Category: Ramadan Reminders

DAY 21 : HAVE FAITH

وَلَنَبْلُوَنَّكُم بِشَيْءٍ مِّنَ الْخَوْفِ وَالْجُوعِ وَنَقْصٍ مِّنَ الْأَمْوَالِ وَالْأَنفُسِ وَالثَّمَرَاتِ ۗ وَبَشِّرِ الصَّابِرِينَ * الَّذِينَ إِذَا أَصَابَتْهُم مُّصِيبَةٌ قَالُوا إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ*

“And we will surely test you with something of fear and hunger and a loss of wealth and life and fruits, but give good tidings to the patient. Those who when disaster strikes them, say, “Indeed we belong to Allah, and indeed to Him we will return.”
[Al-Baqarah, 2:155-156]

It is really easy to lose heart whenever something bad happens with us. It could be the loss of a loved one or financial crisis or familial trouble that bothers us nearly until we lose our mind.

Stressing out wouldn’t bring us any solution nor would it ease the situation . Rather it would only worsen our health and perhaps even cost us a lot of more. It has been revealed to us that we’d all be facing trials and there’s no escape from it. In such times, believers find their strength by being patient and praying sincerely to Allah ﷻ.

Such tests are rewards in disguise that are temporary and will save us from the torment of the hell fire. Therefore we must not lose hope and have faith in Allah ﷻ that no matter how bad a circumstance seems like, there will always be a way out.

May Allahﷻ make us from among those who fear him alone and are always moving forward in life with complete faith in His plan, اللهم آمين.

DAY 20 : LISTEN TO UNDERSTAND.

إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَذِكْرَىٰ لِمَن كَانَ لَهُ قَلْبٌ أَوْ أَلْقَى السَّمْعَ وَهُوَ شَهِيدٌ *

“Indeed in that is a reminder for whoever has a heart or who listens while he is present [in mind].”
[Qaf 50:37]

We are so absorbed with our own preoccupations sometimes we don’t understand to listen, but to reply.

Hasty listening and replying would always result in inappropriate communication, which in turn plays a role in ruining some of the most beautiful relationships that we have.

It is most common when parents become old and people don’t feel the need to listen to what they are trying to say, which ends up breaking the bond. Disrespecting parents is considered to be one of the biggest sins in Islam and not listening properly is too menial to be one of the reasons for it. Similarly, we listen to others while having another tape running in our head.

We need to value and respect our fellow beings , young and the old alike. One best way to do so, is by listening not just by ears but with our hearts and minds open.

May Allah ﷻ genuinely grant us the hikmah(wisdom) to understand better the beauty of soulful conversations and helpful interactions, اللهم آمين.

DAY 19: SPEAK WELL OF OTHERS.

مَّا يَلْفِظُ مِن قَوْلٍ إِلَّا لَدَيْهِ رَقِيبٌ عَتِيدٌ*

“Man does not utter any word except that with him is an observer prepared [to record].”
[Surah Al Qaf 50:18

Many times we tend to forget that there is somebody with us 24/7 recording our actions as well as our intentions. This forgetfulness makes us deliver from our tongues utterances that are of hurtful, swearing and proud nature. This is something that Our Lord ﷻ has truly despised. The words of our Prophet ﷺ, “… He who believes in Allah and the Last Day should either speak good or better remain silent .” [Sahih Muslim 48] also reflect the same.

Spying, backbiting, lying, slandering and swearing are far off from the speech of a believer. Hence, as Muslims our speech should be wrapped up with kindness, humility and of forgiving nature. It is liked by others and as equally beneficial to our own selves.

May Allah ﷻ help us all be kinder and gentler with each other and become doers of good alone, اللهم آمين.

DAY 18: DON’T MAKE EXCUSES.

هَٰذَاا يَوْمُ لَا يَنطِقُونَ* وَلَا يُؤْذَنُ لَهُمْ فَيَعْتَذِرُونَ*

“This is a Day they will not speak, Nor will it be permitted for them to make an excuse.”
[Surah Al-Mursalat 77: 35-36]

When we stand before Allah ﷻ on the day of judgement, we would be put in a situation where we cannot raise excuses in front of Him . So, what excuse do we have now?

In many situations we have readymade reasons and explanations for things we are unable to do. Allah ﷻ has blessed us with innumerable bounties that we are ignorant of and ungrateful for, sometimes.

We fail to make use of the blessings and actually end up complaining about our troubles and misfortunes. So as believers, we need to set our priorities straight and don’t give up on our dreams and goals owing to lame excuses.

May Allah ﷻ make us from those who are constantly striving to fulfil their goals, portray persistence , show patience and are always working without excuses, اللهم آمين.

DAY 17: PUT YOUR NEEDS FIRST.

Aaisha (رضي الله عنها) narrated that,

The Prophet ﷺ called ‘Uthman b. Maz’un. When he came to him, he said: ‘Uthman, did you dislike my practice? He said: No, by Allah, but I seek your practice. He said: I sleep, I pray, I keep fast, I (sometimes) leave fast, and I marry women. Fear Allah, ‘Uthman, your wife has a right on you, your guest has a right on you, your self has a right on you; you should keep fast and (sometimes) leave fast, and pray and sleep.
[Sunan Abi Dawud 1369]

Almost all of us are running behind the errands of the world that sometimes we forget to cater to the needs of our own body and mind.

It is important that we take time to nurture our body and mind and prioritize self-care. Getting love and kindness from our own self is as equally important as getting the same from others. This is reflected in how you take care of yourself.

Staying late up night, eating unhealthily , working overtime, or not engaging in physical activities, and socializing more than needed, would deprive us of getting recharged physically and psychologically.

This would in turn affect us spiritually. The one who loves Allah ﷻ and strives for the best in Aakhira would definitely attend to himself for further growth.

May Allah ﷻ help us understand the need to take good care of ourselves and our health, اللهم آمين.

DAY 15: BELIEVE IN YOURSELF

قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَن زَكَّاهَا

وَقَدْ خَابَ مَن دَسَّاهَا

“Indeed he succeeds who purifies his own self. And indeed he fails who corrupts his own self.”
[Surah Ash Shams 91: 9-10]

There are days when we don’t feel like we would be able to achieve anything. Our self esteem on other days could be hurt by those around us. Or there would be times when our greatest fears would come true.

To feel dejected and lost isn’t wrong, but to allow negative thoughts to develop isn’t a good sign either. In that moment of failure, you may end up looking only at the worse but once you open up your mind to a multipurpose vision, you will realise that the failure was only a big leap towards your dream in disguise without which moving forward could have resulted in dangerous outcomes.

After all, Allah is the best of planners . So no matter how many times you fail, remember that the number of times you get back up should be greater. You were born for a purpose. Do not give up any any cost.

May Allah سبحانه و تعالى really help us understand our worth and grant us the ability to be easy on ourselves and treat ourselves better, اللهم آمين.

DAY 15: BELIEVE IN YOURSELF

قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَن زَكَّاهَا

وَقَدْ خَابَ مَن دَسَّاهَا

“Indeed he succeeds who purifies his own self. And indeed he fails who corrupts his own self.”
[Surah Ash Shams 91: 9-10]

There are days when we don’t feel like we would be able to achieve anything. Our self esteem on other days could be hurt by those around us. Or there would be times when our greatest fears would come true.

To feel dejected and lost isn’t wrong, but to allow negative thoughts to develop isn’t a good sign either. In that moment of failure, you may end up looking only at the worse but once you open up your mind to a multipurpose vision, you will realise that the failure was only a big leap towards your dream in disguise without which moving forward could have resulted in dangerous outcomes.

After all, Allah is the best of planners . So no matter how many times you fail, remember that the number of times you get back up should be greater. You were born for a purpose. Do not give up any any cost.

May Allah سبحانه و تعالى really help us understand our worth and grant us the ability to be easy on ourselves and treat ourselves better, اللهم آمين.

DAY 14: FOLLOW A HEALTHY DIET

“Miqdam ibn Ma’d reported: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “The son of Adam cannot fill a vessel worse than his stomach, as it is enough for him to take a few bites to straighten his back. If he cannot do it, then he may fill it with a third of his food, a third of his drink, and a third of his breath.”

Source: Sunan al-Tirmidhī 2380

Among us are present many who love to eat food and who often indulge themselves into devouring it beyond limit. While loving and appreciating food isn’t wrong, one must understand and be conscious of the adverse effects of overeating and breaking past the limits assigned. That’s why the Rasool of Allah ﷺ has advised us to divide our intake of food, breath and water into thirds. Besides this, one must also drink up water consistently. To function properly, all the cells and organs of the body need water.

Water prevents kidney damage, helps maintain blood pressure, regulates body temperature, delivers oxygen throughout the body, etc. From this we see that our body needs lots of water as it has many works to do. Besides these two points, people tend to very easily leave off the third portion of the hadeeth which is to leave one third of your stomach empty for air .

Sometimes we stuff ourselves with food and water to the extent that we can’t breathe or move at all. Such behaviour should be avoided. After all, our stomachs aren’t washing machines that can be stuffed however we like. There needs to be some space for it to work and break down food. Therefore, adhere properly to the Sunnah way of eating to have a healthier body.

May Allah سبحانه و تعالى aid us in doing only that’s the best for us and may He guide us in following as many Sunnah of our beloved Prophet ﷺ as possible, اللهم آمين.

DAY 13: THINK POSITIVELY

قُلْ لَنْ يُصِيبَنَا إِلَّا مَا كَتَبَ اللَّهُ لَنَا هُوَ مَوْلَانَا ۚ وَعَلَى اللَّهِ فَلْيَتَوَكَّلِ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ

“Say, “Never will we be struck except by what Allah has decreed for us; He is our protector.” And upon Allah let the believers rely.”
[Al Qur’an 9:51]

Positive thinking doesn’t mean expecting the best to happen every time. For a believer, it is to accept that whatever happens occurs because Allah سبحانه و تعالى allowed it to happen. Positive thinking leads to an optimistic outlook and good expectations from Allah سبحانه و تعالى and His mercy. These good expectations will make our prayers and worship more effective and fulfilling.

May Allah سبحانه و تعالى help us remain steadfast on the path of Islam with positivity, faith and tawakkal regardless of any calamity that may befall us, اللهم آمين

DAY 12: SHOW GRATITUDE

Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنه reported that the Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم said: “Whoever does not thank people has not thanked Allah.”
[Sunan Abi Dawud 4811, Graded by Sahih Al-Albani]

Showing gratitude is one of the innate qualities possessed by a human being. We just have to tap into it continuously to let it flow from within. Let it start with a simple act of saying thank you (jazakallah khair) to your kids for any chores they do or to a waiter, driver, etc.

It might be just a word for us, but it will bring joy to the recipient and make their day.

May Allah سبحانه وتعالى make us among those who are forever grateful to Allah and to other Human beings. اللهم آمين

May Allah سبحانه و تعالى help us all become as humble as we can be and may He grant us the wisdom to comprehend the matters related to character development with ease, اللهم آمين