Refresh Your Imaan

Rasul Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: “On the Day of Qiyamah, people shall be divided into three groups; those walking on foot, those riding on mounts, and those who shall walk upon their faces.” The Companions were shocked, “Ya Rasul Allah! How will these people walk upon their faces?” He replied, “God who gave them the ability to walk on their feet will make them walk on their faces and let it be known that they shall avoid every hurdle, rocks and thorns with their faces as well.” [Tirmidhi] We are consumed by petty rivalries in Duniya (this world): small car, big car, old car, new car, the very best shining huge car. We are occupied with rides in this world while we neglect to arrange appropriate rides for ourselves for the Day of Judgement that is 50,000 years long! In the Akhirah, ordinary Muslims will be walking on foot, the pious will be riding mounts, while those who refused to walk straight on the guidance brought by Muhammad (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) will have t

Rasul Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: “Fasting is not (abstaining) from eating and drinking only, but also from vain speech and foul language. If one of you is being cursed or annoyed, he should say: ‘I am fasting, I am fasting.’” [Ibn Khuzaimah, Ibn Hibban. Sahih according to Imam Muslim’s criteria.] Fasting is an act of worship that draws one closer to Allah (subhana wa ta’ala). Allah has prescribed it to purify the soul and to train it in good deeds. The fasting person must be on guard against any act that may cause him to lose the benefits of his fast. Thus, one must not use foul speech even in retaliation. If one is being cursed or annoyed he should nevertheless practice self restraint and respond to the provocation by saying, “I am fasting.” While the fact that a Muslim will be fasting in Ramadan should be evident to all, saying so is a reminder to the other person that he too is fasting and should not spoil his fast. Saying “I am fasting” is also a reminder to oneself

Abu Hurairah (radi Allahu anhu) narrated that the Prophet (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: “Jibrail came to me and said, ‘Indeed I had come to you last night, and nothing prevented me from entering upon you at the house you were in, except that there were images of men at the door of the house, and there was a curtain screen with images on it, and there was a dog in the house. So go and sever the head of the image that is at the door so that it will become like a tree stump, and go and cut the screen and make two throw-cushions to be sat upon, and go and expel the dog.’” So the Messenger of Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) did so, and the dog was a puppy belonging to Al-Husain or Al-Hasan which was under his belongings, so he ordered him to expel it. (Sahih) [The Chapters on Manners: Jami At-Tirmidhi] The display of pictures of humans or animals causes one to be deprived of the blessed and merciful supplications of the angels; while a person is in need of mercy and blessing at ev

Rasul Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: "O you who have entered Islam with your tongues but whose hearts faith has not entered: do not slander people, and do not ferret out people's shameful points. Whoever searches out the shameful points of his brother, Allah will search out his shameful points, and if Allah searches out a person's shameful points, be sure that He will disgrace him even if he should remain in the middle of his house." [Abu Dawud] This hadith teaches us a number of things: 1. It points to the difference between being a Muslim and being a Momin. A person who has embraced Islam but not reformed his heart and inner self through it, is called a Muslim but not a Momin. 2. One characteristic that differentiates a Muslim from a Momin is that a Muslim may be on the look out for people's hidden flaws and shameful secrets: but a Momin would never waste his or her time in such a disgraceful activity. This is because a Momin knows that in the Final R

Abu Dhar al-Ghafari said: “The Messenger of Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wasallam) said: ‘Sadaqah is prescribed for every person every day the sun rises.’ I said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, from what do we give sadaqah if we do not possess property?’ He said: ‘The doors of sadaqah are takbir (Allahu Akbar), Subhan Allah, Alhamdulillah, La-ilaha-ilAllah, Astaghfirullah, enjoining good, forbidding evil, removing thorns, bones and stones from the paths of people, guiding the blind, listening to the deaf and dumb until you understand them, guiding a person to his object of need if you know where it is, hurrying with the strength of your legs to one in sorrow who is appealing for help, and supporting the weak with the strength of your arms. These are all the doors of sadaqah.” [Ahmad] In other words one does not need to have financial resources to earn the reward of sadaqah. There are many deeds that qualify as sadaqah with Allah (subhana wa ta’ala). In addition to those listed above the following

Rasul Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wasallam) said: “He who stirs enmity among people, by quoting their words to each other, will not enter Paradise.” [Bukhari] Unfortunately, this is a common social evil these days. Rather than mend relations among people, Shaytaan has us excited about carrying tales to each other. “You won’t believe what he did!...Can you imagine what she said?...” Refuse to listen to what other people have said or done. It is backbiting, just to hear it. If what you are being told about is not true, it is an even bigger sin, both for the person telling it and the person listening to it. If you tell yourself not to believe everything you hear, your heart will nevertheless be tainted by it. That is why the Prophet (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) told his companions not to say things about each other to him, since he didn't want to meet them with disquiet in his heart. If Rasul Allah's feelings for people had the possibility of getting soured by hearing tales about th

Rasul Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said that Allah said: “I have prepared for My righteous servants what no eye has seen and no ear has heard, nor has it occurred to human heart.” [Bukhari] In other words, Jannat is better than anything you can imagine. Our human experience does not prepare us to imagine how wonderful it could be. “And no soul knows what joy for them (the inhabitants of Paradise) has been kept hidden.” [Al-Quran 32:17] Ever been to a sale where everything was 100% off? Actually you have. You bought Jannah for practically nothing. Allah insisted on buying our earthly lives from us in exchange for eternal life in Paradise. He made us and He made Jannah. He needs neither. Then why make either? Because He wanted US -- you and me! Only when you really want something do you insist on buying it despite its defects. Humans are impatient, hasty, weak, stingy and irritable, yet Allah(subhana wa ta’ala) insisted on buying our faulty earthly lives in exchange for infinite h

Rasul Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: “He who does not show mercy to people, Allah also does not show mercy to him.” [Bukhari] When we want to be mean to somebody or punish them, we are able to give ourselves a hundred justifications for it. This hadith gives us one huge compelling reason to put our anger and meanness aside, and practice forgiveness and gentleness instead. No one can do without Allah's mercy, so don't shut the door of goodness on yourself by being petty with others. It's not worth it!

Rasul Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said, "The two feet of the son of Adam will not move from near his Lord on the Day of Judgement until he is asked about five (matters) concerning his life - how he spent it; about his youth - how he took care of it; about his wealth - how he earned it; and where he spent it and about that which he acted upon from the knowledge he acquired." [Tirmidhi] So there is no escape from being questioned about: 1. Your life - how you spent it. Was it in righteousness and piety or in sin and transgression? 2. Your youth - how you spent it. Was it in acts of obedience or acts of sin? 3. Your wealth - how you acquired it. Was it from that which is halaal or from that which is haraam? 4. Your wealth - how you spent it. Did you give others their rights in it - your relatives, the needy, the orphans, the mujahideen... or did you squander it on yourself alone? 5. Your knowledge - how you acted upon it. How much of your knowledge of Allah’s Deen did yo

Rasul Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wasallam) said: “Do not attain learning in order to express pride before the ulema (scholars), nor by its help quarrel with foolish people, nor through it try to overwhelm meetings, but he who does so, his destination is fire.” [Ibn Majah] The purpose of seeking knowledge of the Deen is to be in a better position to seek Allah's pleasure. All Muslims are required to obtain that knowledge by which they may enter Jannah and escape the Fire. Ignorance is not bliss, for we will be held accountable for that which we could have found out. If we acquire this knowledge to seek worldly gain then it will be rejected by Allah (subhana wa ta’ala). Knowledge that is gained so that we may show it off and appear knowledgeable is a source of destruction.

The Messenger of Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: “When one of you puts on his sandals let him start with his right, and when he takes them off let him start with his left; let the right be the first to be put on, and let the left be the first to be taken off.” [Sunan Abu Dawud] Muslims are disciplined in all matters. This includes putting shoes on and taking them off. Everything reminds them that they have been sent to the world to serve high purposes. A person who is disciplined about the minute matters of life cannot be indisciplined about the purpose of life and serving its higher goals. It is not possible that a person who takes care in how to put on and take off his shoes be chaotic in running the rest of their life.

Rasul Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: “Whichever woman applies scent should not join us for the Isha prayers.” [Abu Dawud] During the early Islamic era, women used to perform salaat behind Rasul Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam), in congregation. On one occasion Rasul Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) told the women that they should not come to the masjid perfumed. While the women are coming to the masjid to earn sawaab/hasanaat, their presence should not cause the salaat of other people to be ruined. If the fragrance of the perfume distracts men and instills desire in their hearts, then the women would have gotten more sawaab by staying home and not being a cause of fitnah/corruption in society. If Rasul Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) prevented women who applied perfume from attending the masjid during his noble era, one can imagine how much worse it is for women to mingle with men decked up and perfumed.