Eid Mubarak ! ❤

Eid Mubarak Family ! ❤

We made it Alhamdulilah. May you all have a blessed Eid with your families and friends and Inshallah Allah will forgive all of us for our sins and lead us all to the right path.

Just a few tips to make the best out of this day :)

After Fajer

Shower
Put on your Eid Clothes

Have Dates for Breakfast

Pray with your Family

Say 'Allahu Akbar' on your way to Prayer

Listen to the Lecture

Come back a new & improved you

❤

Tweet me your Eid plans here :)

Stay Blessed & EID MUBARAK !!



Farewell Ramadan !

It's finally over & that really sad thing about is, it only feels like yesterday I was posting my 'A thousand Ramadan nights' post !

The thing about Ramadan, is every year it comes 10 days earlier and every year, it feels 29 days shorter. This amazing month of blessing and forgiveness and absolute calmness of the soul really leaves you to question your life and your actions. The only thing that you might have at the end of Ramadan, especially me in this case is - regret. Because you always know that you could have done a little better, you could have gone an extra bit further with your prayers and religious activities.

That being said, Ramadan is also a spirtual cleansing period. Honestly, by the end of it I always feel like a new born with a new outlook on life. This year, has been an exceptionally tough journey for me- even through Ramadan it was pretty tough but alhamdulilah the Quran and Allah's rememberance helped me a lot through it. With Eid coming, I will not only be celebrating the end of this blessed holy month but also, my personal journey through this year.

If you are like me and always feel that little bit of regret at the end of it then, look back at everything that you have achieved during the month and those little extra steps you took closer to Allah and Islam.If you have been keeping up with my Ramadan nights series, then of course all you need to do is check your notebook to see how far you have gotten!

IF you haven't done much this year, then it's fine. Just make sure you sort yourself out and keep your soul all set and ready for next year ! It's not over, Allah is still giving you a second chance and just because you feel like you missed the train that is this Ramadan, don't worry you can always catch the next one that will come 10 days earlier!

Now, Ramadan is over - it doesn't mean you can go back to your old ways. The real success of Ramadan, is those who hold on to their faith the days after and keep nurturing it, raising it and making it bigger. Just because you know who is back, doesn't mean you can blame him and do stuff you know in your heart is wrong.

Stay Blessed,

Ramadan Nights : Seek Repentance

Salam Everyone !

I recently came across a picture online, which got me thinking quite a lot. The picture is actually, the second picture on this post. It basically shows a guy checking out somethings on the internet he really shouldn't and wouldn't want other people finding out what it is. However, because he is so caught up in doing this dirty habit in private he has forgotten that the most important being is watching him. Allah of course ! The ayat next to it (you can find it in surat al Nisa ayat 108 ) basically explains how some people are so embarrassed from other humans but not Allah, even thought He is with them all the time and He knows everything they do.

This brings me to the topic, how many of us do/ have done things that we're not really proud of. How many of us sin and brush it off ? Or do certain things, that we know if the prophet was standing right in front of us whilst we were doing these things, we would not have the ability to look up ever again ! If you got that really shameful feeling whilst reading the prophet example, imagine how you would feel in judgement day when Allah subhan wa tallah brings the situation up again and you have to face Him?! 

As humans, it is in our nature to commit sins. Abu Huraryrah once narrated the Prophet to have said ' I swear by the One whose hand is my soul. If you did not commit sins, Allah would have surely gotten rid of all of you and He would have surely brought another people who would commit sins - so that they would then seek Allah's forgiveness and so He would forgive them!' As you can see, Allah expects humans to sin however, He also expects humans to seek His forgiveness - because that is one of the main reasons why we were even created. So we can constantly do Tawabah to Allah.

So how do we repent to Allah ?

1 ) One can repent to Allah, by simply saying 'Istaghferallah' (seeking forgiveness) in all sincerity of quitting and never repeating their sin again and being truly sorry about it.

It is said, that the Prophet Muhammed PBUH used to seek forgiveness 70 times a day ! It is also said, if you ask for forgiveness 70 times (that's saying Istaghferallah x 70 ) all of your sins will be washed out, even if they were the size of the ocean. Of course, there is no limits to how many times you seek forgiveness from God because really, this is a matter between you and Him and only He can be the judge of that.

2) The Prophet PBUH said ' Whoever says it during the day with firm faith in it and dies on the same day before the evening, he will be from the people of Paradise ; and if somebody recites it at night with firm faith in it and dies before the morning he will be from the people of Paradise. '

اللَّهُمَّ أَنْتَ رَبِّي لا إِلَهَ إِلا أَنْتَ خَلَقْتَنِي وَأَنَا عَبْدُكَ وَأَنَا عَلَى عَهْدِكَ وَوَعْدِكَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُ أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ شَرِّ مَا صَنَعْتُ أَبُوءُ لَكَ بِنِعْمَتِكَ عَلَيَّ وَأَبُوءُ لَكَ بِذَنْبِي فَاغْفِرْ لِي فَإِنَّهُ لا يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ إِلا أَنْتَ

“O Allah! You are my Lord! None has the right to be worshiped but You. You created me and I am Your slave, and I am faithful to my covenant and my promise as much as I can. I seek refuge with You from all the evil I have done. I acknowledge before You all the blessings You have bestowed upon me, and I confess to You all my sins. So I entreat You to forgive my sins, for nobody can forgive sins except You.” [Bukhari]

3) The Prophet PBUH said 'whoever commits a sin, then performs wudhu then offers prayer (2 Rak'ahs) seeking forgiveness of God, God will certainly forgive him.'

Tabarani has also quoted the Prophet PBUH saying  'The Scribe on the left delays registering the sin of a Muslim for six hours. If he repents (within the six hours) and seeks Allah's forgiveness, they drop it off. If he doesn't they write it down as a single sin.'

 The Prophet ﷺ tells us in this hadith: “The Scribe on the left delays registering the sin of a Muslim for six hours. If he repents (within these six hours), and seeks Allah’s forgiveness, they drop if off. If he doesn’t, they write is down as a single sin.” [Tabarani]

4) Tasbeeh is another way of seeking forgiveness and repenting. At the end of every Salah, sit for a few moments and remember Allah and say 'Subhanallah' 33 times, 'Alhamdulilah ' 33 times, 'Allahu Akbar' 33 times and after that say the shahadah ' la illah illa allah wahduh la shareek lah, lah il mulk wa lah il hamd wa howa alla kul shay kadeer'( لا إله إلا الله وحده لا شريك له, له الملك, وله الحمد وهو على كل شيء قدير )  

5) The Prophet PBUH also told us, that when we pray the 5 prayers, fast Ramadan, attend the Friday Prayer , then all of our minor sins will be forgiven,

Also, if we constantly seek forgiveness from God and repent, He turns all of our sins in to good deeds :

"Except for those who repent, believe and do righteous work. For them Allah will replace their evil deeds with good. And ever is Allah Forgiving and Merciful.” [Qur'an, 25:70]

~

Sometime we avoid seeking forgiveness, out of fear of being rejected or that it will be too hard. But how can you avoid seeking forgiveness from Allah, when it is also a form of worshiping Him? 

Allah says in a Hadith Qudsi :

“O son of Adam, so long as you call upon Me and ask of Me, I shall forgive you for what you have done, and I shall not mind. O son of Adam, were your sins to reach the clouds of the sky and were you then to ask forgiveness of Me, I would forgive you. O son of Adam, were you to come to Me with sins nearly as great as the earth and were you then to face Me, ascribing no partner to Me, I would bring you forgiveness nearly as great as it.” [Tirmidhi

Subhanallah ! May Allah forgive all of us for our sins whether they are minor or major, for certainly He is the al Ghafoor (the Forgiving)  and Al Tawab (the One who constantly accepts repentance)

Stay Blessed & Ramadan Mubarak,

Ramadan Nights : Laytul Qadr ♡

Salam Everyone !

Layatul Qadr is the most beneficial and blessed night of the year. Known in English as 'The Night of Power' -  Laytul Qadr is the night in which the Quran was revealed to Prophet Muhammed.

Ibn Abaas said ' Allah sent down the Quran at one time from al - Lawh al Mahfooz to Bayt

Ibn ‘Abbaas and others said: “Allaah sent down the Qur’aan at one time from al-Lawh al-Mahfooz to Bayt al-‘Izzah in the first heaven, then it was revealed to the Messenger of Allaah  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) in stages according to events over twenty-three years.” (Tafseer Ibn Katheer, 4/529) 

It is truly a blessed night,  where Muslims can earn reward worth over 83 years of worship !

"Whoever spends that night in prayer, seeking Laylat al Qadr then he catches it, his previous and future sins will be forgiven " - Prophet Muhammed (PBUH) 

Every single act of worship performed in this night will be valued as one thousand months of worshiping on any other night.

During Laylatul Qadr, the angels including Jibril descend in great numbers and Allah subhan wa ta-alla gives them knowledge of what is going to happen during the coming year, this includes the earning and the changes in the situations of the slaves. The angels copy the matters that will happen during the coming year  from the Gaurded Tablet, these matters include the births, deaths, sustenance, calamities, enjoyments etc. 

Al- Hakim narrated from the Prophet, that during the Night of Power Jibril comes down with a group of angels and the make Duaa for every slave mentioning Allah.

 It is narrated from Abu Hurrayrah that the number of angels who descend to earth during the night may be more than the number of pebbles on earth - Jibril is reffered to as 'ar Ruh'  in the Surat, will be among them. The angels will descend to earth at sunset and will remain there until dawn.

~

There is some confusion about when exactly does Layaltul Qadr occur. There is a popular belief  that it occurs on the 27th night of Ramadan - however, it is also believed, that Laytul Qadr occurs in the last ten days Ramadan on an 'odd numbered' night to be exact. 

At Tirmidhiyy narrated from Aisha, that she said 'O prophet of Allah, if I encounter the night of Qadr then what should I say?' The Prophet answered 'Say : اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّكَ عَفُوٌّ تحِبُّ العَفْوَ فَاعْفُ عَنَّا ' (O Allah you are the One who forgives a great amount and You love forgiveness, so forgive me.)

As well as that, it is advised that you do extra Salah and make lots of Duaa during this blessed night. As we don't know the exact date of it, it is best that you put as much worship in these last ten days.

Stay Blessed,

RAMADAN NIGHTS : LAST 10 DAYS !

Salam Everyone !

Today's post is a pretty exciting one , its all about making the most out of the last ten days of Ramadan and maximising your chances of getting in to Jannah and of course, inshallah winning Allah's mercy. As always, don't forget to share this post and of course comment any extra tips for making the most out of these precious few days. Let's start !

According to Al Bukhari and other muslim records, Aisha reported that the Prophet Muhammed PBUH would strive to acts of worship during the last ten days in Ramadan more than he would at any time.

1 ) So the first tip would have to be, sign out of the hotel that is this world's dutys and sign in for a 10 day vacation of pure dedication to  worship. Of course, this is harder said than done, especially those of us who have families to take care of and day jobs. But, the whole point of this 'mini vacation' is to  give more than you would usually. So rather, than sitting down watching that ramadan drama series, why not sit down for a 45 minute session watching an islamic lecture ? Or rather than having that little 30 minutes of magazine surfing why not surf the Quran? It's little acts like that, that will Inshallah bring you closer to Allah and make you more dedicated to your religion.

2) Recite the Quran -  It is said, that for every letter you read in the Quran you get 10 Hasanat. Not only that, but every single surat and ayat in the Quran has its own benefits and lessons that other books can never offer you. As well as that, when you recite the Quran you get this amazing peaceful sensation that starts in your heart and spreads all over your body and that sensation you can only get after / whilst reading the Quran. 'Verily in the rememberance of Allah, do hearts find peace.' (13:28)

3) Increase Prayers - What better way to get your sins wiped out and your wishes come true, than by praying and engaging in a meangiful conversation with your Lord ? The most effective way of praying, is when you reflect on the surah you are speaking (or the Imam is speaking) and when you concentrate and give every movement in your prayer the same amount of deep attention. It's also a really good idea, to research on the surah you usually use when praying - by finding out information about them , you will appreciate them more and ofcourse that will (inshallah) help make your salah more meaningful. The more you appreciate a surah and your prayers the less fidgety and distracted you will be !  Another really good tip would be, to carry out the sunnah with your prayers this includes , doing the extra prayers before and after your mandotary prayers , making certain duaa's , reading Ayat Al Kursi after each prayer and carring out Tasbeeh. All of these little acts of worship add up to great ajr. For more insight about the hidden advantages of Salah please click this link.

4) Make Duaa - It is said , that one of the best times to make Duaa , is at the last 1/3 of the nights so about an hour or two before suhoor.

 It is reported that the Prophet PBUH said : 'When the last one-third of the night remains, our Lord, the Glorious One descends towards the heaven of the earth and proclaims: Who is that who supplicates for Me, and I grant his supplication? Who is that who begs Me for anything and I grant it to him? And who is that who seeks My forgiveness, and I forgive him?' (Bukhari, Muslim).

5) Carry out Traweeh with a group of people, this can be in the mosque, with your friends or with your family. The bigger the group , the more inshallah you will be blessed with ajr and it's also very fun !

6) Spend more time with your family - if you are studying abroad or far away from your family, then spend some time with your friends, if you don't have any friends, the mosque is a good place to make some. In the mosques, the imam usually has an islamic lecture or recites the Quran - so why not do the same thing with your friends and family? Why don't you take it in turns every nights, someone can bring up an islamic subject they've been researching or a question they're confused about  - a really fun thing if you have little children in the house, is sharing stories about the Prophets ! You'd be surprised at the impact it can have on their lives. Who ever you choose to spend your time with , make sure you spend it wisely.

7) Start preparing for Laylut - Il Qadr

8) Start planning and evaluting yourself - remember that little notebook I told you to keep in my first post about ramadan ? how is it working out for you? have you learnt any lessons ? Do you know where you're heading ? would you like to change anything about yourself ? Now is a really good time, to open that notebook and start assessing yourself and working on changing or maintaing your lifestyle ! Of course, if you haven't bothered with a notebook it's never too late , to start !

9) Make lots of ISTAGHFAR - as humans , we make a lot of stupid mistakes during the year but thank goodness, Allah is very merciful - so now would be a good time to make lots of istaghfar and ask for his mercy. Saying 'alhamdulilah' and doing tasbeeh is also really good because even though as humans we do alot of stupid things that need to be forgiven, we are also given a lot blessings that deserve gratitude.  

LETS TURN TO ALLAH BEFORE WE RETURN TO ALLAH.

Stay Blessed & Ramadan Kareem ,



RAMADAN NIGHTS : Why is my Dua not being Answered ?

Has any of you ever asked why your duaa wasn't being answered ? Have you ever wished and needed something so bad but, it just never happened ? Have you ever felt like Allah subhana wa talah wasn't listening ?

In the Quran {2 :186 } Allah Subhana wa Tala Says :

وإذا سألك عبادي عني فإني قريب أجيب دعوة الداع إذا دعان فليستجيبوا لي وليؤمنوا بي لعلهم يرشدون"

"And when My servants ask you, [O Muhammad], concerning Me – indeed I am near. I respond to the invocation of the supplicant when he calls upon Me. So let them respond to Me [by obedience] and believe in Me that they may be [rightly] guided."

~

It can be frustrating sometimes when you want something so much and nothing is happening for you and you cry and ache and think 'why am I being tortured, what have I done wrong ?' But you need to remember , that Allah never wants to hurt you. He LOVES YOU ! Allah is the only one who is always here for us, He knows you even more than you know yourself and most importantly He knows what the future holds and what is BEST for you.

Allah doesn't reply to your duaa's and needs with words , he replys to them with ACTIONS . Sometimes, this action may only take a few seconds after the duaa for it to come true and sometimes it may take 50 years . All is with reason. Everything, that He does is to guide you to the right path, to make you good and happy and made for Jannah.

"To completely trust in God is to be like a child who knows deeply that even if he does not call for the mother, the mother is totally aware of his condition and is looking after him." –Imam Al Ghazali

Times when duaas are most readily accepted:

* Duaa at the time of Sehri (Surah Ale Imraan, Ayat 17)
* Duaa between azaan and iqaamah (Tirmizi- Anas ibn Maalik (R.A.))
* Duaa made after azaan (Abu Dawood- Sahl ibn Saad (R.A.))
* Duaa after fardh salaat (Tirmizi- Abu Umaamah Al Baahili (R.A.))
* Duaa at the time of Zawaal (midday) (Musnad Bazaar- Ayesha (R.A.))
* Duaa on the day of Arafat (Tirmizi- Abdullah ibn Amr (R.A.))
* Duaa in the month of Ramadhaan (Tabraani- Ubaada ibn Saamil (R.A.))
* Duaa on the 15th of Sha`baan (Sahih ibn Hibbaan- Mu`aaz ibn Sahal)
* Duaa upon completion of Quran (Tabraani- Irbaad ibn Saariyah)
* Duaa at the time of drinking Zam-Zam water (Haakim/Darul Qutni- Ibn Abbas (R.A.))
* Duaa on Wednesday between Zuhr and Asr (Musnad Ahmed- Jaabir (R.A.))

* Duaa on Friday at the following times:
When the Imaam ascends a mimbar for the khutbah till he completes the Jummah Salaah.
-Time between Asr and Maghrib
-The last few moments before maghrib (Sahih Muslim – Abu Hurrairah (R.A))

“I respond and accept the duaa of the one who supplicates unto me”. (Surah Al Baqarah: Ayat 186)

Make lots of Istaghfaar & Pray to Him. He is the only one who can help you.

All will be revealed in time.

Inshallah.

Stay Blessed,

Ramadan Nights : Facts you never knew about Salah (prayer)

Did you know ? 

1) Between each Salah you make, the minor sins of yours are forgiven? & Between each Jumaah Salah you make, all the sins of that week are forgiven ? 

Did you know ? 

2) When you carry out proper Wudhu, your sins are washed away. For example,  when you wash your face, all your sins that you committed with your eyes e.g. not lowering your gaze, get washed away too and the same thing applies to when you wash your hands, all the sins that you committed with your hands get washed away likewise with your feet! So by the time you finish Wudhu, you are FREE from sins !

Did you know ? 

3) When you decide to pray in a mosque, every step you take towards the mosque is a sin forgiven and your rank risen in Jannah !

Did you know ? 

4) That when you decide to pray, angels pray for you before you even pray.

Did you know? 

5) When you begin to pray all your sins are on top of you like a mountain and with every sujood you make your sins fall off !

Did you know? 

6) Every time you make a sujood to Allah your rank is risen in jannah and a sin is forgiven ? 

Did you know ?

7) If after each prayer you said :

Subhanallah - 33 times

Alhamdu'allah - 33 times

Allahu Akbar - 34 times

&

La Illah Ila Allah Wahdahu La Shareek Lahu, Lahu Al Mulk Wa Lah Al Hamd Wa Hu Al Alyy Al A'deem - 1 time

.... then ALL YOUR SINS ARE FORGIVEN !

and remember .... 

.... So why are you not praying yet ? 

Stay Blessed & Ramadan Kareem , 

Ramadan Nights : lectures that will change your life

Salam ,

I've put together a few of my favorite lectures here, that are definitely worth listening to. Hope you have a notebook next to you, to jot down a tips and notes on. Enjoy !

Lectures less than 30 minutes ...

Quit Bad Habits - Wisam Sharieff 

Hold on to the Quran - Nouman Ali Khan

The Party At Jannah - Nouman Ali Khan

Purification of the Soul - Omar Suleiman 

Lectures over 30 minutes...

Islam and Ego - Nouman Ali Khan 

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Lectures over 1 hour ...

Taking Hold of Your Future - Nouman Ali Khan

Salah The Greatest Gift - Farhin Abdul Azeez 

For more great Islamic lectures check out this YouTube page Quran Weekly

& Don't forget to post your favorite Islamic lectures on the comments !

Stay Blessed & Ramadan Kareem, 

Ramadan Nights : Islam for Success

This video is a classic example as to why the Islamic population of the planet need to step up their game.  The Quran is packed with useful tips about being successful and racing in the direction of success however, some of us sadly, are too blind to see.

Here are a few tips that will (insh'allah) guide you to SUCCESS:

1) Have Faith & Do Good : By having faith and believing that everything in life happens for a reason and that Allah has a plan just for you; you are less likely to be depressed when things don't go your way. Actually, you'll go the exact opposite and you will work even harder praying that Allah is guiding you to something even better and more worth your time. Something you know you deserve.

“How wonderful is the situation of the believer, for all his affairs are good. If something good happens to him, he gives thanks for it and that is good for him; if something bad happens to him, he bears it with patience, and that is good for him. This does not apply to anyone but the believer.” - Prophet Muhammed PBUH(Narrated by Muslim, no. 2999).

2) Focus on the PRESENT : As tempting as it is sometime to hang around in the past because it's 'safer', you just have to accept the fact that the past is history.  It's not coming back, no you don't have a time machine and there is no such thing as that rewind remote control that would be so useful if it only just existed ! But what you do have, is 'istaghfaar' (seeking forgiveness) from Allah. That, my friend is even more powerful than any imaginery time machine. Use it wisely - especially during this holy month when the gates of heaven are open and hell all closed. Also, it's completly natural to focus on the future and obsess over it , I know I did almost everyday - a horrible habit I know which caused me so much stress, mentally and physically ! But did you know, that the future is unknown ? It doesn't exist ! No one can define your future aside from God ! So if you want an amazing future, then just improve your relationship with subhana- wa- ta'alah by praying to him, asking for forgiveness, making lots of duaa's for yourself and your family and even strangers and of course trusting him and building a good relationship with Him.

3) PRAY : I cannot even explain the importance of prayer (salah) from the amount of times that its mentioned in the Quran , almost every surat I believe , to the amount of times its mentioned in the hadiths. Prayer is the ultimate key to success and getting what you want in this world and the next. So make sure you keep up with your prayers , the mandotary ones, the sunnah ones and any other extra ones you wish to do. If you do , have issues with carrying out your salah or maybe you'd like a few tips on how to make your salah as beneficial as possible I highly recommend you clink on this link .

4) Trust Allah : In Arab the word for trusting Allah, is called 'itwakil' which basically means handing over your problems to God and trusting him to guide you to the right direction. This certain excersice really depends on your faith with God but, once you are able to 'itwakil' then you will have so many less headaches and you will be able to live a much happier and inshallah a better blessed life.

Some more tips on how to be successful by Brother Nouman Ali Khan ...

I hope this post has inspired you to be successful in your life. If you do have any more tips you would like to share, please don't hesitate to comment below. I look forward to reading your input.

Stay Blessed & Ramadan Mubarak,

Ramadan Nights : Pray your way to Jannah

Salah (prayer) is one of those important daily islamic rituals that unfortunatly many Muslims take for granted. Simply because they don't think they have enough time during the day to dedicate 2 minutes to praising God, or they just don't believe in it's amazing effects on one's life.

Ramadan, is the perfect time to regenerate that connection with God. After all, that is what Salah is all about ; spending a few minutes in deep conversation with God. Personally, after Salah I always feel refreshed and complete. The only times when I don't get that feeling is when I have rushed my Salah or sadly, let other matters get in the way of my concentration. However, this Ramadan I am ready  to make a difference in my prayer practise and I'd like you to join me.

Tips for making the most out of your Salah :

1) Before making your Salah, think of this : Have you ever considered the fact that you are praying to the king of kings ? That when you hear the adhan or check your prayer times, you get this overwhelming feeling that your lord is calling you upon him?

2)  Rather than considering salah as one of those long daily rituals you have to carry out because it's part of the 'deen' - why not look at it as meanginful conversation with God. A time during the day where you put all your worldly matters in the hands of God and ask him to bless you and help you. You know He can.

3) When you're praying avoid looking up at the sky or around you, no matter how fidgety you can be. This only makes you distracted and will take the worth out of your Salah. How would you like it if you are having a conversation with someone and they keep turning away ? The best way to stop this from happening, is praying in a quiet room away from all the noise and distractions of life.

4) Avoid being paranoid . By that I mean, don't overthink stuff like 'did you carry out wudhu properly' 'how many sajadah have you got left' again that will only distract you. It's also shaytaan's greatest weapons against you to make you stay away from practising the perfect prayer. So whenever you feel paranoid istaeed be Allah from the shaytan .

5) Don't recite your prayers silently and don't recite them too loud. Try to reach a medium. This will stop your thoughts from getting you confused with your recitation and also increase your concentration levels.

6) Give each letter, each movements and each duaa its moment. Just because 'allahu akbar' takes less time and less effort than the 'tashawud' doesn't mean you take it less seriously.

7) Take your time! That soap opera your watching is not going to vouch for you on judgement day. Set your priorities straight.

DID YOU KNOW ?

Namaaz means Compulsory Prayer.

A practise that I'd like to do during this holy month is incorperating Sunnah Salah to my daily compulsory salah.  I have always wanted to do this however, life tends to get in the way and I never really got the chance. However, this Ramadan is the perfect time to make a new habit.

If you don't know what sunnah salah is, its basically the extra prayers that Prophet Muhammed PBUH used to do along with his compulsory prayers.

The Sunnah Prayers are :

Fajer : 2 extra Rak'ahs before compulsory fajr salah

Dhuhr : 4 extra Rak'ahs before compulsory dhuhr salah and 2 Rak'ahs after.

Maghrib : 2 Rak'ahs after compulsory maghrib salah

Isha : 2 Rak'ahs after compulsory isha salah and 1,3,5,7 or 9 Rak'ahs of Witr.

Let's make our Salah as perfect and as complete as possible during this Ramadan. Inshallah this will become one of the many GOOD habits that we develop this holy month.

Stay Blessed,

Ramadan Nights : GETTING READY !

The best way to make the most out of something, is to prepare for it beforehand. Ramadan, is no different !

As the most spiritual month of them all, Ramadan requires so much preparation and dedication than any other month in your life and by that, I don't mean buying lots of food from the store, as if you were going in to hibernation mode! Not at all. I am talking about, doing the little things that will Inshallah bring you further to being a better person, a better Muslim and of course being closer to God.

So here's my top tips to making the most out of this month :

1) Ramadan is a time where you reflect on your past actions, your habits and your personality as well as relationships. Its the time to repent, regroup and refocus. So I really advice you guys, to get a notebook , get some time to yourself and just think back at all your habits that you'd like to change, things that you've done that you're not particularly proud of or you know you could have done better and just think and write everything that comes to your head. Then, on a new page , write down all the things that you'd like to be (or do) it doesn't matter how big or little they are, how far-fetched or down right simple just write . it . down. think forward. On, the third page write down a list of all your future & present plans and all the traits that you'd like to have and be. I personally like to focus on my personality during this excersice simply because I am always focusing on my career and my outer-self on regular days, so I like to spend Ramadan on changing my inner self.

2) Start thinking of ways of reaching your goals. Put your plans to action straight away e.g. if one of your goals is to spend more time with your family , start by offering to help your parents or one of your siblings with something. They'd appreciate it and you'd start to see the results of your goal in no time! Also, don't forget to make loads of duaa's in order for your goals to come true and also to have Allah's blessing.

3) Ramadan is about having a fresh start. So get rid of all the extra baggage before the month starts - by making amends with those who you are not talking to ( if you can't just make a duaa for them ) Forgive those who have hurt you or done you wrong and don't just tell yourself to forgive them really think about it and mean it (again if you can't just say 'hasbee allah wa ni'im el wakeel' and leave it for Allah to deal with) This is also a really good time, to stay away from bad friends (those who have the wrong influence on you) try to keep good company ( the mosque is a good place to start, maybe your family too?)

4) Get your Quran ready & arrange a little plan that will get you reading the Quran every night.

5) Get your prayer timetable ready.

6) Thank Allah for the year you've had and for everything. Ask for forgivness for your past mistakes. Start now.

7) Shower and wash away the year you've just had because you're about to embark on your best year yet . Starting from this month.

Are you ready ? 

A Thousand Ramadan Nights

It is now that the gates of heaven have been open, now that the gates of hell have been closed. It is now that the devils have been chained. And it is now that Allah(swt) has given you the chance to live to witness this night, and to inshaAllah witness this blessed month till its end. Remember that He(swt) has granted you the blessing of living to witness this for a reason. (quote taken from http://calltothewayofallah.tumblr.com}

  Don't waste it. Think. Reflect. Repent. Make A CHANGE.   

It brings me the greatest pleasure to wish everyone reading this blog.... a very happy and BLESSED RAMADAN! 

This holy month, I am going to be introducing a special edition segment to my blog called 'A thousand Ramadan Nights'. Basically, this segment will last for the entire month - during this time, I will be posting up all kinds of advice, tips, duaa's, videos etc on a daily basis (that's every night folks!) to help YOU make the most out of YOUR Ramadan. 

I really cannot wait to get started, Ramadan is my FAVOURITE month of them all and the fact, that this year I will be sharing my journey through it with my readers makes me even more happier!

Inshallah it will all be worth it ♥ 

♥ RAMADAN KAREEM ♥ 

Secrets of Truly Happy People

Hey Dolls !

I recently found this really inspirational video on YouTube that , changed my day by making me even more inspired and helped me deal with this little dillemma that has been taking over my life lately.

Bubz Tips in a Nutshell

1. Your FUTURE has no room for your PAST.
2. SUFFERING comes from believing your thoughts. So never hesitate to question your thoughts, just like you'd question everything else.
3. Always focus on, SOLUTION , LESSON LEARNT, ACCEPTING then of course MOVING FORWARD!
4.  Mind your own business, worry about your life.
5. Focus your energy on being positive than being negative.
6. What you give you recieve - so give out happiness and you will receive happiness!

I also really liked Bubz story about the wolves , the bitter wolf and happy wolf . It reminded me of another story I read in Rhonda Byrne's bestseller 'The Power', where she referred to emotions as wild horses. So whenever you find yourself angry, sad or just frustrated you just think of yourself as being on a wild horse that represents that emotion and then laugh it off and tell yourself to get off the horse !


Always aspire to be the best you can be. You're the main star of your lifestory so what do you want to be ? ♥

Stay Blessed,

Success in Life

I've recently stumbled on some really inspirational lecture videos presented by my favourite Islamic lecturer - Nouman Ali Khan. They are really motivational and I'm posting them up for all my lovely readers, so hopefully they can inspire you as much as they have inspired me.

I really recommend for all of you to listen to them because they honestly can  have a great impact on your mind & encourage you to think a different way about controversial things, that will make you (inshallah) wiser and a better person.

As always, I don't think it matters whether you're muslim or not whilst watching the video - because although the message he is presenting is in islamic context and presented to an islamic audience , I believe anyone can learn from it. That's the beauty of Islam, it's a way of life for everyone. :)

Here are the two videos I listened to this morning...

Video #1 : Take hold of your future by Nouman Ali Khan

Video #2: The man with two gardens by Nouman Ali Khan

For more of this amazing man's videos, check out this insightful youtube page ~> Nak Collection. Which has a large collections of Nouman's lectures to listen to and watch.

Stay Blessed,



Smile ! It's good for you

"Smile It's Charity (Sadaqa)"

The best charity you can ever give someone is ... a smile ! This small gesture, that spreads positive energy and shows your happy mood is said to decrease blood pressure, stress levels and make you look more attractive.

" A smile is a message about yourself – that your heart is pure and that you are not infected by anxieties, hang-ups, and gloom. A smile is an instant message to those you know as well as those you do not know. It is received and understood even before you speak to or greet someone, and makes that person more receptive to what you have to say." {1}

You see when you smile , your brain releases hormones called endorphins into the bloodstream , which are natural pain killers that make you feel good and happy. Endorphins are also known to have other health benefits like reducing depression symptoms and stress; it has been scientifically proven that the higher the endorphin levels in your system, the less negative emotions and stress we deal with.

Abdullah Ibn al-Harith (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "I never came across a person who smiled as much as the Prophet (peace be upon him)." {2}

Smiling is part of the sunnah. It's one of the little things that make a big difference that the prophet Muhammed (PBUH) demonstrated for his ummah. Something, that we should apply to our everyday life.  As the prophet was once quoted, “Your smile for your brother is charity.” People are more likely to co-operate with someone who is smiling at them as the saying goes ... a smile goes a million miles.

Smiling, is contagious. It lightens your mood and those around you, makes you attractive and improves your general health. It's the amazing ! Did you know , that people find it difficult to frown when someone else is smiling at them ? & That it takes more facial muscles to produce a frown than a smile? Smiles use only 5 muscles of all 53 muscles in your face. It's also natural - babies start smiling in their sleep as soon as they're born ! Studies have shown , that girl babies tend to smile a lot earlier and more than boy babies. For more smiley facts click here

Keep Smiling & Stay Blessed,

Bibliography : Prophet Quote fact benefits of smiling smiling quotes smiley facts

           

Friday Inspiration :)

Benefits of Surat Al Khaf ♡

Every practising muslim, knows that Friday is not a day to joke about - it's the most holiest day in the week (in Islam) where one is encouraged, to pray , stay away from sins and read the quran whilst engaging in as many good deeds as possible.

Surat Al Khaf is one of those Friday reading rituals , that the prophet encouraged the ummah to take part in. Yes,  reading any surat in the quran on a Friday, will grant you many blessings and is highly encouraged. However, Surat Al Khaf was particularly mentioned by the Prophet Muhammed himself to be read on a friday.

This blessed surat, has been  said to have  the benefit of protecting the reader (you) away from trouble and 'fitnah' during the week (between this friday until next friday) . It has also been said, that it is was highlighted by Muhammed PBUH as one on of the surats, that will make the reader immune to the Djaal when his time comes, to disease the world. As well as that, this surah has many interesting stories that give you tips and advice to apply to your everyday life.

 "Whoever reads (Suratul) Kahf on yaumul Jumuah, he is immune for 8 days from all fitnah that will happen. When the Dajjal comes out, he will be immune to him." - Muhammed PBUH (Ibn Mardwiyah Al Daiya' in "Al Mukhtaar" related that Ali ~ may Allah be pleased with him ~ said that the Messenger of Allah ~ stated this)

Personally everytime I read this surat, I learn something new either, by interpreting a particular line in a different way, or just straight up focusing more on a point that I didn't neccessarily notice the time before. It surprises me, at how much I can relate the stories and the advice given in it, to my week and everyday life. Subhanallah, everytime I read it - it feels like it was written just for me. It's true what they say, the Quran is definitly like having a one on one conversation with Allah. Surat Al Khaf , is deffo one of those surat's that can help you to digest your week and think of what you have accomplished and how well it went. 

My favourite story, in this surat is the one about Musa when he meets this wise man and he does things that Musa  doesn't understand and then eventually he tells him why. Look out for that story when you read it :)

If you're in a rush, don't own a quran or just interested what this surat is about (Muslim OR non-Muslim) I have posted this video (taken from youtube)that has an audio recitation of the Surat, with ENGLISH and ARABIC translations - for you to read and listen to at the same time.

Listen and Read with an open mind and marvel at how amazing and true this blessed surat is !

Stay Blessed and JUM3A MUBARKA