Your first response changes your whole life!

 Assalaamu alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.

Subhaan Allah wa alhamdulillah wa laa illaaha ila Allah wa Allahu Akbar!

There is not a single thing that Allah sends that isn't a blessing, whether clear or disguised. Not a single thing!

Before I go any further, let's just think of the story of Musa and Khidr in Surat ul Kahf. Musa assumed the worst of Khidr's actions, told him off, until Khidr said okay, that's it...and before parting with Musa explained the reality of his actions. Those actions were done for the sake of Allah! They were done at Allah's command! They were done in obedience to Allah! They were done for the best of reasons, which were not obvious to the onlooker, unless...

and here's where we come to the big reveal. If Musa had said one phrase upon seeing Khidr make a hole in the boat, kill the boy, and rebuild the wall it would have changed his whole mindset. What is that phrase? 

Alhamdulillah!

All thanks and praise are for Allah!

So the lesson we learn from that story is that qadr Allahu wa maa shaa fa'al - Allah decreed it and He does what He Wills and that Allah's Plan is the only Perfect Plan. 

Certainly, we must know Allah - His Names and Attributes - to understand that everything He sends is for our good, therefore there is good in everything He sends, hence we say first and foremost: alhamdulillah. 

How does this help us? Because sabr - patience - is at the first strike. Saying alhamdulillah reminds us first that we need to thank Allah for whatever He sends to us and praise Him for it. It changes your mindset immediately to see, or at least seek, the blessing in what He (azza wa jal) sent.

Here is a real-life example.

Someone sends you a message and shaytaan shouts in your ear, "Hey, that's really mean and spiteful!" You listen to that rotten devil and respond, "Let's fear Allah," or "Allah is just," implying that the person doesn't fear Allah or isn't just. However, if you immediately said alhamdulillah, it would send shaytaan running. Your response would reassure you that there is good in this message, and you focus on the good instead of assuming fault with the person who sent the message. That simple phrase stopped you from bad suspicions or assumptions about another Muslim, from insulting another Muslim, and reinforced what is fard (obligatory) upon us, which is husnu-thann - having the best suspicions of others and of Allah, subhaanahu wa ta'ala. Instead of having a negative response, we set ourselves up for success and, subhaan Allah, how quickly and easily we see the wisdom and benefit in what was sent to us when we trust Allah's perfect plan. 

Subhaanak Allahumma wa bihamdik laa ilaaha illa Allah, astaghfirullah wa atoobu ilayk

Charging Ahead

 Assalaamu alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.

I could start this post talking about all the things I haven't managed to do yet, but where is the positivity in that? So, I will tell you that I am charging ahead with the good deeds, with the gifts, with the sadaqah, with the determined efforts to do khayr and it is wonderful alhamdulillah! Whatever issues have arisen, Allah has given me great ease with maashaa Allah. My loneliness has been replaced by visits from sisters coming to bake, play games, and have lessons and having great conversations with my eldest daughter. My days have a good dose of "me" in them, full of positivity and progress with my PT exercises and hypopressives. I feel better, optimistic, hopeful maashaa Allah, wa alhamdulillah.

I'm charging ahead with the khayr: bringing smiles, bringing ease, meeting needs and wants bi idhn Illah ta'ala, and Allah is bringing me smiles, ease, and meeting my needs! 

Subhaanak Allahumma wa bi hamdihi, laa illaha illa Ant, astaghfiruka wa atoobu ilayk.

Dirty Laundry? Clean Attitude!

BismIllah wa assalaamu alaykum.

Time to do laundry; I left it a couple of days to see if it would gain independence and wash itself. Obviously, due to love for me, it decided to stay inert so I could get the reward. Gotta love that laundry!

Gifts!

Bismillah wa assalaamu alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. These days are special, these first ten days of Dhul Hijjah, maashaa Allah. These days hold amazing opportunities for rewards in all that we do. Allah's Generosity is overwhelming!

Many of us fast, do extra ibaadah, give sadaqah, try harder...but there is something else we can do that's free but gives huge and valuable rewards to others. We can make use of our gifts.

Drink a cup of the special tea your friend gifted you with each day after iftar or for suhoor. Read your du'a and adhkaar from the books gifted to you, or say the authentic ones taught you in a class or by a loved one. Wear the socks and gloves gifted to you, use the pen, carry the bag, blow your nose on the hankie.

Use your gifts with the clear intention of rewarding the givers for their generosity. Make du'a for the gift givers and ask Allah to bless them with more. If you cannot make use of some gifts, ask Allah to reward the giver as if you used it every day.

Give bigger gifts back to the givers, by using their gifts. "Is there any reward for good except good?" (Ar-Rahmaan) It's a win-win situation!

Give your Best

Bism Illah wa assalaamu alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.

Consider this scenario. You know of a sister who has not been praying or wearing any form of hijab. She asks for some Islamic clothing and hijab. You know that she has not worn any hijab consistently for years and shaytaan whispers to you that she is probably asking you so that you will have a better opinion of her or think she really is trying to improve but prevented by a lack of suitable clothing. shaytaan whispers that she will probably not wear what you give her much, or for long, and it will probably end up dusty in the closet or thrown away.

Audhu b'Illahi min as-shaytaan ir-rajeem!

Give her good hijab. Give her things from your collection that you particularly think she will like, or will suit her. This will encourage her towards modest dress. Give her a nice quality aba'a (abaya), a good khimar - things you would wear yourself to Jumu'ah or Eid.

Give your best, Allah will do the rest.

The sister will feel that you have honored her by giving her nice things. It will open her heart to you and give your da'wah a smoother reception bi idhn Illah ta'ala. She will taste the beauty of Islam, the practice of loving for others what one loves for oneself. And for you, you will have lived the beauty of Islam. You will  have lived loving for another what you love for yourself. You will have lived Ihsaan, giving your best knowing that Allah is watching you. You will have lived giving the sister her rights of husn-u-thann, having the best suspicions about her. She may well live up to those expectations, inshaa Allah. You will have triumphed over shaytaan and his evil whispers.

Regardless of what happens to those donated clothes, giving your best elicits the best from yourself and from Allah, subhaana wa ta'ala.

So give your best, Allah will do the rest.

Subhaanak Allahumma wa bihamdik, laa ilaaha illa ant, astaghfiruka wa atoobu ilayk.

Planning for Success: Ramadhaan 1436

Bism Illah wa assalaamu alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.

For major events in life, we usually make plans so that they will be a success. Well the "Month of the Year" is coming up, a month that can turn hearts, set lives in order or back on track, repair broken connections with our Creator, and be an expiation for all that has gone before it. Ramadhaan deserves planning - planning for success!

Something I find very beneficial in Ramadhaan is to have a study plan, or lessons, that fit the month -
30 days:30 lessons. Here are some suggestions for your Ramadhaan study plan.


SISTERS ONLY CLASSES: Making the most of Ramadhaan and The Qur'aan: A Light and a Mercy

This 29-day course consists of two daily classes during Ramadhaan:
Making the Most of Ramadhaan:
Using the book Fasting from Alif to Yaa, compiled by Umm Mujaahid, Khadijah bin Lacina Al Amreekiyyah, and
Sittings during the Blessed Month of Ramadan By Shaykh Muhammad Ibn Saalih Al-Uthaymeen
The Qur'aan: A Light and Mercy:
This interactive class will cover a Surah a day from the Surahs of Juz Amma as well as Suratul-Fatiha. It will include: Tafseer, rules of Tajweed and evaluation of recitation, tips on memorization and review, the importance and benefits of learning and reciting the Qur'aan, especially within the month of Ramdhaan, and much more.

Disciplining the Soul by Ibn Jawzi, raheemahullah. This is truly a self-help/self-improvement book for Muslims, maashaa Allah, with 30 short, life-changing chapters. We have recently read it as part of our Islamic Studies curriculum, so we are not including it in our Ramadhaan study plan, but it is something I plan to revisit yearly bi idhn Illah, ta'ala either in Ramadhaan or in preparation the month.

30 Lessons in Fasting, Shk Saalih Al Fawzaan
We are doing these this year, inshaa Allah.

Shk Uthaymeen's Daily Sittings in Ramadhaan
We did these for 3 or 4 Ramadhaans in a row, maashaa Allah, and they are wonderful!

Bitesize Articles 2011
Short lessons for each day of Ramadhaan by Abbas Yahya, found on Al Miraath Publications website.

Bitesize Articles 2013
A different set of short lessons for Ramadhaan by Abbas Yahya, found on Al Miraath Publications.

Our family will be having a very international Ramadhaan, bi idhn Illah ta'ala, with the first week spent in Madinah, the second in Makkah, the third England, and the last traveling across the USA from Washington DC to New Mexico inshaa Allah. We are planning a course of study that can be done on the road, on the run, offline, and pretty much wherever we find ourselves. This year, we are focusing on tafseer of the Qur'aan. We seek greater understanding and connection with Allah's perfect words. What more appropriate time to do that than the month the Qur'aan was revealed?

We have found some wonderful technology to assist us, an application called Quran Tafsir Pro. This application has the Qur'aan ayah by ayah by a huge range of qaaris, including Ibrahim al Akhdar, the qaari we learn our recitation from exclusively. It also has the translation, and at one touch, the tafsir of each ayah. Not only that, but it has an ayah test and random ayah test feature where you are shown an ayah and have to chose the translation/meaning of each word and are scored at the end. On the touch of a word it will give you the grammatical information about it, maashaa Allah. Now that's beneficial entertainment we can all happily indulge in bi idhn Illah ta'ala! And lastly in my promo for this application (ha ha ha!), it has a feature where you can see the du'a from the Qur'aan - beautiful, wal hamdul'Illahi Rabbil aal ameen!

We will be tapping in to Umm Mujaahid's class, Making the Most of Ramadhaan whenever we can inshaa Allah. We are also planning to use the interactive Qur'aanic Arabic Quiz Programme, www.80percentwords.com These things, along with our goal to complete the recitation of the complete Qur'aan over the month, will be our plan for Ramadhaan 1436 bi idhn Illah ta'ala.

We seek Allah's success for our family, your family, and our whole ummah in reaching and exceeding our goals this  Ramadhaan - ameen!

Subhaanaka wa bihamdika laa ilaaha ilaa ant, astaghfirukah wa atoobu ilayk.

The Roadmap to Smiles

Bism Illah wa assalaamu alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.

Ever try to please someone, seeking their smile? You do something you think they will like so they will be pleased with you and you can enjoy seeing their pleasure. Well, just have a quick look at the map and make sure you are taking the right route to their pleasure. You see, sometimes when you want to see appreciation in the form of thanks, smiles, or even gifts, you might compliment, joke, play a trick, or do an act of compliance for the sole purpose of pleasing specific people.

"Your wealth and your children are only a trial, whereas Allah, with Him is a great reward." At-Taghaabun 15

This is a subject that needs to be clarified to children, as they might mistakenly try different things to please parents, but remain disobedient to them, and consequently Allah. I was once told that someone wanted to please me and was doing a certain action to gain my approval. I had to say that what will please me and gain my approval was them pleasing Allah. Pleasing Allah entails obedience to parents, and obedience to parents is obedience to Allah, so whichever way they approach it they will succeed. However, they said that they can't see Allah's pleasure.

I realized, then, that not just children, but many adults just don't feel motivated or satisfied with the concept of obeying and pleasing Allah. They are seeking instant, visible or tactile gratification. They cannot make the connection that all the goodness and blessing that comes to them is from Allah; that it comes from obedience to their Creator.

However, Who gives His Creation the ability and inspiration to smile and give instant, visible, or tactile gratification to others? Who puts in the nature of His believers love and appreciation for the good? Who decrees whether and what you will receive? Know that there is no goodness that comes to you, except by Allah's Will. If you want goodness, smiles, beautiful relationships, love, then go to the One Who can make that happen and give them to you - check your map and set your route to Allah.

"Is there any reward for good other than good?" Ar-Rahman 60

Seek Allah's pleasure through obedience to Him and acts loved by Him; Allah will send you rewards far beyond thanks and a smile. He will send you thanks and smiles from His creation far more heartfelt and plentiful than those you seek, and you will have other blessings in this life, as well as a reward set aside for your aakhirah.

"For those who have done good is the best (reward) and even more..." Yunus 10 

So rather than focusing on pleasing your parents, children, husband, wife, relatives, and friends, focus on obeying and pleasing Allah and see what Allah sends you through it. There is no shaky ground in this, it is a guarantee from your Creator that He will reward your obedience with good.
 "If you lend to Allah a goodly loan He will double it for you, and Allah is most ready to appreciate and to reward, Most Forebearing" At Taghaabun 17

Du'a for Righteousness/Piety

Bismillah wa assalaamu alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.

Allah gives us a du'a in the Qur'aan for righteous offspring (children). It is in Surat ul Ahqaaf, ayah 15 and it is this:

《 و اصلح لي في ذريتي إنى تبت إليك و إنى من المسلمين》

"And make my offspring righteous/pious, truly I have turned to You in repentance and truly I am one of the Muslims."

I have added to this for a few years now and ask each day for Allah to make not only my offspring righteous,  but also my husband - زوجي, my family - أسرتي,  my friends - صديقاتي, my heart - قلبي, my manners - أخلاقي, my niyyah - نيتي, my wealth - مالي, our hearts - قلوبنا, our wealth - مالنا, and our land - ارضنا. It is a beautiful du'a, from the perfect words of our Creator, alhamdulillah!

Give Ten People a Recipe...

Bismillah wa assalaamu alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.

Give ten people a recipe. Do you get ten identical results? No.

There are the people who follow it exactly, knowing that is the only way to get the right result. Even so, there may be slight variations depending on the brand and function of their oven, the type of utensils or kitchen equipment they use, and even the weather and their altitude. 

Then there are those who think they have a better technique, and change the recipe before even following the original directions. 

At least one will try to cut corners, skimping on quantities or using inferior or cheaper ingredients. 

There are the ones who can't read the recipe properly; their vision is blurred and so they misinterpret it.

Of the ten, someone may not understand units of measurement, and so rather than learn, they guess at the quantities.

And there are always the ones who couldn't care less and throw the recipe together uncaring about the result.

Which one of the those people are you? What would you expect your version of the recipe to turn out like?

Our Creator, Allah, gives us a recipe: a recipe for success that He names Islam.  

"...This day, I have perfected your religion for you, completed My Favor upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion..."

Surat ul Maa'idah 3

The recipe is perfect, and He clearly tells us that following it will lead to eternal blissful reward. So, I ask you, what are you doing with His recipe? How can you follow it more accurately, for that perfect result?

Be Greedy and Selfish!

Bism Illah wa assalaamu alaykum wa RahmatUllahi wa Barakatuh.

Yes, you read it rightly; Mai is now telling you to be greedy and selfish, LOL!

"... but His plan is to test you in what He has given you; so strive as in a race in good deeds..." [Quran 5:48]

When someone enters a room I am in, and they don't give the salaams, I give the salaams. True, it is a reminder that the salaams should be given, but I'm also being greedy for the reward of spreading the salaams. I'm greedy for the reward of making du'a for others; greedy for chances to be the first to help; greedy to bring a smile to someone's face. Tell me, who doesn't love making others happy or helping them in some way? It is human nature, and it feels wonderful maashaa Allah.

Recently, a beloved sister asked me for some help; it wasn't even for her, but for a dear sister of hers maashaa Allah. She then apologized for asking too much of me. I told her not to be sorry for giving me a chance for the Pleasure and Reward of Allah; it is a blessing! The sister told me I'm sweet, maashaa Allah, but I had to correct her. I am not sweet; I am selfish. I want to feel the joy and happiness in helping others and pleasing Allah. When I respond to her requests, I am pleasing myself!

So please, be as greedy and selfish as possible: greedy for rewards and opportunities for rewards; selfish in wanting to feel good by doing good to others. It is greed and selfishness for your happiness in both this worldly life and the aakhirah!

Just Say the Words

Bism Illah wa assalaamu alaykum wa RahmatUllahi wa Barakatuh.

Sometimes it is difficult to automatically think and react in the correct and good way to what befalls us. The initial reactions to a broken down car or cutting our finger might be, "Oh no!" or "Ouch, that hurt!" However, I have found that in training ourselves to say the appropriate words, we actually train ourselves in sabr (patience) for the improvement of our deen.


For example, when we say al hamdu l'Illah as our first automatic and immediate response to any affliction, (the burn from the oven, the baby falling, the house collapsing, LOL), then we direct our minds to automatically seek out its blessings from Allah. It reminds us to have yaqeen (certainty) that it is, indeed, a great blessing from Allah, even if it isn't clear where some of the blessings lie. Certainly, the test is sent to us as a reminder, an expiation, and improver.

Narrated Anas (radhi Allahu anh): The Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said,


            “The real patience is at the first stroke of a calamity.”
                                                                                                 Sahih Al-Bukhari – Book 23 Hadith 389


Sometimes all it takes is to just say the words to focus ourselves on the correct thinking and belief.

A Beefy Story

As salaamu alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakaatuh.

Here is a true story that might inspire. About 3 years ago, a dear sister of mine was pregnant at the same time as I was. She visited us once a month for our Girl's Reading Club,  and on one occasion told me she was craving beef. I had already prepared chicken for that night's meal and only had one opportunity to serve beef during her pregnancy- just some ground beef in a chili dish. A bit later in her pregnancy she learned that she had an iron deficiency, so the unfulfilled intention to make her beef stayed with me.

Since then, we have seen each other a handful of times, due to our heavy homeschooling and family schedules maashaa Allah. So, this past Friday when she and her family were invited to dinner, I prepared roast beef  with gravy.  I was ill with a cold and sore throat, preparing the meal with a bad headache, and making dua' throughout that Allah would bless the food. As we sat eating, I reminded her of her cravings for beef 3 years before during her pregnancy and that I was finally fulfilling my intention to serve it to her. She looked at me a little incredulously and laughed. I said, "Better late than never!"

As there was plenty of the beef, al hamdul'Illah, I asked her to take some home. She took it and this morning, Sunday, she told me that she had been talking to a sister who is pregnant and has been suffering from extreme fatigue and low iron. My friend asked the sister if she was craving beef, and the sister shyly informed her that she had....so she sent her the beef. This morning she got a message from the sister saying that she had never had beef so beautifully tender and delicious and asked for the recipe, the cut of beef, and made dua' for her. My dear sister responded:

"Wa alaykum us salaam sweety. I am so happy you liked it. A dear friend of mine made it for me the other night in honor of my intense desire to have beef while pregnant - 2 1/2 years ago! As I ate it, I thought of you. It wasn't decreed for my pregnancy, but yours, alhamdulilah!"

Allahu Akbar! See how far a fulfilled  good intention can travel?

I ask Allah to use me to benefit others REPEATEDLY. If it wasn't for the fact that I know He loves me to ask and never tires of it, I would have shut up out of shame and embarrassment from asking all the time. The news about the beef made me cry, maashaa Allah; the barakaat of the beef made my day. It sounds quite hilarious to say that a story about beef can have such an effect, but that is yet another huge Mercy from our Lord. He gives us things to smile and laugh about from the things we do seeking His Face. So, for all of you who have unfulfilled good intentions that you CAN fulfill,

it's never too late to cook the beef!

Be Real with Yourself

Bism Illah wa assalaamu alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.

Every action has an intention. Just read the first hadith of An-Nawawi's 40 Hadith and ponder for a minute it's meaning.

On the authority of Ameer ul-Mu'mineen (the Commander of the Faithful), Abu Hafs 'Umar ibn al-Khattaab radhi Allahu anhu, who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam say:

Actions are but by intentions and every man shall have only that which he intended. 

Thus he whose migration (Hijrah to Madeenah from Makkah) was for Allaah and His Messenger, his miration was for Allah and His Messenger, and he whose migration was to achieve some worldly benefit or to take some woman in marriage, his migration was for that for which he migrated.

(Agreed upon)

 عَنْ أَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَبِي حَفْصٍ عُمَرَ بْنِ الْخَطَّابِ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: سَمِعْت رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ: ” إنَّمَا الْأَعْمَالُ بِالنِّيَّاتِ، وَإِنَّمَا لِكُلِّ امْرِئٍ مَا نَوَى، فَمَنْ كَانَتْ هِجْرَتُهُ إلَى اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ فَهِجْرَتُهُ إلَى اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ، وَمَنْ كَانَتْ هِجْرَتُهُ لِدُنْيَا يُصِيبُهَا أَوْ امْرَأَةٍ يَنْكِحُهَا فَهِجْرَتُهُ إلَى مَا هَاجَرَ إلَيْهِ“.

رَوَاهُ إِمَامَا الْمُحَدِّثِينَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللهِ مُحَمَّدُ بنُ إِسْمَاعِيل بن إِبْرَاهِيم بن الْمُغِيرَة بن بَرْدِزبَه الْبُخَارِيُّ الْجُعْفِيُّ ، وَأَبُو الْحُسَيْنِ مُسْلِمٌ بنُ الْحَجَّاج بن مُسْلِم الْقُشَيْرِيُّ النَّيْسَابُورِيُّ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُمَا فِي صَحِيحَيْهِمَا اللذَين هُمَا أَصَحُّ الْكُتُبِ الْمُصَنَّفَةِ.

It is easy to say, "I don't know," or, "Because I wanted to," or even, "Someone else made me do it," when being asked why you did something, However, not one of these answers is the truth or the whole truth.

When words come out of your mouth, contemplate why you say them. Try it for at least a day and see if your words were all helpful, beneficial, guiding to the good, and loving the good for those being spoken to. Consider if those words are sitting on your right hand side, recorded in Illiyyeen. Did you really say them with a clean heart and intentions? Or did you say them with the underlying desire to hurt, insult, put down, make fun of, condescend to, cajole, or manipulate?

So much is said and done without thought, but not without thought about why we did it, but more about what the result is of us doing it. What reward will we get for it - good or bad? It is easy, when being examined by others, to come up with an altruistic reason for our actions and speech. However,  it is the truth within us that we will answer for - the truth behind the reason for our actions and speech, not what we say in retrospect or try to convince ourselves or others of.

We, as human beings, will always have to fight our nafs and the incessant whispers of shaytaan feeding our base thoughts and desires. The only way we can truly address and correct ourselves for the good is if we are honest with ourselves about those negative and evil feelings that drive us to do or say bad or negative things.It is in being real with ourselves that we can pinpoint the things we need to rectify in our hearts and humble ourselves before our Creator. It is in being real with ourselves that we can cry in desperation to Allah for His Forgiveness and Help. It is in being real with ourselves that we stand a chance of true success in this life and the next, bi idhn Illah ta'ala.

Motivation...

Bism Illah wa assalaamu alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.

Short and sweet this post will be, bi idhn Illah ta'ala. When I get ready for bed each night, most usually I am very tired, al hamdul'Illah. I wake up about an hour before fajr, have no naps during the day, and it is sometimes very late by the time the baby has been nursed to sleep. However, no matter how tired I am, I make wudhu before I go to bed, maashaa Allah.

Don't think that there isn't that wicked voice whispering to me, "Forget the wudhu tonight, your tired/the water's cold/the baby just started crying again - just get to bed." But there is one thought that motivates me every single time: I refuse to give shaytaan the satisfaction and pleasure. It is a fight to the end between that rotten devil and me, and it's a challenge I cannot back down from, maashaa Allah. So I smile to myself, at shaytaan's expense, and make my wudhu...and just to annoy him some more, I will post this lovely hadeeth to remind and encourage you all.

Ibn Abbas reported that Allaah's Messenger said: “Purify these bodies and Allaah will purify you, for there is no slave who goes to sleep in a state of purity but an Angel spends the night with him, and every time he turns over, [the Angel] says, 'O Allah! Forgive Your slave, for he went to bed in a state of purity.'”

[Reported by at-Tabaranee. See Saheeh al-Jamee (3831)]

The Irresistible!

Bism Illah wa as salaamu alaykum wa Rahmat Allah wa Barakatuh.

Whenever people ask me what I like best about Islam, I say that it is the most incredible incentive scheme I have ever seen. I studied psychology in college and wanted to laugh out loud when I learned about applied behavioral analysis and token economy. They are, without a doubt, showcased to perfection in Islam. Man may have come up with a label for these psychological approaches, but they are Divine Strategies of Our Creator.

I know, I know...I've put out plenty of other posts about reaping rewards from our actions and outlook: Reach Out Today, Make that Call, Have Mercy, Laughter and Tears, Trudging or Skipping, etc. I just cannot get over how much Allah, through His incredible messages, draws me like a magnet to what pleases Him!

I'm not quoting hadith and Quran for the benefits mentioned below; you can find them easily yourself and I don't want this to be a book. I am just giving an example of a few of the incentives from Allah...literally a drop in the ocean of all He offers us for doing simple things.

Good Deeds:

• Do one good deed and Allah will record it as ten or more (up to as many more good deeds as He wills).
• Just think of doing a good deed, without even doing it and you get the reward for doing it. 
• Do a bad deed and Allah records it as just one. 
• The good deeds erase the bad deeds.

Quran Recitation and Prayer:

• Don't despair if you don't know enough Quran to recite half of it in a night, recite Surat Al Zalzalah and it is equal to a quarter of the Quran, so in two rakaat, one half bi idhn Illah ta'ala. 
• Surat Al Ikhlaas, one of the shortest and easiest suwar to learn, is equal to 1/3 of the Quran. 
• You cannot stand for the whole night in prayer? Wake up for tahajjud sometime in the last 1/3 of the night and recite the last 10 ayaat of Surat al Imran and you will have the reward of standing the whole night in prayer.

Looking for a good "deal"? Check out the Rewards for Dhikr chart !

Subhaan Allah, just say His name and see what you get!

From Abu Sa`id al-Khudri, the Prophet (saw) said:

"No people mention Allah but the angels surround them, mercy covers them, tranquility descends on them, and Allah mentions them to those who are with Him." (Muslim, at-Tirmidhi)

Subhaan Allah, Allah makes His servants desperate to do good! Isn't it all simply irresistible?

Laughter and Tears: An Introspection

BismIllah wa as salaamu alaykum wa Rahmat Allah wa Barakatuh.

Some of you know me personally. You've met me, sat with me, eaten with me, and probably laughed with me. Some of you have no idea what I am like, except for what I write here. However, most of you probably know that I have a sense of humor and a positive outlook. I have even been described as "chipper" and "bubbly" by my dear sisters. All thanks and praise to Allah, Who is the sole creator of any good in me!   

Just a few moments ago, while listening to children laugh over foolish matters, I remembered this saying.  

Our beloved Prophet Muhammad said, "O followers of Muhammad! By Allah, if you knew what I know, you would weep much and laugh little." [Sahih al-Bukhari, Vol. 8, #627]

Then, me being me, I immediately thought of how I'm always smiling, cheerful, and trying to infuse that into others. There is much laughter in my life. Uh oh! Is that a problem? Am I ignoring the Prophet's (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) words and warning? I had to consider the reason for my laughter and cheer. I had, for a moment, to remind myself of what I tell sisters who meet me and comment on those "sunny" qualities. I tell them this:

"Every day I wake up and give praise and thanks to Allah. I am overwhelmed by His Generosity and Mercy, by His Blessings and His Love. How can I not smile when every single thing He sends me is out of Love for me? How can I not be bubbling with joy and happiness? I have the most perfect and complete Love I could ever imagine!"

So, if my smiles and laughter are all to acknowledge and give thanks for Allah's countless Blessings, can they be bad or a waste of time? No. They are ibadah. They are shukr. They are sadaqah. They are daw'ah. 

On the flip side, I cry a lot. I am a veritable leaky tap! Friends see this, too. We may be sitting anywhere and the mention of Allah's Mercy, a reward for a simple word or task, or some hadith by our beloved Prophet, salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam, and I'm dabbing at my eyes. Don't even get me started about how Allah chose me to be one of His servants in Islam, or I'll be bawling for a week!

In the middle of an Arabic class, where Hajj was being discussed, I burst into tears over the huge reward for the accepted Hajj and my desperation to go. While attending the Sunday Islamic classes with my children two years ago in the States, I cried in nearly every lesson over the things the teacher was telling the children about the account of good deeds and bad, the aakhirah, etc. Fortunately, by now, my children are used to my "religious tears." They still ask why I am crying, but once they hear it is because of something related to our deen, they brush it off as normal. 

I cry, desperately, over my mistakes and my shortcomings. I cry, uncontrollably at times, over fear of losing my way or being touched by the Hellfire. At times I wonder if death is approaching for me soon, lol, with such strong emotions over all things from Allah and against Him. However, I have great hope in my heart of Allah, subhaana wa taala's, shade for my tears and my love, when I remember this hadith:

"Seven will be granted the shade of Allâh on a day when there will be no shade but His. A just ruler, a youth who has been brought up worshipping Allâh, a man whose heart is attached to the mosque, two people who love each other for the sake of Allâh and meet and part upon that, a man who is allurred by a woman of high standing and beauty and he says, "I fear Allâh", one who gives charity in secret so that his left hand does not know what his right hand has given, and a man whose eyes fill up with tears when he remembers Allâh in private" (Bukhârî, Muslim and others)

So, I say to you all smile and be happy, because Allah Loves you! Cry in awe and desperation, because you are weak and humble. Laugh and cry for all the right reasons, so that it will all be on your account as ibadah and increase in your emaan and taqwa, bi ithn Illah taala.

Reach Out Today!

BismIlah wa as salaamu alaikum wa Rahmat Allah wa Barakatuh!

Do something today. Reach out to somebody. Offer them something of yourself: your smile, your support, your prayer rug, a tasty treat. Share a mind-blowing Hadith Qudsi. Share a touching story of how Allah has blessed you. Share your favorite surah of Quran and why you love it. Invite someone to pray with you. Move the rock or stick in the path, or toy in the hallway LOL, so others can pass . Hold the door open for someone. Kiss your husband on his cheek as you walk past his chair. Bake your family's favorite cookies. Every one of these things is a sadaqah... and they don't even cost a penny.

"Verily, those who give Sadaqat, men and women, and lend to Allah a goodly loan, it shall be increased manifold and theirs shall be an honorable good reward." [Quran 57:18]

You give in charity and Allah, swt, rewards you.

"Whoever works righteousness, whether male or female, while he (or she) is a true believer, verily, to him We will give a good life (in this world) with respect, and We shall pay them certainly a reward in proportion to the best of what they used to do." [Quran 16:97]

You may also be rewarded by a smile of gratitude or a warm thank you from the person or people you reach out to, but that is just an added bonus. The rewards start coming from the very minute you start thinking about what you can do to reach out. They just keep flowing as you prepare, make your intention, and act. How can we pass up such an opportunity for a flow of rewards that lead to a big gush when we do the good deed?

"... but His plan is to test you in what He has given you; so strive as in a race in good deeds..." [Quran 5:48]

What are these rewards? The good deeds that are recorded by the Angel on your right side. "Then, as for him who will be given his Record in his right hand, He surely will receive an easy reckoning" [Quran 84:7-8]

It's all about Jennah... everything else is insignificant.

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Da'wah: Small Kindnesses

As salaamu alaikum wa Rahmat Allah wa Barakatuh,

I went to the supermarket one morning and the man in front of me in the check-out not only moved the dividers along so they could be reached, he moved his own groceries further up on the conveyor belt so I would have more space to place mine. I appreciated it. I thought to myself, small kindnesses go a long way to making an impression on others. They speak of compassion, caring, politeness, consideration, and a kind heart.

I standardly smile, hold doors open, offer assistance where warranted, and let cars go ahead of me in traffic. Now I think that if we have a whole surah dedicated to the subject, Surah Al Maun, and the most beautiful example of selfless generosity and kindness in our Prophet, SAW, then we should be nicer, kinder, more considerate, politer, more compassionate, more caring, with kinder hearts than anyone else. We need to set the record for small kindnesses. It is a powerful form of da'awah and nothing less than an obligation as Muslims.