In the Name of Allah, most Gracious, most Merciful.
Stay focused in Ramadhan. Don’t obsess about food and don’t let your Ramadhan revolve around the dinner/iftaar table. There are lessons to be learnt and sacrifices to be made, getting through each day just to make it to the dinner table defeats the purpose of the fast so keep that in mind and make the best of this auspicious month.
…and remember… “The deeds most loved by Allah are those done regularly, even if they are small.”
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!
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!
In the name of Allah, most Gracious, most Merciful.
Many of you might be familiar with the story of Musa (A.S) and His encounter with Al-Khidr. For anyone who isn’t, watch this space and Insha Allah I will summarise the story at a later time. There were 3 events that took place on this journey, in summary, they were:
In this is a great lesson for parents today. Uphold the commandments of Allah and Allah will take care of your children whether you are with them or not.
In the name of Allah, most Gracious, most Merciful.
Make a habit if saying Alhamdulillah and acknowledge Allah in everything you do. It’s very easy to forget and to neglect this. Acknowledging Allah as often as possible will save you from becoming selfish, self-centered and proud.
…and remember… “The deeds most loved by Allah are those done regularly, even if they are small.”
In the name of Allah, most Gracious, most Merciful.
The month of Ramadhaan is fast approaching and with only a few days to go, it’s time to consider a few Lifestyle Optimisation Strategies. Clear up the clutter now so you can take advantage of every opportunity during the month of Ramadhaan.
In the name of Allah, most Gracious, most Merciful.
In “Choosing your place in a gathering”, I mentioned the importance of sitting within a gathering and suggested finding a place closest to the Imam at Jumuah Prayers. This will put things into perspective…
According to Imam Abu-Haneefa in al-Fiqh al-’Akbar: “Allah is seen in the hereafter. The believers will see Him while they are in Paradise. (They will see Him) without any likeness, ascription, and quantity and there will not be any distance between Him and His creations.”
In a lecture I recently listened to by Imam Anwar-al Awlaki, he mentions that ”The people of Jannah, every Friday, will go down to a gathering place, and they will be seated according to how close they were to the Imam in Khutbatul Jumuah, this is when people will get to see Allah. That is the greatest pleasure. People in lowest Jannah will get to see Allah every Friday, but people in Jannatul Firdous will see Allah twice each day, once in the morning and once in the evening.” This is also mentioned by Ibn Al-Qayyim in Nooniyyah.
Remember this the next time you choosing your place at the Musjid. The ultimate incentive, the ultimate reward!
…and remember… “The deeds most loved by Allah are those done regularly, even if they are small.”
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:
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.
In the name of Allah, most Gracious, most Merciful.
I am grateful to Allah for making me among those who are able to read the Quran and for allowing me to recite it everyday. I have never doubted the benefits of reading Quran despite not understanding the Arabic language. I have always felt the positive influence the Quran has on my life and is something I pray I can always feel.
The idea of reading a book without understanding the language in which it’s written is very strange. How would you justify the importance of reading the Quran without understanding what you are reading. I came across an interesting story that puts this into perspective…
An old American Muslim lived on a farm in the mountains of eastern Kentucky with his young grandson. Each morning Grandpa was up early sitting at the kitchen table reading his Quran. His grandson wanted to be just like him and tried to imitate him in every way he could.
One day the grandson asked, “Grandpa! I try to read the Quran just like you but I don’t understand it, and what I do understand I forget as soon as I close the book. What good does reading the Qur’an do?”
The Grandfather quietly turned from putting coal in the stove and replied, “Take this coal basket down to the river and bring me back a basket of water.
The boy did as he was told, but all the water leaked out before he got back to the house. The grandfather laughed and said, “You’ll have to move a little faster next time,” and sent him back to the river with the basket to try again. This time the boy ran faster, but again the basket was empty before he returned home. Out of breath, he told his grandfather that it was impossible to carry water in a basket, and he went to get a bucket instead.
The old man said, “I don’t want a bucket of water; I want a basket of water. You’re just not trying hard enough,” and he went out the door to watch the boy try in.
At this point, the boy knew it was impossible, but he wanted to show his grandfather that even if he ran as fast as he could, the water would leak out before he got back to the house. The boy again dipped the basket into river and ran hard, but when he reached his grandfather the basket was again empty. Out of breath, he said, “See Grandpa, it’s useless!”“So you think it is useless?” The old man said, “Look at the basket.”
The boy looked at the basket and for the first time realized that the basket was different. It had been transformed from a dirty old coal basket and was now clean, inside and out.
Son, that’s what happens when you read the Qur’an. You might not understand or remember everything, but when you read it, you will be changed, inside and out. That is the work of Allah in our lives.”
Lessons, Reminders, Reflections... 