Hadith – Always Be Devoted

Assalamu Alaykum,

Be beloved to Allah during times of prosperity, [and] He will know you in times of adversity. [Tirmidhi]

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Sometimes we come close to Allah only when we need to. For example, we tend to pray more when we experience hardship, stress, and other difficulties. There is nothing wrong with that – we should always ask Allah for His help. But we should also make it a point to remember Allah during those times when we’re not experiencing any difficulties and to not take things for granted and to always thank Him – something that we might tend to forget to do during those times when everything is “working out” in life.

This hadith reminded me of another hadith, when the Prophet (pbuh) was asked why he spent so much time in prayer and devotion (it was understood that he was sin free and was going to paradise).

He (pbuh) replied: “Should I not be grateful to my lord?”

JazakAllah Khair and I hope you all are taking advantage of these blessed days of Dhul-Hijjah.

The First 10 Days of Dhul-Hijjah

Assalamu Alaykum,

Ibn `Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “There are no days in which righteous deeds are more beloved to Allah than these ten days.” (Bukhari)

Pretty strong words huh? So when are these 10 days that the Prophet (PBUH) is referring to? They are the first 10 days of the month of Dhul-Hijjah.

Concerning the types of worship to be performed during these ten days, one must understand that these 10 days are a great blessing from Allah, which is appreciated properly by the righteous persons. It is the Muslim’s duty to appreciate this blessing and seize the opportunity, by devoting these ten days to paying more attention to striving hard in worship. Among His blessings to His servants, Allah has given us many ways in which to do good and worship Him, so that the Muslim may be constantly active and consistent in his worship of his Lord.

Okay, so what we should we do?

Small Deeds are Magnified by Great Intentions

Assalamu Alaykum,

I was recently thinking about how much do our efforts and struggles in this life really pay off, and then I read a quote in one of the blogs that I regularly visit, and the quote had a strong impact on me and I wanted to share it with others. (FYI, the blog’s name is “workingforone” – just want to make sure that I give them credit for it!)

“For anything to be successful, the intention has to be pure and solely for Allah’s sake. Small deeds are magnified by great intentions. There is nothing you can do in this life that is as beneficial to us than working for this deen. When you’re tired and worn out because of the volunteering and work you put in, think about the Hereafter and know that every ounce of effort you put into this deen, whether others know it or not, Allah is indeed aware. Look at the work you’re doing as an opportunity and a blessing, not a burden. Thank Allah that He has chosen you to work for his deen. Thank Him that He has put the concern in your heart for this deen.” – A. Yahya of AlMaghrib

JazakAllah Khair.

Our Mothers (video)

A very touching video in which a paralyzed man reminds us how important our mothers are….

Backbiting – A Major Sin

Assalamu Alaykum,

Several weeks ago, I attended a mini-lecture, where the speaker touched upon a topic that affects all of us today: backbiting. Backbiting is so common…I know I do it from time to time, and honestly, I really don’t know anybody who doesn’t. What the speaker touched upon during her talk really opened my eyes. I never realized how grave of a sin it is, and this inclined me to do more research about it and share it with others.

What is backbiting? Backbiting is simply to speak ill of a person behind his or her back, including matters concerning his/her moralities, appearance, or personality. Not only is backbiting restricted to words, but also it includes every behavior and deed, whether suggestive or direct.

Be Careful for What You Wish For…

Assalamu Alaykum,

So was in Makkah recently, and had just completed Umrah. Back in my normal clothes, I started to walk around the city, check out the stalls in the market places, and just enjoy my time in one of the most amazing places in the world. While walking around, I saw a brother from Africa sitting on the ground on his knees. I could only see him from his right side and he seemed like he was waiting for someone. Anyhow, there was one distinct feature about him: he was very, very built and looked very, very strong! His arms were probably the size of my legs lol. Almost every guy wants to be built, so naturally, when I saw him, in my head I was like “wow, I wish my arms were like that…”. This “dua” kept going through my head as I continued to walk. As I passed him. I took one more glance at him, this time from his left side, and I saw that he had no left arm. His right arm was so strong because that was the only arm he had to do write, work, pick up things…everything. I felt so guilty and it didn’t take too long for that “dua” in my head to stop repeating itself….

Lessons Learned: Always be grateful for what we have. Always thank Allah for the ease he has placed in our lives and for the simple things we take for granted (ability to see, ability to walk, etc). And to always remember that even though there might be thousands of people who have more things than we do, there are millions who have much less.

Parents….

Assalamu Alaykum,

It’s sometimes hard to remember how much our parents sacrifice on our behalf. Most of the time, we probably don’t even realize how much dedication, hard work and love they give us so that we can be happy, earn an education, socialize with friends, and virtually everything else we do when we live with them.

One of the main distinguishing characteristics of a true Muslim is being respectful and kind to his/her parents, because it is a commandment in the Qur’an and Sunnah. Islam really does raise the status of parents to a level that is unmatched in other religions and cultures. In fact, Allah puts kindness and respect towards parents as just one degree below belief in Allah and true worship of Him.

Ramadan Kareem!

Assalamu Alaykum,

Ramadan Kareem!

May Allah (SWT) accept your fasting, prayers and answer all your supplications during this blessed month.

May He shower mercy and understanding between you and your family, friends and neighbors.

Click below for an excellent brochure about Ramadan:

ramadhan_book_a5_08-1

When Entering the Month of Ramadan

Assalamu Alaykum,

The month which was cited in the Qur’an, the month which the Prophet (pbuh) praised, the month in which Rahmah (love, compassion, mercy) rains like showers, the month which we must not take lightly. Ramadan is a month which we will be full of Allah (swt)’s love, a month which we will be full of Ma’navee atmosphere due to the increased amounts of Ibadah (worship), Dua (supplications) and Sajdah (prostrations). A month where we will do our best to be a good servant to Allah (swt).

Ramadan is an opportunity for us to clean our hearts from the evil, to strengthen our brotherhood ties with all Muslims, to ask forgiveness from Allah (swt) for the sins that we have committed.

The Olympic Story We Never Heard….

Samia Yusuf Omar is an athlete from Somalia who took part in the recently concluded Olympics in China. She was the slowest female runner in the 200 meter race, and although her Olympic experience might have only lasted 32 seconds, her story of her home, family, lifestyle conditions and experiences will have a lasting impression.

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Samia Yusuf Omar headed back to Somalia Sunday, returning to the small two-room house in Mogadishu shared by seven family members. Her mother lives there, selling fruits and vegetables. Her father is buried there, the victim of a wayward artillery shell that hit their home and also killed Samia’s aunt and uncle.

This is the Olympic story we never heard.

It’s about a girl whose Beijing moment lasted a mere 32 seconds – the slowest 200-meter dash time out of the 46 women who competed in the event. Thirty-two seconds that almost nobody saw but that she carries home with her, swelled with joy and wonderment. Back to a decades-long civil war that has flattened much of her city. Back to an Olympic program with few Olympians and no facilities. Back to meals of flat bread, wheat porridge and tap water.