The Fadhaail of Surah Yaseen

Assalamu-alaykum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuhu

 In my last post I mentioned a few Surahs that we should try to read after each Salaah. The first Surah I mentioned was Surah Yaseen.

Surah Yaseen has many virtues and benefits. I have mentioned a few Hadeeth regarding the benefits and virtues of Surah Yaseen.

 Hadhrat Anas (May Allah Ta'alah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet Muhammad (May Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said," Everything has a heart and the heart of the Holy Qura'an is Yaseen.

 Hadhrat Ata ibn Abu Rabah (May Allah Ta'alah be pleased with him) narrated that Allah's Messenger (May Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said, "If anyone recites Yaseen at the beginning of the day, his needs will be fulfilled."

 Hadhrat Aishah (May Allah Ta'alah be pleased with her) reported that the Prophet Muhammad (May Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said that there is a Surah in the Qura’an that intercedes for its reciter and forgive its listener. Know! It is Surah Yaseen. It is called ‘Mu’amma’ in the Torah. It was enquired, what is Mu’amma? The Prophet Muhammad (May Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said, ‘it embraces the person with the goodness of this world and removes the dismay of the Hereafter.

 Hadhrat Abu Hurairah (May Allah Ta'alah be pleased with him) says that the Messenger of Allah (May Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said, "Whoever recites Surah Yaseen at night seeking the pleasure of Allah Ta'ala, he will be forgiven that night."

 The Prophet Muhammad (May Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said, ‘Whoever recites Yaseen once, Allah will record the reward of reciting the Qura’an ten times.

 Whoever reads Surah Yaseen for the pleasure of Allah, his past sins will be forgiven so read this for the deceased.

We all know that the reward for reading Qura'an is great. We should try to read as much Qura'an as we possibly can.

Daily Target

So a quick reminder of the previous daily targets:-

· The first one was to say Astaghfirullah at least 100 times a day.
· The second one was to read any Durood Shareef at least 100 times a day.
· The third one was to give any amount of money as Sadaqah at least once a week.

The next Target is :

To read Surah Yaseen once a day.

 

Try your best to make this part of your daily routine.

I pray that Allah gives me and you the ability to utilise our time in doing good deeds. And I pray Allah accepts all our deeds and our efforts to do good.

May Allah Ta'alah give you and me the ability to read Surah Yaseen everyday and let us gain and feel its benefits.

 Ameen

What to read after each Namaz.

Assalamu-alaykum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuhu

There are 5 Surahs which we should try to read after each Salaah.

· After Fajr read, Surah Yaseen-(Surah Number 36).

· After Zuhr, read Surah Fatah-(Surah Number 48).

· After Asr, read Surah Naba-(Surah Number 78).

· After Maghrib, read Surah Waqiah-(Surah Number 56).

· After Isha, read Surah Mulk-(Surah Number 67).

Blessings of Surah Yaseen:

Allah Ta'alah will solve your problems.

Blessings of Surah Fatah:

Allah Ta'alah will save you from evil and from Fitnah (corruption and misguidance).

Blessings of Surah Naba:

Allah Ta'alah will grant you with great knowledge and wisdom.

Blessings of Surah Waqiah:

Allah Ta'alah will grant prosperity in the business and you will never be in a situation where you are in hunger or in poverty.

Blessings of Surah Mulk:

Allah Ta'alah will save you from the punishment of the grave.

We should all make an effort to read each of these Surahs after each Salaah. They don't take very long and are a great way for us to save ourselves from many trials and also gain Barakah and blessings in many areas of our daily lives. We should also try and remember to read Surah Kahf on Friday.

Apart from the above mentioned benefit and blessing, each Surah has many more benefits. In Sha Allah, over the next few weeks, I will be writing posts regarding the Fadhaail and rewards of reading the above mentioned Surahs.

May Allah give you and me the ability to read these Surahs so that we can gain reward and a place in Jannah -tul-Firdaws.

Ameen.

A Quick Reminder

Assalamu-alaykum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuhu

I received this message and wanted to share it as I thought it was a great reminder.

The power of making istighfar

During his old age, while Imaam Ahmed was travelling he stopped by a town. After the prayers, he wanted to stay for the night in the Masjid yard because he didn’t know anyone in the town.

Owing to his humility, he hadn’t introduced himself to anyone thinking that if he did, he would be welcomed by many people.

Failing to recognize Imaam Ahmed bin Hanbal, the caretaker of the mosque refused to let him stay in the Masjid.

As Imaam Ahmed was quite old, the caretaker had to drag him out of the Masjid.

On seeing this, a baker from a nearby place felt pity for this man (Imaam Ahmed) and offered to be the host to him for the night.

During his stay with the baker, Imaam Ahmed observed that the baker would constantly recite Istighfaar (seek forgiveness from Allah).

Imam Ahmed asked the baker if the constant practice of saying Istighfaar had any effect on him.

The baker responded by telling Imaam Ahmed that Allah had accepted all of his duas (supplications), except one. When he asked him what dua was it that hadn’t been accepted, the baker replied that he had been asking Allah to provide him the privilege to meet the famous scholar Imaam Ahmed bin Hanbal.

On this, Imam Ahmed bin Hanbal said that Allah had not only listened to his dua but had dragged him onto his (the baker’s) doorsteps.

Subhan Allah, imagine if we in our daily routines just repeated 'Astaghfirullah' how Allah will open ways for us and accept our Duas readily.

I pray Allah gives you and me the ability to do as much Istighfaar as we can, In Sha Allah Ta'alah.

Ameen

 

Sadaqah and its Virtues

Assalamu-alaykum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuhu

Every day we see, hear and read in the news what is happening to our Muslim brothers and sisters all around the world. In Syria, Palestine, Burma, Bangladesh, Pakistan and many other countries. It is our duty to help our brothers and sisters in Islam. There are many ways in which we can help our brothers and sisters. One way is by doing dua for them.

There is another way in which we can help them and this is by giving money. Giving Sadaqah. The meaning of Sadaqah is to give your wealth to others as an act of worship and also to become closer to Allah Ta'alah. It removes  trials and hardships and is a way in which we can increase our good deeds.

The money we give can help provide food, clean water, clothes and other necessary items. We are too busy complaining about things like the weather that we forget that there are millions of people in the world who don't even taste fresh food or clean water for days.

We should spend our time, money and effort in giving Sadaqah for the pleasure of Allah Ta'alah as the reward of giving Sadaqah is nothing but success, especially in the Hereafter.

There are many Ayats in the Qura'an in which Allah Ta'alah has mentioned the reward and virtues of Sadaqah.

“Those who spend of their goods (give charity) by night and by day, in secret and in public have their reward with their Rabb (only God and Sustainer). On them shall be no fear nor shall they grieve.” (Qur'an, 2:274)

Allah Ta'alah also  says:

"And spend (in charity) of that with which We have provided you, before death comes to one of you and he says: 'My Lord, if only You would delay me for a brief term so I would give charity and be among the righteous.'" (63:10)
From this Ayat we learn that it is better to give Sadaqah whilst we are in good health and have the ability. Don't leave it till tomorrow because who knows what could happen to us tomorrow. On the Day of Judgement, we will need every  possible  good deed to help us and to save us.

The Prophet Muhammad (May Allah Ta'alah's peace and blessings be upon him) said "There is not one single one of you but that Allah Ta'alah will speak to him with no interpreter between them. He will look to his right and see nothing but what he has sent forth. He will look to his left and see nothing but what he has sent forth. He will look in front of him and see nothing but the fire facing him. So beware of the fire - even if with just half a date." (Muslim & Bukhari)

Since Sadaqah is not limited to giving of money or part of our wealth, every Muslim can therefore earn rewards from Allah Ta'alah. Sadaqah is an easy way to increase our Imaan. Every Muslim whether poor or wealthy can give Sadaqah at all times. The Prophet Muhammad (May Allah Ta'alah's peace and blessings be upon him) tells us that even Dhikr (remembrance of Allah Ta'alah) is also form of Sadaqah.

There are many Hadeeth narrated by many Sahabah regarding the virtues Sadaqah. I have listed a few below:-

It has been narrated that The Prophet Muhammad (May Allah Ta'alah's peace and blessings be upon him) said, "The upper hand is better than the lower hand." The upper hand is the hand that gives and the lower hand is the one that takes. So this Hadeeth means that the one who gives charity is better than him who takes it.

 Prophet Muhammad (SAW) said, "Seven people will be shaded by Allah Ta'alah under His shade on the day when there will be no shade except His." And among them one is a man who gives in charity and hides it, such that his left hand does not know what his right hand gives in charity."

 Mu'aadh bin Jabal (May Allah Ta'alah be pleased with him) narrated from The Prophet Muhammad (May Allah Ta'alah's peace and blessings be upon him) "Sadaqah extinguishes sin as water extinguishes fire." (Ahmad, Tirmidhi)

 The Prophet Muhammad (May Allah Ta'alah's peace and blessings be upon him) also said: "The believer's shade on the Day of Resurrection will be his Sadaqah."(Ahmad)

Abdullah ibn `Amr ibn Al-`as (May Allah Ta'alah be pleased with him) reported: A man asked Messenger of Allah Ta'alah, (May Allah Ta'alah's peace and blessings be upon him)   "Which act in Islam is the best?'' The Prophet Muhammad (May Allah Ta'alah's peace and blessings be upon him)  replied, "To feed (the poor and the needy) and to greet those whom you know and those you do not know.''

Abu Hurairah (may Allah Ta'alah be pleased with him) has narrated that The Messenger of Allah Ta'alah (peace and blessings of Allah Ta'alah be upon him) said: "Whoever gives charity equal to a date from good (Halaal) earnings – for Allah Ta'alah does not accept anything but that which is good – Allah Ta'alah will take it in His right hand and tend it for the one who gave it as any one of you tends his foal, until it becomes like a mountain." (Bukhari)

There are plenty of actions that we can do in which we will gain the reward of  Sadaqah. There are a few listed below:

1.    Giving and donating money.

2.    Helping someone in need.

3.    Speaking kind words.

4.    Dhikr- Remembering Allah Ta'alah.

5.    Every step that you take (towards the mosque) for Salat (prayer).

6.    Removing harmful things from the road or the footpath.

7.    Smiling.

The Messenger of Allah Ta'alah (May Allah Ta'alah's peace and blessings be upon him) said "To smile in the company of your brother is charity. To command to do good deeds and to prevent others from doing evil is charity. To guide a person in a place where he cannot get astray is charity. To remove troublesome things like thorns and bones from the road is charity. To pour water from your jug into the jug of your brother is charity. To guide a person with defective vision is charity for you."(Bukhari)

To be able to gain as much reward as possible we should try to give Sadaqah by trying to observe the following:

1.    Sadaqah must be done sincerely for the pleasure of Allah Ta'alah and not done in order to gain praise from others.

2.    It is better to conceal what we give or do as Sadaqah. Don't announce what you are giving as this may be seen as a way of gaining praise from others.

3. Do not count the Sadaqah you give. Allah Ta'alah doesn't count the blessings that he has given to us so why should we count what we are giving to others. It is mentioned in Hadeeth “Spend in charity and do not keep count for then Allah Ta'alah will also keep count in giving you provision.” (Bukhari and Muslim)

I think its been a while since added a new daily target. So a quick reminder the first one was to say Astaghfirullah at least 100 times a day.
The second one was to read any Durood Shareef at least 100 times a day.
And the next target is :

To give Sadaqah at least once a week.
This can be any amount.

So try your best to make this part of your daily routine. In Sha Allah

I pray that Allah gives me and you the ability to utilise our time in doing good deeds. And I pray Allah accepts all our deeds.
I pray that Allah Ta'alah give us all the opportunity to give as much Sadaqah as we can in as many ways as possible. May we be blessed with the ability to spend as much of our wealth, time and lives in doing as much good deeds as possible in order to gain the pleasure of Allah Ta'alah.  Also please remember the entire Muslim Ummah in your duas.

Ameen

The Blessed Day, Friday.

Assalamu-alaykum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuhu

Alhamdulillah It is Friday. I am sure most of us are aware of the significance of Friday in Islam. The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said "Friday is the best of days."

In order to make the most out of this day, we should do as many acts of Ibadah as we can in order to gain countless reward, In Sha Allah.

Below are some acts that we  should try to do so that we can make our Friday not just a normal day, but a day of blessing and reward.

·         Recite Surah Kahf (Surah 18)

o    There is a lot of reward in reciting Surah Kahf. It can be recited before Jumuah Salat or after. The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said "Whoever recites Surah Kahf on Friday, Allah Ta'ala will shine a light for him between the two Fridays".

o    In another Hadeeth the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said "The person who recites Surah Kahf on Fridays, a nur (a light) will appear for him from below the arsh (throne) as high as the skies. This light will help him in the darkness of the day of resurrection. And all the sins which he may have committed from the last Friday to this Friday will be forgiven. The Hadeeth refers to minor sins, not the major sins as they will only be forgiven with repentance, In Sha Allah.

o    In another Hadeeth the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever reads Surat al-Kahf on Friday, he will be illuminated with light between the two Fridays.”

·         Reciting Durood

o    We should try to read a lot of Durood Shareef on Fridays. This can Durood-e-Ibrahim which we recite within our Namaz or any other Durood. It has been mentioned in a Hadeeth the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said "Of all days, Friday is the most virtuous. It is on this day that the trumpet will be blown. Send abundant Durood upon me on Friday because they are presented to me on that day."

·         Make Dua

o    We should take the opportunity to make lots of dua on Friday. In Sha Allah through the blessings of this day our duas will be answered.

·         It is a day of Eid, so prepare like you would do on the actual Eid days.

o    The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said "O Muslims. Allah Ta'ala has made this day a day of Eid. So have a bath on this day, whoever has perfume should apply it and use the Miswaak."

o    We should cut our nails on this day.

o    If you have any new clothes, then wear them on Friday. If not try to wear your best clothes.

These are just a few of the things that we should try to do every Friday. In Sha Allah by doing so we will gain heaps and heaps of reward. Many of the things don't take a lot of time and are probably what we do anyway. So before doing any of the above ,mentioned actions ensure you make an the intention that you are doing this so that you gain reward and to please Allah Ta'ala on this blessed day . Don't MISS The Golden Opportunity.

I think its been a while since  added a new daily target. So a quick reminder the first one was to say Astaghfirullah at least 100 times a day.

The next Target is :

To read any Durood Shareef at least 100 times a day

 

So try your best to make this part of your daily routine. In Sha Allah

I pray that Allah gives me and you the ability to utilise our time in doing good deeds. And I pray Allah accepts all our deeds. 

I pray Allah gives you and me the ability to make the most out of this Blessed day, In Sha Allah.

Ameen

Trust in Allah Ta'ala

Assalamu-alaykum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuhu

 Alhamdulillah for many of us our exams are over. But for some they may have just begun and for others it may just be the end of a long and exhausting week. Whatever it is, we should go through every step of our lives by putting our trust in Allah.

This is something that affects us all in our life time, whether it is from a positive or a negative aspect. Sometimes our trust in Allah brings out the best in us, i.e.  When things are running smoothly and going according to what we want we tend to be happy individuals. Other times we feel so low and empty and feel nothing but despair in Allah. Why? 

What we need to remember is that when we claim we have faith in Allah we are also required to have faith in 6 other things. I won’t go into too much depth about them all, but want to point out one which is that we proclaim that we believe in taqdeer (fate), whether it is good or bad. Fate is the knowledge of something before it takes place and indeed that quality is only with Allah. What we have to remember is Allah knows what will be better for us and He loves us more than anyone or anything in the world. Allah Ta'ala even loves us more than our parents so how can it be that He would let anything happen to that could harm us.

When you’re in despair, there is no need to feel helpless because the tests and tribulations that come your way are merely signs that portray Allah Ta'ala's love towards you. Instead you should feel special. Allah Ta'ala says “Verily He is with those whom have patience”. So when a calamity hits you, don’t become saddened because “Allah does not afflict someone with any situation unless He knows they are capable of bypassing it” and “Verily Allah does not break His promise” so how much trust do you have in Allah?

Relating this topic to exams or any test that you may be faced with, just keep in mind if exams have gone well then carry on thanking Allah as your blessings are likely to increase. If you're thinking “I should have written this” or “Oh no, others have answered differently” then all I have to say is don’t worry too much. You yourself know how much effort you put in and that maybe next time you should revise harder. But there is one thing that you need to do and that is you need to stop with the doubting. Why? Because like many of us, you must have prayed extra Nawaafil, Tasbeeh, Dhikr and done lots of Dua. So, these doubts should not even cross your mind as you are not doubting your own capabilities but you are doubting Allah. What you should be thinking is it’s all in Allah’s hand and at the end of the day it is Allah's decision as He knows best. The only thing that could possibly change your fate is Dua as "Dua" is the weapon of a believer.

Don't ever feel that your dua isn't being accepted because this will make you lose trust in Allah. Ask Allah everyday for whatever you need. Humble yourself in front of Allah. Talk to Him as he is As-Samee, The All hearing. Allah will never turn his servant away, so carry on asking and praying.

In a Hadeeth Qudsi it has been mentioned: “O My servants, it is but your deeds that I reckon for you. Then I recompense you for them. The one who finds good is to give praises to Allah. The one who finds other than that should not blame anyone but himself ."

So remember, if at times things go wrong then as mentioned above we have no one but ourselves to blame. This can be due to our sins and wrong doings, but then again we would prefer to live with the calamities faced in this life, compared to the punishment of the Akhiraa (after life). To put our hearts and mind at peace Allah Ta'ala says “even if you come to me asking forgiveness and your sins have reached the froth of the sea or are equal to the size of a mountain I will forgive.” Subhanallah.

May Allah give me and you the ability to have full trust in Him, as He is Most Merciful, All Knowing and a True Friend.

Ameen

Dont forget the daily target which is to say Astaghfirullah at least 100 times a day.

No good deed is too small

Assalamu-alaykum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuhu

Throughout our lives we often miss and overlook many deeds that we see as small. I wouldn't say that these deeds are really small deeds because the reward that we get from doing them is huge. However they are seen as small because it takes little time and effort to do these good deeds.

As Muslims, we should strive to do as many good deeds that we possibly can so that in the hereafter we can In Shaa Allah, enter Paradise. Every good deed, no matter how small, has the potential of becoming our ticket to Paradise.

We all know that there are certain acts of worship which we have to do, such as praying Salaah 5 times a day and fasting in Ramadan. But we often forget or pay less attention to other acts that we do that could or already are great ways for us to gain a lot of reward.

For example, eating. We usually eat 3-4 meals a day. If at every time we sat down to eat, we followed the way Prophet Muhammad (saw) would eat, then we will In Shaa Allah get loads of reward. We can start by reading the dua before eating, by sitting down, by eating with our fingers and then reading the dua after we finish. Doing these acts take no time at all so why miss them out.

There are also many duas and Dhikr that we can do that will also help us get a lot of reward. I will mention some below, but before I do so I want to quickly add something.

I don't know about you, but many times I have planned a schedule of certain Hasanaat and good deeds that I want to do on a daily basis. I write them all down. From praying Tahajjud to reading Qura'an to doing tasbeeh and doing Dhikr. Alhamdulillah when I start to follow my plan I do everything I can to make sure I have ticked off everything on my list. However, due to other reasons, after a few weeks I realise that I am doing only a few things from my list. I am sure there are many people who have done something similar to this and in the end have reached the same ending as mine. I am not saying that don't plan or make a schedule like this. It's a good way of helping you to do more good deeds and become a better person, but remember, Rasoolullah (saw) said "The deeds most loved by Allah (are those) done regularly, even if they are small."

So start of doing maybe 1-2things for a week. Then every week add something on, making sure that you are still doing what you started in the past weeks. In Shaa Allah by doing so we will have consistency and can do more.

Ok so below are a few Hadeeth of Rasoolullah (saw), in which there are some quick and easy and rewarding good deeds that we can all In Shaa Allah do EVERYDAY.

1. Prophet Muhammad (saw) once said to some people in a gathering "Is anyone of you incapable of earning one thousand Hasanah (rewards) a day?" Someone from the gathering asked, "How can anyone of us earn a thousand Hasanah?" Prophet Muhammad (saw) said "Glorify Allah a hundred times by just saying "Subhanallah” and a Good deeds will be written for you, or a thousand sins will be wiped away.”

2. Prophet Muhammad (saw) said to his Companions, “Are any of you unable to recite a third of the Qur’an in a night?” That was difficult for them and they said, “Which of us is able to do that, Messenger of Allah?” Prophet Muhammad (saw) said, “[The surah]‘Say: He is Allah, Absolute Oneness, Allah, the Everlasting Sustainer of all’constitutes a third of the Qur’an.'

3. Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (Peace Be Upon him) said, “There are two statements that are light for the tongue but are heavy on the Scales and are dear to the Merciful: `Subhan-Allahi wa bihamdihi, Subhan-Allahil-Azim [Glory be to Allah and His is the praise, (and) Allah, the Greatest is free from imperfection)'.''

It is also important to remember that we need to ensure that our intention before we do something is correct. This means that whatever we are doing is for the sake of Allah Ta'ala and no one else. We also need to remember to do everything with sincerity.

I have also decided that in order to help myself and others, at the end of some of my blogs , I will write a deed that we should try to do every day. In Shaa Allah, by doing it every day it will become a habit for us. So keep your eyes open and make sure you check the end of the blog.

The first one is to say Astaghfirullah at least 100 times a day.

So lets try from now on to do make this part of our daily routine.
I pray that Allah gives me and you the ability to utilise our time in doing good deeds. And I pary Allah accepts all our deeds.

Ameen