Multiply Your Rewards

If someone told you that tomorrow you would be given the opportunity to double your salary, but you have to stay awake tonight to know how, would you even blink tonight? Even if you start feeling sleepy you’d iv the strongest coffee into your blood system, get yourself an energy drink, swallow energy bars, and maybe even keep your eyes open with clothes pegs.

Now where is this enthusiasm when you’re told to seek a night that is better than a thousand months; Laylat-ul-Qadar.

the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever spends the night of Laylat al-Qadr in prayer out of faith and in hope of reward, his previous sins will be forgiven.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1901; Muslim, 760).

قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: مَنْ قَامَ لَيْلَةَ الْقَدْرِ إِيمَانًا وَاحْتِسَابًا غُفِرَ لَهُ مَا تَقَدَّمَ مِنْ ذَنْبِهِ

So when is Lailat-ul-Qadr?

The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Seek it (Lailat-ul-Qadr) in the last ten (nights). If one of you shows slackness in the earlier part of Ramadan, let it not be weak to observe the last seven.”

“التمسوها في العشر الأواخر، فإن ضعف أحدكم أوعجز فلا يغلبن على السبع البواقي”. [Bukhari 2015, Muslim 1165]

So what do you do during the last ten nights?

The nights are long so don’t shorten them with excessive sleep. Fill your time with doing all sorts of good deeds;

1) The five obligatory prayers

2) Qiyyam ul-leil (or livening your nights with prayers).

3) Du’aa, especially saying;   اللهم إنك عفو تحب العفو فاعف عني

Allahumma innaka ‘affuwwun tuhibbul ‘afwa fa’fu ‘anni’ “

Meaning of the duaa is; O Allah You are The One Who pardons greatly, and loves to pardon, so pardon me.

Hadeeth where this duaa is mentioned;

Aisha radhiya Allahu `anha, that she said: “O Messenger of Allah! What if I knew which night Lailatul-Qadr was, then what should I say in it?” He said.- “Say.- (Allahumma innaka ‘affuwwun tuhibbul ‘afwa fa’fu ‘annee.)

فعن عائشة رضي الله عنها أنها قالت للنبي صلى الله عليه وسلم: “أرأيتَ إن وفقت ليلة القدر، ما أقول فيها؟ قال: قولي: اللهم إنك عفو تحب العفو فاعف عني

“

4) Performing I’tikaf; that means to seclude yourself in the masjid and put all your worldly matters aside. Check a proper source for how to do i’tikaf

5) Give out charity, and help in feeding other fasting Muslims to multiply your ajr insha’Allah. Just make sure you purify your intentions and make it for Allah’s sake.

Keep me in your duaas.

And since this blog is mostly read by females; a common question asked by women only – and its answer  – can be found here; http://islamqa.com/en/ref/26753/laylat%20qadr

and for the first point mentioned in the link, question 2564 (seems to be broken when I try to open it), but this is it; http://islamqa.com/en/ref/2564

Waning Concentration

It’s Day 16 of Ramadan, and the days are flying by. It’s very easy for people to lose concentration during Taraweeh especially during the middle ten days – because during the first ten days, you’re still enthusiastic about Ramadan, and during the last ten days, you’re watching out for Laylat-ul-Qadr. So come the middle ten days, and food feels heavier than usual, your concentration wanders to Kenya and back. Maybe you begin praying well, but suddenly start thinking about what you would like to have for suhoor, and who you would like to call after praying, and then suddenly,

“Allah Akbar…”

*Wait a second, when did the imam finish reciting? Um…what was he reciting in the first place*

So here’s a reminder to myself before anybody else

1) Mentally prepare yourself for the prayer.  Before you start praying Isha’a, take all of the worries of your worldly affairs and pack them away. Envision yourself, putting them in boxes and throwing them in the store room. It’s just one hour (or one and a half hours). How many people watch football games that last as long and are so riveted to the TV screens, not wanting to miss a shot? How many people watch series that take that long and are as concentrated? So why is it when you are given a chance to connect to your Lord, your concentration wanders?

2) Remember that prayers are your connection to Allah (SWT). Keep a list of duaas ready and ask Him whatever you want.

3) Listen to the words of the Quraan intently. Try to read the surah that the imam is planning to read, during the day, so your anticipation will make you more interested as you would follow with the imam. Also try to get a tafseer of that surah, so that you comprehend what the imaam is reciting.

4) Just monitor yourself and snap out of your reveries whenever you get distracted. Tell yourself that it’s neither the time or place to think about that job or that car or that other worldly affairs. Remember the grave and think of how this could be your last prayer, so how would you like to meet your Lord.

سئل حاتم الأصم رحمه الله كيف تخشع في صلاتك ؟؟ قال : بأن أقوم فأكبر للصلاة .. وأتخيل الكعبة أمام عيني .. والصراط تحت قدمي ,, والجنة عن يميني والنار عن شمالي ,,وملك الموت ورائي وأن رسول الله يتأمل صلاتي وأظنها آخر صلاة , فأكبر الله بتعظيم وأقرأ وأتدبر وأركع بخضوع وأسجد بخضوع وأجعل في صلاتي الخوف من الله والرجاء في رحمته ثم أسلم ولا أدري أقبلت أم لا؟؟

Pleasure vs Pain

Some people deal with depression by grabbing a huge ice cream container and swallowing down their emotions – literally. Maybe they feel better for a short period of time, but does it last?

What about those who start taking painkillers to numb the physical pain or those who use sleeping pills to drive away insomnia? Maybe they feel better and get some sleep, but what if they develop dependence on those pills in the long term?

Think about those who take out bank loans to drive the latest car and live in the biggest mansion when they can’t really afford it. The idea of waiting to save up enough money to buy things using cash is too painful so they’d rather swipe their credit card, and voila! The car is semi-theirs and so is the house. It’s what makes Mastercard thrive.

All of the above are examples of instant gratification; a sort of attitude that is common in our world nowadays. A famous experiment done in this area is called the Marshmallow experiment where a marshmallow is offered to a child. The child is told that if he could resist eating the marshmallow, he would get two instead of one. Then it was observed how long the child would resist the temptation of eating the marshmallow right in front of him. The opposite of instant gratification is called delayed gratification. Research shows that delayed gratification is an important factor of emotional intelligence as it is a measure of a person’s willpower, self-discipline and self-control. Because they are more likely to put in the hard work needed to achieve something they have set out to achieve, they are more likely to get up after every fall because they don’t anticipate that the results will appear, now, now, now!

If we really look at Islam, fasting in Ramadan teaches us about delayed gratification. When we’re in the kitchen at 5 p.m. and those golden samosas are taken out of the wok while they’re hot, we would love to gobble them but fasting teaches us to control our impulses and refrain from eating until Maghrib.

My question today is this; Who exactly is responsible for the spread of instant gratification in our societies? Is it the parents who give a child everything he wants when he takes the following steps;

1) I want

2) I cry

3) I get

4) Repeat step 1

Or is it society where people try to compete against each other to maintain a certain standard of living? Or do we blame it on advertisements who keep on luring us with glossy images? If the child from the Marshmallow Experiment was not given the first marshmallow, would he be burning to get his hands on one? Or is it because the thing is right there, in front of him, tantalizing him, “Eat me…”

So who exactly is teaching us to enjoy the short-term ride on the pleasure river only to plummet down the pain waterfall in the long term?

Hadeeth of the Day

وعن أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه قَالَ : قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ : ( حُفَّتْ الْجَنَّةُ بِالْمَكَارِهِ وَحُفَّتْ النَّارُ بِالشَّهَوَاتِ ) متفق عليه .

 

The Other Side of Two Stories

When the term “Dubai” comes up, people start thinking about the fireworks above the Atlantis and Burj Khalifa, the shopping festival, Summer Surprises and spoilt brats with their own blackberries, iphones, Audis and Land Cruisers.

But that’s just one side of the story.

The UAE has been recognized by a World Bank report in September 2010 as one of the world’s most generous contributors to foreign aid. The spirit of giving is not just done on a governmental level but on a personal level. Giving is ingrained within the fabric of society. Just last week, a group of youngsters came together to organize a Flea Market where unwanted items were sold where 100% of the funds raised is meant for East Africa. In a fun even that took place in Zabeel Park. The air in the place was filled with excitement, inspiration and a twist of creativity, and the best part of the night was the fact that they raised 18,000 dirhams for the Somalia people.

But that’s not enough because the ambitious organizers are aiming to raise 100,000 dirhams by the end of Ramadan, and as Nelson Mandela says, “It always seems impossible until it’s done.” So the next event is going to be on 20th of August and to participate, go to their Facebook Event page https://www.facebook.com/?ref=logo#!/event.php?eid=107458499354490

Alternatively, you can email; flea4charity@gmail.com or follow them on twitter @flea4charity

On the other hand, when the terms “Kenya” or “Somalia” come up, people think of poverty, hunger, insecurity and gun-carrying Shabaab.

But that’s just one side of the story.

As a Kenyan who just came back from Kenya the weekend before Ramadan, I must say, Kenya’s beauty is so mesmerizing, it can make you choke up with tears to see a country that’s so full of potential strangled to waste by a bunch of money-hungry and power-hungry ministers. The scenes there are so picturesque; from the lush green land that extends from one horizon to another, to the iconic baobab trees that stand against the sunset, to the whispering palms that sway in the wind. Then moving onto the people, the tenacity of the people and their drive to work hard is just inspirational. Recently, Kenyans set aside their tribalism and acted as one  in the #Kenyans4Kenya and #FeedKe initiatives to raise over 495 million kenya shillings for the unfortunate people starving from the drought. It’s the power of the people at its best. To quote Wael Ghoneim, “Power of the People is Stronger than People in Power.“

To learn more about the initiatives; follow the #feedke and #kenyans4kenya hashtags on twitter, and before you leave this page do two things

1) Donate from your Etisalat phones, send an empty sms to 6212 to donate 20 dirhams and 6215 to donate 100 dirhams through Sharjah Charity (if you reside in the UAE)

2) Share this post on facebook and twitter

Looking Over Mombasa

AWESOME News Followed by Productivity Tips

We live in a black-or-white world. On one side, people throw away leftover food after Iftar, overwhelming their stomachs with excess food causing enough gas to run a generator…or maybe not exactly a generator but that could cause air pollution. In Somalia people are starving and as you can read from “Me and the Man with the iPad” how people are reacting to that [1].
However, bleak news aside, there’s some AWESOME news today, and that is that the #FeedKe campaign successfully raised Kshs 1,376,228/= and the #Kenyans4Kenya campaign raised Kenya Shillings 490,022,722/=.  Thanks to @SafaricomLtd and @ahmedsalims for organizing the campaigns. And news like this make you feel like there’s still good in the world.
Another AWESOME news comes from Dubai  where AED 18,000 were raised for Somalia yesterday at the Flea Market! Thanks to the inspiring team; @luzsalemv and @jihadM for  organizing the event and to @RanaHashour & @NadiaMSaleem and all the others who helped during the event. Cool stuff were sold from paintings to antiques to books. You can follow @Flea4Charity for more Flea Market news.
Moving onto today’s topic, there are two productivity tips that helped me recoup so much wasted time. They’re not rocket science and most of you probably know it but how many of you actually implement it?
1. Carry a copy of the Quraan and Hosn Al Muslim on your phone. Most smartphones have applications that allow you to read the Quraan wherever you go. And since scholars [2] say that it is permissible to touch the mobile phone on which Quraan is recorded and read from it even if one hasn’t done wudoo (and Allah knows best), this means that you can read it whenever you are waiting in a cue or when you are being driven somewhere (not recommended if you are driving). If your phone is one of those Hello-Send-Sms-Only phones then fill your waiting time with istighfaar and dhikr Allah. Make املـأ لحظات الـإنتظار بالـإستغفار your motto.
2. Don’t fail twice. When you keep a log of what you do daily to make sure that you are making use of every second of your time, make sure that you don’t fail twice in a row during Ramadaan. We are human and we do get tired. Maybe one day you discover that you’ve eaten so much that you can’t make it to taraweeh prayers in congregation without the help of a crane or a wheelbarrow, or that you have read less Quraan than the day before. The idea is that if you have failed once, then make sure that you do not fail twice in a row. Challenge yourself and fight your nafs to make sure of that. The problem with failing twice is that it makes it easier for failures to gain momentum and for successes to come to an ultimate stop. So remember; don’t fail twice in a row.

This is just a reminder to myself before anybody else.

To help donate to Somalia and Kenya, read this.
[1] http://blogs.reuters.com/photo/2011/07/29/me-and-the-man-with-the-ipad/
[2] http://www.islam-qa.com/en/ref/106961

The Thirty Day Challenge

Let’s say you have a hundred dirhams, and you have the option of either investing it or rolling it up and burning it using the kitchen stove, what would you do?

Of course invest it.

Or if you were a smoker, roll it up – not directly but through the purchase of cigarette – and burn it up using a lighter.

What you do would really depend on your habits prior to being asked this question? Non-smokers would choose the former, and smokers would choose the latter. Likewise, Ramadan has come as a thirty (or 29) day package for you, and how you spend it would depend on you as a person. If you were used to praying on time, fasting Mondays and Thursdays, and reading Quraan during the rest of the year, then stepping up your game would be easier and within a week you’d be performing on Turbo – in’shaAllah. But if you’re a self-proclaimed Ramadan Muslim, then picking up those habits could be challenging, especially that you might do more than your share of sneezing after blowing the dust off a copy of the Holy Quraan.

But the good news is this; your struggles are a bit easier, because you’re fighting against your nafs only…shaytan’s out of the picture. So wherever you used to stand before today, realize that this month is more precious than any other, and guard your time well.

The eight habits of highly effective Muslims in Ramadan;

1) Pray on time – and in congregation (for males). You can keep a daily log of your prayers to make sure you’re praying on time – use Qamardeen on the iphone if you have one.

2) Morning and Evening Dhikr.
روى الترمذي (586) عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ رضي الله عنه قَالَ : قَالَ رَسُولُ
اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ : ( مَنْ صَلَّى الْغَدَاةَ فِي جَمَاعَةٍ ثُمَّ قَعَدَ يَذْكُرُ
اللَّهَ حَتَّى تَطْلُعَ الشَّمْسُ ثُمَّ صَلَّى رَكْعَتَيْنِ كَانَتْ لَهُ كَأَجْرِ حَجَّةٍ وَعُمْرَةٍ
قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ تَامَّةٍ تَامَّةٍ تَامَّةٍ )
حسنه الألباني في صحيح الترمذي .

Al-Tirmidhi narrated that Anas ibn Maalik (may Allaah be pleased
with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever prays Fajr in congregation
then sits remembering Allaah until the sun rises, then prays two
rak’ahs, will have a reward like that of Hajj and ‘Umrah.” He said:
The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) said: “In full, in full, in full.”

This hadeeth was classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi.

3) Read Quraan and ponder on its meanings. Allot several 30-minute slots during the day to read the Quraan.

4) Listen to Islamic lectures. Islamway.com has a lot of audio that you can listen to. Alternatively go to youtube.I’m sure you’re familiar with that

5) Fast x 5. Multiply your fasting ajr by helping other Muslims break their fasts.

6) Taraweeh prayers. Feel the serenity and tranquility of taraweeh prayers and listen intently as the quraan is being recited.

7) Give out money for charity. As we break our fasts every day, remember there are some people who don’t have anything to break their fasts with due to famine such as those in Somalia. So remember them and donate if you can. For more information on how to donate, visit The Time For Change Has Com.

8 ) Switch off the TV. Most of the useful programs can be found on youtube nowadays, even the news.

Most importantly, remember to purify your intentions and do good deeds for Allah’s sake.

Hadeeth of the Day

عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ، قَالَ : قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ : ” رَغِمَ أَنْفُ رَجُلٍ ذُكِرْتُ عِنْدَهُ فَلَمْ يُصَلِّ عَلَيَّ ، وَرَغِمَ أَنْفُ رَجُلٍ دَخَلَ عَلَيْهِ رَمَضَانُ ثُمَّ انْسَلَخَ قَبْلَ أَنْ يُغْفَرَ لَهُ ، وَرَغِمَ أَنْفُ رَجُلٍ أَدْرَكَ عِنْدَهُ أَبَوَاهُ الْكِبَرَ فَلَمْ يُدْخِلَاهُ الْجَنَّةَ “جامع الترمذي 3497

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said “Let his nose smeared with dust the person in whose presence I am mentioned, and he does not invoke blessing upon me, the one who has opportunity to see the month of Ramadan and it comes to an end without his securing pardon for himself and one who finds alive his aged parents, both of them or one of them, and through them (by
serving them) he does not enter Paradise.”

(Tirmidhi Hadith)

Ready for Ramadan?

Just like India has thousands of languages and dialects, and there are around 25,000 species of fish in the sea, the variety in people is astounding. Look at Ramadan and how it is welcomed.

On one hand you have those who welcome Ramadan to reflect on their relationship with Allah – Subhaanahu wa Taala, crying in repentance over the sins they’ve committed since last year, praying for Allah’s mercy during this month. They look forward to family gatherings over iftar table, praying alongside their friends during taraweeh, and making very-very-long wishlists of things that they want to pray for.

On the other hand, you’ve got those who welcome Ramadan to start going on series-watching sprees or shopping sprees. They’re happy that work hours have been reduced because it means more time spent watching TV. And since the day is long nowadays, it makes sense that sleeping takes a large portion of the afternoon, since with the heat, thirst and hunger, there’s nothing else to do anyway. Then of course there are those Iftar parties that are more like parties than iftars, after which a person feels so heavy that the most natural consequence is to grab a pillow close to the sufra and lie down to sleep.

The thing with Ramadan is that the moment it begins, it moves in a running pace until the end, and then we’ll be asking ourselves, where did the time go? This is a month that appears only once a year, so make use of it, and ask yourself sincerely; between the two groups mentioned above, where do you stand?

Or are you sleeping?

Hadeeth of the Day

عن أبي هريرة رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ عَنْهُ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ

:” إِذَا كَانَ أَوَّلُ لَيْلَةٍ مِنْ شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ صُفِّدَتْ الشَّيَاطِينُ وَمَرَدَةُ الْجِنِّ وَغُلِّقَتْ

أَبْوَابُ النَّارِ فَلَمْ يُفْتَحْ مِنْهَا بَابٌ وَفُتِّحَتْ أَبْوَابُ الْجَنَّةِ فَلَمْ يُغْلَقْ مِنْهَا بَابٌ وَيُنَادِي

مُنَادٍ يَا بَاغِيَ الْخَيْرِ أَقْبِلْ وَيَا بَاغِيَ الشَّرِّ أَقْصِرْ وَلِلَّهِ عُتَقَاءُ مِنْ النَّارِ وَذَلكَ كُلُّ لَيْلَةٍ “

صحيح الترغيب والترهيب

998

Al-Tirmidhi, Ibn Maajah and Ibn Khuzaymah narrated in one

report: “When the first night of the month of Ramadaan

comes, the devils and rebellious jinn are chained up and the

gates of Hell are closed, and not one gate of it is opened. The

gates of Paradise are opened and not one gate of it is closed.

And a caller cries out: ‘O seeker of good, proceed; O seeker of

evil, desist. And Allaah has those whom He redeems from the

Fire, and that happens every night.”

reference: http://islamqa.com/en/ref/12468