One of my favorite parts of the AlMaghrib Fiqh of Salah class focused on how to figure out the prayer time based on the position of the sun. While this is an important skill and one that our predecessors used, we now have technology at our fingertips to help. This post will inshAllah help show some of my favorite and most used Islamic applications for my iPhone.
iPray
What is it? Application that tells you prayer times. Organizes the prayers by day and allows you to scroll through the five upcoming days. It has a countdown until the next prayer and has a Qibla locator complete with compass.
What is it? The Quran, on your iPhone. You can read in Arabic or 30 translations in a variety of languages. Download and listen to different reciters, bookmark ayahs as memorizing, reading, ect. You can also make notes to yourself which I really like.
What is it? Halal restaurant database. Type in a city or let it show you what restaurants, markets and masajid are located within 5, 10 or 20 miles from you.
What is it? This is like the Fortress of the Muslim book, but on my iphone. It has 129 different duas to make throughout the day ranging from what to say to the new bride and groom to what supplications to make when visiting the sick.
What is it? This application lets you track your prayers, fasting, Quran reading and sadaqah. It also provides you with great graphs of how you’re doing. It’s a great app to help motivate and encourage you to be consistent with your worship.
What is it? This app contains recordings of surahs and supplications as well as written supplications. This app divides the supplications into those in which the people of Heaven are described as well as ahadith that describe those who will enter the Hellfire and the actions that brought them there.
period of time during which you must perform the prayer
originally based on the position of the sun, not Islamicfinder.com
in Islamic calendar, new day begins at sunset
Timing
Time frame
Cycles
Aloud or Silent?
Maghrib
(Sunset)
Disc of sun falls completely below the horizon and eastern horizon starting to gray
Best not to delay it
3 cycles
Quran is recited aloud during first two cycles and silently during the third
Isha
(Night)
No visible redness or light in the sky
May be prayed all the way up to fajr
4 cycles
Quran is read aloud during the first two, silent in last two
Fajr
(Dawn)
When light begins to appear along Eastern horizon
Must be prayed before sunrise
2 cycles
Quran is recited out loud in both cycles
Ẓuhr
(Midday)
Immediately after sun passes the zenith
From immediately after sun passes zenith up until asr
4 cycles
Quran is recited silently in all four cycles
Asr
(Afternoon)
When sun is in position so that the object is equal to length of its shadow
Ends when time for maghrib prayer begins (up until sunset)
4 cycles
Quran is recited silently in all four cycles
Call to Prayer (adhan)
series of invocations that a designated person calls out in chanting fashion
announces the entrance of a new prayer time
lets people know to come to congregate for prayer
Commendable (mustahab) to do this in one’s own home or gathering (reward and blessing)
only done for the fard prayers, not sunnah
even if one prays by oneself, it is recommended to do call to rise (iqamaah) (similar to athan, not exactly, informs that prayer is beginning)
Congregational prayer (jamaat)
two or more people
reward for someone who prays in congregation is 27 times better than praying by oneself, whether in home or in masjid
one morally accountable male must be designated as prayer leader or imam – stands in front of others, leads prayer, recites Quran (if applicable – see chart above), worshippers stand behind shoulder to should in a horizontal rows all facing prayer direction
those who follow this imam, do each action of the prayer immediately after the imam, not with the imam
when imam is reciting out loud, the congregation listens. During the silent cycles, congregation recites silently to self.
Friday prayer (salaatul jum’uah)
Muslim holy day
Special prayer occurs on this day
Consists of two main parts: sermon, prayer that is unique to it
Friday prayer takes place of the the zuhr (mid day) prayer
Friday is a day when a Muslim should make extra effort to worship and good deeds
Friday prayer: most often occurs in the mosque.
Simplicity of mosques are to help Muslim concentrate on his worship.
Carpet needs to be ritually pure and clean (reason behind shoes being removed)
Mosque salutation: Prophet salallaho alayhi wasalaam encouraged us to pray two short cycles when first entering the mosque
Can enter prayer space when in minor ritual impurity, cannot pray until make wudu. Person cannot enter prayer space in state of major impurity
Requirements for Friday prayer – fard for them to attend
Male
Resident in vicinity of Friday prayer
Don’t have valid excuse not to attend
Fard for resident males to attend. Commendable for everyone to attend the Friday prayer.
What happens?
Athan when timing for zuhr prayer enters
Imam says “asalaam alaikum”
This is considered the official beginning of the Friday prayer
Second call to prayer
Imam gives sermon
Point of sermon is to recharge Muslims’ faith
Imam sits for less than minute then stands to finish sermon
During intermission, recommended for congregation to ask Allah for forgiveness
Iqamaa is announced, prayer begins
Friday prayer is unique: recited aloud and is only 2 cycles rather than four (sermon counts for the other 2 prayer units)
Rules that apply during Friday prayer (beginning when imam stands and says “asalaam alaikum”
Forbidden to speak
Sit attentively, facing the imam
In heart, think about what is being said and how it should apply to you and contemplate how to get the maximum benefit from what is being shared
Commendable actions
Grooming oneself before going to prayer
Clipping nails, trimming/grooming beards, ghusl, men to apply cologne
Adorning oneself to wear nice clothing,
Sunnah to wear white on Friday
Prayer and Travel
Allah has made Islam easy.. prayers during travel is a great example
Definition of traveling in Islamic law (Maliki school): if person travels distance of 48 miles (77.25KM) or more from city of your residence
Prophet Muhammad, salallaho alayhi wasalaam specified in distance not amount of time of travel
During the journey while traveling
Permissible to shorten prayers that are 4 to 2 cycles
Zuhr, asr, isha become 2 cycles while traveling
Fajr and maghrib stay the same
Permissible to combine prayers. (Can be delayed into later of the two prayer times if needed)
Zuhr and asr combined to pray at same time, one after the other
Maghrib and isha combined to pray at same time, one after the other
Time spent at destination (arrived at destination)
Can shorten but cannot combine them or delay until later time
Need to look at how long person will stay in particular location
Less than 20 prayers (4 complete days) shortening is fine, delaying them is not
More than 20 prayers, pray them normally immediately upon arrival
Spiritual Dimensions
Prayer is a ritual that we do with our body. Our body serves as a vehicle. End is that the prayer should affect our soul.
Movements and body aspect is important and a condition of prayer but is not the ultimate objective.
Objective: develop spiritual state of worshipping, sense complete need of and gratitude for Allah
Imam Al-Ghazali
6 qualities of your inner being that need to be nurtured in order for one to fulfill the objective of prayer
focused concentration (thoughts and feelings should not be distracted)
reflective comprehension (reflecting on verse of Quran, invocations)
reverence (for the One before you are standing)
awe (reverence, related to fear of someone so great and majestic)
hope (for Allah’s Mercy and reward and grace)
humility (and sense of shame. Being aware of one’s shortcomings)
Outward actions have symbolic meanings that affect our hearts
Hear adhan: in heart and soul think about how we are being summoned by Allah, not the one saying the athan. reflect on Day of Judgment and standing before Allah.
As you take time to clean areas: (prayer area, clothes, body) make sure you heart is clean.. Working outward to inner purity and refinement.
Turning towards Qibla: you are turning away from everything except Allah
Stands in prayer: reminder that we should be steadfast in goodness and have upright character
Bowing in ruku: remind us of our submission and humility
Invocations help bring to mind that sense – tongue is the doorway to the heart
Completely into prostration: highest form of submission that a person takes the most noble aspect of their being (face) only for Allah, Most High. Reflect on humility. Recommended to make dua, ask whatever you need of Allah. Time when one is closest to Allah.
Sitting during tashahhud: reflect on what is being said. Testimony of faith and glorification of God.
Sense of gratitude at the end of prayer: recognize deficiencies and work on bettering that.
Dua of Prophet Muhammad, salallaho alayhi wasalaam. “Oh God, your forgiveness is more vast than my sins. And I have more hope in your Mercy than I do in my actions and deeds.”
Question: how to have more khushoo (concentration) during prayer
reflect on Imam Ghazalli’s 6 qualities of inner being
wudu is key to prayer.. when preparing, try to get in mode of prayer at that point
washing face, Oh Allah please make my face luminous
washing hands, wanting to get book in right hand
washing feet, asking for steadfastness on bridge
Recite Ayat al Kursi and/or Surah Naas before beginning the prayer
For the past month and a half, I’ve been reading and discussing The Ideal Muslimah. Our discussions are almost as great as the girls in the group. When we meet, we take turns highlighting parts that we’ve found enlightening and more often than not, also point out the parts that rubbed us the wrong way. If you’re able to look past the constant jabs at Western women, for example on page 319 when the author says “The Western woman is suffering from spiritual emptiness and emotional dryness which result in a feeling of being deprived of true friendship and sincere friends”, you’ll find a book that is full of authentic hadiths and stories about the Prophet salallaho alayhi wasalaam and those around him.
I encourage those of you who haven’t read the book to do so and focus on the good from it. InshAllah my hope for this series is to share the parts of the book which resonated most and have motivated me to better myself and my character as a Muslim woman.
Chapter 1: The Muslim Woman and Her Lord
- The story of Haajar: ”Were it not for the deep faith and trust in Allah that filled Haajar’s heart, she would not have been able to cope with such a difficult situation, she would have collapsed straight away, and would not have become the woman who name is forever remembered day and night by those who perform Hajj and Umrah…” Food for thought when we are faced with what seems like a difficult situation. Reflect on the one who had such deep faith and trust.
- “She was righteous and upright in all her deeds, both in public and private.”
- “The faith of the true Muslim woman is pure and clean, uncontaminated by any stain of ignorance, illusion or superstition.”
- “She worships Allah without making excuses or compromises.”
- Hadiths which give a clear indication of the Prophet’s concern for the intellectual and spiritual benefit of women. “He ordered all the women to go out to the ‘Eid prayers, including those who were menstruating, even though menstruating women are excused from praying…”
- “The Prophet salallaho alayhi wasalaam was concerned with the teaching and guidance of women, and wanted them to play a part in building the Muslim society, so he devoted part of his khutbah to women. He would come to the place where the women were gathered, and exhort and remind them, and he made doing this a duty of the Imam.” Does this happen today?
- The Prophet salallaho alayhi wasalaam encouraged Muslim men and women to do more nafl deeds, but at the same time he told them to be balanced in their approach to worship, and disliked exaggeration therein.”
- Hadith: “The most beloved deed to Allah is that which is continuous, even if it is little.’ If ‘Aa’ishah started to do something, she would adhere to it.” (Muslim)
- “Thus the Muslim woman finishes her prayers, purified in heart and mind and reinvigorated with a dose of spiritual energy, which will help her to cope with the burdens of everyday life, knowing that she is under the protection of Allah.” I love this.
- “The Muslim woman always bears in mind the words of Allah.” This is motivation to learn Arabic..
- “Obedience to Allah and His Messenger is much more important than one’s own whims and desires; it comes before pleasure and individual choice.”
- “The Muslim woman wears hijaab on the basis of her belief that it is a command from Allah, revealed to protect the Muslim woman, to make her character distinct…”
- “Everything happens according to the will and decree of Allah, so her affairs are all good.”
- “The heart that is filled with love and fear of Allah will not be overcome with negligence.”
- “When Islam gave women the duty of enjoining what is good and forbidding what is evil, it gave her the status of a human being who for the first time in history, was giving orders whereas under other systems she was the one to whom orders were always given.”
Tonight was the third class of the Being Muslim series that takes place weekly at my masjid. Tonight was a very informative class. The speaker focused on the legal rulings of Islam, gave a short preview of prayer and then went into depth into how one needs to prepare and enter into a state of ritual purity before prayer. I must say that at times, tonight’s class was an uncomfortable one. While modesty is encouraged in Islam, so is seeking knowledge. Before beginning, the speaker very poignantly stated that in the Quran we were told “God does not shy away from the truth.” (33:53).
Worship:
The act of worship is not dry but the rules regarding and defining it can be.
Analogy of buying a board game.. you have the initial excitement and want to get right to it but first have to stop and read the rules
Fiqh is the instruction aspect… can’t play it until you understand it
Islam means submission, surrender – infuses every aspect of a Muslim’s life
Allah has given us a set of devotional practices in which we can submit and surrender to Him – this foundation of worship that we can build upon and expand
5 Pillars of Islam – most essential devotional practices: testimony of faith, prayer, fasting, purifying charity, pilgrimage to Mecca. Everything else is built upon these 5 pillars.
Shariah: set of codes and principles, Islamic law
Two realms: devotional and social
Devotional: (ibaddat)
Pertain to interactions between us and God
Social
Pertain to interactions with other people
Physical acts of worship have spiritual implications. The physical acts help strengthen ones inner light. When someone has purity of soul it increases their desire to worship of Allah. This creates a directly proportional relationship between worship and a person’s inner light, as can be seen in the slide above.
The Legal Rulings
Any action that a Muslim does is given a legal status based on Islamic law
Priorities of actions and where they fall in the sight of God
5 basic rulings – great to bad
Required: (fard) actions a Muslim must do
If they do it, they receive reward from Allah and the good deed is recorded by angels. Fulfilling person’s duty to God.
Abandoning something that is fard incurs sin, in the position of disobeying God
Example: 5 daily prayers, deep reverence and love towards parents
Commendable: (mustahab) optional good deed
Reward from God if they do it
If don’t do it, there is no sin. Rather it is a missed opportunity to earn reward.
Subcategory of this is prophetic practice – sunnah
Examples: feeding someone in need, giving a gift
Permissible: (mubah) neutral – no preference for either one
Do it, don’t get reward or sin
Majority of our actions in today’s world falls in this category
Drinking water, playing basketball,
If something is unknown, initially everything is considered permissible until proven otherwise
Detestable: (makruh)
Opposite of commendable
Doesn’t do the action get reward, avoiding it brings reward
Encouraged to not do these actions
Example: wasting water
Forbidden: (haram) evil counterpart of fard
Something that a Muslim should never do
Performing this act, incurs sin
Avoiding this act, brings about reward from God
Scholars assign an even higher avoid things that are forbidden than doing things that are required
Best way: avoid forbidden, do what is required
Examples: lying, stealing
It is human nature that people make mistakes. If a person stumbles and doesn’t fulfill a requirement or falls into something they shouldn’t do – one should pick themselves up and keep going. Hadith: The best of those who make mistakes are those who return to God and seek His repentance.
Morally Accountable
Conditions: sound mind and intellect, pubescent (presence of menstruation/pubic hair or age of 18) and those who have received God’s message and revelation (be Muslim)
The Prayer
most important priority of a Muslim
most important thing for a newly practicing muslim to learn
most central pillar upon everything else is built
life is structured around these prayers
set everything aside to return to God
Muslims all over the world pray in the same way, in the same direction in the same language as Prophet Muhammad salallaho alayhi wasalaam
Prayer in English can have different meaning
Ritual prayer, done 5 times a day – the prayer (salah)
Anything you have a need, asking God on one’s behalf – supplication (dua)
Preparation for the Prayer: 4 conditions need to be met before the prayer begins
cleanliness of place of prayer and clothes one wears
being in state of ritual purity
knowing the prayer direction
having appropriate covering attire – what must be covered
when one is about to communicate with Divine, there is a required level of sanctity and purity
when preparing someone should use unaltered water: water that is colorless, tasteless and has no smell. Examples: regular water, water from the tap, ocean, river, stream…this is used during wudu
need to be cleaned from body/clothes before one engages in the prayer
2) Ritual Purity: wudu - state of being – state of ritual purity
Analogy to drivers license. There are certain actions that could nullify having your license and having it taken away. In the same regard there are also things that one can do in order to get it back.
Minor impurity: ways that one nullifies ritual purity
urination, defecation, passing gas, deep sleep, pre-seminal fluid, intoxication or losing state of sanity, loss of consciousness, sensual touching/kissing – sensual pleasure, man touching private area with inner part of hand or fingers
If these occur, in order to enter into state of ritual purity, one must perform ablution (wudu) – ritual washing
Wudu – ritual washing
Preparing to stand before Allah
Being by saying Bismillah
Intention to perform wudu
Wash right hand three times up to and including wrist then left
Rinsing mouth three times, swishing water around
Water into nose, sniff lightly three times
Wash face three times – natural hairline to ears and chin
Wash right forearm and hand from fingertips to elbow and in between fingertips then the left
Get hands wet, wipe entire head from hairline to back and then coming back forward again – once
Rewetting fingers, and wiping inside – once
Washing feet, right up to including ankle three times and between toes and then the left in the same manner
At end of wudu, it is sunnah to say shahada
Required: if missed, redo
Intention, wash face, arms, wipe head, wash feet – to be done once (commendable to do it three times), do so without long interruption
Any barriers need to be removed so that water can reach the areas
Paint
Major Impurity
four things that if occur puts person in this state:
menstruation, post partum bleeding, orgasm, penetration of male sexual organ into female
If in this state, certain things come into effect
sexual intercourse is forbidden during menstruation and post partum bleeding, until bleeding has stopped and woman is able to ritually purify herself
women are forbidden to pray, fast, enter mosque prayer space
if one is in this state due to orgasm or penetration, verbal recitation of Quran is also forbidden during this time until ghusl has been done
men or women in this state, should not be in the prayer space of the mosque, passing through is fine, spending time in it is not
men or women in this state should not touch a copy of the Quran until performing ghusl
Ritual bath (ghusl)
Once doing this, one is back in the state of ritual purity
Steps for ghusl:
Intention to perform ritual bath
Wash private parts, wash off ritual filth that might be present
Make ablution in the shower
Wipe/wash head three times
Clean top of body, starting with right side then moving to the left and work your way down your body
When washing the body after wudu, one should not touch their private parts again because this invalidates the wudu (and since it was washed at the beginning of the ghusl, it is not required to wash it again)
Required parts of this:
Intention, wash entire body, wash all hairs to the root, do this without interruption
Once ghusl is performed one can pray, sit in mosque, read Quran
Prophet taught is that cleanliness is half of faith – hadith
If we meet someone we respect, we want to impress and look nice for the one we are about to meet. Allah has an even greater right that we do this and adorn ourselves properly for this. The work pays off…
3) Prayer Direction (Qibla)
during 5 daily prayers, we face the Kaabah in Mecca
sacred house that was built by Prophet Abraham alayhis salaam
if person is unable, do the best you can
4) Prayer Attire
men: minimum that needs to be covered is everything from navel to knees
women: face and hands can be exposed, rest is to be covered * This class is being taught based on the teaching of the Maliki methadology. There are differences of opinion within the 4 schools of thought about whether or not a woman’s feet need to be covered during prayer.
I look forward to the next class where we will dive into the prayer, learn the proper way to pray and the significance behind what we say and the history of how the obligation of prayer was revealed. May Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala continue to give me the opportunity to learn and perfect my worship and reward those who make the effort to teach and share this information with me.
I’ve added a new page to the top bar of this blog. It’s titled Resources and contains links to the websites I use most often. I’ve divided them up into different sections including General Info about Islam, Prayer, Quran, Food, Shopping, Favorite Blogs and Favorite Stores.
InshAllah, I’ll continue to add to this page. I’ve already realized a few categories I’ve missed such as charitable organizations and a list of my favorite books.
I hope these will be helpful. Click on the Resources tab at the top or to the left or click here.
Tonight I attended a class called Being Muslim. Tonight was the first of 15 classes that inshAllah I’ll be attending Saturday evenings at my mosque. This free class will cover essentials aspects of Islam from a basic level – perfect for those new to the faith or those looking for the opportunity to re-learn and revisit the beauty of Islam.
Alhamdulillah, I love my masjid. It has become a second home to me. Upon arriving, I grabbed a cup of tea and a cookie before taking my seat. I pulled out my notebook and pen and prepared myself for what I thought would be a review. Alhamdulillah. Tonight was not a review but rather a chance for me to hear the basics of my faith in a way that spoke much deeper and left a much larger impact than I had expected.
The presenter did a wonderful job, mashAllah. His slides were beautiful. His explanations clear. I couldn’t put my pen down. At the end of the class I found my cup of tea cold and my notebook filled with scribbles and handwriting only I am able to decipher. Below you will see notes and highlights from the class. I am so excited for this opportunity and grateful that this class is being held at a place so close to my heart.
Notes from Being Muslim 1/7/2012
Anything that does not start with God’s name will be cut off from blessing.
“Actions are judged according to intentions.” – hadith
Being Muslim is a lifelong journey. It is a marathon, not a sprint. One should set realistic goals while still challenging oneself. Remember, God is our goal. *When I first accepted Islam I felt a need and desire to jump head first into the religion. Dress, books, lectures, Muslim friends, conversations focused solely on Islam. As is the case, perhaps with other converts, I was sprinting. I still catch myself sprinting and eventually I tire out. One of my goals is to find balance. To remember the goal is Allah, the goal is Jannah, and to maintain a steady pace in working towards achieving that.
Make good friends. Surround yourself with companions who will help you grow.
Don’t lose yourself. Islam doesn’t replace who you are. It enhances who you are. *People ask me all the time if Islam has changed me. It hasn’t. I’m still Becca. But I believe with all of my heart that Islam has helped me become a better person. InshAllah, it will continue to.
There is a hole in our heart that can only be filled with Allah.
The narration of Gabriel (Hadith Jibril) beautifully summarizes our religion.
“While we were sitting with the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, a man came up to us whose clothes were extremely white, whose hair was extremely black, upon whom traces of traveling could not be seen, and whom none of us knew, until he sat down close to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, so that he rested his knees upon his knees and placed his two hands upon his thighs and said, ‘Muhammad, tell me about Islam.’ The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, ‘Islam is that you witness that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, and you establish the prayer, and you give the Zakat, and you fast Ramadan, and you perform the hajj of the House if you are able to take a way to it.’ He said, ‘You have told the truth,’ and we were amazed at him asking him and [then] telling him that he told the truth. He said, ‘Tell me about Iman.’ He said, ‘That you affirm Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers, and the Last Day, and that you affirm the Decree, the good of it and the bad of it.’ He said, ‘You have told the truth.’ He said, ‘Tell me about Ihsan.’ He said, ‘That you worship Allah as if you see Him, for if you don’t see Him then truly He sees you.’ He said, ‘Tell me about the Hour.’ He said, ‘The one asked about it knows no more than the one asking.’ He said, ‘Then tell me about its tokens.’ He said, ‘That the female slave should give birth to her mistress, and you see poor, naked, barefoot shepherds of sheep and goats competing in making tall buildings.’ He went away, and I remained some time. Then he asked, ‘Umar, do you know who the questioner was?’ I said, ‘Allah and His Messenger know best.’ He said, ‘He was Jibreel who came to you to teach you your deen’.” (Narrated by Muslim)
I loved the pie chart he used and was granted his permission to share it.
Amjad went on to explain:
- islam with the lowercase “i” is our submission, our external actions and worship.
- Iman is the belief and convictions we hold within our heart.
- Ihsan is the inner aspect of faith and internal constitution of the heart and soul.
“To seek knowledge is a duty upon every Muslim man and woman.” – hadith
The reason we seek knowledge is in order to apply it.
Muslims get their knowledge from four sources: Quran, sunnah, analogy and scholarly consensus.
“The scholars are the inheritors of the prophets.” – hadith
Alhamdulillah this was an excellent class. This 15 week class is based off a book called Being Muslim which is in the process of being published. I look forward to upcoming topics such as: the purpose of life, destiny and fate, morality in daily life, acquiring spiritual purity, the life of Prophet Muhammad peace by upon him, and developing good character. I also look forward to sharing whatever I learn on here with those who are interesting and willing, inshAllah.
Friday in the jumuah khutbah, the khatib reinforced the importance of using the New Year as a time to make goals and to set resolutions. It’s interesting. While planning out what I wanted to say in this post, I had consciously made the decision to not use the word resolution as what comes to mind when I hear that word is something that someone makes and then eventually breaks. Instead, the khatib reinforced that the word resolution is something that is set by an individual who has the firm resolve to achieve and work towards it.
He continued on to talk about how as a Muslim, one’s faith is not complete unless our love for Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala and His Messenger Muhammad salallaho alayhi wasalaam is greater than anyone else, including our own self. In an authentic hadith related in Bukhari and Muslim, the Prophet salallaho alayhi said: ”None of you believes until he loves me more than he loves his children, his parents, and all people.” In another hadith in Bukhari he said: “None of you believes until he loves me more than he loves himself.”
He explained that for many, this can be something difficult and that extreme love may be hard to come by as our exposure and interaction is limited. Pictures of the Prophet salallaho alayhi wasalaam are not allowed and personal conversations are not achievable. He said that we cannot let this stop us. Rather, we should use what we have been given rather than use the excuse of what we are lacking. We can read hadith. We can listen to lectures about the seerah. We can read the Quran and study the descriptions of the Prophet salallaho alayhi wasalaam. The stories of sahabi and their incredible love for Muhammad salallaho alayhi wasalaam was just that, incredible. One such story even brought me to tears. As I sit down and think about what areas I’d like to improve upon and what kind of Muslim I’d like to be a year from now, I know that because of the khutbah, one of my resolutions is to increase my love for Allah by increasing my love for the Prophet salallaho alayhi wasalaam.
In order to help organize myself I’ve divided my resolutions into different categories. As our actions are based on our intentions, I’d like to make it known that my reason for listing my resolutions is in hopes of helping inspire someone who is not sure of what they’d like to work on as well as the hope that people will help hold me accountable and encourage me to work on the goals that I have set for myself.
Family
- Maintain better communication with my grandparents. This involves writing a card to my Pepere every other week and making a better effort to call and visit my other set of grandparents.
- Make time to spend with my parents, individually. Date nights with my parents. To turn my cell phone off during our dinner or coffee or whatever activity and actually be present with them and enjoy the moment.
Health
- Continue to floss daily
- Continue to exercise regularly (more specifically- build up my endurance with running)
Islam
- Learn to read Arabic. Use the Rosetta Stone Arabic that I have. Make time weekly to practice reading. Look to enroll in a class or find an instructor/tutor. Ask around at masajid to see if they offer classes.
- Create an organized binder of materials that I use throughout the year while teaching the Kindergarten Sunday School class that can be used in the future, inshAllah.
- Increase my relationship with the Quran: (by doing the following)
Read Surah Mulk nightly before bed. It was narrated that Abdullah ibn Mas’ood said: Whoever reads Surah al-Mulk every night, Allah will protect him from the torment of the grave. At the time of the Messenger of Allah sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam we used to call it al-maani’ah (that which protects). In the Book of Allaah it is a soorah which, whoever recites it every night has done very well. [Sunan An-Nasa'i]
Read Surah Kahf every Friday. Related by Hakim and Bayhaqi, from Abu Sa`id (Allah be pleased with him), “Whoever recites Surat al-Kahf on Friday, light shall shine forth for him between the two Fridays.” [Ibn Hajar, Talkhis al-Habir]
Work to memorize one short surah or set of ayat monthly.
- Be more mindful about asking for forgiveness. The Messenger of Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: “The angel on the left holds up his pen (refrains from writing down) for six hours after a Muslim commits a sin. If the person regrets it and asks Allah for foriveness, he casts it aside (does not write it down), otherwise he writes it down as one (sayi’ah).” [Mu’jam at-Tabaraani al-Kabeer]
- Increase the amount of dua that I make, for myself and for others. Continue adding to my small notebook of people who have impacted me. Write down when people ask me to make dua for them and to sit with my notebook after fajr and make sincere duas for those in my life.
- Be more mindful of my intentions. Check my intentions regularly throughout the day. Make the intention to sleep so that I am better able to worship Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala the next day, inshAllah turning my sleep into ibadah. Make the intention of going to work to set a good example to my non-Muslim coworkers and help the children that have been entrusted to me.
- Continue to share and learn new information. Share daily hadiths with friends and family, listen to lectures, read and share articles, attend classes/halaqahs, read tafseer, etc.
- Increase my love for Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala and His Messenger by reading the Quran, listening to lectures about the seerah, reading and implementing ahadith and sunnan.
While my list seems overwhelming, I am comforted by the following hadith:
Ibn Abbas, radiyallahu ‘anhu, reported that the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam, related from his Lord (glorified and exalted be He):“Verily Allah has recorded the good deeds and the evil deeds.” Then he clarified that: “Whosoever intends to do a good deed but does not do it, Allah records it with Himself as a complete good deed; but if he intends it and does it, Allah records it with Himself as ten good deeds, up to seven hundred times, or more than that. But if he intends to do an evil deed and does not do it, Allah records it with Himself as a complete good deed; but if he intends it and does it, Allah records it down as one single evil deed.” [Al-Bukhari & Muslim]
I ask Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala to help me work towards achieving these goals and those you set for yourself.
Allâhumma lâ sahla illâ mâ ja‘altahu sahlâ wa anta taj‘alu al-hazana idhâ shi’ta sahlâ. {Oh Allah! Nothing is easy except what You have made easy. If You wish, You can make the difficult easy.}
A man came to the Prophet and said, ‘O Messenger of God! Who among the people is the most worthy of my good companionship? The Prophet said: Your mother. The man said, ‘Then who?’ The Prophet said: Then your mother. The man further asked, ‘Then who?’ The Prophet said: Then your mother. The man asked again, ‘Then who?’ The Prophet said: Then your father. (Bukhari, Muslim).
One of the perks of being a teacher is working with children – little, germ-filled creatures that make me laugh and catch me off guard daily with their brutal honesty and curiosity. Another perk is having school vacations off! This is a bone of contention between me and three of my best friends, all of whom are doctors and do not have the ability to take time off.
Sunday night one of these friends texted me with the simple question: “What do you have planned tomorrow?” My response was short and unexciting. I had originially planned to tutor a family but found out that one of the children was sick and therefore I wasn’t needed. Upon hearing this, my friend invited me to go to Boston with her and her younger brother who is visiting from out of state. I jumped at the chance.
We started our day off with Dunkin Donuts before heading out on the highway. In an attempt to capture a picture of the Boston sign on the highway, I instead missed the sign and ended up with this. Alhamdulillah, we had beautiful weather throughout the entire day.
The drive was great. Aalia drove as I manned the radio and her brother snored sat quietly in the back.
We made good time and didn’t get lost. Our GPS brought us to our first destination, the Museum of Science. Knowing our time in the city was limited, we decided to hit some of the exhibits and then go to the Planetarium. Exhibit highlights included mandarin monkeys, baby chicks that were less than 24 hours old, dinosaur bones and a display of how the human body works. I was dragged into the Mathematics section by the aspiring engineer and found the following poster interesting. I may try adapting some of the language and examples as I attempt to teach probability in the upcoming month, ugh.
The planetarium was incredible. The seats were comfortable. So much so that all three people in our party fell asleep during the show. Luckily I only missed a few seconds of the show, Cosmic Collisions. The show was interesting and really made me ponder on just how minuscule we really are. I smiled contently while listening to some of the information that scientists have discovered about space within the past 400 years, knowing that it has been mentioned in the Quran which was revealed 1,400 years ago.
Our day continued and brought us in search of some good halal food. We had a few missteps and ended up in an interesting alley with several halal markets and hole in the wall restaurants. We decided to continue our search after seeing this.
Poor bird has no idea what is in store for him if he continues to walk towards the back of the store, away from the door…
Ten minutes later we found a perfect spot to escape the cold and fill our stomachs – Big Guy’s Cafe and Grill. It was located no more than 5 minutes away from Quincy Market. Aalia and I were blown away by the decorated walls filled with their mouth watering halal menu options. We sat at tall tables on stools waiting anxiously for our burgers and enjoyed looking out the windows at tourists walking by. Knowing that we needed a spot to pray zuhr and asr (ah the joys of traveling!) I approached the friendly owner and asked if he would mind if we prayed quietly in the corner, in a spot away from the rest of the guests. He replied that we were welcome to pray in a space in the back. His wife led us past the grill where our burgers were cooking and laid out a prayer rug, pointing us in the direction of the Qibla. This was by far the highlight of my trip. Seeing generosity and goodness in Muslims I don’t know is such an imaan (faith) booster.
Our meal was delicious. We finished our plates quickly (the reason why I have no record or picture of it) and prepared to head back out in the cold. Before I could pull my second pair of gloves on, the owner said “Don’t you want to pray maghrib and isha before you leave?”. Aalia and I looked at each other and smiled. Again, we headed behind the counter, past the grill and this time laid the rug out for ourselves and read our last two prayers of the day. We left, thanking the family for the good food and hospitality, with spiced chai lattes in hand.
From there we walked through Quincy Market, stopping in a few stores and buying small souvenirs. As the sun disappeared completely, the temperature dropped and we decided to make the walk to our final destination. Mike’s Pastry in the North End. We had seen people with boxes and heard strangers rave about how delicious their purchases were. After a few missteps (sorry guys…), we found our way to Hanover Street, the Little Italy of Boston. We stood in line with 40-50 other people and placed our order a few minutes later. Feeling pleased with our purchase of cannolis and cupcakes we made our way back to the car.
We all had a great time. We enjoyed each other’s company and exploring Boston together. Alhamdulillah.
In the 103rd chapter of the Quran Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala swears by one of His creations, time. He continues on to tell us that a person is lost except for those who do good deeds, stay away from that which has been forbidden and encourages others to have patience during times of trial or hardship.
Unfortunately, much of our life is spent occupied with worldly things. While it is essential that we spend time upholding and fulfilling our day to day responsibilities, a great deal of time that could be spent in worship is lost or wasted. Yesterday I pulled up an email I received several years ago. The email contained a short and simple list of 25 actions that can be done within a minute. Each action when done with sincerity inshAllah holds a great deal of value and reward with Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala.
See here for the PDF and the video below where I highlight a few of my favorites.
Something I forgot to say in the video: if you choose, print out the PDF and keep this list in your purse or in your car. Perhaps it may come in handy during a traffic jam, commute to work or any other time you find yourself with a few extra minutes.
Surah Al-Asr (The Time)
1. By Al-’Asr (the time).
2. Verily! Man is in loss,
3. Except those who believe (in Islamic Monotheism) and do righteous good deedsand recommend one another to the truth (i.e. order one another to perform all kinds of good deeds (Al-Ma’ruf)which Allah has ordained, and abstain from all kinds of sins and evil deeds (Al-Munkar)which Allah has forbidden), and recommend one another to patience (for the sufferings, harms, and injuries which one may encounter in Allah’s Cause during preaching His religion of Islamic Monotheism or Jihad, etc.).
