So the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said, “O Allah, forgive 'Aisha for her past and future sins in secret and in public.”

Elated, 'Aisha (radhi Allahu anha) was overcome with joyous laughter. She continues by saying, “I laughed so much that my head fell into the lap of the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) out of joy! The Messenger (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said to me: “Does my supplication make you happy?”

She said, “Why would your supplication not make me happy?” The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said, “By Allah, it is my supplication for my nation in every prayer.”

عَنْ عَائِشَةَ أَنَّهَا قَالَتْ لَمَّا رَأَيْتُ مِنَ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ طِيبَ نَفْسٍ قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ادْعُ اللَّهَ لِي فَقَالَ اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِعَائِشَةَ مَا تَقَدَّمَ مِنْ ذَنَبِهَا وَمَا تَأَخَّرَ مَا أَسَرَّتْ وَمَا أَعْلَنَتْ فَضَحِكَتْ عَائِشَةُ حَتَّى سَقَطَ رَأْسُهَا فِي حِجْرِهَا مِنَ الضَّحِكِ قَالَ لَهَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَيَسُرُّكِ دُعَائِي فَقَالَتْ وَمَا لِي لا يَسُرُّنِي دُعَاؤُكَ فَقَالَ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَاللَّهِ إِنَّهَا لَدُعَائِي لأُمَّتِي فِي كُلِّ صَلاةٍ

[Ibn Hibban]

May Allah increase our love for His beloved Messenger (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), his family and companions. Ameen.

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

And Allah knows best and is Most Wise, and He alone grants success, and to Him is the final return of all.

Wassalaam

The People of Intellect (Ulul Albab)

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

Assalaamu alaykum

The Qur'an is to guide us, counsel us, advice us, and a powerful reminder for those who have sound minds, i.e. those people who are wise enough to understand and benefit from that reminder.

The Qur'an mentions several special groups of people. If you’re among a special group, you’re worthy of a special award, a special mercy bestowed by Allah, Exalted is He. One of these groups of people is what the Qur'an terms as Ulul Albab (أُو۟لُوا۟ ٱلْأَلْبَـٰبِ) or the People of Intellect.

Who are the Ulul Albab?

Allah has given each one of us a brain, and let us use it in any way we want. Ulul Albab are the people who not only have a brain, but are gifted in knowing how to put it to its correct use. They don’t need to have the signs of Qur'an drilled into them by constant repetition. All they need is to look at the sky– and they can read in its vastness, its seamless beauty, the presence of One God who is Merciful, the Best Creator, the One who is Beautiful and loves beauty, the Subtle.

إِنَّ فِى خَلْقِ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَ‌ٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْ‌ضِ وَٱخْتِلَـٰفِ ٱلَّيْلِ وَٱلنَّهَارِ‌ لَءَايَـٰتٍ لِّأُو۟لِى ٱلْأَلْبَـٰبِ ﴿١٩٠

Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of the night and the day are signs for Ulul Albab. [

Qur'an, AleImarn 3:190]

The qualities of Ulul Albab

1- The ayat (signs) of Allah, whether natural (the sky, trees, mountains, flowers) or revealed (the Taurat, the Injeel, and the Qur'an) penetrate into their hearts very easily:

كِتَـٰبٌ أَنزَلْنَـٰهُ إِلَيْكَ مُبَـٰرَ‌كٌ لِّيَدَّبَّرُ‌وٓا۟ ءَايَـٰتِهِۦ وَلِيَتَذَكَّرَ‌ أُو۟لُوا۟ ٱلْأَلْبَـٰبِ ﴿٢٩

[This is] a blessed Book which We have revealed to you, [O Muhammad], that they might reflect upon its verses and that those of understanding would be reminded.

[Qur'an, Sad 38:29]

And as a result, they automatically develop the love for natural beauty, and for the beauty of Revelation.

2- They remember Allah at all times, and are aware of His constant presence in their lives.

ٱلَّذِينَ يَذْكُرُ‌ونَ ٱللَّهَ قِيَـٰمًا وَقُعُودًا وَعَلَىٰ جُنُوبِهِمْ وَيَتَفَكَّرُ‌ونَ فِى خَلْقِ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَ‌ٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْ‌ضِ

... Who remember Allah while standing or sitting or [lying] on their sides ...

[Qur'an, AleImran 3:191]

3- They pray to Allah. The Qur'an specifically mentions the following du'as:

رَ‌بَّنَا مَا خَلَقْتَ هَـٰذَا بَـٰطِلًا سُبْحَـٰنَكَ فَقِنَا عَذَابَ ٱلنَّارِ‌

...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)

رَ‌بَّنَآ إِنَّكَ مَن تُدْخِلِ ٱلنَّارَ‌ فَقَدْ أَخْزَيْتَهُۥ ۖ وَمَا لِلظَّـٰلِمِينَ مِنْ أَنصَارٍ‌ۢ

Our Lord, indeed whoever You admit to the Fire - You have disgraced him, and for the wrongdoers there are no helpers. (192)

رَّ‌بَّنَآ إِنَّنَا سَمِعْنَا مُنَادِيًا يُنَادِى لِلْإِيمَـٰنِ أَنْ ءَامِنُوا۟ بِرَ‌بِّكُمْ فَـَٔامَنَّا ۚ رَ‌بَّنَا فَٱغْفِرْ‌ لَنَا ذُنُوبَنَا وَكَفِّرْ‌ عَنَّا سَيِّـَٔاتِنَا وَتَوَفَّنَا مَعَ ٱلْأَبْرَ‌ارِ‌

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)

رَ‌بَّنَا وَءَاتِنَا مَا وَعَدتَّنَا عَلَىٰ رُ‌سُلِكَ وَلَا تُخْزِنَا يَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ ۗ إِنَّكَ لَا تُخْلِفُ ٱلْمِيعَادَ

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)

[Qur'an, AleImran 3:191-194]

رَ‌بَّنَا لَا تُزِغْ قُلُوبَنَا بَعْدَ إِذْ هَدَيْتَنَا وَهَبْ لَنَا مِن لَّدُنكَ رَ‌حْمَةً ۚ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ ٱلْوَهَّابُ ﴿٨﴾ رَ‌بَّنَآ إِنَّكَ جَامِعُ ٱلنَّاسِ لِيَوْمٍ لَّا رَ‌يْبَ فِيهِ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يُخْلِفُ ٱلْمِيعَادَ ﴿٩

Our Lord, let not our hearts deviate after You have guided us and grant us from Yourself mercy. Indeed, You are the Bestower. Our Lord, surely You will gather the people for a Day about which there is no doubt. Indeed, Allah does not fail in His promise.

[Qur'an, AleImran 3:8-9]

4- They are wise.

يُؤْتِى ٱلْحِكْمَةَ مَن يَشَآءُ ۚ وَمَن يُؤْتَ ٱلْحِكْمَةَ فَقَدْ أُوتِىَ خَيْرً‌ۭا كَثِيرً‌ۭا ۗ وَمَا يَذَّكَّرُ‌ إِلَّآ أُو۟لُوا۟ ٱلْأَلْبَـٰبِ ﴿٢٦٩

He gives wisdom to whom He wills, and whoever has been given wisdom has certainly been given much good. And none will remember except those of understanding.

[Qur'an, Al-Baqarah 2:269]

5- They fulfill their obligations to Allah in an excellent manner

أَفَمَن يَعْلَمُ أَنَّمَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكَ مِن رَّ‌بِّكَ ٱلْحَقُّ كَمَنْ هُوَ أَعْمَىٰٓ ۚ إِنَّمَا يَتَذَكَّرُ‌ أُو۟لُوا۟ ٱلْأَلْبَـٰبِ ﴿١٩﴾ ٱلَّذِينَ يُوفُونَ بِعَهْدِ ٱللَّهِ وَلَا يَنقُضُونَ ٱلْمِيثَـٰقَ ﴿٢٠﴾ وَٱلَّذِينَ يَصِلُونَ مَآ أَمَرَ‌ ٱللَّهُ بِهِۦٓ أَن يُوصَلَ وَيَخْشَوْنَ رَ‌بَّهُمْ وَيَخَافُونَ سُوٓءَ ٱلْحِسَابِ ﴿٢١﴾ وَٱلَّذِينَ صَبَرُ‌وا۟ ٱبْتِغَآءَ وَجْهِ رَ‌بِّهِمْ وَأَقَامُوا۟ ٱلصَّلَو‌ٰةَ وَأَنفَقُوا۟ مِمَّا رَ‌زَقْنَـٰهُمْ سِرًّ‌ۭا وَعَلَانِيَةً وَيَدْرَ‌ءُونَ بِٱلْحَسَنَةِ ٱلسَّيِّئَةَ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ لَهُمْ عُقْبَى ٱلدَّارِ‌ ﴿٢٢

Then is he who knows that what has been revealed to you from your Lord is the truth like one who is blind? They will only be reminded who are people of understanding - (19) Those who fulfill the covenant of Allah and do not break the contract, (20) And those who join that which Allah has ordered to be joined and fear their Lord and are afraid of the evil of [their] account, (21) And those who are patient, seeking the countenance of their Lord, and establish prayer and spend from what We have provided for them secretly and publicly and prevent evil with good - those will have the good consequence of [this] home - (22)

Qur'an, Ar-Ra'd 13:20-22]

6- They are extremely afraid of the Hellfire

7- They remain patient in difficult situations in order to make Allah pleased with them.

And those who are patient, seeking the countenance of their Lord... [Qur'an, Ar-Ra'd 13:22]

8- They don’t nurture the attitude of retaliation. Rather they forgive others and reciprocate evil with good.

... and prevent evil with good... [Qur'an, AleImran 13:22]

The reward of the Ulul Albab

The special award of these people is nothing less than Jannah, where they will live eternally with the righteous ones from their family– their parents, spouses, and children. And when they will be entering into their eternal homes, the gatekeeper angels will say to them:

سَلَـٰمٌ عَلَيْكُم بِمَا صَبَرْ‌تُمْ ۚ فَنِعْمَ عُقْبَى ٱلدَّارِ‌ ﴿٢٤

Peace be upon you for what you patiently endured. And excellent is the final home.

[Qur'an, Ar-Ra'd 13: 24]

May Allah grant us the qualities of the Ulul Albab and grant us His love and deeds that please Him. Ameen.

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

And Allah knows best and is Most Wise, and He alone grants success, and to Him is the final return of all.

Wassalaam