#Letting go of things for the sake of Allah swt

[damneddunya]

Oh God, I'm so confused

[faithful-diaries]

Salam, I hope you're in amazing health.

I have a question, a feeling which feels weird. Alhumdolillah I observe pardah and wear hijabs and loose abaya and minimal to no makeup. This is something that I have achieved after a lot of hard work. On the exterior I look like a very good muslim woman which makes me so full of joy however, on the inside, my iman fluctuates. I fear I am presenting myself as something I'm not because people often assume that I am a perfect Muslim just because of my conduct whereas I know the reality and how much I struggle with my deen behind closed doors.

Is this normal and widely felt and if so, how do I go about this feeling ?

JazakAllahh khair sister ❤️

Walaikum assalam sister

wa iyyaki🫶🏻

First of all trust me you aren’t alone, idk about anyone else but me surely. I have spent alot of time consumed in this feeling. There’s one thing ik for sure is that imaan fluctuates, if our imaan was to remain the same, we would never make efforts to improve it; we wouldn't beg to Allah, asking Him to take us back to Him. Most importantly, we wouldn't realize how much our hearts feel at home with Him; for the hearts feel lost when away from Him.

When you observe modesty for the sake of Allah, know that you are one of the chosen ones. If you’re doing this right and if you hold on to your haya, trust me the guilt and the discomfort you’ll feel with your sins will keep leading you back to the path of repentance. But we must be hard on ourselves at some point because we can’t let the nafs control us right. There’s this whole battle, and we gotta keep reminding ourselves to not look at the smallness of the sin; rather look at Whom you have sinned against. Remain humble, repent, make istighfar constantly and just change your ways. Don’t fall for the whispers of shaytaan telling you can’t overcome this or that, or you’re too sinful to repent, etc etc.

Remembered by this:

Ibn Al Qayyim رَحِمَهُ ٱللَّٰهُ said,

"Know if the people admire you, verily in essence they are actually admiring the beautiful veil that Allah has covered you with.

subhan Allah…

and Bilal Ibn Sa'ad رَحِمَهُ ٱللَّٰهُ said,

Do not be a friend of Allah in the public (eye) while you are His enemy in private.

Remember you aren’t alone in this and that we must strive harder. May Allah swt make it easy for you🌷

[questionsonislam]

Who is a martyr? Can we consider anyone who has been killed in a war as a martyr?

One of the most important principles that make Muslims superior to their enemies is the belief, I would be martyr if I were killed or would be blessed veteran if I survived. This situation is described as one of two glorious things in the verse. (Al-Tawba Surah, 52) In other words, there is one of two glorious outcomes for a believer: he will either defeat or die as a martyr. (1)

The words that Haleed Bin Waleed told the commander-in-chief of Persia are a fine example as to show what the desire for martyrdom gains Muslims:

I have come here with an army that loves death as much as you love life and wine. (2)

A martyr is one who gives his life through the way of Allah. Some ask the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), O Allahs Messenger! Some fight for heroism. Some fight for patriotism. Some fight for hypocrisy. Which one of them is through the way of Allah? Allahs Messenger (PBUH) responds: Whoever fights in order to exalt the name of Allah, he is on the path of Allah. (3)

Intention is of great importance in Islam. The degrees of actions are determined by their intentions. (4) The good intention of someone is better than his good deed. (5) The story of Kuzman is a good example of this. Kuzman is a brave man. He fights bravely in Uhud war. Allahs Messenger already foretells his being one of the people of Hell. While he is in a severely wounded state, someone says, By Allah, today you fought so bravely. Be blessings upon you. Kuzman replies: Blessing? I fought only for my tribes honor. Or else, I would not. Then, when his wound becomes aggravated, he can no more endure it and kills himself. (6)

Just as Kuzman, some did not die martyr although they are in the Prophets (PBUH) army; on the other hand, some are considered martyrs although they die at their homes. The Prophet (PBUH) declares, Whoever wishes martyrdom sincerely, Allah takes him to the destination of martyrs although he dies in his bed. (7)

Apart from those dying in the war, the Prophet (PBUH) also announced that such believers are also martyrs as the women who die during giving birth, believers who are drowned, and burn to death. (8)

There are some comments on why those who die making jihad for the sake of Allah (SWT) are called martyrs:

1- Those who are to go to Paradise do not witness Paradise in their graves, but martyrs do. Therefore, they are called martyrs. (Here we deem it necessary to put a note to make the meaning of the word martyr clear. Arabic word for martyr is Shaheed, which means Witness. In order to prevent any confusion of meanings we need to indicate it here)

2- Allah (SWT) and angels witness that they are the people of Paradise.

3- On the Judgment Day, they will be witnessing together with prophets and saints. Hence, they are called martyrs. (Witnesses) (9)

The life of martyrs is a spiritual one, or rather is a true life. (10) The martyr thinks he is still alive. He finds himself in a better realm without feeling the pain of death. The Prophet (PBUH) told of the 70 martyrs who lost their lives in Uhud war: When your brothers have become martyrs in Uhud, Allah (SWT) has put their spirits into the bodies of birds. They drink from the rivers of Paradise and eat from its fruits. They reside in the golden oil lamps in the shade of Allahs Throne. On seeing the beauty of their foods, drinks and pleasures, they will wish that somebody would inform their brothers in the world about their welfare and their being granted bounties so that they would not run away while fighting. Allah Almighty says that I am going to let them know about your situation and announces it with these verses. (12)

Think not of those, who are slain in the way of Allah, as dead. Nay, they are living. With their Lord, they have provision. Jubilant (are they) because of that which Allah hath bestowed upon them of His bounty, rejoicing for the sake of those who have not joined them but are left behind: that there shall no fear come upon them neither shall they grieve. They rejoice because of favor from Allah and kindness, and that Allah wasted not the wage of the believers. (Al-i-Imran Surah, 3:169-171)

Martyrs are the ones selected from among the ones who make jihad. The Allah Almighty selects them and takes them close to Himself. (13) When Allah mentions the wisdoms of the defeat, He also wants this to be considered: He may take to Himself from your ranks martyr-witnesses. (Al-i-Imran Surah, 3:140)

One of the martyrs of Uhud is Enes bin Nadr, the uncle of Enes. He says, I could not participate in the Battle of Badr. You will see how I will fight if Allah would grant a war side by side with the Messenger (pbuh).

In The Battle of Uhud, when the enemies shout, Muhammad was killed, the believers become scattered. Enes bin Nadr passes by a group of people who laid down their arms. He asks them Why are you sitting? They say: The Prophet (PBUH) got killed! Enes bin Nadr tells them: If he is dead, what is the use of a life without him? Get up; die on the same way that he died for! Then he rushes onto the enemy and loses his life. After the battle, they count eighty or so wounds of arrows and spears on his corpse. (14) This verse praises those who are like Enes bin Nadr:

Among the Believers are men who have been true to their Covenant with Allah: of them some have completed their vow (to the extreme), and some (still) wait: but they have never changed (their determination) in the least. (Al-Ahzab Surah, 33:23)

The principle purpose of participating war is not to become martyr but to exalt the True One, to make the religion more superior. (15) Receiving the rank of martyrdom is a great attainment on ones way to the target. Therefore, some persons have always kept praying as follows:

O Allah (SWT)! Take our lives only as martyrs and with full of faith for you.

Sources:

1-Ibnu Kesir, IV, 102; Nesefi, II, 130

2-Abdu rabbih, p., 387

3-İbnu Mace, Cihad, 13; Tirmidi, Fedailü'l-Cihad, 16

4-Bukhari, Bed'ül-Vahy, I; Tirmidi, Fedailu'l-Cihad, 16; İbnu Mace, Zühd, 26

5-Acluni, II, 324

6-Ibnu Hisham, III, 93-94; Also see. Bukhari, Cihad, 77

7-Ibnu Mace, Cihad, 15; Tirmidi, Fedailul-Cihad, 19

8-Ibnu Mace, Cihad, 17

9-Razi, IX, 17

10-Yazır, I, 547

11-Nursi, Hutbe-i Şamiye, p., 122

12-Ebu Davud, Cihad, 25

13-Kutub, I, 481

14-Ibnu Hisham, III, 88; Tirmidi, Tefsir, 33/2

15-Beydavi, I, 224

[sabrgirl]

Assalamalaikum, how do I let go of shame due to sins committed in the past? I’ve sincerely repented and know Allah SWT is Most Merciful but I’m still feeling guilt and anxiety.

'Say, "O My servants who have committed excesses against their own souls! despair not the mercy of Allah, surely Allah forgives all sins. Verily, He is Most Forgiving, Merciful.' (39:54)

it's natural to feel guilty and anxious at our faults. but understand that you and this life was never meant to be perfect. instead, Jannah, and who we will be in Jannah is and will be perfect.

'And assuredly, We have created man and We know what his nafs whispers to him, and We are nearer to him than even his jugular vein' (50:17)

Allah knows our hearts, he knows our weaknesses. He has created us, so of course He does. but like He says here, He is closer to us than even something that keeps us alive, so keep turning to Him. you say that you have sincerely repented, which is good alhamdulillah. this life is just a sea, taking us across the ocean to our final destination. so continue asking for forgiveness, but don't let your regret and guilt be an anchor in the sea, dragging you down to the bottom. instead, let your regret be your drive, your motor, your strength to keep going, keep swimming, by learning from your sins and becoming a better person and striving for His sake. have trust in Allah that He truly is Forgiving and Merciful.

a pair that is always mentioned in the Qur'an together is reward and punishment. He talks about the wrongdoers and their punishment, but then right after in so many places, he says 'except those who believe and do good works'. He wants us to fear punishment but also have hope in a reward. it's a balance. fear should be our drive to make us avoid bad deeds and punishment, which makes us do good things. and then doing good deeds gives us hope in the Mercy of Allah. so it is good to feel guilty. but don't let it drag you down. don't let your fear make you give up. but don't take your time here for granted either.

so understand yourself that you are human and you will have shortcomings. but make an action plan for how to be a better muslim and strive to be so for His sake.

[sisterssafespace]

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته

Sisters I’m in a big predicament. I was approached for the purpose of marriage nearly a year ago and alhamdullilah this brother is EVERYTHING I would want in a future spouse. Everything was halal, spoke to my elder brother/s, we had my brother join us in all our meeting, never spoke unnecessarily and strictly kept things halal. To keep things short, my parents do not approve of him due to tribes (I’m Somali btw). They are strictly saying N.O. - not only to tribe, but they want me to complete Uni first and be established and independent.

I’ve tried speaking with them and it has not been working. I cut things off for now with the brother to lessen the stress as it started to worry me that there is no point continuing to talk if marriage is not promised. We were both hesitant, but ceased speaking. Although we kept thing’s extremely professional and distant, I’m shattered, because I know of what a great person he is and would be as a husband and father. Any advices?

و عليكم السلام و رحمة اللّٰه و بركاته حبيبتي،

First of all, I am deeply sorry for the situation you are in, even though you made sure things with this brother are kept professional and distant as you said, it does hurt, especially for us girls because we do get attached too quickly whether we like it or not and we start daydreaming and planning, etc. Having your dreams being crushed does and will hurt, it is bound to cause you a heartbreak even if you are trying to be not very emotional about it. It is definitely not easy for a sister to find the guy she thinks is " EVERYTHING " and then would have to let him go.. I am really sorry sweetheart..

لا حول و لا قوة الا بالله 💔🥺

Now, on a practical level, I do salute you for cutting ties with him right after your parents disagreed, that is very brave of you!! But you should remember that whomever left something for the sake of Allah swt, Allah swt will reward them and will please them in a way that exceed their expectations and all their dreams.

There are two theories here:

1) this guy, despite him being everything - Allahuma barik - he is not the one for you, he may be - and I am saying maybe - a good guy but he is not good for you, and in that case then Allah swt is removing him from your life because He swt knows that there is no khayr in this relationship for you. And in that case your parents' refusal is just a means to realize Allah's decree.

2) this guy is good for you, he is meant for you, this situation is just a bump in the road. Also, let me just clarify that your parents, with all due respect, have no business refusing the guy because he is from a different tribe. If Allah swt has said in Surah Hujurat (49:13)

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّاسُ إِنَّا خَلَقۡنَٰكُم مِّن ذَكَرٖ وَأُنثَىٰ وَجَعَلۡنَٰكُمۡ شُعُوبٗا وَقَبَآئِلَ لِتَعَارَفُوٓاْۚ إِنَّ أَكۡرَمَكُمۡ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ أَتۡقَىٰكُمۡۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ خَبِيرٞ

O mankind, indeed We have created you from male and female and made you peoples and tribes that you may know one another. Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you. Indeed, Allah is Knowing and Acquainted.

Then they're argument is invalid. Unfortunately, a lot of people are still carrying that mentality but that's purely cultural and it has nothing to do with the religion. You can find a lot of videos on YouTube where the Imams or the Shaykhs are urging parents to let go of that mindset and are actually defending the daughter or the son's desire to marry outside the tribe or outside the culture. You can send them or show them these videos, you can talk to someone influential in the family maybe a grandparent or an uncle and ask for their help to convince your parents.. I wonder what your brother can do about this as well, you mentioned he was with you when you'd meet the guy, and I got the feeling that he liked him or at least didn't object to him, so maybe as an older brother he could talk to your parents as well.. and in shaa Allah khayr. As for their argument for you to finish uni, we can't argue with that. I don't know though, I know it is not unusual in your culture to marry young and keep studying and finish one's degree while being married. It is not unheard of. I also don't know how young you are and how many years left of studying you have, may Allah swt grant you success and put blessings in your studies and make it a beneficial knowledge for you, ameen. But again, getting married while still in uni is not a simple decision, you need to consider a lot of factors, especially how financially stable the spouse is and to what extent he can support you.. some couples get married and still live at the parents' house, others get married and don't even live together because they'd be a way studying in a different city or something.. it really depends on their specific situation, on their priorities and on their boundaries, like what couple A is comfortable with might not be suitable for couple B, so like this one particular argument, you are the vetter judge for it. Does that make sense?

But how do we know which theory is the right one? How do we know whether he is not right for you or not .. well, " But it may be that you hate something while it is good for you, and it may be that you love something while it is bad for you. Allah knows, and you do not know."

So what you need right now and I know you asked for advice and I feel like all you can do right now, all that is in your hands and under your control right now is to pray on it: istikharah istikharah istikharah all the way.. istikharah and let go tbh. Pray on it, ask Allah swt to enlighten your parents' basirah, soften their heart and guide them, but also let go and focus on your studies. Time will tell. In shaa Allah with time, you will see and understand the answer to your prayers. If this brother is the right guy for you, if there is khayr in being with him, if he is your rizq and he is your maktoub then he will not go anywhere. Allah swt will make a way to reuinte you in his blessings. But if he is not your rizq then he was never yours to begin with habibty, and your rizq is hidden somewhere else. All you have to do is have tawakkul and rely on Allah swt, have good faith in Allah swt, and believe that He is the best of planners. Alhamdullillah, what is meant for us will never miss us.

I hope my reply is satisfying for you my dear.

I pray Allah swt grant you patience to walk through this trial, and I pray He grant you all the khayr of this duniya and hereafter. May Allah swt bless you with the good pious humble gentle brother who really deserves your heart and knows how to take care of you, and the same for all muslim girls who are looking to get married, ameen.

Lots of love, fi aman Allah,

- A. Z. 🤍🍃

[writcrwithin]

"I need sometime to think"

I will make it easier for you. I have come to a conclusion that you and I will no longer see each other, speak to each other or even think of one another.

If there was any love in your heart for me or for my son, you'd have fought very hard. It is with a heavy heart that I have decided to let you go. Do not tell her anything. She doesn't desrve the hurt. You will miss me. You will miss the way that I loved you. You will look for me everywhere and find me nowhere. I've planned on disappearing from your life for good. Not for my own mental and emotional sake, but for my son's as well. He deserves a lot better than this on again, off again false promises you give him.

My only dua for you is this -

That you have daughters. That your sisters have daughters. That they all go through what I went through. This is not a bad dua or a curse of any type, because look at me now. Alhamdullilah, successful by the will of Allah SWT and I only rely on Him. I pray that they go through separations/heart breaks as I did and when they finally do meet someone, that they are as weak as you, who leave them broken.

Maybe, when you see your own flesh and blood heartbroken and hurt, you'll grow to understand the hurt you have caused me and my son.

The truth always comes out, but I also know that Allah SWT is Just and He will take care of me. You have hurt me and my son and Allah SWT will be just in giving you what you deserve. I pray you are safe, but my heart cannot be gentle or kind right now. I trusted you and you let me down.

I should have never been kept on a "back burner" in case things didnt work out that you came back to me. You are not the person I thought you would be. You only gave me words but you never did anything you said you would do.

I deserve someone who is honest with me. I choose me. I choose my son. I cannot choose someone who does not respect other people's feelings and you will learn this the hard way.

I'm sorry, but now I leave you in the care of Allah, because I am done. I've given up on you.

------------

Would it make me a bad person if I sent this to him?

[beautyofislams-blog]

Forgive people who have caused you pain and hurt you.

Deep dive:

"Inna mal a'amalu bin niyat"

All actions depends on the intentions!

So forgive not because you are trying to be the bigger person or because you feel sorry of the other person or because you have such a big heart though those things could also be the reason but mainly forgive for the sake of Allah SWT. For if we show mercy and forgiveness to the people on this earth then those in the sky "Allah SWT " will show mercy and forgiveness to us. Forgive for the sake of Allah SWT! Let it go!

That act of forgiving and letting go has nothing to do with a living being on this earth rather it has everything to do with you and Allah SWT. And then at the end of the day Allah SWT is al adl and al aleem. He is the most just and He knows the whole truth! Nothing is hidden from Him and He doesn't forget. So why worry! Be at peace and be in total comfort with this knowledge deep within our souls that its all going to be ok. Allah SWT is ever present. Allah SWT will take care of everything in the right time, the right way, in fact the most perfect of ways, for Allah SWT is the best of planners. He sees everything, He knows everything. Alhamdulillahi rabbil Alameen🤲🤲

[b-lessings]

How to heal a broken heart?

" Kintsugi is the Japanese art of putting broken pottery pieces back together with gold — built on the idea that in embracing flaws and imperfections, you can create an even stronger, more beautiful piece of art. " [x]

The answer to this question is Kintsugi - but the pottery is the heart and the gold is Allah's love and Allah's nur.

If I am not mistaken, Ustadha Yasmin Mogahed has talked about this in Reclaim Your Heart (which is my go-to recommendation in such situations) so my thoughts might not be that original after all, but inspired. The point is, when a heart gets broken, one should allow light to come through those little cracks, and this light will bring forth the truth: The truth that a heart can only get broken if it chased something not theirs, and that a heart can only get broken if it wasn't strong enough and soft enough, because soft things don't break, they could bend but not break. Do you know how can a heart be strong and soft at the same time? Only with Allah swt.

Now, hear me out, I know my words sound too "Al Rumi" and a little bit too dreamy or too romantic for someone who just got their heart broken. My old self would be rolling her eyes at me rn. But I promise you, it is a life lesson that I had to learn the hard way, and that now allows me to look into the eyes of anyone who is struggling and tell them confidently: I promise you, it gets better, that heart of yours that's broken, Allah swt will mend it, those dreams of yours that got lost, Allah swt will make your reality much better than you could have ever imagined, and that thing you wanted that didn't work out for you, it did work out for your best, you might not realize it now, you just gotta trust.

On a more reasonable note, I am a logical person, to fix a situation I would tackle the causes. What has led to this heartbreak? Did we get attached to someone? Well, Allah swt says we shouldn't. I have read somewhere (probably Yasmin Mogahed) that Allah swt is jealous over His slave and their heart. He swt wants the slave's heart to be only His. And their love to be solely and fully for His sake. If someone else is placed in that heart by the slave, Allah swt doesn't take competitors, so He will remove that person from the slave's life. I know it could sound too blah for certain people and that's okay. The concept is more detailed than this and that is why I high recommend you (re)read Reclaim Your Heart or watch Ustadha Yasmin Mogahed's videos. The point is, so often life gets in our way. After all we are only human, we are weak and meant to make mistakes. Life gets in our way, life seduces us, and we lose track of our priorities. We forget that we are here to worship Allah swt " I have not created mankind and jinn except to worship Me. " [51:56] and we forget that this life is only temporary,and that our hearts yearn for the eternal home that is paradise. We start chasing the temporary rewards and temptations of this duniyah, we become obsessed, we let them control us. Having dreams and goals is okay, it is encouraged in fact but beware of it turning into an obsession (هوس) - and as the Arabic proverb says (ما زاد عن حده انقلب إلى ضده). There is a certain limit after which the dream you were chasing will take over you and will control you and enslave you. Be it love, money, professional successs, power, freedom.. even those chasing " freedom " are slaves to it. Whereas, we could only be slaves of Allah swt. And if what I love controls me anyways so at least Imma love my Creator, worship Him, and please Him, which is the only safe way to love, that will guarantee you no losses. And this perspective does not say you shouldn't love people or things around you, that's no life! Love does make this duniya a little more bearable. The point is to love them a) for the sake of Allah swt, and b) not too much that it controls you.

Another concept that is mentioned in Reclaim Your Heart is that Allah swt is the only central consistent in our hearts, and everything/ everyone else is peripheral. Once you start viewing life this way, nothing can disappoint or break your heart anymore.

There is so much to talk about I feel like I have written one long ask and I am not even halfway through my thoughts.

To sum up and in reference to "Kintsugi" - you have to let the light come in through the cracks, expose the truth, look for the reasons that led to the heartbreak and fix them by seeking refuge in Allah swt, for He is Al-Jabbar (the mender), He is As-shafi (the healer) and He is Al-lateef (The kind/gentle).

May Allah swt mend every broken heart and guide them to see the truth. May Allah swt take away their pain and replace it with content and peace. May Allah swt protect the hearts of Muslim girls, purify them from the scarring of this duniya and grant them sakinah. Ameen. 🤍

[im-someone-i-guess]

So earlier today my mom and I had an argument about France and the whole hijab disagreement, but because I'm an atheist raised by atheists raised by atheists I feel like my say doesn't count as much as yours would. So genuinely curious (and too awkward to show my url), what is your hijab (I recall you wear one?) to you? Because I know hijabs have a sexist history, but in modern times what does it mean to you and what are your thoughts on the whole deal in France?

First of all, I'd like to thank you for asking instead of assuming the answer and living in ignorance. Many decided that they would rather not know and i'm glad you're not one of them.

Then, I'd like to address "hijab has a sexist history". There is absolutely nothing sexist about a hijab, the cultures and islamophobic views had let people think that. You could send me another ask and i'll explain just about that.

So what does a hijab mean to me?

Growing up in a kind Islam family, where my family never forced anything onto me, I learned exactly why i the hijab is important and crucial.

Some don't know this and simply wear it for the sake of wearing or to avoid their parent's scorn. I do not agree with the parent's actions, i'd like to make that clear. Sure as muslims we must do what our parents tell us but as parents (i'm not a parent), we cannot simply ask our children to do things without reason.

I wear a hijab, like i earlier said because i understand it's crucial but you must be wondering exactly why it is crucial.

Well, a hijab is like a symbol. For example, if u see the american flag hung in someone's room, you would automatically assume the person is american. It is the same with hijabs and Islam.

Also, wearing a hijab (and clothes that doesn't show our skin or the curve of our body) preserves our modesty. There is a rule in Islam where we cannot touch the opposite gender or have sexual intercourse with them before marriage.

Wearing modestly would lower the chances of attracting men to want to have sexual intercourse with us (and god i'm sounding like those mislead people trying to justify rape). And one would think that's the only reason but it is not.

Surely you know the impossible beauty standards of today regarding our bodies? Thin, shaved, big ass, big boobs and everything else.

Wearing modestly with a hijab should shield us from this, covering our aurat (body parts that we are told to keep covered by Allah SWT). Only other women, husbands, fathers, brothers, children and other mahram men (which i have forgotten).

Then, i shall address the situation in France. If you are reading this post and is still confused about exactly what the situation is, they have banned hijabs for children under the age of 18 and hijabi mothers to accompany their children to school trips and things like that.

I happen to have a french muslim friend and she had long told me it was against school rules to wear a hijab to school and any other religious symbol. She did not really specify but i am assuming things like a cross necklace is also banned. This rule doesn't affect just the muslims but may also affect other religions.

In my opinion, i find that these efforts are entirely insulting. For years i have wished to go there, had dreamed of seeing my friend face to face again but i don't really think i could, can i? The islamophobia there is sickening.

The action of banning hijabs is like roughly taking my sword away from me in the midst of a war. I don't wear my hijab simply because i was told to, i understood my god's orders and am obliging to it.

[ghaithun-min-matar]

Some of us put their bad habits on hold in Ramadan. And now that its over, some think that we can now go back to them. But if only we remember that Allah can see us all year round... and the Angels that were recording in ramadan are the same angels who are still recording after ramadan. Let us safeguard our ramadan, and intend to continue with acts of obedience and to quit these bad habits for good. Make your intention for the sake of Allah, and He swt will assist you.

An excellent way to safeguard our ramadan is to continue with the acts of obedience we did in Ramadan. A good way to start is the fasting of the 6 days of shawwal. Make intention tonight, and start fasting tomorrow, now that your nafs is still used to fasting. Try it out, invite your family, friends to do the same. Another thing is to not abandon the book of Allah. Continue reading... even if you didnt finish it during ramadan, continue. If you had a program for yourself in ramadan, dont abandon it after. These words might be hard on the nafs. But if you want to reclaim your nafs, this is the right direction. I ask Allah to make it easy for us, and keep us steadfast... ameen

[bintturaab]

Assalamalykum also how does one love someone purely for the sake of Allah? Like at the times we have to let go of someone for the sake of Allah SWT because our love for Allah is greater than that of that person but like how do you process it how do you completely let go? Like you shared the story of yours and a sister. I do know that when time is right Allah SWT will fix it and in mean time my duty is to build a very close relationship with Allah but I fall weak, any idea how to deal with this?

وعليكم السلام ورحمة الله وبركاته

I don't think there is any definitive answers for this. Before I started practicing Islam, I had 3 best friends who were the most dearest people to me. We were friends since we were babies. But from the moment I decided I want to change my life for the sake of Allah, I knew I had to leave them because I wasn't strong enough at that time to change and to be in their company which constituted a whole lot of haram, at the same time. It was the hardest thing to do because they genuinely loved me. But I had to let go. It's been a little more than 10 years, and I have no regrets over my decision, but it would be a lie if I said I'm still not affected by it when they still show kindness and love towards me. For YEARS, I would dream of them and wake up crying. Letting go was always the hardest thing for me, and it's the one thing idk how to do, despite having to do it so many times.

After I started practicing Islam, the first few years were the absolute best years of my life. I met some of the most amazing people in my life, whom I deeply love and cherish till this very day. That was the moment when I realised that when you leave something for the sake of Allah, He عز وجل replaces you with something far better that will surpass your imagination. However, a few years and various trials later, I pretty much lost everyone I ever loved, in more ways than one. Was it easy? Lol. It took me five years just to accept the fact that things changed and certain people were no longer in my life. Sometimes just the utterance of their name was enough to cause a breakdown for me. For years, I never sat and thought about my life for more than 10 seconds because I couldn't handle it.

What really did help me in completely letting go of people though, was the fact when I realised they were no longer the same people I once dearly loved. I loved them for the sake of Allah, and when I saw they were no longer holding up the deen of Allah for which I admired them so much, it just... deeply disappointed me and in some extreme cases disgusted me as well. That's what made me able to let them go - their foreignness. It unsettled me. And that's when I also realised that what I truly desire and cherish are relationships which are built on imaan, people who put Allah first and would encourage me to do so. And that's why after 10 years I'm okay with not having my childhood best friends with me, and after a long time of denial I'm finally okay with not having people who were so very precious to me. Because our lifestyle and outlook don't match. Our priorities don't match. I don't like being in their company anymore. I've mourned their deaths for too long, and now I choose to set myself free of this burden. And now this emotional distance feels so liberating subhanAllah.

I'm still recovering from having to let go of certain people for the sake of Allah. At first, I hoped for a better replacement, but now honestly, as long as Allah accepts it from me and is pleased with it, that is more than enough wallahi. All the pain is worth it if it means the pleasure of our Lord. For no love in this world compares to His love.

I'm very sorry for turning this into a sob story lecture lmao, but I feel like letting go and moving on and healing are so different for every individual. One general statement that I can say though - when you leave something you love for the sake of Allah, He replaces you with something far better whether in dunya or aakhirah. The harder it is, tje greater the reward. The peace which comes with choosing Allah over others, is incomparable wallahi. And more than anything else we may gain, the biggest achievement is if Allah is pleased with us because of it. Let this knowledge ease your heart. May Allah accept our sacrifices for His sake, however big or small, ameen. And of course, make dua to Allah to make it easy for you. Without His aid, we are helpless. And reading about the lives of sahabah and the salaf eases the pain too, because it makes you realise you're not the first to go through this, and you're not alone. The Quran, needless to say, helps immensely too - when you ponder upon its meaning and message.

And Allah knows best. It was a very personal and subjective answer, because I have no idea how to cope with goodbyes and losses. I'm just too tired and frustrated to care anymore. Sigh.

[borntobemuslim]

Assalamu alaikum wa Rahmatullah wa Barakatuhu, I see quite a bit of posts and have heard so much commentary about the niqab/hijab and how women are oppressed in Islam by having to wear one. It makes me very upset hearing this but I wanted to know how should I approach it when wanting to explain it to others ? It hurts me deeply having to see people who do not even make an effort to read the Qur'an first before making these kinds of comments.

Walaykum mussalam,

I’m not sure when you sent this but I just saw this now. Apologies if it’s been too long.

I believe it’s important to remember ones manners especially when communicating about Islam. I cannot emphasis how many times I’ve seen such rude responses from Muslims. Never belittle someone. You’d be surprised how much your tone actually shows when writing.

Don’t let little negative comments get to you. Remember these people probably have no idea so try to educate and teach.

Show them the facts through YouTube videos or websites, there’s so much information about there that show them the power behind hijab. Shows them revert stories where the first thing a women does when reverting is wearing a hijab (I saw a video of this a while back).

Tell them how real oppression is when a man can dictate how a women dresses. Majority is women fashion companies have male ceos.

Hijab stops that. We listen to a God who is superior than us, who created us & whose fashion hasn’t changed since the beginning of time. Not a man whose desires are constantly changing...

Remember you are doing this for the sake of Allah swt so even you impact one person, it’s a lot. Don’t be too harsh on yourself.

I could go on and on, but I hope this helps for the mean time.

[youarebeyoutifulx]

Hey may i know how to move on from someone we still love ?☺️

السلام عليكم،

okay let’s do this, bismillah.

i hate to say this but moving on from someone i love has been the hardest struggle of my life because it took me so long to find the solution even though i had the solution but didn’t know the right way to implement it? i say “i hate to say this” because now in the place i’m in there’s so much to life other than that, there’s so much i was missing out because i was too busy trying to move on, and “i hate to say this” because Allah swt blessed me with so much, so much & because of my heartbreak i thought my life was the worst place to be in & i talked to god a lot asking him why me? why am i the side of the relationship that has to suffer with cheating, or being lied to or whatever. i’m saying this because i want you to know that i did suffer & i do know how horrible it feels & i do know how much pain you might be in & i want you to know i’ve been in your shoes & i have the solution with me & i want you to trust me & trust Allah swt & do this knowing that you’ll move on & knowing that you’ll come out of this the best version of yourself. i’m gonna take you through my journey.

i want you to know that all along, i did pray & i did complain to Allah swt a lot & i cried & soaked my prayer mat & meh at times i did read quran when i felt too much heaviness in my heart. & okay i read the morning & evening athkar so i was doing all that thinking i’m close to god so i’m definetely gonna move on because whenever you ask anyone how to move on they just tell you get closer to god so i thought i was doing something there. Along side with all that, i talked to my friends a lot whenever i felt down i talked to them about it waiting for them to help me & yes they did help me but it was only for a matter of a few hours maybe a couple of days but then i’ll go bad again. Along side with that i worked out, along side with that i stalked him for so long because i needed to know what he was doing i felt like I needed to, i actually stalked him maybe once a minute & got several panic attacks per day depending on what i see when i stalk him & i’m not even exaggerating. just want you to know how attached i was so that you can trust me when i tell you that if i can move on from that, you can too.

for a long long time that’s what i did i relied so much on my friends, that every couple of days i’ll talk to them they’ll calm me down for a few days then i’ll talk to them again & this went on for so long until they really got tired of me hearing the same things & telling me the same things & i don’t blame them, if i were in their shoes i’d get tired of me too. but it’s not because they don’t love me, they do love me but they’re human after all, they don’t have the power to change what’s in my heart, but okay god can change what’s in my heart but i’ve been complaining to him too & he didn’t help me not yet, it’s been so long & i haven’t been progressing a single bit. so i tried again.

this time i tried to only complain to him, and stop complaining to my friends because i’m sure they’re done with me. the more i complained to him the faster i used to want the next prayer to come so that i can complain again. i wanted to keep complaining to him but i still used to think about the guy a lot because for 5 times a day all i was doing is talk to god about him i’m still so invested in the guy that throughout my whole prayer all i’m doing is think about sujood to talk about him; what was i doing. i came across something somewhere, i think in a video that said if you’re thinking about something continiously in your prayers, abandon it. tyb that’s what i’m doing! that’s why i’m praying! but i shouldn’t be praying to abandon it? it shouldn’t be the purpose of praying. i shouldn’t be praying wholeheartedly only because i want something from god. i came across something else that said if god doesn’t grant you what you want it’s because you might be praying for something that’s bad for you & god wants nothing than the best for you. but how can me getting back to a person that broke my heart so many times be bad for me that’s what i thought lol. i was so attached that i thought nothing can fix me other than going back, & hell i did go back on & on & tried forcing things to work just because i was attached and each time my heart would get worse & worse.

i was convinced after a while that maybe praying he comes back & is good to me isn’t the right prayer. i forced myself to pray that, ya Allah if he’s good to me i want him to come back if he’s not then make me forget him. i’m sure god changed something in my heart so that i can wish for that, because back then i was addicted to the thought of him coming back to me i wouldn’t believe that i will once ask god to make me forget him, so good something was changing. subhanallah a short while after that i started praying only that i forget him & when i reached this stage my heart started changing. slowly slowly i found myself praying for things other than him, that god forgives me for being in a relationship before marriage ( our parents knew about it & we were gonna get engaged but their still shouldn’t have been a relationship in the first place) & the more i asked for forgiveness the more i found things that i should’ve been feeling guilty about but didn’t so i started asking for forgiveness for those things. now my head so was so invested in all the mistakes i’ve done & i wanted nothing but for god to forgive me. so i begged him on every prayer to forgive me. subhanallah i felt like god was putting me through all this pain so that he can forgive me so that i can know my mistakes & ask him for forgiveness. he blessed me with so much & i took advantage of it all without thanking him. i never thanked him enough and i started feeling like nothing i’m doing is enough. that he protected me and covered for my mistakes, he covered for me so many things i’ve done that were wrong i never thanked him for that. i have never thanked him enough for blessing me with parents with good health that didn’t really raise me all this time so that i can waste years of my life not appreciating what i have. i wanted to thank god for all that. so i’ll pray more to thank god for all the things i didn’t see all these years.

along side with thanking god in my prayers i wanna do more for Him. i want to starting reading quran on a regular basis, not for my own sake this time, but to thank him at least i need to read his book, the more i read the more i got attached to it & the more the verses spoke to me, so many verses in the Quran subhanallah make so much sense to me now although i’ve read them before but they make so much sense now, they calm me down, they show me that life isn’t really that important, and i shouldn’t be spending my life on anything other than getting closer & closer to Allah swt, because all those people, they’re temporary and they really are, selfish? in a way or the other, they wanna keep following they desires & they wouldn’t care if their desires stepped on you a little, but Allah swt? he cares about me & he wouldn’t hurt me in any way.

oh we’re not thinking about him anymore. good. he texted me, oh months ago i wished for this text, i wished he told me these things, but i don’t need them now, i begged god to grant me that back then . لا يؤخر الله عليك امرا إلا لخير و لا يحرمك من امرا إلا لخير ولا ينزل عليك بلاء إلا لخير ، فلا تحزن فالله لا يأتي إلا بالخير . if he texted me back then i would’ve answered and went back to an abusive relationship, but god waited to grant me my prayer after making me stronger. he granted it though, subhanallah. all i cared about then was to thank Allah swt more for delaying granting me my wish till i was okay. subhannalah he wanted to show me that he answers my prayers but in the right time for me. i started finding peace. we moved on. subhanallah, i forgot i was trying to move on. god really does have the power on removing what’s int he heart. Allah swt really does have his ways of getting a person to follow the right path. it’s the hardships that guide us.

it’s getting your heartbroken that guides you, i thought i was guided since i prayed all my prayers & read my Athkar, but my heart wasn’t guided. i didn’t have tawakul, i searched for peace by talking to my friends when i had what was greater than that, i healed like i’ve never healed before. It was like all those broken pieces of my heart were healing again, and my sheer pessimism and bitterness was turning into this beautiful optimism. once you realise that Allah عز وجل is the source of all hope, you won't feel hopeless anymore. you will find yourself rising above your despair, and that crushing sadness will leave you.

so how do you move on, you ask me. you throw everything away & invest yourself in nothing apart from getting close to Allah swt. he will fix everything broken inside you, without you asking for it. you try getting close to him & he will fix you & he will show you what matters & he will guide you & he will take care of you like no one ever did.

take care of yourself, and talk to me if you ever need to, i love you & i’m here for you.

[sisterssafespace]

Salam!! I'm a teenage girl and hijabi but what I do is whenever someone comes to my house like... My cousin brothers and other na mahrams I don't feel like doing some work in front of them!! And I always try to sit in my room instead of sitting in front of them. And then my parents they are like come help me with dining and all and I always get into fights with them with this topic! Like... They are na mahrams I can't come again n again in front of them what's your opinion about it? Should I look after guests from now onwards or keep sitting in my room???? They are my age 18 and 19 something ;( I feel uncomfortable broo

Assalamualaikum sweetie,

Let me just start by saying that your need to just stay in your room and not show up in front of guests might be due to a personality trait in you, like you could be an introvert or you could have social anxiety, or that you're simply just not comfortable and that's your right.

However, if when you're going out of your room you will be wearing your hijab, your jilbab or abaya or anything you wear that is comfortable and modest then there is nothing wrong with that. I also believe that we are required to help our parents in those situations that's one, and two, you know that nicely welcoming people, hosting them in a proper manner and taking care of them is such a rewarded deed in Islam, it brings so much blessings to the house! So think of it as a deed for the sake of Allah swt my dear, it is okay, sometimes some tasks are harder than others for us but trust me, the reward will be bigger because you would have struggled for the sake of Allah swt to do that thing!

I know teenage girls are like very " 🙄 " @ anything parents ask them, sübhanallah, we have all been through that phase, that's okay 😅 Just have a beautiful patience and remind yourself of the greater purpose, that we are trying to please Allah swt !

Take care of yourself sweetie and think about it, when you change your perspective, you can change your attitude toward the task!

- A. Z. 🤍🍃

[twinklingstar-09]

"✨DAY 2 - RAMADAN SERIES"

⚜️ *Story of BANI ISRAEL & THE COW.*🐄

There was a wealthy man among the Bani Israel who had substantial wealth. He didn’t have anyone to inherit his wealth, except one nephew. Therefore, his nephew killed him out of greed and selfishness so that he could immediately inherit the wealth. The other members of Bani Israel then found out the wealthy man had been murdered and wanted to know who committed the murder. So they decided to go to Musa (as) and ask him since they decided he should be the arbitrator.

When they came to Musa (as) and told him everything that happened, Musa (as) asked Allah (swt) what the people should do. Allah (swt) then instructed Musa (as) to tell them to slaughter a cow and take a place of its flesh and put it on the dead man’s body. Musa (as) said this would be the way for them to find out who the murderer was, At once, the people ridiculed and accused Musa (as) for joking. They made fun of him and said you want us to kill a cow to find out who the murderer is?

“Surely Allah commands you that you should sacrifice a cow”; they said: “Do you ridicule us?” 

-Surah al-Baqarah, Ayah 67

So they decided, to mock Allah (swt) and Musa (as) and asked Musa (as), what kind of cow it should be? Musa (as) was so disappointed in his people and said it can be any kind of cow, yet the Bani Israel were rebellious and arrogant and wanted to make things more difficult. So, they said:

“Call on your Lord for our sake to make it plain to us what she is”. Musa said: “He says, Surely she is a cow neither advanced in age nor too young, of middle age between that (and this); do there­fore what you are commanded ”

-Surah al-Baqarah, Ayah 68

Once again, instead of listening to Musa (as), they asked more questions! “What color must it be?” Musa (as) all fed up with his people, once again asked Allah (swt) and He replied,

…her colour is intensely yellow, giving delight to the beholders”

-Surah al-Baqarah, Ayah 69

Bani Israel were still not satisfied and asked for more details. Their ungratefulness and arrogance led them to ask more questions. So, Musa (as) asked Allah (swt) once AGAIN, and He replied,

Surely she is a cow not made submissive that she should plough the land, nor does she irrigate the tilth, sound, without a blemish in her.” 

-Surah al-Baqarah, Ayah 71

Finally, they were satisfied with the requirements. And so they went out in search of such a cow. The only cow that matched those requirements was owned by an orphan who inherited the cow from his father. This orphan’s father was a very pious man. On his deathbed, the father said, “O Allah, I place my wife, my little son, and my only possession, a calf, in Your care.” Oddly, he asked his wife to lead the cow into the nearby forest and leave it there. He did this because he didn’t trust the other Bani Israel members, as they were selfish and greedy.

When the Bani Israel found the orphan, they asked him how much he would sell his cow for. He told them he would have to ask his mother before he could sell it. A while later, they came to his house and offered 3 gold coins for the cow. The mother refused and said the cow was worth much more than 3 gold coins. They kept increasing their offer and the mother kept on turning their offers away. And so the orphan finally interjected and said, “I will not sell the cow without my mother’s approval, even if you offered me its skin filled with gold!” Upon hearing this, his mother smiled and said, “Let that be the price: Its skin filled with gold.” The people were disappointed but had no choice but to pay up since no other cow could fulfill the requirements. They agreed and bought the cow with its skin filled with gold.

With the cow slaughtered, they took a piece of its flesh and put it on the dead man. The dead man at once arose and revealed his nephew as the murderer and then died once again.

✨✅Contemplation on the Ayah :

1. Bani israel were being tested with the slaughtering of cow, cuz they were into cow-worship.

2. Allah commanded them only to slaughter a COW but their unnecessary questions made their task more difficult.

✅Part of Action :

1. Sometimes we need to accept commands of Allah as they have been sent to us, raising unnecessary questions could complicate the matter.

2. Verily Allah possess more wisdom, we don't. So we need to Trust Allah's plans

✅Takeaway :

1. Acknowledge the versus and commands of Allah as they are and trusting Allah could facilitate ease for us in both the worlds.

[islamicrays]

Why is your intention important in islam

Assalamu Alaikum,

It is narrated on the authority of Amirul Mu’minin, Abu Hafs ‘Umar bin al-Khattab, radiyallahu ‘anhu, who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam, say:

“Actions are (judged) by motives (niyyah), so each man will have what he intended. Thus, he whose migration (hijrah) was to Allah and His Messenger, his migration is to Allah and His Messenger; but he whose migration was for some worldly thing he might gain, or for a wife he might marry, his migration is to that for which he migrated.”

[Al-Bukhari & Muslim]

Following are some quotes on the importance of intention. It will help you in shaa Allah

“Always make pure intentions, whether you can fulfil them or not is a different matter as there is reward even for a good intention inshaAllah, as an intention is an action of the Heart. Imam Awzai (rahmatullahi alayhi) was on his deathbed and surrounded by his students and he said in his final moments “Let us make intention to do Umrah, let us make intention to do Hajj, let us make intention to give charity”. They said “Shaykh, you are passing away, when will you do all this”. He replied “If we live, we fulfil inshaAllah, if we die, Allah subhanahu wa ta alaa will reward us for our intentions”.”

-Shaykh Ahmed Saad

"Many small actions are made great by the intentions behind them. Many great actions, on the other hand, are made small because the intentions behind them are lacking."

-From the book the purifucation of the soul

"It is much harder for the people of action to purify their intentions than it is to execute any of their actions. "

-From the book the purifucation of the soul

Learn about intentions, for their importance is greater than the importance of action.

-From the book the purifucation of the soul

“Reset your intention, everyday for Allah”

-Ustadha Raidah Shah Idil

“The spiritual form of an action is the intention. It is much nobler: it brings you further on your spiritual journey than an action.”

Shaykh Hamdi Ben Aissa

‘Patience is not the just the ability to wait, it is having the intention to be patient and the ability to have a good attitude while waiting.’

-Imam `Ali Zaynul `Abidin ibn al-Husayn

“There’s a Hadith that said one of the first people that went to the Hellfire was a solider who fought to be called brave, although it would have been thought that he died as a martyr. The solider said to Allah: “But Allah! I fought for your sake” Allah (swt) replies: “You lied, you fought to be called brave man and you got your reward, they said you were brave””

-Shaykh Hamza Yusuf

“A sincere intention may change the merely licit into the devotional, for means are judged according to their ends. For example, one may eat to get the strength to perform devotions, or sleep with one’s wife to obtain a son who would worship God.”

-Imam Al-Haddad

“Intentions are rooted in the heart. If you have blemished heart, your intentions are blemished. Good intentions only come from a good heart.”

-Ustadha Noshin Gul

“Even the most basic of actions will suffice for you as long as there is consistency and purity of intention, even saying “inshaAllah” is a matter of worship.”

Shaykh Muhammad Bin Yahya Al-Husayni Al-Ninowy

“Our Lord’s gaze is at the heart, the location of intentions. What intentions enter your mind when doing something? Are you just concerned with what others are going to think of you and say about you? What’s your intention? What’s your purpose? Rectify your intent and purify it! And for this there is greetings of a closeness to your Lord.”

-al-Habib Umar bin Hafiz

May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala purify our intention and guide us to the straight path.

Allahumma Ameen