The best days of the year

Alhamdulillah , all praise to our Rabb, the great month of Dhul hijjah is going to approach us very soon inshAllah. This is the last month of the Islamic year and the well-known month of pilgrimage to Makkah. There are so many acts of Ibadah we can perform to get closer to our Rabb, bi'idnillah.

In 2006 I was invited by my Rabb subhanahu wa ta'ala to perform my hajj Alhamdulillah. I was very moved by the whole experience. Never before in my life I have felt so moved and shaken and felt the amazing sweetness of Imaan (the feeling of closeness and firm belief in Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala) Subhanallah! Whenever I used to come across this term ‘sweetness of Imaan’ I could not really understand what that really meant. Going to hajj and being so close to my Lord, I was able to experience that wonderful feeling so deeply in my heart for the first time. I felt I was full of energy to worship Allah more eagerly and in various ways but unfortunately within the couple of months after returning from hajj my motivation become weaker and weaker, which sometimes made me feel empty and disenchanted with my life. I have heard from other hajjis that they also went through the same phase after their return from hajj.

Our society and its busy pace delude us into believing that we have too many things to do and worry about. Life becomes so busy that we tend to forget that as a spiritual being apart from food and drink we also need spiritual nourishment to preserve the integrity and peace of our soul and body. 

Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala as our creator knows what we need to feel the peace in our heart. We need to get closer to Him through His worship. So we are getting a great chance to renew and boost our faith as the holy month of Dhul Hijja is coming very soon. He is so merciful to us. Ramadan just left us and once again we are given another chance to renew our faith for His sake. Let us do our best to reap as much benefit as possible from this great month.

Usually we as Muslims tend to regard the month of Dhul Hijja as a month exclusively significant for pilgrims as they have to embark upon a great journey to Makkah and perform all the rituals recommended during hajj i.e. staying in Mina, ‘Arafah, Mujdalifa , stoning , sacrificing an animal, doing tawaf and sa’y bewen Safa and Marwa and so on. Although the remaining Muslims around the world celebrate the Eid ul Adha and sacrifice animal, most of the times these are the only action done with lots of enthusiasm. 

We tend to forget that this great month has been blessed tremendously by Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. The first ten days of Dhul Hijjah are regarded as the best days of the year. Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says in the Qur'ân:

"By the dawn and by the ten nights … " [Al-Qur'ân 89:1-2]

Ibn Kathîr said that "the ten nights" referred to here are the ten days of Dhul-Hijjah, and this opinion was also held by Ibn Abbâs, Ibn az-Zubair, Mujâhid and others. 

Moreover, Allah says:
" … and remember the name of Allah in the appointed days." [Al-Qur'ân 2:203]

Ibn Abbâs and Ibn Kathîr said this means in the ten days of Dhul-Hijjah.

If we ponder upon the Sunnah of our beloved prophet Muhammad sallallahu alaihe wa sallam, we can find more evidence on the superiority of the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah.

Ibn `Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) 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 said, “Not even Jihad for the sake of Allah, except in the case of a man who went out, giving himself and his wealth up for the cause (of Allah), and came back with nothing.” (Reported by Al-Bukhari)

`Abdullah ibn `Umar (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “There are no days greater in the sight of Allah and in which righteous deeds are more beloved to Him than these ten days, so during this time recite a great deal of tahlil [saying: 'there is no god but Allah'], takbir [saying 'God is great'] and tahmid [praising God].” (Reported by Ahmad)

This sacred month gives us a great opportunity to strengthen our faith and become better Muslims. Let us prepare ourselves with best of plan to welcome this month with lots of enthusiasm Insha-Allah. Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala is so merciful to us that He through His messenger sallallahu alaihe wa sallam has also shown us the best of the ways we can worship Him. Therefore let us learn and practice those golden rules to please Allah subhanahu swa ta'ala. 

Actions we can perform and hopefully gain Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala’s pleasure Insha-Allah:

Although Hajj and Umrah are the best deeds performed in Dhul-Hijjah here I would like to concentrate on Muslims who are not going for hajj and umrah.

1. Fasting the First Nine Days, Especially the Day of `Arafah (9th of Dhul Hijjah) 

It is recommended to fast during the first nine days of Dhu’l Hijja. The tenth day is the day of Eid, and is prohibitively disliked and sinful to fast this day. However, if someone is not able to do the entire nine days of fasting then they should at least try to fast on the day of ‘Arafah which is the ninth day of Dhul Hijjah as it is a sunnah of our beloved prophet sallallhu alaihe wa sallam. 

The Day of `Arafah is regarded as the best day of the whole year. 

It has been narrated by Abu Qatada (Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace be upon him, his family, and companions) said, “Fasting the Day of `Arafah [9th of Dhu’l Hijjah ] expiates the [minor] sins of two years: a past one and a coming one.” [Reported by Muslim, Abu Dawud, Nasa’i, and Ibn Majah]

Allah chose fasting for Himself from all the good deeds, as is stated in the Hadeeth Qudsee: “All the deeds of the son of Adam are for him, except for fasting, which is for Me and I am the One Who will reward him for it.” [Saheeh al-Bukharee (1085)] 

2. Saying the Takbir as much as possible Insha-Allah: 

It is Sunnah to say takbir, tahmid, tahlil, and tasbih during the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah, and to say it loudly in the mosque, the home, the street and every place where it is permitted to remember Allah SWT and mention His name out loud, as an act of worship and as a proclamation of the greatness of Allah, may He be exalted. Men should recite these phrases out loud, and women should recite them quietly. Allah says: (That they might witness things that are of benefit to them (i.e., reward of Hajj in the Hereafter, and also some worldly gain from trade, etc.), and mention the name of Allah on appointed days, over the beast of cattle that He has provided for them (for sacrifice)... ) (Al-Hajj 22: 28) The majority of scholars agree that the "appointed days" are the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah, because of the words of ibn `Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him and his father): "The ‘appointed days’ are the first ten days (of Dhul-Hijj ah)."

The takbir should be pronounced loudly by men, in order to revive the Sunnah and as a reminder to the negligent. There is sound evidence that ibn `Umar and Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with them both) used to go out in the marketplace during the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah, reciting takbir, and the people would recite it after him. The idea behind reminding the people to recite this is that each one should recite it individually, not in unison, as there is no basis in Shari`ah for doing this.

The transmitted wording of takbir is: “Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, la Ilaha illa Allah; Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, walillah al-hamd” (Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest. There is no god but Allah; Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest, and all praise is due to Allah). 

According to Sheikh Yusuf Al-Qaradawi, there are two types of takbir in Dhul-Hijjah: unrestricted takbir and restricted takbir. Unrestricted takbir is applicable at any time or place, from the first of Dhul-Hijjah until the days of `Eid. Hence, a man can make takbir in the roads, markets, in Mina, and also when people meet each other. All these are occasions for unrestricted takbir.

Restricted takbir, on the other hand, is restricted to the time following every obligatory prayer, especially if it is offered in congregation, as most scholars restrict it. This type of takbir also includes takbir in the place of `Eid Prayer, on the way to it and while one is sitting around waiting for the `Eid prayer

3. Offering a Sacrifice: 

One of the good deeds that will bring a person closer to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala during these ten days is offering a sacrifice. According to Sheikh M. S. Al-Munajjid, a prominent Saudi Muslim lecturer and author, the one who wants to offer a sacrifice must stop cutting his hair and nails and removing anything from his skin, from the beginning of the ten days until after he has offered his sacrifice, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When you see the new moon of Dhul-Hijjah, if any one of you wants to offer a sacrifice, then he should stop cutting his hair and nails until he has offered his sacrifice."

However, if a person does any of these things deliberately, he must seek Allah’s forgiveness but is not required to offer (an extra) sacrifice in expiation. Whoever needs to remove some hair, nails, etc., because it harms him, such as having a broken nail or a wound in a site where there is hair, should do so and there is nothing wrong with that. 

4. Studying the Qur’an with meaning and tafseer (explanation):

Through studying the Quran we can seek true knowledge of our faith and strengthen our belief with conviction. Sadly we tend to miss this great chance to educate ourselves with proper knowledge of Islam through mere recitation and not really giving importance to the meaning of this divine book. If we really like to change our poor condition and become better Muslims then only through learning Allah’s message explained in the Qur’an we can achieve our destination. Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala loves the learned Muslims and makes their path to learning easy and blessed. According to sunnah, if Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala wants to do good to a person, He makes him or her comprehend the religion (the understanding of the Qur’an and the Sunnah of our beloved prophet sallallahu alaihe wa sallam) It has been said that the best among Muslims is the one who learns the Qur’an and teaches it to others.

5. Recitation and memorization of the Qur’an:

We should also try to recite the Qur'an and try to memorize it to the best of our abilities Insha-Allah. According to the sunnah, every letter of the Quran brings us reward so we should try our best to make the reading as well as following the instructions of this holy book a daily habit Insha-Allah. We can start through the ten days of Dhul Hijjah Insha-Allah.

Narrated by Abu Musa RAW, the prophet SAW said, “The example of a believer who recites the Qur’an and acts on it, is like a citron which tastes nice and smells nice. And the example of a believer who does not recite the Qur’an but acts on it is like a date which tastes good but has no smell. And the example of a hypocrite who recites the Qur’an is like a Raihana (sweet basil) which smells good but tastes bitter. And the example of a hypocrite who does not recite the Qur’an is like a colocynth which tastes bitter and has a bad smell.” [6:579- O.B Al-Bukhari]

6. Being kind and dutiful to our parents and relatives:

Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala has ordered us to be good to our parents and do our best to please them as long as they do not tell us to be disobedient to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. Our parent’s satisfaction  is very crucial for us as without their blessing we cannot achieve closeness of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala in our life. Moreover, being nice to our relatives and helping them whenever they need us are also recommended by Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala quite strongly through out the Qur'an and the teachings of our beloved prophet sallallahu alaihe wa sallam. So let us be nice and helpful to our parents and relatives for His sake, inshAllah.

7. Performing plenty of voluntary prayers during the days and nights of Dhul Hijjah:

In addition to the five daily prayers, there are different types of voluntary prayers. Voluntary prayers are recommended by our beloved prophet sallallahu alaihe wa sallam as these sorts of prayers bring us closer to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. We can pray the Salatut Tawbah, Salatut Tasbeeh, Salat al-Israq, Salat at-Duha, Salat al-Awwabin , Salat at-Tahajjud and so on. 

8. Making lots of tawbah (repentance):

We should make sincere tawbah (Repentance) to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala as repentance means coming back to Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala. When a Muslim combines repentance with good deeds during the most virtuous days, this is a sign of his success. Allah says: “But as for him who repented, believed and did righteous deeds, then he will be among those who are successful.” [Soorah al-Qasas (28): 67] 

I would like to share with you a wonderful dua for repentance. Narrated by Shaddad Bin Aus RAW, the prophet SAW said, “The most superior way of asking for forgiveness from Allah SWT is:

Allahumma anta Rabbi , la ilaaha illa anta. Anta khalaqtani wa ana ‘abduka , wa ana ’ala ‘ahdikaa wa wa’dika mastata’tu. A’udhu bika min sharri ma sana’tu, abuu laka bini’matika ‘alaiya, wa abuu laka bidhanbi faghfirli fa innahu la yaghfiru adhdhunuba illa Anta.” which means 
“O Allah, You are my Lord! None has the right to be worshipped but You. You created me and I am Your slave and I am faithful to my covenant and my promise (to You) as much as I can. I seek refuge with You from all the evil I have done. I acknowledge before You all the blessings You have bestowed upon me, and I confess to You all my sins. So I entreat You to forgive my sins, for nobody can forgive sins except You.” 

The prophet SAW added: “If somebody recites it during the day with firm faith in it and dies on the same day before the evening, he will be from the people of Jannah; and if somebody recites it at night with firm faith in it and dies before the morning, he will be from the people of jannah.” ( Sahih Al-Bukhari, vol.8 hadith no.318) 

9. Giving Charity (Sadaqah):

Charity is central to a Muslim's life. Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala loves the act of charity. Even smiling to our fellow Muslims is regarded as a charity. Helping the needy and poor people around the world can strengthen our faith and Insha-Allah will make us better Muslims. The Qur'an encourages the Muslim to donate their money: “The likeness of those who spend their wealth in the way of Allah, is as the likeness of a grain that sprouts seven spikes. In every spike there are hundred grains, and Allah multiplies for whom He will' (2:261). Giving charity is thereby not seen as detracting from income, but rather as a multiplication in terms of spiritual observance. It is like one who sows a good grain of wheat in the field from which grows a plant on which sprout seven ears and each ear yields hundred grains. As a result, one grain was worth a total yield of 700 grains. When one spends in the way of Allah, he or she receives in return (reward in the Hereafter) on the scale of one to seven hundred. Subahanallah!

10. Attending the Salaat al-Eid and the Khutbah:

The tenth of Dhul-Hijjah is `Eid Al-Adha or the day of An-Nahr (slaughtering). It marks the conclusion of the major rites of Hajj, and commemorates Allah’s bounty on His Messenger Ibrahim Alaihes salam when He gave him a ram to sacrifice as ransom for his son Isma`il, peace and blessing be upon him. 

"The day of Al-Fitr [i.e. `Eid Al-Fitr], the day of An-Nahr, and the days of Tashriq are `Eid days for us Muslims. They are days of eating and drinking." [Ahmad, An-Nasa’i, Sahih Al-Jami` #8192] 

The three days following `Eid Al-Adha, while the pilgrims complete their rites, Muslims continue with their `Eid celebrations, and are prohibited to fast. "The days of Tashriq are days of eating, drinking and mentioning Allah." [Muslim] 

Attending the Salaat al-Eid and the Khutbah are recommended not just for men. The Muslim women should try to perform the prayer too as it has been stressed by our beloved prophet SAW. For the sake of unity and celebrating this great day, He sallallahu alaihe salam even asked the menstruating women to come to the mosque but of course keep a distance from the actual prayer area. 

Therefore, we can perform lots of righteous deed during the first ten days of Dhul Hijjah. It is better to write our plan in a diary and try to get enough preparation done in order to welcome the great month of Dhul Hijjah and get the blessings of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. Our ultimate goal is to please our Lord Allah . May Allah give us success in these blessed days and nights, and in every moment of our lives, to follow the path of the Prophet (Allah SWT bless him & give him peace), and may He make us of those whom He loves and who love Him.

Hayati Kullu Ha Lillah

Our children are learning this nasheed below so that they can understand a bit more Arabic. I am also learning the song with them. I hope very soon we will be able to sing the song on our own, bi'idnillah.
You can listen to the nasheed here. 

حياتى كلها لله .. فلا مولى لنا الاه 
My life is all for Allah...for there is no Lord but Him
احب الله جل علاه .. ومن حبى له اخشاه 
I love Allah, and from this love I humble myself
**********************************
اصون النفس احميها .. بنور الله اهديها 
I protect the 'self' and look after it, with God's light I guide it
بحب الله اسقيها .. لتفرح عندما تلقاه 
With the love of God I water it, so that when it can be joyful upon meeting Him
حياتى كلها لله .. حياتى كلها لله 
My life is all for Allah
**********************************
اذا ما الحب لم يسبى .. فؤاد المؤمن الصب
If love didnt fill the believers heart
فوا اسفاه على القلب .. لان الزيف قد غشاه 
Then pity the heart, because glitter has fooled him
حياتى كلها لله .. حياتى كلها لله 
My life is all for Allah
**********************************
يقيني بين جنبيا .. واسعى بالهدى سعيا
My conviction is with me, and I look for guidance 
كفانى اننى احيا .. وامضى فى سبيل الله 
It is enough that I am alive and living for the sake of God
حياتى كلها لله .. حياتى كلها لله 
My life is all for Allah
***********************************
اذا جادت ليا الدنيا ... واسقتنى المنى ريا
If life tempted me 
ستبقى بين كفيا .. ويبقى خافقى لله
It will stay between my hands, and my beats for Him 
حياتى كلها لله .. حياتى كلها لله
My life is all for Allah

Qur'an time: Surah Al-Insaan

I hope to keep studying the Qur'an through out the year, not just in Ramadan. Everyday I hope to read one surah (one chapter) of the Qura'n and try to study/listen to the explanation bi'idnillah. Today it's going to be surah Al-Insaan.

Tafsir of surah Al-Insaan

This is a surah revealed in Makkah before prophet Muhammad Sallallahu alaihe Wa Sallam's migration to Madinah. The Theme of the surah is to inform us the mankind, our true position in the world and to tell us that if we really understood our true position rightly and adopted the attitude of gratefulness, we would meet with such and such good end. Some amazing facts about jannah are mentioned in this surah. And the people who will not be grateful, for them awaits a great punishment. [ "Indeed, We have prepared for the disbelievers chain and shackles and a blaze."76:4]

In this surah, first of all man has been reminded that there was a time when she was nothing; then a humble beginning of her was made with a mixed drop of sperm and ovum of which even her mother was not aware. 

"Has there [not] come upon man a period of time when he was not a thing [even] mentioned?

Indeed, We created man from a sperm drop mixture that We may try him; and We made him hearing and seeing. Indeed, We guided him to the way, be he grateful or be ungrateful." [Surah 76:1-3]

I found some beautiful description of Jannah. May Allah subhananhu wa ta'ala give us the tawfeeq to get there with family and friends and all the Muslims, ameen!

"Indeed, the righteous will drink from a cup of wine whose mixture is of Kaafuur (a sweet-smelling spring in Paradise). A spring of which the righteous servants of Allah will drink; they will make it gush forth in force and abundance." [Surah 76:5-6]

So, who are the people Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala mentions here?

"They [are those who] fulfill [their] vows and fear a Day whose evil will be widespread. And they give food in spite of love for it (the meaning may be, out of love for Him) to the needy, the orphan and the captive, (saying) "We feed you only for the countenance of Allah. We wish not from you reward or gratitude. Indeed, We fear from our Lord a Day austere and distressful." [Surah 76:7-10]

So these are the qualities of people of paradise. Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala promises them to reward them on the Day. "So Allah will protect them from the evil of the Day and give them radiance and happiness and will reward them for what they patiently endured [with] a garden in paradise and silk garments.

They will be reclining therein on adorned couches. They will not see therein any [burning] Sun or [freezing] cold. And near above them are its shades, and its fruits to be picked will be lowered in compliance. And there will be circulated among them vessels of silver and cups having been created clear as glass. Clear glasses [made] from silver of which they have determined the measure. And they will be given to drink a cup of wine whose mixture is of ginger. [From] a fountain within it[ i.e, Paradise] named Salsabeel. 

There will circulate among them young boys made eternal. When you see them , you would think them [as beautiful as] scattered pearls. And when you look there [in Paradise], you will see pleasure and great dominion. Upon them [i.e, the inhabitants] will be green garments of fine silk (in layers) and brokade. And they will be adorned with bracelets of silver and their Lord will give them a purifying drink."  [76: 11-21]

All of these are rewards from our Lord. "[And it will be said, "Indeed, this is for you a reward and your effort has been appreciated." " [76:22]

Then, our Rabb mentions what a great Book He has blessed us with! Indeed, it is We have sent down to you [O Muhammad], the Qur'an progressively." [76:23]

This is indeed a huge blessing for us. Without the Qur'an we would have been totally lost. We wouldn't have had any clue of why we are here and what is the way forward for us. But this Book  also comes with a heavy responsibility. This is not just an ordinary book! It's a Book of guidance from our Lord and we are obliged to follow it on a daily basis. We are not even allowed to pick and choose from the rulings of this Book. We have to follow all of it wholeheartedly. And that's not an easy task. Allah tells us in this surah how we can cope with this huge responsibility. We must have sabr (patience) and always be conscious of our Lord through prayers especially during the early morning and the evening. 

"So be patient for the decision of you Lord and do not obey from among them a sinner or ungrateful disbeliever. And mention the name of your Lord [in prayer] morning and evening and during the night prostrate to Him and exalt Him a long part of the night. [76: 24-26]

As we can see, night prayers are very crucial part of our faith. It's not just for Ramadan in the form of taraweeh prayers. We really need to strive to get up at night and pray for our Lord's Pleasure, bi'idnillah. The imam I was listening to mentioned that this also means that we need to do our daily dua/supplications after dawn prayer and the night prayers before going to sleep. 'Fortress of the Muslim' is a great book in this regard. 

Another crucial lesson I have learnt from this surah is the fact that guidance only comes from Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. He is in control and can shower His Mercy to whoever He wants. There are some people who think that everything is in our hand and we can do whatever we want. But Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says at the end of this surah: 

"Indeed, this is a reminder, so he who wills may take to his Lord a way. And you do not will except that Allah wills. Indeed, Allah is ever Knowing and Wise. He admits whom He wills into His mercy; but the wrongdoers- He has prepared for them a painful punishment." [76: 29-31]

The translation is shared from The Qur'an : Saheeh International Translation [The Qur'an Project]

I have been listening to the explanation of surah Al-Insaan by Imam Abdul Qaiyyum of East London Mosque. It's in Bengali . So much to learn from this amazing surah! 

Part 1    Part 2    Part 3   Part 4

Ramadan is gone, now what..

Bismillah

Last week on Thursday we celebrated Eid ul fitr alhamdulillah which means this year Ramadan was 29 days for us. We went to the park near us where we prayed the Eid salah with the local Muslims, alhamdulillah. The day and night before Eid is always a very sad time for me. I know for sure that as soon as Ramadan leaves us, it will be quite difficult to worship Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala so intensely like Ramadan. May Allah accept our humble deeds in Ramadan and forgive us for our shortcomings through out the year, ameen! May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala enable us to witness lots of Ramadan in our life, ameen! 

This year Ramadan has been quite a hectic one for me, given my kids are a bit older and very demanding. I normally went to sleep after 4/4:30 but had to get up by 7:30/8 as kids were already wide awake! Lack of sleep made me quite tired and exhausted. If I compare my Ramadan this year with all the other Ramadan I was lucky to have in my life, this year praying Taraweeh was very hard. I think I hardly did that many prayers after Isha prayer. When I woke up at 2 am, I was more alert and were able to be awake till 4, alhamdulillah. The night prayers I have managed to do during this time is just priceless. No kids disturbing, so peaceful mashAllah. I am sure I will miss that very much. This year I put more effort in reading the Qur'an, alhamdulillah and I hope I can carry on through out the year, bi'idnillahi ta'ala.

So, how can I carry on the Ramadan feelings now after it has gone? I try to remind myself that Ramadan is a special month and nothing can replace it. No other month can be so amazing and full of baraka like this sacred month. Like the shahaba ( companions of our beloved prophet sallallahu alaihe wa sallam) we can pray and ask our Lord for six months to accept our humble deeds performed during Ramadan and six months before the next Ramadan we can start preparing and ask our Lord to let us witness the next Ramadan.

Also, we can carry on fasting some days every month to keep up this particular form of worship bi'idnillah. Our beloved prophet sallallahu alaihe wa sallam used to fast every Mondays and Thursdays. He also used to keep fasts in the middle of the month (lunar one), 13, 14 and 15th of every month. As you know, this is the month of Shawwal when fasting six days are highly recommended by our prophet. If someone fasts the whole of ramadan and fasts six days of Shawwal, it will be like fasting for the whole year! Subhanallah who can afford to miss this great opportunity to gain closer to Allah subhana wa ta'ala?! I have to fast 12 days during this month. Due to illness, I missed 6 during Ramadan so I must make that up first inshAllah. Then I hope to do the six of Shawwal bi'idnillah.

Ramadan Reflections: Day 29 ( Last day)

Bismillah... In the Name of Allah the Most Merciful

Today is the last day of Ramadan. I know I should be glad that it's Eid tomorrow. But I am sad that Ramadan has just left us. This was a great month to feel more closer to my Lord. I am tuned into Ramadan TV watching the fund raising event by iERA. Brother Hamza was saying that Ramadan is the time when you find yourself. Allah subhana wa ta'ala says in the Qur'an that the people who forget Allah, Allah makes them forget themselves. Subhanallah what a profound statement! During Ramadan we are so busy with the worship of Allah, that our life becomes so meaningful mashAllah. It all bogs down to the fact that we truly realize during Ramadan, what our purpose is ! And that is to worship our Lord. That's the one and only reason He subhanahu wa ta'ala has created us for! O Allah, please give us the ability to worship You with this realization through out the year and through out our life, ameen, ameen, ameeen! 

As soon as Ramadan leaves us, we feel the hardship in worshiping Allah subhana wa ta'ala. We can easily pray so many raka' of prayers during the nights of Ramadan, and when Ramadan is gone, praying only two raka' extra becomes a struggle! During Ramadan we can recite the Qur'aan ( most of the time 20 pages! ) every day but when this month is gone, reading one page a day seems like a huge task! 

Satan is out now, must be busy in ruining our lives. This month was the month of reflection for us. A month to get properly trained so that the rest of the year we can fight back our enemy , Satan and our enemy within, the nafs ( negative bits of it) . Let us remind ourselves that Ramadan is gone but the Lord of Ramadan is here and will be here with us forever, inshAllah. 

Let us ask our Lord to help us in fighting our ego and Satan with the best of our abilities. Without His help we cannot achieve anything in life. If we feel kind of proud that we have worshiped Allah so much during this month, we must remind ourselves that nothing is possible without Allah's help. We done everything because of Him. He made it possible for us. There are plenty of people around us who also had the opportunity of witnessing Ramadan, but they didn't fast or even pray ! Only Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala guides and gives us the ability to listen to Him. I love this small dua, La Hawla Wa Laa Quwwata Illah Billah. There is no power  or might without Allah's Help. We cannot do anything good without His help and we cannot save ourselves from sins without His help. This tiny but such a powerful dua keeps us grounded. May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala accept our humble deeds during this great month, ameen! May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala help us in leading a righteous life through out the year! May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala enable us to witness more Ramadan in future, Ameen! Please keep me and my family in your precious duas.

تَقَبَّلَ لله مِنَّا وَ مِنْكُمْ وَ اَحَالَ الله عَلَيْكَ 

Taqabbal'Allahu minna wa minkum!

May Allah subhanahu wa taala accept our fasting, our Qiyam (night prayer), our reading of the Quran, our charitable acts and all our Ibadah (acts of worship) that we committed for the sake and pleasure of Allah alone. May Allah forgive our sins and all our shortcomings.
May Allah make us steadfast and righteous and allow us the blessings to see another Ramadan.

Ameen! 

Ramadan Reflections: Day 28

Bismillah... In  the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful

2 or 1 day left till the Eid inshAllah. Today quite a lot of people were sharing news about the possibility of Eid happening tomorrow! This is first time in my life I came across this dilemma. Apparently, sometimes moon sighting may go wrong and we can end up fasting only 28 days. If that happens, we are supposed to fast the missed day after Eid. As it was quite cloudy in Saudi during the month of Sha'abaan, they couldn't see the moon. Today they tried to witness the Eid moon, but couldn't find it. Alhamdulillah I am really glad that we will be fasting tomorrow. I just hope Eid is on Friday inshAllah so that we can have 30 days of fasts. Ramadan is an amazing opportunity for us earn the pleasure of our Lord. That's why the more fast we have to do, the better. May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala enable us to do our best during the remaining hours of Ramadan, ameen!

Sheikh Omer Suleiman has shared a beautiful reminder today through Facebook. I hope to follow his great tips, bi'idnillahi wa ta'ala and finish strong inshAllah! May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala reward him for his excellent efforts, ameen! Through out the Ramadan I really benefited from his brilliant work, mashAllah. 

‪#‎RamadanResolution‬ Day 28 (Finish Strong)

Depending on what part of the world you are in, you have anywhere from 1-3 days left of Ramadan. Many of us have regrets that we didn’t make the most of it. We may have had nights where we didn’t wake up for Qiyam, days in which we didn’t control our tongues properly, or spans of Ramadan in which we slacked off with our Quran reading. But now is not the time to cry. Nor is it the time to splurge in Eid shopping and act like the month is over. Reflect on this wonderful statement by Imam Ibn Rajab (RA) in his Lataaif:

"Let those who have failed to make the most of this month of Ramadan end it with good, because actions are judged by their endings." 

The last part of that statement about actions being judged by their endings is an authentic hadeeth and one that should give us much hope. Here’s my challenge: 

1. Make this last day or two of Ramadan the BEST days you have spent all month and count on Allah to judge your entire Ramadan by that last day.

2. Spend the last Asr-Maghrib of Ramadan in reading quran, supplication, and remembrance. If you can do I’itikaf (seclusion) for that last period in the masjid then do so. If not, then try to make it a time of peace, quiet, and reflection.

3. Cry your heart out in that supplication and ask Allah to forgive you for all of your shortcomings in the month and give you the full reward of Laylatul Qadr EVEN if you missed it.

4. DO NOT waste your time arguing over moon sighting now. You are not in a position to change anything. If you will differ from your community in regards to the Eid day, then do so quietly.
Oh Allah, this is what we have presented, understanding our shortcomings but still depending on Your mercy for acceptance.

May Allah allow us to finish this month strong. May we meet Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) completely forgiven, basking in His mercy, freed from the gates of hellfire, and registered in the highest level of jannatul firdaws. 

AMEEN!

Ramadan Reflections: Day 27

Bismillah...In The Name of Allah Subahanahu wa ta'ala

Yesterday I was watching the Little Explorers show on Ramadan TV Sky 192. A young boy, Rayaan, aged 6 came to the show with his older sisters. He is very sick , suffering from a blood disorder . He is in desperate need of a bone-marrow donor. It was quite heart-breaking watching him. Subhanallah he still had a beautiful smile on his face. Even his beautiful sisters looked so happy and content. I just hope and pray that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala bless him with shifa', ameen! 

The family has been working really hard to raise awareness and find a donor for him. They have been active through Facebook and other social media. 

"My name is Rayaan. I am 6 years old. I live with my mum, dad and two sisters. I enjoy playing with lego and cars. At the weekends I love to go swimming and karate. This summer I was looking forward to karate camp, but that won't be possible due to my developing a rare disease called HLH. This has made me very sick, and I am now unable to run around. Instead I have regular chemotherapy at Great Ormond Street Hospital. To get better I need a bone marrow match. Can you help me to get better? You can find out whether you can be a match through this link here."

There is huge shortage of Asian donors. I remember there was a sister called , Najma Ghani, who died last year. She was suffering from cancer. She was campaigning to raise awareness of this issue. We , the people who are of Asian origins, really need to come forward and register to be the potential donors inshAllah. 

Please do not let any excuse stop you from registering. The procedure is very simple. Visit the link here:  Delete Blood Cancer 

In our faith, helping others is highly encouraged. One of my favourite hadith in this regard is: "The most beloved of people to Allah are those that are the most beneficial to the people. The most beloved of deeds is that which brings happiness to a fellow Muslim, or to relieve him of a hardship, or to settle one of his debts, or to repel hunger from him. To go and fulfill one of the needs of my fellow Muslim is more beloved to me than to seclude (itikaaf) myself in al-masjid al-nabawi for an entire month." - The Prophet Mohammad SAllallahu Alaihe Wa Sallam.