MOTIVATION FOR SALAAH

MOTIVATION FOR SALAAH

So I have been really busy teaching, had a car accident (Aalhamdolillah much better now).

I was doing the beauty of salaah with the older children class, for motivation for Ramadan and inshallah every day of our lives.

I would like to share what we have learnt and been trying to practice so far:

Excerpts from “How to taste the true beauty of salaah” series by Mishari Al Kharraz:

1. Say Allahu akbar and throw the world behind you.

Did you ever think: why do we start our prayer with Allahu akbar not with subhanAllah? Realize that when you say Allahu akbar you affirm that the one before whom you are about to stand is greater than anything occupying you at that moment— greater than your sleep, your families, your bills, and your worries. Just imagine that when you say Allahu akbar while raising your hands you are throwing all of that behind you!

2. Visualize the veil.

When you stand to pray, Allah ‘azza wa jall commands: Raise the veils from between Me and my servant! As soon as you say Allahu akbar and start your prayer, Allah sets His beautiful face to yours and doesn’t turn away from you, unless you do. When your thoughts or your sight drifts off, He orders the veils to be drawn back down. Visualize these veils being lifted to keep concentrated with your heart and body. Are you still drifting? This is why you repeat the great words Allahu akbar as you move into each position; it’s a reminder and a new chance again and again to focus!

3. Salute the King.

Imagine walking into a palace, how would you recognize the servants of the king? Probably by their humble position: looking down. As you lower your gaze to the place of your prostration and place your hands right over left and close to your chest it is time to salute the King. Imagine standing in front of Allah ‘azza wa jall as you utter this beautiful saluation and feel each word: Subhanakallahumma wa bihamdika, wa tabaarakasmuka wa ta’alaa jadduka— How perfect You are O Allah, and I praise You. Blessed be Your name, and lofty is Your position and none has the right to be worshipped except You.

Realize that only the parts of salah you are mindful of are being accepted and that Shaytan does his very best to steal every sweet moment you have with Allah!

4. Feel each ayah of Surah Al-Fatiha is answered.

You are now ready to enter the essence of it all: Surah Al-Fatiha, the greatest surah of the Quran, without which your prayer is nullified. Know that Allah Himself answers back when you recite of Surah Al-Fatiha, so add a short pause after each ayah, feeling this amazing dialogue. How can you ever drift of in this part of the prayer?

5. Utter His name with pure love.

What has brought you to stand here right now? It is your love and longing to be with Allah ‘azza wa jall. And when you meet up with your beloved, what do you first say? The sweet sound of the beloved’s name, the name that blesses everything it falls upon! Feel the bismillaahir-rahmaanir-raheem soothing your heart as it gently rolls off your lips.

6. Stand still at: “the Lord of the worlds.”

Rasulullah (SAW) told us, “Alhamdulillah fills the scale!” [Muslim] Really feel gratefulness when you say alhamdulillah. Did you see those documentaries where they zoom out from the cells of a plant’s leaf all the way to the planets and galaxies? Now instead of that leaf, start the zoom out process with the image of yourself standing before Allah. Then zoom back down, back through the universe, to the place you are standing in prayer. The next time you pray view yourself from above and far away and truly taste the meaning of Rabbil aalemeen (Lord of the worlds)!

7. Reflect on Ar-Rahmaanir Raheem before Maaliki yawmid-Deen.

Have you ever wondered why Allah’s names Ar-Rahmaanir and Ar-Raheem come before Maaliki yawmid-Deen (Master of the Day of Judgement)? Be reminded that it is the Most Gracious and Merciful who will judge us on the the Day of Judgement! So feel empowered and comforted when you say Ar-Rahmaanir-Raheem and then pause a moment at Maaliki yawmid-Deen, realizing the horrors of that Day.

8. Know what iyyaaka na’budu wa iyyaaka nasta’een really means.

You alone we worship, and unto You alone we turn for help. Let this remind you to make Allah alone your focus, not the people. So when you are asked, why did you do this or that (deed), you can firmly answer: for Allah! Feel this ayah by knowing that the sahabah used to weep for hours reciting it. One of them was once praying in Mecca. His friend went ahead and did the tawaf and when he returned to him, he was still at this verse, repeating it and crying, until the sun came up.

9. Say Aameen as if your life depended on it.

The most comprehensive supplication you can make is: ihdinas-siraatal-mustaqeem (Guide us to the straight path). See how you followed the proper etiquettes of how to ask Allah? You started glorifying and praising Him and then you make your request: Guide us. Now realize that your entire existence depends on this supplication. The ameen you’ll pronounce now will have to come from the bottom of your heart. Ameen means: My Lord, grant or answer (my prayers). Say ameen as if you have been sentenced to death and are pleading for pardon, begging with passion.

10. Feel the bond with your Rabb. 

When you say subhana Rabbiyya- al-‘atheem (How perfect My Lord is, The Supreme) in ruku’, focus on the pronoun that means my (in Rabbi). It adds that element of bonding: He is My Lord, who raised me in His care and who is nurturing me. Know Rasulullah (SAW) and the Companions used to be in the bowing position as long as he would be in the standing segment of salah. One companion said that he recited Al Fatiha, then Al Baqara, Ali Imran, An-Nisaa’ and Al Ma’ida, and the companion Abdullah Ibn Al Zubair was beside him, still in his ruku’.

11. Win the grand finale: your sujood.

Your sujood is the ultimate symbol of complete submission to your Creator. Rasulullah (SAW) said: “The closest that a servant is to his Lord is when he is in prostration.” [Muslim] And: “Prostrate much because there is no Muslim that prostrates to Allah except that Allah raises him one degree in Paradise by it and forgives for him a sin.”[Ahmad] Imagine you are being raised one degree in Paradise with each sujood and a sin falls off you with each prostration. Prostrate with body, heart, and soul and taste the sweetest feeling in the world!

12. Supplicate before the tasleem.

After the words of the tashahhud (sitting position at the end of prayer) and before the tasleem (saying salaam to indicate the end of prayer), there is a precious moment many waste! When the Rasulullah (SAW) taught Abdallah ibn Mas’ood (RA) the tashahhud he said: … Then let him choose whatever supplications he wishes. [Al-Bukhaari, Muslim]. Just before you say tasleem, make at least three heartfelt dua’s to benefit from this treasure chest instead of rushing to say the salaam!

Remember this: the sweetness of this life lies in remembering Him, the sweetness of the next life lies in seeing Him! The next time you proceed for prayer, go because you love Him, go because you miss Him and long to be with Him. Feel your heart flutter. Only then, will you be on your way to attaining that inner peace and comfort salah was prescribed for.

RELATION OF FATHER AND DAUGHTER IN ISLAM

RELATION OF FATHER AND DAUGHTER IN ISLAM

Aalhamdolillah I have been blessed with an amazing father, who is my greatest support during my struggles in life, my greatest been of happiness during my triumphs in life. 

The reason for this sensitive topic is because I have being getting a lot of questions on the “Father -Daughter Relationship in Islam” 

In the Muslim community especially, this is an issue which has been overlooked, ignored, and generally treated with a sense of discomfort. Particularly amongst immigrant families, the relationship between a father and his daughter(s) is often a distant one; girls are encouraged to spend the most of their time with their mothers and other womenfolk.

 A girl might be “Daddy’s Little Princess” as a baby, a toddler, a child, but as she grows closer to puberty she will often find herself left at home instead of taken to the Masjid, attention deflected from her and turned towards her brothers instead (if she has any). Unfortunately, this is a practice which has extremely negative repercussions… for the fathers, the daughters, and indeed the Ummah at large.

 The role of a father in his daughter’s life is pivotal: he is the first man in her life; the one who teaches her what he, a male, thinks of her, a female; and thus shapes her sense of self-worth in the eyes of other men; the one whose behaviour and mannerisms will influence her mental image of “the perfect man” and her choice of life partner (i.e. husband).

In Islam as well as in psychology, the father is meant to be the daughter’s guardian, protecting her from harm, teaching her life skills and strong values. Yet despite all this, far too many fathers play a distant, secondary role in their daughter’s lives. There is a misconception that a father is merely the breadwinner, the supporter of the household, that his role is primarily that of financial provider rather than nurturer. After all, isn’t it the mother’s job to raise the children? Isn’t it the mother’s job to teach her daughters what it is to be a girl, a woman?

Yes, it is – but the mother is not a child’s only parent. She is equally the man’s progeny. His genes are present in her DNA, his flesh and blood are hers. When she looks at him, he is seeing a part of himself; in her behaviour is a reflection of his own attitude and mannerisms. How then can any father willingly minimize his role in his daughter’s life?

Mistakes Fathers Make

 · Not being actively involved from the beginning (birth). Hold your daughter. Carry her. Change her diapers. You can’t expect to develop a bond between yourself and your child if you don’t make the effort to create it. 

 · Not getting involved because you think you’re unprepared. Considering that you’ve already had experience with females thanks to your mother/ sister/ wife, you’re not as unprepared as you think you are, so relax. 

· Distancing yourself from her as she grows older. Girls become women. They change physically. It’s a fact of life, get used to it. Yes, puberty is uncomfortable for everyone involved, but denying it or ignoring it – or worse, ignoring her – just makes things worse. Nobody’s suggesting that you chat with your daughter about the details of her menstrual cycle, but it’d be a lot more helpful if you grabbed the Tylenol and handed her a hot water bottle instead of walking straight past her when you clearly know that she’s in pain. This is just one example of fathers’ denial about their daughters growing up; in truth, there are many ways that fathers demonstrate distance from their daughters. 

 · Having little to no physical contact. The idea that hugging, kissing, or having any other positive physical contact with your daughter is “wrong” or “not manly” is absolutely ridiculous. Not only that, but it’s extremely harmful to your daughter’s development as she grows older. Whether your daughter is five or fifteen, both of you should be comfortable enough to turn to each other for a hug (that lasts longer than five seconds) at any time. 

 · Little to no emotional communication. “Pass the salt” does not qualify as real communication. Make an effort to be involved in your daughter’s everyday life, whether it has to do with school and friends or just how she’s feeling on any given day. Building this bond will create a feeling of security and trust, and your daughter should be able to turn to you for help at times of emotional hurt and conflict. 

 · Not expressing pride in their daughters. Girls crave their father’s praise and approval just as much as boys do. Nothing can thrill a daughter more than knowing that her father sees his own good qualities in her, that he is really and truly proud of her and her accomplishments. 

The greatest, most perfect example of father-daughter relationships can be found in the history of Islam. Has there ever been a father more devoted, a daughter more adoring, than our beloved Messenger (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) and Sayyidah Faatimah az-Zahraa’ (radhiAllahu anha)?

 We all know the stories:

 Young Faatimah, scarcely ten years old, wiping filth off of her father’s back and furiously berating the leaders of Quraysh for their behaviour.

 Faatimah, who used to weep at the sight of dust that was thrown upon her father’s head, and would be comforted with the words “Do not cry, my daughter, for Allah shall protect your father!” 

Faatimah, the apple of her father’s eye, of whom he said: “Whoever pleased Fatimah has indeed pleased God and whoever has caused her to be angry has indeed angered God. Fatimah is a part of me. Whatever pleases her pleases me and whatever angers her angers me.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 3437; Muslim, 4483)

Noble Faatimah, one of the four greatest women in the world: “The best women in all the world are four: the Virgin Mary, Aasiyaa the wife of Pharoah, Khadijah Mother of the Believers, and Fatimah, daughter of Muhammad.” 

Faatimah, of whom A’isha (radhiAllahu anha) commented, “I have not seen any one of God’s creation resemble the Messenger of God more in speech, conversation and manner of sitting than Fatimah, may God be pleased with her. When the Prophet saw her approaching, he would welcome her, stand up and kiss her, take her by the hand and sit her down in the place where he was sitting.”

The entire Muslim Ummah has benefited directly from this unique father-daughter relationship. How many lessons have been derived from the Seerah, from incidents pertaining to this father and to this daughter?! How much knowledge, how much wisdom, was transmitted from father to daughter, and from that daughter to her own sons, al-Hassan and al-Hussein (radhiAllahu anhum)?! Yaa subhanAllah! How can we ever belittle, neglect, forget the importance of such a bond?

 O Muslim fathers, will you follow in the footsteps of the Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu ‘alayi wa sallam)? Will you do what you can to help your daughter become the Faatimah az-Zahraa’ of today?

8 Intentions For Every Action

8 intentions for every action

قال رسول الله (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) نية المؤمن خير من عملهNabi (صلى الله عليه وسلم. ) said something to the effect, “The intention of a Believer is better than his action.”

Moulana Ilyas رحمة الله عليه- If a person attempts to make these 8 intentions for every action that he does, for 3 days, ﺂللَّــہ will make Imaan flow through his veins just how blood flows.

1.O ﺂللَّــہ , You are giving me the Tawfeeq (ability) to do this Amal (action) and the outcome of this Amal is in Your hands.

2.O ﺂللَّــہ , I’m doing this Amal to obey Your command and to follow the Sunnah of Nabee-e-Kareem صلى الله عليه وسلم. (Think of the Command of ﺂللَّــہ سبحانه وتعالى and the Sunnahs in this action)

3.To think of the fadhaa’il (virtue)of the Amal and Istihzaar(thinking of the reward by doing the action) at the time of doing the Amal.

4.To ponder over the fact that ﺂللَّــہ سبحانه وتعالى is watching me, He hears me, knows what I am doing and He is with me.

5.O ﺂللَّــہ , I am not fit (deserving)to do this amal (coz of my sins)and everyone else who is doing it is fit to do it. Through their acceptance, accept my amal as well.

6.O ﺂللَّــہ , I am doing this Amal only to please You.

7.O ﺂللَّــہ , I am doing this Amal, please accept it and make it a means of hidayah (guidance) for me and all humanity.

8.After doing the amal, make shukr to ﺂللَّــہ ( thank ﺂللَّــہ )and make istighfaar (seek forgiveness) that I could not do the action as it was ought to be done. 

Moulana Ilyaas رحمة الله عليه used to say these are sifaat-e- qubooliyat (qualities of acceptance of any Amal (action

May ﺂللَّــہ سبحانه وتعالى grant us the ability to practice upon this beautiful advice and make all our Aamaal worthy of earning His سبحانه وتعالى ‘s pleasure and gaining closeness to Him سبحانه وتعالى آمــــــــــين آمين يا رب العالمين

Stay Away From Anger..

 Stay away from Anger.. 

  It hurts ..Only You! 

 If you are right then there is no need to get angry, 

 And if you are wrong then you don’t have any right to get angry. 

 Patience with family is love,

 Patience with others is respect. 

 Patience with self is confidence and Patience with Allah is faith. 

 Never Think Hard about the PAST, It brings Tears…

 Don’t think more about the FUTURE, It brings Fear… 

 Live this Moment with a Smile,It brings Cheer.

 Every test in our life makes us bitter or better,

 Every problem comes to make us or break us, 

The choice is ours whether we become victims or victorious.

 Beautiful things are not always good but good things are always beautiful.

 Do you know why Allah created gaps between fingers? 

 So that someone who is special to you comes and fills those gaps by holding your hand forever.

 Happiness keeps You Sweet..But being sweet brings happiness..

ISTAGHFAR

ISTAGHFAR

YOU WILL GET ADDICTED TO ISTAGHFAR AFTER READING THIS STORY!! 

A man once came to al-Hasan al-Basri and complained to him: “The sky does not shower us with rain.” He replied: “Seek Allah’s forgiveness (i.e. say أستغفر ألله).”

Then another person came to him and said, “I complain of poverty.” He replied: “Seek Allah’s forgiveness.”

Then another person came to him and complained, “My wife is barren; she cannot bear children.” He replied: “Seek Allah’s forgiveness.”

The people who were present, said to al-Hasan: “Everytime a person came to you complaining, you instructed them to seek Allah’s forgiveness?”

Al-Hasan al-Basri said, “Have you not read the statement of Allah? ‘I said “Ask forgiveness of your Lord. Truly He is Oft-Forgiving. He will send rain to you in abundance; increase you in wealth and children; grant you gardens and bestow on you rivers.”‘” [Nuh (71):10-12]

There are two things in the earth that give a person safety and security from the punishment of Allah. The first has been removed, whilst the second still remains. As for the first, it was the Messenger of Allah (صلي ألله عليه و سلم).“Allah would not punish them while you were among them.” [al-Anfal (8):33] As for the second, it is istighfar. “Allah would not punish them as long as they sought forgiveness.” [al-Anfal (8):33]أستغفر ألله… أستغفر ألله… أستغفر ألله…

Do not ever leave istighfar

Astaghfirullaaha wa ‘atoobu ‘ilayhi.

I seek the forgiveness of Allah and repent to Him. (Recite one hundred times in Arabic during the day)It is reported in Saheeh Muslim that Prophet Muhammad SAWS said: “I seek forgiveness one hundred times in a day.” [Muslim

Rasul Allah (saws) said, “If anyone continually asks forgiveness, Allah will appoint for him a way out of every distress, relief from anxiety, and will provide for him from where he never realized.” 

[Abu Dawood, Hadith 599]