There is no such thing as true love… Or is there?

This is directed to those people that happen to love a person more than they love Allah. If you are one of them, then listen up.

Love is not the fairy tale it seems to be. Neither is it forever. To be more realistic, nothing in this life is forever. We all die. We all retire our jobs. We all grow old and lose our young attractions. There is nothing that speaks stronger in this life than death. Because some can lose their jobs and others won’t, but as Allah (subhana wa ta’aala) says in the Qur’an:

Every soul will taste death. (Qur’an, 3:185)

So why are we so attached to these worldly desires? It is clear proof that we will all perish, pass away, and new generations will substitute our position in this life.

People will hurt you, even when you least expect it.

They will forget about you.

Their love is limited.

Whether it be your spouse, your parents, or anyone you had a strong connection with, in the end it is a temporary love or one that will eventually hurt you.

You will get your heart broken, they will lose trust in you, and the word “forgiveness” doesn’t even exist in their hearts.

Unlike human beings, who are full of errors and mistakes, Allah (subhana wa ta’aala) is the only one that will love us even more than our own mothers do.

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) told us:

Allah is more compassionate towards His slaves than this mother towards her child. (Reported by Muslim)

Allah will never hurt you. Allah will love you even when you are committing sin. And do you know what the most wonderful part of it is? That Allah CAN forgive us. Unlike those people that we love, if we commit mistakes they cannot forgive us for them. Allah’s mercy is bigger, greater and more important to have than any finite human being like ourselves.

Say: O My servants who have transgressed against their own souls, despair not of the mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. Truly, He is Most Forgiving, Most Merciful. (Qur’an, 39:53)

It is also narrated in this hadith qudsi (meaning that it is an interpretation of what Allah says):

O son of Adam, as long as you call upon Me and put your hope in Me, I have forgiven you for what you have done and I do not mind. O son of Adam, if your sins were to reach the clouds of the sky and then you would seek My forgiveness, I would forgive you. O son of Adam, if you were to come to Me with sins that are close to filling the earth and then you would meet Me without ascribing any partners with Me, I would certainly bring to you forgiveness close to filling it.

Subhanallah.

Allah is the MOST forgiving. This forgiveness is the only one we should seek. Because He is the only one that will judge us on the day of judgement. Let’s make du’aa for this:

Ya Rabb, make us of the pious, of the believers, whom associate none with you, whom have taqwaa deep in their hearts, whom actions are directed towards you and towards you only! Ya Rabb, we seek your forgiveness, and we ask nothing in return, only of what you shall bestow upon us. Ameen!

Allah will never hurt us.

Allah will never try to look for revenge.

Allah loves us and is closer to us than our jugular vein. Even after He, the All Mighty, created us with errors, He has mercy upon us and waits for our true and sincere forgiveness.

Now tell me, who in this world is like that?

Who, from the people you love, has these qualities? No one. Because Allah (subhana wa ta’aala) is incomparable.

This is why we shouldn’t love people more than we love Allah. Because His love is the only pure, merciful and beneficent love we need in our lives.

Sufficient for us is Allah. (Qur’an, 3:173)

Allah will never forget us.

Unlike people, Allah will remember us if we remember Him. Allah (subhana wa ta’aala) says in the Qur’an:

So remember Me; I will remember you. (Qur’an, 2:152)

Allah’s love is limitless.

His love for us has no boundaries. For humans, if we commit a mistake, they forget us, they say mean things to us and forget about the love and connection you once had with them.

For Allah, this is not the same. Even after we have fallen in sin, even if our sins are thicker than the foam of the sea, if we ask for his sincere forgiveness, Allah will forgive us. Insha’Allah.

Take my story as an example. Before becoming Muslim, I was in the worst of sins. If I would have died in this state, I would have gone to hell because of it. Allah (subhana wa ta’aala) says to us in the Qur’an:

Indeed, Allah does not forgive association with Him, but He forgives what is less than that for whom He wills. (Qur’an, 4:48)

Also, Allah says to us:

O my son, do not associate [anything] with Allah . Indeed, association [with him] is great injustice. (Qur’an, 31:13)

If Allah wished, He could have made me die in that state of shirk (associating others with Allah). Because He ta’aala has proven to us many times how hundreds of people die in the state of shirk every single day. In my country it is hundreds each day! May Allah protect us from those that do.

But Allah is so merciful, He has chosen us to be Muslims, from this darkness that we are in. Even after we have committed the worse sin there is for Allah, He still forgives us and gives us time to repent!

Where will you find someone like this in this dunya (world)?

People are greedy, selfish, stubborn and egotistic. Their only desire is to please themselves. There is no true love for many people, and it is only until you get hurt by them that you realize what their true intentions really were.

It is hard for us to forgive others. There are those that never accept forgiveness from you, no matter how true and pure your repentance is.

But for Allah we can commit sin as many times, that if we truly repent from our hearts, He will forgive us. Subhanallah, all Glory be to Allah!

Let us take advantage of this Ramadan to seek forgiveness from our Rabb, our Lord. This is the month to ask for sincere forgiveness to Allah, so do not take it lightly!

When you are sad, stressed out, or in depression, read Qur’an and you will see how peace will enter your heart by remembering Allah.

Verily, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest. (Qur’an 13:28)

And Allah knows best.

My Pre Ramadan To-Do List

As a means to help others out there who aren’t quite sure what they can do right before Ramadan begins, I’ve decided to share this list with you on things you can do just before Ramadan.

I know many people are too busy with work, school, children or other time consuming activities, so insha’Allah this list will help you prepare for Ramadan.

Before I begin, it’s important to highlight this following hadith:

Abu reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, “When half of Sha’ban remains, then do not fast.” [at-Tirmidhi]

Fasting this last week is not recommended. I had the intention of fasting a few weeks ago, but Alhamdulillah I found this hadith narrating the importance it is to not fast right before Ramadan.

Plan a food calendar.

If this is your first Ramadan, or you are unsure of what to eat for suhoor and iftar, then plan ahead. Make sure to base your early breakfast – suhoor – around enough vitamins and nutrients to help you withstand the long hours of fasting throughout the day.

The Messenger of Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) would break his fast with ripe dates before he would pray. If those were not available, he would eat dried dates. If those were not available, he would drink some water. [Abu Dawud]

It was Sunnah (prophetic way) for the Prophet (saws) to break his fast with dates, and if they were not available then with water.

Watch Ramadan Prep series on QuranWeekly.com

An easy way to help you learn before Ramadan, to prepare you and to spend some time remembering Allah ta’aala (dhikr) is by watching these informative videos. There is a new video up every night at 7:00 p.m. Costa Rican time if you are interested in watching them. You can look back to the previous 4 videos they have up to catch up, and they also have the videos from last year’s Ramadan Prep series if you’d like to learn from those as well. Insha’Allah we can learn how to prepare ourselves for Ramadan before it finally comes.

Learn a new Surah

A great and simple way to improve yourself before Ramadan is by memorizing a part of the Qur’an.

Whether it be an ayat, or an entire Surah to recite in our Salat (prayers), it is very important to take advantage of this month and actually learn from the Qur’an.

How many people fast just with their bodies? The true fasting is that which is in the heart, abstaining from evil thoughts and devoting your time and effort to learning and acting upon the Qur’an.

This website will help you learn to memorize a Surah or Ayat of the Qur’an: www.MountHira.com

Hear a short Podcast from Bayyinah Institute.

These small podcasts are free, and open to anyone in desire to improve their emaan.

I know that here in my country, the ummah is spread around the country in different parts. Therefore, I can’t indulge myself in the activities held in the masjid for distance and financial reasons, so what better way than to learn Qur’an through the Internet.

So far I’ve listened to the first 21 ayats of Surah Al Baqarah from two separate podcasts. They have helped me learn what these ayats truly hold, and the ustadh Nouman Ali Khan is a great teacher to obtain knowledge from.

Here is the link to the podcasts. Feel free to download or hear as many as you’d like. Just remember that it is better to hear a short 30 minutes per night than to try to hear 2 hours of tasfeer, which can be exhausting to the mind.

http://podcast.bayyinah.com/category/002-surah-al-baqarah/

Learn and practice du’aas

Another simple way to prepare yourself for Ramadan is to practice easy du’aas before and after an action. Not only is this beneficial to you, but also you will learn to perform actions for the sake of Allah (subhana wa ta’aala) and achieve humbleness and taqwaa (fear or piety to Allah).

You can find tons of duaa’s online and websites that can help you memorize duaa’s.

I recommend you write them down, and hang them around your room for you to memorize them. For example the du’aa said when you wake up and before you go to bed you can hang next to your bed so you can remember to recite it. Or even saving them on your phone is a good idea.

I will leave you with a du’aa to help you retain whatever you listen to or read.

According to Imam Ali ibn abi Talib to retain in memory whatever one listens or reads, recite the following dua’a after every obligatory salat.

In the name of Allah the most kind the most merciful.

Glory be to Him who does not treat the citizens of His kingdom unjustly.

Glory be to Him who does not let the torment and pain come suddenly upon mankind.

Glory be to the compassionate the merciful.

O Allah, fill my heart with true enlightenment, wisdom, understanding and knowledge.

Surely you are able to do all things.

SUBH’AANA MAN LAA YA-TADEE AA’LAA AHLI MAMLAKATIHEE SUBH’AANA MAN LAA YAAKHUD’U AHLAL ARZ’I BILWAANIL A’D’AABI SUBH’AANAR RA-OOFIR RAH’EEMI ALLAAHUMMAJ-A’L LEE FEE QALBEE NOORAN WA BAS’ARAN WA FAHMAN WA I’LMAN INNAKA A’LAA KULLI SHAY-IN QADEER

Commit yourself to watching a Ramadan series video every day

There are two Ramadan series I’ll be watching this Ramadan insha’Allah.

The first one is from Qur’an Weekly, called the Quranic Gems. You can watch the video on their website, and tune in every day to hear a specific part of the Juz for that day commented on. Here is the link to their website: http://www.quranweekly.com/quranic-gems-series-ramadan-special/

The second series I’ll be watching insha’Allah are live clases every day for the month of Ramadan. Here is the link, and you can enroll for free with your name and e-mail account. http://www.ramadanwithquran.com

Insha’Allah you can enroll as well. If you have any other series we can watch for Ramadan please link in the comment section for others to benefit from.

Make voluntary prayers

We all know we are obliged to complete our fard prayers every day. Another simple yet rewarding way to improve your emaan is to also make Sunnah prayers when you perform your Salat. Not only will this help you strengthen your connection and taqwaa with Allah (swt), but when you are feeling down or spiritually low, you will sacrifice making your Sunnah or voluntary prayers, but not sacrifice your fard prayers.

When Ramadan comes, you will be performing your five salat, and on top of that making voluntary prayers as well. Thus, your emaan will grow insha’Allah.

Our prayer will be the first thing questioned upon on the day of Judgment. Allah (swt) says in the following hadith:

The Messenger (S.A.W.) told us in an authentic hadith , “The first thing the people will be accountable for on the Day of Judgment is prayer, Allah will say to His angels (even though he already knows) : “Look at my servants prayers. Were they complete or not?” If they were complete It will be written as complete. If they were not fully complete Allah will say: “See if my servant has voluntary prayers, If he has them Allah will say: Complete his obligatory prayers shortage with his voluntary prayers.” Then the rest of his deeds will be dealt with in the same manner.” {Reported by Imams Ahmad, Abu Dawood, An-Nisa’i, and Al-Hakim}

Insha’Allah this list will help you improve your emaan and help yourself prepare for Ramadan.

Remember that fasting without true emaan and having true intentions, is not the same as if you just fasted with your body. Fasting is far more than abstaining from food and drink. It is also a means for you to come closer to Allah, to fast with the heart and for the intention to be only for the sake of Allah.

“and fast, it is better for you, if only you knew” [al-Baqarah, 2:184]

Ramadan is just 1 week away! Why fast?

For the Body

(Part Two of Two)

 

As-salaam alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh. Just a little less than a month ago I wrote the first part of this mini-series, and I feel like it was just yesterday I was putting the post up. Time flies by so quickly, subhanallah.

Finding information about some of the health benefits for fasting was a a bit harder than I thought, since there is so much controversy out there in regards to fasting in general.Some non-Muslims believe fasting is bad for your body, and others consider it to be beneficial. So it took me a while to finally gather up authentic, valid websites and documents that could help us benefit from them.

In the end, Allah is Allah. He is the Creator of the Universe, the Creator of the Earth, of you and me and of every single thing we can see. So who are we to judge whether or not something Allah ta’aala, the most Beneficent, the most Merciful, has prescribed for us?

Ramadan is the (month) in which was sent down the Qur’an as a guide to mankind also clear (Signs) for guidance and judgment (between right and wrong). So everyone of you who is present (at his home) during that month should spend it in fasting but if anyone is ill or on a journey the prescribed period (should be made up) by days later. Allah intends every facility for you. He does not want to put you to difficulties. (He wants you) to complete the prescribed period and to glorify Him in that He has guided you; and perchance ye shall be grateful.

(2:185) Qur’an

Some articles get into heated debates about the negative side effects for the elder, for women that are breast feeding, and so on. Alhamdulillah! Allah has made fasting obligatory, except for those that cannot perform fasting, including the elder, the ill, women that are pregnant, breastfeeding and so on. If only we knew how easy Allah wants this Holy month to be for us, we would realize how Just Allah ta’aala is.

The importance here is how we can benefit from this month. I strongly believe the true benefits are for our soul. Health benefits are additional, and you shouldn’t fast for anything else that isn’t for the sake of Allah.

Muslims fast for the tawqaa (God-consciousness, piety, fear of Allah) we have towards our Creator. When you fast, you realize you have nothing without Allah. It’s also to help you remember the poor, those that are in difficult situations and that cannot have even a drop of water to drink throughout the day.

So let’s see some health benefits that come from fasting during Ramadan.

Leaving poor habits behind

One of the preparations for Ramadan is to leave any bad habits behind. This can include anything from smoking, to watching too much television, to eating too much fast food.

How many times have we gorged ourselves with food out of anxiety, or have led ourselves to obesity or other health conditions because of our poor diet? When was the last time you committed yourself to actually stop smoking and spend that money on something beneficial for yourself?

The truth is that we as humans will fall into bad habits constantly. From stuffing ourselves with food, to not drinking enough water daily, to smoking, to any other bad habit that harms our body.

This also includes actions that don’t benefit us, besides dietary ones. For example, watching too much television, playing too many video games, being on the Internet for too long and other time consuming things that will limit us from performing beneficial actions. These can include reading and studying the Qur’an and Sunnah, watching videos that can help strengthen our emaan, spending time with our friends and family, and others.

Ramadan is a month of self-restraining and also of self-training our body and mind to control these needs inside us. As it says in the Qur’an:

O ye who believe! fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you that ye may (learn) self-restraint.

(2:183) Qur’an

I strongly believe Ramadan is a month of benefit for our health, as it helps us cleanse our bodies and have awareness of what it’s like to be hungry and thirsty and not be able to have food or water for long periods. It’s not the same to feel empathy for someone that is going through hunger, then to actually go through hunger yourself and realize how important it is to help others.

Alhamdulillah that we have such a beautiful month to make us realize these things and learn to control our desires and needs.

Body Cleansing

Ramadan has so many benefits, so this is why I decided to divide this article in two: one for the soul and one for the body. You can read my article For the Soul here.

Not only do we restrain from foul language, learn to help the needy and understand what our true intentions are as humans during Ramadan, but it is also a month where our body can take a break from all the bad things we’ve put it in.

If you’re someone that likes to eat tons of fast food, or fried foods, your digestive system will finally be able to cleanse itself.

Anas b. Mâik narrates that Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) used to break his fast with fresh dates before going to prayer. When fresh dates were unavailable, he would break his fast with dried dates. When dried dates were unavailable, he would take a few sips of water.

[Sunan Abî Dâwûd (2356)]

It is Sunnah (the prophetic way) to break your fast with dates or water if you can’t find dates. Also, for your suhoor or early morning breakfast just before praying fajr, it is recommended to have a balanced, healthy meal full of proteins and vitamins, to stay away from fried foods and salty food such as cheese as they will make you thirsty, to not drink tea as it will make you want to go to the bathroom too often, and to drink at least 2 cups of water or more so that your body remains hydrated during the day.

Ramadan should not be a month to make diets, or to lose weight as some people consider it to be. Also, it shouldn’t be a month where you sleep all day and wake up at night to break your fast. Not only is this incorrect since you should be spending as much time possible reading Qur’an and remembering why we fast, but it will also make you gain weight.

We must remember that fasting in the month of Ramadan is the month for Allah (subhana wa ta’aala).

Imam al-Sadiq (A) said:

“God-Almighty said: ‘ Fasting is for Me and I bestow its reward upon the fast observer.”‘

(Wasail al-Shi’a, vol. 7, p-290)

Let’s also remember that fasting is a benefit for us, and not a burden for our ummah. During the month of Ramadan, the gates of heaven are opened and the gates of hell are closed, as is mentioned by the Prophet Muhammad (salalahu alayhi wa salaam).

The Holy Prophet (S) has said:

“The Fasting is a shield for protection against Hell’s fire.”

(Wasail al-Shi’a, vol. 7, p-289)

May Allah guide us in this Holy Month that is soon to come. May our hearts be full of emaan and tawqaa, and may we always worship Allah ta’aala in any circumstance we may be, as He is the all Hearer, the all Knower, and the only one that can hear and answer our prayers. Ameen.

And Allah truly knows best.

Chao

___

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “The child of Adam fills no vessel worse than his stomach. Sufficient for the child of Adam are a few morsels to keep his back straight. If he must eat more, then a third should be for his food, a third for his drink, and a third left for air.” [Sunan al-Tirmidhî (2380) and Musnad Ahmad (17186) and authenticated by al-Albânî in Sahîh al-Jâmi`]

A sister’s revert story

A sister’s revert story

As-salaam alaykum everyone, 

Check out this really inspiring revert story of a Costa Rican sister that lives in the US. It’s always heartwarming to read how other sisters have come to Islam and what their stories were like, as we are all different; but in the end, Allah (subhana wa t’aala) makes us Muslim because He loves us that much. Subhanallah 🙂

Insha’Allah this will benefit you.

Chao 

Following the righteousness of Rasul Allah

~ Patience (Sabr) ~

As-salaam alaikum. May this message find you in the best of health and emaan, and may Allah always protect you from the cleverness of Shaytaan and what is evil.

Despite the few posts I’ve been able to meticulously write on concerning my day to day issues as a revert to Islam, I find that there is one thing that we should never lose focus on.

Patience is one of the most important things we must have as Muslims or as non-Muslims on the path to Islam. Not only is it Sunnah to be patient in our everyday tasks, but also because it gives us such a peaceful and enjoyable quality that openly invites others to Islam through our own attitudes.

Even though this blog is focused on Islam and topics concerning Islamic issues, I think that everyone must learn to be patient, humble and peaceful in everything they do. Taking religion away for a minute, it’s highly important because this peaceful attitude towards life will help you understand, well, everything in life.

When you are bitter, stressed out, or hasty, you start to spread this negative attitude towards others.

On the contrary, when you are of a peaceful manner to everyone around you, your joy and happiness will spread and people will want to enjoy your company.

For me personally, one of the best ways to tell people about Islam is not by my words, but through my actions. I never tell someone not to do something, or frown upon an action and make that person feel bad.

Instead, we must learn to take the good out of our religion, and share this with others.

For instance, I like to pray in my room, with my door closed, as to not make my family members uncomfortable seeing me pray. However, I comment on my prayers occasionally to my mother, and recently we were having breakfast together and she asked me how I prayed. Alhamdulillah, I made her curious about Islam yet I’ve never forced Islam on her or anyone!

When you do something good, and your friends or family members compliment you or praise you on it, always tell them why you did that action.

For example, if you are like me and happen to be an addict to cleanliness, and you clean the entire house one day, when your spouse or mother or anyone else in your household compliments you, let them know that cleanliness and purity is of great importance to a Muslim.

Spreading the message of Islam (submission to the will of Allah) is not done through war, violence, and terrorism like the media has portrayed Muslims to be. These acts are strictly forbidden in Islam.

If you want to know exactly how to spread the message of Islam, look into the actions and words of our beloved Prophet Muhammad (salalahu alayhi wa salaam: peace be upon him).

I love reading up on the Prophet’s biography, as it gives me a very peaceful feeling afterwards. When you read a book on the Prophet Muhammad (salalahu alayhi wa salaam), read a hadith, or see a video, you will realize just how wonderful Allah (subhana wa ta’aala: glorified and exalted is He) is and that Islam will touch the heart of those people whom Allah (subhana wa ta’aala) wishes.

“…and Allah sends astray [thereby] whom He wills and guides whom He wills. And He is the Exalted in Might, the Wise.” (Qur’an, 14:4)

Remember to act accordingly to the Sunnah (prophetic way). When you study your religion, you will realize just how truly beautiful it is, and how wonderful the Prophet (salalahu alayhi wa salaam) was in reference to how he spread Islam.

Don’t feel frustrated if you have failed to act patiently beforehand. Instead, ask Allah to forgive your sins and act righteously as the Prophet did during his time. Allah is indeed with those that perform good actions.

“And those who strive for Us – We will surely guide them to Our ways. And indeed, Allah is with the doers of good.” (Qur’an, 29:69)

I ask Allah to bless you, to guide you aright, and to help you in your calamities. Allah is the best of planners, and Allah (subhana wa ta’aala) knows exactly why you are in a certain circumstance, and He will guide you through it if you just put your trust in Him.

Whether it be at work, at home, at university or anywhere you might find yourself, take a few seconds to remember Allah, and to thank Him for the countless blessings He has given us, without us realizing it sometimes.

Nobody can be given a blessing better and greater than patience.“
——— Prophet Muhammad (s) as reported by Abu Said Al Khudri
in Sahih Bukhari, vol 2 hadith 548.

I invite you to bookmark this page on your browser to read the beautiful qualities and sayings of the Prophet Muhammad (salalahu alayhi wa salaam) and insha’Allah to implement his teachings in our lives.

Positive Quotes from the Prophet Muhammad 

“Make things easier, do not make things more difficult, spread the glad tidings, do not hate.” [Bukhari, Al-Ilm (Knowledge); 12]

And Allah, the most Beneficent, the most Merciful, knows best.

Chao. 🙂