Ramadan: Day 29

Behold! in the creation of the heavens and the earth; in the alternation of the night and the day; in the sailing of the ships through the ocean for the profit of mankind; in the rain which Allah Sends down from the skies, and the life which He gives therewith to an earth that is dead; in the beasts of all kinds that He scatters through the earth; in the change of the winds, and the clouds which they trail like their slaves between the sky and the earth;- (Here) indeed are Signs for a people that are wise. (Quran: 2:164) 

May Allah have accepted our efforts, our duaas and our fasts. May we all live to see the next Ramadan and meet Allah in a state of purity. Ameen.

Ramadan: Day 28

"Thy Lord hath decreed that ye worship none but Him, and that ye be kind to parents. Whether one or both of them attain old age in thy life, say not to them a word of contempt, nor repel them, but address them in terms of honor. And out of kindness, lower to them the wing of humility, and say: ‘My Lord! bestow on them Thy Mercy even as they cherished me in childhood' "(Quran 17:23)

Ramadan: Day 27

‘Verily, that which is with God is the best for you, if you but knew it: all that which is with you is bound to end, whereas all that which is with God is everlasting.’
(Quran 16:95)

Ramadan: Day 26

‘Verily, that which is with God is the best for you, if you but knew it: all that which is with you is bound to end, whereas all that which is with God is everlasting.’
(Quran 16:95)

Ramadan: Day 25

‘Do you know the one who denies the (Day of) Judgement? It is he who pushes the orphan away, and urges not to feed the needy. Woe, then unto those praying ones, who are heedless of their prayers, who want to be seen and praised, and refuse (to give) even little things in charity.’ (Quran 107:1)

Ramadan: Day 24

‘And be true to every promise- for, verily you willl be called to account for every promise which you have made.’ (17:34)

Ramadan: Day 23

‘Turn not your cheek away from people in scorn and pride, and walk not on earth haughtily; for God does not love anyone who acts proudly and boastfully. Be modest in your bearing and lower your voice; for the ugliest sound is the donkey’s braying.’ (31:18)

Ramadan: Day 22

‘The true servants of the Most Merciful are those who behave gently and with humility on earth, and whenever the foolish quarrel with them, they reply with [words of] peace." (Quran 25:63)

Ramadan: Day 21

"All praise be to God alone,

the Lord of all the worlds,
the All-Merciful, the Ever Mercy-giving,
the Master of the Day of Judgement.
You alone we worship, and You alone we ask for help.
Guide us on the Straight Path,
The path of whom You have blessed, not of those who incur You anger,
Nor of those who go astray."

(Quran 1:1)

Ramadan: Day 20

So patiently persevere: for verily the promise of Allah is true: nor let those shake your firmness, who have (themselves) no certainty of faith. (Quran 30:60)

Ramadan: Day 19

"O'Allah, we have believed in what You have revealed, and we have followed the messenger. So, write us down among the witnesses."

Ramadan: Day 18

"O Allah, make my inner self better than my outer self and make my outer self good as well."

Ramadan: Day 17

"O Allah, make me among those who become happy when they do good and seek forgiveness when they commit a mistake."

Ramadan: Day 16

"O Allah, Whatever you kept away from me of the things I love (now remove even the thoughts of these things from my heart and) make their absence a source of freedom to engage in things that You love."

Ramadan: Day 15 - Greetings

When a man asked the Prophet, "What is the best in Islam?" the Prophet replied: "Your feeding (the poor) and offering salutation to whom you know and whom you do not know." (Agreed upon)


This hadith always touches my heart because it reminds me something about humanity and the decree of openness our Prophet gave to us. Aren't there so many days when you might feel upset or down about yourself and a stranger gives you a bright open smile or a friendly hello and you feel automatically uplifted? The act of smiling is so revered in Islam that it is given the status of counting as charity. What an easy thing for all of us to do!

May Allah make us among those who are open and friendly and those who offer our greetings to whoever we might meet. Ameen.

Ramadan: Day 14 - Five Before Five

"Take advantage of five matters before five other matters: your youth before you become old; and your health before you fall sick; and your richness before you become poor; and your free time before you become busy; and your life before your death." - The Messenger of Allah (Al Hakim)

Often times we spend so much time thinking about how we wish things were different in our lives that we forget to appreciate the things we hope will never change. We only realize blessings in their absence. When they are there, we take them for granted. When they are gone, we add them to our things to lament about. 

May Allah help us be aware of our blessings before it is too late. Ameen. 

Ramadan: Day 13 - Loss

 This past Tuesday, three men died in Birmingham.  It was the fifth day of rios in England after the Maghrib prayer and these men were outside protecting their town. A car made its way around the block again and again and then it jumped the curb and ran down these three men, killing them all.

I try to think of how I would feel if one of those men had been Feraz or my brother. And I have to stop because the thought is too married to a grief that I can't stand to imagine. I know there would be pain, a well of emptiness inside me. I know there would be anger, at a God who must be unjust. 

Would I remember the sentence we utter when we hear of death? Inna lillahi wa inna ilaihi raji'un - To Allah we belong and to Him is our return. I have seen people lose children and lose their will to live. I have seen others who have an unbreakable faith. Who meet even this greatest tragedy with grace and faith.

The father of one of the men murdered on Tuesday said this about his son's passing: ‘I’m a Muslim. I believe in divine fate and destiny, and it was his destiny and his fate, and now he’s gone. And may Allah forgive him and bless him.’

May Allah give us such strength and dignity when we lose a loved one and may He ease the pain of all those who already have. Ameen.

Ramadan: Day 12 - Alhumduhlillah

When I was young, I used to have a lot of trouble sleeping.  I would be scared to go to sleep because I would have horrible nightmares. My mom used to tell me to close my eyes and say Bismillah (In the name of God) right before I went to sleep and I wouldn't have any bad dreams.

Since I was only six years old, I took what she said quite literally and kept trying to make my very last thought be Bismillah. If you have tried to do this, you know how hard it can be. It is a strange place, between waking and sleeping. Those minutes or seconds before you go from being among the living to being among the dead.

As the years went by, the advice of my mom stuck in my head and I would always say Bismillah and try to remember God before I went to sleep and surely my bad dreams did go away.

When I was in my late teens, I was attending a conference and the speaker spoke movingly about the importance of saying "Astaghfirullah" or "I seek the forgiveness of Allah." I was so deeply impacted by the speech that I switched my nightly routine and started to say Astaghfirullah until I went to sleep. This was a big improvement from Bismillah because it made me reflect on my sins, those who I may have wronged and on any other transgressions I had. In these years I became more aware of the way I treated my parents, acts of worship I was weak in and who I was as a person generally.

But the years did not bring me closer to God. I started thinking of Him as a scary God. A God who was angry with me and from who I constantly had to seek relief. Although in retrospect I can see that these feelings were the symptoms of a diseased heart, at the time I felt it was this word that was causing me to feel so badly and so I abandoned it.

My nights felt different. I didn't sleep as lightly as I once had. At night I started to think about the problems I was having, what people had said to me that hurt me, I worried about deadlines, expectations and what the future held. At nighttime I would feel the giant weight of my thoughts and this dunya crushing me.

One night after many, many nights like this, without me even thinking, "Alhumdulhillah" or "All praise is to God" came from my lips. It felt like the most natural thing I had ever said. It is the word Muslims say when they want to express their gratitude for Allah's blessings. And on that night, I felt the first softening of my hardened heart.

The practice has been restorative and fills me with a sense of calm and humility for all that I have been given. As we get older, life becomes more challenging. We face new struggles that can bring us down and these struggles make us become cynical about life, God and people. But when we remember this simple word and the strength it can provide us, we develop a protection for ourselves. When we face life with gratitude, we only find more to be grateful for.

May Allah make us among those who never tire of praising Him and find reason to praise in every moment. Ameen.

Ramadan: Day 11 - Chocolate Covered Dates

Today is Ramadan Activity Time!

One day, while we were living in Istanbul, Feraz came home with chocolate covered dates and our lives were forever changed. We knew we loved dates. We knew we loved chocolate. But somehow we never thought of the two together. Simply put, it was one of the best things we had ever eaten.

I had been craving these dates lately and since I couldn't find them anywhere, I decided to try making them. It was super easy and the result was even better than the dates we had in Turkey. I think these would be a great dessert if you were hosting an iftaar or going to someones house for one. They could also make great Eid gifts, if they were wrapped up in small candy boxes.

Step 1: Gather you ingredients and supplies.

20 dates

20 almonds

1/2 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips

olive oil

shredded coconut, crushed walnuts or whatever other toppings you might like

1 skewer

cookie sheet

wax paper

Step 2: Prepare the Dates

Take the pits out of the dates.

Stuff the dates with the almonds (or any other nut of your choice).

I also rolled these dates in my hands so they would be nice and even so I could better coat the chocolate.

Step 3: Prepare the Chocolate

I didn't measure when I made these but I filled my bowl up half way with chocolate chips and then drizzled olive oil over the top so it would be about half covered.

I put the bowl in the microwave for 40 seconds. Took it out and stirred the chocolate until it started to cool.

Then I put it back in the microwave for 20 more seconds and then mixed again when I pulled it out.

You can experiment with this step depending on the strength of your microwave but don't overheat because burned chocolate is disgusting!

On my first try, the chocolate came out too runny as you can see by the picture below! (These dates still tasted delicious.)

I simply added some more chocolate chips and put the bowl back in the microwave for about 15 more second until I got a nice consistency to work with.

Step 4: Dip Those Dates!

I simply poked one end of the date with the skewer and uses it to swirl the date in the chocolate bowl covering it evenly all around. If you hold the bowl to the side and dip at an angle, that helps with the application.  I also held it over the chocolate bowl for a second or two so excess chocolate could drip off.

Then, you can dip into whichever topping you like. Keep your toppings as finally chopped as possible without making them powder for an elegant finish. This time, I didn't think to cut the coconut down but the final product would have looked much cleaner if I had. Finally, lay them on a waxed cookie sheet. After you have done all the dates, put them in the fridge to cool for at least one hour.

They might not look that pretty the first time you make them as you can see above. But a little cooling off later, they come out looking neater and trust me,you'll forget everything about how they look once you take the first bite!

Let me know if you make these with any modifications or have any other tips for the recipe. Happy eating!

May Allah give us all the gift of being able to cook well and the strength to eat our delicious treats in moderatoin. Ameen!

Ramadan: Day 10 - Overeating

 

Is it really already the tenth day of Ramadan?! Now that we are one-third of the way through, it is a good time to assess how things are going for each of us. We should think about whether we are benefiting from our fasts, making the most of our time and if we feel any different than we did on the morning of August 1st.

I hope we all have gained something so far and that we continue to build and grow in the next twenty days.

Today I want to talk about something most all of us, especially me, probably struggle with. It is overeating. A few months ago, I realized that I was constantly eating way beyond my limits. I would end every meal feeling overly full. I returned to some of my favorite books like "In Defense of Food" and "Mindful Eating." These books offer lots of scientific and anecdotal evidence for not eating too much. I read them and re-read them. I carried around "Food Rules" hoping it would help me stop eating so much. But to no avail.

In the Quran, Allah tells us: “Eat and drink but waste not by excess “ (7:31)

You might think that with Ramadan coming, the problem of overeating would automatically go away. But as most Muslims know, rather than being a month of moderation, Ramadan often becomes the most glutenous time of all. Muslims feast on large breakfasts before they start their fast, and in the evening there are often many dishes which are special to Ramadan and people tend to prepare them in large quantities. For Pakistanis, fried foods like samosas and pakoras are abundant during this month and eating a portion of them each night quickly cancels out any physical benefits of the fast.

The Prophet, peace be upon him, said: “No human ever filled a vessel worse than the stomach. Sufficient for any son of Adam are some morsels to keep his back straight. But if it must be, then one third for his food, one third for his drink and one third for his breath.” (Ahmad, At-Tirmidhi, An-Nasaa’i).

This hadith is similar to many of the guidelines in my books and many proverbs give the same 1/3 instruction. But very few people follow this prescription.  People grow beards or pray extra salah because it is the Sunnah but they won't put down the Krispy Kremes or soda.

Our bodies, like everything else are an amanah to Allah. Part of our duty as Muslims is to take care of our body and to not cause injury to it. When we overeat or put bad foods into our body, we are breaking our trust with Allah. This Ramadan try to eat simple breakfasts and stop eating at Iftaar when you start feeling full, not twenty minutes after. If you want to indulge in some of the treats that are offered during Ramadan, just take one or a small portion.

May Allah let us love all things in  moderation and may He help us to treat our bodies as they were meant to be treated. Ameen.

Ramadan: Day 9 - Allah's Love

Once, while the Prophet walked the streets of Medina with his companions, they passed by a mother doting upon her child. The Prophet asked his companions, “Do you think that she would throw her child into the fire?” The Companions replied in shock:  “No. As much as it was in her power she would not allow the child to be thrown thus!" The Prophet told them: “Verily, God is more compassionate to His servants than she is towards her child."

God loves us more than a parent loves their small child. He knows our helplessness, our need for Him and our weakness. He loves us so much that He never wants to turn us away from righetousness and so when we come to Him in repentance, He is eager to meet us and to forgive us.

May Allah give us a steadfast belief in His love and may we love Him more than anyone or anything. Ameen. 

And becuase this was a short post, here is my new favorite Nasheed. I close my eyes and pretend I am back in Makkah.

Ramadan: Day 8 - Two Words

Today, I have been seeing this article make the rounds and it was too beautiful not to share. It is the story of a man transformed by two words.

Subhan Allahi wa bihamdi. Subhan Allah il-`atheem.

http://www.suhaibwebb.com/society/dawah/two-words/

May Allah make our hearts this open so we can easily receive His message and may He make us inspirations to others. Ameen.

Ramadan: Day 7 - Charity

Ramadan is a month in which many Muslims pay their Zakat, or the poor's due but it is a month in which we should rush to give sadaqah as well. There are 71 ayahs in the Quran that discuss giving charity.

Among them: "And spend (in God's cause and for the needy) out of whatever We provide for you, before death comes to any of you and he says: "My Lord! If only You would grant me respite for a short while, so that I may give alms, and be one of the righteous!"

We should not put off giving even for a minute. In fact, I hope you stop reading right now and go to this web page to donate. Once you have done that, please come back and finish reading.

http://www.islamic-relief.com/donations/ 

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "(God) will (question a person) on the Day of Resurrection (saying)): 'O son of Adam, I was sick but you did not visit Me.' The person will say: 'O my Lord, how could I visit you when you are the Lord of the worlds?' Thereupon (God) will say: 'Didn't you know that a servant of Mine was sick but you did not visit him, and were you not aware that if you had visited him, you would have found Me by him?'

(God will then say) 'O son of Adam, I asked you for food but you did not feed Me.' The person will say: 'My Lord, how could I feed you when you are the Lord of the worlds?' (God) will say: 'Didn't you know that a servant of Mine asked you for food but you did not feed him, and were you not aware that if you had fed him you would have found him by My side?' (Muslim)

When we meet Allah, we will be taken to account for what we did with our wealth. Like all things in this world, our wealth is not our own, it is a trust, a mercy and a test from Allah. When we are wealthy we can feel as though we are invincible. Our wealth gives us security so we may no longer think we need God, not understanding that without God's mercy, we would have nothing. There are even those who become arrogant through their wealth. Because they are able to accumulate riches, they think they are better than others or that there is something special about them that makes them have the good fortune that they do.

The Prophet cautioned: "Every Ummah (people) has a test to undergo, my Ummah will be tried through the wealth." (Tirmidhi)

Many of us live lives of luxury. We have access to clean water, safe places to sleep, food for when we are hungry and on top of that many of us have excessive luxuries like beautiful homes, nice clothing and flashy cars. But on the day of Judgment, these things will weigh heavy on us and although we are permitted to enjoy the good of this dunya, along with that blessing comes a responsibility to take care of those who are not as blessed.

May Allah make it easy for us to be of those who love to give of our wealth and our time and may He bless us with all the good of this life but not make that our goal. Ameen.

Ramadan: Day 6 - Our Relationship with God

 Yesterday when I was praying taraweeh, I had a warm realization. Something about this realization gave me sense of total well being and comfort.

There are things about a Muslim that are easily identifiable.  Through these things a Muslim can be marked in society as being such. A Muslim dresses modestly, a Muslim does not drink or a Muslim carries herself with adab or a proper manner. These are signals through which the Muslim tells the world who she is. And although all these things are very important, they are not among the basic tenants of faith. Islam is built on five pillars of faith which are the foundation of belief. Some say that when you abandon any of these pillars, you have abandoned Islam.

In the Quran, Allah tells us the importance of having a strong foundation: "Then is one who laid the foundation of his building on righteousness [with fear] from Allah and [seeking] His approval better or one who laid the foundation of his building on the edge of a bank about to collapse, so it collapsed with him into the fire of Hell? And Allah does not guide the wrongdoing people." (Quran, 9:109)

The Prophet peace be upon him tells us more about a good foundation: "Islam has been built upon five things - on testifying that there is no god save Allah, and that Muhammad is His Messenger; on performing salah; on giving the zakah; on Hajj to the House; and on fasting during Ramadan." (Bukhari and Muslim)

The realization that I had was that Islam, my deen, was only between Allah and me. My Islam may guide my actions, it may motivate what I care about, how I contribute to society or how I treat people

but ultimately my Islam is only my personal relationship with Allah. The five pillars of Islam are a strong evidence that the foundation of our religion is about that personal relationship.

Shahdah

To become a Muslim, one simply has to say the Shahdah, or declaration of faith, (I bear witness there is no God but Allah, and I bear witness that Muhummad is His messenger.) with since belief in their heart. This tenant of faith is strictly between the heart of the individual and Allah. Although many people take their Shahdah in a musjid, there is no requirement to do so. And even if a person takes the Shahdah in front of many people, the true element of this pillar, the sincerity in one's heart is not something that others can see or know. Shahdah is only between you and Allah.

Zakah

"And establish prayer and give zakah, and whatever good you put forward for yourselves - you will find it with Allah, surely, Allah sees what you do."

The second pillar of  Islam is Zakah, or to give the poor's due. A Muslim is required to give 2.5% of her capital to the needy. Since all things come from Allah, a person's wealth also belongs to Allah and we merely hold it as a trust. When a Muslim gives Zakat, only she knows if she is being honest or not. There is no Muslim IRS who checks to see if a person is counting all their assets or that they are distributing their money every year. Zakah is only between you and Allah.

Salah

The third pillar of Islam is the Muslims duty to pray regularly. In the Quran, Allah tells us to pray regularly.

"And when you have completed the prayer, remember Allah standing, sitting, or [lying] on your sides. But when you become secure, re-establish [regular] prayer. Indeed, prayer has been decreed upon the believers a decree of specified times." (Quran, 4:103)

Through the actions of the Prophet we learn exactly how to perform those prayers and how many times a day we must pray.  If we are with our Muslim friends, it is easy to remember to pray and to do it at the correct times. Sometimes, like in Ramadan, we try to do most of our prayers in the Musjid if this is an option for us. There are certainly times when we pray in the public forum, but from day to day, there is no one who is around you all the time that knows if you are praying your five prayers with sincerity and with regularity. Salah is only between you and Allah.

Sawm

The fourth pillar of Islam prescribes the Muslims observe sawm, or fasting, in the month of Ramadan.

The fast is more than an abstention from food, water and satisfying our desires. It is also a means towards purification and so when we fast we are also ordered to attain perfection in our self- to reject impure thoughts, hurtful words and other incorrect behaviors.

The Prophet tells us, "If a person does not give up accusations and bad behavior while fasting, Allah has no need of his giving up food or drink."

We know that a person can pretend to be fasting publicly but eat in secret but the private aspect of fasting extends far beyond that. Only a person themself knows if they are not backbiting someone, being jealous or having other bad thoughts. Sawm is only between you and Allah.

Hajj

The fifth and final pillar of Islam tells us to perform the Hajj, or holy pilgrimage. Unlike the first four pillars we have discussed, this pillar is carried out mostly in public but like the others only Allah knows our intention for doing it. We know many, many people who perform the Hajj and come back unchanged. They come with stories of food they didn't like, people who mistreated them and of chaos but not with stories of renewal, peace and rebirth. So, a person goes on Hajj and millions of people witness if they were there but their acceptance of Hajj anchors on their heart and not merely on the act.  Hajj is only between you and Allah.

This post is long because Taraweeh is long and I had lots of time to think about these pillars of faith, about what they meant to me and how my relationship with God is reflected through them. There is something so satisfying about knowing that to perfect our religion we cannot rely merely on the pressure of others or on wanting to appear to be a certain way in society. Instead to perfect our deen, we must look inside of ourselves, assess our true beliefs and then honor our commitment to that belief through private action day after day. Subhan'Allah!

Ramadan: Day 5- Promises

Do you have someone that you can always count on? If they say they are going to do something, you don't hesitate to believe them. If a person is to have good character, then they must not be a breaker of promises, either big or small. I bet on a daily basis, each of us breaks a promise. We tell someone that we will call them and we don't. We break the promise of friendship. We are short-tempered with our partner unnecessarily. We break the promise of marriage. We turn our backs on someone or something that we committed to. We break the promise of loyalty.

Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him) said: “The signs of the hypocrite are three: When he speaks he lies, when he promises he does not fulfill it, and when he is entrusted with something he is treacherous.” (Muslim, Bukhari)

When we can rely on each others promises, we live in a better and more secure world. There are some things that are very difficult for all of us to do. We can't all give laods of money to the needy or memorize the entire Quran or take time off work to dedicate to our communities but this is a simple way by which we can purify ourselves and fashion a better world for everyone to live in. When we honor our promises, the people we interact with will feel valued and appreciated. When we honor our promises, we don't carry the burden of being someone that lets others down.

May Allah protect our tongues from making promises we can not keep and once we have made a promise may he always make it easy for us to fulfill it. Ameen.

Ramadan: Day 4- Kindness

I have known Muslims who are very devout. They never miss a prayer, they are dutiful in recitation of the Quran and they try to uphold the five pillars. For all intents and purposes, they should be a source of inspiration. But when I am around them, I don't feel inspired. Instead, I might feel judged or alienated. Although these people have mastered the technical aspects of Islam, they are missing a very important message of our deen and that is the message of kindness.

In the Quran, Allah commands us, "And worship Allah and do not join any partners with Him and show kindness to your parents and near relatives, to the orphans and those in need and to the neighbor who is of your own people as well as to the neighbor who is a stranger..." (4:36)

When we see a person being compassionate to their parents, taking care of an orphan or showing good will to a neighbor or stranger, we say, Masha'Allah because we know that such a simple act can be very difficult in light of anger, poverty, ignorance or the general self-absorption that comes with life in the West. 

The Prophet said, "A Muslim is the brother of a Muslim. He does not oppress him, abandon him, or look down on him. Righteousness is here," he said, and pointed towards his chest three times. "It is bad enough for a Muslim to look down on his fellow Muslim. A Muslim should consider that everything that belongs to his brother has a special, protected status: his blood, his wealth and his honor." (Muslim)

How many times do we not protect each other's honor? How many times do we not only fail to extend kindness but do harm to each other? How many times do we see someone in need but do not extend our help? As we see from the Quranic ayah above and the hadith below, the provision of kindness is not limited to Muslims.

The Prophet said, "People are God's family. The dearest to God is the person who is kind to His family." (Baihaqi)

So, when we are rude to a waitress,  when we are unkind to our co-workers, when we use harsh words with our family member, when a scowl is constantly on our face, when people fear our anger and temper and when in so many other situations, we are not kind, then we are going against Allah's commandment of Kindness and the Sunnah of the Prophet who was the kindest of all people.

May Allah help us to show kindness to all those we meet, both when it is easy and when it is difficult, so that He may show His kindness to us. Ameen.

Ramdan: Day 3 - Prayer

One of the most difficult and rewarding things that is offered to us by Islam is salat, or prayer. The five daily prayers are a time to reflect, to come closer to God and to pause from overly scheduled lives to remember that we have nothing to fear or worry about in this life because our only true account is with Allah. But instead of treating prayer like these things, we treat it like an inconvenience that we want to hurry through. During prayer we think of to dos we have to check off our lists, of something that is bothering us at work or of someone we are angry with- really, we think of everything but Allah. We are so sick with  the disease of obsession with this dunya that we spit out the prescription we have been given for that very disease.

In the Quran, Allah tells us, "And establish regular prayer. Truly, prayer is a shield from indecency and sin..." (29:45)

Prayer is offered to us both as a way to renew ourselves throughout the day and also as a protection from our own nafs or from the temptations of this dunya. If we are establishing regular, sincere prayer then how can we allow ourselves to be caught in sins? If we are aware that we are going to meet our Lord and supplicate to him, then will we go wearing the clothes of a liar, a deceiver or a cheat?

The Prophet said: 'If one of you had a stream running at his door and he bathed in it five times every day, do you think any dirt would be left on him?' His companions answered, "No dirt at all would be left on him!' He said, 'That is what the five (daily) prayers are like, with which Allah washes away your sins. (Bukhari)

We have an opportunity each day, every few hours to renew ourselves and attain purity.

The Prophet said: 'The first deed that a person will be called to account for on the Day of Judgment will be his prayers. If they are in order he will be successful and prosper, but if they are not he will be ruined and lost.'

It seems that this hadith can apply to our life right now as well. When we are diligent in our prayers, then Allah opens the doors of his mercy and blessings on us.

May Allah make us love Salat, to allow us to pray with focus and sincerity. Ameen.

Ramadan: Day 2 - Mercy

"This is a month, the first part of which brings Allah's Mercy, the middle of which brings Allah's forgiveness and the last part of which brings emancipation from hellfire" (Sahih Al-Bukhari)


There are times in our life that we might find ourselves feeling far from Allah. In these times, we may commit sins that we never thought ourselves possible of. There are times when life presents us with challenges and hardships. We lose a job, we find out someone close to us is incredibly sick or we have trouble in relationships with our families or those we love. In these times, we might curse Allah and be angry at Him. We may question our faith. And then after these times, we find that there is an emptiness or longing. There is something missing and we search for a way to fill ourselves up in this dunya, but we find that we can never feel really full or content. It may be that we are ashamed to turn to Allah after the things we have done and thought but Allah tells us in the Quran:


"Seek your Lord's forgiveness and turn to Him in repentance, for my Lord in indeed Most merciful and loving." (11:90)


The Prophet said: "Allah, blessed and exalted is He, says, 'O son of Adam, as long as you call on Me and ask from Me, I shall forgive you for what you have done, and think nothing of it.


O son of Adam, even inf your sins were to reach up to the clouds in the sky, and then you were to ask for My forgiveness, I would forgive you and think nothing of it.


O son of Adam, even if you were to come to Me with sins nearly as great as the earth, and then you were to meet Me (i.e. after death), not worshipping anything besides Me, I would bring you forgiveness nearly as great as the earth." (Tirmidhi)


In the Quran, Allah tells us to turn to Him for forgiveness because He is more merciful and loving than anyone. Think of the most forgiving person you know, and realize that Allah's forgiveness is greater than that. Think of all the mercy Allah has extended to you already in this dunya. Think of a time you did something wrong and you did not have to pay the consequences because Allah protected you from getting caught. Think of the comforts you have. Think of the people who love you, your parents or partner or children. These are all Allah's mercies on you but they are only a small part of His mercy.


Abu Huraira narrarated: I heard Allah's Apostle saying, Verily Allah created Mercy. The day He created it, He made it into one hundred parts. He withheld with Him ninety-nine parts, and sent its one part to all His creatures." (Saheeh al-Bukhari)


Think of the things above and think of what mercy Allah has given to each and every one of us. He has given it to those who preceded us and will give it to those who come after us. He gives it to the animals and Jinn and still, even with all of that mercy that has been given from the beginning of time and that will be given until the end of time, all of that mercy is only one part of a hundred parts of mercy that Allah will give to us.


May we all be open to Allah's mercy so that when this month is over we are pure as on the day that we were born. Ameen.

Ramadan: Day 1

Today is the first day of Ramadan! When I was young, I remember at the musjid we would be reminded to take a moment to remember all those that we had lost since the last Ramadan. Each year as we enter this holy month, we should first be thankful that we have been given another opportunity to attain its blessings and have to remember that this could be our last. So, let us strive to attain perfection in our fasts, in our prayers, in our actions, in our words, in our thoughts and in our intentions. May Allah make this road easy for us and may we open our hearts and humble ourselves before our Creator in this month that is "better than a thousand months." 

In one effort to make the most of this Ramadan, I will try to post a duaa, story or ayah that I love. I hope you enjoy them as much as I have. The following selection is from my favorite duaa book, "The Abridged Al-Hizbul-Azam"  under the section relating to Sunnah duaas for Monday:

"O Allah, You know my secrets and what I reveal, so accept my apology. You know what I need, so grant what I ask. You know what is hidden in me, so forgive my sins. O Allah, I ask You for faith that is fixed in my heart and true belief which makes me sure that nothing can happen to me except what You have written in my fate, and make me satisfied with what you have destined for me.

Hazrat Ayesha narrates that the Prophet said: "When Prophet Adam was sent to Earth, he came to the Kaba and performed two rakat Salah, Then Allah put this duaa in his heart (along with the assurance) and He willaccept the duaa of anyone who asks in this manner and will grant their important needs. (Al-Dur al-Manthur)"

I like this duaa because in the first sentence, we approach Allah like a friend, as someone who knows everything about us. Even the things we are ashamed to admit or have forgotten, Allah knows these things about us and we ask for forgiveness for our weekness. We finish the duaa asking for a faith that does not mourn the things that we did not get in this life becuase we know that whatever happens to us, it has happened under Allah's watch and we ask for the wisdom to be satisfied with that which we have been given.

May Allah accept this duaa from all of us. Ameen.