Some beautiful suggestions mashallah

Mashallah my beautiful sister-in-faith Eva Zaynab wrote some beautiful comments after reading my post on having the right intention I have benefited a lot from her beautiful advice that's why I would like to share her comments with you. Jazakllah khairan sis Eva :-)

She wrote: Your article mashAllah was beautifully written and you gave one of the most important reminders- always have an intention. In Hadith one of the famour 40 Hadith of Imam Nawawi says:

‎" Actions are ( judged) by motives ( niyayah, so each man will have what he intended. Thus he , whose migration ( Hijrah) was to Allah and His Messenger, his migration is to Allah and His Messenger; but he whose migration was for some worldly thing he might gain, of for a wife he might marry, his migration is that for which he migrated." Al Bukhari and Muslim). when I was in Tarim, there was not a single time, where the word intention was not mentioned. Actions are indeed by intentions and the intention has to come from the heart. So a reminder to myself first, whateever we do, before we embark on any journey or any task have the right intention, always only for Allah swt and always , as you mentioned in your article with the " Bismillah".

Habib Umar bin Hafiz mentioned ones to the nearest meaning :" Any action that starts without the Bismillah is corrupt of blessings. A deed is not a deed unless there is a pious intention".Before every action, we must have a true sound will. and intention. May Allah swt give us all the ability to not be negligent in remembering intentions and honesty. I am sorry for the longish comments, but I wanted to say that I have truly enjoyed your last three articles. MashAllah, May Allah swt reward you, sis, for giving such reminders, for dedicating ur time and effort in writing them. Ameen

 

My little boy Muhammad Hamza is now 5 months old and exclusively breastfed. InshAllah I will do my best to fast, but if I see that my breastmilk is being affected or that my health deteriorates then I will stop. At the end of the way we need to remember that above all Allah subhana wa Ta Allah is Ar-Rahman and nursing mums and also people with health problems such as Type 2 Diabetes are excluded from fasting. And we should not feel in anyway that just because we do not fast, Allah swt is not going to shower his Mercy on us . We can do so much ibada during this month-Night vigils, reading Quaran and inshAllah finishing a Khatam, Dhikr, extra nafl prayers, getting up for Suhr and preparing the Iftar for ur spouses or our parents, giving sadaqa and so much more.Two years ago , as my daughter was born 10 days before Ramadhan, I really thought that I will not be able to make the most of that blessed month, as it can be quite tiring with a newborn and constantly breast-feeding . I had to remind myself that I have a limit in regards to what I can achieve and I should be realistic in my goals rather than having some very high expectations. so the end result- I didnt do a Khatam of the Holy Quran, but I made sure during the day , I read a few ayas. Some nights I was not able to do Qiyamat Layl but alhamdullilah i observed the blessed 27th of Ramadhan. But above all I made sure that I honoured the rights of my child and my husband , and no matter how tired I was, even if my husband insisted not, I would make sure I get up and prepare the suhur( which can be very hard when you lack sleep) and always did my best to cook our own iftar, At the end of the day instead of throwing a whole banquet of samosas, spring rolls, ahne, dali borah etc, we always had milk, dates, a rice dish and some fruits and my hubby alahmaudllilah loved it.

 

So a reminder to all the nursing mums or people with health problems, lets not forget that just because we dont fast, we cannot do other ibadah during this special month. Have the right intention and make the most of this scared month. Dont just let it pass and then feel guilty about it. As scholars have said : if we only knew the blessings of this month, we would want every month to be Ramadhan. May Allah swt give us all the tawfeeq to make the most of the coming Ramadhan and inshAllah to bring us close to the Prophet Muhammad peace and blessings be upon him and ultimately to Allah subhana Wa Ta Alla. Ameen.

And sorry just another thought about Tarawih prayers. For the last two years I never did my Tarawih prayers in the masjid and I often felt very lonely or as if I am missing something or not making the most of Ramadhan in that aspect. I shared this with my husband and he reminded me that my Salah at home is far superior than Salat in the Masjid. Narrated Umm Humaid As-Sa’diyah who once said to the Prophet (SAW): Messenger of Allah (SAW)! I love to pray with you (i.e. in the mosque)! Upon hearing this, Allah’s Messenger (SAW) said:

"I know that you love to say your prayer with me. However, the prayer you offer in your residence is more excellent than that you offer in your people’s mosque. And your prayer in your people’s mosque is better for you than you prayer in the (lager) congregational mosque." (Abu Dawud; Musnad of Imaam Ahmad; & At-Tabarani)


And to be honest I think I had the wrong intention as well, which was very sad, I used to think that if I go to the masjid with my baby, I can meet other women as well and have a chit chat after our Tarawih prayers. Masjid=barakah tots playgroup. Before having children , I used to see always mums with their newborns in their carseats or toddlers and you could see that some of them really came for the chit chat and it was quite disturbing. Some sisters used the opportunity to show off the latest designer abayas from Dubai , especially for Ramadhan. Some sisters were not even able to perform their Tarawih prayers because their babies were crying , some due to hunger, some due to the uncomfortable car seat ( believe me you may think it is comfortable, but come on, it is not the same as their comfy cot bed, or moses basket). So alhamdullilah the solution for me was- praying at home without a disturbed routine for my child, without dragging her out at 10 pm,when most babies are asleep and as for my chit chat or catch up with the sisters, I did it during the day.

It’s all about intention

Preparation for Ramadan doesn’t mean that we have to do so much that it will exhaust us. As a mother of three I am already a bit worried but trying to keep my hopes high insha-Allah as things are made easy by Allah swt in this holy month. All the Satan are chained so the problem of waswasa (temptation from Satan) from them is not an issue, Alhamdulillah. We just need to control our own nafs insha-Allah. Some of my friends have tried fasting this month and they found it quite difficult. Actually they breastfeed as well so I can understand it must have been hard given the fast is quite a long one during this time. It’s almost 18-19 hours long! My third one is only two months old and totally breastfed. I was thinking of fasting during this month but now knowing the experience of my friends I am not sure whether I should fast. I am hoping when Ramadan comes it will definitely get easier insha-Allah. Allah swt never wants us to go through hardship for no reason. Nursing mothers can avoid fasting if it becomes very difficult for them and their babies. They can do the missed fasts later. But Insha-Allah my intention is to try fasting in Ramadan and see how it goes. May Allah swt make it easy for me and all the mothers out there to fast and get as much reward as possible insha-Allah.

Sometimes as mothers we tend to feel guilty that we are so busy looking after our family that we cannot do much spiritually during Ramadan. Acts like reciting the Qur’an, praying extra (nafl) salah, joining the taraweeh at the mosque become almost impossible. But we need to remember Allah swt has given us a great job of being a mother. It is indeed a very difficult and challenging task but the rewards are also enormous. Just seeing our children growing up gives us a great sense of achievement Alhamdulillah. As Muslims we are hoping that all the struggle and sacrifice we are making will eventually pay us in akhira, insha-Allah. Hopefully raising our children as good Muslims ‘khalifa of Allah swt’ will insha-Allah help us to please Allah swt and reach to jannah , our final destination! As parents if we make the intention to do every single task to please Allah swt then we will definitely get the reward for it insha-Allah! This is also worship. We as mothers are doing khidma (service) to our partners and children. Through serving them we are ultimately serving our Lord! Just remember to make the intention in your heart that you are doing everything just for Him, Allah swt and no one else. Allah swt doesn’t accept any deed which is done to please others or to show off others. Our intention needs to be very pure and sincere to be accepted by our Rabb , Allah swt. Insha-Allah every mundane action in Ramadan can become a great way to please Allah swt just by having the right intention.

That’s why I am hoping to say Bismillah before every action to remind me my intention. Moreover, saying Bismillah can help us gaining Baraka (blessing) in every act. May Allah swt purify our intention and help us in having the right intention for everything we do, ameen!

There is a beautiful nasheed done by  Native Deen called 'Intentions'. This always reminds me about having the right niyyah, mashallah. May allah swt reward the brothers!
                                                                   Are my Intentions alright?

Am I doing for Allah?

When I'm looking deep, deep down inside

Do I have the right niyyah?

Waking up in the morning, gotta make my prayer

Am I really gonna' make it, when there is no one there?

Taking trips to the masjid (mosque), even when it's tough

Am I going for the sake of Allah? Am I showing off?

Gonna' get me the knowledge, gonna study Islam

Am I going just to build my ego? so they call me “the Man”?

Does it matter if the people respect me, when its not for Allah?

When I know anytime He can take me, without one real du'a (prayer)

Does it matter if they say I'm a big shot?

when I get no reward for my deeds

And I'm dragged on the Day of Resurrection

Cause of the folks that I wanted to please

Plus I know that Allah has the power

To raise me up in their eyes if it need be

I should always make my intentions, for my Lord, Allah completely
[Chorous]

Are my Intentions alright?

Am I doing for Allah?

When I'm looking deep, deep down inside

Do I have the right niyyah?
Wearing thoubs with a kufi, kufi

Miswaks leather socks like the old days

Am I trying to follow the Prophet? or am I seeking praise?

Giving talks on Islam to people

I'd be quoting Hadith and Qur'an

Am I speaking so they like how I'm speaking? and they say I'm “the Bomb”

Donating to Islamic centers, giving money so the Deen can grow

Am I giving for the sake of Allah? or is it for show?

Many times I have found my intentions

Are not what I want them to be

I know I start on the right direction

But Shaitan starts talking to me

And I forget that without my niyyah, I'm just wasting my time

My intentions cannot bring the reward, when they're out of line

So I pray to Allah to help me, to do everything for Him only

Doesn't matter if the people despise me

Cause with Allah I can never be lonely

Yah Allah, accept this niyyah

Coming from young Muslims striving to be believers

So on the day, our deeds You'll measure. Know we only did this strictly for Your pleasure, Your pleasure

Your mercy, Your ajur (reward), Your Jannah (heaven), forever and ever and ever

And reward us for those who listen

Heeded to the message, changing their condition

And know that everything up until this point I've ever written

I submit as my repentance

And if its blessings You're sending my way

I beg You hold them to the judgement day

so maybe in Jannah you can look back and say...it was a lovely day, a lovely, a lovely day, yes a lovely day

Are my intentions, alright, am I doing for Allah

When I am looking deep deep down inside, do I have the right niyyah (intention)?
[Chorous]

Are my Intentions alright?

Am I doing for Allah?

When I'm looking deep, deep down inside

Do I have the right niyyah?

Modesty in Islam

Modesty is one of the most important characteristics of Islam. In fact modesty has been defined as a core quality of a Muslim. One aspect of modesty is hijab. Most of the time when we think or talk about hijab, it unconsciously or subconsciously makes us think about womens' external hijab i.e. the dress. But hijab is more than a piece of cloth and it doesn't just deal with Muslim women but also it must be followed by Muslim men. Mashallah I have really loved the short talk given by sister Muslema. I can't agree more with what she said. May Allah swt help us in gaining modesty in front Him, ameen.

Ramadan preparation

Bismillahir Rahmaneer Raheem

In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most Gracious

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullah wa barakatuhu my dear sisters and brothers,

Insha-Allah very soon the great month of Ramadan is approaching us. How much we are preparing to welcome this sacred month? We are told by our beloved last prophet Muhammad saw to supplicate to our Creator on a regular basis throughout the two months Rajab and Sha’ban to say Allahumma baariklana fee sha’ban wa rajab wa ballighna Ramadan which means O Allah bless us in Rajab and Sha’ban and enable us to reach Ramadan! The scholars have told us that if we really knew the blessings of Ramadan we wouldn’t waste a second of it! The companions of our beloved prophet Muhammad saw used to start preparing for Ramadan at least six months ahead of it. Unfortunately some of us have already missed that opportunity as we got only a month to prepare insha-Allah. Let us do our best to use the remaining days insha-Allah.

As a mother of three kids (under 3 and a half years) it is going to be a difficult project for me but insha-Allah I hope to do as much as possible. To get myself motivated and note down all the things I will be doing, I have started this blog post called 'Ramadan preparation'. Mashallah there are so many books, articles, podcast and what not on internet to prepare for Ramadan. Alhamdulillah lot of programmes on TV are based on Ramadan too. I hope to soak up as much info as possible and share it with you all. Do join me on my journey to get well-prepared for the great month insha-Allah. I hope to hear from you and your suggestions insha-Allah. May Allah swt grant us all a very special Ramadan full of blessings, ameen!

As part of this project, today I have listened to a beautiful talk by Imam Shuhaib on Ramadan and changing oneself. He talked about purification of soul, the tajkiyatun nafs and the importance of having a good character/ akhlaq i.e. good adab. We are living in an age where only few people are blessed with a good akhlaq. Just having knowledge is not enough. Allah swt says in the Qur’an, the successful one is the one who purifies his/her soul. Nothing will benefit us on the day of judgement except a pure soul. The month of Ramadan should be used as a tool to purify our soul. They shaykh suggests that we should plan a daily routine to read, recite and study the Quran, the sunnah and do zikr of Allah swt. There is an amazing book written/translated by Shaykh Hamza Yusuf called ‘Purification of the heart’. I love reading this book. Insha-Allah I will share some thoughts from this book in my future posts.

Another good nasheed artist

Mashallah Ahmed Hussain's I turn to You is a beautiful nasheed. Sometimes I love listening to this nasheed. The lyrics are quite good mashallah. There is also a nasheed in urdu 'Aye Khuda' mashallah that's also quite good if you understand urdu :-)

'I Turn to You'

'Aye Khuda'

Wajid Akhtar feat Ahmad Hussain - I Need Your Help

Children of the world

Ahmad Hussain was born in November 1981. He is the founder and owner of Iqra Promotions. He started working in the mainstream industry at a very young age and had high ambitions to move forward in the music industry, until he was met with many challenges in his life.It was at this crucial stage in his career that Ahmad was met with a tragic death in his family. He lost his sister at the tender age of 28, who died suddenly while participating in a sporting activity. This prompted Ahmad to question his own life and he began searching for answers through the Deen of Islam. Alhamdulilah by the grace of the Almighty, Ahmad decided that he would no longer associate himself with the mainstream industry.He began looking into Islam more deeply and found the inner peace and tranquility he had been searching for in the material and false world of fame and fortune. Ahmad became very inspired by the first revelation which came down via angel Gabriel to the Prophet Muhammad (SAW), in the cave of Hira in Makkah. The message was clear “IQRA” (Read).In 2004 Ahmad began work to set up a chain of Islamic outlets to propagate Islam. He also set up Iqra Promotions, a medium by which he could promote Artists who share & express the same values. In 2006 He met with Kamal Uddin and produced Kamal Uddin’s album “Illallah, which has gained success and acclaim internationally. In 2008 he produced and featured on, Inspirational album “Show me the way” by Wajid Akhtar.Ahmad released his first single in 2009 entitled “Aye Khuda” . In July 2010 Ahmad released his Debut album “I Turn to You” along with the new video entitled 'Children of the World'.

Wisdom is the refinding of innocence

Songs of innocence is a beautiful nasheed done by Talib Al-Habib. This one is one of my favourite nasheeds. Mashallah he has done a great job. It is essentially the dua of a parent sung for and to their children as they lie asleep, and incorporates nasiha (sincere counselling) such as, 'remember this: wisdom is the refinding of innocence.' The 'songs of innocence' refer to the dhikr, sung as a lullaby.


Songs of Innocence

chorus

Allahu Allahu La ilaha illa Hu

And I sing my songs of innocence

To you my precious child as you lay on your bed

With your sleepy eyes and your heavy head

Rest and dream in peace till morning comes again

I will sing my songs of innocence

I will sing my songs of innocence

And I sing my songs of innocence

As I watch you sleep, think what may lie ahead.

So many the roads that before you spread

Take the way, my child, to the Beloved Friend

Lead a life of truth and innocence

The way of sunnah, the path of the Prophet

Let your words be echoes of his sentences

Let your deeds be shadows of his radiance.

And though the world outside seems cold and hard

And you may feel like you are wandering alone

Do not fear, do not grieve, in Allah place your belief

In his remembrance your heart will find its peace

And I gaze at you in wonderment

How your heart is filled with innocence.

You'll never know the joy you bring to me

How your touch and smile dispel my every grief

May you never lose your innocence

With life's bittersweet experience

And when the time comes, remember this:

Wisdom is the refinding of innocence.

Now you're breathing easy, I must call an end

I have sung my song of innocence

And if our paths should never cross again

May God's peace and mercy upon you descend

We will meet at the gathering of innocence

At al-Kauthar, the fount of abundance

By the Prophet's hand may our thirst be quenched

We will be with him, and we will be content

Salallahu `alayhi wa alihi

Peace and blessings on him and his family

And all who follow in his blessed way

You and I, my child, may we among them be

You and I, my child, may we among them be

Will you help me learn of innocence?

Sing a song of love and innocence

Will you help me find my way back home?

Will you fill my heart with innocence?

May I come to you an innocent?

Let me sing my song of innocence.

Allah SWT is the best of planners!

On Monday around midnight my contractions started. I got quite excited, and started noting down the time of each contraction. I did my Isha salah and felt like it might be my last one so did as much duas as possible. I started breathing deeply through each contraction. By 2 o'clock I was quite sure this is definitely contraction and told my husband to wake up. I was too excited getting all the towels, plastic sheet, baby clothes etc out. I called my friend to come over just in case we need to rush to the hospital. My children (3 & 2 years) were sleeping quite peacefully so we didn't want to disturb them. By fajr time I was still in pain but not sign of show or water breaking! I felt quite disappointed but kept using my birth ball and read duas and deep breathing. DH didn't want to go to work but I told him it may take some time before I am in established labour so there is no point missing work. I sent my friend back and told her I will call if I need her. Around 9 in the morning my mum called to tell me she is on her way to my place with my youngest sister. My dad dropped them off before going to work. I didn't want them to worry so I didn't tell them I was having contractions. But by 11 the pain was quite bad so I went to have a warm bath. It did relax me a lot alhamdulillah. However when the contractions were coming back every 10 minutes it was really painful, no matter how warm the water was, I was feeling every bit of it! I called my midwife and asked her whether I should go to the hospital. She said to come when the contractions are five minutes apart. It just sounded so stupid. She said not to come as my ones were 10 minutes apart! I went to the bath again just to ease my pain. At 11:30 my water broke! As soon as the water broke, I felt huge pressure around the cervix. I just couldn’t lie down anymore. I called the ambulance, alhamdulillah had my mobile with me :-) the 999 lady said not to cross my legs and move from the bath. I told my mum to put the plastic sheets and the towels on my bedroom floor and move my children downstairs and don't come to my room. The 999 lady was asking me to get somebody there to help me deliver the baby but I just didn't want my mum or my friend to be there seeing me delivering my baby! Alhamdulillah I managed to get dressed and run to the bedroom. Got my mobile on speaker and followed the instructions given by the 999 lady. Her name is Abbey. May Allah swt bless you Abbey! :-)

I felt the top of the head at 11:35 and tried to press softly upward to avoid tearing as it gives time for the cervix to stretch. My baby's head felt quite big that's why I didn't want to lie down. The lady was asking me to lie down on my back but I was confident that squatting is the best position for me to give birth. I saw my baby's head coming out in the cupboard mirror in front of me. That was the ‘transition’ moment for me! The pain was really excruciating, I screamed really loud as I felt like I am going to explode!!! Within seconds my baby's head and then body was out. Then I sat down and held him close to my chest, alhamdulillah the cord was not around the neck and I used the towels to clean him! The 999 lady said now I can just wait for the paramedics to arrive and do the rest. My baby cried as soon as he was out and that was a big relief. So at 11:40 my baby was born Alhamdulillah. I was shaking but I was feeling so relieved as well thinking it's over now! I had a real natural birth alhamdulillah. My prayers were answered! I delivered my placenta naturally as well as I declined having any injection to speed up the process. I cut the cord as well. The midwives arrived in half an hour to do the rest and alhamdulillah I was also able to start breastfeeding just right after birth. I still can't believe what a birth experience I had subhanallah! I have been reading a lot about natural birth, homebirth, unassisted birth, hypno-birth, birth within techniques, etc. I did believe lot of the concepts but wasn't sure whether I would be able to implement the lessons. I kept making dua to Allah swt as I really wanted a very natural birth. I hated my hospital birth and wanted to avoid it at any cost. The second birth was also at home but the paramedics delivered my daughter for me. It was exactly two years ago. Alhamdulillah this time Allah swt made it possible for me to deliver again at home quite safely. I am also very lucky to have a very supportive partner who trusts me and respects my wishes. I am so glad to have my baby at home. Homebirth is the best Alhamdulillah! I am truly a believer now! Insha-Allah I will do reviews of all the books I have been reading through out my pregnancy as well as all the great sites, blogs, youtube videos I have been watching to learn about natural birth. I also would like to thank all my readers and friends for their prayers and best wishes. I am very lucky to have wonderful people like you in my life alhamdulillah! Jazakallah khairan :-)