Reliance on Allah

As I look forward to an impossible week, I am realising, that nothing is impossible if made possible by Allah. It reminded of the story of Surah Fil. As I did a bit of research on its background through Sheikh Google, I found that this apparently simple surah has left different marks on different people's minds. From power of Allah to wisdom in Allah's actions, it is all there! However, what strikes me the most - is the power of effects of 'Tawakkul' - trust and reliance in Allah.

When Abraha defeated everyone on his way to Mecca, stood with his huge army of elephants and men, there was no reason why Abdul Muttalib should not have worried. He was one of the only men, the powerless ones, against an army equipped with everything to destroy the Kaaba. Yet, he was determined that Allah will save His house. He trusted Allah to take care of the future, no matter how ridiculous it may have seemed to everyone else at that particular time.

The prophet said: "If you had all relied on Allah (SWT) as you should rely on Him, then He would have provided for you as He provides for the birds, who wake up hungry in the morning and return with full stomachs at dusk." [At-Tirmidhi]

There are several ways to start/increase your reliance on Allah:

1. Realise Who Allah is. If you want to truly rely on Him, you must acknowledge and accept the fact that He has the greatest power, no one can overcome Him. The fact that He knows everything about you every single moment, inside and out, the fact that He holds the power to change anything and everything in any moment.

2. Be true to yourself. As well as accepting Allah's attributes, you need to accept yours too. You need to figure out exactly what Allah has given you and exactly what you need. Doing that would allow you to be thankful for what he has already given you and allow you to ask Him without any false pride.

3. Try to stay away from sins as much as possible. Once you have realised how much you need Allah, the only way you can keep harmful guilty feelings at bay is by staying away from things that will instil those feelings in your heart. Every time you feel like doing something that you know in your heart you should not, renew your trust in Allah by asking Him to keep you away from it, and do something that He would love.

4. Ask for forgiveness for past sins. Allah LOVES those who repent (2:222) - and what can increase your reliance on Allah more than His love? A very good reminder for the benefits of repentance is expressed by Imam Ibn Taymiyyah: A calamity that makes you turn to Allah is better for you then a blessing which makes you forget the remembrance of Allah.

5. Do your morning and evening dhikr regularly. One of the dhikr that I love is the following: "Allah is sufficient for me. There is none worthy of worship but Him. I have placed my trust in Him. He is the Lord of the Majestic throne." (9:129) It is said that Allah grants whoever recites this seven times in the morning or evening whatever he desires from this world or the next. (Abu Dawud) The arabic of this particular dhikr isn't too hard - it is in Fortress of the Muslim. Alternatively, you can look up 9:129.

Keep myself and yourself in your duas so that Allah makes us sincere in our way towards Him and allows us to have Tawakkul.

5 tips to increase productivity this Ramadan

If your Ramadan is flying past you because school/uni/work/family is keeping you busy, you have come to the right place. This is a list of things I have been doing for the past few days/have seen others do/have read or heard somewhere and felt like it would work. This list should be kept as a reminder for both you and I on how we can get the best out of this month.

1. Spend 10-15 mins each night reviewing what you have done throughout the day. Was it productive? Make a list of everything that you felt added to your productivity and a list of everything that deterred you from it. Come up with a plan to consistently and sincerely do the things on the first list and stay away from those in the second. 


2. Fix a sleeping habit and stick to it! I recommend praying Isha and taraweeh as soon as possible, then sleeping until about an hour before Fajr starts. That way, you can use half an hour for tahajjud and making dua, and half an hour for suhoor. After that, do not sleep after Fajr. Instead, use that time to do dhikr, study the Quran, plan for your day and some other things, depending on your schedule for the rest of the day. Try to get 1-2 hours of sleep at some other time throughout the day. I find public transport to be an amazing place for that! Your situation might be different - spend a few minutes to work out a plan. Lack of sleep can lead to loss of energy, and that's the last thing you want in this blessed month!


Regarding tahajjud: "Abu Hurayrah narrated that the Prophet (pbuh) said: Our Lord descends every night, during the last third of it, to the skies of this world, and asks: ‘Who is making du’aa to me, so that I can respond to him?  Who is asking Me, so that I can give him?  Who is asking for My forgiveness, so that I can forgive him?’" (Bukhari, Muslim)

Also, Rasulullah (pbuh) said, "At night there is such a moment in which a Muslim supplicates Allah for the good of this world or the Hereafter, Allah will grant him his request, and this moment appears every night." (Muslim)

"O you wrapped in a cloth, Stand [in prayer]  by night except a portion, half of it or a little less, or a little more, and  recite the Quraan in measured tones. Soon shall we send down to you a weighty  message. Truly the rising by night is most potent for governing the soul, and  most effective in speech [of praises and prayer]. [73:1-6)


Regarding suhoor: Prophet (pbuh), said: “Eat Suhoor; Indeed, there is a blessing in Suhoor.” (Al-Bukhaari and Muslim)


Abu Sa'id al-Khudri related that, the Messenger (pbuh) said: Suhur is a meal containing blessing so do not abandon it even if you have only a drink of water. Allah and His angels pray on those who eat suhur.


Regarding doing your work in the morning for maximum baraqah: “The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: ‘O Allah, bless my Ummah in the mornings.’(Abu Dawud, at-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah)


3. Constantly do dhikr and dua. If there is anything you want from Allah, this is the month you ask for it! You do not need a time, place or any equipment to do this. You can do this while waiting for the bus, while walking to your next class, while making food, while cleaning - anywhere and everywhere! Specifically, make dua for increase in baraqah in time, effort and good deeds, and watch your productivity rise exponentially!


4. Make dua before Iftaar. Alhamdulillah, I am lucky enough to grow up in a household where this is practised, which is a reason why I was very surprised to know that many people do not practise this. Rasulullah  said, “The fasting person has at the time of breaking his fast a Du’aa’ that is not rejected.” (Ibn Majah & Al-Hakim). This is a clear guarantee! Why not take advantage of it?


5. Keep your workspace and living space clean and tidy. If it is usually not, make it a point to get into this habit in Ramadan. Allah’s Messenger said, “Cleanliness is half of Faith. (Muslim)


Some useful sources of inspiration:
For more articles and tips: http://www.productiveramadan.com/
For a greater appreciation for the Book of Allah: http://bayyinah.com/podcast/category/nouman-ali-khan/ (I started this series by listening to the tafseer of Surah Ikhlas and got hooked on to it. It gave me a much clearer picture of how I should view Allah. Nouman Ali Khan goes through the the surahs from a linguistic, psychological and spiritual point of view. I strongly recommend this to anyone who is looking to improve their relationship with the Qur'an.)

Losing hope in Allah

For some of us, life have become too busy for us to 'live' any more. It is too easy to get lost, to feel dead, yet, carry on with our daily duties as if nothing has happened. We don't have have time to step back and think about what is going wrong, because stepping back would mean falling back on schedule. Eventually, we become so tired that we lose focus. We forget why we do what we do - uni, work, Islamic events, friends, family etc - everything becomes just another point to tick off from a to-do list. We fall short on building our relationship with Allah (swt), then we start to feel guilty, then we just forget about it all because we don't have time to think! Our faith becomes a roller-coaster, and we begin to feel nauseous in the emotional up and down.

At times like this, it is extremely easy to fall into the worst trap of Shaitaan - losing hope in Allah. This is what happens: We become busy. --> The quality of our worship lessens. --> Our relationship with Allah becomes weak. --> Our gratefulness decreases --> Baraqah decreases --> We feel like Allah is not helping us. --> We lose hope. 

Once we lose hope, that is it. From there, it becomes very easy to spiral down to being the worst person in each of us. Each individual knows their worst moments and it is different from everyone. But, we get there when we lose hope. When we feel like there is no way that Allah will accept us now.

However, we do not think about the implications of our thoughts. When we 'lose hope', what we are essentially doing is putting a limit on Allah's abilities. Who are we to decide who Allah will forgive? Who are we to think that we know ourselves better than the Being who knows every cell in our body, every speck of our thoughts, every moment of our future?

As someone once said - when you fall to the bottom of the ocean, you have two choices: you can either remain there and possibly sink further, or, you can gather pearls and swim back up again.


Here are THREE suggestions on how we can swim back up when we hit the rock bottom of faith:
- Make dua - there is no alternative to this. Allah is the only one that can help you fight against Shaitaan. You are NOT strong enough to do it yourself, so, ask for help. Shamelessly.
- Be honest to yourself.
- Regularly purify your intentions - this is probably the hardest thing to do. How do you quantify your sincerity? If you cannot, how can you purify it? The best way that I find is to just talk. Just talk to Allah and yourself. Say what you want to get out of an action OUT LOUD, and ask Allah for help. Visualise your heart becoming clean. Visualise Jannah. 
- Think about and write down all the times that Allah (swt) pulled you out from a difficult situation. If He has done it all those times, He will do it again inshaAllah.
- Take active steps in renewing your relationship - start reading the Quran again, ponder over the words, start doing dhikr again, bring back khushu in your prayers. These need to be done simultaneously with the dua and reflection. Only when YOU try to align your internal and external self, would you be able to do so.

I hope this helps you and myself. May Allah help each of us on our way back to Him.

Preparing for Ramadan

There is less than a month left for Ramadan to arrive at our doorsteps. If we don't start to prepare now,when Ramadan comes, our bodies and minds will face the effect of cramming. You know when exams are only two days away, and you realise that you have absolutely no way of passing if you don't put in every effort now? The times when late nights, early mornings, irregular food and excessive prayer becomes the norm? Now think about those two days extending to become one whole month. You will obviously burn out in no time. Therefore, in order to get the best out of this month, here are two articles that I found to be the most useful. Hope it helps. :)

http://muslimmatters.org/2011/06/13/ramadan-marathon-are-you-ready-psychological-approach-to-achieving-your-goals/
http://www.productiveramadan.com/top-10-productiveramadan-tips/

7-day-challenge: Replace music with Quran

This challenge is for those of us that have struggled to get those earphones out of our ears for a very long time. In itself, the challenge is quite simple. Pick a date. Write the date on the wall of this event. For the next seven days, every time you feel the urge of listening to some music - on the train, during that treadmill hour, when its raining, moments of blues - just turn on some Quran. If you have never tried it before, it might be extremely difficult in the beginning.

If you are going to the shopping centre or the gym, where the music is beyond your control, you can try to take your own ipod/phone/mp3 player and put on some Quran for yourself.

We are interested to know about your experiences! Please leave us a little (or big) note about your week at the end, or even during it. Please invite as many friends as you'd like. Lets help each other climb that ladder towards Jannah, one step at a time. :)

An excerpt from a favourite article

"wanted to share a moving story that I once heard and will always remember and cherish for its meanings. It’s the story of one of the great Imams of this Ummah, Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal.

His son, Abdullah, asked his father one day: “Abi when will we ever relax?” His father, one of the greatest revivers of the Sunnah and a role model for all Muslims, looked him in the eye and said: “With the first step we take into Jannah.”

Ya Allah, what a beautiful response!

There are days that come to you and you’re tired, you just want to sleep and relax and “shut off” as they say. Those are the days in which you need to ask yourself a critical question: ‘Where am I going with life?’ If it’s towards Allah and for Allah, then regain your strength and continue your work, for Jannah is precious and must be sought. But if you look into your life and realise that it’s not towards Allah but towards Dunya, then your tiredness becomes a blessing, for it is a reminder that you need to change direction and renew your purpose in life.

I love this story on many levels. For one, it shows you that when someone’s focus is Jannah, their priorities change and their outlook on life is different. What we perceive as difficulty, they perceive as ease. What we perceive as calamity, they perceive as reward. What we perceive as obstacles, they perceive as opportunities for sincere dua. Moreover, when your focus is Jannah, this Dunya and its constant demand becomes small and the least of our concerns."

source: http://www.productivemuslim.com/abi-when-will-we-ever-relax/

How to Have Baraqah in your Life

There are certain times in my life in which I can honestly say that it has been truly filled with divine blessings. Here are a few signs of baraqah in my life:
- High grades
- Great relationship with family
- No financial problems
- Increase in physical strength
- A balanced sense of self-esteem

Depending on your context, you have also, probably, more or less, experienced such blessings. Those times in which it feels like life is absolutely perfect! Or have you not? If the answer is no, (or perhaps it is 'yes' for only a few fleeting moments?), you have come to the right place. Tonight, I shall share some secrets that have been the crux of my successful days. Just keep in mind - these are my suggestions only. These are the things that I learnt from others and my own experiences, and can think of from the top of my head (at 11.14 pm!).

1. Dua

Allah is Al-Mujib - The Answer of Prayers! It is one of His names, as mentioned by Him, and as we know, He is also Al-Haqq - The Truth. If He Himself tells us that He answers prayers, who are we to doubt it? Just a make a list of everything in your life that you want to have Baraqah in, and ask for it after every single Fard prayer. He is also the Merciful - He has absolutely infinite mercy! Why not ask for it?

2. Dhikr

There are numerous ahadiths on the virtues and methods of dhikr. A simple google search led me to this vast source of information! Personally, I think constant dhikr keeps your mind and tongue busy with the bigger picture. It helps you to remember that the good that you are doing comes from Allah (swt) and He is also the One protecting you from things that aren't good for you. So, this increases your reliance on Him, in turn, making your mind ready to make more dua! It also keeps you away from thinking about thoughts that you probably shouldn't be thinking about. Remember, thoughts lead to actions. So, think about it - with a few simple words, you are able to prevent yourself from committing sins AND you are running fast on the track of Jannah!

3. Keep your intentions clean and pure

Why do you want to take up that extra job? Is it because you want more money for clothes that you don't need to impress people you don't like? Is it just to add to your resume - that long list of prestigious names you wish to flaunt one day? Or are you intending to earn more so that you can spend more in good? There are many definitions of 'good'. Prophet (pbuh) said that of that which you spend... the one yielding the greatest reward is that which you spent on your family! Why not surprise your mum with a small gift to tell her that you love her? Also, in this day and age, we have so many Islamic charity organisations that it really is of no hardship to donate a dollar a day to the needy. There are plenty other things you can do with your money. Donate it to a mosque fund. Sponsor a child.

4. Start a 'Self-Improvement Book'

Take an empty exercise book and write down everything about yourself that you would like to change. Take one of them and break it up into tiny parts. For example, if you feel like you are losing your faith, you can write 'return to Allah'. And then you can break it up into the ways that you can do so. For example, 'Quran'. Further, 'Reciting Quran'. Then take a very small goal. Recite 5 minutes of Quran every single day. Do this for a few other things and get to work straight away! Remember, if you take one step towards Allah, He will take ten towards you!! So, if you want baraqah, you must be the one to initiate it!

5. Remember:

As Ali (ra) said, when some blessings come to you, do not drive them away through thanklessness. Keep your tongue busy with thanking Allah. Remember Him, and He will remember you.

How to Return to your Lord

Here are four simple actions that you can do to make your journey to your Lord much easier.

1. Change your attitude.
2. Learn more about the One worthy of all of your worship.
3. Be regular in your 5 daily prayers.
4. Make lots of dua!