Celebrating Eid al-Adha -- Reflect on the Trials of Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) in Our Lives

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

Assalaamu alaykum

At the end of the hajj (annual pilgrimage to Makkah), Muslims throughout the world celebrate Eid al-Adha (Festival of Sacrifice). This Eid must be so important that the entire ummah needs a review of the legacy of our father Ibrahim (peace be upon him).

The Quran describes Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) as follows:

إِنَّ إِبْرَ‌ٰهِيمَ كَانَ أُمَّةً قَانِتًا لِّلَّهِ حَنِيفًا وَلَمْ يَكُ مِنَ ٱلْمُشْرِكِينَ ﴿١٢٠﴾ شَاكِرًا لِّأَنْعُمِهِ ۚ ٱجْتَبَىٰهُ وَهَدَىٰهُ إِلَىٰ صِرَ‌ٰطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ ﴿١٢١﴾ وَءَاتَيْنَـٰهُ فِى ٱلدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً ۖ وَإِنَّهُۥ فِى ٱلْءَاخِرَةِ لَمِنَ ٱلصَّـٰلِحِينَ ﴿١٢٢

Indeed, Ibrahim was a [comprehensive] leader, devoutly obedient to Allah, inclining toward truth, and he was not of those who associate others with Allah. (120) [He was] grateful for His favors. Allah chose him and guided him to a straight path. (121) And We gave him good in this world, and indeed, in the Hereafter he will be among the righteous. (122) [Quran An-Nahl 16:120-122]

Allah tested Prophet Ibrahim with all kinds of tests like nobody else was ever given and he was able to fulfilled all of those challenges. What do those challenges means for you and me? They are not just to remind us about how great he was but what that means for us today and our lives this year.

As a young man, Ibrahim stood up and challenged everything the society accepted. The fragile self esteem of young people, instead of standing on their own feet, they rather hide inside the crowd. They don't decide purely how they should be but what they do is dictated by peer pressure. But Ibrahim challenged the norms of his society and became the object of ridicule because of his loyalty is Allah and the Truth. We should stand up for justice even if it means standing up against our own selves and our families.

Ibrahim went through personal difficulty when he was about to be thrown into the fire. Today we are not being thrown into the fire, but we are being thrown into the social fire. A lot of people when they are being challenged in their faith, they decide not to stand up, and many simply cave in to the societal or familial pressures.

One of the strangest tests given to Ibrahim was that he was commanded to take his wife and infant son to the barren desert of Makkah and leave them there. Alhamdulillah, we are not being commanded to leave our family in a desert but what Allah is teaching us here is that Allah sometimes creates a situation where we have to be separated from our families. It is not because of the command of Allah but because of the decree of Allah. So many people suffered and went through traumatic experience from being separated from their families against their will and a lot of people have lost their loved ones, don't know what happen to them.

Prophet Ibrahim couldn't know what happened to his wife and son in the uninhabited desert. He just relied on Allah and trust Allah. He held on to Allah and didn't complain.

The trials that we go through is not the time to lose hope in Allah.

Yet a much tougher trial was when Prophet Ibrahim was to face the command of Allah to kill his only son. Upon hearing this command, he and his son prepared to submit to Allah's will. When he was all prepared to do it, Allah revealed to him that his "sacrifice" had already been fulfilled. He had shown that his love for his Lord superseded all others, that he would lay down his own life or the lives of those dear to him in order to submit to Allah. We are sacrificing the animal because we are commemorating this event.

A lot of times for the sake of Allah we are going to have to put our family through pain. Some of you may make money that is not so halal. And somehow Allah puts in your heart that you can no longer do this. But you can't pay your mortgage anymore, can't buy a nice car, can't go on a family vacation,  or can't send for your child's expensive college tuition. Your family will have to go through pain because you submitted to Allah. Though you are not sacrificing your child but you are sacrificing their happiness because you are loyal to Allah. Your family may not like it but these are the sacrifices you and I should be willing to make.

As we go through the trials of Ibrahim, they reflect in our lives in one way or another. We are celebrating that Allah give him all these important tests and never let him go. Allah helped him succeed in all those tests. This should remind us that Allah will never let us go no matter what we go through.

وَجَـٰهِدُوا۟ فِى ٱللَّهِ حَقَّ جِهَادِهِۦ ۚ هُوَ ٱجْتَبَىٰكُمْ وَمَا جَعَلَ عَلَيْكُمْ فِى ٱلدِّينِ مِنْ حَرَجٍ ۚ مِّلَّةَ أَبِيكُمْ إِبْرَ‌ٰهِيمَ ۚ هُوَ سَمَّىٰكُمُ ٱلْمُسْلِمِينَ مِن قَبْلُ وَفِى هَـٰذَا لِيَكُونَ ٱلرَّسُولُ شَهِيدًا عَلَيْكُمْ وَتَكُونُوا۟ شُهَدَآءَ عَلَى ٱلنَّاسِ ۚ فَأَقِيمُوا۟ ٱلصَّلَو‌ٰةَ وَءَاتُوا۟ ٱلزَّكَو‌ٰةَ وَٱعْتَصِمُوا۟ بِٱللَّهِ هُوَ مَوْلَىٰكُمْ ۖ فَنِعْمَ ٱلْمَوْلَىٰ وَنِعْمَ ٱلنَّصِيرُ ﴿٧٨

And strive for Allah with the striving due to Him. He has chosen you and has not placed upon you in the religion any difficulty. [It is] the religion of your father, Abraham. Allah named you "Muslims" before [in former scriptures] and in this [revelation] that the Messenger may be a witness over you and you may be witnesses over the people. So establish prayer and give zakah and hold fast to Allah. He is your protector; and excellent is the protector, and excellent is the helper. (78) [Quran, Al-Hajj 22:78]

Allah doesn't put any difficulty in the religion for us. The difficulty was on Ibrahim. Allah already open that door for you. You should celebrate and hope that Allah will not leave your side. All you have to do is to show loyalty and submission to Allah even it looks like you are about be thrown in a fire, even if it seems like it is not in the best interest of your family. There is a lot of pressure to preserve the happiness of those under you, to preserve the happiness above you. But above of that all those, if you become concern with the happiness of Allah with you that Allah is happy with you, He will see all of those things through and He will help you survive all of those challenges.

When we sacrifice our animals, make sure we give the meat to those who are close and those in need. This is the time that we are not only showing our loyalty to Allah but to soften our hearts by making sure we give and we give to those who are close and to those are in need. In the spirit of Eid, you should try to slaughter the animal yourself and deliver to people. Take your children to those in need and give them a gift personally. It becomes a source of their happiness and their du'a become a source of our happiness.

May Allah accept our worship, prayers, fasting, charity and sacrifice, and bless our Eid and this entire year. Hajj mabrur to all the hajjis and safe return to your respective homes. 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

Struggle To Do Good and In Doing Good

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

Assalaamu alaykum

All of us want to do good. But the problem is that when we start doing good, the good is done when we have time and when it is convenient for us.

Take for example with the Quran. Many people want to read the Quran, which is a tremendous good deed. But they don't find the time to do it. And if they could find some time for it, they are not consistent. And if they are consistent, they just read but without understanding and they are stuck to reading a few pages each time. If you ask them why, they will tell you how busy they are or something just came up to prevent them from giving more attention to the Quran. So Quran is always put in the back burner for people who don't struggle enough. This is what happen to the so many good that we could have done but we didn't because we don't struggle the way Allah deserves to be struggled for.

We must struggle to do good, the way Allah deserves to be struggled for, and we must struggle with no other goal except Allah,

وَجَـٰهِدُوا۟ فِى ٱللَّهِ حَقَّ جِهَادِهِۦ ۚ هُوَ ٱجْتَبَىٰكُمْ وَمَا جَعَلَ عَلَيْكُمْ فِى ٱلدِّينِ مِنْ حَرَجٍ ۚ مِّلَّةَ أَبِيكُمْ إِبْرَ‌ٰهِيمَ ۚ هُوَ سَمَّىٰكُمُ ٱلْمُسْلِمِينَ مِن قَبْلُ وَفِى هَـٰذَا لِيَكُونَ ٱلرَّسُولُ شَهِيدًا عَلَيْكُمْ وَتَكُونُوا۟ شُهَدَآءَ عَلَى ٱلنَّاسِ ۚ فَأَقِيمُوا۟ ٱلصَّلَو‌ٰةَ وَءَاتُوا۟ ٱلزَّكَو‌ٰةَ وَٱعْتَصِمُوا۟ بِٱللَّهِ هُوَ مَوْلَىٰكُمْ ۖ فَنِعْمَ ٱلْمَوْلَىٰ وَنِعْمَ ٱلنَّصِيرُ ﴿٧٨

And strive for Allah with the striving due to Him. He has chosen you and has not placed upon you in the religion any difficulty. [It is] the religion of your father, Abraham. Allah named you "Muslims" before [in former scriptures] and in this [revelation] that the Messenger may be a witness over you and you may be witnesses over the people. So establish prayer and give zakah and hold fast to Allah. He is your protector; and excellent is the protector, and excellent is the helper. (78) [Quran, Al-Hajj 22:78]

Whoever prays to Allah like He deserves to be prayed to, thanks Allah like He deserves to be thanked to, remembers Allah like He deserves to be remembered, mentions Allah like He deserves to be mentioned, and think about Allah like He deserves to be thought about, you can't meet that standard of struggle that He deserves. But we don't stop struggling.

Allah deserves more than anything our limited life can ever do. Struggle for Him is to exhaust yourself the most you can against resistance -- against your own laziness, societal pressures, etc. This opposition can be internal, psychological, emotional, familial, etc. There is a war inside ourselves.

We are really underqualified to do anything near what Allah deserves. But then Allah chooses us. Adam (peace be upon him) made a mistake but Allah saw good in him and chose him to be the khalifah on earth. He made a mistake and came back to Allah. Allah chose us to be Muslims. No Muslim will be able to say "I don't know why I am Muslim" or "I am a Muslim because my parents are Muslims." Allah decided that you have something in you that will serve His cause. Every Muslim is already qualified for the job whether they realize it or not. You are qualified and if you don't do what you are qualified to do, that is a serious offense. A boss will not get angry at those who didn't get the job during the interview but he will get angry at you who got the job and don't do it. The job is not too hard because Allah says so. He didn't put any difficulty in the religion whatsoever.

Zulhijjah is one of the months when the reward of good deeds are multiplied. So rush to good.

May Allah help us in our struggle to be closer to Him and grant us righteous deeds. 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

Enjoying Real Freedom

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

Assalaamu alaykum

Of all the things we are seeking, we don't realize the value of Allah. We just don't realize who we are dealing with. No doubt Allah is Most Powerful.

Allah, Exalted is He, says, 

مَا قَدَرُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ حَقَّ قَدْرِهِۦٓ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَقَوِىٌّ عَزِيزٌ ﴿٧٤

They have not appraised Allah with true appraisal. Indeed, Allah is Powerful and Exalted in Might. (74) [Quran, Al-Hajj 22:74]

If you seek everything that is by definition is weak, that makes you weak. If you seek the ultimate strong, Allah, that makes you strong. He is the only One you seek that can never be taken away from you. Everything else will go but the belief in Allah won't.
ٱللَّهُ يَصْطَفِى مِنَ ٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةِ رُسُلًا وَمِنَ ٱلنَّاسِ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ سَمِيعٌۢ بَصِيرٌ ﴿٧٥﴾ يَعْلَمُ مَا بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمَا خَلْفَهُمْ ۗ وَإِلَى ٱللَّهِ تُرْجَعُ ٱلْأُمُورُ ﴿٧٦

Allah chooses from the angels messengers and from the people. Indeed, Allah is Hearing and Seeing. (75) He knows what is [presently] before them and what will be after them. And to Allah will be returned [all] matters. (76)

Allah decided to choose certain people from among humanity that would truly appreciate Allah and to teach humanity how to appreciate Allah. Allah decided Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wasallam to deliver His Message.

Allah tells us how to appreciate Him and to become strong.

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱرْكَعُوا۟ وَٱسْجُدُوا۟ وَٱعْبُدُوا۟ رَبَّكُمْ وَٱفْعَلُوا۟ ٱلْخَيْرَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ ۩ ﴿٧٧

O you who have believed, bow and prostrate and enslave to your Lord and do good - that you may succeed. (77)  [Quran, Al-Hajj 22:77]

You are a slave even outside of worship. You are not free. You are not just a seeker, a wanter, a consumer. You are a slave. You don't have a free life, you have restricted life. We should be engaging in worship and doing good continually. The people who enjoy the most emotional freedom in their lives are the people who accept they are slaves of Allah. The people who think they are free, they are in fact slaves to everything-- temptations, appetites, consumer products, advertising, society trends, movie and music industry. They obey to everything those things command. The tragedy of all is that they think they are free. Compare to that of a slave of Allah. Though we have restrictions from Allah but we don't feel obligated to look like or be like anyone. We can look ourselves and free from all those expectations. This is real freedom.

So engage in slavery to Allah. When you truly become a slave of Allah and find yourself free from all else, then you will realize your potential in doing good. When you become a slave of Allah, then you are not selfish anymore. One of the great ways to serve Allah, a  natural consequences is that you want to do good for others and you start getting concern for others. It doesn't have to be for the whole world but at least the good spreads besides you.

May Allah make us His best slaves and of those who continuously do good. 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) -- Get Over It

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

Assalaamu alaykum

All human beings want something. And we want want want. We have endless wants. Allah, Exalted is He, says, everybody who wants something is weak and whatever they want is also weak.

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّاسُ ضُرِبَ مَثَلٌ فَٱسْتَمِعُوا۟ لَهُۥٓ ۚ إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ تَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ لَن يَخْلُقُوا۟ ذُبَابًا وَلَوِ ٱجْتَمَعُوا۟ لَهُۥ ۖ وَإِن يَسْلُبْهُمُ ٱلذُّبَابُ شَيْـًٔا لَّا يَسْتَنقِذُوهُ مِنْهُ ۚ ضَعُفَ ٱلطَّالِبُ وَٱلْمَطْلُوبُ ﴿٧٣﴾ مَا قَدَرُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ حَقَّ قَدْرِهِۦٓ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَقَوِىٌّ عَزِيزٌ ﴿٧٤

O people, an example is presented, so listen to it. Indeed, those you invoke besides Allah will never create [as much as] a fly, even if they gathered together for that purpose. And if the fly should steal away from them a [tiny] thing, they could not recover it from him. Weak are the pursuer and pursued. (73) They have not appraised Allah with true appraisal. Indeed, Allah is Powerful and Exalted in Might. (74) [Quran, Al-Hajj 22:73-73]

You are programmed to be weak because of something you want. If somebody really wants something and he can't get it, he can lose his mind. An example--A woman who is obsessed to marry a man. What happen if on the day before the wedding, the man dies or cancels the wedding? She will collapse. She won't be able to think straight anymore. You want the best for your children. We want health, safety and security for our children. If something happens to our children, we can literally lose our minds. That's how near and dear they are to our hearts.

The more wanting you become of stuff, the weaker you get as a person. That's what happen to our children-- they can't survive five minutes away from their phones. They can't breathe. The same is true to many of us adults. We can't survive without our phones and internet/WIFI. The first think you look for when you get up in the morning is your phone, not Quran. You become that weak. This is the nature of human being. This tells us where depression and sadness come from. You can't get over it. This is the weakness of human being.

In Surah Kahf, we are reminded,

ٱلْمَالُ وَٱلْبَنُونَ زِينَةُ ٱلْحَيَو‌ٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا ۖ وَٱلْبَـٰقِيَـٰتُ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتُ خَيْرٌ عِندَ رَبِّكَ ثَوَابًا وَخَيْرٌ أَمَلًا ﴿٤٦

Wealth and children are [but] adornment of the worldly life. But the enduring good deeds are better to your Lord for reward and better for [one's] hope. (46) [Quran, Al-Kahf 18:46]

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

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

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

Seeking Allah -- Race to Good Actions This Month (Zulhijjah)

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

Assalaamu alaykum

Today is the beginning of the sacred month of Zulhijjah. We honor this month and be a thankful slave by indulging ourselves in extra worship and race to good actions, and avoid all disobedience and bad actions at all costs.

Abu Hurayra reported the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said,

Race to good actions as fast as you can. What are you waiting for except delayed poverty, oppressive wealth, debilitating illness, dottering senility, a swift death or the Dajjal? Or are you waiting for an unseen evil, or the Last Hour? The Last Hour will be most bitter and terrible.

[Tirmidhi]

This is the season of hajj and many Muslims have begun their journey for hajj. May Allah make their journey safe and accept their hajj. Those who are at home also have the opportunity to prepare to do extra good deeds during the first 10 days of Zulhijjah.

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

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

[Bukhari]

Pay special attention to the rights of others and give people their due rights. It is extremely important to get your obligatory prayers, fasting and zakat in place, and as soon as you are financially and physically able, don't delay performing hajj. If you don't perform the obligation, nothing else is going to work for you. But once you get them in place, don't think that you have a one way ticket to Paradise without a detour to a place where no one cares to stop -- the Hellfire. We have to be acutely aware of the rights of Allah and everybody and all Allah's creation. If you don't you will suffer tremendously.

Make a sincere intention to do extra good deeds on the first 10 days of Zulhijjah. "Actions are but by intention and every man shall have but that which he intended" (hadith). So to get reward for the good deed, sincere intention for the sake of Allah has to precede it.

Recommended extra good deeds

1. Fast on the first 9 days of Zulhijjah, at least on Zulhijjah 9, the day of Arafat. Fasting on the day of Arafat will expiate one's sins of 2 years (past and future).

Abu Qataadah narrated that the Prophet Muhammad was asked about observing the fast on the day of 'Arafah, (9th of Zulhijjah), whereupon he said: It expiates the sins of the preceding year and the coming year. [Muslim, Abu Dawood, aI-Nasaa'e and Ibn Maajah]

Fasting on the 9th of Zulhijjah is only for those who are not performing Hajj.

2. Avoid all sins at all costs. Remember there is no connection with Allah except our obedience to Him (...The Muslims are supported by their enemy's disobedience towards Allah. Were it not for that, we would not have any strength, as our numbers are not like theirs. If we were equally matched in sin, they would have an advantage over us in strength, and if we did not have an advantage over them by our virtue, we would not be able to defeat them by our strength...Omar's advice).

3. Make lots of du'a (supplication). Don't forget to ask Allah for what He wants from you.

4. Do more dhikr (remembrance) of Allah. Recite a lot of Tasbeeh ("SubhanAllah"), Tahmeed ("Al-hamdu Lillaah") and Takbeer ("Allahu akbar") during this time.

5. Say Eid Takbir wherever you go. "Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, la ilaha illaAllah, wa Allahu akbar wa Lillahi’l-hamd (Allah is Most Great, Allah is Most Great, there is no god but Allah; Allah is Most Great and to Allah be praise)," as well as other phrases.

Men are encouraged to recite these phrases out loud and women quietly. Ibn ‘Umar and Abu Hurayrah, two of the Prophet's Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), used to go out in the marketplace during the first ten days of ZulHijjah, reciting Takbir, and the people would recite Takbir individually when they heard them.

6. Give more charity during these 10 days.

7. Increase ties of kinship and kithship (visit them, call them, say kind words, give/send gifts, etc.)

8. Increase prayers at masjid and do more voluntary prayers at home (tahajjud, dhuha, sunnah prayers before and after the 5 daily prescribed prayers, etc).

9. Read more Qur'an and contemplate on the meanings.

10. Thank Allah for all His blessings and seek Allah's forgiveness more frequently. This means more than just a verbal expression of sorrow for past deeds. It also requires a firm resolution to avoid making the same mistakes in the future by giving up bad habits and behavior while sincerely turning to Allah.

11. Sacrifice an animal after Eid prayer (Zulhijjah 10, 11, 12, 13) and give the meat to the poor and needy and a portion for yourself and friends.

12. Go to the Eid prayer on Zulhijjah 10. It is recommended to fast before Eid prayer. You break your fast after the prayer.

Hajj Mabrur to those who are performing hajj this year. May Allah make them remember to make du'a for us.

May Allah accept our works and grant us the opportunity to perform hajj next year.

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 Joy of Your Mother is a Gift to You

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

Assalaamu alaykum

In Surah Ta-Ha, Allah told Musa (peace be upon him) about all the favors He bestowed upon him since he was a baby, and Allah mentions that he was brought back to his mother so she be content and not grieve. For her eyes to be cool is not just a favor to his mother but also to him.

إِذْ أَوْحَيْنَآ إِلَىٰٓ أُمِّكَ مَا يُوحَىٰٓ ﴿٣٨﴾ أَنِ ٱقْذِفِيهِ فِى ٱلتَّابُوتِ فَٱقْذِفِيهِ فِى ٱلْيَمِّ فَلْيُلْقِهِ ٱلْيَمُّ بِٱلسَّاحِلِ يَأْخُذْهُ عَدُوٌّ لِّى وَعَدُوٌّ لَّهُۥ ۚ وَأَلْقَيْتُ عَلَيْكَ مَحَبَّةً مِّنِّى وَلِتُصْنَعَ عَلَىٰ عَيْنِىٓ ﴿٣٩﴾ إِذْ تَمْشِىٓ أُخْتُكَ فَتَقُولُ هَلْ أَدُلُّكُمْ عَلَىٰ مَن يَكْفُلُهُۥ ۖ فَرَجَعْنَـٰكَ إِلَىٰٓ أُمِّكَ كَىْ تَقَرَّ عَيْنُهَا وَلَا تَحْزَنَ ۚ وَقَتَلْتَ نَفْسًا فَنَجَّيْنَـٰكَ مِنَ ٱلْغَمِّ وَفَتَنَّـٰكَ فُتُونًا ۚ فَلَبِثْتَ سِنِينَ فِىٓ أَهْلِ مَدْيَنَ ثُمَّ جِئْتَ عَلَىٰ قَدَرٍ يَـٰمُوسَىٰ ﴿٤٠

When We inspired to your mother what We inspired, (38) [Saying], 'Cast him into the chest and cast it into the river, and the river will throw it onto the bank; there will take him an enemy to Me and an enemy to him.' And I bestowed upon you love from Me that you would be brought up under My eye. (39) [And We favored you] when your sister went and said, 'Shall I direct you to someone who will be responsible for him?' So We restored you to your mother that she might be content and not grieve. And you killed someone, but We saved you from retaliation and tried you with a [severe] trial. And you remained [some] years among the people of Madyan. Then you came [here] at the decreed time, O Moses. (40) [Quran , Ta-Ha 20:38-40]

The joy of your mother is your joy so that your mother being happy is a favor to you. If your mother enjoy a piece of joy, it is a gift Allah is giving to you. Just like a mother is happy when her child is happy, the opposite is also supposed to be true. You are supposed to be happy when your mother is happy and that is a gift from Allah not just to her, but a favor to you.

May Allah grant us excellence in worship and make us the coolness of the eyes of our mother. 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) -- A Beautiful Du'a

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

Assalaamu alaykum

In Surah Al-Kahf, Allah, Exalted is He, presented the Companions of the cave as role models for us, especially for the youth. The tenth verse of Surah Al-Kahf is a beautiful du'a that they made during their flee to the cave. The young men got together with a purpose -- to protect their iman (faith). So they ran away together from a society that would not allow them to practice their faith.


رَبَّنَآ ءَاتِنَا مِن لَّدُنكَ رَحْمَةً وَهَيِّئْ لَنَا مِنْ أَمْرِنَا رَشَدًا ....

... Our Lord, grant us from Yourself mercy and prepare for us from our affair right guidance. [Quran, Al-Kahf 18:10]

Every time you read Surah Al-Kahf, you are making this du'a as well, asking for Allah’s special mercy (since the word min ladunka is used, which is superior to words min doonika or min indika— all meaning the same in English but in Arabic, each of them has a specific meaning).

Grant us mercy, very close and near to You, our Rabb, that comes especially from Your secret vaults. guidance, forgiveness and provision.

رَبَّنَآ ءَاتِنَا مِن لَّدُنكَ رَحْمَةً وَهَيِّئْ لَنَا مِنْ أَمْرِنَا رَشَدًا

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) -- Worried About Your Children?

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

Assalaamu alaykum

The youth in the story of the companions of the cave were righteous. They gave up the city life and retreated to the cave so they can worship Allah. Allah was pleased with them and protected them in the cave for 300 years plus.

ذَ‌ٰلِكَ مِنْ ءَايَـٰتِ ٱللَّهِ ۗ مَن يَهْدِ ٱللَّهُ فَهُوَ ٱلْمُهْتَدِ ۖ وَمَن يُضْلِلْ فَلَن تَجِدَ لَهُۥ وَلِيًّا مُّرْ‌شِدًا ﴿١٧ ...

...That was from the signs of Allah. He whom Allah guides is the [rightly] guided, but he whom He leaves astray - never will you find for him a protecting guide. (17)

[Qur'an, Al-Kahf 18:17]

What do we see with our youth today? As a generation, they are getting worse and worse. How about your children? Are you worried about their Deen? Before we worry about them, we should worry about ourselves first.

On the Day of Judgment we will be asked how we raised our kids. We won't be judged on the outcome of our efforts raising them but we will be judged by how much we have exhausted ourselves to raise them to be an obedient slave of Allah, according to our own circumstances. It may be that your children are bad after you have done everything you could possibly do, this inshaa Allah will not be counted against you.

You may be living in the most advance country in the world and you sent your kids to the best schools and they wound up in one of the high demanding careers and may be donating lots of money to build a masjid and other Islamic causes, but they barely able to keep up with the five obligatory prayers and too busy to pray at the masjid. When you try to call them once in a while, they barely have time for you. On the other hand, you may be living in the poorest country in the world but your children are always around ready to attend to your needs and never talk back at you.

What's the difference between the two? The difference is in our priority. If we make Allah our priority, our children do see it, then they will follow suit and will make Allah their priority when they grow up. They would automatically have a clear priority in their own life -- Allah first, parents second and the rest revolve around these two.

Righteous children don't come out of thin air. We have to make them righteous with Allah's help. For that we too have to be righteous.

Once a great shaykh was teaching his students and he heard his mother calling. He immediately left his students to go to his mother and when he returned after a while, he noticed that his students were clearly bewildered. So he told his students that he went to feed the chickens as his mother wanted. And he continued the lessons.

We have to exhaust ourselves to teach our children about their Lord and inculcate the Islamic values in their lives. Parenting does not stop when our children reach puberty or the legal age of 18 (in most places). There's one thing about parenting; it never stops. Once you become a parent you remain a parent for the rest of your life. The end of your child's adolescence is not the end of parenting; it only marks the transition to a new set of changes and challenges. After adolescence, parenting adult children remains challenging and complex. But don't worry, each struggle is being written as our good deed that we can take to our graves, inshaa Allah.

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

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

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

May Allah make us and our children righteous.

رَ‌بَّنَآ ءَاتِنَا مِن لَّدُنكَ رَ‌حْمَةً وَهَيِّئْ لَنَا مِنْ أَمْرِ‌نَا رَ‌شَدًا

Our Lord, grant us from Yourself mercy and prepare for us from our affair right guidance. [Qur'an, Al-Kahf 18:10]

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) -- Doing Righteous Deeds, a Sign of Allah Loves a Person

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

Assalaamu alaykum

In the last ayah of Surah Kahf, Allah says,

قُلْ إِنَّمَا أَنَا بَشَرٌ مِّثْلُكُمْ يُوحَىٰ إِلَيَّ أَنَّمَا إِلَـٰهُكُمْ إِلَـٰهٌ وَاحِدٌ ۖ فَمَن كَانَ يَرْجُو لِقَاءَ رَبِّهِ فَلْيَعْمَلْ عَمَلًا صَالِحًا وَلَا يُشْرِكْ بِعِبَادَةِ رَبِّهِ أَحَدًا ﴿١١

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) [Quran, Al-Kahf 18:110]

One of the signs that Allah loves you is that He guides you to doing good deeds.

Allah Most High says,

قُلْ إِن كُنتُمْ تُحِبُّونَ اللَّـهَ فَاتَّبِعُونِي يُحْبِبْكُمُ اللَّـهُ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ ۗ وَاللَّـهُ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ ﴿٣١﴾ قُلْ أَطِيعُوا اللَّـهَ وَالرَّسُولَ ۖ فَإِن تَوَلَّوْا فَإِنَّ اللَّـهَ لَا يُحِبُّ الْكَافِرِينَ ﴿٣٢

Say, [O Muhammad], "If you should love Allah, then follow me, [so] Allah will love you and forgive you your sins. And Allah is Forgiving and Merciful." (31) Say, "Obey Allah and the Messenger." But if they turn away - then indeed, Allah does not like the disbelievers. (32) [Quran, AleImran 3:31-32]

Abu Hurayra (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: ‘if Allah loves a person, He calls Jibril saying, ’Allah loves so and so; O Jibril love him.’ And make an announcement amongst the inhabitants of the heaven: “Allah loves so and so therefore you should love him also, and so all the inhabitants of the heaven would love him, and then he is granted the pleasures of the people on the earth.” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

By reading Surah Al-Kahf every Friday we are not only only doing a righteous deed, we are also reviving and following the Sunnah of Allah beloved Messenger (Allah bless him and grant him peace), which is also a righteous deed. Let's read it today.

There are many virtues in reading and reciting the Quran, among which:

1. Abu Umamah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that he heard the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) saying: “Read the Quran (regularly) for it will act as an intercessor for its readers on the Day of Resurrection.” [Muslim].

2. Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “The best among you (Muslims) are those who learn the Quran and teach it (to others).” [Bukhari].

3. ‘Abdullah bin Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said : “When somebody recites one letter from the Quran he will get one good deed in recompense which will be equal to ten good deeds. I do not say that Alif Lam Meem is a letter, but Alif is a letter, Lam is a letter and Meem is a letter (i.e it is equal to three letters).” [Tirmidhi].

رَبَّنَآ ءَاتِنَا مِن لَّدُنكَ رَحْمَةً وَهَيِّئْ لَنَا مِنْ أَمْرِنَا رَشَدًا

Our Lord, grant us from Yourself mercy and prepare for us from our affair right guidance. [Quran, Al-Kahf 8:10]

May Allah grant us steadfastness in worship and make us of His elect people of the Quran and make our meeting with Him the best of meetings. 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