#nawafil

[sabrgirl]

the importance of nawafil prayers ☾

there is a hadith that once the Holy Prophet ﷺ saw a man offering a prayer and asked him to repeat it, so he did. then he asked him to repeat it again, and then he did. then for the third time, and fourth time, he told him to go and do it again. after the fourth request, the man said to the Prophet ﷺ "O Messenger of Allah, by God I cannot offer the prayer in a better way than this; tell me how I should offer the Prayer". He ﷺ responded, 'you were rushing with your Prayer and therefore it was not accepted. pray slowly'. (sahih bukhari 757).

this shows us that sometimes our prayers are not accepted and it is up to Allah whether to accept our prayers or not. however, if someone offers the nawafil prayers too, then it can make up for the prayers that have not been accepted

imagine that you have an exam. you need 50 marks to pass, but there are 100 questions worth 1 mark each. are you going to only answer 50 questions and go home without answering the rest and assume that all the 50 questions you have answered are correct? no. you're going to answer all 100 questions, even though it is obligatory to have at least gotten 50 right. you will try to answer all the questions in the hopes that for the ones you have gotten wrong, the rest of the questions answered will hopefully make up for it and you will pass.

it is the same for nawafil prayers. these nawafil prayers are like the rest of the 50 questions you can answer that help ensure that you pass. nawafil prayers can prevent you from facing the penalty for any shortcomings and errors that led to a rejected prayer on the Day of Judgement.

"by offering nawafil, My servant gets so close to Me that I become the ears with which he hears, the eyes with which he sees, the hands with which he holds, and the feet with which he walks" (sahih bukhari 6502)

[calgaryprayertimes]

Calgary Nawafil Prayer Times

In Islam, the Calgary Nawafil Prayer Times is considered an optional prayer because these are not compulsory as the daily five prayers are, but have significant standing. The Nawafil is also a source of strong relations with Allah. Thus, it’s highly recommended. For more info please Visit our website link https://calgaryprayertimes.com/calgary-nawafil-prayer-times/

[jaanu-f]

Do you know what an awliyah is?

Awliya is the plural of wali, which means a friend, guardian, or protector. These are the friends of Allah who are pious, and righteous.

The closest thing to an awliyah is a saint.

“Indeed, the allies (awliya") of Allah there will be no fear concerning them, nor will they grieve. They are those who believed and were conscious of Allah."

(10:62-63)

Some examples of awliyahs are the sahabah, (companions of the prophet ﷺ) ahlul bayt (family of the prophet ﷺ,) and scholars.

But, some awliyahs are unknown in this dunya but known in the heavens up above.

"Perhaps a person with disheveled hair, covered in dust, whom people look down upon, if he swears by Allah, Allah will fulfill it." - Sahih Muslim 2622

The 2 main qualities of an Awliyah were mentioned.

1. Someone who has strong iman (faith)

2. And someone who has Taqwa, who is God conscious. Constantly aware of Allah, you know He is always watching so you abstain from sin and enjoin good.

Here are some tips to strengthen your relationship with الله

Pray Sunnah prayers and try not to delay the fardh (obligatory) and be sincere in worship

“My servant does not draw near to Me with anything more beloved to Me than the religious duties I have obligated upon him. And My servant continues to draw near to Me with extra acts of worship (Nawafil) until I love him." - Sahih Bukhari 6502

Read the Quran daily, and apply it in your life. Try memorizing it whilst also understanding what is being said, why, etc.

Do not rush your tongue trying to memorize ' a revelation of' the Quran. It is certainly upon us to 'make you' memorize and recite it. So once We have recited a revelation 'through Gabriel', follow its recitation closely then it is surely upon us to make it clear 'to you'."

(76:16-18)

Do istigfhar daily. This will help you get rid of sins. It also cleans your heart in a way. Search up the miracles of istighfar! Many people get their duas accepted when doing this multiple times a day.

"If anyone continually asks pardon, Allah will appoint for him a way out of every distress, and a relief from every anxiety". -Sunan Abi Dawud 1518

Seek knowledge! This is obligatory upon every Muslim. Take Quran classes, study tafsir, aqeedah, figh, etc. Theirs many resources online like amau student of knowledge academy, & university of Medina has some textbooks online shared.

Research what "fard ayn" is. This is individually obligatory knowledge and "fard kifayah" is

Did you know the angels lower their wings for the seeker of knowledge out of respect? -Abu Dawud 3641

Constantly make dua. Allah loves when His servant makes dua, it shows you trust Him. Dont get discouraged if it isn't accepted as fast as you think it is. Also keep in mind that some things that you made dua but didn't get in this dunya will show up on the day of judgement for you as good deeds.

“And when My servants ask you concerning Me, indeed I am near. I respond to the call of the supplicant when he calls upon Me..."

(2:186)

Try your best to go of sins for the sake of Allah. If you are struggling, drown your sin in good deeds.

If you let go of something for the sake of Allah, He will reward you and give you something better than what was taken from you inshaAllah. Tabaruji, Zina, backbiting..

Be grateful!

Do dhikr on a daily basis. Keep your tongue moist with the remembrance of Allah. He is always protecting you, and has answered your duas without you even noticing.

Keep your good deeds between you and Allah and increase in them. For example, charity, help your family, even provide some water for an animal. Always make your intention for the sake of Allah. Even working out, brushing your teeth, can be seen as taking care of yourself; or the amanah Allah has gave you.

"When I love My servant... I become the hearing with which he hears, the seeing with which he sees, the hand with which he strikes, and the foot with which he walks. If he asks of Me, I will surely grant it to him, and if he seeks refuge in Me, I will surely protect him."

- Sahih Bukhari 6502

How great must it feel to make dua and seeing it answered right in front of your eyes? To be wronged, and see Allah deal with them in a just way. To be given blessings daily?

You made it! May Allah raise your ranks to that of an Awliyah. A beloved friend of His. If this knowledge has benefited you in any way, please make dua for me and my health.

[uma1ra]

How To Make Salatul Haja

Step 1

Perform wudu perfectly.

Step 2

Perform two voluntary rakats of prayer.

"He who makes wudu, and does it properly, then prays two rakats, Allah will grant him whatever he may pray for, sooner or later." (Ahmad)

Step 3

Praise Allah (through dhikr, dua, istikhfaar).

Step 4

Send blessings and peace upon the Messenger PBUH.

Step 5

Say the following supplication:

لا إِلَهَ إلاَّ اللهُ الحَلِيمُ الكَرِيمُ، سُبْحَانَ اللهِ رَبِّ الْعَرْشِ العَظِيمِ ، الحَمْدُ لِلهِ رَبِّ العَالَمِيْنَ ، أَسْأَلُكَ مُوجِبَاتِ رَحْمَتِكَ ، وَعَزَائِمَ مَغْفِرَتِكَ ، وَالْغَنِيمَةَ مِنْ كُلِّ بِرّ،ٍ وَالسَّلامَةَ مِنْ كُلِّ إِثْمٍ ،لاَ تَدَعْ لِيْ ذَنْباً إِلاَّ غَفَرْتَهُ، وَلاَ هَمَّاً إِلاَّ فَرَّجْتَهُ، وَلاَ حَاجَةً هِيَ لَكَ رِضاً إِلاَّ قَضَيتَهَا يَا أَرْحَمَ الرَّاحِمِيْنَ

"There is no deity but Allah, the Most Forbearing, the Ever-Generous. Glory be unto Allah, Lord of the Great Throne. Praise be to Allah, Lord of all the worlds. I ask you for those things that bring about Your mercy and Your complete forgiveness; [for] a full portion of every righteous act, and safety from every vice. Do not leave any sin of mine except that You forgive it; any anxiety except that You relieve it; nor any need of mine that pleases You except that You fulfill it, O Most Merciful of those who show mercy." (Tirmidhi)

Step 6

Ask for your specific needs.

Don't feel that if you cannot pray due to illness, hayd (periods), or other circumstances, you cannot perform salatal haja. You can still turn to Allah SWT in supplication and say the above dua to express your need to Him.

Allah answers our supplications and loves being asked, so the true believer is hopeful and always asks for His mercy and blessings.

I used to think that praying nawafil prayers and doing the "extras" was daunting and time-consuming. However, after falling on some tough times, I learned to implement these extra prayers into my life.

That's when I saw what I had been missing! Now I cannot imagine living my life without these helpful voluntary prayers and duas. It's not only effective but is a special gift from our Merciful Lord to utilize during those tough days - so I urge you to try salatul haja and feel the difference, inshallah.

[bintadnan]

A Message from a Daughter:

“I used to always hear my mom recite this beautiful dua:

اللَّهُمَّ اجْعَلْ خَيْرَ عُمْرِي آخِرَهُ، وَخَيْرَ عَمَلِي خَوَاتِمَهُ، وَخَيْرَ أَيَّامِي يَوْمَ أَلْقَاكَ

"Oh Allah, make the best part of my life the end of it. And make the best of my deeds be my final actions. And make the best of my days be the Day in which I get to meet You"

Allah had accepted her dua. She was admitted to the hospital for something we assumed doctors can fix. But her condition only got worse. As much as she was in pain, unable to eat well and weak, Allah granted her the ability to keep her 5 daily prayers, pray whatever she can from the nawafil, read much Quran, make continous Dhikr, have someone buy meat and distribute it to the poor, give lots of charity, cheer up families of other patients who are sick and request to have her glucose drip removed so she can fast the day of Arafah which she did surprisingly with ease. She made sure my dad would go and pray in the Masjid for each prayer. All which she always did throughout her lifetime. But she had gathered all these deeds in the last days of her life.

But most importantly, she was content with the Qadr of Allah. Always saying while sick that `"Everything Allah brings is good".`

She passed away on a Friday shortly after Fajr prayer with her index finger up. In Sha Allah she was able to pronounce the Shahadah before she died. We prayed the Janaza after Jumm'a prayer with the Masjid packed with hundreds and hundreds of worshippers. She died of a disease in the abdomen which the Prophet (peace be upon him) said would be considered as a martyr in a Sahih hadith, so we pray that Allah accepts her as one.

The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “If Allah Almighty wills goodness for a servant, He sweetens him.” It was said, “What is his sweetness?” The Prophet said, “Allah Almighty opens the door of righteous deeds for him before his death and then receives his soul in that state.” Musnad Ah‌mad 17784. Sahih (authentic) according to Al-Albani

My mom wasn't a scholar, nor a daee, nor someone out there who was well known. But her sincere dua's and efforts made her special in her last days.

Having sincerity can turn your life around. You don't need to be someone big to have a good ending. You just need a sincere heart. Always ask Allah to give you a life that's pleasing to Him. And work for it. Never abandon the Quran or Sunnah. Help and touch as many lives as you can. If you still have parents who are alive, then make it a priority to always respect them, obey them in what's good and make them happy. And if you are parents yourself, teach your kids every good. Teach them the prayers, the Quran, how to make Dhikr, good character and to always fear Allah. They will be your ongoing charity and legacy after your death. `My mom use to tell me to never leave the Quran, even for a day, and contemplate on its verses and always wake up for night prayers.` So I pray that every letter I recite and every rakah I pray, will be in her scale of good deeds. These are what we will remember the most from our parents. The advice they'd give us regarding the Deen.

So don't let this Dunya make you forget how near your ending is. Let your heart always be alive with the rememberance of Allah so that when it's time to depart, the shahadah will be easy on your tongue. Don't ever assume you're still too young, or you're healthy or that you're safe from death. You are only a guest in this world, and every guest must soon leave.

I ask anyone reading this post to sincerely, from your heart, to ask Allah to have mercy on my mom, forgive her sins, accept her good deeds, admit her to the highest Paradise and accept her as a martyr and all the believers who devoted their lives to Allah.

Jazakumullahu Khairan

- Anonymous

[fluffy-appa]

𝗤𝘂𝗿ʾ𝗮𝗮𝗻♡

From the greatest of nawafil (ie: supererogatory acts) which bring about the love of Allah is the recitation of the Qurʾan, particularly with pondering and reflection.

💡Ibn Rajab Tafseer 2/217

[asma-al-husna]

Allah calls Himself Al-Waliy— The Protecting Friend, the Ally — on five occasions in the Quran. He is the One who lovingly guards and guides His creation. Al-Waliy is the lord and protector of creation, showing the path to righteousness. He is the One who protects, guards, and supports the believer in this world and the next!

The Ally, The Protector, the Loving Guardian

Waliy comes from the root waaw-laam-yaa, which points  to four main meanings. The first main meaning is to be near and to be a friend and supporter. The second is to defend and guard (in a loving way) and the third main meaning is to turn towards something. The fourth main meaning is to be master and lord.

This root appears 232 times in the Quran in 12 derived forms. Examples of these forms are tawallaw (“they turn away”), awlaa (“is nearer or woe”), al-mawlaa (“the protector”) and awliyaa(“allies”).

Linguistically waliy (plural awliyaa) comes from the root word of wilaya, which is the opposite of enmity (adawaa).  A ‘waliy amr’ is for example used referring to a child’s guardian, who looks after his or her affairs, someone who is close and who takes care of the child.

Al-Waliy combines the near, loving, protective, and guarding attributes of the One who is also the lord and master of the universe! Al-Waliy Himself says: And Allah is the ally of the believers [Quran, 3:68] and Or have they taken protectors [or allies] besides him? But Allah – He is the Protector [Quran, 42:9]

The Allies of Allah and the Allies of Shaytan

Al-Waliy has awliyaa among the people and Shaytan also has his allies. Indeed there is no fear upon the awliyaa of Allah, nor shall they grieve; those who believe and used to fear Allah much. For them are glad tidings in this life and the Hereafter. [Quran, 10:62]

The allies of Allah ‘azza wa jall will have no fear nor sadness in this world or the next. And Al-Waliy will bring light into their lives: Allah is the protector of those who believe, He takes them out of darkness into light [Quran, 2: 257] and the allies of Allah will have victory: Whoever takes a Wali of Mine as an enemy, I will wage war on him.[Hadith Qudsi, Al-Bukharee]

Al-Waliy also mentions the allies of Shaytan and the conseqences of their deeds: As for those who disbelieve, their allies are the taaghoot who take them out of the light and into the darkness. Those are the people of fire, and they will be in it forever [Quran, 2: 257] and We have made the devils allies of those who do not believe. [Quran,7:27]

How Can You Live by This Name?

1. Strive to be Allah’s wali.

Al-Waliy says in a hadith qudsi: Nothing endears My servant to Me than doing of what I have made obligatory upon him to do. And My servant continues to draw nearer to Me with the supererogatory (nawafil) so that I shall love him. When I love him, I shall be his hearing with which he shall hear, his sight with which he shall see, his hands with which he shall hold, and his feet with which he shall walk. And if he asks (something) of Me, I shall surely give it to him, and if he takes refuge in Me, I shall certainly grant him it [Al-Bukharee]

Don’t think only scholars can be awliyaa; know that you too can be a wali of Allah ‘azza wa jall! How? By focusing on your obligatory acts of worship first, e.g. give priority to your prayer, like studying ways of how to concentrate better, pray on time, etc.  Then complement them by doing as many voluntary deeds as you can, studying the sunnahso you can apply the daily ways of the prophet salallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam to your life. The result is, Al-Waliyy will love you, and when He loves you He will guide you in using your limbs righteously. He will grant your wishes and protect you!

2. Strive for taqwa.

Unquestionably, [for] the awliya of Allah there will be no fear concerning them, nor will they grieve. Those who believed and had taqwa of Allah.. [Quran, 10:62]. If you want to be a wali of Allah, build a relationship with the Quran and ask Al-Waliy to give you understanding of its ayaat so you will be inspired to live by them Al-Waliyy describes the risk of turning away from the Quran: Whoever turns away from the reminder of the Merciful, we will assign to him a devil, who will be a partner to him[Quran, 43: 36] Another great motivator to increase your taqwa is daily remembering and visualising Paradise. Study the names and attributes of Allah ‘azza wa jall to increase your fear and love for Him and pray to be included in the above ayah as one of His awliyaa.

3. Be a righteous friend.

Be a loving friend to others, protecting their rights. The prophet salallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said: Allah will aid a servant (of His) so long as the servant aids his brother. [Muslim] Take any responsibility you have seriously in representing someone or supporting someone with their affairs.

4.Trust that Allah is the best ally.

Remind yourself that Al-Waliy is the best ally to turn to at all times and put your trust in Him. When two parties from among you were about to lose heart, but Allah was their Waliy. And in Allah let the believers put their trust [Quran, 3:122] Take comfort in the fact that He knows your enemies and He is your best Helper: Allah is full of knowledge of your enemies, and Allah is Sufficient as a Waliy; and Allah is sufficient as a Helper [Quran, 4:45]

5. Ask Al-Waliyy.

You will always be in need of the support and protection of Al-Waliy so ask Him to protect and assist you in this life, at the time of death, in the grave, and on the Day of Reckoning.

Wallahu ta’alaa ‘alem.

O Allah, Al-Waliy, we know that You are the most  loving Guardian. Make us of your awliyaa and guide us to complement our obligatory acts of worship with abundant voluntary deeds. Bless us with righteous friends, make us pious friends to other believers and assist us in turning to You and trusting in You only as our best Ally at all times, ameen!

[learning-islam-together]

Bismillah Ar-Rahman Ar-Raheem.

In our house, we obey Allah & respect each other;

We pray all the fardh prayers,

Recite the Qur’an,

Observe nawafil and fast,

Make lots of Adhkar,

Say kind words,

Apologise if wrong,

Forgive one another.

Inspire an ideal peaceful home with Rules of a Muslim Home!. Create a home full of blessings and tranquility. A home worthy of Islamic etiquette. When guests visit, they should leave breathtaking and whisper; “wow!, what a Muslim home!”.

[sabrgirl]

2024 islamic goals ideas 🩷

finish the entire Qur’an

memorise at least x5 surah’s

start to pray on time

read and finish Qur’an in translation of your language

learn tajweed rules and improve Qur'an recitation

pray in the masjid more

plan your days around salah rather than the other way round

learn Allah سُبْحَٰنَهُۥ وَتَعَٰلَىٰ 's 99 names/attributes

detach from worldly means/people/things/desires

adopt true tawakkul

speak in a manner that's pleasing to Allah سُبْحَٰنَهُۥ وَتَعَٰلَىٰ

have better hygiene

be kinder to the creation

eradicate the ego and adopt meekness and humility

habits to form

waking up for fajr more often

waking up for tahajjud more often

reading 1 page minimum of Qur’an every single day

reading books on religious knowledge bimonthly

exercising at least 2x a week

eating healthily with a balanced diet

daily dhikr after each fard prayer

listening to more islamic podcasts

daily gratitude journaling, thanking Allah سُبْحَٰنَهُۥ وَتَعَٰلَىٰ

praying nawafil (voluntary) prayers more often

less backbiting, more journalling

getting better sleep and not sleeping so late

praying for people rather than judging them

giving sadaqah more often

durood sharif and dhikr before you go to bed

daily or at least weekly cleaning of your space

[aysufs]

Narrated `Aisha:

The Prophet (ﷺ) was never more regular and particular in offering any Nawafil

than the two rak`at (Sunna) of the Fajr prayer.

Sahih al-Bukhari 1163

[repentingxnafs]

�� It is strange how hard hearts have gotten and the abandonment of the Quran we see, so one doesn't think of completing the Quran except every Ramadan, and our prophet ﷺ said "oh my lord, my people have abandoned this book".

It is strange to see the great neglect of nawafil, or more like, fara'idh!...

so prayer became just mere movements, standing and sitting without any effects on the heart, abandoning takbiraat al ihraam and accepting to be in the last lines in the masjid, know that whoever wants to achieve glory is never pleased to be in the last line.

It’s strange how many are lazy to go to jum'a or to pray in congregation, and to spend in sadaqa almost like Allah doesn't buy from the believers their selves and wealth in exchange of Jannah! ❞

-Shayhk khālid al Rāshid فك الله أسر ه

[my-islam-reminder]

Narrated Abu Huraira رضی اللہ عنہ :

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "Allah said, 'I will declare war against him who shows hostility to a pious worshipper of Mine. And the most beloved things with which My slave comes nearer to Me, is what I have enjoined upon him; and My slave keeps on coming closer to Me through performing Nawafil (praying or doing extra deeds besides what is obligatory) till I love him, so I become his sense of hearing with which he hears, and his sense of sight with which he sees, and his hand with which he grips, and his leg with which he walks; and if he asks Me, I will give him, and if he asks My protection (Refuge), I will protect him; (i.e. give him My Refuge) and I do not hesitate to do anything as I hesitate to take the soul of the believer, for he hates death, and I hate to disappoint him."

Narrated by Sahih Bukhari in his bookImam Bukhari

Hadith (Sahih)

[uma1ra]

THREE STAGES TO TAHAJJUD

One of the most virtuous of the nawafil acts of worship is waking up in the middle of the night for tahajjud prayer. This is that special time when the doors of mercy are thrown open and the angels are dispersed, seeking out those in need of their Lord. Yet, how unfortunate our situation is that we are deprived from this great bounty.

“Their sides shun their beds in order to pray to their Lord in fear and hope…”(Quran, 32: 16)

Abu Hurayrah (radiallahu anhu) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said,“The best prayer after the obligatory prayers is the night prayer.” [Muslim]

I remember anytime one of the narrations regarding tahajjud would come up in a text, or was mentioned by one of our teachers, the students would eagerly ask how they could become regular in this blessed act. Here are a few suggestions based on their responses.

Stage 1 – I just can’t wake up

Despite your best efforts (asking a friend to call, multiple alarms, sleeping early, making a firm intention at night, etc.) if you simply cannot force yourself to get up, pray your tahajjud prayer before you go to sleep. Its time technically begins after Isha, so this can be a means of showing Allah that you are serious, and truly desirous of this great bounty. Couple this with dua admitting your inability and asking Allah for His bounty.

Stage 2 – I am sporadic in my tahajjud

If you are blessed to wake up for tahajjud on occasion, or get up most days, but miss a few here and there, be sure to “make-up” the prayer on the days that you don’t get up. And of course couple this with dua.

Umar (radiallahu anhu) narrates that“I heard the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) say, ‘Whenever one of you sleeps through his night devotions, or through a part of them, then, if you perform them between the Fajr (i.e after Ishraq) and Dhuhr prayer, you will receive the same reward as if you performed them at night.’” [Muslim]

Stage 3 – I regularly wake up for tahajjud

Alhamdulillah, if you are at this stage you need to ensure 3 things:

Give shukr every night that Allah allowed you take advantage of this great blessing.

Admit to Allah that while you are unworthy of such a blessing, you are in need of it.

Beg Allah that He allow you to wake up the following night as well.

May Allah, Most High, allow each of us to be regular in our tahajjud prayers!

Ismail Ahmed

[lightup0nlight]

Some of us may think that the virtues of the 10 blessed days of Dhul-Hijjah are only for the hujjaj. Yes, the hujjaj will be doing the best ‘ibaadah that any of us can do in these days, but what about those who can't go for Hajj? Are we deprived of the virtues of these 10 days?

Absolutely not, alhamdulillah. The Rabb of the Ka’bah is the same Rabb that we all worship. So what can we non-hujjaj do? Here are some recommendations, bismillah:

🌿 Fix the quality of our obligatory acts of worship, eg. our daily salaah, our relationship with our parents and family. Always get our obligatory ‘ibaadat covered first. Sheikh Younus Kathrada wrote the following beneficial advice:

❛We find in a hadith qudsi: “My slave does not draw near to Me with anything dearer to Me than what I have made obligatory for him. My slave continues to draw near to Me by doing supererogatory deeds until I love him."

From this, we should be aware that the fard / waajib takes precedence over the nawafil / voluntary deeds. Strive first and foremost to carry out your obligations, such as salaah, zakah, hijaab, dutifulness to parents, good treatment of your spouse etc before diving into the optional deeds. Combining them is ideal, but doing what is obligatory is the priority. So if one hasn’t paid zakah, what is sadaqah going to do for them? If one does not establish the five daily prayers, what’s a few extra rak’ahs before Jumu’ah going to do for them?

We have to have our priorities in order, and these ten days [of Dhul-Hijjah] are a great opportunity to set things straight, in shaa Allah.❜

🌿 Make sincere tawbah and istighfar. Dhul-Hijjah is the last month of the hijri year, and it’s a great reminder for us to take stock of our shortcomings and sins. Be honest and ask ourselves: Am I happy with the ‘ibaadat I did this year?

🌿 Fast the first 9 days of Dhul-Hijjah (don’t fast on the 10th – that’s the day of ‘Eid).

🌿 If we have difficulties to fast on any of these days, then at least fast on the 9th of Dhul-Hijjah because of its immense reward: For just one single day of fasting, Allah expiates our sins of 2 years — the past, and the coming year. 【Sahih Muslim 1162b】

🌿 Make dhikr abundantly even as we walk, or idling at home. It doesn't take much, just a simple mindfulness while we do remembrance of Allah. And the best adhkaar in the first 10 days of Dhul-Hijjah are: Tahleel (Laa ilaaha illAllah), Takbeer (Allahu Akbar), and Tahmeed (Alhamdulillah). 【Musnad Ahmad 5423】

🌿 Increase in doing other voluntary 'ibaadah such as optional salaah, reciting the Qur’an, giving in charity, making supplications, doing da’wah, and other good deeds.

Remember that good deeds done in these 10 days are more superior and more beloved to Allah than any other day in the entire year. May Allah help us utilise these days to the best of our capability, and accept from us.

Your sister in Deen, Aida Msr ©

[faazahmed]

What You Need to Know Before Ramadan Begins.

A famous scholar of Islam, Ibn Rajab (May Allah have mercy upon him), mentioned in one of his books, that Mu`alla bin al-Fadhl said:

“They (the sahabah) would supplicate to Allah for six months to allow them to reach Ramadan. Then, they would supplicate to Him another six months to accept it from them.”(Lata`if al-Ma`arif p. 280, by Imam Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali ).

The supplications / actions we should do to prepare our self for RAMADAM, We'll divide it into 3 parts

1. Making Dua,

2. Increasing in Good Deeds,

3. Making an Intention.

1. Making duas

we should make supplications to Allah to allow us to reach the month of Ramadan as there is no guarantee when death will knock on our door. Below are some common duas that can be made.

اَللّهُمَّ بَلِّغْنَا رَمَضَان

"Allahumma ballighna Ramadan"

O Allah! Let us reach the month of Ramadan.

The other dua that we can make is

اللهم سلِّمني إلى رمضان، اللهم سلم لي رمضان، وتَسلَّمه منّي متقبَّلا -

"Allahumma sallimnee ilaa Ramadhan, Allahumma sallim lee Ramadhan, wa tasallamhu minnee mutaqabbalaa"

O Allah, commit me to Ramadan. Oh Allah, commit Ramadan for me. And receive it from me with acceptance.

2. Increasing in good deeds.

Changing your daily habits is a process which requires time and effort; therefore it is recommended that we start increasing our good deeds in the coming months before Ramadan in order to avoid shock and disorganization during the advent of Ramadan

In another hadith narrated by Aisha (R.A) she stated:

"…I never saw the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) fasting for an entire month except in Ramadan, and I never saw him fast more than he did in Sha'ban."

Actions to Increase Good Deeds:

1. fulfilling Islamic obligations as a priority.

2. Increasing voluntary prayers (Sunnah and Nawafil).

3. Intensifying the recitation of the Qur'an.

4. Minimizing distractions, especially screen time, to boost productivity.

5. Seeking forgiveness, repenting, and abandoning bad habits.

6. Stopping EVERY haram you are engaged in.

3.Making an intention

In Simple Terms:

Before we start fasting in Ramadan, we decide in our hearts and minds that we want to do it. It's like making a promise to ourselves and to God that we're going to fast during this special month.

Making an intention is like deciding to do something good. For Ramadan, it means deciding in your heart that you want to fast from sunrise to sunset every day during the whole month. It's a personal commitment to follow the rules of Ramadan.

Why It's Important:

Islam teaches us that our actions are not just about what we do physically but also about our intentions. Making a clear intention is like setting a goal. It helps us stay focused and sincere in our actions.

For Ramadan, the intention is crucial because it's what turns an ordinary day of not eating into a special act of worship. It's like saying, "I'm doing this for God, to get closer to Him and to become a better person."

When Do We Make the Intention:

We make the intention in our hearts before the first day of Ramadan starts. It's like preparing ourselves mentally for the month ahead. You don't have to say it out loud; it's a personal commitment between you and God.

What If We Forget or Miss It:

Don't worry if you forget to say it out loud or in your heart. If you wake up and realize it's Ramadan, just make your intention right then. God understands our intentions, even if we don't say them out loud.

Allahumma ballighna Ramadan.

[fluffy-appa]

Imam Ibn Rajab رحمه الله said:

‏ومن أعظم ما يحصل به محبة الله تعالى من النوافل : تلاوة القرآن ، وخصوصاً مع التدبر .

“From the greatest of nawafil which bring about the love of Allah is the recitation of the Quran, particularly with pondering and reflection.”

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