Tag Archives: Reflection

Ramadhaan Reminders: Dinner Parties & Iftaar…

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In the name of Allah, most Gracious, most Merciful.

Many people use the following Hadith to justify and encourage Dinner/Iftaar parties during the month of Ramadhaan:

“Whoever gives food to a fasting person with which to break his fast, will have a reward equal to his, without it detracting in the slightest from the reward of the fasting person” – Tirmidhi.

I think it’s important to see the wisdom behind such inspiration and not to abuse it. Dinner/Iftaar parties can often distract people from the real virtues of Ramadhaan and may even facilitate and encourage Back-biting, gossip, etc. The key is to avoid any situation that would distract you from attaining the pleasure of Allah.

Charity is very closely associated with the month of Ramadhaan and some scholars are of the opinion that the above Hadith relates to the food/Iftaar provided to the poor and needy. I’m not in any way implying that providing Iftaar to people who can afford it won’t earn you the reward but what I am saying is make sure the Dinner/Iftaar is done for the right reasons and in the right environment. Invite a different person over for dinner everyday instead of hosting a Dinner/Iftaar party for a huge group of people in one sitting.

May Allah allow us to benefit from this auspicious month…

Ramadan Reminders: Rejuvenation thru Salaah…

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In the name of Allah, most Gracious, most Merciful.

Time Management in Ramadan is key to achieving spiritual success. Very few of us have the luxury of just dropping everything for 30 days and focussing on Ramadan so it is essential to plan and manage your time to allow maximum benefit. I’ve found that planning your day around your Salaah is a good strategy. The biggest gap is between Fajr and Dhur which allows you to focus on productivity, take advantage of the first half of the day and get most of your work/study done then. Dhur is a good break from work and allows you to refresh and rejuvenate.

People always tell me to nap at mid-day, I’d love to, but if I sleep at Dhur time I may miss Asr and Maghrib so until it becomes necessary, I’ll be skipping the mid day siesta.  After mastering the Qailulah, I highly recommend it for anyone who can spare 20-25 mins after Dhur each day.The time between Dhur and Asr is shorter but this is when your energy levels begin depleting. By 3 pm its time for another break, pray Asr and refresh yourself once again.

If you’re not sleeping enough and not keeping healthy, the time between Asr and Maghrib can become challenging, I find this time to be least productive in terms of work/study so I prefer to use this time to make Dhikr and reflect on Ramadan itself. Its the home stretch so give it all you got!

May Allah accept our efforts!

Ramadhan Reminders: Keep Healthy, Keep Hydrated…

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In the Name of Allah, most Gracious, most Merciful.

As much as fasting is not about the mere abstinence of food & water, it’s important to plan your day and prepare for the fast to avoid a melt down. Fasting is an act of worship and if you’re doing it right, Allah will make it easy for you… but this doesn’t mean you don’t need to make any effort. Between all the soft drinks and fried stuff, many of us neglect on keeping well hydrated. This year I’ll be keeping a water bottle with me from sunset to sunrise Insha Allah. Hydration is very important and can influence the way your body acts and reacts throughout the day. Your food intake through the night can greatly influence the way you feel through the day so be mindful of that. If you’re looking for tips on keeping healthy this Ramadhan, check out 5 tips for a healthier Ramadhan!

Kudos to the Gold Coast Musjid for providing bottled water for everyone at Taraweeh!

Blessed Ramadhan!

 

Hide & Seek… where’s the moon?

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In the name of Allah, most Gracious, most Merciful.

So the moon hasn’t been sighted in Australia and so by default we will begin fasting on Tuesday 2 August 2011. I was really hoping to start tomorrow, was feeling pumped and ready but there is wisdom in following the Sunnah and Allah knows best. All the best to those who have started tonight. For the rest of us, lets have an early night, tomorrow is a good opportunity to do some final preparations for the month of Ramadhan. Try to wake up early and get into a good routine. Don’t over indulge, just because we’re not fasting doesn’t mean we should be feasting so take it easy. Enjoy the day and get ready for the 1st Taraweeh tomorrow night Insha Allah!

Blessed Ramadhan…

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In the name of Allah, most Gracious, most Merciful.

As we await confirmation of the sighting of the moon, I’d like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a blessed Ramadhan. I thank Allah for allowing us to witness this month again and I pray that we all benefit from the opportunities we have over the next 30 days. The tents are up, all the preparations have been made, we now await the official start of Ramadhan 1432. Whether your determination of the beginning of Ramadhan is based on the physical sighting of the moon or the scientific calculation, the fact of the matter is that Ramadhan is now upon us. Rather then argue over a few minor technicalities, I hope we are all able to focus on the bigger picture and kick-start the month of mercy by showing respect and understanding towards our fellow Muslims. While I don’t agree with the disunity caused by the moon sighting issue, the atmosphere is amazing. I hope we can look beyond our differences and embrace the mercy of Allah as it descends throughout the month.

Looking forward to some Ramadhan Inspiration, I intend to write as often as I can Insha Allah.

… Blessed Ramadhan!

Ibrahim Ad’ham and the 10 things that prevent our prayers from being answered…

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In the name of Allah, most Gracious, most Merciful.

Allah says in the Holy Quran: Call upon Me, and I will answer your prayers. Why then are some of our prayers not answered?

Ibrahim Ad’ham who was once the ruler of Khurasan was asked this question and responded with: “Because of ten things your hearts are dead; if a person has these ten bad qualities in him, how should God accept his prayer?’

The ten qualities are:

  1. You acknowledge Allah, you pretend to acknowledge Him, and yet you do not give His due
  2. You read the Quran, yet you do not observe it’s commands and prohibitions
  3. Although you say that Satan is your enemy, you follow and obey him
  4. You call yourselves members of the Ummah of Muhammad (S.A.W), yet you do not follow his examples
  5. You claim that you will go to paradise, yet you do none of the deeds required to gain entrance therein
  6. You wish to achieve salvation from the Fire of Hell, yet you throw yourselves into it by committing sin
  7. You know that death is inevitable, yet you make no preparation for it
  8. You pay a lot of attention to the faults of others, yet you do not see your own faults
  9. You consume the bounty of your Lord without showing gratitude
  10. You bury your dead without taking warning
Check yourself before you wreck yourself!
O Allah, graciously afford us the gift of faith and spirituality, and include us among those who achieve success and find salvation from the Hell fire… Ameen!

Unconditional Charity…

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In the name of Allah, most Gracious, most Merciful.

Last weekend was the Salvation Army’s Door Knock Appeal and when I heard about it, I thought about whether or not I would donate to the cause and it reminded me of a story I read as a kid about the Prophet Ibrahim (A.S) or Abraham (PBUH).

Ibrahim (A.S) would never touch food unless there was a beggar in his house, when no beggars visited in a few days, he began to wonder if it was through some fault of his own that God had not sent a beggar to him. Eventually, a beggar came knocking at his door and when he inquired, he learnt that the beggar was a Magian or Fire worshipper. Ibrahim (A.S) proclaimed, ” I cannot help unbelievers who attribute partners to Allah and wander about in this condition. Go away till you have repented, asked forgiveness of God, embraced Islam and cleaned yourself up. Then you will come back to an open door.” As the begged left, Ibrahim heard these words from above: ” Ibrahim, since I, with my Godhead, do not deny him sustenance, despite the fact that he disobeyed me and committed the one sin I do not pardon, namely that of attributing partners to Me, how could you – My servant – send him away without even a crust of bread? Go and make it up to him at once. If you had done this for your own sake, rather than to please Me, I would have wiped you from My friendship.

Upon receiving this divine command, Ibrahim (A.S) took to the road until he found the beggar. He treated him kindly, invited him into his home and fed him well. Through this generosity and charity, the beggar turned to Allah and was blessed with the honour of true faith.

The story demonstrates the importance of unconditional charity and the value of Da’wah through action. Most people would donate to their own religious groups, the true test arises when you are approached by members of other faiths. I still maintain a preference for Islamic Charitable Organisations and I don’t think there can be anything wrong in that, however, the story of Ibrahim (A.S) encourages us as Muslims to be charitable to all of God’s creation.

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “The believer’s shade on the Day of Resurrection will be his charity.” – Al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 604.

The last 2 verses of Surah Al-Baqarah

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In the name of Allah, most Gracious, most Merciful.

The Prophet (Sallallahu ‘Alaihi Wa Sallam) said, “If one recites the last two Verses of Surat-al-Baqara at night, it is sufficient for him (for that night).”

 

 

It is reported on the authority of ‘Ali (RA) that he said:

“I do not consider it fitting for anyone who has understood Islam to sleep (at night) until he has recited Ayat Al- Kursi-and the ending of Surat Al-Baqarah, for they are a gift to your Prophet (SAW) from the treasure which lies beneath the Throne.” (Narrated by Ibn Mardawaih)

Translation: The Messenger believeth in what hath been revealed to him from his Lord, as do the men of faith. Each one (of them) believeth in Allah, His angels, His books, and His messengers. “We make no distinction (they say) between one and another of His messengers.” And they say: “We hear, and we obey: (We seek) Thy forgiveness, our Lord, and to Thee is the end of all journeys.”

Translation: On no soul doth Allah Place a burden greater than it can bear. It gets every good that it earns, and it suffers every ill that it earns. (Pray:) “Our Lord! Condemn us not if we forget or fall into error; our Lord! Lay not on us a burden Like that which Thou didst lay on those before us; Our Lord! Lay not on us a burden greater than we have strength to bear. Blot out our sins, and grant us forgiveness. Have mercy on us. Thou art our Protector; Help us against those who stand against faith.”

These 2 verses are often recited in Prayer and are fairly easy to memorize. Recite them every night and familiarize yourself with the translation. There is great merit in the recitation of these verses and we can all benefit from them. The last verse is also a supplication to Allah and Insha Allah, by reciting these verses regularly, our prayer will also be accepted.

May Allah pardon our sins and grant us the strength to bear our burdens. Ameen.

Spreading Salaam: The Islamic Greeting

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In the name of Allah, most Gracious, most Merciful.

On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (May Allah be pleased with him) it is related that the Prophet (Peace be upon him) said,

“I swear by the one in whose hand lies my soul that you will not enter paradise until you believe. And you shall not believe until you love one another. Shall I tell you something, that if you practice it you will love another? Spread the (Salaam) Islamic greeting amongst yourselves.”

I heard an interesting lecture by Sheikh Anwar Al-Awlaki which reminded me of the importance of spreading Salaam. The Islamic greeting was one of the first orders given to Prophet Adam (A.S) and is a small act of faith many of us may neglect. Many of us study and work with both, Muslims and non-Muslims and I believe it is important to display our faith and its teachings no matter who we associate with.

When in the presence of Muslims, its important to establish the Salaam (Islamic Greeting) as a priority, thereafter you can use any greeting you see fit to address the rest of the group. There’s nothing wrong in saying G’day or Hi, but when addressing fellow Muslims, it is a duty upon us to greet them respectfully and appropriately. The Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) always established the Salaam first and thereafter would say “An’im sabaahan” or “An’imu sabaahan”  which is the Arabic equivalent of Good Morning.

So don’t be ashamed of spreading Salaam, greet those whom you know and those who you may not know and educate the people around you so they may also learn from the teachings of Islam.

It is narrated on the authority of ‘Abdullah b. ‘Amr that a man asked the Messenger of Allah (may peace and blessings be upon him) which of the merits (is superior) in Islam. He (the Holy Prophet) remarked: That you provide food and extend greetings to one whom you know or do not know.

As-Salāmu `Alaykum – السلام عليكم
Peace be upon you…

Lending a helping hand in QLD, Australia

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In the name of Allah, most Gracious, most Merciful.

I’d like to congratulate and acknowledge the efforts of the Muslim Volunteers who assisted with the QLD Flood Crisis. I pray that you are rewarded in this world and in the hereafter Insha Allah.

Below is a letter received from a victim of the recent floods.

_____________________________________

Thank you so much, we went without food etc. for 3 days and eventually got picked up and were at Lowood Evacuation Centre when you delivered your bundles of kindness….we were home again and after a few days SES came to help hose mud out of sheds….they also brought out one of your green bags which was very much appreciated.

I was so impressed that it was a brand new face washer not to mention the brand new toothbrushes and the amount of thought put into the contents.

If we can return your kindness in any way please let us know. My 6yr old son goes to West Moreton Anglican College…maybe your priest could talk to the chaplain and give a talk on Muslim spirituality and join in chapel one morning.

I am technically Church of England but I don’t know much about religion. With all the hostility in the world it is a wonderful thing that your faith has done for the flood victims.

I know my family will never forget your kindness and the effort you went to for us.

Thank you with all my heart

Name Withheld

_____________________________________

This is a true form of Dawah and an excellent display of Islam in Queensland. I hope we hear of many stories like this one, Queensland is not short of natural disasters this year, so lets take advantage of this and spread Islam by being good Muslims.