Oh Sorrow.. you will never be the same

Humanity has bourne no greater loss than the loss of Prophet Muhammad SAW. No Muslim will
ever lose anything more than what he has with the passing of our Prophet. Why am i saying this, you ask... almost 1400 years have gone by afterall.I remember while reading the seerah, i started feeling so close to the Prophet SAW - his physical attributes and his personality both became so vivid to me. So strong was this feeling, that i could not bring myself to read chapters about his passing. I felt i was loosing him and i know his seerah and sunnah live on; so i forced myself to go through the final part.
And it was painful, just as it is painful for me to write about it even now. And one can only feel this loss, if they have felt the connection.. else its just a superfacial emotion. If one wants to feel that connection, the ideal way is to follow the Sunnah and read the seerah. I have mentioned about loving the prophet in one of my earlier posts (For the Love of Prophet SAW). I wish we could all embody the Sunnah, and feel this connection even better than we already do - for our Iman is incomplete
without this love.
When you will love him, you will feel his loss truly. When you feel his loss, no other loss will ever compare .. SubhanAllah!

To go “back” or not to go “back”… In the light of Surat Yusuf

The gems from Surat Yusuf are too many and much too deep to ever be condensed into one tafsir, let alone one article; but a recent study of the surat drew light on a burning issue – Should I go back (to my homeland) or should I stay? SubhanAllah, Surat Yusuf has many parallels to our lives in this society and Inshallah in this article I will point to a few.

So, when they took him away, they all agreed to throw him down to the bottom of the well, and We inspired in him:"Indeed, you shall (one day) inform them of this their affair, when they know (you) not." (v15)

To begin with, let’s look at Yusuf AS’s forced transfer to Egypt. It wasn’t what he wanted or what his father has thought out for him; but Allah’s plan for him was different – so they both submitted and exhibited sabr. Similarly, the decision to come here or live here may not be ours entirely but Allah has willed us to be here so we should be thankful and see what our purpose here could be. We should make du’a that Allah takes from us the work he put us here to do.

And when he [Yusuf] attained his full manhood, We gave him wisdom and knowledge (the Prophethood), thus We reward the Muhsinun (doers of good) (v22)

Secondly, although Yusuf AS was not kept as a slave (in its full meaning), he however had no free will. He had suddenly been pulled out of a pious home, a pious land into people who were idol-worshippers. Just imagine his situation, he was the only “Muslim” in all of Egypt! Yet, he did not give up his deen. He accepted his situation as the will of Allah, but he did not assimilate. Alhamdolillah, we are blessed to be living here WITH free will and a healthy community of Muslims; yet we find ourselves complacent and trying our best to “fit in” even at the cost of our Iman.

And she, in whose house he was, sought to seduce him (to do an evil act), she closed the doors and said: "Come on, O you." He said: "I seek refuge in Allah (or Allah forbid)! Truly, he (your husband) is my master! He made my stay agreeable! (So I will never betray him). Verily, the Zalimun (wrong and evil-doers) will never be successful." (v23)

Yusuf AS was harassed (by Aziz’s wife) and wrongfully accused, and spent many years in prison. He said:"O my Lord! Prison is more to my liking than that to which they invite me..” (v33)He spoke up to defend his honor, yet he preferred to be imprisoned than displease Allah SWT.

(They said): "Inform us of the interpretation of this. Verily, we think you are one of the Muhsinun (doers of good )(v36)

Did he become bitter and vengeful? We see from the comments of his fellow cellmates that on the contrary not only did he keep his ikhlaq, he had earned their trust and had continued da’wah behind bars. "O two companions of the prison! Are many different lords (gods) better or Allah, the One, the Irresistible? (v39).Living as a minority group can be challenging but if we have our goal in mind; if we are striving to fulfill our purpose, Allah’s help will be with us. We will only be tried as much as we can bear. We must always think of this when we have been wronged.

Upon being set free, Yusuf AS was invited to become the King’s consort. So not only was he a free man, he also had the financial means to go “back” to his family. Yet, not only did he choose a harder job (as minister of agriculture), he chose to stay in Egypt. He chose to help the same people who had enslaved him, harassed him, accused him and imprisoned him. Now that’s goodwill! He had khair in his heart for the people and could not leave knowing, they would perish without his help. SubhanAllah! How Allah made this very decision of his a means to re-unite with his family.

We must learn from this story that if we constantly question our life here; not only are we ungrateful we are also unproductive. We can never do effective da’wah till we have real concern for the people; we must not harbor hate and resentment – hate the sin, not the sinner. Allah has chosen us from millions of people to be here, to propagate the true path. Are we refusing this opportunity?

Indeed in their stories, there is a lesson for men of understanding. It (the Qur'an) is not a forged statement but a confirmation of the Allah's existing Books [the Taurat (Torah), the Injeel (Gospel) and other Scriptures of Allah] and a detailed explanation of everything and a guide and a Mercy for the people who believe.(v111)

Hadith 101

We all read and forward hadith all the time, so here is some basic information on what is a hadith. A great deal of work went into reporting and classifying a hadith; which cannot and must not be discounted at any cost! There is actually a science to the study of hadith, this alone should convince one its intricacies and validity.
I am attending a course on the subject and there will Inshallah be a part 2 to this entry. May Allah forgive me if i make any mistakes in typing this information; not because my source is not credible but because i am human and prone to error.
Hadith comes from the root Ha Da Tha; which means coming into a new situation, or something new which has occurred. Hence, it is used for the sayings of the Prophet Muhammad SAW which were something new for the people of the time (changing their current situation). The word muhdith (from the same root)  is used to define Bid'aa for the same reason; as its an innovation which didnt exist.

A hadith can refer to any:
1) saying of the prophet saw (qawl)
2) action of the prophet saw (F'ayl)
3) His agreement in a matter i.e. he didnt do a particular act/ or say a particular thing himself but agreed with it when someone else performed it (taqreer)

What can entail a hadith:
1) Sunnah - the root of which means creating a way so as to make it easy for the followers. According to the fuqaha (scholars of jurisprudence), sunnah is an act that is highly ranked/rated and preferred but not performing the act, is not a sin. On the other hand, a sunnah which becomes a symbol of Islam has a greater weightage and highly recommended for Muslims to adhere to it. For eg, the minarets on a mosque are not an obligatory part of building a mosque but have increasingly become a sign of a Muslim prayer house; hence its a recommended sunnah. Since we believe the Sahaba were the closest people to the prophet also in practice, their acts too are part of Sunnah. eg: 20 rakahs of tarawih prayer initiated by Hazrat Umar RA.

2) Khabr - any narrative of which news is received to be associated with the Prophet SAW. A more general term than hadith.

3) As (th) ar - of which evidence is found to be associated with the Prophet SAW

4) Wahi - that which was revealed to the Prophet through divine intervention. Wahi is further divided into 2: Jalli  and Khafi

Sciences:
There are 2 types of hadith study/sciences. Please dont take these as official terms, rather as english terms.

1) Rivayah - Hadith which is memorised by muhadditheen and related to us
2) Dirayat - Scholarly  deductions of ahkam (commandments)  or lessons from the hadith.

A hadith has 2 parts:
1) Sanad - the chain of revelation. i.e. who heard it from whom all the way to the Prophet SAW
2) Matan - the actual words of the Prophet SAW

Some Extra Info:
1) one who has memorized over 300,000 hadith - Muhaafizh
2) one who knows more than Muhaafiz - Imam al hujjat (h)
3) one who knows even more than that (close to 600,000) - Ameer ul mo'mineen fil hadith

This post is open to your comments. Please feel free to correct me. May Allah guide me and you.

Abaya and Pink Heels...WHAT?!

The title is pretty self-explanatory, but here goes! One too many times i see women wearing an abaya only to pair it one really s*** stiletto, and it disturbs me more than seeing a girl with no hijab on. No! i dont think its better that atleast they are wearing an abaya. Dont get me wrong, i am not holding it against the person because they may not know it or havent reached "there" yet. I just want to address the issue.

There is nothing wrong with wearing a good-looking shoe; Im a sucker for high-heeled, fancy footwear too. Just dont wear it when you are going to a large crowd with men in it. Truly sister, it destroys the purpose of hijab. Lets consider for a moment, what the hijab must entail. To begin with, it should be a loose "outer-clothing" that is not see-through and covers your satr. Allah commands us to hide our adornments ie jewlery, hair, clothing, figure. With such strict commandments for hiding our adornments, how do you think wearing shiny clickety heels fits the bill when all it does is draw attention to you! Hijab is not only physical, rather its more behavioural and the physical part just reinforces the behaviour part. So one must observe haya and humility in speech, posture AND clothing. The same holds true for blingy abayas or shaylas that dont cover the chest or earrings peeking out of the scarf or skinny jeans and hijab or heavy make-up and hijab! Sisters, these are important details that complete our hijab and without which there really is not point of hiding our hair! I, too was like this but nobody guided me and i was ignorant enough to not have learned it myself. But i know better now and hopefully sisters you will think through your hijab too.

Would the prophet saw approve of your hijab? Would Allah be pleased with your appearance? As these 2 questions before you leave home. May Allah guide all of us on the straight path. Ameen

Wierd but True! Part 3

So here's another installment in the series of Wierd but True - my adventures with the niqab.

I went to Buffalo, NY for a shopping trip - as its a hop, skip and a jump away from Mississauga. La lalala, im strolling through Marshalls, randomly checking out the collection. I notice a 50+ woman, ogling me but I ignore as im used to being ogled at. She did some more ogling, and then some more till I guess she couldnt take it anymore and she says, "Arent you feeling hot?" she looked way more flustered than I! Very politely I replied "No, I'm not" (thanks for asking?). She walks off, while i was answering but then she comes back for seconds! "You are in the United States now, you dont have to do this (points to niqab) - you are beautiful!" She was actually spewing the "compliment". Very frustrated and caught a little by suprise, as i wasnt expecting her to return so quick I said "Yes, I know I'm beautiful. Thank you very much", as enthusiastically as i could. Obviously she didnt wait for my reply. Apparently, the "empathetic" advice was meant to sound like an insult.
I was fuming! Then I tried to relax myself and all the possible comebacks start coming to my head. Im thankful, atleast i was polite. I kept my cool (albeit on the outside). Allah didnt let me down in my eyes and hopefully in His eyes.
Same day, on the way back we stopped for a bite at Niagara. While sitting outside a shawarma place, a "Muslim" lady tells me " Can i say something?" Oh boy! "Why you have to do this? Its not in Islam. I mean i understand the scarf, but Mohammad (saw) didnt say to so this." Ya Allah! Twice in one day, I was on a roll. I explained, very briefly, how there are MANY reports of how the women dressed and the face veil being a part of that. She didnt want to believe me. "You are torturing yourself like this. Why are you giving your body pain" I said, "I havent been happier or more at peace, since i chose to wear the veil. My body is not getting tortured, nor am I in pain." She shrugged. Wow! People really only listen to what they want to - i could have just said laa dee daa and she wouldnt have known the difference.
Lesson: Always think ahead. I'm a poster for da'wah and i better accept that fact. Choose one of 2 things when answering a question: either invite to Tawheed, or simply show good manners.

Thats it for now folks... watch this space for more Inshallah... i live an exicting life Alhamdolillah!

Why don't you believe us?

When we walk down the streets wearing our "gowns" (abayas) and headscarves and face-veils (niqabs), we face everything from annoyed looks to stares and glares to outright nasty and hurtful comments. Yet, we persevere. We stand with you shoulder to shoulder at the school, doing the same tasks you do. We are behind you in the drive-thru, driving just like you. We struggle to balance matters of the home and outside, just like you.
But our presence insults you; as though we are lower beings. It irks some of you to the point, that you have the gall to tell us to go away. You point fingers at us, whisper about us in your friends ear, roll your eyes at us. Yes we can see and feel all that you throw our way. Yet, we persevere.

Our husbands/fathers and brothers are respectful in our presence, they thank us for the balancing act we perform everyday because they know Allah didnot burden the woman with chores. They credit the righteous upbringing of their children to us. We are incharge of our household and all its decisions, and they wilingly lend us their help. They walk ahead of us, as a show of their love for us so they may face your stares before we do.

Our covering and veil is to please our Lord - Allah! Not because we were forced by our husbands or fathers; but you dont believe our words. We speak our minds, only watchful to not say something to displease Allah. We do not confine ourselves to the standards of society, we are today's woman; but you don't believe our stance and you dont acknowledge our courage.

You oppress us - not our veils!

I'll see you when i get there

When i first heard that everyone will recognise each other in Jannah, even if they had only crossed each other's path once in this world - i didnt know how that would be. You see, i forget faces fast and names even faster! As a Jannah hopeful, i was wondering how i would recognise someone i saw at a supermarket etc - but as i know Allah's word is final and true, i accepted. SubhanAllah! Allah brought the answer in front of me. Off late i have been frequenting Islamic conferences around town Alhamdolillah. Also got an opportunity to participate in some events/ with some organisations and more than once i spotted people i had seen at a conference or a meeting elsewhere! A light bulb went on in my head - Just like this i will recognise the people from dunya. I may not know them or their name but i will know i have seen them before. Amazing, eh? Think about it: if you are working in the way of Allah, trying to be sincere and so is person X in the same country - chances are you will meet or see person X somewhere (sirat al mustaqeem is straight, afterall!) - and then if both of you were to enter Jannah Inshallah - you will recognise each other. WOW! So, here is what i will say to you - I'll see YOU when i get there :))

I Accept = I Submit

Have you heard the story of Yusuf AS? I mean, besides the part that he was so handsome SubhanAllah, that women cut themselves! In short, Yusuf AS was thrown in a well by his brothers, out of jealousy, sold as slave, grew up in Egypt far away from his homeland and family, was unjustly sent to prison and then made made minister of agriculture upon release.
Imagine he was a pious god-fearing adolescent/teen, son of a prophet, the apple of his father's eye - yet when he's thrown in the land of mushriks, as a second-class citizen he does not complain ONCE. He accepts! When he is sent to prison, without ever having commit a crime, he doesnot complain - rather chooses his sentence over the fitna of the women. He accepts! He patiently awaits his release and continues his da'wah, even in prison. When he is released, he could easily have gone back home; instead he chooses to help the Egyptians with their agriculture and a famine he knew would strike soon. His patience and submission is exemplary! But why is this story in the Quran, why was our beloved Prophet SAW told about it, why are we told about it?
We may be in a situation that we did not choose, among people we'd rather not be with, in a circumstance we did nothing to deserve,  we may face persecution for our beliefs, and our good intention may be doubted BUT we must accept. We must know this is the will of Allah SWT, submit to it and hold steadfast; and keep on working. Just like Yusuf AS did.
Chin up soldier!

...but is it in the Qur'an?

Has anyone ever asked you "...but is this in the Qur'an?". It is one of the most annoying questions to be asked. I pity those people who ask them, because they don't even know that they are putting their Iman at risk by uttering such words. I'm currently working on a detailed document about hadith and sunnah, so i wont delve in those details right now. I will however Inshallah, prove why the belief in and practice of Hadith and Sunnah is just as important for our iman as is belief in Tawheed (oneness of Allah).... and yes! thats in the Qur'an.

Surah Al-Juma'h, Verse 2
He it is Who sent among the unlettered ones a Messenger (Muhammad SAW) from among themselves, reciting to them His Verses, purifying them (from the filth of disbelief and polytheism), and teaching them the Book (this Qur'an, Islamic laws and Islamic jurisprudence) and Al-Hikmah (As-Sunnah: legal ways, orders, acts of worship, etc. of Prophet Muhammad  SAW). And verily, they had been before in mainfest error 

All major scholars of Quran agree Al-Hikmah, refers to the Sunnah of the Prophet SAW.

Surah An-Nissa, Verse 59
O you who believe! Obey Allâh and obey the Messenger (Muhammad PBUH)

Surah An-Nissa, Verse 80
He who obeys the Messenger, has indeed obeyed Allah

Surah Aal Imran, Verse 31
Say (O Muhammad SAW to mankind): "If you (really) love Allah then follow me (i.e. accept Islamic Monotheism, follow the Qur'an and the Sunnah), Allah will love you and forgive you of your sins. And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful."

These are but a few of the commandments from the Quran, which order the ummah to obey the Prophet and in his love and obedience is the love and obedience of Allah.

The purpose of any messenger has been to explain to the people how to obey Allah, that was the whole point of sending a human being to preach rather than an angel or jinn. Prophet Muhammed SAW was a shy man, full of haya (modesty) and yet he laid bare his entire life for the ummah; just so they would learn from it. This was one of his many great sacrifices. Imagine, having a video camera following you for just one entire day. Imagine having no privacy. He did all this so we would learn the deen properly and for us to disregard his great sacrifice; is blasphemous. 

Even if you are unsure of a certain hadith that someone has related, the proper etiquette is to silence yourself. Go back and check the reference to ensure its authenticity - but as a Muslim, you do not have permission to argue over the word of the Prophet SAW. 

Surah Al Hujurat, Verse 2
O you who have believed, do not raise your voices above the voice of the Prophet or be loud to him in speech like the loudness of some of you to others, lest your deeds become worthless while you perceive not.

The scholars agree that today, when the Prophet SAW is not among us, but his Sunnah is (and will be till the end of time bi'iznillah), this applies to disagreeing with his sunnah. Allah clearly warns the believers, that if they speak over the prophet SAW, their good deeds will be in vain and they will not have realized it. Dear brothers and sisters, the consequences are grave and questioning the prophet's word is equal to disbelieving in him. Follow the above ruling. Inshallah, Allah will guide you because your intention was pure.Ya Allah, keep us on hidayah. Ameen ya rabbil Aalimeen.

I will leave you with another verse from the Qur'an. 


Surah An-Nissa, Verse 65
But no, by your Lord, they can have no Faith, until they make you judge in all disputes
between them, and find in themselves no resistance against your decisions, and accept (them)with full submission.

Wierd but True! Part 2

Canada has a (money-minting) graduated licensing system. So i had to get my "G" license before my G2 expired. I had given my G2 test with a really nice non-muslim MALE instructor. Since then, i have donned the niqab and gained more deeni (religious) perspective; so im feeling nervous about taking lessons without a mahram present. I make lots of dua that this deed doesnt go against me on the day of judegment. The guy comes to pick me, and i figured he wouldn't recognize me from my pre-niqab days. It had been 3 years AND i had moved. But he did! I had climbed down 2 flights of stairs and was very nervous, so i was a little out of breath. This is how he broached the topic. "If you dont mind, please dont mind i just want to tell you that the reason you have difficulty breathing is because you have this (niqab) on your face. Maybe you want to tie it a little lower. please dont mind." At first, I DID mind but then he continued. He is a sikh guy so wears the net around his beard. He said see i tie this (under his chin) and initially I had difficulty too. I was like yeah, ok, whatever. Then he asked me " you didnt use to wear this before, you only covered your head - whats with the change? is it a religious problem?" I was like yes! dawah opportunity. I explained that it was not a problem at all Alhamdolillah and i felt like taking it. So lesson1 ends with pretty much that.
Come time for lesson 2, and the instructor says can i ask you something. Whats one to say to that except go ahead. He asked me how should one pray, if they really want something to get done? I said, you should make dua and then have faith that what will unfold will be better for you. He was like no but this thing really needs to happen - like it cant not happen. He explained the situation to me. My answer was still the same. In my head though i was thinking how to gear this towards Tawheed. So, i told him if you are so hell-bent that it has to happen this way - why dont you go make it happen. Can you? he's like no. I said, so the fact that you need to ask God to help you - means He has some power that you dont? he's like yeah. Then i said you need to understand who Rabb is. You need to have faith in the one you are bowing down to. He is only one who can grant you anything, or take it away from you. I stressed the oneness a bit more. He wasnt fully convinced, i could tell. He almost had expected me to pull out a piece of paper he could tie somewhere, for his wish to be granted. When i said all he needed for faith, that seemed too simple.
Sadly thats the case with most of the ummah now. They simply dont believe in prayer. How much more hypocritical could you get if you are bowing to Allah and actually depending on people or chances?
Anyway, my deduction was that my niqab gave him the impression that i was a religious person and i have some magical answers. He must really have been desperate to ask a person of a different faith! I tried to tie his faith with tawheed as best i could. May Allah guide him.
ps: for those who dont know, he understands the word rabb and dua - since they exist in his language.

Wierd but True! Part 1

So this is part 1 in a series about my experiences with the niqab that are Wierd but true :) and above all could be loosely classified as da'wah.
I goto the bank to deposit a cheque (check for you Americans!). I hand in my driver's license for identification and the teller tells me oh you're so beautiful, is that why you cover your face? Im caught between feeling embarassed and puzzled as how to quickly answer this bizarre question. I laugh it off nervously. She tells me, all Muslims dont wear this - why is that? Oh my God, did she just ask me a fiqh question?? So, i politely say its a matter of personal choice and i like to do this (pointing to my face). Refer to my note about pre-thinking situations so you arent caught off-guard. I definitely was! (http://mariam-jannahseeker.blogspot.com/2011/10/walking-dawah-machine.html)
I exit the bank wondering, should i feel flattered that she complimented me? Ummmmm, a question that was to be answered in the coming months as i was to soon find out people LOVE telling you that you are beautiful as a way to compensate for the "oppression". And what a sexist remark to make anyway - ok so its either that im sooo beautiful that i feel the need to cover or that i'm sooooo unattractive that the world cannot bear to see me! Do these people not hear themselves? Ugh! disappointed in the standards the world has set to judge by appearances!

Wierd but True...watch this space for more.

The walking dawah-machine

Since I have worn the niqab, I have gotten more questions in one year than I did in 7+ years of wearing just the hijab.  There are one of two reasons people will question you, they are genuinely curious (rare) or they want to prove you are wrong/oppressed. Needless to say I have come across the latter more often. As aggravating as it is, I realized Allah SWT is fulfilling my very wish – I wanted to do dawah and now I get to dispense information about my deen and who knows who Allah will guide and I would have served as in instrument. 

An important thing to do is pre-think certain scenarios and the kinds of questions you could be asked. This is applicable to hijabis too, however having been on both sides of the spectrum;  I faced frequent and tougher critics after the niqab. I have learned it the hard way, and Alhamdolillah I walked away unscathed but there was definitely chance of some serious damage.  If I am going to be at the doctors where I have one-on-one time with doctor/nurse/assistant/technician; chances of being asked something are higher.  I strategize.  One very important point is that you will probably have 15 seconds to justify your point of view/ answer the question. Don’t go into details of hadith and sunnah – words which will mean nothing to a non-muslim. I was randomly asked at a breakfast place by the cook behind the counter:  How come you are wearing this (pointing to my niqab) and your friend is only covering her head? Yeah, I know! How do you answer that in 2 seconds? I did the best I could, I wish I was better prepared.

There is great deal of unawareness among the muslims today. I may be speaking of born-muslims only, though. Muslims are unaware of their impact or the light they carry. They are careless of it. It’s time to change and live like the ummah was meant to… with enlightenment, awareness, contemplation, conviction and honesty.

Alhamdolillah, my niqab has turned me into a walking dawah-machine and I love it, for the sake of Allah ofcourse.

TMI!

I'm not THAT old, i think! Afterall i grew up in the age of the internet - the reason for my very lame email ids; which i have not changed simply because i wanted to keep the contacts, etc Anyway, so although i'm not THAT old biologically but i think i may be aging faster mentally. I feel in this day and age, there is simply too much information - I dont know how one person can feel anything but overwhelmed; but maybe that was the purpose. There was a time in middle school (long long time ago); we had to do a write up on TV: boom or bust? As in, is the television really advantageous or has more cons. An argument which may be totally redundant now. I argued in favor of TV, saying parents could always control content on it (see told you im not THAT old), etc etc. The internet however, is a whole different monster. It is so vast and there are so many glitches with privacy sharing - i cannot wrap my mind around it. I apologize for this rant, but there is nothing you cant look up on the internet. I have an investigative nature, i try not to cross that line into "poking my nose in your business" type, and i am a self-proclaimed Google Queen. My friends and family come to me if they want to research anything and i usually find what they are looking for, which they couldn't find in that place and hence the title. Thank you. Anyway so since im so investigative, I just click and click and click and sometimes find information i should totally not have access to. I manage to pull myself back but I wonder do those people realize i know and can know so much more about them?! Technology has its advantages, i think those are apparent and i dont need to discuss them. The cons, however, are not discussed that often. My husband is an IT guy, and he is the most paranoid person when it comes to privacy and he wouldn't trust the internet for a second.
During the khilafa of Omar RA, once on a routine walk around the city, he chanced upon a house where people were drinking. His companion was outraged and said how dare these people transgress while you are khalifa. Omar RA was a no-nonsense kind of guy and one would expect him to be even more outraged than his companion. His response, instead was lets ask forgiveness from Allah for we have witnessed what was none of our business (not verbatim). You see where im going with this.
A picture is worth a thousand words - ummmmm, not true entirely. Imagine someone took a picture of you and posted it on facebook - and the scene was not appropriate. It could be one of 1000 things, you could have been exiting the place, you could have regretted that event and ask for forgiveness from Allah, you could have just been snapped at an angle which makes it look like that, you could have been there by mistake, you could be changed person since then... but what will the viewer think? Not the best, thats for sure.
So although i have related Omar RA's character, we must protect ourselves too. The internet is a vast and complicated monster and in envelopes you in ways you dont know; and with so much floating around, you dont care.
With access to technology, comes responsibility. Check yourself, limit exposure if you feel you cannot control yourself, be aware of whats out there. As muslims, we must look out for one another. Defaming and backbiting, both are prohibited so its beside the point if someone did something or not. Find ways to "halalify" your usage, do not blindly forward content without checking its source.
Yeah im definitely ageing faster mentally! But i genuinely care about muslim youth (and some not so youthful) who are so ignorant of the prints their actions leave :(
May Allah protect me and you from TMI!

Hikmah, say what?

If you have learned anything in deen, its to use hikmah (wisdom). The prophet saw also said one who had been blessed with hikmah, had indeed been blessed alot (not verbatim). Its very interesting to note how people perceive hikmah.
One thing is for sure, there is no surefire formula - but the best advice i can give is to think before you speak, curb the enthusiasm. Like actually hold the conversation in your head a couple of times with different options. Not only does it help construct your response, but also kills your anxiety which may result in saying something wrong or in a wrong way.
Another thing is actually drawing from the Quran's advice on calling people to a common ground. So think about your audience, try to think like they do or of things you definitely agree on and then work in your advice there. For eg when explaining someone how they should avoid a life of credit because interest is haram - go for how damaging debt can be or is. Financial strain may be something that person is willing to listen about.
Thirdly have sabr (patience), float an idea you want executed and leave it. Dont push it. Dont justify it or get the other person to agree instantly.
Lastly and most importantly, make dua. I have seen things comes to fruition with dua so blatantly, i still havent gotten over it. Allah azza wajal is the All Mighty without whose will we cant take our next breath. So ask for His pleasure, make dua repetitively, untiringly and with utmost humility.

A side note -This is something that may hone your skills of using hikmah: Observe people and how they respond in certain situations. This will teach you alot about them and people in general. You will learn to gauge when you can and what you can get away with; without much friction.

Can i do Da'wah?

I know I'm not a good muslim, I do not pray as much or as well as I should, my ikhlaq (character) has a long way to go to reach the level required for a mo'min, i do not have enough knowledge (what is that, anyway), i sin often and do not ask forgiveness often enough... i know i'm not a good muslim. How can i do da'wah? thats for the good people to do.
I have heard many revert stories (they are so interesting and an eman rush too), mostly i noticed how they were led to Islam through their own intellect and the search for truth or were influenced by some "good" muslims. Recently though, i have been exposed to a whole new kind - reverts who were led to Islam by totally non-practicing muslims. Now is that something those muslims should be proud of, not necessarily because when Allah decides to guide someone, He will. SubhanAllah! But it got me thinking, those muslims probably dont even know they influenced someone so much. I probably dont know how i influence people either. I can only wish, someone - even one person has been led to the right path through me. But i dont know, and im not doing it consciously so i will never know.
Coming back to the first question. How can i do da'wah? I can, because its in my fitrah to leave an impression upon people - through the light of Islam thats in my heart. I just need to be aware that i am in that position, where people around me could be seeking peace or truth and find it through an action or word of mine.
I dont know if this write up is cohesive. But i just pieced together the ayah where Allah says He has raised up this Ummah "for" the people (which necessitates enjoining in good and forbidding evil.) with these revert stories because even in our ignorant stupor, we are innately leading people to the truth. However, to reap real results and actual reward, we need to be aware of this influence.

كُنتُمۡ خَيۡرَ أُمَّةٍ أُخۡرِجَتۡ لِلنَّاسِ تَأۡمُرُونَ بِٱلۡمَعۡرُوفِ وَتَنۡهَوۡنَ عَنِ ٱلۡمُنڪَرِ
Surah Aal Imran Verse 110 

Pls do comment and let me know if this made sense, or you got what i was trying to explain. JazakAllahu Khairan

The never-ending SALE

We all love sales! we wait for special times of the year for them, we tell our friends when we get something "half price" or get 2 for the price of 1. Such are our joys. Allah SWT who created us and who knows our "fitrat" (nature) because He made it, knew this about us too. So He tempts us with a sale too - but that which is running all year round and doesnt have an expiry. Here are few of the offers: do 1 good deed in Ramadan, get reward for 69 free! Pray your Salah in jamaa' get 27 times more reward, shed 1 tear out of fear of Allah while you are young is better than 100 when you are old, give 1 dollar in the way of Allah get upto 700 times the reward, read 1letter of the Quran get 10 hasanahs, fast 6 days of Shawwal, get reward for a year of fasting, fast 3 days of the month (13.14.15 lunar dates), its like fasting all the time, etc
These are offers unheard of in this dunya, they cannot be matched. Who is the fool for letting such an offer go? Its open season people, go crazy!

"Declaring" my Faith

Recently i got the opportunity to sit with some revert Muslims (they will forever be referred to as "reverts" i guess!) and some other people who have been involved in helping new Muslims. It was an enligtening and enriching experience to say the least. SubhanAllah, how Allah chooses people to do His work!
Coming back to the topic however, the general issues faced by new Muslims centered around social life, or lack thereof and acceptance /trouble from family. As far as social life is concerned, we can well imagine how difficult it must be for a new muslim to integrate his past lifestyle with his new values and this generally leaves him feeling lonely. Whereas, some or most reverts face a lot of resistance from immediate family on their new life choice; some actually experience abuse.
As i was hearing these, mostly i was thankful to Allah for my woes are so insignificant compared to so many people. But i was feeling something else too... it was like wow, this happens with me too and i'm a born muslim! albeit to a different degree but the base problem is the same. As i realised this, i had an epiphany... i was just as much a new muslim as they were! I may not have the need to declare my faith but since i have started trying to practice it i have faced similar opposition. This epiphany was a little saddening, as it meant that despite having the advantage of being born to a muslim family, being raised in a muslim land - i had turned away from my faith! May Allah forgive my many sins and keep me steadfast on the right path! Ameen. This write up was for cathartic reasons, but i'm sure many of you will resonate with it - it just reiterates how much harder we need to work and how much we need to worry about the younger generation to save them from darkness of ignorance.
SubhanAllah! Prophet Ibraheem AS, khaleel Allah advised his children to make sure they associate no one with Allah and die Muslim. The same advice was given by Prophet Yaqub AS, to his children and by Luqman RA to his son. These were prophets/pious people, we can imagine the upbringing their kids had yet they felt the need to leave the legacy of Tawheed and correct aqeedah for their children, by verbally advising them. Can you just imagine what we need to be doing with our children, our families or those under our care?
Now that i AM Muslim - i will strive in the way of Allah to make up for lost time and to try my best to raise an aware ummah. There, i made my niyyah - its your turn now :)

Post Ramadan Planning

Ah! another month of mercy just passed and i am left wondering, did i work hard enough? May Allah accept from us our ibadah and istighfar! How can i ensure my next Ramadan will be better or if i actually did reap something from this one? That's where post-ramadan plan comes into play. If you had set some goals for yourself during ramadan, are you following through with them? If you hadnt set goals, get setting now. Think of one good habit you want to adopt (from the sunnah is a good point to start) and one bad habit you want to drop. Mind you, these need not be ambitions of mammoth proportions. It could be something as easy as ensuring you always read the dua for entering and exiting the washroom and using the correct foot for the same. Imagine, thats ibadah!! As for dropping a habit, you could think of something similar. We dont place value in these things but not only are they super-important, Allah rewards us for it AND they improve our quality of life without us even knowing it. Here are a few examples of goals you could set for the rest of the year:
Good Habits:
1) Ensuring you begin everything by Bismillah. i mean EVERYTHING
2) Saying salams everytime you enter the house or meet other muslims. Make sure you say it properly and not let your cultural twang distort the diction. Its suppose to be Assalam 'alaikum (wa rahmat ullahi wa barakatuhu)
3) Fasting 6 days in Shawwal
4) Fasting Mondays and/or Thursdays
5) Taking up using the miswak
6) Elongate your sujood and ruku' in Salah
7) Make niyyah for Hajj/Umrah

Bad Habits
1) Stop backbiting
2) Stop lying - all types even those we tell little kids!
3) Stop sleeping face down, on our bellies
4) Stop talking in the washroom
5) Stop judging people
6) Stop being disobedient to your parents/ disrespectful to your spouse
7) Stop all means of haraam income or consuming haraam food.

Some of these may seem menial but every little step counts and it helps you become a better mo'min Inshallah. In a summary of the Surat Taaha, verses about prophet Musa AS, i learned Allah expects Obedience, Courage and Tawakkul (faith) from His servant. I believe, each of these are inter-connected as in when we are obedient to Allah, He blesses us with courage and tawakkul; when we have tawakkul, we are definitely going to be obedient and courageous... you get the idea.
So, what are you taking up and what are you giving up?

Giving in the "way of Allah"

Just read this somewhere: Which is the best nation?..... wait for it..... Do-nation... lolz. But you got to agree with the brother, eh?
Muslims have been instructed by Allah again and again to spend from their wealth, so much so that charity is made a basic pillar of Islam. Allah says in Surah Aal Imran verse 92 that you can never attain piety till you sacrifice what you love most in the way of Allah. This is a very strong statement from Allah SWT - as a person of Iman, one is striving to attain piety; but Allah clearly says you got to spend what you love most. Afterall Allah is the one who gave it to us, all He is really asking is you spend it wisely!
We need to think what we love most, or what any person loves most? His children, his wealth, his sleep, his free time, etc. What Allah is instructing us to do is utilise all our resources in His way. Our attitude should be such that we seek chances of spending for our deen; may it be helping other people, funding a mosque, feeding the hungry, sponsoring an orphan. SubhanAllah, we should never let go of even one opportunity to give, even if it is one cent! Don't think if this organization is authentic or if the help will really reach the people - your intention is to please Allah, so give and if Allah wills the needy will be helped.
Way too many times i have seen people questioning the motives and operations of charity organizations, and i understand the frustration when help doesn't reach the needy. Think, however, Allah was testing you to see if you availed every chance or gave in to suspicions put in you by Shaytan -  did you pass that test? If you believe in Allah in all His Glory, then you know you cant drink that next sip of water if Allah hasnt willed it for you. Same is true for the needy, Allah will help them when the time for their test to end has come - meanwhile you and i are both being tested - so give, anywhere and everywhere. Intend to please Allah and it is His promise and the prophet SAW's promise that your wealth will never reduce and will be returned to you manifold!

State of your Iman

Alhamdolillah we are in the beautiful and merciful month of Ramadan, to which no parable exists! Also, this is a time we strive to do more good than we do in other months (partially cuz the shaytans are tied up!). For a lot of us, that means establishing salah SubhanAllah. Salah, prayer or namaz is a basic pillar of Islam and we only regulate it during Ramadan (if even that)?
What is a pillar? In this dunya, we see many buildings being constructed SubhanAllah - what is the purpose of a pillar? It is part of the foundation of any structure, without which you cannot build and if you somehow do manage to - the structure will not survive. So when one learned Salah was a basic "pillar" of Islam; one can well imagine the state of one's Iman (structure) if they havent established Salah. I will not go into details of why i keep saying established - thats Inshallah another post :))
Also think about this - for those of you who are feeling very smug that "i pray regularly, i'm good"... Salah is a pillar, meaning that you need to build a structure now that you got the pillars down. What would you say if you saw just pillars standing in the middle of nowhere? Would it be something like "What a great building/structure?" OR "Whats this about now? people leaving their work half-done"
So thats exactly what your iman looks like If you are practicing the 5 pillars but not using the strength of those pillars to further you iman - Half-done. Its time to look at what more you can do in the way of Allah, in the way of the deen of our beloved Prophet Muhammad SAW.
For those who dont pray (ps: praying a couple times a day or sometimes, is considered not praying); Wallahi the people of the deeper levels of hell fire will be asked, what did you do to end up here? They will say we were not among those who established salah. Allahu Akbar - May Allah help us to save ourselves from hellfire.

Al-Kitaab

I was struck by a sad yet very true realisation today - most of my family and many of my friends do not know what the Quran says! I just realised they may read the arabic text and must have been reading it since they knew how to read - but have no idea of its commandments... and they may die in that state!! Qur'an is the book of Allah, its the written guidance that He the Almighty chose for us so we may better our life and akhirah. This is the code of life, the source of all knowledge. This is the word of Allah which the prophet (saw ) strove day and night to establish; for which the sahaba laid down their lives. Muslims are required to know its every word like it was the only thing worth living for - and we dont even bother to find out what it means! Are we even surprised at our state of affairs now, when we have abandoned Allah's guidance.
To every Muslim out there - i love you for the sake of Allah and thats why your ignorance worries me so. I, too was where you may be now and Alhamdolillah bi iznillah, turned to Allah. Its never too late to turn back, but please do; before life, health, time runs out.

Mandatory Vs Voluntary

So, here's a situation: your teacher at school or boss at work has given you a project. This project will be used to determine your achievement level; may it be a grade or promotion. You have also been given the criteria you will judged on: one criterion is that which is mandatory, without which the project is invalid and the second criterion includes items which are not mandatory and these will give you "brownie points"; they may be the deciding factor between an A or A+.
You and a friend begin work on your individual projects. You are not too concerned about the criteria and randomly include all information relevant to the project you can get your hands on. Also you are a glitzy person, so you beautify your folder, use different technologies and add files upon files of info. To an onlooker, you are working ferociously and they tell you maybe you will be winner.
Your friend on the other hand, spent his time getting the mandatory criteria fulfilled. Once he was sure he had all the required elements down pat; he moved on to work on brownie points. Obviously, he had spent a big chunk of his time with the first part of the project so he isnt left with a lot of time for the second and time comes to submit.
The project is evaluated. Who do you think made it?
This is the situation of life, my friend. Allah has told you clearly the criteria you will be judged on. Until you fulfill your mandate, any effort is INVALID. So, if you're giving charity but not zakah, if you're helping your friends but not your relatives, if you're working honestly but are disobedient to your parents; if you are praying salatul tasbih every thursday but miss your fard prayers regularly; if you are staying up in the nights of Qadr but dont even pray Isha in your regular nights, if you are abstaining from food and drink during ramadan but do not asbtain from mixing freely with the opposite sex for "iftaars", if you pray but your aurah/satr is not covered properly... I'm afraid Allah SWT will deem your life a failed project.
Please my friends, lets focus on finding out what are the mandatory elements that will take us in to Jannah and without which all our other efforts may just be building castles in the air. Allah says again and again the Day of Judgement will be a day of regrets: those who did good, will wish they had done more and those who didnt do good, will wish they could go back if for a day so they can fulfill their fards!! But there will be no going back for anyone. THAT is eternity.

Da'wah

Like a lot of you out there,i too held a strong desire to do da'wa; even when i didnt know how to or whom to. Initially i held back because i felt i needed to more ilm (knowledge) and before i knew it, i had transformed into a "nobody". Lesson 1: You never stay stagnant, either you grow or regress. Lesson 2: Da'wa doesnt need degrees upon degrees in Islam. The Prophet SAW said we must give dawa even if by one kalimah (word). When you think you cant say anything "just yet", its shaytan stopping you (do i really need to tell you why). Lesson 3: Knowledge grows when you spread it - you hold steadfast to what you preach and you find more opportunities to learn.
So the next challenge was whom to give da'wa to? This will differ for everyone. But needless to say it starts from  your inner circle. Think of it like you have a special treat, who would you share it with? Here's a footnote: you must have true concern for those you preach.
I started feeling it may be easier to give da'wa to muslims, who are eager to listen or to those who atleast respect the information and you generally have a soft spot for loved ones and Muslims in general- but what about non-muslims? Now, since i'm a female active da'wa to non-muslims is not really in my realm of responsibilities but for all those for whom it is, this may help. It was a little unimaginable, for me atleast, to have real concern (of akhirah) for my non-muslim grocer/neighbor/bus driver and i was praying to Allah that i somehow develop this well-wishing attitude. You know what helped? and this is ironic - da'wa. yep! i recently handed a da'wa CD to a neighbor who i am not all that fond of and i didnt even realise it till weeks later that i dont dislike him as much now. SubhanAllah, that is the power of Da'wa.
FINAL LESSON: Spread the word and it will soften you heart, Inshallah!!

Fast & Furious

I was just explained a verse in the Qur'an quite differently and felt i should share the wisdom :)
Surah Aale Imran Verse 114 defines the attributes of the "Saaliheen" (pious do-gooders) and it mentions wa-yusaari'oona  fil khayraat - those who rush towards doing good. Its fairly simple to understand, but like i said i was given a different perspective on it.
1. Those who do good for the sake of Allah, cannot procastinate and be lazy - they need to be fast. They cant dilly dally, they need to run! Procastination doesnt get results, doesnt demonstrate determined behaviour. Hence we should take another advice from the same surah; to follow through in the path of Allah when we have decided to do something.
2. When you are not working in the way of Allah, or striving in His way - you still manage to spend the day and say "I got no time". So when you ARE working in His way, you defiinitely will be rushing because now you have to accomodate the same day where had no time and add what you are doing now!
See told you it was different. SubhanAllah! May we be of the Fast and the Furious Saliheen Ameen.

Khushu' in Salah: III

One very important thing we must ensure prior to starting our salah is to observe proper covering. Not only is this an etiquette for standing in front your Lord, it will also serve to increase your Khushu' Inshallah. Prior to starting we must see if our clothing covers our satr and how easy it is to move in. The actions of the salah are not new to us, neither are salah timings a surprise; hence we must ensure that we are appropriately dressed. Imagine standing in front your boss at work, or someone respected and fidgeting with your clothes? You would never. Just think - we are presenting ourselves in front of THE Boss.
Another thing is to give each act of the salah its due haq- what that means is; when you go in ruku', say the tasbeeh slowly and properly. You hands must be on your knees, your head must be aligned with your back; this position must be fully observed before moving on to the next act. Then, when you stand in qauma; thats where you say Sami Allahu liman hamidah - it must look like you have stood up striaght and not like you rushed from your ruku to your sujood.
Between your sujood, ensure you sit back up properly. As the prophet saw said, till each bone is back in its place. Most of us dont even sit half way up, just go back down for our second sajdah. Kindly observe the rules of jalsa. Like so, give each act its due haq! Inshallah this will serve to better or increase your Khushu' in Salah

Khushu' in Salah: Wudu

Salah begins with wudu; hence to attain khushu in salah, we need to attain khushu in wudu. Here are some fard (obligatory)and mustahhab (preferred) elements of wudu.

Obligatory:
1) Niyyah to make wudu
2) Wash your face inclusive of rinsing you mouth and cleaning out your nose - once
3) Wash  your arms -once
4) Masah over your head inclusive of cleaning your ears
5) Wash your feet - once
6) Do it in this order only


Preferred:
1) Do miswak before wudu
2) Wash your hands uptil your wrists thrice
3) Repeat act 2,3 and 5 thrice
4) Rinse your mouth with your right hand and clean out your nose with your left hand

Say Bismillah (just that, not bismillahir rahmanir raheem) before beginning the wudu. This is obligatory in the view of some scholars while others consider it preferred.

We all probably do all of it anyway, but knowing is important, so if the need arises we can perform just the obligatory; for eg if there is a shortage of water, if you are in a public place where you cant be elaborate, etc  Also while we are performing preferred acts consciously and for the sake of Allah's pleasure and in the footsteps of our beloved prophet saw, i feel we most certainly renew our imaan.

Ramadan Counter: Ready, Set, GO!

The month of mercy is fast approaching! have you made your preps yet? Its warm up time before your spiritual work-out. Pen out your goals, think about your daily plan - dont just sleep or laze the fast away. Its a blessed month for a reason; shaytan is in chains, you are FREE to earn hasanah in multiples. Do you feel your pulse racing from excitement about how much good you will get writ in your book of deeds! This is a chance for you and me to ask for forgiveness for everything we may have done wrong - imagine we can start anew the other side of Ramadan Inshallah!!
Dont think the fast will be too long. Allah is allowing you a longer fasting period so you may collect more good deeds Inshallah, so you may do more ibadah, so you may seek His pleasure SubhanAllah! Think positive, be excited - make a niyyah to make it your best Ramadan ever!

Shukr: In sickness and in health

I've written about being thankful during the hard times. Wanting to discuss that further i wanted to address pain in particular. I'm talking of physical pain mainly like you when you fall sick and are burning up or when your joints begin to ache. I once read an article about a little 7yr old girl who felt no pain. She had a condition whereby her nerve-endings were devoid of that sensation. My first reaction was wow, thats pretty cool. So i read further, this little girl had blinded her self in one eye, wears a helmet to protect her skull because she has had so many falls, has her arm and legs are in casts most of the time; has had surgeries to insert steel clips in her joints ... all because she has never felt pain; hence does not know how to prevent injury. SubhanAllah.
Change your approach to pain. Doctors will tell you most diseases are diagnosed when people experience pain or discomfort and when they dont - usually the disease reaches a terminal stage before the doctors find out. Our rabb, Allah - who loves us more than 70 mothers, has given us this sensation of pain for our own benefit and SubhanAllah even then He washes away our sins during our time of pain. Next time you have a headache or fever, dont forget to say Alhamdolillah.Inshallah, the Almighty will not only relieve you but your ranks will be raised  because Allah is THAT merciful.

Tips for memorization

I just got a few tips for effectively memorizing from the Quran:
1) Fajr is the best time to learn. Before you've eaten anything and after your salah
2) Abstaining from lying and haram
3) Using miswak
4) Repeat unfamilair arabic words over and over before you attempt to learn the ayah
5) Read the translation and try to pair up the arabic with the language you are reading translation in
6) Listen to a qari reciting the surah (you will find infinite sources on the net). Correct yourself
7) Learn tajweed

Khushu' in Salah: II

For almost every action in salah, there are alternate adhkar that we can read. We usually keep reading the ones we were taught as kids. Take the time to add another dua to your vocabulary and Inshallah it will renew your  khushu'. For eg do you read Subhanak Allahumma wabihamdika when you begin ur salah? Do you know there atleast 2 other adhkar you can read here? Check Azkare- Masnoona or Hisnul Muslim for lovely adhkar we can learn Inshallah.

Majority Rules?Think Again

In the eyes of Allah, numbers have no value. His Majesty is not affected if only 1 person were to enter Jannah or 1000. It is reported in an authentic hadith that most of mankind will enter hell. Also in the Quran Allah never praises the majority. Rather, the majority is usually used when referring to disobedience. When Allah refers to the grateful ones and to the believing ones, He says they are few. My point is, if you are the only one standing on a principle you know is right - stay strong. People may not understand why you are doing or saying what you are,  because thats not what the majority does or says - know that in the eyes of Allah SWT, one steadfast momin is dearer than anyone; know that believers will be of the few; know that grateful ones will be of the few; dwellers of Jannah will be of the few; those who get the prophet SAW's company will be of the few; those who see Allah will be of the few. One wise man used to pay Oh Allah make me of the few! How wise was he and how foolish are we wanting to fit in when we were made to stand out!

ps: i will get reference of the hadith and possibly a clearer ref of the wise man in mention here.

Shukr

We all know that we need to be thankful to Allah for all His blessings upon us. I learned about a new dimension of shukr today - shukr for all the "bad" things that may happen to us. Yes you read it right. When you stub you toe for you have feet, when you bang your car for you have transportation, when you fall sick for you had health, when your child falls sick for you have a child, say Alhamdolillah. If you have faith in Allah, you will believe that all your circumstances are by His command and maybe some due to your fallacies - nonetheless at His command. Even if you can see no good coming from your situation, still say Alhamdolillah. For Allah will raise your ranks and you will achieve closeness to the rabb. It is a treasure only few will get. Wont you want to be one of them?
Alhamdolillah!
(Refer to my note Daily Zikr)

Push yourself

This one's more for me than you, honestly. I just read something - if you are working for islam and you are burning out then something is wrong with your intention! SubhanAllah. I'm still trying to educate myself but i know this is the path of Allah and in it I cannot burnout. When you think, this is it, thats enough on my plate - PUSH YOURSELF! Inshallah you will surprise yourself. That being said, you need to surround yourself with people who can build you up emotionally. If that core group is not immediately available, then work on yourself to keep out the negativity that may surround you.
We are instructed to look up to people higher than us in taqwa. If you know such people, they will always push you to do more, to test your limits. Laa yukallifullaha nafsan illa wus'aha (2:286) - look it up for translation. :)
You and i will only short change ourselves when determining our limits but not Allah, who created us.

Are you Ramadan ready?

Yes i know ramadan is almost 3 weeks away, but this is really the time we should start planning how we will spend it. Also, we should have atleast one goal we want to achieve by the end of ramadan. The prophet SAW said Ameen when Hazrat Jibreel AS cursed those who did not manage to get themselves forgiven by the end of ramadan. The sahaba used to start making dua 6 months before ramadan that they get to see ramadan and make it better than the last one, and spend the next 6 months praying Allah accept their ibadah. Are we this concerned about our ramadan? Are we so sure we'll even see ramadan, or get to spend all of it?!
1) Make a niyyah right now that you will make this ramadan better than the last
2) Make dua that you see this ramadan and that Allah help you make it better
3) Write down one goal- something you want to improve or change about yourself. Make niyyah to make that change by the end of ramadan. Think of an action plan of how you will go about doing it.
For eg. If you dont pray regularly and you want to make that your aim. Make a decision that you will never miss a salah again. See why you normally miss salahs? is it because you are too lazy to make wudu. if so, then make wudu everytime you go to the loo so you are in wudu at salah time.
I'm afraid that just saying may Allah make us better will not make you better... you need to do something
 about it yourself before you are eligible for Allah's help Inshallah.
4) Make a plan as to how you will spend your day fasting. For eg, get up in the morning (after suhur and fajr), give breakfast to the kids/ go to work, then at say noon you will recite Quran, then pray zuhr, then rest, then make zikr, etc. Basically chart out your day else you will not use the day appropriately.
5) ATTEND A DAURA! Daura is a halaqa in your local masjid or someone's house where they go through the meaning of the entire quran during ramadan. It is absolutely imperative we know whats in the quran - this is the best opportunity when shaitan is imprisoned!

"News"

We all have read articles in the papers under the guise of "news" which are aimed solely at defaming islam or its many scholars. It has boiled our blood, and has us ranting - albeit to each other. We have been told repeatedly by scholars that we need to respond, they need to know our point of view. For that, most papers require a simple login.
Today i'm suggesting to all my muslim friends, around the world to sign up at the websites of your local paper (if its reqd). Whenever there is an article you need to respond to, your id will be ready and shaytan will fail in making us lazy about doing it Inshallah!
I have created my id at thestar.com. would like to hear back from you on papers you know where we could sign up. Other sources www.dawn.com, www.gulfnews.com, www.khaleejtimes.com

Great New resource

Ok maybe not new.. "I" just discovered it... check out www.halaltube.com and enrich yourselves with talks from some great shuyukh.

Daily Zikr: II

The prophet (saw) taught us many duas. Learn a few like the one for going to bed, getting up, entering and exiting the bathroom, eating. If you dont know many of these, make it your aim today to learn atleast one a day. If you have children in the house, recite loudly, Inshallah they will learn and also get it in their practice.

ps: i write duas on little pieces of paper and stick them around the house to read at the appropriate time. For example i have the dua to go outside the house at the door. I almost never forget to read it and that's how i learned it too.

Stay in Touch

Hazrat Omar RA is reported to have said, one who doesnt read the quran even one day, it is as if he has abandoned the quran all together. We learn that we must stay in touch with this glorious book. A good way to go through the quran is to recite it in your Salah. During your sunnahs and nawafil, you can read off the quran directly. Just keep a little table next to your musallah to rest the mus-haf.
However, i must add, do read the tafseer/translation after salah

Improve your tajweed

We must all know how to read the quran properly in its intended diction. Here is one way to practice rules you may be learning. Listen to a qari recite a familiar surah. Recite after him (not during his recitation) and record yourself on your computer. Its interesting to listen to playback!

Daily Zikr: I

Perplexed about how you can be involved in zikr the whole day? Read SubhanAllah, Alhamdulillah, Allahu Akbar. Save you tongue from idle talk, your mind from idle thoughts and earn hasanahs!

For the Love of the Prophet (SAW)!

Since childhood we have been told to love the prophet sallalahu alaihi wa'alihi wassalam. When i gained consciousness of my way of life - i questioned how can i love and i mean really love (not just revere) a man, whom i have never seen or met. SubhanAllah! The answer is through his Seerah and his sunnah. We must strive to read as much as we can about our prophet and we must absolutely follow his sunnah. By Allah, that is the only way to love him that is accepted by Allah. and Allah knows best.
Love you for the sake of Allah!

Khushu' in Salah: I

Here is one way to improve or increase your khushu in Salah: Change it up! You know how we always read the same surah in the certain rakahs - DONT! Switch the order or introduce new surahs to keep yourself alert, Inshallah.

Memorizing a new Surah

Ever found it challenging to memorize a new surah? Here's a tip. Learn one or two ayahs and then repeat them in your prayer after Surah Al Fatiha. After repeating it in your 5 daily salahs, you would surely have them memorized by the end of the day. Now its time to  move on to the next 2 ayahs and so on and so forth. JazakAllah for reading and happy learning!