Bismillah walhamdolilah wasalatu wasalam ‘ala Rasool Allah
SubhanAllah! How fast Ramadan came and how fast it went. It truly saddens my heart to see this blessed month go away, to see it slipping away, to have to say good-bye. In a few days, the shayateen will be let loose and the difficulties will emerge. Ya Rabbi! Give this ummah the strength to fight the shayateen and keep us steadfast in the deen. Ameen.
Many a times we read about the rewards of something without truly understanding the reason behind it. It is for this very reason I chose to present the rewards and virtues of Surah Ikhlas at the end so that when we read the rewards we have a greater understanding of why its worth so much. For example, when we realize saying SubhanAllahi wa bi Hamdi is in essence a negation of shirk (the worst of all deeds, the greatest of transgressions) and an affirmation of tawheed (the greatest of all actions, the basis to enter paradise) we can understand why saying it 100x in the morning and evening will erase our sins (as per the hadith collected by Bukhari).
It Earns the Love of Allah
Ya Salaam! Who doesn’t want the Love of Allah? Aisha radhiAllah anha relates in a narration collected by Bukhari, that the Prophet sallalahu alayhi wasalam sent a man as a leader of a troupe and he would lead them in prayer as well. However, he would complete every rak’a with the recitation of Surah Ikhlas. When the group returned, they relayed this habit to the Prophet sallalahu alayahi wasalam, to which he told them to ask the man why he does so. When he was asked, he replied:“Because it is the description of ar-Rahman and I love to recite it.” So, the Prophet of Allah sallalahu alayhi wasalam said:
“Inform him that Allah loves him”
GEMS
- When someone’s actions seem to be different from the norm, present the case to someone of knowledge to see if it is correct or incorrect to do
- Do not blindly follow your leaders
- Before pouncing on an individual for an act that seems wrong or incorrect, ask him why he has done it
- It was the intentions of this individual that gained him the love of Allah, not the mere recitation of it. He understood the meaning of the surah and thus loved to recite it.
- To gain Allah’s love we should recite this surah with contemplation and understanding
A Way to Paradise
Anas ibn Malik radhilAllah anhu relays a narration collected by Bukhari, that a man from the Ansar used to lead them in prayer and he used to begin all of his recitations with Surah Ikhlas. He would do this in every single unit of prayer. Those with him began to complain about the practise of his and wanted him to stop doing it. To this he replied:“I will not stop doing this. If you want me to lead the prayers, I will do this, and if you don’t like it, I will stop leading you”
They all believed he was the correct person to lead the prayer, so they remained patient with him until the Prophet sallalahu alayhi wasalam visited them one day. And so, they presented the case to Rasool Allah sallalahu alayhi wasalam to which he asked the individual why he would not listen to his people. He replied:“Indeed, I love it.” The Prophet sallalahu alayhi wasalam replied:
“Your love of it will cause you to enter Paradise”
GEMS
- There is nothing wrong in taking your concerns to leaders or even parents as long as its done with wisdom
- A difference of opinion should not be the cause of disunity amongst the Muslims
- Ask the person directly when you find his actions to be beyond the norm
- It is permissible to recite more than one surah in a single unit of prayer
One Third of the Qur’an
Abu Sa’eed al-Khudree radhiAllah anhu stated in a narration collected by Bukhari, that on one occasion the Prophet sallalahu alayhi wasalam asked his Companions radhiAllah anhum: “Isn’t any of you able to recite a third of the Qur’an in a single night?” They found this difficult, so they responded: “Who amongst us is able to do that O Messenger of Allah?” The Prophet sallalahu alayhi wasalam replied:
“Allah the Unique, the Self-Sufficient is one third of the Qur’an”
GEMS
- When motivating people to do good, begin with the results
- Recite Surah Ikhlas!
May Allah azza wa jal bless us with the understanding and implementation of this great surah. May He shower His blessings upon us in these last blessed nights of Ramadan and accept our fasts, our prayers, and our du’as. May He grant us khusoo’ in our salat and guide us towards goodness in this life and the Hereafter. Ameen.