RAMADAN DAY #1

Assalamualaikum,

Over the next thirty days we will be showing daily task with the goal of familiarizing ourselves with one of the primary sources of Islamic faith and practice, the hadith. These are a collection of Prophet Muhammad sayings (ﷺ) and contain profound wisdom, guidance and morality. These sayings transcend time and are still relevant today just as they were during the Prophet’s lifetime.

We hope over these thirty days to help Muslims gain or renew their acquaintance with Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ).

Daily Wisdom – Sayings of the Prophet Muhammad:

“Actions are judged by the doer’s intentions. Whatever a man has set his heart on, he shall have it. So he who emigrates for God and his Messenger will be led by his emigration to just that destination. And he who emigrates for wordly reasons, to enrich himself or to marry, will be led to just those objectives.” (Sahih Al Bukhari)

Homework:
What you are intending for?
How do you wish to grow during this month?

Finish The Quran in Thirty Days:
Keep track and finish the Quran in Thirty days. Day #1 reading requirement:

Surah Fatiha
Surah Baqarah until Ayah 141

RAMADAN DAY #2

(‏اَلسَلامُ عَلَيْكُم وَرَحْمَةُ اَللهِ وَبَرَكاتُهُ)
Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh,

Here’s day 2/30 of your daily Ramadan Reminders – our aim over these next thirty days is to help Muslims gain or renew their acquaintance with teachings of the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) and the Qur’an.

Daily Wisdom – Sayings of the Prophet Muhammad:

The Cure for Anger:
Abdullah ibn Abbas records the Prophet (ﷺ) as saying: “When any one of you becomes angry, he should remain silent.” This the Prophet repeated three times.
– Ahmad, Musnad and in Al-Adab Al-Mufrad 1320

Remember you can always curse someone off tomorrow. It is not necessary that you let them know how you feel right this very minute. This is the Islamic concept of sabr (practicing patience) or developing emotional discipline. It is a skill which must be cultivated.

Homework:
Was there ever a moment where you reacted with a short temper and were happy with the way you behaved?

Why do we keep falling for the same triggers that make us angry. For example, a friend, family or colleague who has said something that offended us? Yet we know the saying insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different outcome.

I admit it’s not easy, but it’s a skill worth practicing… over a lifetime it will save you from embarrassment or from saying something you will later regret. We can try to do as the Prophet (ﷺ) did and say to ourselves “it is better to remain silent” three times.

Finish The Quran in Thirty Days:
Keep track and finish the Quran in Thirty days. Day #2 reading requirement:

Surah Baqarah Ayat 142-252

Quran Study:

“….so whenever guidance comes to you from Me, then whoever follows my guidance, then there will neither be any fear on them nor will they grieve.” Surah Baqarah Ayat 38

RAMADAN DAY #3

(‏اَلسَلامُ عَلَيْكُم وَرَحْمَةُ اَللهِ وَبَرَكاتُهُ)
Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh,

Here’s day 3/30 of your daily Ramadan Reminders – our aim over these next thirty days is to help Muslims gain or renew their acquaintance with teachings of the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) and the Qur’an.

Daily Wisdom – Sayings of the Prophet Muhammad:

Charity is more than just giving money:
Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, “On every joint of man, there is charity, on everyday when the sun rises: doing justice between two men is charity, and assisting a man to ride an animal or to load his luggage on it is charity; and a good word is charity, every step which one takes towards (the mosque for) Salat is charity, and removing harmful things from the way is charity”.
– Riyad as-Salihin Book 1, Hadith 248 and also Sahih al-Bukhari 2989

Every obstacle removed from another’s path is an act of charity.

There’s two ways to contribute, (1) financial equity which is a form of a monetary contribution, and (2) sweat equity which is help in the form of labor.

Homework:
How can you use your sweat equity to help others who need it?
Can you intentionally make someone’s day a little better?

A wise person can learn from the failures of others, they don’t always have to be your own.

How many times have we heard the story of a loved one passing away and the person mourning just wanted to “tell them one last thing”.

So go on and give someone you care about a thoughtful compliment. But this time, when you do, pay very close attention to the response on their face. Notice how it made them feel and notice how it made you feel.

And remember “a good word is charity” and you won’t regret giving it.

Finish The Quran in Thirty Days:
Keep track and finish the Quran in Thirty days. Day #3 reading requirement:

Surah Baqarah Ayat 253-286
Surah Al Imran Ayat 1-92

Quran Study:

“Do not worship except Allah; and to parents do good and to relatives, orphans, and the needy. And speak to people good [words] and establish prayer and give zakah.” Surah Baqarah Ayah 83

Ramadan Day #4
(‏اَلسَلامُ عَلَيْكُم وَرَحْمَةُ اَللهِ وَبَرَكاتُهُ)
Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh,

Here’s day 4/30 of your daily Ramadan Reminders – our aim over these next thirty days is to help Muslims gain or renew their acquaintance with teachings of the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) and the Qur’an.

Daily Wisdom – Sayings of the Prophet Muhammad:
Salah as a means of self-purification:
Narrated by Abu Hurairahu: I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saying, “Say, if there were a river at the door of one of you in which he takes a bath five times a day, would you notice any dirt on him?” They replied, “Not a trace of dirt would be left.” He (ﷺ) said, ” That is the five (obligatory) Salat (prayers). Allah obliterates all sins as a result of performing them.”
– Sahih al-Bukhari 528 and also in Riyad as-Salihin Book 9, Hadith 1042

Homework:
Are you reading the five daily prayers this Ramadan? If this is something you’re struggling with get a calendar out or print one off from Google. Each day you successfully complete all five salahs mark it with a big “X”. Challenge yourself and see how many streaks you can get going. If you miss one day, that’s okay, just don’t let this discourage you and now you miss two.

Remember, salah is not just a mandatory enactment or responsibility. If it is viewed in this regard you won’t be able to sustain the practice of praying daily.

Let’s work to evolve our relationship with the Salah, this requires us to change our perspective and the way we view it.

So what actually is salah?

Salah is….

… a means of bringing tranquility to one’s heart.
… a source of strength and patience.
… essential attribute of what it means to be a Muslim.
… a way to receive forgiveness from Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala.
… distinguishes a Muslim from a non Muslim.
… one of many ways to please our creator.

Finish The Quran in Thirty Days:
Keep track and finish the Quran in Thirty days. Day #4 reading requirement:

Surah Al Imran Ayat 93-200
Surah An Nisa Ayat 23

Ramadan Day #5
(‏اَلسَلامُ عَلَيْكُم وَرَحْمَةُ اَللهِ وَبَرَكاتُهُ)
Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh,

Here’s day 5/30 of your daily Ramadan Reminders – our aim over these next thirty days is to help Muslims gain or renew their acquaintance with the teachings of Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) and the Qur’an.

Daily Wisdom – Sayings of the Prophet Muhammad:

Power of Tahajjud Prayer:

Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said, “Our Lord, the Blessed, the Superior, comes every night down on the nearest Heaven to us when the last third of the night remains, saying: “Is there anyone to invoke Me, so that I may respond to invocation? Is there anyone to ask Me, so that I may grant him his request? Is there anyone seeking My forgiveness, so that I may forgive him?” Sahih Bukhari Hadith #1145

The literal meaning of Tahajjud is giving up of sleep. This prayer is voluntary (nafl salah) meaning it is not an obligation. The sunnah is to offer it in the third portion of the night, so right before suhoor time.

Homework:
Although tahajjud is voluntary, try to make the extra effort and wake up 5 or 10 minutes earlier then you normally would to offer this salah. I get it you’re hungry and you want to eat, but believe me you will feel much more spiritually fulfilled if you prayed your 2 rakat for tahajjud.

We all want the Mercy of Allah but in order to receive it, you must be deserving of Mercy.

So how can you do that?

You go beyond that which Allah has asked. Allah has enjoined for the believers the five daily salahs, these are obligatory. But Allah loves those who by their own choosing come to remember and worship him.

In Sunan Abu Dawud Hadith 864, Allah even says if there is any defect in the servants regular Salah he will ask to see if there are some optional prayers in his account. If there are optional prayer to his credit, He will say, Compensate the obligatory prayer with the optional prayer for My servant.

So to summarize, the rewards of the tahajjud prayer are:

• Build your account of optional prayers.
• Go beyond what is enjoined and become deserving of Allah’s Mercy.
• During this portion of the night (where the tahajjud prayer is offered) Allah is more receptive to your dua. He asks, “Is there anyone to ask Me, so that I may grant him his request?”

Make the most of this opportunity. The rewards of Ramadan are multiplied, the extra effort to make this Salah is minimal.

Ask of Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala for whatever your heart desires. He is listening during this time.

Finish The Quran in Thirty Days:
Keep track and finish the Qur’an in Thirty days. Day #5 reading requirement:

Surah An Nisa Ayat 24 – 147

Quran Study:

“And the servants of the Most Merciful are those who walk upon the earth easily, and when the ignorant address them [harshly], they say [words of] peace, And those who spend [part of] the night to their Lord prostrating and standing [in prayer]” Surah Al Furqan Ayah 63-64

Ramadan Day #6
(‏اَلسَلامُ عَلَيْكُم وَرَحْمَةُ اَللهِ وَبَرَكاتُهُ)
Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh,

Here’s day 6/30 of your daily Ramadan Reminders – our aim over these next thirty days is to help Muslims gain or renew their acquaintance with the teachings of Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) and the Qur’an.

Daily Wisdom – Sayings of the Prophet Muhammad:

Receiving Allah’s Mercy:
“The merciful are shown mercy by Ar-Rahman. Be merciful on the earth, and you will be shown mercy from Who is above the heavens. The womb is named after Ar-Rahman, so whoever connects it, Allah connects him, and whoever severs it, Allah severs him.”
– Jami At-Tirmidhi 1924

The person who perfectly maintains the ties of kinship is not the one who does it because he gets recompensed by his relatives (for being kind and good to them), but the one who truly maintains the bonds of kinship is the one who persists in doing so even though the latter has severed the ties of kinship with him”.
– Riyad As Salihin Book 1, Hadith 322

Homework:

Who’s the first person that comes to your mind when you think of someone you’ve lost contact with? Stop reading here and comeback only after reflecting on this for a bit…done? Good, let’s continue 🙂

Send them a simple message like, “Hey, I haven’t heard from you in a while how’s everything going?”. Stop with your computational analysis of how things will play out. Remember that humans are generally bad predictors of the future. Don’t overthink, just go do.

Is there any family member or friend where you left on bad terms? How can you try and heal those relationships. It may not happen right away, it may take some time and IT WILL feel uncomfortable… but also realize it will be worth it.
This goes back to the hadith, if we want Allah’s mercy on the day of judgement why are we not likely to do the same for others?

A part of why we don’t reach out is we don’t want to get hurt. This instinct is not wrong, we may feel rejected or ignored and that does hurt.

But project 20, 30, or 40 years into the future, you are lying on your deathbed, how would you feel knowing YOU did not take the first step. Take accountability for this, don’t leave it up to so and so.

If we act now, we can at least gain peace of mind through the self satisfaction in knowing we made the effort and had the courage to make the first step.

Whatever else happens, that is up to Allah. He knows our intention.

I would love to hear your experience with this challenge, we may not be able to respond to everyone but we do read every email that comes in.

Finish The Quran in Thirty Days:
Keep track and finish the Qur’an in Thirty days. Day #6 reading requirement:

Surah An Nisa Ayat verse 148 until the end
Surah Al Maidah verse 1-81

Quran Study:

“It is that of which Allah gives good tidings to His servants who believe and do righteous deeds. Say, [O Muhammad], “I do not ask you for this message any payment [but] only good will through kinship.” And whoever commits a good deed – We will increase for him good therein. Indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Appreciative.” Surah Shura Ayah 23

Ramadan Day #7
(‏اَلسَلامُ عَلَيْكُم وَرَحْمَةُ اَللهِ وَبَرَكاتُهُ)
Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh,

Can you believe we are already on Day 7/30 of your daily Ramadan Reminders !?!? Our goal over these next thirty days 23 days is to help Muslims gain or renew their acquaintance with the teachings of Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) and the Qur’an.

Daily Wisdom – Sayings of the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ):

The Punishment of Backbiting (gheebah):
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, “Do you know who is the bankrupt?” They said: “The bankrupt among us is one who has neither money with him nor any property”. He said, “The real bankrupt of my Ummah would be he who would come on the Day of Resurrection with Salat, Saum and Sadaqah (charity), (but he will find himself bankrupt on that day as he will have exhausted the good deeds) because he reviled others, brought calumny (false and defamatory statements) against others, unlawfully devoured the wealth of others, shed the blood of others and beat others; so his good deeds would be credited to the account of those (who suffered at his hand). If his good deeds fall short to clear the account, their sins would be entered in his account and he would be thrown in the (Hell) Fire”. – Riyad As Salihin Book 1, Hadith 218

If we can be honest with ourselves, in those moments of backbiting we are trying to be okay with ourselves. We bring our own spirit up by bringing the status of others down. This is only human, it happens in all religions, ethnicities, and across all cultures.

Homework:
Can you think of a time where you insulted someones character or talked badly about them? In Sahih Bukhari 6534 it says, “Whoever has wronged his brother, should ask for his pardon (before his death)”

Tips To Stop Backbiting:
I am confident you will think twice about backbiting after reading this. Backbiting in the moment may provide you temporary relief, but the only person your harming is yourself.

In the hadith it tells us, the punishment for backbiting is that Allah will take away from your account of good deeds and give it to the one you hurt as an act of compensation.

Just think about that… the person you detest is gaining from your inability to control your emotions. You are not only giving them your time, focus and attention you are also losing your good deeds AND added to theirs. What do you really have to gain from this?

The only person you should consider backbiting is your mothers and fathers. ?

On the flip side…

If you are a victim of backbiting take comfort in knowing that they are only helping you on the day of resurrection. Of course protect your character if you feel it is threatened but do so with integrity. Do not fall victim by engaging in the same game. We must show discipline and emotional fortitude and overcome such petty altercations.

Allah Knows best.

Finish The Quran in Thirty Days:
Keep track and finish the Qur’an in Thirty days. Day #7 reading requirement:

Surah Al Maidah verse 82 to end of surah.
Surah Al-An’am to verse 110

Quran Study:
“Woe to every persistent slanderer, persistent defamer”
Dr. Ghali Translation of Surah Al Humazah Ayah 1

Ramadan Day #8
(‏اَلسَلامُ عَلَيْكُم وَرَحْمَةُ اَللهِ وَبَرَكاتُهُ)
Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh,

Day 8/30 of your daily Ramadan Reminders – Our goal over these next thirty days 22 days is to help Muslims gain or renew their acquaintance with the teachings of Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) and the Qur’an.

Daily Wisdom – Sayings of the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ):

You get out what you put in:
Narrated Ibn ‘Umar: That the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “The Muslim is the brother of the Muslim, he doesn’t oppress him and doesn’t put him into ruin, and whoever is concerned for the needs of his brother, Allah is concerned for his needs, and whoever relieves a Muslim of a burden, Allah will relieve him of a burden from the burdens of the Day of Judgement and whoever covers (the faults of) a Muslim, Allah will cover (his faults) on the Day of Judgement.” – Jami At-Tirmidhi 1426

Homework:

• How can you be of service to a Muslim brother or sister today? It doesn’t matter how big or small the gesture is. Any action is better than none.

“Whoever relieves a Muslim of a burden, Allah will relieve him”

The world has a similar way of working.

If you want to be respected you must give others respect. If you want to be loved, you can’t demand it out of need. Rather the one who is loved is oft the one who gives it most freely.

It is the quality of your character which the world responds to and reciprocates back. The world is not yet some crazy place looking to reward some undeserving people.

Finish The Quran in Thirty Days:
Keep track and finish the Qur’an in Thirty days. Day #8 reading requirement:

Surah Al-An’am verse 110 until end
Surah Al A’raf 1-87

Quran Study:
“And do not argue on behalf of those who deceive themselves. Indeed, Allah loves not one who is a habitually sinful deceiver.” (Quran, 4:107)

Ramadan Day #9
(‏اَلسَلامُ عَلَيْكُم وَرَحْمَةُ اَللهِ وَبَرَكاتُهُ)
Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh,

Day 9/30 of your daily Ramadan Reminders – Our goal over these next thirty days 21 days is to help Muslims gain or renew their acquaintance with the teachings of Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) and the Qur’an.

Daily Wisdom – Sayings of the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ):

The Virtue of Patience:
The real patience is at the first stroke of a calamity.
Sahih Al Bukhari 1302, Jami At-Tirmidhi 987 and Sunan an-Nasa’i 1869

Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said, “If Allah wants to do good to somebody, He afflicts him with trials.”
Sahih al-Bukhari 5645

Homework:

• What in your life requires the most patience from you?
• Write a list of reasons why whatever you’re going after is worth it. Refer to this list when you are feeling a little lost.

In this world, we will all face many storms.

What’s important is not the storm we face, but rather how we choose to respond to the storm. That is what really matters.

Some choose to swear or curse the storm. They single the event as something that only happens to them. But this is not true, see it rains on all of us.

In these moments we must not despair or lose our faith.

Patience is a huge act worship and is reserved only for those who are tested with adversity.

We may not see it in the moment, but there is a seed of blessing in our trials. But we must be wise enough to not not let our suffering go to waste. See what you can learn from it and try to extract the most reward. Don’t be the person who curses the storm, but see the opportunity (because it really is) to build your character and strengthen your imaan.

Finish The Quran in Thirty Days:

Keep track and finish the Qur’an in Thirty days. Day #9 reading requirement:

Surah Al A’raf verse 88 until end
Surah Al Anfal until verse 41

Quran Study:
“Indeed, I have rewarded them this Day for their patient endurance – that they are the attainers [of success].” Surah Mu’minun Ayah 111

Ramadan Day #10
(‏اَلسَلامُ عَلَيْكُم وَرَحْمَةُ اَللهِ وَبَرَكاتُهُ‎)
Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh,

Day 10/30 of your daily Ramadan Reminders – Our goal over these next thirty days 20 days is to help Muslims gain or renew their acquaintance with the teachings of Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) and the Qur’an.

Daily Wisdom – Sayings of the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ):

Don’t be a complainer:
Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet (ﷺ) never criticized any food (he was invited to) but he used to eat if he liked the food, and leave it if he disliked it.
Sahih al-Bukhari 5409 and Jami at-Tirmidhi 2031

Homework:

• What in your life are you grateful for?
• Try keeping a “alhamdulillah journal” for the remainder of this month. You’d be surprised how you can positively alter your attitude in life by simply writing one sentence a day.
  It’s the human condition that we return to our baseline level of happiness despite any major positive or negative happenings.

This is why the car or house you were so excited about no longer brings you much happiness as it did in the beginning. You can keep chasing these temporary spikes of joy by purchasing new toys, but unless you are continually upgrading you’ll find yourself returning to your baseline.

To be happy we must learn not complain with what we have. It is a disease which takes over the mind.

Now, if you can earn more should you? It is my personal belief (and your entitled to yours) that there is nothing wrong with aspiring to be more, do more, receive more but we must not let it take away from our deen and must learn to be content with what Allah has currently given us.

Actively seek for good in your life. If you can find things to honestly be appreciative for you’ll find it virtually impossible to be simultaneously mad.

Whatever you center your attention on is how you will feel. Perhaps this is why the Prophet (ﷺ) never criticized any food, even that which he disliked.

In keeping up with this philosophy, it was mentioned in a separate hadith…

…Jabir (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (ﷺ) asked for sauce and was told that there was nothing except vinegar. He asked for it and began to eat from it saying, “How excellent is vinegar when eaten as sauce!”
Riyad As Salihin Arabic/English book reference: Book 3, Hadith 737

Finish The Quran in Thirty Days:
Keep track and finish the Qur’an in Thirty days. Day #9 reading requirement:

Surah Al Anfal verse 41 until end
Surah Taubah until verse 92

Quran Study:
“Indeed, I have rewarded them this Day for their patient endurance – that they are the attainers [of success].” Surah Mu’minun Ayah 111

Ramadan Day #11
(‏اَلسَلامُ عَلَيْكُم وَرَحْمَةُ اَللهِ وَبَرَكاتُهُ‎)
Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh,

Day 11/30 of your daily Ramadan Reminders – Our goal over these next thirty days 19 days is to help Muslims gain or renew their acquaintance with the teachings of Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) and the Qur’an.

Daily Wisdom – Sayings of the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ):

Birds of a feather flock together:
Abu Hurairah (RA) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “Every believer is the mirror of his brother.” Al-Adab Al-Mufrad 238 and Sunan Abi Dawud 4918

Homework:

• Who are your friends and what are they like?

In a 2007 study researchers found, “Obesity can spread from person to person, much like a virus. When one person gains weight, close friends tend to gain weight too.” (read the full NY times article here)

But the implications of these finding goes beyond just weight.

If you want to be successful in any domain in your life you need to have the proper tools. The people we surround ourselves with are the greatest influence on our behavior, attitudes and results.

If this is true, we must be very selective with who we allow into our circle.

By carefully choosing the quality of our friends over quantity we alter our chances of success in both this world and the hereafter.

Ideally, you want to surround yourself with people you admire.

The beauty in this is you don’t have search very far. You can find a mentor in a book or this cool place called YouTube where people upload hours of content teaching others for free.

You just have to be curious enough to want to learn.

Finish The Quran in Thirty Days:
Keep track and finish the Qur’an in Thirty days. Day #11 reading requirement:

Surah Taubah verse 93 until end
Surah Yunus
Surah Hud until verse 5

Quran Study:
“O you who believe, do not take anyone as an insider but those from among your own selves. They would spare no effort to do you mischief. They want you to be in trouble. Malice has come out of their mouths while what is concealed in their hearts is still worse. We have made the signs clear to you, if only you understand.” Mufti Taqi Usmani Translation of Surah Imran Ayah 118

Ramadan Day #12
(‏اَلسَلامُ عَلَيْكُم وَرَحْمَةُ اَللهِ وَبَرَكاتُهُ)
Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh,

Day 12/30 of your daily Ramadan Reminders – Our goal over these next thirty days 18 days is to help Muslims gain or renew their acquaintance with the teachings of Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) and the Qur’an.

Daily Wisdom – Sayings of the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ):

Virtue of a deed that is done persistently:
“A’isha is reported to have said that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was asked about the act most pleasing to Allah. He replied: That which is done continuously, even if it is small.”
Sahih Muslim 782 b

Homework:

• What do you do consistently that your proud of?
• What’s one small but virtuous habit you can begin to incorporate into your life?

We are not who we think we are and we are not who want to be. Rather we are what we do consistently.

The beauty in the month of Ramadan is Muslims all around the globe become very introspective. We assess any old habits which no longer serve us and we can work to discard them.

The Prophet (ﷺ) tried to teach us the importance of consistency and doing the smallest of things repeatedly without fail.

You may see getting 1% better as inconsequential. But if you could just keep the goal of self improvement, going to bed one percent better than you were when you first woke up, in a single year you would be 37 times better!

I’ve graphed it out to really illustrate the point.

The difference between getting 1% better or 1% worse compounded over a year.

The red line is getting 1% better and the green line is getting 1% worse. The gap is the difference between how far along you would go in just one year.

Finish The Quran in Thirty Days:

Keep track and finish the Qur’an in Thirty days. Day #12 reading requirement:

Surah Hud verse 6 until end
Surah Yusuf until verse 52

Quran Study:
“O you who have believed, upon you is [responsibility for] yourselves. Those who have gone astray will not harm you when you have been guided. To Allah is your return all together; then He will inform you of what you used to do.” Surah Maidah Ayah 105

My Islam
Ramadan Day #13
(‏اَلسَلامُ عَلَيْكُم وَرَحْمَةُ اَللهِ وَبَرَكاتُهُ)
Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh,

Day 13/30 of your daily Ramadan Reminders – Our goal over these next thirty days 17 days is to help Muslims gain or renew their acquaintance with the teachings of Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) and the Qur’an.

Daily Wisdom – Sayings of the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ):
Work To Enriching The Soul:
Abu Huraira reported that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) had said: Richness does not lie in the abundance of (worldly) goods but richness is the richness of the soul (heart, self).
Sahih Muslim 1051 and Al-Adab Al-Mufrad 279

Homework:

What activities calms your mind and brings you peace? (seriously think about it…once you got an answer move on to the next question) How often do you engage in this said activity? If it’s sporadic why not try and make it a consistent practice?

The trifecta to living the good life – A calm mind, a happy home and a healthy body.

Once your basic needs are met, no additional wealth will help you with those three areas. It’s up to you alone to conquer the trifecta.

Finish The Quran in Thirty Days:
Keep track and finish the Qur’an in Thirty days. Day #13 reading requirement:

Surah Yusuf Ayah 53 until end
Surah Ar Ra’d full Surah
Surah Ibrahim until Ayah 52

Quran Study:
“But seek, through that which Allah has given you, the home of the Hereafter; and [yet], do not forget your share of the world. And do good as Allah has done good to you. And desire not corruption in the land. Indeed, Allah does not like corrupters.” Surah Al Qasas Ayat 75

My Islam
Ramadan Day #14
(‏اَلسَلامُ عَلَيْكُم وَرَحْمَةُ اَللهِ وَبَرَكاتُهُ)
Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh,

Day 14/30 of your daily Ramadan Reminders – Our goal over these next thirty days 16 days is to help Muslims gain or renew their acquaintance with the teachings of Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) and the Qur’an.

Daily Wisdom – Sayings of the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ):
Dangers of desires:
Anas narrated that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “Paradise is surrounded by hardships, and the Fire is surrounded by desires.”
Jami At Tirmidhi Hadith 2559

Homework:

Name the things which are causing you to be unhappy. Often there is an underlying desire with each thing on your list. Ask yourself are these things worth you being unhappy over until you get them?

A desire is basically a contract you make with yourself to be unhappy until you achieve the objective.

There is nothing inherently wrong with that, the danger is when your subconscious mind picks and chooses hundreds of unrelated things. It is in our nature as Humans to have goals worth progressing towards but we should try and choose them wisely.

Desire Management 101…

…Perhaps it’s best to assume that the grapes on a tree that are out of your reach are sour. It only hurts when you miss a train if you run after it.

In life we often suffer more in imagination than we do in reality.

Finish The Quran in Thirty Days:
Keep track and finish the Qur’an in Thirty days. Day #14 reading requirement:

Surah Hijr verse 1 until Surah Nahl verse 128

Quran Study:
“And He is the One Who causes the day and the night to alternate, ˹as a sign˺ for whoever desires to be mindful or to be grateful.” Dr. Mustafa Khattab Translation 25:62

Ramadan Day #15
(‏اَلسَلامُ عَلَيْكُم وَرَحْمَةُ اَللهِ وَبَرَكاتُهُ)
Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh,

Day 15/30 of your daily Ramadan Reminders – Our goal over these next thirty days 15 days is to help Muslims gain or renew their acquaintance with the teachings of Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) and the Qur’an.

Daily Wisdom – Sayings of the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ):

Remembrance of Allah:
Abu Hurairah [may Allah be pleased with him] narrated that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “Allah, the Most High said: ‘I am as My slave thinks of Me, and I am with him when he remembers Me. If he remembers Me to himself, I remember him to Myself, and if he remembers Me in a gathering, I remember him in a gathering better than that. And if he seeks to draw nearer to Me by a hand span, I draw nearer to him by a forearm’s length, and if he comes to Me by a forearm’s length, I draw nearer to him by an arm’s length. And if he comes to Me walking, I come to him quickly.’”
Jami At-Tirmidhi 3603

Homework:

Inhale and take a deep breath right now…1, 2, 3

…and exhale…how do you feel after the exercise (good right?)

Similarly reciting the dhikr subhanallah, alhamdulillah, Allahu akbar, talking with Allah about your frustrations, reading the Qur’an, or just doing something nice for someone and not expecting anything in return just feels good.

It’s surprising the amount of comfort and relief we can derive from these short and easy to do activities and yet we don’t proactively schedule them into our day.

An Electrifying Psychology Experiment

Jay Weiss is an American psychologist who did an experiment on rats where he repeatedly gave them electric shocks. His research found that their heart rate increased, glucocorticoid secretion (stress hormones) went up, and some rats unsurprisingly developed ulcers.

I share this experiment with you because a group of rats were given an outlet like a wooden bar to gnaw at, food and water to drink, and a wheel to exercise. They found this group had reduced risk for ulcers compared to the previous group.

Some rats did go on to bite other rats and this actually reduced the probability of developing ulcers as well (we recommend, although effective, you should opt-in to finding a more positive and productive outlet).

If you’re feeling a little stressed because of COVID-19 just know, like everything else this too will pass. What’s important is we try and learn what outlets are available and effective for us.

Inshallah Allah will make it easy for us.

Finish The Quran in Thirty Days:
Keep track and finish the Qur’an in Thirty days. Day #15 reading requirement:

Surah Al Isra verse 1 until Surah Kahf verse 74

Quran Study:
“Those who have believed and whose hearts are assured by the remembrance of Allah. Unquestionably, by the remembrance of Allah hearts are assured.” (13:28)

My Islam
Ramadan Day #16
(‏اَلسَلامُ عَلَيْكُم وَرَحْمَةُ اَللهِ وَبَرَكاتُهُ)
Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh,

Day 16/30 of your daily Ramadan Reminders – Our goal over these next thirty days 14 days is to help Muslims gain or renew their acquaintance with the teachings of Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) and the Qur’an.

Daily Wisdom – Sayings of the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ):
How should a man be with his family:
Narrated Al-Aswad: I asked `Aisha what did the Prophet (ﷺ) use to do at home. She replied. “He used to keep himself busy serving his family and when it was time for the prayer, he would get up for prayer.”
Sahih Al-Bukhari 6039

Homework:

• Try and answer, what does your family mean to you?

Islam teaches the importance of keeping family ties in a number of different hadiths. It discusses the respect the child should have for his parents, not to break kinship, to love your mothers, and the respect that should exist between partners.

Sometimes we take our families for granted and accept lower standards on how we behave and act towards each other.

If you can take a quick step back and reflect on what you currently have it’s often enough to ground yourself and become appreciative.

In many scientific papers, what they have found is that having a social support network helps maintain both physical and psychological well being.

People with strong social ties have an increased threshold to cope with stress.

In another study, giving a public talk alongside a friend lowered the cardiovascular response.

People with a spouse or close friends on average tend to live longer lives.

There is a phenomenon known as the widow effect – the probability of the living spouse dying increases short after their life long spouse has passed away.

Patients that were diagnosed with an ischemic heart disease were 1.9 – 3 times more likely to pass away than those who had many more social contacts.

And so it goes on…

The bond between the family is something that can be strengthened intentionally (the first step is to not take it for granted). If the Prophet himself showed enough humility to do domestic chores I think we all could learn a lesson.

Finish The Quran in Thirty Days:
Keep track and finish the Qur’an in Thirty days. Day #16 reading requirement:

Surah Al Kahf verse 65 until Surah Taha verse 135

Quran Study:
“And be careful of [your duty to] God in whose name you demand [your rights] from one another, and [to] the ties of relationship; surely God is ever watchful over you!” (4:1)

My Islam
Ramadan Day #30
(‏اَلسَلامُ عَلَيْكُم وَرَحْمَةُ اَللهِ وَبَرَكاتُهُ)
Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh,

And just like that – Day 30/30 of your daily Ramadan Reminders – Whether you’re celebrating Eid today or tomorrow I would just like to show my appreciation and thank you all for an amazing Ramadan.

May Allah bless you all with the gift of kindness, love, and patience and may he guide us all on the straight path. May He accept from us during this month and provide us the gift to see many more months of Ramadan in in our future.

Daily Wisdom – Sayings of the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ):

Hadith on feeling for another:
It was narrated from Abu Hurairah (RA) that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “By the One in Whose Hand is my soul, you will not enter Paradise until you believe, and you will not believe until you love one another. Shall I not tell you of something which, if you do it, you will love one another? Spread peace among yourselves (by saying As-salamu ‘alaikum to one another).’”
Sunan Ibn Majah 3692 and Riyad As Salihin Book 1, Hadith 378

Homework:

• Reach out to someone you lost communication with and spread peace by greeting them Assalamualaikum and wishing them well for Eid.

Ramadan brings the best out of people.

But why is this so?

There’s a switch that goes off in our brain where all the things we should be doing on a regular basis becomes a must during Ramadan.

Instead of I should be praying, during Ramadan we say to ourselves I can’t miss a prayer.
Instead of I should be reading the Qur’an, during Ramadan we go I must find or make time to read Qur’an.

It is during Ramadan we go out of our way to be of service, to donate to charity, to give back to our communities.

This change is really as simple as raising our standards of what we expect from ourselves. We don’t neglect to do all the things we know we should be doing. We don’t accept laziness or complacency as an excuse.

Let’s continue this never ending journey to be better and do more.

After this Ramadan I challenge you to continue holding yourself accountable to the same standards you had for yourself in Ramadan.

Finish The Quran in Thirty Days:
Keep track and finish the Qur’an in Thirty days. Day #30 reading requirement:

Surah An Naba Ayah 1 until end of Surah An Nas

Quran Study:
“And when you are greeted with a greeting, greet [in return] with one better than it or [at least] return it [in a like manner] Indeed, Allah is ever, over all things, an Accountant.” (4:86)

Eid Mubarak!

My Islam
Ramadan Day #29
(‏اَلسَلامُ عَلَيْكُم وَرَحْمَةُ اَللهِ وَبَرَكاتُهُ)
Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh,

And just like that – Day 29/30 of your daily Ramadan Reminders – The goal over these last few days of Ramadan is to help Muslims gain or renew their acquaintance with the teachings of Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) and the Qur’an.

Daily Wisdom – Sayings of the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ):
Hadith on feeling for another:
“Jarir reported Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: He who is deprived of tenderly feelings is in fact deprived of good.”
Sahih Muslim 2592 b

Homework:

• Today try to really seek to understand someone else’s view. Talk to them about their life and try to get an understanding of what it’s like to walk in their shoes. Ask questions that show you’re genuinely interested.

It is no secret that humans are self-interested and so the quality of being empathetic is rare and hard to find. It’s become so distant that many of us don’t even know what empathy really means. It sounds like sympathy but how many of us know the difference?

Sympathy is to acknowledge someone else’s pain. To understand it.

Empathy is to actually feel their pain.

It’s sad, yet unsurprising to hear stories of how people can be very selfish and cruel during these trying times. For example, like current viral story of a guy who purchased 18,000 bottles of hand sanitizers hoping to make $1,260,000 by selling each bottles for $70.00.

As the world is upside down right now, empathy is needed now more than ever and it can go a long way. Some people are born with a specific genetic disposition making them more empathetic.

And on average females tend to be more empathetic than males.

But nonetheless emotional intelligence it is a skill which can be nurtured and improved and has many benefits.

• You can help someone feel heard and understood.
• You can be source of life and positivity in this world which in turn will bring you happiness.
• You can help someone heal with their mental struggles and well-being.
• You can expand your own perspective allowing you to be grateful.
• It can serve as a reminder of important values, needs, aspirations in your life.

Let’s try a little harder to help others and be patient towards others. To be “deprived of tenderly feelings is in fact deprived of good.”

Finish The Quran in Thirty Days:
Keep track and finish the Qur’an in Thirty days. Day #29 reading requirement:

Surah Al-Mulk Ayah 1 to Surah Mursalat Ayah 50

Quran Study:
“Never will you attain the good [reward] until you spend [in the way of Allah] from that which you love. And whatever you spend – indeed, Allah is Knowing of it.” (3:92)

Read: Taqabbalallahu minna wa minkum (Eid Greeting)
Learn Takbeer for Eid Meaning: Takbeer Tashreeq (Eid Takbeer)
Updated Guide: Learn All Six Kalimas

Stay safe, be kind and Inshallah will see you all tomorrow on day #30.

My Islam
Ramadan Day #28
(‏اَلسَلامُ عَلَيْكُم وَرَحْمَةُ اَللهِ وَبَرَكاتُهُ)
Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh,

Day 28/30 of your daily Ramadan Reminders – The goal over the last two days is to help Muslims gain or renew their acquaintance with the teachings of Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) and the Qur’an.

Daily Wisdom – Sayings of the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ):
Hadith dua is the essence of worship:
An-Nu’man bin Bashir (May Allah be pleased with them) reported: The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “Du’a (supplication) is worship.”
Riyad As Salihin Book 1, Hadith 513

Homework:

• What’s something you really want? Make du’a tonight (preferable before Fajr) and ask it from Allah.
  All praise is due to Allah, we seek his aid, and ask for him to forgive us.

The reason why du’a is the essence of worship is because to offer a sincere du’a you must be in submission to Allah.

Picture the state of a person making worship.

You are vulnerable.

You are aware of your shortcomings and openly admit these faults to Allah. You desire his acceptance and you turn to him alone because you know without his aid you are weak and incapable. This is what Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) meant when he said dua is the essence of worship.

Remember Allah is always there and listening for all that you desire, whatever hardship you face or adversity, know by keeping faith in Allah we will get through it.

I know it sounds so cliche, but try your best in all that you do, be consistent and be patient. That’s the best way to live your life. Allah will look at your effort you put into something but that alone may not be enough. With Dua, however, everything can change for you.

Finish The Quran in Thirty Days:
Keep track and finish the Qur’an in Thirty days. Day #28 reading requirement:

Surah Al-Mujadila 1 to Surah at-Tahrim 12

Quran Study:
“And your Lord says, “Call upon Me; I will respond to you.” Indeed, those who disdain My worship will enter Hell [rendered] contemptible.” (40:60)

Stay safe, be kind and Inshallah will see you all tomorrow on day #29.

My Islam
Ramadan Day #27
(‏اَلسَلامُ عَلَيْكُم وَرَحْمَةُ اَللهِ وَبَرَكاتُهُ)
Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh,

Day 27/30 of your daily Ramadan Reminders – The goal over the last three days is to help Muslims gain or renew their acquaintance with the teachings of Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) and the Qur’an.

Daily Wisdom – Sayings of the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ):
Hadith on happiness – life doesn’t get better by addition:

Fadalah bin ‘Ubaid Al-Ansari (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: I heard Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: “Happiness is due to him who is guided to Islam and possesses provision that suffices him for his day and remains content.”
Riyad As Salihin Book 1, Hadith 513

Homework:

• What’s one thing you can cancel or subtract in your life that you know would have a positive impact?

See in this hadith the Prophet (ﷺ) is telling us that happiness comes from within.

Many of us have this notion that happiness is something that is pursued or reserved for a future version of ourself that has achieved some sort of success. After I make X amount of dollars, after i’m married, after I have kids, or once my kids move away home.

There will always be something.

Our brain needs problems to solve and if there’s nothing it will create something to preoccupy itself with.

The truth is If we have enough to get through today, that’s a good day. We’ve minimized the suffering that many people around the world experience daily. Sure we’re not millionaires but we are privileged in ways we may be ignorant to — that’s not to say your problems are not problems but sometimes having a little perspective can help.

Happiness comes from within, understand life doesn’t necessarily get better by addition. How about for a change we try to subtract from what we already have. Cancel a subscription, a toxic friend, or eliminate a belief you have about yourself that’s holding the real you back.

What you spend the most time focusing on is what you will end up feeling.

Finish The Quran in Thirty Days:
Keep track and finish the Qur’an in Thirty days. Day #27 reading requirement:

Surah Adh-Dhariyat ayah 31 to Surah al-Hadid 29

Quran Study:
“And [remember] when your Lord proclaimed, ‘If you are grateful, I will surely increase you [in favor]; but if you deny, indeed, My punishment is severe.’ ” (Surah Ibrahim Ayah 14)

Stay safe, be kind and Inshallah will see you all tomorrow on day #28.

My Islam
Ramadan Day #26
(‏اَلسَلامُ عَلَيْكُم وَرَحْمَةُ اَللهِ وَبَرَكاتُهُ)
Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh,

Day 26/30 of your daily Ramadan Reminders – The goal over the last four days is to help Muslims gain or renew their acquaintance with the teachings of Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) and the Qur’an.

Daily Wisdom – Sayings of the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ):
Hadith on being humble:
Iyad bin Himar (RAA) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “Allah, the Most High has revealed to me that you (people) should be humble, so that no one transgresses another, or boasts to the other.” Related by Muslim
Bulugh al-Maram Book 16, Hadith 1570

Homework:

• Before you continue to read the rest of this post take a second and rate your driving skills on a scale of 1 to 10? Where do you think lie in the spectrum of all drivers.

If we actually conducted a poll chances are 90% of you reading would rate yourselves better than the average (which of course is statistically impossible).

So what’s actually happening hear?

In psychology this would be characterized as overconfidence bias which happens for one of two reasons, (1) we overestimate our own actual performance, or (2) overplacement of our own performance relative to others.

If we start with a beginner’s mindset and assume we don’t know anything we open ourselves up to learning. We are curious enough to want to get to the truth.

This, by the way, is part of the reason why children learn so much. It’s because they do not feel superior, they don’t “boasts to the other”. A kid just wants to learn, they need to learn in order to survive in society.

But like other things we’ve discussed in previous Ramadan reminders we need to find the middle ground. The goal is finding the middle between not enough and too much confidence. This balance is difficult to achieve but it’s where rational thinking and decision making lies.

? Red Flags ?

Try to stop yourself when you say something along the lines of “oh yeah I already know that” or “yeah of course… that’s easy”. This can be a false illusory of competency.

Let’s go back and imagine you were back studying for a test in high-school.

While reading the textbook you would say to yourself “yeah that make sense” and move on. But what happened on the test? All of sudden you ‘blanked out’. The truth is you didn’t actually have a grasp on the concept.

You were overconfident and paid the price. If instead you closed the book and tried to explain it in your own words this simple self-reflection would have saved you on the test.

Finish The Quran in Thirty Days:
Keep track and finish the Qur’an in Thirty days. Day #26 reading requirement:

Surah Ahqaf ayah 1 to Surah Dhariyat ayah 30

Quran Study:
“And do not turn your cheek [in contempt] toward people and do not walk through the earth exultantly. Indeed, Allah does not like everyone self-deluded and boastful.” (Surah Luqman Ayah 18)

Read Our Guide: Takbeer Tashreeq for Eid
Learn Dua: Dua For Ease

Stay safe, be kind and Inshallah will see you all tomorrow on day #27.

My Islam
Ramadan Day #25
(‏اَلسَلامُ عَلَيْكُم وَرَحْمَةُ اَللهِ وَبَرَكاتُهُ)
Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh,

Day 25/30 of your daily Ramadan Reminders – The goal over the last 5 days is to help Muslims gain or renew their acquaintance with the teachings of Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) and the Qur’an.

Daily Wisdom – Sayings of the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ):

Hadith on Hypocrisy:
It was narrated from ‘Abdullah bin ‘Amr that: The Prophet [SAW] said: “There are four (traits), whoever has them is a hypocrite and whoever has one of them, then has one of the traits of hypocrisy, until he gives it up: When he speaks, he lies; when he makes a promise, he breaks it; when he makes a covenant, he betrays it; and when he argues, he resorts to foul language.”
Sunan an-Nasa’i 5020

Homework:

• It doesn’t matter who you think you are, you are what you consistently do. It’s worth assessing yourself by keeping an hourly log for a few days just to see where all the time goes.

It’s important not to fool yourself and you’re the easiest person to fool.

Being critical when it comes to analyzing yourself will allow you to see whether your actions are aligned with your beliefs.

Carl Jung, a psychoanalyst once said “Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate.”

One of the many blessings of Ramadan is it shakes everything up. it forces us to take a deep look into our lives and reflect on our habits and routines.

As Ramadan comes closer to an end let’s try our best to uphold the same level of worship towards Allah, kindness to others, and continue to be giving and charitable.

Don’t limit yourself to this reflection once a year. We should really reflect every night how we spent the day and see if we can be proud of the progress we made. If that’s hard to do, randomly choose 2 or 3 days every month and do the homework of keeping a log to track your actions. Remember, the premise that you’re easy to fool and that you are what you consistently do.

You can’t manage that which you don’t know. So here’s some things worth figuring out.
How many hours do you spend on social media? (in 2019 report the avg. was 2 hours 24 minutes – can you find an app which will tell you your phone usage?)

• Time spent watching TV?
• Time spent working?
• Time spent praying and reading Qur’an?
• Time spent with family?
• See where your time goes and start prioritizing what’s really important to you.

Finish The Quran in Thirty Days:
Keep track and finish the Qur’an in Thirty days. Day #25 reading requirement:

Surah Fussilat ayah 47 to Surah Jathiya Ayah 37

Quran Study:
“By time, indeed, mankind is in loss, Except for those who have believed and done righteous deeds and advised each other to truth and advised each other to patience.” (Surah Al-Asr)

Read Our Guide: How To Perform Witr Salah
Read Prophet Story: Story of Prophet Ayyub

Stay safe, be kind and Inshallah will see you all tomorrow on day #26.

My Islam
Ramadan Day #24
(‏اَلسَلامُ عَلَيْكُم وَرَحْمَةُ اَللهِ وَبَرَكاتُهُ)
Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh,

Day 24/30 of your daily Ramadan Reminders – The goal over the last six days is to help Muslims gain or renew their acquaintance with the teachings of Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) and the Qur’an.

Daily Wisdom – Sayings of the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ):

Hadith on seeking knowledge:
Abdullah narrated it on the authority of his father Yahya: Knowledge cannot be acquired with sloth (laziness).
Sahih Muslim 612

It was narrated from Jabir that : the Messenger of Allah said: “Ask Allah for beneficial knowledge and seek refuge with Allah from knowledge that is of no benefit.”
Sunan Ibn Majah 3843

Homework:

• What could you do start learning today that would make a big difference in your life?

The answer…there’s no telling how far you could take it.

What will some people actually do starting today? That answer is disappointing.

It’s not what we can do but what we end up settling for which is disappointing.

From when you were first born until you were 18 you learned how to walk, run, play sports, even learned how to read and write a language or two. You learned how to ride a bike as well as add, subtract, multiply and divide. There was an accelerated learning curve and you were a sponge.

What happened in the later years?

We stopped growing and we stopped caring. We get lazy and comfortable because we have developed a proficiency in our routine and that feels good. For your own growth, it’s worth questioning whether you have 20 years of experience, or 1 year of experience repeated 20 times?

Your education doesn’t have to end when your schooling does.

And it doesn’t matter your age or background, you can be the unusual soul in your age cohort who keeps on learning and exploring.

Instead of just working hard at your job, learn to work hard on yourself because the key to your future success, both in this life and the hereafter, is dependent on you and you alone.

Those closest to you (i.e. friends, family, colleagues) will all prosper if you can focus on yourself and become better. It’s both the most selfish and selfless thing you can do.

A rising tide lifts all the boats.

Finish The Quran in Thirty Days:
Keep track and finish the Qur’an in Thirty days. Day #24 reading requirement:

Surah Az-Zumar ayah 32 to Surah Fussilat ayah 46

Quran Study:
“Go forth, whether light or heavy, and strive with your wealth and your lives in the cause of Allah. That is better for you, if you only knew.” (Surah Tawbah 41)

Read Prophet Story: Story of Prophet Idris
Understanding The Ninety Nine Names of Allah: As Sami (All Hearer)

Stay safe, be kind and Inshallah will see you all tomorrow on day #25.

My Islam
Ramadan Day #23
(‏اَلسَلامُ عَلَيْكُم وَرَحْمَةُ اَللهِ وَبَرَكاتُهُ)
Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh,

Day 23/30 of your daily Ramadan Reminders – The goal over the last week is to help Muslims gain or renew their acquaintance with the teachings of Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) and the Qur’an.

Daily Wisdom – Sayings of the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ):

Hadith on envy:
Anas b. Malik reported the Messenger of Allah (May peace be upon him) as saying: Do not hate each other; do not envy each other; do not desert each other; and be the servants of Allah as brethren. It is not allowed for a Muslim to keep apart from his brother for more than three days.
Sunan Abi Dawud 4910

Homework:

• Who comes to your mind when I ask you if there’s anyone you’re jealous of? Let the names rise up from your subconscious mind and don’t you don’t have to share the list with anyone else. Now keep reading and at the end of the newsletter ask yourself why did these specific names pop up?

It is not greed that drives the world but envy.

It’s the billionaire on the yacht that’s upset because his friends yacht is 2 inches bigger.

The only practical way to live your life is by comparing yourself to who you were yesterday and not to someone else today.

Unfortunately, there’s no magical potion that will allow you to switch bodies. You’re stuck with the vessel Allah has created and it’s beautiful and capable but needs accepting from yourself.

We often look into the lives of other people and we don’t see the full picture. All we see is the snapshot of whatever moment they want you to see in their social media posts. It’s a signalling game and can be dangerous for your mind if you’re not paying attention to how it’s being programmed.

When browsing online, we need to stand guard at the door of our minds, don’t just let anyone dump garbage because we’ll have to live with the outcome.

Understand everyone has their own set of problems and sufferings and when we grow envious of someone we don’t know what’s really happening under the hood.

Mental Jiu Jitsu Trick To Rid Yourself Of Jealously

When you catch yourself harboring envy ask yourself are you willing to take on all the other person’s attitude, beliefs, mannerisms, friends, family, problems, and download their entire life over yours. It’s not fair to just pick and choose the best qualities or attributes of someone else’s life. You’ll never find happiness if you do that.

I think more often than not we would choose ourselves and we can take comfort in knowing that.

On a final note…

Gluttony (for example, eating in excess) is a sin in Islam but at least there’s an upside to being gluttonous in this world. Jealousy, however, is a sin which has no upside. The only person that suffers is you.

Finish The Quran in Thirty Days:
Keep track and finish the Qur’an in Thirty days. Day #23 reading requirement:

Surah Yaseen ayah 28 to Surah Zumar ayah 31

Quran Study:
“And do not extend your eyes toward that by which We have given enjoyment to [some] categories of them, [its being but] the splendor of worldly life by which We test them. And the provision of your Lord is better and more enduring.” (Surah Taha 131)

Read Prophet Story: Story of Prophet Sulaiman
Understanding The Ninety Nine Names of Allah: Ash Shakur (The Grateful)

 Stay safe, be kind and Inshallah will see you all tomorrow on day #24.

My Islam
Ramadan Day #22
(‏اَلسَلامُ عَلَيْكُم وَرَحْمَةُ اَللهِ وَبَرَكاتُهُ)
Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh,

Day 22/30 of your daily Ramadan Reminders – Our goal over these last 8 days is to help Muslims gain or renew their acquaintance with the teachings of Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) and the Qur’an.

Daily Wisdom – Sayings of the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ):

Success is through Allah.

Abu Hurairah narrated that the Messenger of Allah(s.a.w) said: “Indeed Allah, Most High said: ‘O son of Adam! Devote yourself to My worship, I will fill your chest with riches and alleviate your poverty. And if you do not do so, then I will fill your hands with problems and not alleviate your poverty.’”
Jami At-Tirmidhi 2466

Homework:

• We spend 8 hours sleeping and 16 hours awake. Of those waking hours how much would you approximate is spent in remembrance of Allah?

A Contradiction?

If you remember, dated a few newsletters back, we discussed the concept of self-reliance and how Prophet Dawud, may peace be upon him, was reported as only eating from that which he earned. (can read reminder #18 here)

In this newsletter we discuss how your success is found through Allah….Aaand right about now 50% of you may be thinking to yourself isn’t that contradictory?

It really isn’t and we’ll explore that…

There two types of responses people typically have, the first group are people who believe in extreme ownership. I will do everything and my success depends solely on me. Full responsibility for everything that happens in my life and I will go out in the market place and manifest $1,000,000. Either follow me or get out my way!

On the other hand, we probably know of some pessimistic family members or colleagues that would read that same hadith and say something along the lines of “O Allah, you are my rab, I am completely useless and without you I can be nothing. Nothing I do matters since you control everything so whatever happens in my life is your guidance.”

So who’s right?

Our deen teaches us find the balance.

To believe in yourself is a good thing, but if you believe only in yourself then that’s kibir (arrogance) which is a disease of the heart.

Finding The Balance:

Isn’t it when a child does really good on a test we congratulate them, we say to them you’re special, unique or smart.

This is wrong.

We may think we are helping them but this is really a harmful mindset for the child to develop.

Kids are smarter then we give them credit for, imagine if they fail the next quiz or test. They would be super embarrassed and think to themselves “wait… I failed this does that mean I’m dumb?” Any future failure will send there built up identity crashing down. As parents we mean well but have set them up for failure by inflating their sense of self worth.

There is a better approach which is to offer encouragement by saying “wow, see you worked really hard and you studied a lot which is why you got an A- but don’t forget to thank Allah because he has gifted you with a mind capable of learning and applying that knowledge.” This is the balance between self-reliance and worshiping Allah.

When we succeed in life we are quick to pat ourselves on the back, but when we fail we point fingers.

Finish The Quran in Thirty Days:
Keep track and finish the Qur’an in Thirty days. Day #22 reading requirement:

Surah Ahzab ayah 31 to Surah Yaseen ayah 27

Quran Study:
And indeed, every time I invited them that You may forgive them, they put their fingers in their ears, covered themselves with their garments, persisted, and were arrogant with [great] arrogance. (Quran 71:7)

Updated New Article: Dua For More Patience
Read Prophet Story: Story of Prophet Saleh
Understanding The Ninety Nine Names of Allah: Al Ahad (The One)

Stay safe, be kind and Inshallah will see you all tomorrow on day #23.

My Islam
Ramadan Day #21
(‏اَلسَلامُ عَلَيْكُم وَرَحْمَةُ اَللهِ وَبَرَكاتُهُ)
Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh,

Day 21/30 of your daily Ramadan Reminders – Our goal over these last 9 days is to help Muslims gain or renew their acquaintance with the teachings of Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) and the Qur’an.

Daily Wisdom – Sayings of the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ):
Avoiding what is doubtful
Hasan bin ‘Ali (May Allah be pleased with them) said: I remember (these words) from Messenger of Allah (ﷺ): “Give up what is doubtful to you for that which is not doubtful; for truth is peace of mind and falsehood is doubt”.
Riyad As Salihin Book 1, Hadith 55

Homework:

• Can you remember a time where you acted rather swiftly and later regretted the decision you’ve made? What can you learn from this mistake to prevent it from happening again?

The folk wisdom is to “give a lot of things a wide berth” meaning to distance yourself from a lot of things. As the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) taught “give up what is doubtful to you”.

The reason why the self-help industry is a billion dollar one is because it tells you you’re not good enough so it can then sell you on those same insecurities.

Don’t get me wrong, there is some good stuff in there like taking ownership of your actions, being a life long learner, and being selfless. But there’s a lot of bad stuff that can actually do more harm than good.

We need to learn to judge things based on their merit and ideas. There is no get rich quick scheme or 5 minute abs, but the reason these still exists is because people do purchase them out of an emotional place looking to fill a void.

Now, on the flip side being a cynic won’t do you any good either, so there’s a balance that needs to be achieved.

I believe the solution is just to take a second and pause to ask ourselves a series of why’s, what’s and how’s.

Why am i doing this?
What problem is this going to solve?
How did I get here?
What do I have to gain?
What do they have to gain?
What’s the worse that would happen if took 24 hours to decide?

Our minds are not comfortable being unsure about a topic, so it quickly wants to come up with a quick answer or make a quick decision to remove any uncertainty.

Practice Sabr, be patient, and seek “for truth” because that will provide “peace of mind”.

Sometimes the best answer is the simplest one.

Finish The Quran in Thirty Days:
Keep track and finish the Qur’an in Thirty days. Day #21 reading requirement:

Surah Ankabut ayah 46 Surah Ahzab ayah 30

Quran Study:
Say, “Our Lord will bring us together; then He will judge between us in truth. And He is the Knowing Judge.” (Quran 34:26)

Read Prophet Story: Story of Prophet Nuh
Understanding The Ninety Nine Names of Allah: Al Fattah (The Great Solver)

Stay safe, be kind and Inshallah will see you all tomorrow on day #22.

My Islam
Ramadan Day #20
(‏اَلسَلامُ عَلَيْكُم وَرَحْمَةُ اَللهِ وَبَرَكاتُهُ)
Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh,

Day 20/30 of your daily Ramadan Reminders – Our goal over these last 10 days is to help Muslims gain or renew their acquaintance with the teachings of Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) and the Qur’an.

Daily Wisdom – Sayings of the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ):

What should be said for night of laylat-al qadr?
It was narrated from ‘Aishah that she said: “O Messenger of Allah, what do you think I should say in my supplication, if I come upon Laylatul-Qadr?” He said: “Say: ‘Allahumma innaka ‘afuwwun tuhibbul-‘afwa, fa’fu ‘anni (O Allah, You are Forgiving and love forgiveness, so forgive me).’
Sunan Ibn Majah 3850

Homework:

• Memorize the dua for night of decree (dua for laylatul Qadr)

If we try to approximate how much life we have left to live we may say to ourselves, I have 10… 20… or maybe even 30 years left.

This may feel like a long time, but realize 10 years = 10 Ramadan’s.

That means this Ramadan we are about to complete is 10% of all the Ramadan’s we have left to offer (and these 10 or 20 Ramadans are not even guaranteed, for all we know it could be our last).

In this article we talk about the idea of “Ramadan burnout” whereby we see the finish line and try to coast through these 10 days.

This isn’t the way of the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) behaved.

In the hadith it mentions, “the start of the last ten days of Ramadan, the Prophet (ﷺ) used to tighten his waist belt (i.e. getting ready to work hard) and used to pray all the night, and used to keep his family awake for the prayers.”
Sahih al-Bukhari hadith number 2024

The attitude is to approach the last ten days of Ramadan like you are a runner in a race. When the finish line is in sight would you slow down so that your opponent could overtake you? No, of course not, instead you would push the boundaries to find out what your capable of. You empty the tank and give the race all you got.

Let’s finish this Ramadan by “tightening our belts” and sprinting across the finish line with our hands raised high.

Finish The Quran in Thirty Days:

Keep track and finish the Qur’an in Thirty days. Day #20 reading requirement:

Surah An Naml ayah 56 to Surah Ankabut ayah 45

Quran Study:
“The Night of Decree is better than a thousand months.” (Surah Al Qadr Ayah 3)

New Video: Learn Second Kalima Shahadat
Understanding The Ninety Nine Names of Allah: Ar Raqib (Watchful one)
Read Prophet Story: Story of Prophet Dhul Kifl

Stay safe, be kind and Inshallah will see you all tomorrow on day #21

My Islam
Ramadan Day #19
(‏اَلسَلامُ عَلَيْكُم وَرَحْمَةُ اَللهِ وَبَرَكاتُهُ)
Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh,

Day 19/30 of your daily Ramadan Reminders – Our goal over these next thirty days 11 days is to help Muslims gain or renew their acquaintance with the teachings of Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) and the Qur’an.

Daily Wisdom – Sayings of the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ):

Good relations and the rights of neighbors:
Ibn Abbas told Ibn az-Zubayr, “I heard the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say, ‘A man is not a believer who fills his stomach while his neighbour is hungry.’”
Al-Adab Al-Mufrad 112 Al-Sunan Al-Kubra 19049

Homework:

• Today try to figure out how you can be a source of positivity in your community. It may feel uncomfortable to ask, but let’s say the next time you go grocery shopping ask your neighbor if there’s anything they need.

For a person to admit they need help is a difficult and courageous thing to do. It’s not natural to be vulnerable and as humans we put up walls to stop people from thinking we are weak. We need remember and understand none of us reading this will go through life completely unscathed.

We all face our own unique battles.

If you have a suspicion that someone may need help but do not want to offend by asking you can camouflage your intention by giving an alternative reason to save face.

For example, let’s role play and pretend you are going grocery shopping, you can rationalize with your neighbor by saying it wouldn’t make sense to make two separate trips because of the coronavirus. Scenario number two, you’re at the cash register and offering to pay for someone else’s bill, you can let them know you have a “work visa card” with unused credit and you’d like to use it on them.

The worse possible outcome you can get by asking is that you will introduce yourself and learn who your neighbors are…and you never know when you may need their help.

Islam is beautiful as it teaches us to look beyond ourselves.

“Whoever relieves a believer’s distress of the distressful aspects of this world, Allah will rescue him from a difficulty of the difficulties of the Hereafter. Whoever alleviates [the situation of] one in dire straits who cannot repay his debt, Allah will alleviate his lot in both this world and in the Hereafter.”
Ibn Majah Hadith 225

Finish The Quran in Thirty Days:
Keep track and finish the Qur’an in Thirty days. Day #19 reading requirement:

Surah Al Furqan ayah 21 until Surah An Naml Ayah 55

Quran Study:
“Is the reward for good [anything] but good?” (55:60)

New Video: Learn First Kalima Tayyab
Understanding The Ninety Nine Names of Allah: Al Ghaffar (The Most Forgiving)

Stay safe, be kind and Inshallah will see you all tomorrow on day #20.

My Islam
Ramadan Day #18
(‏اَلسَلامُ عَلَيْكُم وَرَحْمَةُ اَللهِ وَبَرَكاتُهُ)
Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh,

Day 18/30 of your daily Ramadan Reminders – Our goal over these next thirty days 12 days is to help Muslims gain or renew their acquaintance with the teachings of Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) and the Qur’an.

Daily Wisdom – Sayings of the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ):

Being Self Reliant:
Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said, “The Prophet (ﷺ) Dawud used not to eat except from the earnings of his manual labor.”
Sahih al-Bukhari 2073

Homework:

• What plan can you start today? (Learn some duas for success)

If you’re not feeling healthy you can start a health plan, if you’ve fallen out of Islam you can start a learn more about Islam plan, if you’re not feeling happy you can start a get happy plan.

What’s not important is the actual plan in and of itself. A plan is not some rigid thing, it can evolve as you learn, grow and make progress. But what’s important is that you just start and take action.

By setting a new sail you can arrive at a whole new destination. Understand you won’t arrive overnight but a small change repeated overtime can lead you to a drastically different place.

It doesn’t matter how small the change you make is, all that is important is that you see it through and start the process. You can figure it out as you go, one day at a time (this is kind of the story behind My Islam)

Don’t fall into the trap of analysis paralysis whereby in overthinking you just don’t do anything.

We should learn from Prophet Dawud (pbuh) and become more self-reliant. With the blessings of Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala we are capable of doing a lot more.

Anas bin Malik narrated that a man said: “O Messenger of Allah! Shall I tie it and rely (upon Allah), or leave it loose and rely (upon Allah)?” He said: “Tie it and rely (upon Allah).”
Jami At-Tirmidhi 2517

Finish The Quran in Thirty Days:
Keep track and finish the Qur’an in Thirty days. Day #18 reading requirement:

Surah Al-Muminun ayah 1 until Surah Furqan Ayah 20

Quran Study:
“For each one are successive [angels] before and behind him who protect him by the decree of Allah. Indeed, Allah will not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves. And when Allah intends for a people ill, there is no repelling it. And there is not for them besides Him any patron.” (13:11)

Understanding The Ninety Nine Names of Allah: Ar-Rahman (The Beneficent)

Stay safe, be kind and Inshallah will see you all tomorrow on day #19.

Ramadan Day #17

Day 17/30 of your daily Ramadan Reminders – Our goal over these next thirty days 13 days is to help Muslims gain or renew their acquaintance with the teachings of Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) and the Qur’an.

Daily Wisdom – Sayings of the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ):

Hadith on duty to mothers versus fathers:
Abu Hurayra said, “The Prophet was asked, ‘Messenger of Allah, to whom should I be dutiful?’ ‘Your mother,’ he replied. He was asked, ‘Then whom?’ ‘Your mother,’ he replied. He was asked, ‘Then whom?’ ‘Your mother,’ he replied. He was asked, ‘Then whom?’ He replied, ‘Your father.’” Sahih Muslim 2548 b Al-Adab Al-Mufrad 5

Homework:

Make dua for both your parents (here’s an article of duas for parents from Qur’an)
The Qur’an or Sunnah doesn’t mention any special day for celebrating the Mother’s or Father’s day rather it is something which should be practiced 24/7.

Show Respect To Your parents
…your Lord has decreed that you not worship except Him, and to parents, good treatment. Whether one or both of them reach old age [while] with you, say not to them [so much as], “uff,” and do not repel them but speak to them a noble word. (17:23)

Listen To Your Parents
It was narrated from ‘Abdullah bin ‘Amr that: The Prophet [SAW] said: “No one who reminds others of his favors, no one who is disobedient to his parents and no drunkard, will enter Paradise.” Sunan an-Nasa’i 5672

Take Care of Them
I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: ‘(Honoring) one’s father may lead one to enter through the best of the gates of Paradise; so take care of your parents, (it is so, whether you take care of them) or not. ” Sunan Ibn Majah Hadith 2089

Gentle Words To Paradise
[…discussion of wrongs sins…] heresy in the mosque, scoffing, and causing one’s parents to weep through disobedience. […] Would you like to enter Paradise?’ ‘By Allah, yes!’ I replied. He asked, ‘Are your parents still alive?’ I replied, ‘My mother is.’ He said, ‘By Allah, if you speak gently to her and feed her, then you will enter the Garden as long as you avoid the major wrong actions. Al-Adab Al-Mufrad 8

Finish The Quran in Thirty Days:
Keep track and finish the Qur’an in Thirty days. Day #17 reading requirement:

Surah Al-Anbiya ayah 1 until Surah Al-Hajj verse 78

Quran Study:
“Truly, the life of this world is nothing but a (quick passing) enjoyment, and verily, the Hereafter is the home that will remain forever.” Surah Ghafir ayah 39