Welcoming Ramadan

Prophet Muhammad (SAW) stated, "Whoever fasts a day for the sake of Allah, Allah (SWT) will distance his face from the hell fire by the distance of 70 years." (Bukhari)

Imagine. Someone really, really important is coming to visit you. Surely, you'd cook, clean, shop, prepare and plan everything for them. You'd make sure they're comfortable and well taken care of. You'd ascertain that everything's perfectly ready and adequately in place before they arrive. Now imagine someone coming to visit you that's even more important than that; more precious, more valuable, more honorable. Wouldn't you prepare even more and give it the best you got?

Well, the best month of the year, the most blessed and most precious, is here. The month that brings the fragrance of Jannah (heaven) and the sweetness of Imaan (faith), the tears of Taubah (repent) and the forgiveness of your Lord. And it's bringing with it a night that's equivalent in worship and reward, to more than a thousand months. Wouldn't you want to prepare for that? Wouldn't you want to be ready for it with all your heart and soul so that you don’t miss this great opportunity? They say the more prepared we are for something, the easier it is for us to handle it and the greater the chances that we'll be successful at it. So what are our resolutions this time?

Let's reduce the amount of food we eat during this month and continue the same spirit for the rest of the year. I love eating food and I love cooking it too. However, I do believe we eat far too much food and worst still we waste even more. So let's only take on our plate the amount we can eat and eat all that we take on our plate. We may actually lose some weight in that process. 

Let's eat healthy and wholesome food. Many of us place so much emphasis on permissible (halal) food but forget the other one, wholesome and beneficial food (tayyib). Let's not buy too much processed food and stop eating junk food. What we eat is what we are. 

Let's appreciate more the food that we eat. While we're fasting the food smells more tantalizing, the taste buds become extremely sensitive and food taste heavenly. By abstaining from eating and drinking we learn to respect the food more and I appreciate it when I get it. Let's be more grateful, respectful and appreciative of the food we buy and eat.

Let's give more in charity. We would spend over RM500 buying food, clothes, grocery, etc. Imagine, how it'd be if we all gave that money to a charity. After all fasting makes us understand the pain of hunger and thirst and pushes me to sympathize with the less fortunate. In the month of Ramadan, let's donate to the poor and the needy.

Let's not do any evil, speak no evil and see no evil. While fasting we can abstain from swearing or fighting with anybody. Let's not get involved in backbiting, slandering or gossiping about people. Let's not lie or cheat anybody. Let's be honest, kind and conscientious to people. Ramadan is the month of mercy, so let's be more merciful. It's the month of forgiveness, so let's forgive those who have wronged us. Let's not look at or listen to or see anything that will weaken our faith and resolve to be good.

Let's give up our bad habits. Although I don't smoke, for those who smoke Ramadan must be an amazing opportunity to give it up. Let's replace bad habits with good, productive and useful habits. My bad habit may include watching excessive TV, spending too much time on my cellphone or internet. Some people sleep far too much, it's a bad habit too. In Ramadan let's try our best to reduce our desire to sleep so much. Whatever bad habit you have, join me and make a pledge to give them up.

Let's devote more time with family. I have a wonderful family. I have a great mom and dad. I have 6 siblings and a handful of nieces and nephew. I'll spend more time with them this Ramadan and appreciate all the happiness and pleasure they give me. 

Let's devote more time in developing and sustaining our relationship with Allah. The whole purpose of fasting is to help us develop a stronger commitment to Allah and enhance our character with the attributes that Allah loves most. This month gives us every opportunity to do just that. Let's spend more time reading and studying the Qur'an, spend more time in reflection and remembrance of His Grace.

Have a meaningful and wonderful Ramadan. Happy fasting! :)

1 Verse, 114 Revelations

بِسْــــــــــــــــــمِ اﷲِالرَّحْمَنِ اارَّحِيم 

Bismillah (in the Name of God) is the start of all things good. We too shall start to it. 

We're the travelers, and this world is a desert. Our impotence and poverty have no limit, and our enemies and needs are endless. Since it is thus, take the name of the Pre-Eternal Ruler and Post-Eternal Lord of the desert and be saved from begging before the whole universe and trembling before every event. The person who acts saying, "in the name of God," resembles someone who enrolls in the army. He acts in the name of the government. In the same way, all things act in the name of Almighty God. He has fear of no one; he speaks, performs every matter, and withstands everything in the name of Allah. 

We should know that there's a way to ascend to the throne of Divine Mercy, and that is, bismillāhi r-rahmāni r-rahīm. If you want to understand how important this way of ascent is, look at the beginning of the 114 chapters of the Qur'an of Miraculous Exposition, and at the beginnings of all estimable books, and at the start of all good works. And a clear proof of the God-determined grandeur of bismillah is that the very foremost Islamic scholars like Imam Shafi'i (may God be pleased with him) said: "Although bismillāhi r-rahmāni r-rahīm is one verse, it was revealed 114 times in the Qur'an."

Excerpt taken from Sunnah In Action.

Dust on His Path

"There has certainly been for you in the Messenger of Allah an excellent pattern for anyone whose hope is in Allah and the Last Day and [who] remembers Allah often."
– Surah Al-Ahzab (33:21)

The salvation of humanity and every individual lies in following the blessed sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad (saw), who has been sent by Allah (swt) as a role model for us until qiamat. But some people think that sunnah is only restricted to prayers, fasting and several others. Instead, there are sunnah for all the activities we do everyday. In Islam, the Arabic word 'sunnah' has come to denote the way Rasulullah (saw), the Messenger of Allah, lived his life. And following the sunnah of Rasulullah (saw) in all aspects of life will bring blessings of Allah to us. 

Here's a few sunnah of Rasulullah (saw):

1. Sunnah of eating

• recite bismillah and du'a before eating
• start with fruits if any
• use right hand, 3 fingers if possible
• don't drink while eating
• eat before hungry, stop before full 

2. Sunnah of sleeping

• clean and take wudhu before going to bed
• recite ayat al-Kursi before sleeping
• sleep on right hand side with right palm under right cheek
• keep knees slightly bent

3. Sunnah on anger management

• when you're angry while standing, sit
• when you're angry while siting, lie down
• when you're angry while lying down, take wudhu 
• never let anger control you, control the anger

4. Sunnah on favorite sports

• archery, riding horse and swimming

5. Sunnah on favorite food

• barley, dates, figs, olives, grapes, honey, watermelon, milk, mushroom, pomegranate, and plain water 

There are more and you can find them in many sources. Happy Maulidur Rasul. :)

I am the servant of the Qur'an as long as I have life. I am the dust on the path of Muhammad, the Chosen One. - Rumi

Look At the Stars

My former teacher used to say: "When tough times come, look at the sky. See how big this world is and remember how many people living in it, they all have problems too and some of the problems are much bigger than yours. Then pray and ask help from Allah".

*Yellow by Coldplay is playing*

Numbered Days

I've always been aware of death. Not preoccupied, scared, or fearful of, but aware. Or maybe, just cognizant of life itself. And not just life in general, but my one chance to get it right. Sure, I'll make mistakes. That's not the point. I'm aware of the fact and remind myself on a daily basis that my time here is limited. So from now until then is all I have. Because of this ever present awareness of death, I recently decided that now's the time to make sure I'm living this one life. I found myself asking, how do you want to spend your limited number of days, and my answer has consistently been, doing something meaningful, especially as required in Islam.  

We only live once, which means we have to do and be all that we're created to be. On a daily basis, we have to work to become. I personally never fulfill my new year's resolutions so instead, I'm committing myself to a year full of meaningful days. A meaningful day can truly be anything, but for me, that means taking small steps on a daily basis to change the world. Cliche? Yes. Impossible? No.

I want some meanings behind the things I buy, the places I give my money to. Where I go, what I do for fun. How I treat people. How I leave the world behind. I want to make something good even after I'm gone, not to be remembered, but at least to do the right thing for people, to make them stay alive and be better. Signing up as an organ donor, for example. While I'm aware of the possibility of death, what I really mean is that I'm making a conscious effort to be alive.

Carrying the Torch of Ramadan Forward

It's been weeks since Ramadan has passed. Our Qurans have shut. Our mosques have emptied. And our hearts have once again filled with the love of life, the hatred of death and the desires that consume us. And so while we find ourselves again vulnerable to the very same struggles that plagued us before Ramadan, let us not forget the very purpose of our efforts during that blessed month. Let us not allow the fruits of Ramadan to be lost. And let us not miss out on the very purpose of our fasting.

If, during Ramadan, we're able to keep ourselves from eating and drinking out of fear of Allah, are we not able to keep ourselves from forbidden things after Ramadan, out of that same fear? During Ramadan, we could wake up before sunrise to feed our bodies. But after Ramadan we sleep through dawn and starve our souls. Let us not allow ourselves to be conquered. The power and choice is ours.

How do we continue the spirit of Ramadan for the entire year, and throughout our lives?

1. Guard your prayers. 

During Ramadan, many of us make sure to pray every prayer on time. Continue to guard your prayers, because surely they will guard you. 

2. Remember Allah by staying close to the Quran. 

During Ramadan, many of us spend our nights and days reading Quran. Remembering Allah by staying close to the Quran everyday will protect you from evil and keep your heart polished.

3. Think more and talk less. 

The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: “Sometimes a person says a thing which pleases Allah, and in return Allah raises his status; and sometimes a person says something which displeases Allah, and it takes him to hell” (Bukhari).

4. Repent often. 

Many of us seek forgiveness from Allah during Ramadan, but abandon this practice once Ramadan's over. Keep in mind that the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ used to repent to Allah a hundred times every single day. Repenting often keeps our hearts clean and always connected to Allah.

- From the book Reclaim Your Heart by Yasmin Mogahed.

Raining with Mercy

Imagine for a moment that it’s raining and imagine that you're inside your house, watching as it falls. Well, it's pouring, in fact. But imagine that there's something very different about this rain. It's unlike any other you've ever seen. It's not raining water, it's raining something much more precious to you. Imagine that it's raining money. What would you do? What would happen in your neighborhood on that day? What would happen in the world? Would we not run outside, falling all over ourselves, competing to gain as much of the raining money as we can? Would we not stand outside all night to gather as much as possible? We would do this for money because money is precious. But imagine for a moment that it's raining something priceless. Not thousand money, not trillions, but the mercy of Allah, a currency that no human currency could even measure.

In this Ramadan, we're shielded from hell-fire, protected from the satan and cleansed from our sins. Within this month, there's a night that is greater than a thousand months (lailatul qadr). So, what greater loss can there be than to find ourselves standing in the middle of this massive downfall of blessings without collecting all we can of Allah's mercy? And while this mercy showers on us throughout the blessed month, the last 10 days are like no other. But how can we fully take advantage of this blessed month, especially in the last 10 days? Here's a few ways:

1. Reserve a private meeting with Allah.

Set a time before or after suhoor to be alone with Allah. Use this time to connect to Him by praying or reading Quran. There's no other time like it. 

2. Set a time for reflection.

In the midst of our busy schedule, we seldom find time to stop and relax, let alone reflect on the realities of life. Make time to do this. Take time to step outside of your daily routine and introspect about where you are and where you’re going. Reflect on the creation around you and on the  reality of this life, death, and our final meeting with our Creator. Choose a time, such as the last third of the night, when there are no distractions.

3. Take a trip to Allah.

We all need to get away sometimes. Use Ramadan as a chance to go away with Allah as your companion.

Source: Yasmin Mogahed

We're getting closer to the end of Ramadan. Let's make the best of the remaining days. 

Ramadan Feeds your Soul

Alhamdulillah, it's Ramadan. It's a month not only of self-restraint and control, but rather a month where we can truly appreciate the hardship that those without the guarantee of food at the end of each day go through. For Muslims, gratitude and patience go hand in hand and both are intertwined as well as deeply practiced in this month. Feeling grateful is a genuine feeling of being blessed with everything we've been given.

Often we find that the darkest times in our lives are followed by the most precious. And it's at the moment when everything looks broken that something least expected lifts us and carries us through. Like the sun that rises at the end of the night, our dawn has come. Allah has sent the light of Ramadan to erase the night. He as sent the month of the Quran so that He might elevate us and bring us from our isolation to His nearness. He has given us the month to fill our emptiness, cure our loneliness and end our soul’s poverty.

Every moment of Ramadan is a chance to come back to Allah. Whatever we're now going through in our lives is often a direct result of our own actions. Most of all, we must never be deceived. Imagine receiving a clean slate. Imagine having everything you ever regret doing erased completely. Ramadan is that chance.

By controlling and restraining our physical needs, we gain strength for the greater battle: controlling and restraining our nafs (soul’s desire). When fasting, every hunger pang reminds us of Allah. Don’t make fasting just hunger and thirst. While fasting, understand the whole picture. Remember that fasting is not just about staying away from food. It's about striving to become a better person. And in striving, we're given a chance to escape the darkness of our own isolation from Allah. Like the sun that sets at the end of the day, so as Ramadan that will come and go, leaving only its mark on our heart’s sky. Make the best of it.

Happy Ramadan. :)

Du'a of The Day

Duʿāʾ (دعاء)

Ya Allah SWT, you are As-Salam, the source of peace. From You is all peace and tranquility.

Ya Salam, there are those across this Ummah that are living in broken homes, that are in broken relationships.

Mothers that are broken with their children, spouses whose relationships is broken, friends whose relationships are broken.

Slaves of Yours whose relationships with You are broken.

Ya Allah, You are the Healer of wounds, You are the Remover of pain, You are the Giver of peace.

Heal the hearts of those whose homes & hearts are broken. Soften the hearts that have become hard with sin.

Give patience and courage to those that are mocked and suffer as they struggle to remain on Your path.

Guide the families that are far away from guidance. Heal the hearts that are hurting and take away the pain.

Oh Lord of Mankind, make every hardship a means of returning back to You.

Give us peace in our hearts so that we can face every storm with an Alhamdulillah.

Allahuma Ameen.

I Am a Swan

Dear culture that raised me,

Growing up, you read me the Ugly Duckling. And for years I believed that was me. For so long you taught me I was nothing more than a bad copy of the standard (men).

I couldn’t run as fast or lift as much. I didn’t make the same money and I cried too often. I grew up in a man’s world where I didn’t belong.

And when I couldn’t be him, I wanted only to please him. I put on your make-up and wore your short skirts. I gave my life, my body, my dignity, for the cause of being pretty. I knew that no matter what I did, I was worthy only to the degree that I could please and be beautiful for my master. And so I spent my life on the cover of Cosmo and gave my body for you to sell.

I was a slave, but you taught me I was free. I was your object, but you swore it was success. You taught me that my purpose in life was to be on display, to attract, and be beautiful for men. You had me believe that my body was created to market your cars. And you raised me to think I was an ugly duckling. But you lied.

Islam tells me, I’m a swan. I’m different, it’s meant to be that way. And my body, my soul, was created for something more.

So I am honored. But it is not by my relationship to men. My value as a woman is not measured by the size of my waist or the number of men who like me. My worth as a human being is measured on a higher scale: a scale of righteousness and piety. And my purpose in life – despite what the fashion magazines say – is something more sublime than just looking good for men.

And so God tells me to cover myself, to hide my beauty and to tell the world that I’m not here to please men with my body; I’m here to please God. God elevates the dignity of a woman’s body by commanding that it be respected and covered, shown only to the deserving, only to the man I marry.

I’m not here to be on display. And my body is not for public consumption. I will not be reduced to an object, or a pair of legs to sell shoes. I’m a soul, a mind, a servant of God. My worth is defined by the beauty of my soul, my heart, my moral character. So, I won’t worship your beauty standards, and I don’t submit to your fashion sense. My submission is to something higher.

With my veil I put my faith on display, rather than my beauty. My value as a human is defined by my relationship with God, not by my looks. I cover the irrelevant. And when you look at me, you don’t see a body. You view me only for what I am: a servant of my Creator.

You see, as a Muslim woman, I’ve been liberated from a silent kind of bondage. I don’t answer to the slaves of God on earth. I answer to their King.

P.S: Thanks for your moment. This inspirational letter is written by Yasmin Mogahed. Such a beautiful thoughts on hijab and women. 

That is Loyalty

When you slept, He was awake. When you broke, He held you up. When every means failed, He saved you. When everyone left you, He remained. He always remains. 

Never forget when the storms pushed you to your knees and there's no one else who could help you, He carried you. When you're broken and you swore this time it couldn't be fixed, never forget who fixed it. Never forget what He saved you from. Never forget how He put you back together. 

That moment when you felt helpless and alone, never forget who never left. No matter who or what may be beside you now, never forget those moments when it was only Him. Only Him. That is loyalty.

:)

The Greatest Love of All

It’s not easy to let go. Or is it? We agree that there are things harder than letting go of what we love. Yet, sometimes that’s exactly what we have to do. Sometimes we love things that we can’t have. Sometimes we want things that are not good for us. And sometimes we love what's forbidden (specifically in Islam). To let go of these things is hard. Giving up something the heart adores is one of the hardest battles we ever have to fight.

But what if it didn't have to be such a battle? What if it didn't have to be so hard? Could there be an easy way to let go of an attachment? Of course there is. Find something better.

They say you don’t get over someone until you find someone better. As humans, we don’t deal well with emptiness. The pain of emptiness is too strong. A single moment with an empty spot causes excruciating pain. That’s why we run from distraction to distraction, and from attachment to attachment.

In the quest to heal the heart, people speak a lot about breaking the false dependencies. But then there’s always the question of ‘how?’ Once there's a false attachment, how to break free? It's often too hard. We get addicted to things and can’t seem to let them go. Even when they hurt us and damage our lives and our bond with God. We just can’t let them go because we're too dependent on them. And so, even when we struggle to give them up, we often abandon the struggle because it’s too hard.

I think it's because we haven’t found something we love more to replace it. So in letting go, the answer lies in love. Fall in love with something greater. As in Islam, it's best to love Allah more than anything. So even when trouble gets in the way, we go through it with patience, prayers and faith. The love of God is the greatest love of all. :)

Inspired by Yasmin Mogahed 

“Allah sometimes gives and sometimes takes. He is sometimes pleased and sometimes displeased with our deeds. Whether a thing is beneficial or harmful to me, I will remain firm in my belief and remain thankful to my Creator.”— Prophet Ayub (a.s)