An Energizer

For today's post, i have a few points from an article i read elsewhere.

"If a sick person doesn’t realize that she is sick, the doctor will never be able to cure her. So realizing that there is a spiritual sickness is a sign that your faith is strong.

It is natural, we all go thru being weak spiritualy at times, and it happens many times. But it renews our souls if we are to do something about it, and not let it be the way it is.

Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Faith wears out in the heart of any one of you just as clothes wear out, so ask Allaah to renew the faith in your hearts.” (Reported by al-Haakim)

This Hadith tells us that our faith will become weak but we will have to strengthen it with various actions and different good deeds."

Next, the article suggests some actions for strengthening our faith and once again bringing it to full life.

One is to attend Islamic gathering or even join an Islamic course taking some time out from ur work or studies. As it is understood that the company of good ppl around us is going to have its effect on us. Also they bring you back to ur good state, helping you out of ur slackness.

And then indeed the most important is to stick to the Quraan, reading some portion of it everyday. And remembering Allah in heart and tongue all the time. Here i would like to direct you to an excellent post on another blog. A True Friend!!

Then comes, reading the hadith. And the best would be to read it in a gathering.

Repenting from our past sins. It says "Islam will prevent us from sins....or sins will prevent us from Islam". we must make it a habit to repent, just the way we keep committing sins.

Remember DEATH.

Try to say ur obligatory prayers very properly, and as it is in my previous post, this is actually a way to reach out to Allah to help u be strong in spirit.

All this laziness and low feelings must not make us commit haram or neglect our duties.

Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), “Every deed has energy and strength, and then this energy and strength is followed by a slackening, so who’s slackening is in accordance to my Sunnah he will be fine, and who’s slackening is to other than that [i.e., doing unlawful or forbidden deeds] he will be doomed.” (Reported by Ahmad)

Plead to Allah to bring u to great heights of faith, to make u feel the sweetness of it and to make u completely submit to Him. Because we cant, unless Allah grants us the ability to do.

~may Allah make us all strong in our faith. Aameen!

Patience & Prayer

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ اسْتَعِينُواْ بِالصَّبْرِ وَالصَّلوةِ إِنَّ اللّهَ مَعَ الصَّابِرِينَ

"O you who believe! Seek help in patience and prayer. Truly! Allah is with the patient". [Al-baqarah:153]

Two best means told by Allah SWT to get His help, which I so badly need because of the spiritual state i am in. My prayers and my good deeds are without a soul. And i feel so low, i havent read the Quran in so many days (as i used to). Haven't memorized anything from it in the whole past week.

I pray and pray about it, and inshaaAllah it will be alright soon because Allah listens and is Kind, but its pathetic right now.

I try to concentrate while praying, but my mind strays, and thats the very first thing i need to focus and work on. Because this is the link between me and Allah.

It is mentioned in the Sahih Hadith that “Whenever something happened to the prophet (pbuh), he would pray”

So that means other than the obligatory prayers, some more prayers should be added as well to invoke Allah's mercy. I did start the Ishraaq prayer (the prayer after sunrise), and that was really helpful, i will continue with it again inshaaAllah.

As for patience inshaAllah i plan to fast for a few days in this month of Shabaan. Please make prayers for me, i really need them at this time.

Verily, man is in loss, except those who believe and do good deeds and encourage one another towards truth and encourge one another towards patience. (104:2-3)

I just found a beautiful writing about Prayer, it mentions a hadith Qudsi that would sure help me in concentrating in prayer inshaa Allah.

"I have divided the prayer between Myself and My servant into two parts, and My servant will have what he asks for.

So when the servant says: ‘Al-Hamdulillaahi Rabb-il-‘Alameen’, Allaah says: ‘My servant has praised Me.’

And when he says: ‘Ar-Rahmaan-ir-Raheem’, Allaah says: ‘My servant has extolled Me.’

And when he says: ‘Maaliki-yawm-id-Deen’, Allaah says: ‘My servant has honored Me.’

And when he says: ‘Iyyaaka Na’bdu wa Iyyaaka Nasta’een’, Allaah says: ‘This is between Me and My servant and My servant will have what he asks for.’

And when he says: ‘Ihdinaas-Siraat-al-Mustaqeem. Siraat-aladheena an’amta ‘alaihim. Ghairil-Maghdoobi ‘alaihim wa lad-Daalleen’, Allaah says: ‘This is for My servant and for My servant will be what he asks for.’" [Reported by Muslim]

Good read>>> Virtues of Prayer

Who To Be Like?

Sahih-al-Bukhari: Volume 6, Book 61, Number 579:

Narrated Abu Musa:

The Prophet (pbuh) said,

• "The example of a believer who recites the Qur'an and acts on it, like a citron which tastes nice and smells nice.

• And the example of a believer who does not recite the Qur'an but acts on it, is like a date which tastes good but has no smell.

• And the example of a hypocrite who recites the Qur'an is like a Raihana (sweet basil) which smells good but tastes bitter.

• And the example of a hypocrite who does not recite the Quran is like a colocynth which tastes bitter and has a bad smell".

And ofcourse we rule out the last three and try to be like a citron, both good smelling and good tasting. Prophet pbuh has given such a beautiful metaphor for a believing person who recites the Quraan, from his heart and is not like the one who recites but it doesnt go deeper than his throat. Allah listens to him reciting it. It gives beauty to his soul, and as he acts on it too, others around him taste the goodness of his attitude and his good morals and of everything that he does.

He is loved by Allah and people. Though the second one is good as well for acting upon the Quraan, but the first one has a higher rank with Allah. WE must strive to be like that sweet and fragrant believer.

Holy Quran Digital Book

This is one of so many ways u can listen to the Quran when on the move, and memorize. This is in relation to my previous post about memorizing by listening. So this is something excellent that i have found (for those who would like to buy it, its £90).

The best thing is that you can read the Quran in Arabic (plus the translations in English and French) on the screen as the recitation goes on, and the recitation speed can also be controlled.

There are a lot many other features, you can read and order HERE

Listen & Memorize

Listening to the Quran greatly helps when memorizing it.

It can be done by repeatedly listening to one verse till it gets memorized, or listening to a group of verses, and keeping in mind the theme of the verses, making a connection between them by understanding them first. And then memorizing them fully by repeatedly listening to each of them separately.

There can be many ways according to what suits you, but i think understanding their meaning before starting listening is the key.

My most favourite recitor is Shaikh Abd-ur Rahman As-Sudais. His recitation has the most effect on me while listening. Its simply beautiful and very spiritual.

You can download the whole Quran in his voice, here at
AUDIO QURAN

There you can choose from other recitors too.

ALLAH

Truly in the heart there is a void that can not be removed except with the company of Allah. And in it there is a sadness that can not be removed except with the happiness of knowing Allah and being true to Him. And in it there is an emptiness that can not be filled except with love for Him and by turning to Him and always remembering Him And if a person were given all of the world and what is in it, it would not fill this emptiness.

Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyya

Prayer

"Our Lord, do not punish us if we forget or fall into error, and our Lord, lay not on us a responsibility as You did lay upon those before us. Our Lord, burden us not with what we have not the strength to bear; and overlook our sins and grant us forgiveness and have mercy on us; You are our Master; so help us against the disbelieving people". [Al-baqarah:2:286]

Aameen!

I missed my early morning Quran class for three days in a row, and I was much worried. Also I was having difficulty memorizing, may be because the verses are a bit complicated to learn, like the verses about divorce and other social guidlines.

But anyway i recited the new verses for my teacher and she actually made memorize the next ones right there in a few minutes. We did the translation, and thats ofcourse the tip, I dont think I could do it if i didnt know the meaning of what I memorizing.

The verses are long, starting from 232 onwards, so she made me do them in very small portions. And then reading the whole verse, and in the end reading the whole Ruku (section) together. I read behind her two or three times and it didnt take more than 25 minutes till I had it done. Alhamdulilah.

So the tip is, (for us non-arabs) to learn the meaning of each word before we start.

And then keeping the meanings in mind, doing it in small portions, and finally doing it as a whole.

I have alhmdulillah done more of the surah Al-baqarah than it is left to do.

My teacher had told me that when Umer (ra) had finished memorizing this surah (chapter) , he sacrificed 60 or 100 camels for charity (which i think is like give as many cars in charity). Lets see what I can do inshaAllah. I have a little money, and dad will help with the rest inshaAllah :)

What i have in my mind is that i will buy a copy of the Quran (with translation) and some books for the neighbor's maid who is learning the Quran from me, and she is so eager to learn and is so quick in understanding, and above all in putting it into practice as soon as I tell her something new. But she will be leaving in a few days, so i must make arrangements so she keeps learning somehow. She is an asset for me like all the students I have, Alhamdulilah.

I have been very slow in doing this surah, I probably should have finished by now, but it is good, I really have felt this surah

Here is a verse from my latest lesson:

Meaning, its a deal with Allah, I give my self all to Him and get His pleasure in return.

This is, making my SELF do all what pleases Allah, and having pleasure in that.

That involves nothing but sacrifice. But its also says Allah is Compassionate to His servants, so once I start Allah will keep making it easy for me. And for all of us.

May we become one of these , Aameen!

I had started with the last chapters of the Quran. But now as i have started memorizing surah Al-Baqarah, I really feel the difference. The difference is in feeling while reciting it, it is really heart touching, and makes to tremble. It is heart softening. I feel revitalized after reciting them, honestly I never felt so before. It feels like something life-giving to the heart, making it strong and increasing Iman.

It is the verses about the believers, disbelievers and the hypocrites, which are very strong, and at times I can even relate myself with the verses mentioning the hypocrites, that is frigtening.

These verses are not just about those who were known as hypocrites and were obvoiusly the enemies of Islam, they talk about all of us, either being hypocirtes by faith or by actions.

"The lightening almost snatches away their sight, whenever it flashes for them, they walk therein, and when darkness covers them, they stand still. And if Allah willed, He could have taken away their hearing and their sight. Certainly, Allah has power over all things." [Al Baqarah:20]

That is, when there are difficulties, and we find it hard to act, we stop obeying Allah, and obey only when we find it easy, or we desire the same thing that pleases Allah. Doing only what suites us, and make no sacrifice.

But Allah still gives them a chance, they could get their light back, in case they rectify their actions

"Allahumma Tahhir Qalbee Minan Nifaaqi, Wa Amali Minar Riyaa, Wa Lisaani Minal Kadhibi, Wa Ainee Minal Khayanah, Fa Innaka Taalamu Khaa eenatul Aa unee, Wa maa tukhfis Sudoor."

"O Allah! Purify my heart form hypocrisy, my deeds from any kind of show (Riya), my tongue from lying and my eye from treachery. For indeed only You know the treachery of the eyes and what lays hidden in the hearts".

Aameen