Make the most of Ramadan

Assalam Alaykum,
Ramadan Mubrak to you all! I thought it would be good to share some general advice on making the most of Ramadan, so here are some brief points below.
Please remember me and my family in your duas.
Wasalam

• Perform all prayers on time and with congregation (especially for males)
• Do not waste time doing Eid shopping or eating with friends and other family members just because it is Ramadan
• Reduce worldly and business commitments to a minimum
• Increase the recitation of the Quran, Zikr and Tasbeeh
• Increase Nafl (optional) Salah or perform Qaza Salah as much as possible
• Make a total commitment to avoid all sins. If any sins are committed, (major or minor), make taubah (repent) immediately
• Free the mind from all evil thoughts and make an effort to reform oneself (eg. remove pride, hatred, jealousy, anger, looking down upon others, etc.)
• Increase acts of charity and assist the needy as much as possible. Do not forget to pay your Zakat.
• Spend time reading good Islamic books (eg. Teachings of Islam, Bahishti Zewar, Good Character, Upbringing of Children etc.)
• Make plenty of dua for yourself, your family and the Ummah, especially in the period before the time for Iftar

Bear in mind that each of one of us will be asked by Allah how we spent our Ramadhan . Let us not forget that we will be punished equally for our sins just as we are rewarded for our good deeds.

Three Companions

In this world you have three companions:

one is faithful, the others are treacherous.
The latter are friends and possessions;
the faithful one is excellence in deeds.
Your wealth won't come with you out of your palace;
your friend will come, but only as far as the grave.

When the day of doom comes to meet you,
your friend will say, "I've come this far, but no farther.
I will stand a while at your grave."

Your deeds alone are faithful: make them your refuge,
for they alone will accompany you into the depths of the tomb.

Mathnawi of Maulana Jalal al-Din al-Rumi

Walking to the Masjid

Abu Hurayra رضى الله تعالى عنه reported that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said,


"Anyone who purifies himself in his house and then goes to one of the houses of Allah to fulfil one of the obligations of Allah, one step removes an error and the other raises him a degree." [Muslim]

Best Teaching

The best mode of instruction is to practise what we preach.
Persian Proverb

Worthy Actions

That action is worthy to pursue which brings you close to Allah Ta'ala and elevates you. And those actions which do not bring the nearness of Allah Ta'ala are not worth pursuing.
Extract from '99 Golden Advices for All Saalikeen' by Maulana Muhammad Zakariyya

The Crow and Eagle

“Anwaar-e-Suhaili is a well known Persian book. In it has been narrated a very thought provoking story:

Once a man saw a crow whose wings were cut. He thought, “poor thing, how is it going to survive? From where shall it get its food?” Hardly a moment had passed when that person spotted an eagle carrying some prey in its beak. The eagle came closer, landed and fed the crow.

On seeing this the man thought “ This is how Allah provides for His creatures, so why should I worry about earning a living. Allah will provide for me.” So he sat down and remained idle. Some days passed but yet the person did not get anything. One wise man said to him “ O servant of Allah, you were shown two birds, one injured crow and an eagle. Why did you prefer to become like the crow? Why did you not think about becoming like the eagle who not only eats himself but also feeds others who are in need?

This story illustrates very well the real nature of ‘Tawakkul’. IF anyone has yet means of livelihood at his disposal, then he should not give up those means. His case is a like that of the eagle. He should not only fulfil his own needs but also look after others. “
Taken from “the World Within” by Mufti Muhammad Shafi (late grand mufti of Pakistan)
Source : Tears of Realisation