Re: How Productive Was Your Day Today In Ramadan?
**Tip 5: **Plan and schedule your time:
Here you can download a Ramadan hourly planner where you can set yourself daily targets regarding how much Qur’an you will recite and how much dhikr you will do:
Ramadan Planner:
Here is a worship check where you can check and monitor your daily worship so that you can do even more the next day:
Ramadan Worship check:
Re: How Productive Was Your Day Today In Ramadan?
Jazak Allah...beautiful post.
Re: How Productive Was Your Day Today In Ramadan?
**TIP 6: **Splitting up what you recite of the Qur'an
Rather than read 50 pages in one go try splitting it up. So read 5 pages before Fajr and 5 pages after. 5 Pages before Dhuhr and 5 pages after. Then for Asr the most precious time for worship is between Asr and Maghrib so you can read half a juz (chapter) or even one juz. Then recite 5 pages before sleep.
In this way you have broken down all of your recitation into manageable chunks so you don't feel fatigued or overwhelmed.
**TIP 7: **How to stay motivated
A good way of motivating yourself is to think to yourself that outside of Ramadan we get 10 rewards for reciting each letter of the Qur'an. But in Ramadan all deeds are multiplied by 10 so you get a minimum of 100 rewards for each letter you recite. Subhaanallah. That is immense rewards! So everytime you get lazy or feel demotivated just imagine missing out on 100 rewards for each letter and think to yourself that this offer is only available ONCE a year for just 30 days.
These rewards we will desperately need on the day of judgement as we will BEG others for just ONE good deed but no one will give it to us because they will also be in desperate need. So can we afford to miss out on 100 rewards for just one letter? Thats hundreds of thousands of rewards each day if we read a reasonable amount of Qur'an. Subhaanallah. So keep these rewards in your mind and whilst your reading imagine getting 100 rewards for each letter. That is just minimum Allah can reward MUCH more.
**TIP 8: **Take regular breaks
Throughout the day you will be taking a lot of breaks so as to not overwhelm yourself because it is important to have some "me" time. So you can relax or go for a short walk and clear your head or just relax and do dhikr. Meditation is very good for you and relieves stress. So meditating about the signs of Allah is a wonderful way to relax and at the same time gain immense rewards.
Taking regular breaks will help to avoid burnout . You can read your favourite "halal" book lol. Go for a walk in the park to freshen your head. Call a good friend who havent spoken to for a while (remembering not to partake in idle talk), or just relax with family.
By having regular rests we will be able to re-focus again on the task at hand. Overwhelming ourselves can do more harm than good as it may cause us to suddenly slip and fall and not be able to get back up again. So regular little breaks are very important.
Re: How Productive Was Your Day Today In Ramadan?
**TIP 9: **Listening to Qur'an recitation
Listening to Qur'an recitation is the perfume of the souls, the calmer of hearts, and the food of the spirit. Is is one of the most important psychological medicines. It is a source of pleasure, even to some animals – and pleasure in moderation purifies inner energy, enhances the functioning of the faculties, slows down senile decay by driving out its diseases, improves the complexion, and refreshes the entire body. Pleasure in excess, on the other hand, makes the illnesses of the body grow worse.
Abu Nu’aim states, in his Tib an-Nabbi, that the Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said that the benefits of listening to recitation are increased when it is understood – that is, when its meaning is understood.
Allah Himself says:…so give good news to My slaves, those who listen to the word and then follow the best of it…(***Qur’an: 39.17-18) *
So we should certainly listen to some Qur'an everyday for the above reasons. On top of that i think it is important to do a variety of worship with which we can put into our daily worship schedules. In this way we will be less likely to get fatigued with doing one type of worship. Although much of our worship should consist of reciting the Qur'an as Ramadan is the month of the Qur'an and reciting the Qur'an is among the best of all worship.
Tip 10: Taking a nap in the afternoon:
If one is tired then rest. I would suggest having a little nap before or after Dhuhr or late afternoon for about an hour to half an hour. No more than an hour though. This nap is called Qayloola and is a Sunnah. Having a short nap in the afternoon will help us to re-energise and feel rejuvenated and revitalised for the rest of the afternoon and evening.
TIP 11: Serving parents
Regarding serving one's parents: A man once asked the Prophet Muhammad (Salallahu Alayhi Wasallim):
"'Should I join the jihad?' He asked, 'Do you have parents?' The man said, 'Yes!' The Prophet (Salallahu Alayhi Wasallim) said, 'Then strive by serving them!'" *(Sahih Al-Bukhari, No. 5972) *
Therefore serving one's parents is even better than jihad so serve your parents as much as you can and gain rewards you can NEVER imagine!
Treating your parents the best:
To be obedient and to show kindness to parents has been enjoined in the Holy Quran in such a manner as to say that among the noble deeds, to obey parents, treat them respectfully and to show kindness to them is next to worshipping Almighty Allah.
The Quran says, "Your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him, and that you be kind to parents. Whether one or both of them attain old age in thy life, say not to them a word of contempt, nor repel them, but address them in terms of honour." - Surah Al Isra (17:23).
The Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi wasallam) said:“What a loss is for him! What a loss is for him! What a loss is for him!” Someone asked: “Who, O Allah's Messenger?” He replied: “He whose parents reach old age, either one or both of them, and he does not use their presence (by being good to them, etc.) to cause him to enter Paradise.” (Muslim)
Abdullah bin Mas'ood (RA), observed: "I asked Allah's Messenger (Sallallahu Alaihi wasallam) which deed was the best." He replied: 'The Prayer at its appointed hour.' I (again) asked: "Then what?" He replied: 'Kindness to the parents.'... (Sahih Muslim: 120)
So we should do our utmost to serve our parents in anyway that we can like for eg clean the house so that our parents do less, tend to their every need etc. Surely this will be please Allah a lot and we will gain unimaginable rewards!
Bonus tip:No matter what you are doing throughout the day, whether you are laying, sitting or standing then keep your lips moistened with dhikr (Remembrance) and glorification of Allah. Just keep repeationg simple dhikr like "Subhanallah", "Alhamdulillah", "Allahu Akbar", "La ilaha ilallah" and "Asthaghfirullah". constantly repeating dhikr in the end of your tongue is so light and easy yet so rewarding and heavy on the scales.
Re: How Productive Was Your Day Today In Ramadan?
TIP 12: Controlling anger
Whilst we are fasting then there is much more chance that we will lose our temper and become angry and this is because we are deprived of food, drink and sleep. So it is even more important that we do everything in our power to control our anger when it arises so that we do not end up ruining our fasts.
So what steps can we take to control our anger?
**a`ûdhû billâhi min ash-shaytân ir rajîm
So when angry, sit down if standing — and lie down if sitting.
**Make ablution with water.
**
Medicines recommended by Imam Al-Ghazalî for controlling anger
**Below the medicines of anger after one gets angry. This medicine is a mixture of knowledge and action.
*The medicine based on knowledge is of six kinds:
*
(1) The first medicine of knowledge is to think over the rewards of appeasing anger, that have come from the verses of the Quran and the sayings of the Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam). Your hope for getting rewards of appeasing anger will restrain you from taking revenge.
(2) The second kind of medicine based on knowledge is to fear the punishment of God and to think that the punishment of God upon me is greater than my punishment upon him. If I take revenge upon this man for anger, God will take revenge upon me on the Judgement Day.
(3) The third kind of medicine of anger based on knowledge is to take precaution about punishment of enemity and revenge on himself. You feel joy in having your enemy in your presence in his sorrows, You yourself are not free from that danger. You will fear that your enemy might take revenge against you in this world and in the next.
(4) Another kind of medicine based on knowledge is to think about the ugly face of the angry man, which is just like that of the ferocious beast. He who appeases anger looks like a sober and learned man.
(5) The fifth kind of medicine based on knowledge is to think that the devil will advise by saying: " You will be weak if you do not get angry!" Do not listen to him!
(6) *The sixth reason is to think: *" What reason have I got to get angry? What Allah wishes has occured!"
So let us act upon this and train ourselves not to get anger so that we may apply this to the rest of our lives inshallah.
Re: How Productive Was Your Day Today In Ramadan?
TIP 13: Sleep pattern
There is no doubt that Ramadan can play havoc with one's sleeping pattern for the first few days especially as the body gets used to the changes that we are experiencing in our daily routine. Sleep is one of the things that are affected by these changes.
In order for us to be most productive in Ramadan we need to be active for as long as possible in the 24 hour day. In order to do this it will take a few days of getting used to but the following should be done:
Then one should wake up half an hour before sehri ends, make wudu and pray Tahajjud, make long dua and then eat something LIGHT for suhur.
The best way of having a productive day is to stay awake after Fajr for the mornings are blessed times and one would have the whole long day to pray and worship Allah. But if one is very tired and needs more sleep then one should sleep. But one should aim NOT to sleep until after 8 am. That will give one around 6-7 hours of sleep altogether which is perfect.
There is NO need to sleep more than 6-7 hours for we want to be as productive as possible in this precious month. So put 2 alarms on and put them both on for 8 am 5 minutes apart and put them somewhere far away so you will have to get up and turn them off.
It may take a bit of getting used to at first but you will slowly get into the habit of waking up everyday at 8 am and you will have a whole long day of worship alhamdulillah.
Re: How Productive Was Your Day Today In Ramadan?
TIP 14: Beating laziness in Ramadan.
It is essential that we remain as productive as possible throughout Ramadan. Ramadan is not a quick sprint but a long 26 mile Marathon. It requires perseverance, patience and the ability to beat laziness and procrastination when it arises. Therefore it is crucial that we stay on top of laziness in Ramadan so that we may achieve as much as possible. To do this we must firstly get our sleep patterns right. The tips for sleep pattern are above. Then we must NEVER over eat but we must eat light meals until we are satisfied and NOT until we are full. The tips for eating have also been mentioned. You must drink a sufficient amount of water if you are to be at your best this Ramadan. I would recommend at least 1 and a half - 2 litres from Iftar until Sehri.
It is simple as long as we have a good sleep pattern with a short nap in the afternoon to re-energize and we never over eat then we will stay on top of laziness. In the mornings do the Sunnah of awakening which is to rub face gently with dua. Then do some light stretches. These will help your body to wake up. Have a shower which will also help you to freshen up. It is also nice to go for a nice walk in the mornings as this will freshen and stimulate your mind and body and so wake you up even further preventing you from feeling tired and lazy. But do not tire yourself out by physically exherting yourself too much otherwise you will feel tired and lazy in a few hours as de-hydration kicks in.
Fatigue can also kick in especially when we do too much of a certain worship like if we are sitting there reciting Qur'an for several hours then fatigue will kick in but we should break down our worship into manageable chunks. So recite 2 or 4 pages or even half a chapter and then have a break or switch to another worship like making Dua, doing some dhikr or praying nawafil etc. In this way we will never feel restlessness and fatigue associated with doing too much of one thing without a break.
So whenever you start to feel a bit tired then don't lay down (unless your are going to have your afternoon nap) but get up and get some fresh air or what i would recommend is to get some cold water and splash some on your face and all over your neck particularly the back of the neck. Do some more stretches if need be.
Most of all have a focus. What is your focus everyday in Ramadan? Tell it to yourself everytime you wake up. Internalise in your mind what you will achieve throughout the day. Write it down in the Ramadan planner i have provided in the previous tips. You should have goals and targets which you will work towards achieving. Focus on achieving those goals and targets to the best of your ability and keep in mind that EVERY second in the blessed month of Ramadan is too precious to waste and we will NEVER gain these seconds again.
Also keep in mind that this may be your very last Ramadan and your FINAL opportunity to gain immense reward and blessings in the most beautiful of months. This is because life is uncertain and many have passed away before they could meet this month again and next year we may not be alive to see the next Ramadan so we MUST treat this as our last Ramadan.
Let us also ask of Allah to help us to maximise every second of this month and to help us to overcome laziness and procastination so that we may be as productive as possible. Let us act upon these tips so that we can make the best of every second in this blessed month in order to please Allah and get closer to him.
Re: How Productive Was Your Day Today In Ramadan?
TIP 15: Grab what you can for just 30 days!!!
Imagine you were given an opportunity to go through a huge shopping centre and grab whatever goods you wanted for a whole 30 days.
You can grab whatever goods you like for it is a free for all. People would go crazy to get such an amazing opportunity. Think about it a free shopping spree grabbing everything you can for a whole 30 days.
This same analogy applies to the blessed month of Ramadan. We have a once in a year opportunity for just 30 days to grab as many HUGE rewards as possible and best of all an opportunity to please Allah and get closer to him. This is the time of the year where all of this is made easier for us!
*The Special offers are: *
EVERY Nafil prayer rewarded like a Fard prayer!!!
Every Fard prayer rewarded like 70 fard prayers!!!
Every letter of the Qur'an rewarded a minimum of 100 good deeds and double for those who struggle reciting who get minimum of 200 for each letter!!!
EVERY good deed multiplied by 10!
So come on GRAB as many good deeds as you can before its too late. This may be your last chance to ever experience this blessed month for you may not be alive next year to benefit from these special offers ever again!
Surely on the day of judgement we will BEG each other for just one good deed but we won't get any because we will all be in need on that day. So grab what you can now before its too late!!!
Re: 12 Ways to Maximize Everyday in Ramadan
Will we be the winners or losers at the end of Ramadan?
**
Hasan (al Basri) stated:** Indeed Allah has made Ramadan a means of gain for His creation. (Within this month) they race to gain His pleasure through obedience to Him. Some individuals will gain (win), while others will remain back and lose. It is amazing to see a person playing and laughing on a day that the good doers will be rewarded, and the wrong doers will be defeated.
**It is reported that Ali bin Abi Talib would call out on the last day of Ramadan: **Where is the winner so that we may congratulate him, and where is the loser so that we may give him condolences. Oh winner, we congratulate you! Oh loser, may Allah give you ease in your time of calamity!
So by the end of Ramadan will we be among the winners or losers? That is upto us. So let us ACT NOW to be among the winners and not among the losers!
Immense Rewards for Reciting the Qur'an in Ramadan
Immense Rewards for Reciting the Qur'an in Ramadan
The Quran has even more of an important significance in the month of Ramadan, the month of fasting.
Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):
The month of Ramadan in which was revealed the Quran, a guidance for mankind and clear proofs for the guidance and the criterion (between right and wrong) *[Quran al-Baqarah 2:185] *
Jibreel used to come to the Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) every night in Ramadaan, and study the Quran with him. (al-Bukhaari, 5; Muslim, 4268)
10 rewards for each letter of the Qur'an outside Ramadan:
Outside of Ramadan there are 10 rewards for reciting each letter of the Qur’an:
Rasulallah (Sallallahu Alaihi wasallam) says: ”Whoever reads a letter from the Book of Allah will receive a hasanah (good deed) from it (i.e. his recitation), and the hasanah is multiplied by ten. I do not say that Alif-Laam-Meem is (considered as) a letter, rather Alif is a letter, Laam is a letter, and Meem is a letter.” [At-Tirmidhi, Ad-Darimi]
*Good deeds multiplied by 70 in Ramadan *
But in Ramadan ALL good deeds are multiplied by **70 or more:
The Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said:** “Whoever draws near to Allah during it (Ramadan) with a single characteristic from the characteristics of (voluntary) goodness, he is like whoever performs an obligatory act in other times. And whoever performs an obligatory act during it, he is like whoever performed seventy obligatory acts in other times.” (Sahih Ibn Khuzaymah, no. 1887)
Each letter of Qur'an rewarded 700 good deeds or more
So for each letter of the Qur’an we recite we will gain a minimum of **700 **good deeds or more. The greater our intentions and the more sincere we are then our rewards will be multiplied even more!
Those who struggle to read get DOUBLE THE REWARD!
But for those who struggle with reciting the Qur'an they will recieve double the reward of a minimum of **1400 **good deeds for each letter:
Aa’ishah (RA), relates that the Prophet (sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said:
Verily the one who recites the Qur’an beautifully, smoothly, and precisely, he will be in the company of the noble and obedient angels. And as for the one who recites with difficulty, stammering or stumbling through its verses, then he will have TWICE that reward.” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]
This hadith proves that people who are not well versed in the Arabic languge or have other difficulties in reciting the Quran, get even a higher reward for reciting the Quran in Arabic for their extra effort. So they should never feel down about not being able to recite as well for they will be given double the reward.
No time to waste!
Can you imagine how much reward we would gain for reciting the entire Qur’an just once? How about twice or more? Subhaanallah!
So let us recite as much of the Qur'an as we can during Ramadan and the rerst of our lives until our last breath.
Let us get going and grab these immense rewards and the pleasure of Allah. For there is no time to waste!
Increasing our Imaan (faith) this Ramadan
Increasing our Imaan (faith) this Ramadan
From time to time many of us will feel our Imaan (faith) fluctuating. Sometimes it is high and other times it is low, a bit like a yoyo. Imaan can leave the body as quick as it can enter it. So therefore only way to keep our imaan topped up all of the time is to maintain it by worshipping Allaha nd doing everything to please him and refraining from anything which angers or displeases him.
We must realise that Allah has created us imperfect so he does not expect perfection from us but he does expect us to try our best and to be patient, persevere and to put our full trust, faith and hopes in him. That is all he wants from us. He knows we will fall into error but that is why he emphasised for us to repent sincerely to him as much as possible. Allah loves repentance and his slave turning to him in the latter portions of the night when others are asleep.
Our eternal sworn enemy shaythan tries many different tactics in order to try and deter us from the straight path. But we must reject him and instill in our mind that Allah knows we are not perfect and he does not expect perfection from us but he does expects us to try our utmost to do everything to please him and refrain from anything which angers or displeases him.
He knows we will trip and fall from the hurdles but everytime we err or fall into error then we must turn to Allah in repentance and if we can then we should cry unto him and beg of him for mercy. He truly loves his devoted slaves turning to him in humbleness and meekness in order to beg of his mercy. He is most generous and loves to give and believe me he would love to give us SO much for our devotion to him.
Surely he is giving us MUCH more than we can ever do in return. All we have to do is to devote our short lives of upto 60-70 years and in return we get ETERNITY of whatever we want. Is that a fair comparison? Certainly not. We are getting FAR too much in return for giving so little.
So know that our faith will go up and down but the best way to keep it up is by good actions and trying to please Allah. Also spend time with good company. Always read up on and listen to lectures about time, death and the hereafter for death is a destroyer of pleasures and wakes us up into reality when we get too consumed in this world of distractions.
With regards to prayer then know that Shaythan is always wanting to divert our attention and focus away from our real purpose in life. Therefore we have to continuously remind ourselves as to why we are here and what is our REAL purpose is on this earth. Have we been created to study, work, get married, have kids and then die? Well you could say that this is part of what we have to do in our lives on this earth but Almighty Allah tells us the sole purpose of our creation:
“I have created the jinn and humankind only for My worship” The Holy Qur’an, Chapter 51, Verse 56
What is the greatest form of worship to Allah? **The answer is: **Salaah!
Salaah is the second pillar of Islam and is the most important act of worship after the Shahada (decleration of faith).
It is the first question we will be asked as Muslims in the hereafter as to whether or not we fulfilled our Salaah or not. Therefore it is the most important act of worship that has been ordained to mankind.
So until our very last breath we should know what our priorities are and focus on fulfilling all of our Salaah as it is the very purpose of our creation.
Shaythan is very well aware that Salaah is our biggest obligation and so therefore is forever trying to divert mans attention away from fulfilling this obligation to Allah.
There is NO such thing as being a part time Muslim. We CANNOT be Muslims when we want to be now and again. We CANNOT be Muslims only by name and not action. Therefore let us be proper Muslims and be proud of the fact that we are Muslims and that we have been given imaan but if we neglect our imaan then we may risk losing it and destroying ourselves.
Allah tells us In the Qur’an to enter fully into our deen and not partly:
O believers enter into Islam completely and do not follow the footsteps of Shaitan, surely he is your clear-cut enemy. If you falter after receiving the clear-cut message, then keep in mind that Allah is Mighty, Wise. Are they waiting for Allah to come down to them in the shadow of clouds, along with the angels, and make His decision known? Ultimately all matters will be presented to Allah for decision. (Surah Al-Baqara, Ayah 208-210)
Allah does not expect us to be perfect angels but he will judge us on what efforts we made throughout our lives. When you hear a person say “I try to read Salaah or i try to do what i can”. Do you think they are really trying? Or are they just saying they are and decieving themselves? If we really tried we can do anything.
We can decieve ourselves but we cannot decieve Allah. Allah knows us better than we know ourselves and he knows what we are capable of and praying 5 times a day is not impossible for any of us.
If we calculate how long it would take to pray 5 times a day then you could sum it upto around 40 minutes a day. Now there are 1440 minutes in a day and 40 minutes out of 1440 of our day is ONLY 3% of a day and we still can’t manage that? Many of us spend that much time eating, excreting or in front of a mirror and we can’t even spend it praying and fulfilling the very purpose of our creation? We spend hours on end in front of the television or listening to Music or playing our playing the latest play station games or seeing who’s poked us on facebook but we can’t spend a few minutes praying to the one who has given us EVERYTHING we can possible imagine and far more? We are truly at loss!
So let us internalise these changes in our heads and immerse ourselves into our beautiful way of life and not let ourselves stop practising as soon as Ramadan is over for the best way to know if our Ramadan has been accepted or not is if we actually make changes to our lives after Ramadan is over. If we go back to how we were before Ramadan started then how can we except for our Ramadan to be accepted.
I’m not saying that we should become saints overnight but what i am saying is that we should at least fulfill our obligations to Allah and that is to establish our 5 times prayers and to keep away from that which Allah has forbidden. If we can’t pray the Sunnah and Nafil then we MUST at least pray the Fard as a minimum.
Rather than moulding our life around our Salaah we mould our Salaah around our life so whenever we are sitting around at home then we decide to pray.
We must remember that it is an act of kufr(disbelief) to neglect the Salaah beyond its correct time and this is for missing one Salaah but how many Salaah do we continuously miss day in and day out? Some scholars even say missing Salaah intentionally takes one out of the fold of Islam. This is how serious missing Salaah really is!
Rasulallah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said: “What lies between a man and disbelief is the abandonment of prayer.” **(Muslim) **
It is a major sin to miss even one prayer and leaving even one Salaah without a valid excuse is said to cause one to spend tens of thousands of years in Jahannam and on top of that every Salaah missed is VAST rewards missed out which we will never be able to gain back.
Therefore it is incumbant on us that we fulfil ALL of our Salaah and not make excuses as to why we cannot fulfill it because Islam has been made easy for us but it is us who makes it hard upon ourselves and because of the amount of sins that we committ we find it hard to do even simple acts of worship.
Allah has made it so easy for us so let us not make it hard for ourselves and let us not listen to the lame excuses that shaythan and our desires gives us.
Let us not waste a second more for death can approach us at ANY moment and believe me death does not wait for ANYONE! It comes not a second ahead or before its appointed time and if our Salaah is not right then surely we are doomed to destruction.
So let us fulfill our very purpose in this life which is to worship Allah. We need to keep reminding ourselves of death and the hereafter and also the greatness of Allah. We need to always remember our time is too short and can go at any second. So let us never leave another Salah and when we pray then let us imagine we can see Allah and he is watching us pray so it is best to learn the meanings of what we are praying in our Salaah.
How limited is our life and how can we really be sure that we will live until tomorrow. We have a 50% chance of dying at any moment and 50% is a huge chance of dying yet we live everyday like we will live forever in this world but we are asleep and so heedless. We do so much for this world and gain wealth, propertys and various other investments but if we die the next day then will this wealth and assets accompany us? The ONLY thing that will come with us is our good deeds. Our good deeds will be our companions in the grave and in the hereafter because they will be there for us when we REALLY need them the most, whereas what we gained in this world will leave us at the point of death.
So is it wise to spend our whole lives working for this world in expense of the next? Are we going to be here for that long that we should do so much for this world and neglect our final destination?
The succession of the night and day teach us an important lesson about this life; what goes will never come back again. This lesson is only understood by the wise people and leads them to invest all of their time in useful things as they realise that these times will never come back again. Once each second, minute, hour and day is gone it will NEVER come back. Yet our seconds go by and we do not even bother to ensure we make the best of how we spend them.
Rasulallah (Salallahu Alaihi Wasallam) urged us to use our time in a useful way when he said: “Grab five things before five others: your youth before your old age, your health before your illness, your wealth before your poverty, your leisure before your work, and your life before your death.” **(Al-Hakim) **
He also indicated that we are to be asked about these times and how we invested them in the judgment day. Rasulallah (Salallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said: “A servants two feet will not move on the Day of Judgement until he is questioned about four (things): His youth, how he spent it, his knowledge, how he acted upon it, his wealth, how he earned it and how he spent it and his body, how he used/wasted it.” ( Al-Tirmidhi)
**When he is dying he will wish that he is given another chance or extension to his life so that he may do good as Allah says: **
In Falsehood will they be Until, when death comes to one of them, he says: “O my Lord! send me back (to life),- In order that I may work righteousness in the things I neglected.” By no means! It is but a word he says. Before them is a Partition till the Day they are raised up. (23:99-100)
The key to success in this life and the next is making the hereafter the MOST important thing to us and making it our main focus. If we constantly keep the hereafter as our main focus everyday of our lives and strive as much as we can everyday to ensure that each second is spent on building up our hereafter then we will not go wrong inshallah.
Ibn Masood (RA) said: “I have never regretted anything as a day spent of my life without doing good deeds.”
How many days have we had like this where we have completely wasted them? On the day of judgement we would want to go back so that we could gain the HUGE rewards that are available just for saying Subhanallah!
Bilal ibn ass’d (RA) once said: if we are asked: ‘‘do you want to die?’’, we answer ‘‘No’’; and if we are asked ‘‘why?’’ we reply ‘‘in order to repent ad do good deeds’’. However if it’s said to us ‘‘Ok then do good deeds’’ we say: ‘‘Yes I will do’’; we keep working for this life everyday and postponing working for the hereafter.
We CANNOT afford to waste a single second in this life wasting it on that which will give us no benefit in this world or the next. Once our focus becomes the hereafter then NOTHING else will matter. Even things that we do in this world like work, study, look after and provide for family, parents, wife children etc will be like worship for us because we will do them for the pleasure of Allah. Even going to the toilet can be a worship if done in accordance with the Sunnah. Our WHOLE life from sleeping, eating, going to sleep and even breathing can become reward and worship with the right intentions so let us not waste a second more.
In the hereafter, when people are rewarded according to their deeds in this life, he wishes if he can go back to this life so he can do good deeds as he has experienced the hardness of punishment. **Allah says: **
They will say: “Our Lord! Twice hast Thou made us without life, and twice hast Thou given us Life! Now have we recognized our sins: Is there any way out (of this)?” (40:11)
**Qatadah said regarding the last verse: **By Allah, they don’t wish to go back to their families or clans, to get more of the pleasure of life, or to spend and fulfill their desires. Rather, they wished to return in order to perform and do acts of obedience to Allah - the Almighty -; God have mercy on those who do, in this life, the same good deeds and act of obedience that the unbeliever will wish to do when they meet the punishment in the Judgment Day.
Almighty Allah Also says:
But warn them of the Day of Distress, when the matter will be determined: for (behold,) they are negligent and they do not believe! (19:39)
**Ibn Kathir provided the following translation for the latter verse: **
(And warn them of the Day of grief and regrets) warn the creation of the Day of Distress.
(When the case has been decided) when the people of Paradise and the people of Hell will be sorted out, and everyone will reach his final abode which he was destined to remain in forever.
(While (now) they are) today, in the present life of this world.
(In a state of carelessness) with the warning of the Day of grief and regret, they are heedless.
(And they believe not) meaning they do not believe that it is true.
Imam Ahmad (RA) narrted that Abu Sa`id (RA) said that the Messenger of Allah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said: “When the people of Paradise enter Paradise and the people of the Hellfire enter the Hellfire, death will be brought in the form of a handsome ram and it will be placed between Paradise and the Hellfire.” Then, it will be said, “O people of Paradise, do you know what this is?” Then, they will turn their gazes and look, and they will say, “Yes, this is death.”’ Then, it will be said, “O people of the Hellfire, do you know what this is?”’ Then, they will turn their gazes and look, and they will say, “Yes, this is death.” Then, the order will be given for it to be slaughtered and it will be said, “O people of Paradise, eternity and no more death, O people of Hellfire, eternity and no more death.” Then the Messenger of Allah recited the previous Ayah; then, the Messenger of Allah made a gesture with his hand and said: “The people of this life are in the state of heedlessness of this life.”
So we must get ourselves out of this heedless state that we are in and let us make our ONLY focus the hereafter so that EVERYTHING we do we do to please Allah. Before we do any action we should just stop and think to ourselves “Is this action going to be of any benefit to me in the hereafter”? If it is not then let us do that which WILL be of benefit to us. This brief moment of reflection will help us throughout our lives because it will prevent us from wasting our precious time and it will enable us to spend our precious seconds pleasing Allah and doing good deeds.
A clever and intelligent person realises that they have such limited time in this world and therefore each second should be spent on doing that which will benefit them in the long term as oppose to in the short term. Short term gains are what we do for this world and long term gains are what we do for the hereafter. Now if we spend our lives living for this world then we will have gains which are so short lived and after we die what will we have for eternity? Whereas if we lived this life to a minimum and spent our entire lives working for the hereafter then we will benefit FOREVER!
This world is like a dream that will end at any moment and in the next world we will wake up from this dream and that is when reality will hit us but by then it will be too late to do anything about it. Our chance to act is NOW! Therefore we CANNOT waste a second more.
We should try to spend time learning about Islam and implementing what we learn into our daily lives as well as conveying it to others so that they may benefit to as this would be sadaqa for us.
We should always enjoin good and forbid evil every opportunity we get and give as much dawah as we can inviting people to the way of Allah.
As mentioned above we must always keep good and pious company and disregard those who do evil as bad company is like poison for us. Let us sit with the scholars and learned people and those who remember Allah.
Let us gradually increase in our recitation of the Qur’an as every letter is so much rewards that we cannot imagine. We will be raised among the levels of Paradise until we stopped reciting the Qur’an in this world. So let us keep reciting so that we can be raised to the highest stages of Paradise. Let us also learn the meanings of what we are reading so that we can understand what Allah is telling us and so that we can implement what Allah is telling us in the Qur’an into our daily lives.
Let us also gradually try to improve our character and manners as improing oneself is a lifetime process but we should start on the major things first like stopping backbiting, swearing bad language etc and whatever we need to change about ourselves for the better then let us constantly work on these things all of the time.
Abu Darda (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said, "Nothing will be heavier on the Day of Resurrection in the Scale of the believer than good manners. Allah hates one who utters foul or coarse language.‘’
We should spend in the way of Allah as much as we can particularly in the month of mercy and generosity- Ramadan - for we will regret the money we wasted and did not spend in the way of Allah.
Let us gradually increase ourselves in prayer and prostrations particularly the nafil prayers (voluntary prayers) because the more we prostrate to Allah in the form of prayer then the closer we will get to Allah and the higher our ranks will be in the hereafter.
We should always ask of Allah in dua as much as possible. We should know that dua is the weapon of the believer and this weapon should be used as much as possible for all of our duas that are not answered in this world will be stored for us in the hereafter and when we see the reward of those duas we thought were not accepted then we will wish that NONE of our dua’s were ever accepted just so that we can gain these HUGE rewards.
We should be of the appreciative and thankful and always thank Allah for everything he has given us because he has done so many favours for us that we can never imagine. Allah gives more to the thankful and increases them in blessings.
-Allah likes those who are thankful [39:7]
-Allah rewards those who are thankful** [3:144]**
-Allah gives more benefits and blessings to those who are thankful [14:7]
-Allah protects those from harm who render Him thankfulness [54:34-35]
Also let us be patient through trials, hardships and adversities because they will help rid us of sin and it may be that a person who went through much trials in the world would face Allah with little or no sin and imagine how lucky that person would be on a day when we will tremble for the sins we committed in the world. What a terrible day that will be.
So we should spend our time in repentance and have hope in the mercy of Allah and at the same time have fear that our repentance and deeds won’t be accepted. Hope and fear should always be balanced and one should not have too much hope and one should not have too much fear but strike a balance between the two.
Let us gradually increase our remembrance of Allah and keep our tongues moist with his glorification of Allah, How easy is it for us to utter useless words but how much will we regret when we realise that instead of all the useless talk we did in the world we we could have glorified Allah and even one glorification of Allah like Subhanallah and La ilaha ilallah gains one rewards one cannot imagine. It is just that in this world we cannot see these rewards but when we will see the rewards for ourselves on the day of judgement then we will say “Woe to me i wasted my life in useless talk when i could have been glorifying and remembering Allah.”
Hadhrat Mu’az [RA] narrated Rasulallah (sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said: “The Inhabitants of Paradise will not be grief stricken or sorrowful about anything they did in the life of the world except for the time they spent without being in the remembrance of Allah” (Tabaraani)
We can remember Allah where ever we are no matter what we are doing and this is the best thing we can do in our lives is to constantly remain in the remembrance of Allah. If we alwyas have Allah in our hearts then we will do EVERYTHING to please him and refrain from anything that displeases him.
The Prophet of Guidance (sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) told us that remembrance of Allah is the best and the purest deed.
Abu Dardaa narrated that the Messenger of Allaah (sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said, “Shall I tell you of the best and purest of your deeds before your King, the one that elevates your position the most; that is better for you than meeting your enemies whose necks you strike and they also strike your necks, and better than spending gold and silver?”** The companions said,** “O Yes.” **The Prophet (sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) then said, **“Remembrance of Allaah, the Exalted.” (Ahmad, Tirmidhi and others).
We must also think before doing any action to ensure that EVERYTHING we do we do to please Allah and if it will benefit us in the hereafter then we should do it but if it will only waste our time then we should not do it.
Al-Hasan Al-Basri (RA) said: “Seek sweet happiness in three things: performing prayer, Remembering Allah, and reading the Holy Quran. If you find (delight in those three things), it is alright. But if you do not, it means that the door (to Allah’s Love and Mercy) is closed; so search for the reason.”
Another of the righteous men said, “How miserable people of the present world are! They pass away from it without having tasted the most delicious thing therein.” And when he was asked: “What is the most delicious thing therein?”, he said: “Knowing Allah, the Almighty, loving Him, and remembering Him.”
So we must strive as best we can to make the best of each second of our lives to ensure that each second is spent on pleasing Allah and each second that we waste on that which will not benefit us in the hereafter will be seconds that are wasted and seconds that we will regret FOREVER! But do so within our own limits and our own speed whetaver we can manage without over burdening or over whelming ourselves but we must strike a good balance as in not go so slow and not go so fast but take a middle path with regards to our progression in the worship of Allah.
The most beautiful month of Ramadan is here now what better time to make the necessery changes that we need to make to our lives. We must NOT waste this opportunity but grab onto it! All good deeds are SO much more rewarding now so we must NOT miss out on this chance otherwise we will be in UTTER regret in the hereafter for the precious seconds we wasted in our lives not remembering Allah.
We must concentrate on making the best of each second of this precious month. This is our best opportunity to get closer to Allah and to strengthen our imaan (faith) so that we are well equiped throughout the year.
Therefore we should spend each precious second in worship asking and begging of Allah for forgiveness and his mercy. Striving to get closer to him through worship and prayer. Our hearts are softened in this precious month so what better chance for us to purify our hearts further and soften it with his remembrance. We HAVE to make the best of this month in order to get closer to Allah for our hearts are softened and this is our BEST opportunity!
This is our chance to put the fear of Allah into our hearts and to live our lives ONLY to please Allah and invest in the hereafter which is our final destination. How long are we in this world? VERY short while. How long is the hereafter? FOREVER!
Therefore we should spend as much of our little time as possible investing into the hereafter by doing everything possible to please Allah and refraining from anything which angers or displeases him.
Walk towards Allah and he will run towards you. He is closer to you than your jugular vein. He wants you closer to him so will you not strive to get closer to your lord?
So keep striving and NEVER give up for that is what your enemy shaythan wants! What is the point of this life if there was no struggle? So we MUST persevere and continue to strive and Almighty Allah will be there for us no matter what.
So put your FULL trust and faith in Allah and make sincere dua to him. Open your heart to him and share how you feel. Share your grief and pain. Share your deepest feelings and cry to him and surely he will hear your dua’s.
So let us make the best effort we can in every aspect of our lives and i promise you everything will fall into place.
So let us live for the hereafter and denounce any love we have for this world for we are only on a short journey and this journey can end at ANY SECOND!
So want to know how to make the best of each second in Ramadan? Then click on the following link:
12 Ways to Maximise Everyday in Ramadan
The following are some very beneficial lectures which you should listen to, to increase your imaan and fear of Allah:
**This could change your life FOREVER! **
A Meeting with Allah
**Remembrance: ask Allah for his forgiveness **
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-EK9r3rMzQ
Angel of Death!!! - Sheikh Ahmed Ali
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUzRJXlB2uA
HARD HITTING Lecture on HELLFIRE & the Day of JUDGEMENT! يوم القيامة والجحيم
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0O6L_fBk7VM
Sheikh Ahmad Ali - Hellfire Talk Part 1/3
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWTehIeCOUU
Sheikh Ahmad Ali - Hellfire Talk Part 2/3
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXTtk7rWx_U
Sheikh Ahmad Ali - Hellfire Talk Part 3/3
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmiD86w9fBc
Islam - Punishment of the Grave by Sheikh Riyadh ul Haq
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWb-hYIm2WE
Death and the Grave by Murtaza Khan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7r2nzJVecqo
How can we not appreciate what we have after watching this?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AkEBUC0APMg
AMAZING short speech -“The Goodly Life”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fugf1DcNyc
May Allah give us the ability to get closer to him and to strengthen our imaan in this blessed month and make it a salvation for us in the hereafter. Ameen
Re: 12 Ways to Maximize Everyday in Ramadan
REVIVE THE SUNNAH THIS RAMADAN!
Every voluntary act is rewarded like a fard act. A fard act is the biggest reward a Muslim can gain so can you imagine the IMMENSE rewards of every Sunnah we act upon?
By following the Sunnah in every aspect of our daily lives, everything we do will become worship, even going to the toilet, having a bath, dressing & undressing etc. By cherishing the Sunnah we can be with the Prophet in Jannah!
Annas (RA) reports Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alaihi Wasallam) advised, “Whoever cherishes my Sunnah, indeed he cherishes me & whoever loves me will be with me in Jannah.” (Tirmidhi: 2678: Ibid)
So let us cherish & revive the Sunnah this Ramadan:
Rasulallah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said: “Whoever revives an aspect of my Sunnah that is forgotten after my death, he will have a reward equivalent to that of the people who follow him, without it detracting in the least from their reward.” (Tirmidhi)
Please download a FULL Sunnah collection which includes Sunnahs of ALL aspects of our lives:
Beautiful Daily Sunnah’s
Daily Muslim Worship Plan
Daily Muslim Worship Plan
Download the full Daily Sunnah collection to maximize every aspect of daily life:
Morning
Upon Awakening
Note: Duas are readily accepted just before Fajr begins. So we should try and wake up earlier so that we can spend at least 5-10 minutes (if not more) in Dua before Fajr begins.
Do Sunnah’s of upon awakening like reciting the Adhkar (Dua’s), using Miswaak etc. (Download the full Sunnah collection from the link above)
Miswaak can be used for: The recitation of Qur’an & Hadith. When mouth emits bad odour. For teaching or learning Islam. For making remembrance of Allah. Before intercourse. After entering one’s home. Before entering any good gathering. When experiencing pangs of hunger or thirst. After the time of Suhoor. Before meals. Before and after a journey. Before and after sleeping.
Do the Sunnah’s of going to the toilet, making Wudu/Ghusl.
Do the Sunnah’s of hair, moustache, beard and nails etc.
Do the Sunnah’s of getting dressed/undressed.
Wudu (Ablution)
Sins wash away whilst doing Wudu: Abu Hurairah (RA) relates that The Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said, “When a Mu’min or Muslim servant of Allah performs ablution and he washes his face, the sins which the eye committed by looking are washed off with the water or with the last drop of water. When he washes his hands, the sins which were committed because of the touch of the hands are washed away with the water or with the last drop of water. When he washes his feet, the sins which were committed by the walking of the feet are washed off with the water or with the last drop of water until he comes out from that ablution cleansed from every sin (minor). **(Muslim) **
I bear witness that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah alone, Who has no partner; and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and His Messenger. Then the eight gates of Paradise would be opened for him and he may enter by whichever of them he wishes". (Muslim)
**Sincerety and purifying Intentions
**
Intentions
So before doing any good deed we must ensure our intentions are ONLY to please Allah. Having the right intentions will increase the sincerity in our worship and enable us to earn greater rewards for every good deed we do, even if it is a little good deed.
Ibn Al-Mubaarak said: “Maybe a small action is made great by its intention, and maybe a great action is made small by its intention.”
Daily routines like eating, drinking, sleeping, traveling etc can be a source of great reward by having the right intentions. Having good Intentions is easy & great rewards can be gained without making any hard physical effort. By just spending a couple of seconds having the right intention in our hearts we can turn a whole day to a day of worship. Like turning dust into gold.
Sincerety (Ikhlas)
Therefore it is crucial that we do our utmost do be as sincere as possible when doing good actions. We must ONLY do every action for the pleasure of Allah and try our best never to reveal what good we have done to anyone else. The best good deeds are those that are hidden from others.
So let us be sincere as posible whilst doing good deeds and hide them from others as much as possible.
Tahajjud
Tahajjud can be prayed straight after Isha or before going to sleep. The best time to pray Tahajjud is to sleep first and then wake up to pray in the third part of the night. So you calculate how many hours there are from Maghrib up until Fajr and divide the hours by 3 and pray in the third part of the night.
Pray between 2-12 Raka’a of Tahajjud prayer. It is recommended to pray at least 8 Raka’a’s. One should recite as much Qur’an as one knows in each Raka’a and make long Ruku and prostrations (Sajda).
At the time of Tahajjud Dua’s are readily accepted, so it is the best opportunity for one to make long, sincere and intense Dua’s, asking of Allah, crying if one can as Allah tends to his slave who cries in Dua quicker, just as a mother tends quickly to its crying baby. But the love that Allah has for his slave is MUCH MUCH more than a mother.
Repentance
“Do not despair of Allah’s mercy; He will forgive you of all your sins”.Qur’an (39:53).
Do as much Isthighfar (repentance) as possible from awakening until asleep at night. For Allah loves those who repent much and ask of him for his mercy and forgiveness. Especially in the latter part of the night when most are deep in their sleep. He loves to forgive and finds every excuse to forgive his slaves. Therefore ask of Allah for forgiveness as much as possible.
One should recite much of the following Dua: Asthaghfirullah halladhee laa ilaaha ilallahuwal hayyul qayyumu wa athubu ilay
I seek forgiveness from Allah besides whom there is none worthy of worship, the living, the Sustainer of life and to Him I repent. (Tirmidhi-Vol.2, pg.177)
Dua (Supplication)
Do the Sunnah’s of making Dua
To abstain from haraam (forbidden) food, clothing and earnings.
**(Muslim, Tirmidhi) **as doing haraam will prevent ones Dua being accepted
To make Wudu before the Dua (All six major Hadith collections)
To make Dua with sincerity. In other words, one should firmly believe that nobody but Allah will fulfil his objectives. (Hakim)
Try to cry whilst making Dua to Allah as he attends to his servants quicker when they are crying with meekness and humility just as a mother tends to her baby quickly when it cries out for its mother. If one cannot cry then one must at least try and simulate the act of crying.
Do not be impatient with the acceptance of Dua’s. In other words, don’t say: “I’ve made Dua repeatedly but to no avail.” (Bukhari, Muslim)
Travel
Do the Sunnah’s and Dua’s of travel
When one ascends or attempts to reach any height then one should say: “Allaahu Akbar”:- *Allah is the greatest. *
When descending from any height then one should say: “Subhaanallah”:- Purity belongs to Allah.
When one slips or experiences an accident they should say: “Laa ilaaha ilallaahu wallaahu akbar”:- There is no worthy of worship except Allah he is the greatest. (Hisnul Hasin)
Masjid
Abu Hurairah also reports that the Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said: “By Him in whose hand is my soul! I have considered ordering a fire to be kindled and then ask someone to lead the people in Salaah. And then go to the men [who did not attend the prayer] and burn their houses over them.” (Bukhari & Muslim)
For more reward & also to increase blessings in ones home Men should pray Sunnah’s and Nafils at home. If one knows one will get lazy at home then one should pray Sunnah’s in the Masjid.
Always do the Sunnah’s of leaving/entering the house.
Try to go the longest way to Masjid and take small steps for each step is rewarded and one is rewarded more for arriving early for the Adhan doing worship and Dua until Iqamah.
Always do the Sunnah’s of entering/leaving the Masjid.
**Always pray 2 Raka’a Tahiyyatul Masjid on arrival at the Masjid: **
The Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said:“When one of you enters the Masjid, let him not sit until he prays two Raka’a’s”. **(Bukhari and Muslim). **
Always take care to respect the Adaab (etiquette) of the Masjid)
On entering Masjid Always make intention of Nafil I’thikaaf on entering Masjid for reward for duration of stay at the Masjid.
Always do Sunnah’s of Adhan & Iqamah. Dua in between Adhan and Iqamah is readily accepted.
Strive to pray every prayer in the front row:
The Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said: “If the people knew what (reward) there is in the call (Adhan) and praying in the first row, and there was no other way to settle the matter than drawing lots, then they would draw lots for it”. (Bukhari and Muslim)
**Women on menses **
Praying Nawafil (voluntary) prayers
Allah says in Hadith Qudsi:
…And My slave keeps on coming closer to Me through performing Nawafil (voluntary deeds) until I love him, [Bukhari]
**40. Want the company of the Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) in Jannah? **
Rabi’ah Ibn Malik al-Aslami reported that the Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam) said: “Ask (anything).” Rabi’ah said: “I ask of you to be your companion in paradise.” The Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said: “Or anything else?” Rabi’ah said: “That is it.” The Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam) said to him: “Then help me by making many prostrations (i.e., Nawafil prayers).” (Muslim)
41.** A palace in Paradise for those who pray 12 units of voluntary prayers everyday:** - 2 Sunnah of Fajr, 4 Sunnah & 2 Sunnah of Dhuhr & 2 Sunnah of Maghrib
Umm Habibah Ramilah bint Abu Sufyan (RA) narrated she heard the Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) saying: “A house will be built in Paradise for every Muslim who offers twelve units of Prayers other than the obligatory ones in day & night, to seek pleasure of Allah.” (Muslim)
We should try to make the best of every opportunity we have in our day, in order to do Nawafil (voluntary) prayers for it will help us in the grave and in the hereafter and it will make us closer to Allah and enable us to be in the company of the Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) in Jannah.
Fajr Salaah
Do the Sunnah’s of Fajr Salaah
Every Fard prayer must be prayed on time. Pray every prayer like it is your last fully concentrating(khushu) imagining Allah in front of you watching you pray.
Men should try their best to pray Fajr with jamaat (congregation) and women get the same reward praying at home.
Reward for praying Isha and Fajr with congregation: Usman (Ra) has reported that he heard the Prophet, (Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam) say: “The person who observes the Isha prayer in congregation, will have the reward and blessings of staying up half the night in prayer, and the one who observes the Fajr prayer in congregation will have the reward and blessings of staying up** the whole night in prayer.”** (Tirmidhi)
Always do the Adhkar and Sunnah’s after the completion of every Salaah. Especially reciting Subhanallah (33 times), Alhamdulillah (33 times) and Allahu Akbar (34 times). Also recite Ayatul Kursi after every Fard Salaah.
The time between Fajr and sunrise is blessed, so after the Fajr prayer remain seated and recite the Qur’an, Dhikr and make Dua up until 20 minutes after Sunrise, then pray 2x2 Raka’a (4 Raka’a altogether) of Salaatul Duha and gain rewards like having done Nafil Hajj/Umra (Tirmidhi).
The fire of Jahannam will not touch the person who reads 4 Raka’a’s of Salaatul Duha (Baihaqi)
**Note: **It is forbidden to pray any voluntary (Nawafil) prayer after Fajr up until 20 minutes after Sunrise.
Earn livelihood/studying and learning after Fajr
The Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) made a very beautiful Dua for the Ummah for blessings in the mornings: ‘O Allah, bless my Ummah in the mornings.’ (Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah)
**So the mornings are blessed and should be spent being productive: **
Going out and earning a halal livelihood.
**Quran Memorization/Recitation: **The mind is at its freshest at this time and is like a sponge. So one should aim to memorize as much of the Qur’an as one can. At least one Ayah daily.
One can also read some Tafsir, by learning the meanings of at least one page of the Quran daily. One should also memorize daily Dua’s and Adhkar.
**Reading Islamic material: **like Hadith books, Stories of the Prophets, Seerah, Hereafter etc…
**Exercise: **The mornings are a very good time to exercise as it actually gives us more energy throughout the day and helps one to sleep better at night. The exercises do not have to be for too long. They can even be 20-30 minutes.
Exercises can include: Brisk walk, Jogging, cycling, swimming, resistance or aerobics/cardiovascular exercises and anything that builds one’s stamina which really helps in one’s worship throughout the day.
Planning and Monitoring Daily Worship
One of the best ways to maximize our daily worship is to plan & schedule our time so that we spend it as effectively and productively as possible. By setting ourselves daily worship targets we can strive to try and achieve them everyday.
Below are links where you can download an hourly worship scheduler where you can set yourself hourly worship targets & schedule your daily worship. There is also a daily worship check where you can check & monitor your daily worship the day:
Daily Ibaadah check
Hourly Worship Scheduler
Avoiding distractions
That is why it is crucial that we get rid of anything that is getting in the way of our worship. It makes sense to get rid of the major distractions (or at least limit distractions as much as possible) like TV, internet, games consoles and even useless talk with friends.
We should also try and fulfil our daily responsiblities and duties quickly so that we can have more time free and spend it worshiping Allah.
Breakfast
If one is not fasting then one should make arrangements to have a good breakfast in to energise one for the day ahead as this will also help us in being able to worship properly throughout the day.
The Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) used to have honey water for breakfast. (warm water with one or two teaspoons of honey). He is also reported to have had “Nabidhe Tamar” in some narrations. Nabidhe Tamar is dried dates which have been cut into pieces and soaked in a clay container overnight. (Tirmidhi)
Eating and drinking
Always do the Sunnah’s of eating/drinking. Reciting the name of Allah before eating and drinking, and thanking him sincerely throughout and after eating and drinking.
Eat and drink with the intention of nourishing the body to fulfil its rights and to grow stronger for Allah’s worship. This way eating and drinking becomes like worship as does any act with the right intentions.
58.** Some Sunnah foods include:** Olive oil, Pomegranate**,** Honey, Vinegar, Dates, Melon, Talbina (Barley flour), pumpkin.
Salaatul Duha
The Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallim)In the morning charity is due from every bone in the body of every one of you. Every utterance of Allah’s glorification is an act of charity (Subhan Allah). Every utterance of praise of Him is an act of charity (Alhamdulillah), every utterance of profession of His Oneness is an act of charity (Laa ilaha ill Allah), every utterance of profession of His Greatness is an act of charity (Allahu Akbar), enjoining good is an act of charity, forbidding what is distreputable is an act of charity, and two rak’ahs which one prays in the forenoon will suffice. [Muslim]
Praying 2 Raka’a’s: The Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said: ‘whoever offers 2 Raka’a’s of Salaat al-Dhuha, all his sins will be forgiven even though they are as much as the foam of the sea.’ (Ibid)
Praying 12 Raka’a’s: The Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said: ‘whoever prayed twelve Raka’a’s at the time of breakfast then Allah will, as a reward, prepare a palace of gold for him in Paradise. (Mishkaat, Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah)
Afternoon
Dhuhr Salaah
Men should pray Dhuhr at the Masjid and women at home.
Do the Sunnah’s of Dhuhr.
Always pray the 4 Raka’a and 2 Raka’a Sunnah and 2 Raka’a Nafil of Dhuhr: The Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) is reported to have said: “Whoever performs the four Raka’a’s before and after the Dhuhr Salaat with constancy, Allah makes the fire of Hell haraam (forbidden) for him.” (Mishkaat, p. 104; Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud, Nasai, Ibn Majah)
Taking a Short nap (Qayloolah) before or after Dhuhr
The Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said: “Take the noon nap, for the Shaytaan does not nap.” (Tabarani)
Having a short nap in the afternoon energizes one throughout the day because in the afternoon the average person would have had upto 8 hours of being awake and so having a short nap will give one a much needed energy boost throughout the rest of the day. A short nap also helps one to wake up for Tahajjud prayers in the latter part of the night.
Dawah
There are many different means to give Dawah, such as weekly text message Islamic reminders, Islamic E mail reminders once a month, Online Dawah on the internet through forums and social network sites.
Remember: Just one good word is the difference between a person gaining guidance and the rest of our lives we gain the rewards of every good deed they do without their rewareds being diminished in the slightest.
Greet Muslims where ever you are
The person who greets first without waiting for the other person to greet is closer to Allah (Bukhari).
**
Serve your parents**
A man came to the Prophet (sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) and said: “I wish to participate in Jihaad, but I cannot afford it” The Prophet (sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) enquired if any of his parents were alive, to which he said: “Yes! My mother is alive” The Prophet (sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said: “Show Allah how your serve her. If you do so (duly) you will be like a: Haaji, a Mu’tamir (one doing ‘Umrah) and a Mujaahid (One striving in Allah’s way).” (Tabarani)
The Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said: “May he be humiliated. May he be humiliated. May he be humiliated!” The companions asked “Messenger of Allah! Who?” The Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said, “He who has his parents, or one of them, in their old age yet he goes to Hell (because of disservice to them).” (Ahmed)
So we should look for EVERY excuse to serve our parents for we will regret the opportunities we missed not serving them and being the best towards them.
Maintain ties of kinship
The Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said: “Whoever loves to be granted ample provisions and a long life, should maintain good ties with his or her relatives.” (Al-Bukhaari).
**It refers to visiting relatives who do not visit us, and being good to those who wrong us: **
The Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said: “A man who perfectly maintains the ties of kinship is not he who recompenses the good done to him by his relatives; rather, he is the one who is on agreeable terms with those kin who have severed [their] bond with him.” (Al-Bukhaari)
So let us visit those of our relatives who do not visit us and if they treat us badly then let us give them goodness in return for our reward is with Allah and we are only doing it for his pleasure.
Giving Sadaqa
When a person gives for the pleasure of Allah then they are not losing any wealth but that Allah will increase it: The Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallim) said: “Charity does not in any way decrease the wealth and the servant who forgives, Allah adds to his respect; and the one who shows humility, Allah elevates him in the estimation (of the people).” (Muslim Vol. 4, Hadith 6264)
Sadaqa is more than just giving in wealth: The Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallim) said: “To smile in the company of your brother is charity.To command to do good deeds and to prevent others from doing evil is charity.To guide a person in a place where he can not getastray is charity.To remove troublesome things like thorns and bones from the road is charity.To pour water from your jug into the jug of your brother is charity.To guide a person with defective vision is charity for you.” (Bukhari)
Sadaqa is an ongoing reward
Sadaqa is an ongoing reward depending on how much people benefit from it. Sadaqa is not only wealth but it is anything that benefits others such as: Beneficial knowledge, removing something dangerous from the path of others, planting a crop or tree that people and animals will benefit from, building a well or a Masjid etc
After death our good deeds stop. Except a person who gave or did an act of Sadaqa by which they continue to be rewarded even after their death. The best on going charity is having a pious child. So let us strive to raise up good and pious children who can benefit mankind aswell as raise our ranks in the hereafter.
“And whatever you spend in charity or whatever vow you make, be sure Allah knows it all. But the wrongdoers have no helpers. If you disclose (acts of) charity, even so it is well, but if you conceal them and make them reach those (really) in need, that is best for you. It will remove from you some of your (stains of) evil. And Allah is well acquainted with what you do.” (Qur‘an, 2:270-271)
Jummah
Make preparations on Thursday for Jummah by doing whatever needs doing like for e.g. trimming hair, nails etc.
Do the Sunnah’s of Jummah like making Ghusl, Miswaak, wearing best clothes, perfume (Ittar), Reciting Surah Kahf etc
Proceed early to the Masjid to gain more rewards: The Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said: “On the day of Jummah, the angels stand at the entrance of that Masjid in which Jummah Salaat is to be offered. They write down the name of the person who enters the Masjid first, and thereafter the name of the person who follows, and they continue doing this. The person who entered first will receive the reward of sacrificing a camel in the path of Allah; the one who followed him will get the reward of sacrificing a cow, thereafter a chicken, thereafter the reward of giving an egg as charity in the path of Allah. Once the khutbah commences, the angels close the register and begin listening to the khutbah.” (Bukhari and Muslim)
Leave early to try to get space in the front row nearest to Imaam:
The Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said: "Whoever does Ghusl on Friday and causes (his wife) to do Ghusl, and sets out early, and comes close to the imam and listens and keeps quiet, for every step he takes he will have the reward of fasting and praying qiyaam for one year.” (al-Tirmidhi, 496)
Make small steps to Jummah as every step is the reward of a years Nawafil (voluntary) fast (Tirmidhi)
Listen to the Khutbah very attentively, not even warning others to keep quite.
Recite durood in abundance on Jummah: The Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said: “Recite Durood upon me in abundance on the day of Jummah since they are presented to me.” (Ibn Majah)
Note: Set a target of 1000+ durood on Jummah. Recite durood e Ibrahim which is the durood that is recited towards the end of Salaah. Or the shortest durood is: “Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallim”
Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said: “Seek the anticipated hour of Friday after `Asr until sunset” (Sunan al-Tirmidhî (489))
Therefore let us make the best of the precious time between Asr and Maghrib on Jummah by doing excessive worship like reciting the Qur’an, doing Dhikr and making long intense and sincere Dua’s in order to make the best of this “special hour”.
Allahumma salli alaa muhammadinin nabiyyil ummiyyi wa-ala aalihi wasallim tasleema. O Allah bless Muhammad, the unlettered Prophet, and his family and grant them best of peace. (Jame Sagheer, Tabarrani)
Asr Salaah
Men should go to the Masjid for Asr and women at home.
Do the Sunnah’s of Asr
Praying the 4 Raka’a Sunnah: The Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said: “May Allah have Mercy on the one who offers four (rak’ahs) before 'Asr prayer.” (Abu Dawud)
A person who performs four Raka’a’s before Asr Salaat, will receive a house in Jannah. (Majmauz-Zawaaid vol.2 pg.222).
Between Asr and Maghrib
We should make extra effort to worship between Asr on Maghrib on Fridays in particular,
Note: It is forbidden to pray any voluntary (Nawafil) prayer between Asr and Maghrib.
Doing Dhikr
And Allah says: “Those who believe and whose hearts find tranquility in the Remembrance of Allaah, verily in the Remembrance of Allaah do hearts find tranquility.” **[Surah Ar-Radd: 28] **
89.** The following are 10 Dhikr which are supported by Hadith, that we can recite everyday:**
Note: We should try & aim to recite each of these 10 Dhikr’s at least 100 times each which makes a total of 1000 Dhikr a day minimum:
Subhaanallah
Alhamdulillah
Allahu Akbar
Laa ilaaha illallah,
La hawla Wala Quwwata Illah Billah-Hil Aliyyil Adheem,
Asthaghfirullah-halladhee Laa ilaaha illa-huwal Hayyul Qayyuumu Wa athoobu Ilay, Short version: Asthaghfirullah
SUB-HAAN’ALLAAHi WA BI-HAM’DIHI SUB-HAAN’ALLAH-IL ADHEEM
Short version: SUB-HAAN’ALLAAHi WA BI-HAM’DIHI
Subhāna-llāhi, wa-l-hamdu li-llāhi, wa lā ilāha illā-llāhu, wa-llāhu akbar. Wa lā hawla wa lā quwwata illā bi-llāhi-l-aliyyi-l-azīm
Lā ilāha illā-llāhu waḥdahu lā sharīka lahu lahu-l-mulku wa lahu-l-ḥamdu yuhyi wa yumītu wa huwa ḥayyu-llā yamūtu abadan abada, ḏū-l-jalāli wa-l-ikrām, biyadihi-l-khayr, wa huwa alā kulli Shay-in qadīr
Short version: Laa ilaaha illal-laahu wahdahu laa shareeka lahu, lahul-mulku
wa lahul-hamdu wa huwa ‘alaa kulli shay-in qadeer
Subhan Allahi wa bi hamdihi adada khalqihi wa rida nafsihi wa zinata arshihi wa midada kalimatihi
Do so much Dhikr that people think you’re insane: The Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said: “Engage in the Dhikr of Allah in such abundance that people comment that ‘you are insane’.” (Ahmed)
Utter regret for each second wasted without remembering Allah:
Muadh Ibn Jabal (RA) said that the Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said: "The People of Paradise will not regret anything except one thing alone: the hour that passed them by in which they made no remembrance of Allah." **(Bayhaqi in Shuab al-iman (1:392 #512-513))**
We should not waste a single second in our day without remembering Allah. Every second that we do not remember Allah is a second wasted. Every gathering that Allah is not remembered is a gathering of utter loss and regret on the day of judgement. Remembering Allah is so easy yet we neglect remembering Allah.
Surely we will be in great loss on the day of judgement when we will realise what great rewards we have missed out on. A day when we will beg each other for one good deed and not one person will give it to us. That day we will wish that we said just one Subhanallah more. But it will be too late. So let us act NOW!
Reciting the Qur’an
“Read the Qur’an for verily it will come forth on the Day of Resurrection as an intercessor for its readers.” (Muslim)
The reward for reciting a single letter of the Qur’an: The Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said: “Whoever reads a letter of the Book of Allah will be credited with a good deed, and a good deed gets a tenfold reward. I do not say that Alif-Laam-Meem is a letter, rather alif is a letter, laam is a letter and meem is a letter.” (Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 2910)
Aim to recite at least 1 Juz (chapter) a day. If not then half, a quarter or even one page. It is better to recite at least a little each day than to recite a lot sometimes.
Recite as much Qur’an as possible especially between Fajr and Sunrise and between Asr and Maghrib.
Whilst reciting concentrate on the verses being read imagining Allah is watching you recite them.
Read the translation and tafseer of what has been read to understand the deeper meanings of the verses. Then contemplate and ponder over them.
Certain Surah’s and their Virtues include:
Surah Fatiha: The Mother of the Qur’an and a cure for every disease (Ath-Thua’lbi )
Surah Yaasin: The Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said: “Whosoever recites Surah Yaasin in the early part of the day his needs will be fulfilled.” (Mishkaat, Page 189)
The Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said: “Everything has a heart; the heart of the Qur’an is Surah Yaasin. Whoever reads Surah Yaasin (once), Allah records for him a reward equal to that of reading the whole Qur’an ten times.” **(Tirmidhi, Darami) **
Surah Mulk: when recited every night protects from the Torment of the Grave (An-Nasai)
Surah Zilzilah: Worth half of the Qur’an
Surah al Kaafirun: Worth quarter of the Qur’an.
Surah al Ikhlaas: Worth one third of the Qur’an’. (At-Tirmidhi 2818/A)
The Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said to his Companions: “Are any of you unable to recite a third of the Qur’an in a night?” That was difficult for them and they said, “Which of us is able to do that, Messenger of Allah?” He said, Surah Ikhlas constitutes a third of the Qur’an.’” (Sahih al-Bukhari 6:61)
Surah al Falaq and Surah An Naas protection from Jinn and evil eye: The Prophet (Sallallau Alaihi Wasallam) used to seek refuge from the jinn as well as from the evil eye until Surah al Falaq and An Naas were revealed. When they were sent down, he utilised them and left other things. (At-Tirmidhi #1984)
Maghrib Salaah
Men should Pray Maghrib at the Masjid and women at home
Do all the Sunnah’s of Maghrib
Always pray the 2 Sunnah and 2 Nafil of Maghrib. If you want then you can pray more then 2 Nawafil’s after the 2 Sunnah.
Evening
Isha
Praying Isha with congregation is like worshipping half of the night: The Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said: "He who prays Isha’ in Jama’ah (congregation) is as if he has prayed for half the night…**(Malik, Muslim) **
It is Sunnah to pray 4 Raka’a Sunnah before 4 Fard and 2 Raka’a Sunnah after the 4 Fard of Isha (Mishkaat)
If one knows one will not wake up for Tahajjud then one can pray 2-12 Raka’a of Tahajjud after the 2 Sunnah after the 4 Fard of Isha.
Witr should be the last prayer of the night and is most rewarding when it is prayer after Tahajjud closer to dawn. But if one knows one will not awaken for Tahajjud then one should pray the witr along with Tahajjud before going to sleep.
Sleep
Do the Sunnah’s of going to sleep. (See the Sunnah collection)
Prepare for sleep
One should prepare for sleep beforehand by covering food, utensils etc, shutting lights, locking doors. Brushing teeth, making Wudu, praying Tahajjud and Witr if one will not awaken for Tahajjud. Putting on alarm etc.
One should recite Surah Mulk and Surah Sajda before sleep (Tirmidhi)
One can also have a little read before going to sleep to relax the mind which may make it easier to fall asleep.
106.** Sleeping immediately after Isha**
If after Isha one is not doing anything of importance then it is far better to go to sleep so as to awaken early for Tahajjud or Fajr prayer.
One should not indulge in idle chit chat, watch useless TV programmes or browsing the internet unnecessarily etc after Isha as this will make it harder for one to wake up for Fajr prayers. However if one wants to pray and worship in the night then one should do so providing it does not cause one to miss the Fajr prayer with congregation (for men).
Sleep and awaken in third portion of the night
It would better for one to sleep straight after Isha and wake up in the third portion of the night which is the best part of the night to worship and make Dua. At this time one should pray the Tahajjud prayer and make sincere Dua’s to Allah, worshipping him until Fajr.
108.** Pray Fajr with jamat (congregation)**
Men should strive to gain immense rewards and pray fajr with Jamaat (congregation) for such a person will gain rewards of worshipping the whole night. **(Muslim) **
Women gain the same rewards for praying at home. After that one should continue to worship until sunrise and pray 4 Raka’a Salaatul Duha for immense rewards.
Character, etiquette and manners to implement in everyday life
Always be patient in every situation and NOT get angry or frustrated with others but rather think to yourself that there is NO point or NO good in getting angry or frustrated for the best person is he who controls his anger and frustration.
Always smile as the Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallim) always smiled at others especially when greeting another Muslim. A smile is charity.
Be polite and courteous at all times to everyone you come across in your daily life.
Keep gaze low at all times. Take NO more than one glance for the first glance is yours but the second glance is from shaythan.
Do NOT backbite, slander or gossip about others. It is best not to talk about people. Rather talk about beneficial matters pertaining to deen and dunya.
If any Muslim is being backbitten or slandered then make excuses for them and back them up for Allah will back such a person up in Qiyamah.
Do NOT swear or use any profanity for the tongue will speak against you in Qiayamah.
Do not make jokes using vile sexual innuendo as a Muslim should have shame and modesty in all matters. He who is not ashamed can do what they want.
When stressed then do not say a swear word but instead say “Subhanallah” or “Allahu Akbar”.
Do NOT be jealous or envy anyone else apart from whom Allah has blessed with knowledge and wealth and they use it in the right way in the path of Allah.
Do NOT think of other Muslims in a bad way or accuse them without any solid proof or evidence but rather make as many excuses for your brothers as possible.
When you speak then ONLY speak of that which will benefit you or someone else in this world or the next. If it will cause more harm than good then refrain from saying it.
Do not speak if it is not necessary as precious time is wasted
speaking unnecessarily which may cause one to waste time and incur sin.
Do NOT mock or make fun of anyone or hurt their feelings. Be very careful and be sensitive about other people’s feelings lest they get recompense on the day of judgement and you lose your good deeds.
Treat others how you would want yourself to be treated.
Treat others so well that they crave your company and would mourn you after your death.
Be the best towards siblings, family and relatives regardless of how they treat you, for your reward is not with them but with Allah.
Be the best towards your parents treating them with utmost honour and respect at all times. NEVER answer them back or raise your tone with them but always speak to them in a soft and low tone.
Serve your parents as much as possible for serving them is the best of deeds.
Help and advice others as much as possible for the pleasure of Allah
Do NOT worry or stress about the past because it has gone and made you who you are today or about the future for it may never come. Whatever is destined to happen will happen and you will still get through it regardless. Rather trust in Allah and put your hopes and faith in him for he will get you through ANYTHING and EVERYTHING.
Do NOT keep bad company for such company is like poison. Bad friends will stab you in the back on the day of judgement and will stand trial against you so let go of them now otherwise they will destroy you in the hereafter.
Instead keep those of piety and good character as friends for they will benefit you in this world and the next.
Your body parts will be against you on the day of judgement and will testify against you. So watch and control your tongue, eyes, hands, feet and privates and prevent them from going near minor and especially major sins!
When giving advice or dawah then do not become frustrated as guidance is only from Allah and all we can do is inform as best we can.
May Allah enable us to do everything to please him and to maximize our worship each day so that we can get closer to him. Ameen
Re: Daily Muslim Worship Plan
Daily Muslim diary
The Muslim Diary contains a practical list on which you can mark the acts of worship and good deeds you did that day. The list is a selection of the most recommended acts of ‘ibadah [worship] in a schedule with all week days. All the deeds are being explained in an easy but powerful way through Qur’anic verses and Ahadith. You can use the diary to strive to start practising all the mentioned points.
DOWNLOAD: The Muslim Diary a Daily Guide to Worship
10 Good acts a Women can do on her Menses
10 Good acts a Women can do on her Menses
Almighty Allah has made it easy for a women to gain good deeds during her menses for she is still able to get the same rewards as men if not more.
She gains the same reward as men doing their prayers in the Masjid and at the same time she is absolved of praying and does not have to make up for them afterwards. The good deed accounts don't stop when a women is menstruating for the angels are continuing writing down good deeds as long as a women is doing good actions in order to please Allah.
The following are 10 good acts a women can do whilst on her menses:
*1. Listen to Qur'an recitation: *
Listening to recitation is the perfume of the souls, the calmer of hearts, and the food of the spirit. Is is one of the most important psychological medicines. It is a source of pleasure, even to some animals – and pleasure in moderation purifies inner energy, enhances the functioning of the faculties, slows down senile decay by driving out its diseases, improves the complexion, and refreshes the entire body. Pleasure in excess, on the other hand, makes the illnesses of the body grow worse.
Abu Nu’aim states, in his Tib an-Nabbi, that the Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said that the benefits of listening to recitation are increased when it is understood – that is, when its meaning is understood.
Allah Himself says:…so give good news to My slaves, those who listen to the word and then follow the best of it…(***Qur’an: 39.17-1)*
Source: As-Suyuti’s Medicine of the Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam)
**
To reflect upon the verses of Allaah is a form of worship; it is something that will draw one close to Allah, Most High.
Allaah, Most High, Says in the Quran (what means): *"Then do they not reflect upon the Quran? If it had been from [any] other than Allaah, they would have found within it much contradiction." *[Quran: 4:82]
We should try to understand the Qur'an:
Ibn Kathir says regarding tafsir of [Soorah al-A'raf (7): 179]: The similitude of the one, who memorizes the Qur'an but does not act in accordance to it, is like a donkey, which carries a load of books, but does not understand!
We should read and study the deeper meanings of the Qur'an and act upon everything we read as this is what the Sahaaba did. Some of the Sahaaba took a very long time finishing the Qur'an because they wanted to implement everything they read before moving on to the rest of the Qur'an.
*3. Dhikr of Allah: *
A women on her menses can do excessive dhikr night and day. We will all have utter regret for each second wasted without remembering Allah:
Mu`adh Ibn Jabal (RA) said that the Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said: "The People of Paradise will not regret anything except one thing alone: the hour that passed them by in which they made no remembrance of Allah." Narrated **Bayhaqi in Shu`ab al-iman (1:392 #512-513)**
The highest rank in Jannah are for those who remembered Allah the most:
Abu Sa`id (RA) narrates the Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) was asked, "Which of the servants of Allah is best in rank before Allah on the Day of resurrection?" He said: "The ones who remember him much."I said: "O Messenger of Allah, what about the fighter in the way of Allah?" He answered: "Even if he strikes the unbelievers and mushrikin with his sword until it broke, and becomes red with their blood, truly those who do Dhikr are better than him in rank." (Ahmad, Tirmidhi, & Bayhaqi)
Therefore we should remember Allah as much as we can & glorify him night & day until our very last breath. What better time to start remembering Allah more than in this most blessed month.
So we should set ourselves daily targets of doing as much Dhikr as we can. We can remember & glorify Allah whatever we are doing throughout the day. At work, whilst cooking, shopping & even whilst relaxing. We should remember Allah in our heart's & not just by our tongues. We should also contemplate over his magnificence & his creations & imagine him in front of us as we glorify & remember him.
*The following are 10 Dhikr, supported by Hadith that one can recite throughout the day & night until our last breath: *
Note: We should try & aim to recite each of these 10 Dhikr a 100 times each which makes a total of 1000 a day minimum.
Asthaghfirullah
Subhaanallah
Alhamdulillah
Allahu Akbar
Laa ilaaha illallah
LA HAWLA WA LA QUWWATA ILLA BILLAH-HIL ALIYYIL ADHEEM
Asthaghfirullah-halladhee Laa ilaaha illa-huwal Hayyul Qayyuumu Wa athoobu Ilay
Or short version: Asthaghfirullah
Or short version: SUB-HAAN'ALLAAHi WA BI-HAM'DIHI
Subhāna-llāhi, wa-l-hamdu li-llāhi, wa lā ilāha illā-llāhu, wa-llāhu akbar. Wa lā hawla wa lā quwwata illā bi-llāhi-l-aliyyi-l-azīm
Lā ilāha illā-llāhu waḥdahu lā sharīka lahu lahu-l-mulku wa lahu-l-ḥamdu yuhyi wa yumītu wa huwa ḥayyu-llā yamūtu abadan abada, ḏū-l-jalāli wa-l-ikrām, biyadihi-l-khayr, wa huwa alā kulli Shay-in qadīr
Or the shortened version:
Laa ilaaha illal-laahu wahdahu laa shareeka lahu, lahul-mulku wa lahul-hamdu wa huwa ‘alaa kulli shay-in qadeer
We should also recite much of durood e Ibrahim which is the durood that is recited towards the end of Salaah.
Or the shortest durood is: Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallim
4. Dua & Repentance
A women in her menses can make excessive Dua to Allah night and day.
*Almighty Allah says in the Qur'an: *"When my servants ask you concerning me, (tell them) I am indeed close (to them). I listen to the prayer of every suppliant when he calls on me." *[2:186] *
The place of Dua is so high in front of Allah, that the Prophet (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallim) has said: "Nothing is more honourable to Allah the Most High than Dua." *[Sahih al-Jami` no.5268]. *
Allah loves repentance & loves those who turn to him in sincere repentance:
Truly Allah loves those who turn [to Him] in repentance... (Qur'an 2:222)
Many of us rush our Dua’s & quite often our hearts are not present whilst we are making dua to Allah. That is why we lose out on much of the benefits & blessings of Dua. Therefore we should not let our minds wonder whilst in Dua & we should concentrate more, making sure our hearts are present whilst asking of Allah. Whilst we are in dua we should imagine Almighty Allah in front of us & so we should humble ourselves in front of him in a state of meekness & humility.
It may also help if we made a list of what we want to ask Allah during our dua’s. We can then refer to this list as a reminder so that we can cover everything we need to ask him, which may help in making our Dua’s longer & more sincere. This is because we will not always remember everything we want to ask Allah unless we note it down & refer back to it when we need to.
*The times when Dua's are most accepted during a womens menses: *
We should have FULL hope that Allah will accept our Dua’s if not in this world then in the hereafter. We should accept his decree for he knows best in all matters.
Narrated ‘Ubaadah that the Messenger of Allah said, “Whoever seeks forgiveness for the believing men and believing women, Allah will write for him a good deed for EACH believing man and believing woman.” (Tabarrani)
Subhanallah this deed can be done in EVERY dua and can you imagine how many rewards can be gained for each and every Muslim you make dua for from Adam alayhis 'salam until now and the last Muslim on earth. This is the easiest way to earn rewards that go into the billions and the more you make these dua's then the more your good deed account wil get filled!
*5. Learning Islamic knolwedge: *
A women in her menses can learn Islamic knowledge as much as she can through books, online, teachers etc
"Allah will exalt those who believe among you, and those who have been granted knowledge to high ranks."
(Qur'an)
"Seeking knowledge is obligatory upon every Muslim (male and female)." (Hadith)
THE VIRTUES OF KNOWLEDGE
Allah (Most Exalted is He), Who created us and gave us sustenance, has also given us guidance. He said:
"Verily We have created man into toil and struggle… Have We not made for him a pair of eyes; and a tongue, and a pair of lips; and shown him the two ways (obedience and disobedience)?"
(Qur'an, Al-Balad 90:4-10)
After providing us with the capability to contemplate, think and differentiate between things, He instructed us to know Him, to know his Prophets and to know His Deen, Islam. He said:
"So know that there is no god save Allah, ask forgiveness for your sins and for the believing men and the believing women. Allah knows well your moving and your place of rest."
(Qur'an, Muhammad 47:19)
This verse shows the importance of knowledge and the virtues that Allah has given to it. It also shows that knowledge comes before deeds, since Allah instructed His Prophet to know that He is One and the only One worthy of worship. After that, He commanded him to ask forgiveness for himself, his family and for his Ummah.
If Muslims truly realise the importance Islam places on knowledge and its virtues, they will definitely be keen to learn and teach others. They would start with themselves and their families; then their neighbours and the community at large.
*6. Serving your parents: *
A man once asked the Prophet Muhammad (Salallahu Alayhi Wasallim):
"'Should I join the jihad?' He asked, 'Do you have parents?' The man said, 'Yes!' The Prophet (Salallahu Alayhi Wasallim) said, 'Then strive by serving them!'" *(Sahih Al-Bukhari, No. 5972) *
Therefore serving one's parents is even better than jihad so serve your parents as much as you can and gain rewards you can NEVER imagine!
Treating your parents the best:
To be obedient and to show kindness to parents has been enjoined in the Holy Quran in such a manner as to say that among the noble deeds, to obey parents, treat them respectfully and to show kindness to them is next to worshipping Almighty Allah.
The Quran says, "Your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him, and that you be kind to parents. Whether one or both of them attain old age in thy life, say not to them a word of contempt, nor repel them, but address them in terms of honour." - Surah Al Isra (17:23).
The Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi wasallam) said: **“What a loss is for him! What a loss is for him! What a loss is for him!” **Someone asked: “Who, O Allah's Messenger?” He replied: “He whose parents reach old age, either one or both of them, and he does not use their presence (by being good to them, etc.) to cause him to enter Paradise.”(Muslim)
Abdullah bin Mas'ood (RA), observed: "I asked Allah's Messenger (Sallallahu Alaihi wasallam) which deed was the best." He replied: 'The Prayer at its appointed hour.' I (again) asked: "Then what?" He replied: 'Kindness to the parents.'... (Sahih Muslim: 120)
So a women in her menses should do what she can to serve her parents in anyway that she can like for eg clean the house so that her parents do less, attend to their every need etc. Surely she will be pleasing Allah so much and gaining unimaginable rewards!
*7. Giving dawah: *
"And who is better in speech than he who invites to Allah and does righteous deeds, and says: 'I am one of the Muslims.'" *al-Qur'aan, Fussilat(41):33] *
A women on her menses can give dawah to other sisters and non Muslims. We should spend our lives inviting others towards Allah whether they are Muslim or non Muslim.
"Let there arise out of you a band of people inviting to all that is good, enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong. They are prosperous ones." (3.104)
We should not argue with them or use a harsh manner but use wisdom, tact and the best approach possible:
Invite to the way of your Lord with wisdom and beautiful preaching and argue with them in ways that are best and most gracious. *(16:125) *
We should enjoin good and forbid evil for it is a duty upon us:
The Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wasallam) said:‘Indeed, by Allah, you either enjoin good and forbid evil and catch hold of the oppressor and persuade him to act justly and stick to the truth, or, Allah will involve the hearts of some of you with the hearts of others and will curse you as he had cursed them’ (At-Tirmidhi)
Whatever beneficial knowledge we have we should convey it unto others so that they may also benefit from it:
Zaid b. Thabit (RA) narrated the Prophet(Sallallahu Alaihi wasallam) said: "May Allah cause to have freshness and brilliance the man who hears what I say and keeps it in mind, then convey it to others. *(Ahmad, 5-183) *
We should know that any good action another does because of some beneficial knowledge we have shared then we will also have a share of it:
"Whoever guides [another] to a good deed will get a reward similar to the one who performs it." (Sahih Muslim)
So she can give dawah by text, e mail, direct or indirect
8. Best Manners, Character & Conduct
A women on her menses should show the best manners, character and conduct in this blessed month and throughout her life. She should strive to be of those with the best of characters and manners as that is what will elevate us in the hereafter:
Rasulallah (Sallallahu Alahi wasallam) used to say: *The best amongst you are those who have the best manners and character. *(Related by al-Bukhari)
*Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi wasallam) said: **There is none heavier in the scales of the Hereafter than good character, *(Hadith narrated by al-Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud). **
Subhanallah so surely we should work on having a good character and manners for it is most heavy on the scales.
The Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said: "The best loved by me and the nearest to me on the seats on the Day of Resurrection are those who have the best manners and conduct amongst you, who are intimate, are on good terms with others and are humble, and the most hated by me and who will be on the furthest seats from me are those who are talkative and arrogant." (Tirmidhi)
So let us strive to perfect our manners, character and conduct and know that these good deeds will be of the heaviest on the scales and will enable us to reach the highest ranks of Jannah
*9. Charity: *
A women in her menses should spend in the way of Allah as much as she can for charity extinguishes sins save one from the fire:
The Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi wasallam) said: “Charity wipes out sins as water extinguishes fire.” (Tirmidhi)
Charity should be paid secretly:
The Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi wasallam) said: “Righteous deeds protect a person from an evil end; a charity spent in secret extinguishes Allah’s wrath; and maintaining good ties of kinship increases ones lifespan.” (Tabaraani)
Removing harmful objects from people’s way is also a charity:
The Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi wasallam) said:“I saw a man enjoying himself in Paradise (simply) because he removed from a road a tree that used to harm people.”(Muslim)
Providing for ones family is a charity:
The Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi wasallam) said: “If a man provides for his family hoping for the reward, it will be counted as charity for him." (Bukhari & Muslim)
She can involve herself in charity work in her local community or for a charity organisation. She can do various projects to raise money and awareness for good causes.
10. Serve and obey her Husband
It is obligatory on all Muslim woman to obey their husbands in all matters of good. She is promised Paradise for fulfilling her obligations unto her husband.
*Abu Hurairah reported that Allaah’s Messenger (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) said: *
“If a woman prays her five (daily) prayers and keeps her private parts chaste and obeys her husband, she will enter Paradise from any of the doors of Paradise she wishes.” *[Ibn Hibbaan] *
So whether a women is on her menses or not she should do her utmost to serve and obey her husband in the best manner possible for the pleasure of Allaha and in doing so she will not only be pleasing Allah but she will gain immense and unimaginable rewards.
Conclusion
Therefore a women on her menses must never feel that she is not able to gain good deeds, blessings and reward just because she is on her menses. There is NOTHING stopping her from gaining IMMENSE rewards equal to that of a man if not more. All that is required from her is effort, the right good intentions and sincerety in her actions.
May Allah enable all women on their menses to do much good. Ameen
Re: 10 Good acts a Women can do on her Menses
One really good act they can do during that time is to stop blogging on GS
Re: 10 Good acts a Women can do on her Menses
^after reading such blog whenever i hear news about Red corridor in india i get confused......
Re: 10 Good acts a Women can do on her Menses
One really good act they can do during that time is to stop blogging on GS
:D
Re: 10 Good acts a Women can do on her Menses
Re: 10 Good acts a Women can do on her Menses