There is a concept that one of my teachers iterates again and again in her lessons. The past weeks, it has been on my mind more than ever. It is: كل فراغ فراغ لله Every free time you have is time that Allāh has freed for Himself. If your friends have moved away from you, if you are done with your studies, if you have not found a job, if you have been let go from a job, if are…
Sins prevent goodness from Allāh. Goodness in the form of material blessings and in the form of spiritual ones, like understanding of the Qurʾān, humility in prayer and high attainment in periods of mercy, like the month Ramaḍān. When people enter the blessed month of Ramaḍān with high hopes for themselves and achieve only a little, more often than not, it is their sins preventing them from success. This is why scholars advise that to prepare for a month like…
We want to do our best in Ramaḍān. We don’t want to spend a month forgoing food and drink. We want excellence in Ramaḍān. We have a general idea; fasting, praying, reciting Qurʾān. But how can you do this better? Allow me to suggest the following: Be mindful of three golden hours every day. If you guard these, then you’ll come out of the month having spent a solid 90 hours doing what pleases Allāh. The First: Finish prepare fuṭūr…
It is crucial to tie your emotions to your ʿibādāt. (Remember, the pillars of worship are three: love, hope, and fear—all of which are emotions.) For this reason, scholars say that it is essential to anticipate the month of Ramaḍān with feelings of happiness, joy, and hope of earning the blessings of this month. We cannot meet any favour of Allāh with denial, and first step towards denying a favour of Allāh is to undervalue it. You undervalue the month…
The Salaf always talked about eating and sleeping less as a means of acquiring energy to perform your ʿibbādah. I never quite understood this. A poor night’s sleep did not leave me energised—it left me exhausted! Similarly, fasting frequently only left me weakened and tired! (I still chose to believe the salaf y’know. I was certain I was doing something wrong.) Over the weekend, I was attending a Ramaḍān prep course, and the sheikha explained this point so well.…
Ibn Rajab in Laṭāʾif al-Mʿārif categorises the one who fasts into two. The first, he says, is the one who leaves his food, drink and desires, for the sake of Allāh, and by doing so, he hopes for a compensation in Jannah. This is the one who has struck a deal with Allāh, and Allāh says, ﴾Indeed, We will not allow to be lost the reward of any who did well in deeds.﴿…