Pregnancy updates: Insha-Allah 80 more days to go!

Alhamdulillah not that many days left now. Had my Glucose Tolerance Test (GTT) and once again the result was positive. Alhamdulillah in every situation insha-Allah. I did try to eat more fruits and vegetables and fish during this pregnancy but I guess it’s in my gene so couldn’t really avoid gestational diabetes. So got it for the third time now and the part I hate most is how now I’m no longer a low risk pregnant woman anymore for the health professionals! I have been summoned to go to see my special Diabetes Midwife as soon as possible and also from now on I have to have a regular appointment with the consultant. I am also expected to give birth at a special hospital where they apparently are more able to deal with high risk woman like moi! You get bombarded with all the stuff which 'can go wrong' from now on given you got GD such as the baby can be quite big so you may not be able to have a normal vaginal birth, baby may also develop diabetes, I may have diabetes too within five to ten years time and so many other things to consider! And also sometimes people think you get GD because you must be over weight or obese. I remember with my last pregnancy when I was diagnosed with GD I did ask my Diabetic midwife why it keeps happening to me when my BMI is quite good and I am no way an obese person alhamdulillah. She told me as my dad got type 2 diabetes, I am more likely to have diabetes too. With both pregnancies I was able to control my blood sugar just with diet alhamdulillah. This time I am hoping I will be okay insha-Allah. The more I am reading about pregnancy and natural birth, I am confident Insha-Allah it will be okay.

Sometimes, Gestational diabetes can lead to toxemia. Toxemia is pregnancy induced hypertension. Severe toxemia, however, can cause many health problems. Serious Toxemia may develop into something called pre-eclampsia, which can then lead to eclampsia, followed by a serious complication called the HELLP Syndrome. Toxemia starts to develop as the placenta begins to develop. Toxemia is most likely to occur during first-time pregnancy. I did develop Toxemia with my first pregnancy. I think just couple of weeks after I was diagnosed with GD I started to have very high blood pressure. The causes of Toxemia are not known. The symptoms of toxemia are elevated blood pressure, protein in the urine, and hyper-reflexia (extremely fast reflex responses.) Other symptoms may include bloating of the hands, feet and face due to fluid retention.

I believe with my first pregnancy, I was really very worried for the baby and there was obviously fear of birth too. I was told to take lots of rest but I felt too stressed to rest. I think having GD I felt like I was doomed. It almost felt like I got untreatable cancer or something really terrible ! For a long time I didn’t know how to explain what I was feeling like. But alhamdulillah recently reading quite a lot of books on natural birth and pregnancy, finally I am able to describe properly how I felt and what really went wrong in my case with my first pregnancy. Some medical experts believe that diagnosing GDM (Gestational Diabetes Mellitus) can lead to a strong nocebo effect. If a diagnosis of GDM causes high levels of stress and worry for the mother, her stress hormone levels can rise and be transmitted to her baby, increasing the risk of poor growth and premature birth. I strongly believe, I was feeling much stressed and as a consequence developed pre-eclamsia. Now I know it must have been the nocebo effect. At least I got a phrase to explain what I went through alhamdulillah! There was a research done by the U. S Preventive Services Task Force which reported, “In the first few weeks after screening, women who screened positive for gestational diabetes may report higher anxiety, more psychological distress and proper perceptions of their general health than women who screened negative.” This is exactly what I went through and ended up in the hospital and had to stay a whole week to get my blood pressure down but nothing really changed so they induced me at week 34 and my son was born six weeks early! For me, the hospital birth was horrible. I just didn't know what was going on as I was just getting bombarded with too much info and risks associated with all the procedures! I thought I am going to die! But Alhamdulillah he was all right and I was also doing fine so we came back home the next day. I must say we were extremely lucky ALHAMDULILLAH! I kept asking Allah swt for His Rahma (Mercy) and Help (Nasr) . Subhanallah you feel amazed how quickly your duas get accepted ! Allah swt is always very kind to me!

But with my second pregnancy when I was once again diagnosed with GD I decided not to worry and think too much about it. I was enjoying my time with my toddler son as much as possible and doing my diet and exercise. Alhamdulillah I didn’t develop pre-eclamsia and my daughter was born at 39 weeks. Alhamdulillah the labour was also spontaneous (not induced like my first one) and quick alhamdulillah. In fact it was so quick that cudn't get to the hospital on time and gave birth at my bedroom surronded my peramedics. Felt so relieved and great alhamdulillah! I felt like I was in total control , not treated like an object ( like at my first birth experiance at hospital !).

So this time I am not worried anymore alhamdulillah. Everything is in Allah swt’s control. He know what is best for us so no point getting stressed! Alhamdulillah doing my almost sugar-free diet, eating more fruits and veg and protein and trying to do some exercise too with my kids! There is this channel (SKY 275 Body in balance) I recently came to know through one of friend which shows quite a lot of yoga and belly dance stuff so trying to follow the exercise with my children! They love seeing their ‘eccentric’ mum doing all the crazy and funny moves so alhamdulillah having a quality time with my son and daughter. They find it quite amazing that their mum got a big tummy. They do try to communicate with the baby through the belly button as if that’s the window from which they can see the baby and baby can see them. I never felt that much strong movement with my other pregnancies. Mashallah the baby moves a lot especially when I go to bed at night. I feel so wonderful touching my tummy. I am so eagerly waiting for meeting my baby Insha-Allah! Please do keep us all in your duas my dearest blog readers :-)

The Egyptian revolution

Alhamdulillah after more than two weeks of continuous protest the Egyptian people have managed to force Mubarak to leave. Subhanallah this is what people can achieve if they get united. This is the same country where centuries ago, the people of Moses (AS) with Allah SWT’s help stood up against the dictatorship of Pharaoh. I am so glad to witness this great historic event during my lifetime alhamdulillah as these sorts of events are very rare. The year I was born was also a very significant year as it was 1979 when the Iranian revolution took place. That was a huge blow to the Western powers especially America and some EU countries as they never thought general public will be able to topple the Shah who was strongly supported by the West and its allies. But Iran being a predominantly Shia country, the revolution didn’t really influence the Sunni world. Unfortunately Sunni world didn’t really get that much motivation to revolt against their dictators who are also heavily supported by the West. Most of the Muslims assumed that (Sunni) Islam doesn’t really encourage political activities as oppose to Shia Islam. The Sunni scholars rarely talked about politics and the importance of having Islamic state. There were groups like al-Ikhwan al-Muslimun (Muslim Brotherhood) who tried to enlighten people but they were treated very harshly by the authorities. People in Middle East were scared do to anything to displease the people in power. But alhamdulillah Muslims around the world are gradually going back to their faith and learning more about Islam as a way of life which includes the running of the state according to the Qur’an and the Sunnah (tradition) of our last prophet Muhammad (saw).

However, this is not the main reason that the people started to protest. There was this poor guy in Tunisia named Mohamed Bouazizi, a 26-year-old who triggered this revolution in his country as well as in Egypt. Like so many young Arabs, he was born poor and only dreamed of providing for his siblings and his mother. He had been to college, where he studied law, but had found no employment. So he chose to humble himself and find a halal means to generate some income. But he kept running into problems with the police and government inspectors until the fateful day in December when they confiscated his cart and his produce, saying he didn’t have a proper permit, and leaving him with an unpaid loan with which he’d bought the goods. At the station, upon attempting to reclaim his cart, he was slapped and humiliated publicly which is again quite a frequent treatment received by powerless public in Middle east and other third world countries. His already deferred dreams had clearly dried up. Bouazizi left an apologetic note for his mother and set himself on fire in front of the local government building. That just shows how miserable he felt and end his life in such a sad and horrific way! May Allah SWT show mercy on him and forgive his sins, ameen! 

Four weeks later, the protests sparked by his death brought down the government of President Zine el Abdidine Ben Ali, who had ruled Tunisia with an iron hand for 23 years. Like Tunisia the people of Egypt were also suffering greatly financially , physically and emotionally as well as spiritually thanks to the dictator, the modern day Pharaoh – Mubarak. Just like in Tunisia, the sacrifice of poor guy Bouazizi encouraged the people of Egypt to initiate their long waiting revolution.

When it first started I was very worried thinking how brutally the government of Egypt might deal with it’s people. I remember reading Lady Zainab Al-Ghazali’s book Return of the Pharaoh (Memoir in Nasir’s prison) . So many times it brought tears in my eyes reading the utter inhuman torture and humiliation she and the pious people of Egypt had to go through as their only crime was they were working for bringing back true justice of our faith.

But alhamdulillah the situation must be lot better now given the awesome power of global media and Internet. Alhamdulillah to get the real news we are no longer restricted to western ( almost biased) news agents such as CNN, BBC, FOX or SKY news anymore. We have AlJazeera, Press TV and other sources such as You tube available to us free through the Internet. Even the social networks like Facebook, Twitter have made it very easy to unite and mobilize like minded people to work for a common cause. The governments cannot really hide their atrocities anymore. There is a limit and they all have crossed that limit ages ago. Now it’s time they face the consequence of what they have done. Remember what goes around comes around !

I am very glad for the people of Tunisia and Egypt but also worried for their future. The dictators have left but who is going to take charge to run the countries? It’s not like these dictators did commit all the atrocities on their own ; they had their Western allies and local supporters i.e the army, the police force to do their dirty job. Where are they now? Are they going to fill this power vacuum? If so, then I am afraid that’s not really a sign of a successful revolution. May Allah swt help us and save us from anything bad. I hope and pray that the outcome of this revolution will be a good and blessed one insha-Allah and also this will encourage the people in other countries to start their revolution against their corrupt leaders INSHA-ALLAH!

Let us all pray for good in Egypt, the land from which Hajar (AS) the wife of Ibrahim (AS) and mother of Isma'eel (AS) came from, where our Prophets Musa (AS) and Yusuf (AS) lived, where our beloved last messenger’s (SAW) companion 'Amr bin al Aas (RAW) built the first masjid in Africa, the land which was home to great scholars like Imam ash-Shafi'ee (RA) and Ibn Hajr al-Asqalani (RA). There are some beautiful dua (supplication) I read recently which I would like to share with you:

Allaahumma ‘innaa naj’aluka fee nuhoorihim wa na’oothu bika min shuroorihim.

O Allah, we ask You to restrain them by their necks and we seek refuge in You from their evil. (Abu Dawud)

Allahumma ‘Anta ‘adhudee, wa ‘Anta naseeree, bika ‘ajoolu, wa bika ‘asoolu , wa bika ‘uqaatilu.

O Allah, You are my strength and You are my sopprter. For Your sake I go forth and for Your sake I advance and for Your sake I fight. (Abu Dawud)

Hasbunallaahu wa ni’mal wakeel.

Allah is sufficient for us and the best of those on whom to depend. (Al-Bukhari)

May Allah swt help us to achieve successful revolution everywhere and bring back justice and peace insha-Allah :-)

Mum and Muslim January/February issue is out now alhamdulillah !

Alhamdulillah I am so glad to let you know that the latest edition of Mum and Muslim magazine is now out. As always we have received some great articles alhamdulillah thanks to our wonderful sisters and brothers.

The latest bi-monthly edition of Mum and Muslim magazine features a variety of articles from absent fathers to dealing with infertility, and birth story to doulas. We also have an article from our youngest writer at the age of 12 . As our feature was youth and issues related to them we have received some good articles from our lovely sisters from Baligh project. Do have a look at their articles on friendship and our next generation. We also did an article on current hijab trends at our features section . Alhamdulillah as usual our column section got some very good and practical ideas and tips from our working mum Umm Salihah on how to cope with threat of redundancy, stay at home mum Aisha'tu Mohammad. on salah and practice. Our Muslimah Dilemma columnist Tasneem Nazeer did a great article on how to deal with losing a loved one and our expat mum Rayhaanah has shared some ideas for expat mothers to make the move a little easier, more pleasant & plenty of fun for their little ones insha-Allah.
Our GP sister Dr. Subohi has done a very helpful article on immunisation alhamdulillah. There is also a very handy recipe to deal with constipation in children.
We also have received some yummy recipes. Do try making these tasty recipes and let us know your feedback insha-Allah. There are lots of articles to talk about alhamdulillah so do have a look insha-Allah. You can also share the articles on various social networks such as Facebook, Twitter etc. 

We are very glad to have Nafisa as the youngest writer on borad alhamdulilah. Insha-Allah we would love more young writers to write for us as we really need to understand their views about life. I personally believe there is no point just writing about youth issues when they are not given the chance to express their views in their own language and according to their understanding of life. We really need to know how they see life and what their dreams and aspirations are. As our magazine deals with parenting issues, we are keen to get everyone, mothers, fathers and children as well as the members of our community to get involve intellectually insha-Allah and create a successful platform for sincere and healthy, fruitful dialogue and discussion insha-Allah. If we want to raise a better ummah we all need to work together insha-Allah.

As always, we appreciate your comments and support alhamdulillah. Do feel free to contact us. Also, if you would like to write for us please get in touch inshallah. Furthermore, the next issue will inshallah mark our first anniversary which is testament to the help given to us by firstly Allah SWT, but also to you too. We hope to have a special issue, but let us know if there is anything in particular that you want us to feature, inshallah.

Alhamdulillah we have had fantastic feedback from readers both positive and constructive. I still cannot believe that our next issue which is due in April is going to be our anniversary issue Insha-Allah. We started planning this magazine at the end of year 2009 and alhamdulillah with the help of couple of very passionate sisters and brothers we published our first issue in April 2010. Alhamdulillah we have managed to publish seven issues up until now. Initially we started as a monthly magazine but as we all are quite busy mothers, it was getting quite hectic and we decided to make it a bimonthly. Alhamdulillah we are learning a lot every single day. I hope more people will come forward and help us in making this magazine a great success insha-Allah.

We would like the voices represented in the magazine to be as varied as possible. We want to embrace the full beauty and diversity of our beautiful Ummah and learn from as many people as possible and hopefully pass that wisdom on to others insha-Allah. We believe this can be a great sadaqa jaariyah for all of us Insha-Allah.

If you are interested in writing for us (fi’sabillah for the time being), please e-mail us at editor@mumandmuslim.com. We also welcome bloggers  to send us material they have used before if they think it is particularly relevant and we will link back to your blogs insh’Allah.

Please do have a look around our website and get a feel of what we are aiming to do and take a look at the sections to see if there is knowledge, experience or wisdom that you have to offer. If you aren’t able to contribute at this time, please do have a browse and leave a comment. Your feedback is invaluable to us so that we can learn what is useful and interesting to readers and what is not. Also do spread the message. We at M & M are working hard to make this magazine a great success insha-Allah. May Allah swt accept our work and give us baraka in our efforts, ameen.

Jazakh’Allah-khairun for your support, ideas, constructive comments, and sincere duas alhamdulillah! Please do keep them coming insha-Allah!

100 more days to go Insha-Allah!

According to my pregnancy countdown, only 100 more days left insha-Allah! I am very excited but also quite worried as well. I really don’t want to have gestational diabetes and pre-eclampsia again. I hate thinking about getting induced especially before 38 weeks. This time alhamdulillah I am trying hard to avoid any sugary and carbohydrate-rich food as much as possible. Since last couple of weeks I have started my high protein diet. I know diet during pregnancy is not really recommended but I don’t think I am doing a proper high protein diet as my body does need a bit of carb as well. I am trying to eat as many veg and fruits as possible with a little bit of rice or wholemeal bread. Whenever I feel hungry, I am eating fruits, cheese string, cottage cheese or couple of nuts and drink lots of water ( no juice alhamdulillah) to fill myself up. I am also trying to have lots of fish through out the week thanks to my dear friend J as she occasionally sends me some yummy fish dish alhamdulillah. As a pregnant woman, I feel so lucky and blessed to have family and friends who cook for me. May Allah SWT reward them abundantly for all the efforts and love for me, ameen.

So far , I am feeling okay alhamdulillah. But I do suffer from occasional aches and pains and cramps. I got my exercise bike down ( thanks to yobo) but I haven't done that much exercise as I feel lazy. I am also thinking that taking care of my young chlidren should be enough exercise but I know deep down that this is not really a good excuse!  Insha-Allah hope to start soon.

Going through pregnancy is not easy but hope we will get reward insha-Allah for every second of it. It is actually seen as a form of struggle ( jihad) in Islam. So we are mujahidas Insha-Allah and there is this tiny mujahid in my tummy who is dependant on me! Most of the time, the doctors and midwives give us this impression that we pregnant women are in great risk of health problem but we tend to forget that for the babies in our womb life is not that easy either. I was reading an article where it was mentioned that for babies to come out from their mothers’ womb is also a very difficult journey. The more we know about pregnancy and child birth we can end up feeling a bit scared but I just try to remind myself that everything is in Allah’s control. Insha-Allah things will be fine. He SWT is in full control and He SWT knows what is best for us so Insha-Allah no worries! La Hawla wa la quwwata illah billah. Allahmumma la sahla illa ma’ja’altahu sahlan, wa anta taj’alaul hajna idha shi’ta sahla. O Allah! There is nothing easy except what You make easy. And You make the difficult easy if its Your Will.

Are we wearing our hijab properly?

Nowadays, we are witnessing a very disturbing trend in hijab style. Sisters are wearing hijab (?) but not really fulfilling the basic requirements of hijab. Thanks to most of the young hijabi sisters, it has become a norm to wear lots of make up, wearing very eye catchy and tight-fitting and see-through clothes. May be only one thing hasn’t changed that much and that is not to show the hair as if hijab is only to cover our hair and everything else can be on display! I feel very sad seeing the state of our hijab. What's the point of wearing hijab then?  Where are we heading? I am not just witnessing this new trend in the West but almost every other parts of the world thanks to global media and culture. I wanted to write about this issue for a long time but felt it can be quite a sensitive issue to deal with. Seeing my own family and friends getting sucked into this silly trend made me feel determined to write about it. Allah (swt) knows my intention. This post is first and foremost for my own sake as I am also a hijabi person and want to follow the requirements of hijab properly just to please my Lord. I also thought that when as Muslim we see something is wrong we are told to voice our concern in a polite way to encouarge and help brothers and sisters to correct themselves. Moreover, I am a mother now so I have a huge responsibility to educate my children about the true values and norms of our faith insha-Allah. I hope this post will also help our sisters and brothers to understand the real hijab insha-Allah. Before dealing with the issue I would like to share some sample of so-called hijab we can witness around us so that you can get an idea of what I am referring to.

I think the rise of the new so-called ‘trendy’ hijab style is due to our sheer ignorance and lack of understanding about what hijab really means and what it actually requires. The word "hijab" or "ḥijāb" (Arabic: حجاب he-zjab) refers to both the head covering traditionally worn by Muslim women and modest Muslim styles of dress in general. The Arabic word literally means curtain or cover (noun). Most Islamic legal systems define this type of modest dressing as covering everything except the face and hands in public. According to Islamic scholarship, hijab is given the wider meaning of modesty, privacy, and morality. So it’s not just a piece of cloth but it is a symbol for us as Muslims to behave in a modest way and present ourselves as well-balanced Muslims. The Qur'an instructs both Muslim men and women to dress in a modest way.

The clearest verse on the requirement of the hijab (for men and women) is Surah Al-Nur (Light) 24:30–31 which says, “[Prophet], tell believing men to lower their eyes and guard their private parts: this is purer for them Allah is well aware of everything they do. And tell believing women that they should lower their eyes, guard their private parts and not display their charms beyond what [it is acceptable] to reveal; they should draw their coverings over their neckline and not reveal their charms except to their husbands, their fathers, their husbands’ fathers, their sons, their husbands’ sons their brothers, their brothers’ sons, their sisters’ sons, their womenfolk, their slaves, such men who attend them who have no desire or children who are not aware of women’s nakedness; they should not stamp their feet so as to draw attention to any hidden charms. Believers, all of you, turn to Allah so that you may prosper.”

It has also mentioned in the Qur’an, “O Prophet! Enjoin your wives, your daughters, and the wives of true believers that they should cast their outer garments over their body (when they are outside): That is most convenient, that they may be distinguished and not be harassed. [...] (Qur'an 33:58–59)

The four major Sunni schools of thought (Hanafi, Shafi'i, Maliki and Hanbali) hold that entire body of the woman, except her face and hands must be covered during prayer and in public settings. There are those who allow the feet to be uncovered as well as the hands and face. However, some scholars encourage covering the face, while some follow the opinion that it is only not obligatory to cover the face and the hands but mustahab (Highly recommended). Some niqabi sisters follow this argument and that’s why they cover their face and hands too.

According to majority of Muslims scholars, it is recommended that women wear clothing that is not very fitting to the body: either modest forms of western clothing (long shirts and skirts), or the more traditional jilbāb, a high-necked, loose robe that covers the arms and legs. A khimār or shaylah, a scarf or cowl that covers all but the face, is also worn in many different styles. As a practical matter, however, the opinion that Muslim men must cover themselves between the navel and the knees is predominant, and most Muslims believe that a man who fails to observe this requirement during salah must perform the prayer again, properly covered, in order for it to be valid. Three of the four Sunni Madh'hab, or schools of law, require that the knees be covered; the Maliki school recommends but does not require knee covering. According to some hadith, Muslim men are asked not to wear gold jewellery, silk clothing, or other adornments that are considered feminine. Some scholars say that these prohibitions should be generalized to prohibit the lavish display of wealth on one's person.

If you read the tafseer ( explanation) of the Quranic verses on Hijab, you can easily notice the basic criteria of hijab. Hijab is meant to help us lead a simple and humble life. We are told to cover ourselves in a way so that we are not creating fitna by getting the wrong attention from the non mahrams. Allah (swt) also mentions very clearly in the Qur’an who are allowed to see us without hijab and when we are wearing our hijab, we are not suppose to beautify ourselves in such a way that creates attention.

Rules are there for a reason. Allah (swt) know what is good for us and what can cause us harm. Let us follow His Qur’an to save ourselves from any sort of harm. Come on sisters! Let us wear hijab properly and let us get our intention right. We are here to please Allah (swt) and no one else! Our ultimate success lies in getting closer to Him. Thanks to internet and all the social networks we are commiting more sins by publicising our beauty with hijab (?) and we are claming that we are proud Muslimahs! Are we really proud of our faith? If so, how come we are not following the basic rules of our faith? Do you think Allah (swt) is unawre of what we are doing?

I know it’s a big trial (fitna) for our young sisters and brothers living in a world where look, size matters more than intellect, moral values, skills etc. Even our faith acknowledges this fact and that’s why we will get more reward if we follow the faith wholeheartedly while young as it is really very hard given all the temptations around us. We need to seek knowledge and know what our faith is all about. Only through knowledge we can empower ourselves and create a strong Muslim identity insha-Allah so that all the secular and non-islamic norms and values will not seem so cool to us. I would like to finish this post with a beautiful supplication done by a group of practising youth who are mentioned in Surah Al-kahf. They wanted to follow the faith properly but the society they were living in was so anti-Islam that it was almost impossible for them to remain Allah-conscious people and that’s why they decided to hide in the cave. Allah (swt) was so impressed by their faith and action that He (swt) made them a symbol of a great miracle ‘The people of the cave’. They said, “ Our Lord, grant us Your Mercy and find us a good way out of our ordeal.” (Surah Al-Kahf:18:10)

May Allah (swt) forgive us, have mercy on us and guide us to the right path, ameen!

On a lighter note, MashAllah brother Baba Ali did a great video on hijab named ‘That’s not hijab’. MashAllah I think he did it really nicely without sounding preachy.

There is also another great video on hijab mashAllah

The best dua for forgiveness (Istighfar)

Alhamdulillah last year I came across this beautiful dua and I would like to share this dua with you. We all are sinners but we are told by our beloved prophet Muhammad (saw) that the best of the sinners are those who constantly repent and ask their Lord to forgive them. May Allah (swt) make us the best insha-Allah!

اللَّهُمَّ أَنْتَ رَبِّي لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ خَلَقْتَنِي وَأَنَا عَبْدُكَ وَأَنَا عَلَى عَهْدِكَ وَوَعْدِكَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُ أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ شَرِّ مَا صَنَعْتُ أَبُوءُ لَكَ بِنِعْمَتِكَ عَلَيَّ وَأَبُوءُ بِذَنْبِي فَاغْفِرْ لِي فَإِنَّهُ لَا يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ

Allahumma anta rabbi, la ilaaha illa anta khalaqtani wa ana 'ala 'ahdika wa wa'dika maa s'ta'tat, audhu bika min sharri maa sana't abbu laka bini'matika a'layya wa abu'u bidhanbi faaghfirli faa innahu laa yaghfiruj' junuba illa anta.

"O Allah, You are my Lord, there is none worthy of worship besides You, You have created me and I am Your servant, I am Your pact and promise, I seek refuge in You to the best of my ability from my evil sins. I testify to Your favours and to my sins, hence forgive me since there is no one else to forgive sins besides You".
The person who recites this dua sincerely in the course of the day and night and dies will be among the people of jannah insha-Allah. ( Bukhari)

Supplications to feel and get recession-proof Insha-Allah

Since 2009 almost everyone of us are affected by recession. I know this is just part of life, a form of test from Allah swt as He mentioned in the Qur’an that He (swt) will definitely test us with loss of wealth, health, food etc to see how we deal with it and approach Him (swt). Admit it or not, we are here for a reason and that is to worship our Creator in every moment and state insha-Allah. Having said that, it can get pretty tough going through the hardship if we are not really accoustomed to loss of wealth, health and so on . There are beautiful supplications in our faith which can help us in feeling in control and optismistic insha-Allah. I have gathered some authentic dua's from the Sunnah (tradition) of our beloved prophet (saw). Do remember to recite them with the meaning as well as having firm faith that Insha-Allah through Allah swt’s mercy and generosity we will indeed get our supplications answered very soon INSHA-ALLAH!

It has been mentioned by Ali (raw) that the prophet (saw) taught him a dua by which our debt can be paid even if it be as great as a mountain. The dua is given below:

اللَّهُمَّ اكْفِنِي بِحَلَالِكَ عَنْ حَرَامِكَ وَأَغْنِنِي بِفَضْلِكَ

عَمَّنْ سِوَاكْ

ALLAAHUMMAK-FINEE BI-H'ALAALIKA A'N H'ARAAMIKA WA AGHNINEE BI-FAZ'LIKA A'MMAN SIWAAK.

“O Allah, make Your lawful bounties sufficient for me so as to save me from what is unlawful and from Your grace grant me sufficient abundance to make me free from the need of all except You.” (Reported by Tirmidhi, who considers it sound)

Abu Sa’eed Al-Khudri (R.A.) reported, “One day the prophet (saw) entered the mosque. He saw there a man from the Ansar called Abu Umamah. He asked, ‘What is the matter with you that I see you sitting in the mosque when it is not the time of prayer.’ He replied, ‘I am very much worried and in great debt, O Messenger of Allah!’ The prophet (saw) said, ‘Let me teach you words to say so that Allah will remove your worries and settle your debt?’ He exclaimed, ‘Of course, O Messenger of Allah.’ The prophet (saw) said, ‘Say in morning and evening,

اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الْهَمِّ وَالْحَزَنِ وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الْعَجْزِ وَالْكَسَلِ وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الْبُخْلِ وَالْجُبْنِ وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ غَلَبَةِ الدَّيْنِ وَقَهْرِ الرِّجَالِ

ALLAHUMMA ‘INNEE ‘A’UDHU BIKA MINALHAMMI WALHAZANI, WAL’AJZI WALKASALI, WALBUKHLI, WA DHALA’ID-DAYNI WA GHALABATIR RIJAALI.

"O Allah I seek refuge in You from all worry and grief. I seek refuge in You from incapacity and slackness. I seek refuge in You from miserliness and cowardice and I seek refuge in You from being overcome by debt and being subjected to men". The man said, ‘When I said that, Allah (swt) removed all my worries and settled my debt.’ ( Abu Daw’ud)

We are so lucky to have these supplications taught by our beloved prophet Muhammad (saw). Sadly, despite the abundance of so many great advice and supplications in our faith, most of the times we just feel depressed so easily and don’t really try to find out how to cope with difficulties. May Allah (swt) help us in understanding the beauty and comprehensiveness of our faith and also help us in implementing the teachings in our daily life, ameen!