Islam

The greatest command after that of tawheed is of salaah. Allah lays out a list for whom this Qur’an is a guidance, and amongst the first things He says are about those who establish the salaah; those who guard them strictly and stand in front of Allah with obedience. The example of Prophet Ibrahim (عليه السلام) is amongst the best, and as he builds the ka’ba, he makes du’a to Allah to make him amongst those who establish salaah.

Bismillah, Ramadan is of a countable number of days, so we have to be smart, and think about how can we MAXIMIZE the rewards we earn! Inshallah following is a list of ibada that take less time and have big reward. We need to be smart and think like a businessman (small investment -> big profit) Remember reward of every deed is multiplied in Ramadan. Get the reward of hajj and umrah every single day Be smart in your dhikar Get the reward of fasting many Ramadans Get the reward of performing salaah the whole night Earn the reward of reciting one third of Qur’an in few minutes:

We at times find ourself in a race with salaah. One of the primary ways to gain khushoo in our salaah is to take our time in it, so much so that our Prophet (صلي الله عليه وسلم) told us to be slow and articulate with each movement–we should let all our bones rest and then continue on, not before that. No need to race, because this will come back on the Day of Judgment!

Below is a well-published Sermon of the Messenger of Allah (صلي الله عليه وسلم) on Ramadan; if anyone knows the source, please post it in a comment–it’s well-known as far as the internet goes! “Indeed ahead of you is the blessed month of Allah. A month of blessing, mercy and forgiveness. A month which, with Allah, is the best of months. Its days, the best of days, its nights, the best of nights, and its hours, the best of hours.

Going on about the importance of salaah, salaah is the first matter that a slave/abd/person will be brought account for on the Day of Judgment. So important is salaah, that Prophet (صلي الله عليه وسلم) said that if this one matter is good then everything else will also be good. Listen to the podcast to gain more understanding on how to make your salaah sound.

If you’re like me… and, well, probably a lot of other people, you won’t fully realize that Ramadan is here until you’re dragging yourself out of bed a few hours early to eat while it’s still dark. Ramadan offers us a very unique opportunity. Ramadan offers us the opportunity to start fresh. It may not necessarily have the “wash-away-all-your-sins” publicity that Hajj does, but Ramadan gives us a chance to put ourselves through a mind, body and soul detoxification.

Ramadan Mubarak! May Allah allow us all to take the most benefit out of this month, when the good deeds (but also the bad deeds) are multiplied! The companions–may Allah be pleased with all of them–used to ask Allah for 6 months to accept their last Ramadan, and ask Allah for 6 months to allow them to live to see the next Ramadan. THAT’S Ramadan for you! And remember, if you’re fasting, but not praying the fards–or you’re praying taraweeh, but skipping Fajr, Dhur, Asr, Maghrib, or Isha–you have a big problem.

My brothers and sisters a blessed month is fast approaching us, a month in which the opportunities are limitless and the reward is ready for taking in abundance. This blessed month, known as Ramadan is approaching us and we will soon say good-bye to it as well. Inshallah, join me on this journey as we go through some self-planning for this blessed month, and inshallah learn about the one action which is most noble in the sight of Allah…that action being du’a.

This Ramadan…be an orange! Say what? “The example of a believer, who recites the Qur’an and acts on it, is like an orange (utrujjah) which tastes nice and smells nice. And the example of the believer who does not recite the Qur’an but acts on it is like a date that tastes sweet but has no smell. And the example of the hypocrite who recites the Quran is like a sweet basil which smells good but tastes bitter.

We sometimes forget the vast importance of salaah in our lives. Successful are the believers. Who are these believers? They are those who offer their salaah with full khushoo, with full submissiveness to Allah, those who establish the salaah. Listen to the podcast for more details on how you can be among the believers!