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Helpful Tips for new Muslims

1. Practice Islam as much as you can

“He who loves my Sunnah has loved me, and he who loves me will be with me in Paradise.” -The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) (Tirmidhi)

As a new Muslim, you will have trouble keeping up with prayers every day, fasting during Ramadan, and the many other practices in this religion. The struggle that we face, with such a radical change in lifestyle, is difficult and will take some time. Awkward moments are bound to happen, don’t fret. You are not expected to wake up at 4am every morning to pray tahajjud (extra night prayers). If you have problems with certain practices, then gradually work yourself into the mindset of worship. A counsellor once told me when I was young, “How do you eat an elephant? Just One bite at a time.” Think of it as one step at a time. Pray to Allah and ask for Him to make it easy for you and the rest will come naturally.

Keeping up with your devotional practices is something that will strengthen your faith immensely. Read the Qur’an whenever possible. Find a collection of hadith, such as Riyadh us-Saliheen, and read it often. You will start to feel a connection to Allah and you will become used to Islam as a religion and way of life.

2. Respect your parents

“Heaven lies under the feet of your mother.” -The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) (Ahmad, Nasa’i)

Keeping up a good relationship with your family is essential. Try to avoid bringing up or taking part in controversial subjects regarding religion. This is almost unavoidable, but your parents will eventually accept that Islam is not going to turn you into a terrorist if you stay calm during these tense moments. Gradually, your parents will gain some respect and understanding of Islam and may start to become genuinely interested. This is a great sign and insha’Allah, God will make a way for them to accept Islam.

What you do not want to do is act like you know everything, attempt to debate everything, or overly defend yourself in a way that might make you angry or upset. This will just cause heartache and uneasiness. Your priority now should be to work on yourself.

3. Find a teacher

“For him who follows a path for seeking knowledge, Allah will ease for him the path to Paradise.” -The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) (Muslim)

Finding a teacher to bounce ideas off of is a great way to learn your deen (religion). I found it is good to find someone with as much knowledge as possible who also has an understanding of the English language and American culture. It is difficult to listen to someone with a thick accent or someone with a back-home mentality. When I first accepted Islam, I would drive every day to visit my teacher and I would ask him what seemed like an endless stream of questions. Sometimes he seemed overwhelmed! This is a great way to clarify things you hear on Sheikh Youtube or Google or any part of the Qur’an you are reading at the time.

This will also help you have a real grounding in the Islamic tradition. You will eventually have spent more time learning Islam than most people from Muslim families. Maintain a sense of humility if you do gain a lot of knowledge, as there will always be someone who will be more knowledgeable than you. Learn everything you can in small chunks, no one is asking you to be a scholar!

4. Keep away from debates and arguments

“Verily anger spoils faith as aloe spoils honey.” -The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) (Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi)

Trying to constantly defend your religion is something that will cause you a lot of stress. I remember when I first accepted Islam, it seemed like the whole world was after me. This may happen to different people at different levels, but it was a very overwhelming experience for me. The best thing to do is avoid these arguments at all costs. If you are mature about your religion and display a desire to explain yourself without refuting others, then many doors will open for you. You are bound to give someone a refreshing view of Islam, which is what so many people are hungry for after seeing Islam in such a negative light in the media.

Staying away from these discussions will put you at peace and give you breathing room. A lot of converts are not really comfortable with bringing up their religion because of the backlash they receive. Personally, I recognized that if I just mention it when necessary, I get a more positive reaction. You’ll be surprised to hear “Oh that’s cool dude, what made you pick that religion?” This is always an opportunity for da’wah (inviting to Islam).

5. Gain a connection to the Arabic language

“Indeed, We have sent it down as an Arabic Qur’an that you might understand.” Qur’an, 12:2

This is one of my favourite parts of becoming a Muslim. To be honest, I’m a language-lover and I realize everyone is not the same in this regard. Just because you failed high school Spanish though doesn’t mean you will have trouble with Arabic. There are many tricks to learning the language that I won’t go into here, but there are ways to make this easier on yourself. These methods can be found online or in books; with a little research you can pave your way to gaining an understanding of Arabic.

Start by learning the alphabet and connecting letters together. You can learn this in an afternoon if you know someone that is a native Arabic speaker (but go at your own pace). Sit on that for a while and eventually you will be able to follow along in the Qur’an if you listen to a recitation on your computer or MP3 player. You will start to recognize words, after which you can get into simple grammar rules. I recommend learning common nouns and prepositions first (words like “in”, “on”, “for” and “with”).

Arabic can be really enjoyable, and you are bound to gain an Islamic vocabulary after listening to talks or lectures. Eventually you will know meanings of words like “furqaan” and “sajdah” and you’ll be able to use them in conversations with Muslims. Sabr (patience) is essential!

6. Understand Islam’s organic nature

“Those who make things hard for themselves will be destroyed. (He said it three times.)” -The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) (Muslim)

Coming to Islam will sometimes put you in a situation where you are overwhelmed with opinions that are hard to follow. As an example, one might be told that you have to wash your feet every time you make wudhu (ablution) unless you wipe over leather socks that have been worn from your previous wudhu. For most Americans, the idea of wearing leather socks is something that we find extremely unusual. If we do a little research, we find there are opinions of scholars that mention the permissibility of wiping over cotton socks (even ones with holes in them!). To an American convert, these opinions can cause a huge sigh of relief.

7. Maintain your Identity

“O mankind, indeed We have created you from male and female and made you peoples and tribes that you may know one another. Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you. Indeed, Allah is Knowing and Acquainted.” Qur’an, 49:13

Being a Muslim is a huge part of your identity now. That doesn’t mean you can’t barbeque with your friends or watch football on Sundays. If there are things in your culture that do not directly contradict with basic Islamic creed, then you are welcome to keep those things in your life. You do not need to start wearing Arab or Indian clothing. As long as your clothes cover what they are supposed to cover, you are in the clear.

Many converts are also exposed to really weird food that is overly spicy or funny tasting. This might lead us to think that eating curry is sunnah or something righteous. We can still have our own culture and tastes in food: pot roast and beans are still halal!

There are many other examples of things that you will be exposed to that are from foreign cultures and do not necessarily have anything to do with Islam. Our goal as new Muslims is to worship Allah, not to add a Pakistani or Arab identity to our persona.

It is good to have a teacher who understands the subtleties of different opinion in fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence) and can inform you of differences among the scholars on issues that are of concern. Most people in masajid will have a very limited view of the juristic possibilities inside the Islamic tradition. Islam is a vast tradition and we should not make it small. These diverse opinions are there to help us, not cause strain on ourselves.

8. Force yourself to go to the masjid

“The person who receives the greatest reward for the Salah is one who lives the farthest and has the farthest to walk.” -The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) (Bukhari, Muslim)

Going on Fridays is a given, but I would also recommend trying to fit a few prayers (at least) per week in the masjid. This will open many doors for you and will insha’Allah grant many good deeds to your account. You will meet people who are connected to Islam; networking opportunities are more readily available; and you are bound to make long-lasting friends. This is one of the things that I really love about Islam, that you can almost always find people in the masjid.

Although this may be hard initially, try and go to the masjid. The payoff will be huge, even if you just pray and leave right after. You will eventually warm up to the community and you can feel more comfortable going to the masjid whenever you like.

9. Find Muslim friends and avoid severing ties

“On the Day of Resurrection Allah Almighty will proclaim: “Where are those who have mutual love for My Glory’s sake? Today I shall shelter them in My shade where there is no shade but Mine.” -The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) (Muslim)

Saying “As-salamu ‘Alaykum” (“Peace be upon you”) to people you see on campus or at the grocery store is a real blessing in Islam. It immediately lets people know you are Muslim and they usually will be happy to return the greeting and hopefully share a few words with you. Doors of friendship will be opened and you will meet lots of people. Try and spend some time with Muslims when you can. It is beneficial to remind yourself that you are not the only Muslim on the planet and you share your religion with almost 2 billion people around the globe.

Also, don’t sever your friendships with your non-Muslim friends unless they are constantly partying or using the list of major sins as their weekend to-do list. You can be a light to your Christian, Agnostic, Jewish, or Atheist friends. You never know who Allah will guide, and showing that you are living an ethical life can encourage these people to learn a little about Islam or change their mind to having a positive view of the religion.

10. Avoid Loneliness

“Islam began as something strange and will revert to being strange as it began, so give glad tidings to the strangers.” -The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) (Muslim)

This is a major problem in the convert community. We are lonely. The best thing we can do to fight the feeling of loneliness is to spend as much time as possible with good company. Having dinners with people a few nights a week is a sure way to maintain a good attitude. The practice of becoming a nun or a monk is alien to Islam; we are social creatures and Islam recognizes this.

Try not to lock yourself away in your apartment to avoid the world. This will just cause a vicious cycle that will cause deep depression and can lead to searching for solace in haram (unlawful).

Make it an obligation on yourself to remain a sociable human being. It takes a lot of work but the result is happiness and contentment in life.

11. Stay away from extremism

“And thus we have made you a just community that you will be witnesses over the people.” Qur’an, 2:143

Most converts do not enter Islam looking for an extremist point of view. Unfortunately, we have seen some converts do end up overseas working for terrorist organizations. This is something that can happen from a person feeling victimized or ostracized by their own culture and being overcome with anger.

I personally have not had a problem with anyone trying to “radicalize” me. It does happen enough though that it should be a concern. It will be best for you to keep your head on your shoulders and not get caught up with extreme points of view. Know that all of the scholars overseas and in America have absolutely refuted terrorism in their fatawa (legal rulings). Extremism is on the very edges of the Islamic thought. Do your best to stay on a middle way.

12. Do not despair

“So know that victory is with patience, and relief is with distress and that with hardship comes ease.” -The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)

Being a convert to Islam, you will face a lot of tribulations. There is not anything that you cannot overcome though, and never despair in Allah .

Allah guided to you to Islam, you searched for the answer and you found it. Be happy and constantly remind yourself of the blessings in your life. There are a lot of good things that will happen to you and you are on the straight road to Jannah (paradise). Rejoice in being Muslim. Remember the Sahabah (companions) were all converts to Islam and they were human beings that came from Adam and Eve just like you! Be strong and find comfort in your prayers and worship to Allah . The first six months were the hardest for me, and insha’Allah we will all continue to grow as a convert community in America.

@Suhaib Webb - Muslimvillage
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7 Ways to Improve Your Relationship with The Qur’an!

“وَقَالَ الرَّسُولُ يَا رَبِّ إِنَّ قَوْمِي اتَّخَذُوا هَٰذَا الْقُرْآنَ مَهْجُورًا”
“O my Lord, indeed my people have taken this Qur’an as a thing (abandoned)” [Surah 25: 30]

ARE you one of those people who rarely touch the Qur’an? Or do you read daily, but don’t find it is having the impact on you that it should? Whatever the case may be, these are some simple tips that can help you connect with the Qur’an.

1. Before you touch it, check your heart.

The key to really benefiting from the Qur’an is to check your heart first, before you even touch Allah’s Book. Ask yourself, honestly, why you are reading it. Is it to just get some information and to let it drift away from you later? Remember that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was described by his wife as a “walking Qur’an”: in other words, he didn’t just read and recite the Qur’an, he lived it.

2. Do your Wudu (ablution).

Doing your Wudu is good physical and mental preparation to remind you that you’re not reading just another book. You are about to interact with God, so being clean should be a priority when communicating with Him.

3. Read at least 5 minutes everyday.

Too often, we think we should read Qur’an for at least one whole hour. If you aren’t in the habit of reading regularly, this is too much. Start off with just five minutes daily. If you took care of step one, (God willing), you will notice that those five minutes will become 10, then half an hour, then an hour, and maybe even more!

4. Make sure you understand what you’ve read.

Five minutes of reading the Qur’an in Arabic is good, but you need to understand what you’re reading. Make sure you have a good translation of the Qur’an in the language you understand best. Always try to read the translation of what you’ve read that day.

5. Remember, the Qur’an is more interactive than a CD.

In an age of “interactive” CD-Roms and computer programs, a number of people think books are passive and boring. But the Qur’an is not like that. Remember that when you read the Qur’an, you are interacting with Allah. He is talking to you, so pay attention.

6. Don’t just read; listen too.

There are now many audio cassettes and CDs of the Qur’an, a number of them with translations as well. This is great to put on your walkman or your car’s CD or stereo as you drive to and from work. Use this in addition to your daily Qur’an reading, not as a replacement for it.

7. Make Dua (supplication).

Ask Allah to guide you when you read the Qur’an. Your aim is to sincerely, for the love of Allah, interact with Him by reading, understanding and applying His blessed words. Making Dua to Allah for help and guidance will be your best tool for doing this.

Source: islamicteachings.org
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Here are some Nafil prayers we all can do everyday

Muslims should be keen on offering Sunnah Prayers, for the simple fact that it’s the practice and tradition of the Prophet -peace and blessings be upon him-. In addition to this, Sunnah or Supererogatory Prayers entail great benefits and rewards.

Abu Hurairah reports that the Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam said: “The first thing that the people will be called to account for on the Day of Resurrection will be the prayers. Our Lord will say to the angels although He knows better: ‘Look into the salah of my servant to see if he observed it perfectly or been negligent in it. So if he observed it perfectly it will be recorded to his credit, but if he had been negligent in it in any way, Allah would say: See if My servant has any supererogatory prayers. Then if he has any supererogatory prayers, Allah would say: Make up the deficiency in My servant’s obligatory prayer with his supererogatory prayers.’ Thereafter all his actions will be examined in like manner.” (Abu Dawud).

The following are few of the nafil prayers we can do everyday to increase our ajr (reward) and make up for any past negligence in our obligatory prayers.

The Two Rakat before Fard of Fajr

Aishah, the mother of the believers, quoted the Prophet -peace and blessings be upon him- saying: “The two rak`ah before Dawn (Fajr) Prayer are better than the word and all that which it contains.” (Reported by Muslim)

Salaatul Ishraaq (Sunrise prayer 15-20 mins after sunrise)

2 or 2x2 Rakat of Nafil.

Rasulullah is reported to have said, “He who performs Fajr Salat with Jamaat and remains seated in the same place while engaging in Dhikr until after sunrise and thereafter performs 2 Rakaats Nafil Salat, (Ishraaq), he will obtain the Thawaab of one Hajj and one Umrah.” (Tirmidhi).

Duha Prayer (Salaatul Chasht / Breakfast prayer to be prayed before Zawaal (Midday)

‘Salat al-Dhuhaa consists of 2 to 12 Rakaats and it is preferable to perform 8 Rakaats.’ (Raddul Mukhtaar vol.1 pg.505)
The Prophet -peace be upon him- is reported to have said that, “Whoever prayed twelve rakaats at the time of Chasht, then Allah will, as a reward, prepare a palace of gold for him in Paradise.” [Mishkat, Tirmizi, Ibn Majah]

Four Rakah Sunnah before Fard of Zuhr, Two Rakah Sunnah and Two Rakah Nafil after Fard of Zuhr

Umm Habibah -may Allah be pleased with her- narrated that the Prophet -peace and blessings be upon him- said: “Whoever sticks to the habit of offering four rak`ahs before Noon Prayer and four rak`ahs after it, Allah will shield him against the Hell-Fire.” (Abu Dawud and At-Tirmidhi)

Four Rak’aah Sunnah of Asr

The Prophet -peace be upon him- said: “May Allaah have Mercy on the one who offers four (rak’ahs) before ‘Asr prayer.” (Abu Dawud)

Tahiyyat Al-Masjid

If anyone enters a mosque, he should offer two rak`ahs before sitting.
Abu Qatadah -may Allah be pleased with him- reported that the Prophet -peace and blessings be upon him- said: “If any one of you enters a mosque, he should pray two rak`ahs before sitting.” (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)

Two Rakat after doing Wudu (Ablution)

Abu Hurayrah -may Allah be pleased with him- reported that the Prophet -peace and blessings be upon him- said to Bilal -may Allah be pleased with him-: “Tell me about the best of your deeds (i.e. one which you deem the most rewarding) since your embracing Islam because I heard your footsteps in front of me in Paradise.” Bilal (may Allah be pleased with him) replied: “I do not consider any act of mine more rewarding than that whenever I make ablution at any time of night or day, I perform Prayer for as much as was destined for me to do.” ( Al-Bukhari and Muslim)”

The Most Rewarding Superogatory Prayer of all is Tahajjud

Prophet Muhammad -peace be upon him- has said: “In Paradise there is a castle reserved for those who read Tahajjud” and he further adds, “Those who pray at night will enter paradise without having to account for their acts in this life.”

It is recommended that you recite in your prayers as much of the Sacred Quran as you know. If you happen to know by heart the whole of the Sacred Quran you may, in at least 3 nights or most 4 nights of Tahajjud effectuate the complete reading of the Sacred Quran.

Otherwise, you may recite 3 Surah Ikhlas (Qul Huwa Allahu Ahad) after your “Alhamdu…” in every Rakat and you will thus derive full benefits of the full recital of the Sacred Quran in every Rakat.

During the month of Ramadan one should awake a little earlier for suhoor and make time to pray Tahajjud Salaah for the reward is magnified so much more in Ramadan and duas are even more readily accepted than at any other time of the year. We should be reading Tahajjud EVERY night in the last ten days of Ramdan for any of these nights may be the night of POWER.

The dua’s at the time of Tahajjud are very readily accepted by Almighty Allah and one should repent and ask of Allah and try to cry in their dua’s at this time, if one cannot cry due to the hardness of ones heart due to sin then at least one should make the face as if one is crying. Just as a mother tends to her baby quickly and promptly when it cries the same way Allah attends to his servant quicker when they are crying.

Also don’t forget that the Reward of Salaah multiplied 70 times or more by use of Miswaak.

Hazrat Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) has reported that,
“The prayer before which the Miswak is used is seventy times more excellent than that before which it is not used.”

Now we know the tremendous amount of ajr and thawab most of us are missing out because we didn’t know. Let’s revive the sunnah of our beloved prophet -peace be upon him-. Let us make a commitment to try our best not forget our supererogatory prayers and nafils from now on.

May Allah accept all our prayers and worships. amen.

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Ramadan Reminders: 10 Steps to Maximising the Last Ten Days of Ramadan (Important! Please read)

The last ten days of Ramadan are very precious indeed.

Allah’s Messenger used to exert himself in devotion during the last ten nights to a greater extent than at any other time.” (Muslim).
Hazrat Aishah radhiyallahu anha reported that during the last ten days of Ramadan; the Messenger of Allah would wake his wives up during the night and then remain apart from them (that is, being busy in acts of worship). (Bukhari)
Hazrat Aisha radhiyallahu anha also reported that with the start of the last ten days of Ramadan, the Prophet peace be upon him used to tighten his waist belt (i.e. work hard) and used to pray all the night, and used to keep his family awake for the prayers. (Bukhari)
So we need to tighten all of our belts especially in these last ten days and do as much as we can to thank Allah and worship him and ask him for forgiveness.

Here are some ways that we can all make the best of these precious last ten days of this most blessed month;

Recite the Qur’an abundantly

Both fasting and recitation of the Qur’an in Ramadan act as intercessors with Almighty Allah for the true believer who observes them.

In this respect, the Prophet salla Allahu alaihi wa sallam said,
(Fasting and the Qur’an will intercede on behalf of Allah’s servant on the Day of Judgment. Fasting will say, “O my Lord! I prevented him from food and desires during the day, so accept my intercession for him.” And the Qur’an will say, “O my Lord! I prevented him from sleeping by night, so accept my intercession for him.” The intercession of both will thus be accepted.) [Ahmad]

This is the month of the holy Qur’an so we should strive to recite as much of it as we can especially during the last ten nights of Ramadan as there is a special merit to reciting the Qur’an in the nights of Ramadan. For indeed, the night brings an end to the busy daily affairs, the enthusiasm is roused and the heart and the tongue mount upon reflecting. And Allah is the one in whom we seek assistance.

Hazrat Anas radhiyallahu anhu reports that the prophet peace be upon him said: “Whoever reads the Quran, Allah grants that person ten good deeds for every letter. And for one who hears the Qur’an being recited, Allah grants a good deed for every letter, and such a person will be resurrected among those who will recite and ascend the stages of Jannat.”

The reward for reading a letter of the Holy Qur’an in this blessed month is also very much increased so its 70 good deeds or MORE for reading just one letter so lets make the best use of these precious last few days and read as much of the Qur’an as we can!

Strive to gain forgiveness

One should strive and do their utmost to gain the mercy of Allah in these last ten days especially. If one leaves Ramadan without gaining the mercy of Allah then surely they are the most unfortunate ones and are the biggest losers in this world and the next.

Hazrat Aishah radhiyallahu anha said: “I asked the Messenger of Allah: ‘O Messenger of Allah, if I know what night is the night of Qadr, what should I say during it?’ He said: ‘Say: O Allah, You are pardoning and You love to pardon, so pardon me.’ “

”Allahumma innaka ‘afuwwun tuhibbul ‘afwa fa’fu ‘annee”/”اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّكَ عَفُوٌّ كَرِيمٌ تُحِبُّ الْعَفْوَ فَاعْفُ عَنِّي” (Ahmad, Ibn Majah, and Tirmidhi).

Abu Huraira narrated that the Messenger said: “Whoever stands (in prayer) in Laylatul Qadr while nourishing his faith with self-evaluation, expecting reward from Allah, will have all of his previous sins forgiven.” (Bukhari and Muslim).

The best times to ask for forgiveness are just before the time of breaking ones fast and before suhoor (pre-dawn meal) after one reads the Tahajjud prayer. These are the times we should concentrate on repenting the most as these times duas are more readily accepted.

We should sincerely repent for past and present sins with the intention of not repeating them again and ask of Allah Ta’aala to help us prevent ourselves from doing them again and ask Allah to perfect our characters and to help us improve ourselves in everyway possible.

Help your parents

We should always be the best towards our parents at all times and not even say “uff” to them and in Ramadan and in particular the last ten days we should increase ourselves in helping our Parents and being the best towards them and making them happy and smile.

A man asked Prophet Muhammad “What kinds of deeds are best in the sight of God?” He replied, “To pray on time, to be good and kind to parents, and to struggle in the path of God” (Al-Bukhari).

The reward for being good and kind toward one’s parents was mentioned on several occasions by Prophet Muhammad (Saw), emphasizing that those who are obedient to their parents and to God also will be in the highest places in Paradise.

Allah (Glory and Greatness be to Him) mentions in Noble Qur’an;
”And your Lord has commanded that you shall not serve (any) but Him, and goodness to your parents. If either or both of them reach old age with you, say not to them (so much as) “Ugh” nor chide them, and speak to them a generous word. And make yourself submissively gentle to them with compassion, and say: O my Lord! Have compassion on them, as they brought me up (when I was) little.” Noble Qur’an (17:23-24)

Prophet Muhammad (Saw) also indicated that the pleasure or anger of Allah is in the pleasure or anger of parents, and that Muslims who are kind to their parents earn forgiveness from Allah. The importance of gaining the pleasure of one’s parents was also emphasized by Prophet Muhammad (Saw) when he said that the earnest prayers of parents for or against their child are always answered by Allah.

So if our parents are angry or unhappy with us then how do we expect our fasts and deeds to be accepted? How do we expect to gain the mercy and forgiveness from Allah? Now is the time to ask our parents to forgive us for any wrongs we have done towards them and any unhappiness we have brought towards them and start from now to make them the happiest so that Allah may be the happiest with us.

Do much Superogatory Prayers (Nafil)

Abu Hurairah reports that the Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam said: “The first thing that the people will be called to account for on the Day of Resurrection will be the prayers. Our Lord will say to the angels although He knows better: ‘Look into the salah of my servant to see if he observed it perfectly or been negligent in it. So if he observed it perfectly it will be recorded to his credit, but if he had been negligent in it in any way, Allah would say: See if My servant has any supererogatory prayers. Then if he has any supererogatory prayers, Allah would say: Make up the deficiency in My servant’s obligatory prayer with his supererogatory prayers.’ Thereafter all his actions will be examined in like manner.” (Abu Dawud)

I’ll further write about Nafil prayers in another post.

Increase in Dhikr (Remembrance of Allah)

We should glorify Allah night and day, especially in these last ten days of the blessed month of Ramadan. Remembering Allah much through acts of dhikr brings much peace and tranquillity to the heart. It also gives us a sense of taqwa (fear of allah), a consciousness that makes us realise that Allah Almighty is ever near and that we should always strive to please Him.

”…Verily, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest.” (13:28)
”Remembrance of Allah indeed is the greatest virtue.” (29:46).

Make much D’ua

We should be very busy in D’ua as much as we can especially in the last ten days and nights of the blessed month of Ramadan. How unfortunate is the one who does not make use of these last ten nights to supplicate to his lord.

We find many reassurances throughout the Quran for those who make Dua.
Allah the Exalted, has said: “And your Lord says: Pray unto me: and I will hear your prayer” (Quran 40:60), “Call upon your Lord Humbly and in secret” (Quran 7:55), “When My servants question thee concerning Me, I am indeed close (to them): I listen to the prayer of every suppliant when he calleth on Me” (Quran 2:186), “Is not He (best) who listens to the (soul) distressed when it calls on Him, and who relieves its suffering.” (Quran 27:62)

Aisha radhiallaahu anha said, “No believer makes D’ua and it is wasted. Either it is granted here in this world or deposited for him in the Hereafter as long as he does not get frustrated.”

In fact, it is a gaining Allah’s displeasure and anger to never make Dua, “Whosoever does not supplicate to Allah, He will be angry with Him.” [Saheeh Jaami`as-Sagheer #2414]

So let us occupy ourselves in much Dua especially the times when it is most readily accepted like just before we break our fasts and also at Tahajjud time. Thos who do not make the best of this opportunity has surely lost out greatly.

Allah Almighty says in the Qur’an;
”When my servants ask you concerning me, (tell them) I am indeed close (to them). I listen to the prayer of every suppliant when he calls on me.” [2:186] The place of duaa is so high to Allah, that the Prophet had said: “Nothing is more honourable to Allah the Most High than du’a.“[Sahih al-Jami` no.5268].
He also said: “The most excellent worship is du`a.” [Sahih Al-Jami` no. 1133]

Seek out Laylatul Qadr

So valuable is this Night of Qadr that the Quran devotes a special surah to
it “Lailatul Qadr is better than a thousand months” [97:3]
This one night surpasses the value of 30,000 nights. The most authentic account of the occurrence of the Night indicates that it can occur on any one of the last ten, odd numbered nights of Ramadan. We should strive to stay up at least on the odd nights of the last ten days because if we pray on these nights then surely we would have caught this most powerful night and this would mean we would have a reward of 83 YEARS OF WORSHIP!

Want all your life’s previous sins forgiven?
Abu Hurayrah radhiallahu anhu narrated that the Messenger -peace be upon him- said: “Whoever stands (in qiyaam) in Laylat ul-Qadr out of faith and expectation (of Allah’s reward), will have ALL of his previous sins forgiven.” (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)

Assess and evaluate yourself and make the changes for the rest of the year!

While the practice of fasting during Ramadan is widely followed, the instruction about self-evaluation has largely been forgotten.

Self-evaluation means to assess where you are in life, set goals for the future, and think of what you can do to get there. The process of self-evaluation makes you pro-active in directing your life. Unless we take the initiative our lives will be shaped by circumstances.

We need to assess ourselves and since this month made us prevent ourselves from doing many of the sins we may usually do why should we go back to those sins now that we have stopped or reduced them?

Let us continue with the good habits that we have gained and acquired in Ramadan and take them with us throughout the rest of the year.

If we continue the rest of the year with the evil we committed before Ramadan then know that we are risking the acceptance of all of our fasts and good deeds because Ramadan is not merely just for abstaining from food and evil for just one month but is a time to train ourselves to change for the better in everyway so that we may become god fearing and pious and continue that way the rest of the year.

We should strive to continue the good we have done in Ramadan throughout the year and discontinue the evil that we left before Ramadan and NEVER go back to it.

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12 Things to Avoid during Ramadan by Dr. Zakir Naik
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Assalaamu Alaykum…..

12 THINGS TO TRY AND AVOID DURING RAMADAN

1. Dont sleep during the day and pray all night. By doing this you are converting the day into night and the night into day, which is not the purpose of fasting.

2. Avoid being lazy and inactive during the day….

3. Dont waste time playing games during the day. Rather, please Allah by increasing in your worship of Him..

4. Avoid having Iftar parties. Ramadan wasnt meant to be a food extravaganza.

5. Dont ask your wife to spend Ramadan in the Kitchen. Eat something light and quick - she isnt Biryani woman.

6. Spend the last 10 days worshipping Allah rather than trying to prepare for Eid! A day that is better than a thousand months is in these last 10 days. You can’t afford to miss this.

7. Dont stay awake the full night. Your body has a right over you, and when it wants rest, then rest.

8. Avoid excessive socialising after Taraweeh.

9. Avoid shopping a lot in Ramadhaan.

10. Dont eat the full night.

11. Dont loiter around at night rather than worshipping Allah.

12. Eid doesnt require loads of preparation. Dont fall into this trap! Keep it simple, and it will be blessed.

Ramadan Mubarak! :)
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I'm a Muslim

Helpful Tips for new Muslims

1. Practice Islam as much as you can

2. Respect your parents

3. Find a teacher

4. Keep away from debates and arguments

5. Gain a connection to the Arabic language

6. Understand Islam’s organic nature

7. Maintain your Identity

8. Force yourself to go to the masjid

9. Find Muslim friends and avoid severing ties

10. Avoid Loneliness

11. Stay away from extremism

12. Do not despair

7 Ways to Improve Your Relationship with The Qur’an!

Here are some Nafil prayers we all can do everyday

The Two Rakat before Fard of Fajr

Salaatul Ishraaq (Sunrise prayer 15-20 mins after sunrise)

Duha Prayer (Salaatul Chasht / Breakfast prayer to be prayed before Zawaal (Midday)

Four Rakah Sunnah before Fard of Zuhr, Two Rakah Sunnah and Two Rakah Nafil after Fard of Zuhr

Four Rak’aah Sunnah of Asr

Tahiyyat Al-Masjid

Two Rakat after doing Wudu (Ablution)

The Most Rewarding Superogatory Prayer of all is Tahajjud

Ramadan Reminders: 10 Steps to Maximising the Last Ten Days of Ramadan (Important! Please read)

Recite the Qur’an abundantly

Strive to gain forgiveness

Help your parents

Do much Superogatory Prayers (Nafil)

Increase in Dhikr (Remembrance of Allah)

Make much D’ua

Seek out Laylatul Qadr

Assess and evaluate yourself and make the changes for the rest of the year!

12 Things to Avoid during Ramadan by Dr. Zakir Naik

12 THINGS TO TRY AND AVOID DURING RAMADAN