Why Do People Cry?

Bismillah

Why do people cry? It could fit in one of these general categories: sad, love, lust, hypocrisy, pain, hungry, overtired or overstimulated. And sometimes we cry because someone we care about is in pain.

When Aisha radhiAllahu anha , one of the wives of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam was slandered, it caused her so much pain.  Her tears were not ceasing, her eyes were not adorned with sleep. While she was weeping, an Ansari woman asked for admittance to see her. Aisha allowed her to enter. When she came in, she sat down and cried with Aisha. 

Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala revealed her innocence in the Quran in Surah An-Noor 

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ جَاءُوا بِالْإِفْكِ عُصْبَةٌ مِّنكُمْ ۚ لَا تَحْسَبُوهُ شَرًّا لَّكُم ۖ بَلْ هُوَ خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ ۚ لِكُلِّ امْرِئٍ مِّنْهُم مَّا اكْتَسَبَ مِنَ الْإِثْمِ ۚ وَالَّذِي تَوَلَّىٰ كِبْرَهُ مِنْهُمْ لَهُ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ ‎﴿١١﴾

Indeed, those who came with falsehood are a group among you. Do not think it bad for you; rather it is good for you. For every person among them is what [punishment] he has earned from the sin, and he who took upon himself the greater portion thereof - for him is a great punishment. [Quran, An-Noor 24:11]

May Allah protect our mouths from ruins and grant us beautiful speech and qualities that are pleasing to Him. Aameen

And Allah knows best.

Let's Read Surah Kahf Today (Friday) -- Commitment to Learning & Test of Patience

Bismillah

 

Surah Kahf is a Surah we recite every Friday. That is a Prophetic way of letting us know that there are lessons in the Surah that are going to be relevant in our everyday life. We need to review them especially on the day of Friday. This guidance is going to protect us from all kinds of problems.

 

There is a very unique story in this Surah. The story highlights Musa's commitment to learning. Allah calls him to task, essentially that he had to learn something from someone in a far away land. So, he said to his young student that he will stay committed to this journey even if it means he has to spend multiple life times finding it.

 

وَإِذْ قَالَ مُوسَىٰ لِفَتَىٰهُ لَآ أَبْرَحُ حَتَّىٰٓ أَبْلُغَ مَجْمَعَ ٱلْبَحْرَيْنِ أَوْ أَمْضِىَ حُقُبًا ‎﴿٦٠﴾

 

And [mention] when Moses said to his servant, "I will not cease [traveling] until I reach the junction of the two seas or continue for a long period." [Quran, Al Kahf 18:60)

 

The purpose of this journey is that he is going to learn something and the first thing he is telling his student that he himself is a student and he is teaching his student his own commitment as a student.

 

Musa alayhissalaam is the most mentioned prophet in the Quran. He was also the recipient of the largest revelation, the Torah, which was significantly much bigger in volume than the revelation in the Quran. By that definition, he is actually the most knowledgeable of all human being until that time. He has more knowledge of revelation that anyone else. And yet he was being told to go learn. His followers were called People of the Book, meaning people of learning. In other words, this is the messenger who inspired so much learning and knowledge that came after him. His people became known as People of the Book/information. 

 

Musa was going to learn something that will take extra effort on his part. There is something unique and valuable about this knowledge that the Book of Allah at the time is not going to teach him. He has to learn it from somewhere else and Allah was not going to reveal it to him. He has to go on a journey and learn from this person.

 

Who is this person that he is going to learn from? What is his credentials? If Musa alayhissalaam, the most mentioned prophet in the Quran and the most knowledgeable person at the time is now going to be a student of this someone, we must really learn his name and acknowledge him. But Allah only gave one bit of information about this person, i.e. "a servant from among Our servants."

 

فَوَجَدَا عَبْدًا مِّنْ عِبَادِنَآ ءَاتَيْنَٰهُ رَحْمَةً مِّنْ عِندِنَا وَعَلَّمْنَٰهُ مِن لَّدُنَّا عِلْمًا ‎﴿٦٥﴾

 

And they found a servant from among Our servants to whom we had given mercy from us and had taught him from Us a [certain] knowledge. (65) [Quran, Al Kahf 18:65]

 

Quran deliberately does not mention his name. You would think this is a very important individual but it is not an issue in the Quran. The Quran gives one bit of information, only describes him "a servant from among our servants." What does this teach us? The Quran teaches us something profound about those who reached the heights of knowledge...they are nothing more than slaves of Allah. Their titles and credentials are insignificant before Allah. It is interesting also that Musa alayhissalaam did not ask him his credentials when he found him. Typically when people are learning from someone, they want to size up the teacher. There is nothing like that, instead he said, he "May I follow you?" ... What he is going to learn from him isn't just words. He has to follow him to gain the knowledge. It is the kind of knowledge that cannot come from books nor words but from experience and only from those experiences will he learn something. And of course, this person said, you don't have the patience for it. And Musa alayhissalaam convinced him to allow him to follow.

 

قَالَ لَهُۥ مُوسَىٰ هَلْ أَتَّبِعُكَ عَلَىٰٓ أَن تُعَلِّمَنِ مِمَّا عُلِّمْتَ رُشْدًا ‎﴿٦٦﴾‏ قَالَ إِنَّكَ لَن تَسْتَطِيعَ مَعِىَ صَبْرًا ‎﴿٦٧﴾‏ وَكَيْفَ تَصْبِرُ عَلَىٰ مَا لَمْ تُحِطْ بِهِۦ خُبْرًا ‎﴿٦٨﴾‏ قَالَ سَتَجِدُنِىٓ إِن شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ صَابِرًا وَلَآ أَعْصِى لَكَ أَمْرًا ‎﴿٦٩﴾

 

Moses said to him, "May I follow you on [the condition] that you teach me from what you have been taught of sound judgement?" (66) He said, "Indeed, with me you will never be able to have patience. (67) And how can you have patience for what you do not encompass in knowledge?" (68) [Moses] said, "You will find me, if Allah wills, patient, and I will not disobey you in [any] order." (69) [Quran, Al Kahf 18:66-69]

 

This is important for us because before we learn anything about these lessons, we have to internalize that these lessons cannot be learned if you are not patient, and these lessons will only be learned if your patience is tested, if you are put in difficult situations. These lessons are directly related to difficulties and hardships where your patience is going to be to test.

 

May Allah make us among the patient ones. Aameen.

 

And Allah knows best.

 

Allahumma salli ala Muhammad wa ala alihi wasahbihi wasallam

Let's Learn The Quran And Its Sciences

Bismillah

The Quran is revelation from Allah. The Book is sent to us for guidance. Allah shows us the way to eternal salvation and the way to avoid eternal damnation.

إِنَّ هَٰذَا الْقُرْآنَ يَهْدِي لِلَّتِي هِيَ أَقْوَمُ وَيُبَشِّرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ الَّذِينَ يَعْمَلُونَ الصَّالِحَاتِ أَنَّ لَهُمْ أَجْرًا كَبِيرًا ‎﴿٩﴾‏

Indeed, this Qur'an guides to that which is most suitable and gives good tidings to the believers who do righteous deeds that they will have a great reward. (9) [Quran, Al Isra' 17:9]

Allah makes Quran easy for us. 

وَلَقَدْ يَسَّرْنَا الْقُرْآنَ 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]

In order to benefit from it, certain doubts must be removed. That's why Allah sent us the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) and his miracles to dispel any of those doubts and confusion and remove them completely.

At times we have people who either don't understand the Quran and Islam, or they wish to put doubts in people. So we want to be in a position where we know what the Truth from Falsehood is.

لَّا يَأْتِيهِ الْبَاطِلُ مِن بَيْنِ يَدَيْهِ وَلَا مِنْ خَلْفِهِ ۖ تَنزِيلٌ مِّنْ حَكِيمٍ حَمِيدٍ ‎﴿٤٢﴾‏ 

Falsehood cannot approach it from before it or from behind it; [it is] a revelation from a [Lord who is] Wise and Praiseworthy. [Quran, Fussilat 41:42]

The Book itself contains wisdoms. Let's learn the Quran and its sciences such as Arabic, Tafsir (exegesis), the Ten Qira'at, its miraculous nature, etc.

May Allah guide us and grant us true understanding of His Book. Aameen.

Dealing With Stress

Bismillah

We can't avoid stress...but we can learn to deal with stress before it controls our lives. While therapy and medications are very helpful in a lot of cases, it’s not the only solution – you can start working towards more natural and spiritual ways.

First, we must fill our hearts with a good opinion of Allah. Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says, “I am of the opinion that my servant has of me.” (Sahih Bukhari). If you draw near to him by a hand span, He will come to you by an arm’s length. So how can you have a bad opinion of your Rabb, the loving and caring God? Having this perspective can greatly reduce anxiety over something which hasn’t yet happened.

Keep reminding yourself that your Rabb has given you the greatest thing, which is Islam and made you the ummah of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam. He is not going to do something bad to you. 

Put full reliance on Him, and He will give you everything you desire. 

Always be grateful to Allah. Always say Alhamdulillah (all praise and thanks be to Allah). Always look to the future with confidence in the fact that whatever He gives, is going to be good for you in this world and more importantly, in the akhirah (afterlife).

After having done all these,  say:

حَسْبُنَا اللَّـهُ وَنِعْمَ الْوَكِيلُ

Hasbunallah Wa Ni ‘mal Wakeel

Allah is sufficient for us, and He is the best disposer of affairs.(Quran, AleImran 3:173)

Perform some good deeds, so that you’ll feel stable before the feeling happens.

If anything does occur, then say to yourself, “I have a 100 ways to overcome this, I have the adhkaar (the remembrance of God) and the salawaat (Blessings on the Prophet).” These are all tried and tested, and if a person says these with sincerity, Allah will remove all these difficulties from him. 

The best dhikr is the Quran. Have a routine of reading it everyday first thing in the morning and before going to bed at night. Work up towards reading a juz (20 pages) a day and complete reading the entire Quran once a month.

Other mighty prayers include:

لاحول ولاقوة الا بالله

La ḥawla wa la quwwata illa billah

There is no might or power except with Allah.

 رَبِّ اشْرَحْ لِي صَدْرِي وَيَسِّرْ لِي أَمْرِي

Rabbi-‘shrah li sadri wa yassirli amri

My Lord, expand for me my breast [with assurance] And make easy my task. (Quran, Ta-Ha 20:25-26)

This prayer has a great reward. It is a noble verse of the Qur’an, and beneath it are seas of knowledge. It will expand your chest and bring joy to you. 

May Allah grant you tawfiq. May Allah expand our chest and fill our hearts with His remembrance. Aameen.

Nothing is Good is Small

Bismillah

Nothing of the good is small when Allah puts barakah in it. 

What is barakah?

Barakah is a subtle reality of increase that Allah places in certain things, certain people. certain actions, and at certain times. It is the secret in the increase in things by Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.

May Allah put barakah in our life. Aameen.

Attracting Allah's Love and Fogiveness

Bismillah

Revelation is of two types -- Quran and Sunnah

The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam said, "By Allah I have been granted the Quran and the like of it."

Quran is guidance for the Godfearing. Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says,

الم ‎﴿١﴾‏ ذَٰلِكَ الْكِتَابُ لَا رَيْبَ ۛ فِيهِ ۛ هُدًى لِّلْمُتَّقِينَ ‎﴿٢﴾

Alif, Lam, Meem. (1) This is the Book about which there is no doubt, a guidance for those conscious of Allah - (2) (Quran, Al Baqarah 2:1-2)

Guidance is conditional upon the following of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam.

Allah subhanahu ta'ala says,

 قُلْ إِن كُنتُمْ تُحِبُّونَ اللَّهَ فَاتَّبِعُونِي يُحْبِبْكُمُ اللَّهُ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ ۗ وَاللَّهُ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ ‎﴿٣١﴾‏

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) (Quran, Aale-Imran)

It is important to learn not only the Quran but also the Hadiths.

May Allah grant us the tawfiq to follow the footsteps of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam and his righteous companions. Aameen.

Hakikat Kebahgian

Hakikat Kebahagiaan . 

___________

Syekh Yusri hafidzahullah Ta’ala wa ro’ah menjelaskan tentang sebuah hakekat kebahagiaan bagi seorang mukmin. Banyak orang yang mengira bahwasanya kebahagiaan itu terletak pada perkara dunia seseorang.  Ketika dirinya melihat seorang yang memiliki harta lebih, memiliki rumah yang banyak dan dimana-mana, maka ia adalah merupakan orang yang bahagia. Sesungguhnya kebahagiaan itu adalah apa yang teah baginda Nabi SAW sabdakan kepada kita 

“ إن الله عزَّ وجل بقسطه، جعل الفرح والروح في الرِّضا واليقين وجعل الغم والحزن في الشَّك والسّخط ”  

 yang artinya “ sesungguhnya Allah ‘Azza wa Jalla telah menjadikan kebahagiaan dan kelapangan hati pada keridhaan dan keyakinan, dan Allah telah jadikan kekhawatiran dan kesedihan pada sebuah keraguan dan ketidak ridhoan “(HR. Al Mundziri).

Ini adalah merupakan pengertian tentang kebahagiaan menurut baginda Nabi SAW yang telah diajarkan kepada ummatnya. Baginda merupakan orang yang paling sayang terhadap kita, beliau adalah orang tua bagi ummatnya. Sebagiamana beliau bersabda 

“إِنَّمَا أَنَا لَكُمْ بِمَنْزِلَةِ الْوَالِدِ ” 

 yang artinya “ sesungguhnya kedudukanku adalah seperti ayah bagi kalian “(HR. Abu Dawud).

 Orang tua yang selalu mengharapkan kebahagiaan bagi anak-anaknya.

Baginda mengajarkan akan makna kebahagiaan ini sesuai dengan pandangannya seorang Nabi, seorang utusan Allah Dzat yang mengetahui akan kemaslahatan hambaNya. Kebahagiaan itu adalah ada pada makna keridhaan, yaitu ridha terhadap segala sesuatu yang telah Allah tuliskan untuk kita. Ridha terhadap apapun yang terjadi kepada kita, dengan qodho dan taqdirNya. Keridhaan adalah merupakan hasil dari sebuah keimanan dari seorang yang beriman kepada Tuhan yang Maha Mengetahui atas segala sesuatu yang terbaik untuk hambaNya. 

Ketika seorang mukmin diberi karunia sebuah kenikmatan oleh Allah Ta’ala, maka hendaknya dirinya ridha dengan menggunakan kenikmataan itu pada hal yang Allah ridhai. Dan ketika seorang itu diberi cobaan olehNya, maka hendaknya ridha terhadap cobaan ini, yaitu dengan bersabar , sehingga dirinya mendapatkan pahala yang tidak ada batasnya. Allah telah berfirman

 “إِنَّمَا يُوَفَّى الصَّابِرُونَ أَجْرَهُمْ بِغَيْرِ حِسَابٍ” 

yang artinya “ sesungguhnya Allah memberikan pahalanya orang-orang yang bersabar dengan tanpa batas “(QS. Az Zumar:10).

Dan sebaliknya, kesengsaraan adalah ketika seorang mukmin itu tidak ridha terhadap apa yang Allah berikan kepadanya. Ketika Allah Ta’ala memberikan sebuah cobaan bagi seorang mukmin, maka ketahuilah bahwa Allah benar-benar telah mencintainnya. Allah akan memberikan ridhaNya, jikalau dirinya juga ridha terhadap apa yang menimpanya. Hal ini sebagaimana dalam sabda baginda Nabi SAW

 “وَإِنَّ اللَّهَ إِذَا أَحَبَّ قَوْمًا ابْتَلاَهُمْ فَمَنْ رَضِىَ فَلَهُ الرِّضَا وَمَنْ سَخِطَ فَلَهُ السَّخَطُ ”

 yang artinya “ dan sesungguhnya ketika Allah mencintai sebuah kaum, maka Allah akan memberikan cobaan bagi mereka. Maka barang siapa yang ridha (terhadap cobaan ini) maka baginya keridhaan Allah, dan barang siapa yang marah maka baginyapun murka Allah “(HR. turmudzi).

Maka selagi kita yakin, bahwa tidaklah sesuatu di dunia ini terjadi melainkan atas kehendak Allah, maka hendaklah kita ridha, sehingga keridhaan ini akan menjadikan ridha Allah kepada kita, dan memasukkan kita kepada sorga keridhaan di dunia sebelum masuk sorgaNya di akhirat nanti. Yaitu

 جنة المعارف قبل جنة الزخاريف

 yang artinya sorga kemakrifatan kepada Allah Ta’ala sebelum sorga keindahan di akhiratNya. Wallahu A’lam.

https://www.facebook.com/145093112678719/posts/1272155149972504/

As You Await The Blessed Month Of Ramadhan

Bismillah

O Allah, bless us in Rajab and Sha‘ban, and let us reach Ramadhan (Allhumma barik lana fi Rajab wa Sha’ban wa ballighna Ramadan)

As we await the blessed month of Ramadhan, the month of the Quran, let us prepare for it starting this month of Rajab.

Rajab is one of the four months, Allah, the All-Wise, chose to be sacred. The other three months are Dhul-Qa'da, Dhul-Hijjah and Muharram.

إِنَّ عِدَّةَ ٱلشُّهُورِ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ ٱثْنَا عَشَرَ شَهْرًا فِى كِتَٰبِ ٱللَّهِ يَوْمَ خَلَقَ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضَ مِنْهَآ أَرْبَعَةٌ حُرُمٌ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ ٱلدِّينُ ٱلْقَيِّمُ ۚ فَلَا تَظْلِمُوا۟ فِيهِنَّ أَنفُسَكُمْ ۚ وَقَٰتِلُوا۟ ٱلْمُشْرِكِينَ كَآفَّةً كَمَا يُقَٰتِلُونَكُمْ كَآفَّةً ۚ وَٱعْلَمُوٓا۟ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ مَعَ ٱلْمُتَّقِينَ ‎﴿٣٦﴾‏

Indeed, the number of months with Allah is twelve [lunar] months in the register of Allah [from] the day He created the heavens and the earth; of these, four are sacred. That is the correct religion, so do not wrong yourselves during them... [Quran, At-Tawba 9: 36]

This is our God-given alert and reminder that the best Month is entering upon us soon and it’s time to check the state of our hearts, start resisting bad habits and deeds even more and prepare.

Let’s make an intention to benefit from this sacred month and start focus on some actions.

1. Super-start for success.

Reflect on the Basmalah. When you say “Bismillah” at the start of doing something, it really means: “I start this while being accompanied by Allah’s Name, and I seek help through the Name of Allah and with that I seek His blessings.” Allah is God, the One who is worshipped and beloved, Whom the hearts turn to in both love and fear. He is Ar-Rahmaan, the Most Gracious, and His attribute is encompassing mercy, and He is Ar-Raheem, the Most Merciful, the One who causes His mercy to reach His creation.

Start your Ramadan preparation with an intense, heartfelt

بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

2. Reform your home

وَٱللَّهُ جَعَلَ لَكُم مِّنۢ بُيُوتِكُمْ سَكَنًا وَجَعَلَ لَكُم مِّن جُلُودِ ٱلْأَنْعَٰمِ بُيُوتًا تَسْتَخِفُّونَهَا يَوْمَ ظَعْنِكُمْ وَيَوْمَ إِقَامَتِكُمْ ۙ وَمِنْ أَصْوَافِهَا وَأَوْبَارِهَا وَأَشْعَارِهَآ أَثَٰثًا وَمَتَٰعًا إِلَىٰ حِينٍ ‎﴿٨٠﴾

And Allah has made for you from your homes a place of rest …[Quran, An-Nahl 16:80]

What’s the state of your home and how can you make your house a place of Khayr (goodness) and productivity before Ramadhan arrives?

Your home is a place to protect yourself and your family from the Hellfire and your opportunity to make it a breeding place for good deeds for the whole family.

Uqbah ibn Amir (may Allah be pleased wit him) asked the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): How can salvation be achieved? He (peace and blessings be upon him) replied: Control your tongue, keep to your house, and weep over your sins. [At-Tirmidhi]

Start reforming your home in time for the honored Guest.

The first thing you’ll be asked about on the Day of Judgment and the first thing you should establish in your house is the prayer (solat). Make your house a Qiblah – a place of prayer. With regards to men the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: The best of prayer is a man’s prayer in his house– apart from the prescribed prayers. [Al-Bukhari]

Make a new prayer area in your home, play the Adhaan (if you live in a country without a public Adhaan) or select nice, clean clothes for prayer to enhance your Khushoo’.

Is your house a place the angels are writing down bad speech, watching of indecent programs on TV, Youtube, etc, and free mixing and display without the proper covering? Start hanging up Dhikr reminders and play Adhkaar in the house.

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: The house in which remembrance of Allah is made and the house in which Allah is not remembered are like the living and the dead. [Sahih Muslim]

There are many Sunan (plural of Sunnah) to revive in your home, such as the Sunan of eating, drinking, sleeping, purifying yourself, and getting dressed etc. Make sure to study and practice the supplications of entering and leaving your home and say Salaam when you enter to fill your home with peace and bless its inhabitants.

فَإِذَا دَخَلْتُم بُيُوتًا فَسَلِّمُوا۟ عَلَىٰٓ أَنفُسِكُمْ تَحِيَّةً مِّنْ عِندِ ٱللَّهِ مُبَٰرَكَةً طَيِّبَةً ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ ٱللَّهُ لَكُمُ ٱلْـَٔايَٰتِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ ‎﴿٦١﴾‏

.... But when you enter houses, give greetings of peace upon each other - a greeting from Allah, blessed and good. Thus does Allah make clear to you the verses [of ordinance] that you may understand. [Quran, An-Noor 24:61]

3. Clean your heart.

Do you feel your heart is ill, your Imaan weak and do you feel stressed all the time or even completely lost?

The best way to prepare for this time is abundance of Istighfaar (seeking forgiveness) because there is no doubt that the sins of a person deprive him of Tawfeeq (ability). And if he constantly makes Istighfaar in his heart then it purifies him. And if he is weak, it makes him strong. And if he is sick, then it heals him. And if he is in trouble, then it gives him protection. And if he is lost, then it will guide him. And if he is miserable then it will give him tranquility.

And indeed, Istighfaar is the only protection left for us after the Messenger of Allah.

وَمَا كَانَ ٱللَّهُ لِيُعَذِّبَهُمْ وَأَنتَ فِيهِمْ ۚ وَمَا كَانَ ٱللَّهُ مُعَذِّبَهُمْ وَهُمْ يَسْتَغْفِرُونَ ‎﴿٣٣﴾‏

But Allah would not punish them while you, [O Muhammad], are among them, and Allah would not punish them while they seek forgiveness. [Quran, Al Anfal 8:33]

Aim to say every day from now on hundred times "Astaghfirullaha wa atuubu ilaih" (I seek the forgiveness of Allah and repent to Him)

أَسْتَغْفِرُ اللهَ وَأَتُوْبُ إِلَيْهِ

 

[Al-Bukhari, Muslim]

Do Istighfaar right before Fajr, seek forgiveness after getting up from a gathering, praying and reading Qur’an:

سُبْحَانَكَاللَّهُمَّوَبِحَمْدِكَ، أَشْهَدُأَنْلَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ، أَسْتَغْفِرُكَ وَأَتُوبُإِلَيْكَ

Glory is to You, O Allah, and praise is to You. I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but You. I seek Your forgiveness and repent to You. [Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah & etc]

Seek forgiveness in the time between two Sujood in prayer by saying: رَبِّ اغْفِرْ لِيْ (O my Lord forgive me).

Pray for your parents' and others’ forgiveness too, and share this supplication. May Allah reward you with immense reward.

Ubaadah ibn as-Saamit radiallaahu ’anhu related that the Prophet sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam said:

Whosoever seeks forgiveness for the believing men and the believing women, Allaah will record for that person – equivalent to every believing man and believing woman – a good deed.

Rabbi ighfir lee waliwalidayya wa almu'mineena wa almuminaat, wa almuslimeena wa almuslimaat, al ahyaa'i minhum wa al amwaat

أللهم اغفر لي ولوالدي وللمؤمنين والمؤمنات والمسلمين والمسلمات الاحياء منهم والاموات

O Allah, forgive the believing men and believing women, the Muslim men and the Muslim women, the living from them and the dead.

Allah Most High says,

فَٱعْلَمْ أَنَّهُۥ لَآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا ٱللَّهُ وَٱسْتَغْفِرْ لِذَنۢبِكَ وَلِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَٱلْمُؤْمِنَٰتِ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ مُتَقَلَّبَكُمْ وَمَثْوَىٰكُمْ ‎﴿١٩﴾

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

[Quran, Muhammad 47:19]

This is the action of the angels (peace be upon them), as Allah says concerning them,

تَكَادُ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتُ يَتَفَطَّرْنَ مِن فَوْقِهِنَّ ۚ وَٱلْمَلَٰٓئِكَةُ يُسَبِّحُونَ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّهِمْ وَيَسْتَغْفِرُونَ لِمَن فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ ۗ أَلَآ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ هُوَ ٱلْغَفُورُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ ‎﴿٥﴾

The heavens almost break from above them, and the angels exalt [Allah] with praise of their Lord and ask forgiveness for those on earth. Unquestionably, it is Allah who is the Forgiving, the Merciful.

[Quran, Ash-Shoora 42:5]

It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) offered the funeral prayer and said: “O Allah, forgive our living and our dead, our young ones and our old ones, our males and our females, those of us who are present and those who are absent. O Allah, whomever You keep alive, keep him alive with faith and whomever you cause to die, cause him to die in Islam. Do not deprive us of the reward and do not cause us to go astray after this.” [at-Tirmidhi, Abu Dawood, an-Nasai]

There are many more Sunan of Istighfaar to study and use. O Allah give us Tawfeeq to become ‘Mustaghfir‘. Aameen.

4. Mind your mouth.

The way you use your tongue demonstrates the condition of your heart. The Prophetﷺ said: “The faith of a servant is not upright until his heart is upright, and his heart is not upright until his tongue is upright. A man will not enter Paradise if his neighbor is not secure from his evil.” [Ahmad]

You can fast, pray and read Qur’an extra to prepare for Ramadan, but if the way you speak isn’t ‘upright’, your heart and so your Imaan (faith) won’t be settled.

The practical way to build your Imaanis to start with way you speak. Focus on your tongue; on the content of your speech, backbiting, slander, useless speech, excessive speech, swearing, verbal abuse etc, and beg Allah, the Most High, to purify your tongue. Every day again and again.

5. Morning and evening Quran.

When your days feel like a chaotic rush of tasks, interactions and events do you ever look at how you start and end them? Starting and ending your days with the Book of Allah, the Most High, brings productivity and calm to your daily life. Start focusing on at least these Sunnah Quran habits so they are set by Ramadhan in shaa Allah.

Recite the entire Quran and read their meaning at least once before Ramadhan. It is recommended reading a juz a day. Work towards reading this.

Upon waking: the last ten Ayaat of Surah Aal-e-Imraan.

After each prayer: Ayat-ul-Kursi.

Before sleeping: the last two Ayaat of Surah Al-Baqarah and work towards reading Surat-ul-Mulk daily.

There are more Surahs to read as part of the Sunnah, but key is to start with less and build your Quran habits up slowly. Ask Allah, the Most High, for Tawfeeq.

It’s so easy to delay praying on time a bit more, to not say your morning and evening Adhkaar because you’re busy a bit more, to not think of Ramadhan, just yet… but when death comes it cannot wait even a minute longer. Reflect on this, your own

How Do You Define Your Character?

Bismillah 

 

Perfection of noble character was one of the most important objectives of the Prophet’s mission. When asked about the best of the believers, the Prophet ﷺ replied, “They are those who have the best character and manners.” (At-Tirmidhi, Abu Dawood)

 

In fact, the Quran uses the comprehensive Arabic word birr to refer to faith. Allah ﷻ says,

 

لَّيْسَ ٱلْبِرَّ أَن تُوَلُّوا۟ وُجُوهَكُمْ قِبَلَ ٱلْمَشْرِقِ وَٱلْمَغْرِبِ وَلَٰكِنَّ ٱلْبِرَّ مَنْ ءَامَنَ بِٱللَّهِ وَٱلْيَوْمِ ٱلْـَٔاخِرِ وَٱلْمَلَٰٓئِكَةِ وَٱلْكِتَٰبِ وَٱلنَّبِيِّـۧنَ وَءَاتَى ٱلْمَالَ عَلَىٰ حُبِّهِۦ ذَوِى ٱلْقُرْبَىٰ وَٱلْيَتَٰمَىٰ وَٱلْمَسَٰكِينَ وَٱبْنَ ٱلسَّبِيلِ وَٱلسَّآئِلِينَ وَفِى ٱلرِّقَابِ وَأَقَامَ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَءَاتَى ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ وَٱلْمُوفُونَ بِعَهْدِهِمْ إِذَا عَٰهَدُوا۟ ۖ وَٱلصَّٰبِرِينَ فِى ٱلْبَأْسَآءِ وَٱلضَّرَّآءِ وَحِينَ ٱلْبَأْسِ ۗ أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ ٱلَّذِينَ صَدَقُوا۟ ۖ وَأُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْمُتَّقُونَ ‎﴿١٧٧﴾

 

Righteousness (birr) is not that you turn your faces toward the east or the west, but [true] righteousness is [in] one who believes in Allah, the Last Day, the angels, the Book, and the prophets and gives wealth, in spite of love for it, to relatives, orphans, the needy, the traveler, those who ask [for help], and for freeing slaves; [and who] establishes prayer and gives zakah; [those who] fulfill their promise when they promise; and [those who] are patient in poverty and hardship and during battle. Those are the ones who have been true, and it is those who are the righteous. (Quran, Al Baqarah 2:177)

 

The word birr is a rather comprehensive term which includes all forms of righteousness, in word and deed. It is for this reason that the Prophet ﷺ said, “Righteousness (birr) is good character.” (Muslim)

 

So, as believers, we know the importance of good manners and character, but have you ever reflected what is defining your character?

 

Qatadah reported: I said to Aisha (RA), “O Mother of the believers, tell me about the character of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.” Aisha said, “Have you not read the Quran?” I said, “Of course.” Aisha said, “Verily, the character of the Prophet of Allah was the Quran.” (Muslim)

 

Did you actively look in the Quran to seek guidance and let its Ayaat shape your character? Let’s not let a day passed by without reading the Quran and understand it's meaning to motivate us to better our relationship with Allah, the Most High, with our parents, our family, our neighbors, and others, and better our treatment of animals, caring of the environment and our trade practices.

 

Allah ﷻ has immense rewards for those who observe good character. Textual proofs from the Quran and the Sunnah to this effect are numerous, including the following:

 

Good character will be the heaviest righteous deed to be placed on a person’s scale of deeds on the Day of Judgement.

 

The Prophet ﷺ said, “No deed that will be placed on the scale of deeds [on the Day of Judgement] will be heavier than good character. Indeed, a person with good character will attain the rank of those with a good record of voluntary fasts and prayers.” (At-Tirmidhi)

 

It is the very deed that will lead people to enter Paradise the most.

 

When the Prophet ﷺ was asked about which act leads people to enter Paradise the most, he replied, “Piety and good character.” (At-Tirmidhi, Ibn Maajah)

 

Of all people, those who have good character will be the closest to the Prophet ﷺ on the Day of Judgement.

 

The Prophet ﷺ said, “The dearest to me among you and the nearest to me on the Day of Judgement are those who have the best character.” (At-Tirmidhi)

 

The Prophet ﷺ guarantees a house in the highest part of Paradise to those who have good character:

 

“I guarantee a house in the surroundings of Paradise for those who give up arguing, even if they are in the right; and I guarantee a house in the middle of Paradise for those who abandon lying even when joking; and I guarantee a house in the highest part of Paradise for those who have good character and manners.” (Abu Dawood)

 

May Allah make us of the righteous and grant us noble character. Aameen.

 

Allahumma salli ala Muhammad wa ala aalihi wasahbihi wassalaam

Take Advantage of Five Before Five

Bismillah

The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) was given the most succinct and the most blessed of all speech. Every single phrase that he uttered carries profound meanings behind it. The speech might be succinct, but the benefits and the blessings that can be derived from them are innumerable.

One of the hadiths that are comprehensive in nature, is the hadith of ibn Abbas radi Allahu anhu. In this hadith the Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam said to a man while he was advising him:

"Take advantage of five matters before five other matters: your youth, before you become old; and your health, before you fall sick; and your wealth, before you become poor; and your free time before you become busy; and your life, before your death."

What are these five things?

#1: Take Advantage of Your Youth Before Your Old Age

Youthfulness is a time when a person is the most energetic with high aspiration. It is when we lay out the foundations for our future, when we plan our life. The enthusiasm and energy that you have been blessed with will never again be given to you after this age. Therefore, the Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam said to seize the moment and take advantage of it. When we plan for our future, we study, go to college, get a job, get married, have kids and all that. This is well and good. At the same time, we should exercise this energy for the sake of Allah by procuring knowledge of Allah, obtaining halal sustenance, doing good for the society, taking care of the environment, worshipping Allah through acts that you might not be able to do later on in life.

#2: Take Advantage of Your Health, Before You Fall Sick

The second of the five matters is, "your health, before you fall sick." The fact that one lives a normal life and is not afflicted with diseases and plagues, represents a person’s health. Take advantage of this before diseases, plagues and another pandemic come because we, being human, will fall sick. Everyone falls sick. If we did not fall sick, we would not be humans, we would be divine.

There will come a time when we will fall sick. Some of those times the sicknesses will be more severe, and for certain people even more severe. Sometimes, even the common cold or a small headache can incapacitated us. So the Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam is reminding us that we do not know when we will have full possession of our faculties, of our strength, of our mental powers, before we will fall sick. Therefore, take advantage of it before that time comes. Be productive and pro active in your society. contribute to your well being, your family and your community.

The Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam said:

"There are two blessings the majority of mankind have been deceived concerning." The majority of mankind do not appreciate these two blessings. They are "health," good health, "and free time." All of us have free time but all of sudden we have become experts in killing time. We waste our time on activities that won't bear fruits in this world and the next world. So change and do things that are useful which will benefit us in this life and the next. Don't sit idle.

#3: Take Advantage of Your Wealth Before Poverty

The third is, "your wealth, before poverty." One day we might not have anything, and the next we might have much more than we need. One day, a person might have the best of jobs and the largest of salaries, yet, the next day, something happens and he does not have that job anymore and loses his source of income. So the wise person uses his wealth before he becomes poor. He invests for his future.

We should make sure we have enough money for our family and our children and ourselves, so we are not poor and become beggars. There is no doubt that this is a part of our Shari’ah as well.

But while we are doing this, let us not forget that we also need to invest for the Hereafter. Should we not think about investing this money so we can pick it and pluck it in the Hereafter when we need it far more than we need it in this world? We need to invest for the real future, our real life after our death.

#4: Take Advantage of Your Free Time Before You Become Busy

This is yet another great treasure that every single one of us possesses. Every single one of us must use our free time before we become busy. How much free time do we have and what do we waste it on? Think about it. Think about how much free time all of us have been blessed with. We have hours and hours every day and they go by. What do we waste it on? Primarily, in this social media age, people are constantly on the phone. It is also wasted on gossip and socialization of which there is no benefit whatsoever, in this world nor the Hereafter.

Remember the hadith about the two blessings (health and free time) most people have been deceived by. In other words, they don't realize their blessings of health and free time. You may have to work eight hours a day, Allah subhaanahu wa ta ‘aala has allowed this for you. He has obligated it upon you. When you come home, you have four or five hours, so spend them wisely for the sake of Allah.

Spending time wisely does not necessarily mean purely religious deeds. But spending your time wisely and even be something in this world. Learn a trade. Learn something that can benefit you in this world and that can benefit other people as well. Islam is a complete way of life, a complete code. Do not forget that all of the acts a believer do transform into acts of worship if he does them for the sake of Allah subhaanahu wa ta ‘aala.

Of course that there are religious deeds which are the best deeds to do. Every one of us should recite the Qur'an everyday, even if it's only for five or ten minutes, but work towards reading a juz or 2 a day, and with understanding. You should have some relationship with the Qur'an. Every one of us should pray some extra prayers as well, a few sunnahs or the nafls, if not the continual sunnahs that the Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam used to pray. This is the most important thing for us to do. But at the same time, do not forget that there can be many acts that can be rewarded if you change your intention and do them for the sake of Allah.

Do not waste your time. The greatest waster of time is the social media. You touch the phone, and an hour or two go by, and not only have you not gained anything for the life Heareafter, you have not gained anything for this world as well. You have literally killed, murdered your time, and done absolutely nothing with it. And realize that you are lucky if you don't come away from those two hours without any sin. How many are the sins that are in social media, with provocative ads, gossip, and other corrupt things. Although we may not get rid of the phone anymore, you can minimize it -- go to your phone only with a good specific purpose, make a list, and not wander elsewhere. Remember, there is no requirement that you read or watch everything you get -- learn to pick and choose what is of most benefit to you when you stand in front of Allah.

The greatest thing that we can do in this free time is to worship Allah. One of the greatest acts of worship is to seek knowledge. Do whatever you can do to increase your knowledge. Read a book of seerah, attend some classes or even visit one another for the sake of Allah subhaanahu wa ta ‘aala. Visit your parents often, relatives and fellow Muslim with the proper Islamic etiquette and adab. This is an act you can do that will pass your time away, and be worthwhile.

#5: Take Advantage of Your Life Before Your Death

This one phrase summarizes it all: "take advantage of your life before your death." Every one of us has a life. That is why we are here right now. Every one of us without a doubt will die. Allah says:

You are going to die and they too are going to die.

And it is as Allah said, the Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam passed away and so did the people that opposed him and believed in him. They all have passed away. And the turn came for those after them, and then those after them, until it is our turn.

This hadith deals with responsibility, wisdom, foresight, long-term planning, and good strategy. Every one of us has been blessed with these five blessings. There is no one amongst us who has not been blessed with these five things. So how do we utilize them? What do we utilize them for? Why do we utilize them?

The wise person is the one who strives to achieve the pleasure of Allah subhaanahu wa ta ‘aala and then expects the best from Allah. The wise one is one who tries to arrive at the goal and then has tawakkul in Allah. Tawakkul does not mean to sit back and say, "Oh, this will happen to me." Rather, you must strive for it. The fool is the one who follows his desires and then presumes that Allah subhaanahu wa ta ‘aala will reward him.

When that time comes, when we stand before Allah and we are asked, "What have you done with your life?", we will be able to list the good works that we have done for His sake.

Be pro active, take advantage of every blessing that Allah has given you, be a useful person, a person who brings about good and positive change wherever you go.

May Allah grant us iman, sincerity and make us amongst those who seize these five things, who take advantage of them before the five come. Aameen.

And Allah knows best.

Allahumma salli ala Muhamaad wa ala aalihi wasahbihi wassalaam

Let's Read Surah Kahf Today (Friday) -- Believe in Islam

Bismillah

The religion of Islam is not a luxury. You don't get to choose to believe it or not. If you don't believe it, eventually you will believe it but then it might be too late. If you don't want to accept the Truth, you will bear the consequences. Believing in Islam is for your benefit. It doesn't benefit Allah whether you believe or not.

وَقُلِ الْحَقُّ مِن رَّبِّكُمْ ۖ فَمَن شَاءَ فَلْيُؤْمِن وَمَن شَاءَ فَلْيَكْفُرْ ۚ إِنَّا أَعْتَدْنَا لِلظَّالِمِينَ نَارًا أَحَاطَ بِهِمْ سُرَادِقُهَا ۚ وَإِن يَسْتَغِيثُوا يُغَاثُوا بِمَاءٍ كَالْمُهْلِ يَشْوِي الْوُجُوهَ ۚ بِئْسَ الشَّرَابُ وَسَاءَتْ مُرْتَفَقًا ‎﴿٢٩﴾‏ إِنَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ إِنَّا لَا نُضِيعُ أَجْرَ مَنْ أَحْسَنَ عَمَلًا ‎﴿٣٠﴾‏ أُولَٰئِكَ لَهُمْ جَنَّاتُ عَدْنٍ تَجْرِي مِن تَحْتِهِمُ الْأَنْهَارُ يُحَلَّوْنَ فِيهَا مِنْ أَسَاوِرَ مِن ذَهَبٍ وَيَلْبَسُونَ ثِيَابًا خُضْرًا مِّن سُندُسٍ وَإِسْتَبْرَقٍ مُّتَّكِئِينَ فِيهَا عَلَى الْأَرَائِكِ ۚ نِعْمَ الثَّوَابُ وَحَسُنَتْ مُرْتَفَقًا ‎﴿٣١﴾‏

And say, "The truth is from your Lord, so whoever wills - let him believe; and whoever wills - let him disbelieve." Indeed, We have prepared for the wrongdoers a fire whose walls will surround them. And if they call for relief, they will be relieved with water like murky oil, which scalds [their] faces. Wretched is the drink, and evil is the resting place. (29) Indeed, those who have believed and done righteous deeds - indeed, We will not allow to be lost the reward of any who did well in deeds. (30) Those will have gardens of perpetual residence; beneath them rivers will flow. They will be adorned therein with bracelets of gold and will wear green garments of fine silk and brocade, reclining therein on adorned couches. Excellent is the reward, and good is the resting place. (31) [Quran, Al Kahf 18:29-31)

May Allah keep us in iman. Aameen.

And Allah knows best.