Jeewan Online

As we wish good bye to a dear guest, hearts illuminated by God’s remembrance, having implored Allah SWT for His forgiveness, mercy and to answer our duas we must now prepare our hearts and minds to “steady the course”. Together my dear brothers and sisters, we reflected and spent time trying to understand how to develop a more personal and meaningful relationship with Allah and realized that this personal relationship can only lead to service to His creation. Today we must now become firm in our resolve to try and improve our lives and re-prioritize our time while we have the ability to do so.

As we prepare to celebrate the beautiful day of Eid, let us remember that together we are celebrating, not the end of Ramadan, but the opportunity we had to gain closeness to Allah, the chance to realize that our potential and abilities are greater than we sometime realize and that with Allah’s mercy and guidance we have the potential to become so much more that will give us illumination and enlightenment in this life and the ultimate success in the hereafter.

It is my sincere wish and prayer that these reflections were beneficial to those of you who read them. If, somehow, even one person gained some light from them, then this was indeed a great mercy from Allah. Any good that came from them, came purely from Allah and any mistakes or errors, were my own and I ask yours and Allah’s forgiveness.

On behalf of my family and I, I would like to sincerely wish you and your families Eid Mubarak. May Allah accept all of your prayers, fasting, charity, duas and all your good deeds during the blessed month of Ramadan. May He bless all of you by the best of your deeds, grant you Light in all your endeavours, allow you the joy of returning to Him with the Shahada on your tongues, resurrected in the shade of His Throne and entrance to Jannatul Firdaws, where you can reside in the companionship of our beloved Habib (peace be upon him) and dwell in His Majestic Presence for all of eternity.

Please keep us in your duas,

With love and salam- jeewan

As we begin to wrap up the visit of this most beautiful guest, our emotions are mixed. At the beginning of the month many of us were worried that we would not be able to make the longer fasts. As each day went by, we realized that we could do it by Allah’s help and mercy. The things we thought we could not ordinarily do without, we remembered that we had the strength, the will power and the inner strength to do without it. For some of us, we gained closeness to our Lord.  Tears fill my eyes, my heart is filled with the hope and joy of an impending Eid but sad and pensive- will I meet this guest again? did I do my best? The sweetness of emaan pervades my being and my love for Allah has been rekindled.

It is our hope that we are closer now than we were before the month began. For others of us, we felt that we weren’t able to benefit from the month in the way that we wanted or needed. However, Allah knows our intentions and the realities of our lives and will bless us for what we were able to accomplish. It takes a month to create good habits or change the bad ones. Hopefully we took advantage of these beautiful days and nights.

In the mean time, as we prepare for Eid, and the tiredness from our physical, spiritual and emotional exertions set in, let us not lose sight of the fact that we are still contained within the sanctuary of this blessed guest. Let us dig deeper and push harder to maximize what we can. So many of us remember those who were with us in the last Ramadan who are no longer with us. Who knows if we will be amongst those people next year or if we will be blessed by her greetings to us once again.

What we do know, is that we have time right now, so let’s take advantage of it with dua, prayer, charity and good deeds.

Subhan Allah (Glory be to God), we have spent much time being more disciplined than we usually are. For many of us, we have a sense of joy, happiness that we increased ourselves in some way, made ourselves better and improved on where we were before the month began. For some of us, it didn’t feel the way we wanted it to, work and other activities made it difficult for us to be able to benefit the way we wanted to. Still, there is time to take some of the blessings of this month and apply it to the rest of the year, till, should we be blessed, our beautiful guest greets us again.

Consider setting some goals for yourself. Remember that if we fail to plan, then we plan to fail. So perhaps there is a need to choose three of four big goals and then track some of the other things on a daily basis to note your patterns of behavior and be able to determine areas for improvement.

It is extremely important that the process of goal setting is not a debilitating one. Sometimes people tend to focus on what they did NOT do as opposed to what they did. Goal setting should be empowering. With Allah’s help, you are making an intention to make a change. If you notice that you are not able to do what you initially outlined then what it requires is some thought and reflection.  The prophet peace be upon him reminded us that the best deeds are small but consistent. You don’t want to set up a million grand goals and then succeed at none. Instead try focusing on about four large goals that you outline some concrete steps and create a system by which you can track yourself. Some examples of this are provided in the chart below:

Now below gives certain examples, the list itself, I would say is too much for one person to do all on their own, all at once. The thing about setting goals is to make them as specific as possible and manageable in order to be able to be successful. In this example below, the grand goal is to Develop and Improve my relationship with Allah. However, we need a specific way/s to do so. If I currently don’t pray all my five prayers, maybe I will choose  pray my five daily salat. For some people, it may be difficult to start with five so they may choose to start with three.  So under the grand goal for personal development, you should only  choose one or two things to work on. If I pray my salat regularly, I may choose to make, praying my sunnah

Weekly Chart to monitor self after Ramadan

As you begin to spend time reflecting in these the most holy nights of the year and count the days of Ramadan as she prepares to depart from our presence…think about all that we have reflected on.

Allah SWT describes the prophet peace be upon him as “uswatun hasana” the most perfect example. Perhaps in these last days we need to stop and compare how we have been living our lives to how he, peace be upon him, lived his.

His life was one that consolidated a deep, meaningful and personal relationship with God with the purpose of serving Allah’s creation with compassion and care. He prioritized his time based on it, and it was the essence of how he lived his life.

Is that how you and I live our lives? Do we ask the questions- am I developing my relationship with God? How am I benefitting my neighbours, community, society? Am I a slave to the dunya or a slave to God? Where will my true freedom lie? How do I treat others? Do I treat people with fairness, justice, compassion or mercy OR am I intolerant, hateful, hurtful, impatient and other similar qualities that will earn me Allah’s displeasure?

Intuitively, many of us know that we need to make changes, sadly we don’t. It requires effort to change, for some of us it is an admission of the fact that our lives were not moving in the right direction. The reality of this is that our egos has a stronger grip on us than we care to realize or admit.

We are far too worried about what others will think, fall victim to the negative forms of guilt, have allowed our egos too much control over us or worry about the pain it will take to rearrange things.  And while none of us are perfect, the excuse that we cannot be like the prophet peace be upon him or his companions is an invalid one, otherwise, Allah SWT could have sent an angel with the message and not a man, born of a woman who lived amongst people.

Instead, we are meant to use the example as a model to which we aspire.

So instead of looking to see those who are not doing it and pointing fingers of judgement at them, today, let us humble ourselves and remember that each moment that passes, is a moment closer to our final demise. After death, there is nothing we can do.

Today brothers and sisters let us remove the cloak of “victimitis” and start to take responsibility for ourselves. Let us critically reflect on our lives and make a commitment to make the changes that are necessary to get back in line with the way we are supposed to be living.

When it came to developing their consciousness of Allah, the sahabas (companions of the Prophet peace be upon him) were relentless, men and women alike. Today,  some still believe that only men can develop a relationship with Allah outside the home and women are relegated to the homes and silenced in many of our institutions by barriers and attitudes.  In fact the wives of the prophet peace and blessings be upon him, took it upon themselves to work for the sake of Allah in a manner that befitted their personalities and skills. In other words they sought to actualize their own spiritual potential and did so with the support and blessing of Allah’s messenger, peace be upon him.

On one occasion in Ramadan, he came out of his quarters and saw tents set up in the mosque. He asked what they were and it turned out that the tents were those of several of his wives which they had set up in order to conduct iti’kaf (seclusion for worship) in the mosque. They were also quite active at the time, whether in business, or looking after the poor and needy.

We too, brothers and sisters, must remember and ask ourselves, are we ready to meet Allah? Have you used your personal relationship with Allah to make a difference in society?

In addition to this, both marriage and brotherhood and sisterhood were seen as platforms to strengthen the bonds between the companions of the prophet peace be upon him and work together for the sake of Allah.

Husbands and wives encouraged each other to work and expend as much effort as possible to work in the path of God, through being beneficial contributors to their societies. This was the same with the Ansar (of Medina) and the Muhajir’s (who came from Mecca). Often times, the Ansar, would give up their homes, the money, their food, their time and much more to help their brothers and sisters. In turn they all worked together to secure what was best for the ummah (larger Muslim community). They worked clearly with a vision bigger than their own lives but instead dedicated their lives work for the progress of the community and ummah.

Today we MUST ask ourselves are we actualizing our self-worth and dedicating our lives to a higher and more noble purpose. Do we set goals with our families to bring us closer to Allah. Do we spend time leading, helping, serving and caring about others? Or have we become forgetful and  self-absorbed?

Search for those groups of Muslims who understand the dynamic relationship between knowledge and action and who dedicate their lives to this. Those who are engaged in community work because they understand its’ importance but balance it off by seeking knowledge and trying to implement it and vice versa. Our work should fuel our quest for knowledge and knowledge should drive our commitment to working for the sake of Allah. These are the people who will help you to elevate your soul and encourage you to do what is right. There is no pretense from them, just sincere love that extends beyond the time you work on a project with them.

Their knowledge does not permit creating “boxes” in which to “fit people in” instead they understand that the road to Allah SWT is not the same for all. They respect differences, learn from them and live by the principle- “work together in what we agree and excuse each other in the things we disagree”. This is because they are humble and know that even if they think they’re right, there is still a chance that they could be wrong before Allah. So they find the good in their brothers and sisters even if their “approach to Allah” may not be the same. They learn from the things they agree with and the things they disagree with as well.

Today we need to adopt humility and use it to help us build bridges, foster love and respect and access our relationships with Allah in order to change the world and make it a much better place. Remember the hadith of the prophet peace be upon him, “The persons whose faces will shine on the day of Judgement are the ones who people turn to and they can get benefit from them. Are you one of these people?

Have the honest conversations with your parents, wives, husbands, friends….see where you are and begin to make changes. Let us work hard and make dua that our faces will shine on the day of judgement. ~ Ameen.

Allah says that the believers are a single brotherhood (and sisterhood).

The relationship of brotherhood and sisterhood is likened to that of marriage by some scholars and is seen as one of the ways by which society is strengthened. It is for this reason that we must pay attention to fulfilling the rights that our brothers and sisters have over us.

This relationship is one that is based on faith and mutual love. However, the best and truest of these relationships are the ones where the love of a sister for her sister or brother for his brother is based on their love of God, first and foremost.   These are the people who encourage each other to abide by the guidance of Allah SWT. They plan together to do what is right and stand against what is wrong. When one becomes lost, the other helps to bring them back to what is right; when one is suffering, the other supports them without being asked; they are together to share and celebrate the good moments and to bare patiently with each other in difficult moments.

However, for some of us, this does not occur. While some may have good strong bonds with people, it may not always be based on a love for God and others, though they may love their brothers or sisters, they get preoccupied with their work or other daily activities and do not give the appropriate amount of time or consideration to their brothers and sisters. Our brothers and sisters have rights over us and on the Day of Judgement they can bring this up to Allah, if they feel that their rights were not fulfilled.

In a hadith narrated by Al Hakim, the prophet peace be upon him said, “ If one of you goes with his brother to help him fulfill his duty, and then the prophet peace be upon him made a sign with his fingers, added: “That is better for him than making I’tikaf (staying at the mosque for worship) in my mosque for two months.”

Our cooperation with our brothers and sisters are not simply spiritual, but we should also look after their material welfare as well.  In another hadith related by Muslim, the prophet peace be upon him said, “Those who help a Muslim in hardship in this world, will be protected by Allah from suffering hardship in the Hereafter. Those who help the unfortunate, Allah will help them both in this world and in the hereafter. Those who keep the secrets of a Muslim in this world, will have their secrets kept by Allah in this world and in the Hereafter. Allah will help His servant as long as they help their brothers (and sisters).”

Today, see if you can find a way to help your brother and sister or reconnect with your brothers and sisters whom you were close to and rekindle that bond for the sake of Allah alone.

The one thing that Ramadan should propel us to realize is the need for change.  Too many times people get pre-occupied with being perfect. The side-effects of this can be disastrous in countless ways. The sahabas (companions of the prophet) on the other hand never prayed for perfection. Instead, they prayed for their mettle to be strengthened in order that they may face any test. They recognized that the  goal of developing their spirituality was not for the sake of a “feeling” nor was it one that propelled them to seclusion away from society and their peoples. Rather they understood that the very individual relationship a person had with God, would manifest itself in service to the creation of God. At the same time, they also understood that their decisions to choose to do something had to be guided by the parameters set by Allah. It is for this reason that the Qur’an was protected by Allah for change as it is the final code dispensed to humanity and it guides all facets of our lives.

Consciousness of Allah was what they sought and with this, they became lights in their societies. Their peoples, both Muslim and non-Muslim alike would be able to turn to them with trust to handle their affairs, to help them with their difficulties and to know that in any regard, that they could be trusted and would always try to do the right thing.  It is this sense of spiritual discipline that elevates the soul, removes the veils to help us understand true reality and enlightens us. This understanding is what guides our relationship with our Lord and with His creation because we become aware that regardless of whether we are within the eyesight of people, we are within the vision of God.  It is precisely why Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) reminded us that we should “hate the sin and not the sinner” and we are reminded also that if we want the forgiveness and mercy of Allah, we need to show mercy and forgiveness to others. It also becomes the catalyst in ensuring we are take extra measures to be fair and just with others because we know that eventually, we must give account for our actions.

It makes sense to relate the story of Jaber ibn Abdullah as related by Imam At Tabrarani. He said, we gave a convenant to the prophet peace be upon him that we would follow Allah and His messenger in what is easy and what is difficult and give good counsel to the believers.

On one occasion, Jaber asked one of his children to buy something and to negotiate and he would pay the price for it. The child came back and said he found it for $500. Jaber  went and  it and asked if the seller really thought it was worth 500. He said, “yes!” Jaber said, “I think it is worth 600,” then he paused and asked more about the item. In the end, Jaber paid 800. He said that he had an obligation to let his brother know the truth and not steal from him. This was how he understood the convenant he took with the prophet peace be upon him. What about us? This belief about telling the truth applies to interactions with all people regardless of faith or background.

Let us not reduce our faith to a few practices and begin choosing some things and dispensing with other parts of our deen. In surah al Hujurat we are reminded of Allah’s response to the Bedouins, “The bedouins say: “We believe.” Say: “You believe not but you only say, ‘We have surrendered (in Islâm),’ for Faith has not yet entered your hearts. But if you obey Allâh and His Messenger (SAW), He will not decrease anything in reward for your deeds. Verily, Allâh is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.”  We know from “hadith Jibreel” that ihsan or spiritual excellence is to worship God as if we see Him but even though we do not, we know He sees us.

This Ramadan, let us make a commitment to change ourselves and to improve on what we have been doing. We can all improve, so let us set some goals in the different spheres of our lives and try to re-orient ourselves with the purpose of our creation. For those who do so, the rewards are countless.

Caring about your brother  or sister is an important act, in fact in another tradition related by Muslim, the prophet peace be upon him reminded us that we should not degrade even the smallest good deeds, even if that is smiling in the face of your brother or sister. 

We should do our best to strengthen these bonds through calling, visiting, spending time with each other doing good works, laughing, supporting, being patient, being grateful, sharing, going without personally for the sake of our brother or sister, encouraging them to do what is right and encouraging them to stay away from wrong doing, hosting them, listening to their problems, speaking the truth to them, defending their honour (in an appropriate manner), helping them to solve their problems, giving gifts, making duas for them and anticipating their needs and facilitating them before they need to ask us.

How many of us have been stung by the pain of broken relationships, hurt because of the way we were treated or mis-treated, feeling the absence of care of our brothers or sisters? Sometimes to we neglect to see the pain we too have caused others by our arrogance and actions.

There have been limits placed on us when we disagree that we are only allowed to not speak to each other for three days and no more. After which, the person who approaches and says “salam” first will gain more reward in the sight of God. This is because one of the things that Shaitan gains most pleasure in, is coming between two people who love each other for the sake of God.  This is because when we are alone, we are weaker and become an easier target for Shaitan.

When this love is strong, it is not easy to create distance between the hearts.  So Shaitan will try in smaller ways, it will start by missing a phone call, being too busy in work one day or week, and slowly it will become more and more until the distance that is created becomes great.

In western culture, sadly, we tend to place more value on relationships between women. We think it is normal for sisters/women to spend time with each other, stay in touch and be more connected. This is not often seen as a masculine trait. Instead, it is manlier not to be in touch and to leave the social networking to wives, mothers and sisters.  Men make excuses and continue to think it is ok to do so. However this could not be further away from the truth of the prophet Muhammad peace be upon him and was demonstrated most visibly in his friendship with Abu Bakr (may God be pleased with him). If we think about it, it is a social truth of the ritual of prayer in congregation as well.

In our community too,  sometimes we become very close to the people we spend time doing community work with. We learn and study with them and our love for them is quite strong. However, the moment that person is not present or cannot participate with us in those same activities, we lose contact. And while some measure of this is to be expected, it is almost as if the only thing we valued the person for was the work they could do and it was not a relationship of love for them for the sake of Allah. True love would see those relationships be maintained in some way despite this.

This Ramadan let us look at our friends; what do they call us to? Are they the kind of friends who will encourage us to do our best and become better people? Let us examine the kind of brothers and sisters we are to each other. Are our relationships one of convenience, when we only see or speak to people when we need them to do something and nothing more? Do we take time to let our brothers and sisters know we truly care or do we take them for granted? What happens if “later” (when you plan to call or visit or check up on them) never comes because Allah calls them back to Him, is it worth the regret?

In short brothers and sisters, when it comes to your duty as a brother or sister,  do you make an effort or do you make excuses?

These are the most precious of nights in the Islamic Calendar. All year, people wait for the night when angels shall descend with the decree of their Lord, listening for the supplications of servants to a Most Merciful Lord, only for their Lord to grant their prayers. As angels descend in throngs, seeking those calling on their Lord, begging for His forgiveness, seeking His mercy crying, “Oh my Lord, you are Most Forgiving, You love to forgive, so forgive me my sins.” As they plead and beg and turn in honest repentance, the pain of their sins weigh on their hearts and their eyes are moist, filled with tears of sadness and tears of hope.

This, the night, the first night when creation was honoured with the Qur’an to guide us and keep us close to the source of Love and Compassion. Their Lord most High, is most pleased with them, that the angels found them awake and praying. “What does My servant want?” although He knows better than the angels who convey their wishes and prayers, and He- the Most Merciful Creator- declares that their supplications will be answered.

In these blessed nights travellers, seek His mercy and be patient, He is waiting for you to ask so that He may fulfill your prayers for yourself, your family, community, society and world. Seek the bounties that are there for you, a night better than a thousand months. Remember Him…fill your hearts with His remembrance, read and listen to the Qur’an, reflect on its messages, remind yourself of His prophet and the many sacrifices he made, peace be upon him, for you to be able to know Allah today, and for yourself and those around you.

Struggle oh traveller to find this treasure so that you are enriched in this dunya and in the akhira.

God loves to hear the supplications of His servants so He can answer them. As we enter into the last ten days and most blessed nights of the year, here are some duas through which you can call upon your Lord. Call on Him, He will answer your prayers; when you seek Him, know that He is ever present and close to you. Dua is the qadr (will of Allah that can change the qadr of Allah. Thank you to the sister who shared them with me. Please keep me and my family in your duas.

40 Duas in Quran - Duas with “Rabbanah” (Oh our Lord)

Qur’anic supplications