Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Why is Salaah important?


Do not ever abandon your prayer because Salaah:
1- Increases Rizq
2- Increases health
3- Repels harm
4- Safe guards against illness
5- Strengthen the heart
6- Brightens the face
7- Raises the spirit
8- Cures lethargy
9- Stretches the limbs
10- Strengthens the body
11- Expands the chest
12- Nurtures the soul
13- Illuminates the heart
14- Guarantees Grace
15- Removes hardship
16- Invites blessing
17- Restrains the devil
18- Connects you to the Lord of Mercy
(Ibn ul Qayyim)

Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Easy or Hard?

Is observing Hijab as easy-peezy-lemon-squeezy as people think it is? Is it as hard as people think it is?
The answer really is, its neither that easy nor that hard. It really depends on your intention for wearing it and on how you wear it. If you wear it for His sake, its very easy, but if you wear it so that people may be pleased with you, know that people will never be pleased with you and in that case, its really hard.

Taking the first step is the most difficult and the first few days, sometimes months are for some girls the worst of their lives. All the questions, stares, looks, vibes coming from the people you love, you hangout with, from your family, your 'friends'. These are people and they will always let you down when you do something for Allah. The right thing to do at this point is then to only think of your intention, to renew it every now and then. You know that if you let people's reactions get to you and you think too much about them, you may end up hating your hijab and throwing it away. Just don't let that happen.

If you think you're going the wrong way, the first step is to remind yourself of your purpose in life. Allah says in Surah Mulk Verse 2:
"[He] who created death and life to test you [as to] which of you is best in deed - and He is the Exalted in Might, the Forgiving."
We know that this life is a TEST and we have to work towards being the best in deed. The question therefore is: How can we be the best in deed, in order to pass this test and thereby attain perfection? The best way to do a good deed is with Ikhlaas, doing it purely for the sake of Allah, this is the second step

The third step is doing what is beautiful, that is Ihsaan. We find the most the most beautiful definition of Ihsaan in the Hadith of Jibrael, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "(it is) to worship Allah as if you can see Him, for if  you cannot see Him, know that He nonetheless sees you." This implies that we have to be conscious of Allah whenever doing anything for His sake. We should not worry about how people react, rather we should concern ourselves with pleasing Allah at all times and in all situations. Think about what He thinks of you not about what they think of you.

So at the end of the day, how easy or how hard you find hijaab to be depends on how you view it.