The Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) had a special gift known as “jawami’ al-kalam” which means concise speech. He (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) was able to say something with so much meaning in only a few words. As we continue learning supplications from the sunnah, we see more and more how the Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) combined so many benefits in one short supplication.

In today’s du’aa, we will see yet another example of his concise speech. In a narration recorded in Sahih Muslim, Abu Hurayrah (radi Allahu anhu) reported that the Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) used to supplicate:

اللَّهُمَّ أَصْلِحْ لِي دِينِي الَّذِي هُوَ عِصْمَةُ أَمْرِي ، وَأَصْلِحْ لِي دُنْيَايَ الَّتِي فِيهَا مَعَاشِي ، وَأَصْلِحْ لِي آخِرَتِي الَّتِي فِيهَا مَعَادِي

وَاجْعَلِ الْحَيَاةَ زِيَادَةً لِي فِي كُلِّ خَيْرٍ وَاجْعَلِ الْمَوْتَ رَاحَةً لِي مِنْ كُلِّ شَرٍّ

Allahumma aṣliḥ lī dīn al-lathi huwa ‘iṣmatu amrī, wa aṣliḥ lī dunya-ya al-lati fīhā ma’āshī, wa aṣlih lī ākhirati al-lati fīhā ma’ādī, wa-ja’al al-ḥayāta ziyādatan lī fī kuli khayr, wa-ja’al al-mawta rāḥatan lī min kuli sharr

O Allah, set right for me my religion which is the safeguard of my affairs. And set right for me the affairs of my world wherein is my living. And set right for me my Hereafter to which is my return. And make the life for me (a source) of abundance for every good and make my death a source of comfort for me protecting me against every evil.

Audio

Listen and download it here.

Selected Word Analysis

aṣliḥ: The root of this word has many meanings but in this duaa it means ‘reformation, restoration, mending, improvement and rectification’. This word is the opposite of fasad which means when there is imbalance in things.

‘Iṣmah: This word is from the root which means to protect, safeguard and defend. ‘Ismah means something that is a preservation, safeguard and a protection. In this supplication, it means that our religion is the most important matter to us.

Ma’āsh: This word is from the root which means to be alive. Ma’ash means livelihood.

Ma’ād: From the root which means to return and go back, Ma’ad is the place of return or home.

Ziyādah: From the root which means to increase, enlarge and make abundant.

Rāḥah: This word means rest, comfort and to do something with ease.

Points of Benefit

“Set right for me my religion which is the safeguard of my affairs”

• The Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) told Mu’adh (radi Allahu anhu), , “Shall I not inform you of the head of the matter, its pillar and its peak?” I said, “Yes, O Messenger of Allah.” He (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “The head of the matter is Islam.” [at-Tirmidhi]
• Islam is the most important aspect of our life. Unlike other religions, Islam is everyday, 24 hrs a day, 7 days a week. Allah (azza wa jal) addresses the believers by saying, “O you who believe! Enter perfectly and completely in Islam.” (2:208)

“Set right for me the affairs of my world wherein is my living.”

• The Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) recognized the importance of the dunya. As Muslims, we do not remove ourselves completely as some may believe, rather we take our sustenance from the dunya but at the same time, our focus and goal is working for the hereafter.

“Set right for me my Hereafter to which is my return.”

• Paradise is our home. When the believers enter Paradise and the Angels greet them, they will say, “Excellent indeed is the final home!” (13:24) On the other hand, Allah (azza wa jal) says about the inhabitants of the Fire, “for them is the unhappy (evil) home.” (13:25)

“Make the life for me (a source) of abundance for every good.”

• As long as the righteous believer lives on this earth, his good deeds increase. The Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said, ”The best of people is the one who lives a long life and whose actions are good.”[at-Tirmidhi] Shaykh ibn Uthaymeen (rahimahullah) says about this hadith, “When someone lives a long life in obedience to Allah, their rank in the hereafter is augmented because every good deed they do brings them closer to Allah. Only Allah is in control of how long we live, but there are certain deeds that lengthen one’s life such as joining ties of the womb. For some people, a longer life is not good for them because it only increases them in sin. This is why we never ask Allah for a longer life only, rather we say, “O Allah grant us a long life in your obedience and worship.” [Sharh Riyad as-Saliheen, 11/104]

“Make my death a source of comfort for me protecting me against every evil.”

• Death is a relief (rāḥah) for the believer. A funeral procession passed by Allah’s Messenger sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam who said, “relieved (mustarīḥ) or relieving (mustarāḥ)?” The people asked, “O Allah’s Apostle! What is relieved and relieving?” He said, “A believer is relieved (by death) from the troubles and hardships of the world and leaves for the Mercy of Allah, while (the death of) a wicked person relieves the people, the land, the trees, (and) the animals from him.” [Bukhari]
• How can death be a relief when we all fear it? A’ishah asked a similar question to the Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) and he said, “when the time of the death of a believer approaches, he receives the good news of Allah’s pleasure with him and His blessings upon him, and so at that time nothing is dearer to him than what is in front of him. He therefore loves the meeting with Allah, and Allah  loves the meeting with him. But when the time of the death of a disbeliever approaches, he receives the evil news of Allah’s torment and His Requital, whereupon nothing is more hateful to him than what is before him. Therefore, he hates the meeting with Allah, and Allah too, hates the meeting with him.” [Bukhari]
• The Angels comfort the believer at the time of their death. Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala says, Verily, those who say: “Our Lord is Allah (Alone),” and then they stand firm, on them the angels will descend (at the time of their death) (saying): “Fear not, nor grieve! But receive the glad tidings of Paradise which you have been promised!” (41:30)

The Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam said about the people of Jannah, “They will be inspired with tasbeeh (saying “subhanAllah”) and takbeer (saying “Allahu Akbar”) as they are inspired with breathing.” (Muslim)

“The analogy of breathing is used because it is something man does with no conscious effort. Their breathing will become tasbeeh, and the reason for this is that their hearts will be illuminated with the knowledge of their Lord, may He be glorified, and filled with love for Him, and whoever loves a thing remembers it frequently.” -Fathul Baari, Ibn Hajar rahimahullah

Ibn Taymiyyah rahimahullah stated that this tasbeeh and takbeer will be one of the pleasures enjoyed by the people of Paradise. He said, “This is not the kind of obligatory work that is done for the sake of a specific reward. It is the same as the kind of deeds that people do for pleasure and enjoyment.” Majmoo’ al-Fataawa

-Taken from “Paradise and Hell” by shaykh Umar al-Ashqar hafidhahullah, pg 304.

It’s reported that Abu Rayhana (radi Allahu anhu) said, ‘The Messenger of Allah (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said: “Hellfire has been made forbidden for the eye which wept out of the Fear and Awe of Allah. Hellfire has been made forbidden for the eye which stayed awake and vigilant (through the night) in the Way of Allah. Hellfire has been made forbidden for the eye which looked away from that which has been forbidden by Allah.” [Narrated in Hakim, authentic according to Shaykh al-Albani]

Allah azza wa jal says,

ثُمَّ أَوْرَثْنَا الْكِتَابَ الَّذِينَ اصْطَفَيْنَا مِنْ عِبَادِنَا ۖ فَمِنْهُمْ ظَالِمٌ لِّنَفْسِهِ وَمِنْهُم مُّقْتَصِدٌ وَمِنْهُمْ سَابِقٌ بِالْخَيْرَاتِ بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ هُوَ الْفَضْلُ الْكَبِيرُ

Then we caused to inherit the Book those We have chosen of Our servants; and among them is he who wrongs himself, and among them is he who is moderate, and among them is he who is foremost in good deeds by permission of Allah . That [inheritance] is what is the great bounty. [35:32]

Various explanations of this ayah:

-They are the Ummah of Muhammad (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam), Allah chose them to inherit every book [i.e., the message] that He sent down. As for the one who wrongs himself, he will be forgiven, and as for the one who is moderate, he will be given an easy accounting (on the Day of Judgment), and as for those who raced to good deeds, he will enter Jannah without any reckoning.” -Ibn Abbass (radi Allahu anhuma)

-The one who races to good deeds will enter Jannah without any reckoning ( bi ghayri hisaab ), and the one who is moderate will enter Jannah out of Allah’s Mercy, and the one who wronged himself and As-haab al-A’raaf* will enter Jannah with the intercession of Muhammad (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam). -ibn Abbass (radi Allahu anhuma)

-”[Those who race to good deeds] are those who fulfill the obligatory and recommended deeds, and they leave off what is impressible and disliked.” -ibn Katheer (rahimahullah)

-A’ishah radi Allahu anha said, “As for the one who races to good deeds, they are those who passed before us and took allegiance with the Messenger of Allah. As for the moderate one, it is he who follows his guidance (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) and his companions until he meets them. As for the one who wrongs himself, those are like me and you.”

*See Surah al-A’raaf ayah 46

-’Uluww al-Himmah fee al-Kitab wa al-Sunnah, Shaykh Sayyid al-’Affani (hafidhahullah)

While watching the news with my mom the other day, a segment came on about the famine in East Africa. As we listened to the anchor share the stories of families coming to the refugee camps for aid, he highlighted one specific story of a father who walked for 30 days and 30 nights to save his three young sons. At one point in his journey, the children were too weak to walk so their father would carry them one by one – dropping one off at one point then going back for the other across the barren desert.

Then they shared another story of a mother. She was sitting quietly by the bedside of her child who just passed away. Her two other children passed away a few days before this baby. She sat there for hours, quietly, because she could not afford to bury her own child.

In the past 3 months, it is reported that nearly 30,000 children have died.

30,000.

For us in the West, we cannot even imagine a situation like this. We cannot even comprehend the magnitude of what our brothers and sisters are facing due to this drought and famine.

AlhamdulilLah (Praise be to God), Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala (Exalted is He) has blessed us with food and water, and a way of showing our gratitude for this great blessing is to share it with others. Help your brothers and sisters who are literally starving.

On the Day of Judgment, Allah (swt) will say, “O son of Adam, I asked you for food and you fed Me not.’ He will say: ‘O Lord, and how should I feed You when You are the Lord of the worlds?’ He will say: ‘Did you not know that My servant So-and-so asked you for food and you fed him not? Did you not know that had you fed him you would surely have found that (the reward for doing so) with Me?” (Muslim)

Action Items

• Donate Whatever You Can. I asked a crowd of youth during a halaqah what easy good deeds they can do in Ramadan. A young girl about 8 yrs old said, “We should save our change and donate it to Somalia.” You can donate through Islamic Relief: http://www.irusa.org/emergencies/east-africa-crisis/

• Pray. Make du`a’ (supplication) for them, for real. We’ve become a bit desensitized to this phrase, “make du`a’ for them/for me” because we hear it so much and then we respond with “insha’Allah (God willing)!” but never do it.

• Stay Updated and Raise Awareness. Keep up to date with the situation through the news, and share what is going on with your family and friends. Read about the effects of starvation on the body and what diseases the children are dying from.

• Don’t Waste Any Food. Keep a mental image of those starving children on the lap of their mothers in your mind.

• Seek Allah’s Forgiveness. Sometimes the calamities that happen on the earth are a result of our sins. This drought is a reminder that our sins effect the earth so we should seek Allah’s forgiveness.

• Help Your Local Community. Remember to help our neighbors here who are hungry and needy as well. Ask your local mosque if there are any families you can donate food to and get involved with a local soup kitchen. Feeding others softens our hearts and reminds us to be humble, charitable, and thankful.

Please watch: http://youtu.be/fIgRRjLBuWY

O Allah we ask You, by Your beautiful Names and perfect Attributes, to shower our brothers and sisters in East Africa with Your Mercy. O Allah, help them for You Alone are the One who responds to the desperate. O Allah bless them with beneficial rain, O Allah bless them with beneficial rain, O Allah bless them with beneficial rain. O Allah grant them food and drink, O Allah feed and provide for them for You Alone are The One who Provides. O Allah bless them with health and protect them from sickness. O Allah grant the parents patience during their trials, and make the loss of their cihldren a means for their entrance into Paradise. O Allah if this is due to our sins, forgive us and have mercy on us. ya Rabb (O Lord) we implore You and beg You for You are the Beloved of the believers, You are the One who hears our supplications, and You are the One who we rely on and You are the Best of those who respond.

What qualities come to your mind when you think of a servant of Allah? In one of my favorite supplications, the Prophet sal ALlahu alayhi wa sallam teaches us some of the characteristics of a real worshiper of Allah. This supplication is narrated in many books of hadith, of them: Musnad Imam Ahmad, ibn Majah and Abu Dawud. Ibn Abbass (radi Allahu anhuma) narrated that the Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) used to supplicate:

رَبِّ اجْعَلْنِي لَكَ شَكَّارًا ، لَكَ ذَكَّارًا ، لَكَ رَهَّابًا ، لَكَ مِطْوَاعًا ،لَكَ مُخْبِتًا ،إِلَيْكَ أَوَّاهًا مُنِيبًا

Rabbi ja’alnī laka shakkāra, laka dhakkāra, laka rahhāba, laka miṭwā’a, laka mukhbitan, ilayka awwāhan munība

O my Lord, make me deeply grateful to You, constantly remembering You, in great fear and awe of You, devoted to Your Obedience,  humble, penitent and ever-turning to You in repentance.

Audio

Listen to and download it here.

Selected Word Analysis

Shakkāran: From the root shakara, which was explained here linguistically.  This word is intensified, known as mubalaghah in the Arabic language. The word is on the structure of fa’āl, meaning someone who does something over and over, again and again. An example of this is the nickname given to Musaylimah, Al-Kath-thāb, not just someone who lies, but lies all the time. The Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) did not ask Allah to make him a shākir, someone who is thankful and grateful, but rather shakkāran, someone who is always thanking Allah on a regular basis.

Dhakkāran: From the root dhakara, or dhikr. Dhikr literally means a reminder or a mention. Again, this word is intensified on the structure of fa’āl, so not just someone who remembers Allah but someone who is always in the remembrance of Allah azza wa jal. Dhikr can refer to remembrances like saying “subhanAllah” (Glorified is Allah), or supplications, or prayer or any other act of worship.

Rahhāban: From the root rahb, rahb is a type of fear that makes you very alert, very careful and does not let you relax. This is the type of fear that students feel during exam time: restless, careful, and concern for passing. It is also fear that you are afraid that you will disappoint the one you love. The believers have both rahbah (fear) and raghbah (hope) in Allah azza wa jal. This word is on the structure of fa’āl, one who is very fearful of Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala.

Miṭwā’an: From the root ṭā’ah, which means obedience. From this root comes the meaning of obeying willingly, out of happiness and full acceptance of the command. This word is on the structure of mif’āl (mubalaghah) which means to do something so much that it becomes a habit. Miṭwā’an is someone who habitually obeys Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala.

Mukhbitan: From the root khabata, which literally means to  be hidden. When in reference to people, it means to have khushu’ (humility in the heart that manifests itself in the limbs). It is also means to have iṭmi’nān, to be in a complete state of satisfaction. When someone is mukhbit, they are humble to Allah and satisfied with Him.

Awwāhan: From the root awaha, which literally means to sigh - we still use this today when we say, “aaah”. It is used to describe when someone is sad or shocked. It is also used for someone who cries a lot due to a soft heart. In this duaa, it takes the meaning of someone is lowly, very humble, compassionate and soft-hearted. The structure of this word is fa’āl.

Munīban: From the word anāba, which literally means to return or turn back. Inābah is sometimes used interchangebly with tawbah, returning and repenting to Allah. Munīb is someone who continually turns back to Allah in repentance.

Points of Benefit

Always aim high when making duaa to Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala). The Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) taught us here to ask Allah to make us the BEST slaves to Him, with the most beautiful qualities of a true believer. Don’t ask Allah to just make you “shaakir”, but ask Him to make you shakkara!

Let’s look at how these qualities appear in the Qur’an and Sunnah:

Shakkāran: Read a detailed explanation of Shukr here.

Dhakkāran: Whenever Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala mentions remembering Him in the Qur’an, it follows with “katheera”, a lot. The believer remembers Allah a lot. When we think of constant remembrance, it doesn’t mean that we are always making tasbih (saying subhanAllah) or always praying, but rather you can easily be in constant remembrance by learning and saying the supplications from the Sunnah for various actions. We have supplications for waking up, going to sleep, going to the bathroom, before praying, before eating, after eating, going up the stairs, traveling, and many more! Dhikr is the cleansing agent of the heart. The best dhikr is prayer, then reading Qur’an outside of prayer. Dhikr is one of the easiest deeds and it is one of the most rewarding. Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala tells us about someone who turns away from His Remembrance: “And whoever is blinded from remembrance of the Most Merciful - We appoint for him a devil, and he is to him a companion.” (43:36) When we leave the dhikr of Allah, we are exposed to the whispers of the Devil.

Rahhāban: Allah azza wa jal describes Zakariyah and his family (alayhim salaam): “(and they used to) supplicate to Us in hope and fear.” (21:90) Having the fear and awe of Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala helps us to worship Him better. When Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala reminds us of His Oneness, He says: “And Allah said (O mankind!): “Take not two gods in worship. Verily, Allah is the only One Deity. Then, fear Me (rahbah) much.” (16:51) Fear has somewhat of a negative connotation in our use of the word but when we talk about fear of Allah, it is a positive fear that leads to good deeds. How can we learn to fear and be in awe of Allah? By learning His Names and Attributes. Know that Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala is Al-Qahhar (The One who subdues His creation as He pleases), Al-’Azeez (The Most Powerful and Honorable in His Might), Al-’Adheem (The Magnificent).

People are different and reminders affect people differently. Some people are motivated by the Love of Allah, while others are pushed to action by the Fear of Allah. Allah azza wa jal says,

فَمَن زُحْزِحَ عَنِ النَّارِ وَأُدْخِلَ الْجَنَّةَ فَقَدْ فَازَ

“And whoever is removed away from the Fire and admitted to Paradise, he indeed is successful.” (3:185) “Zuhziha” here means to be removed from something with force, and “adkhil” means made to enter. There are people who are pushed away forcefully from the fire and are made to be led to Paradise by the fear of Allah and through His continual forgiveness of our sins.

Mukhbitan: Allah azza wa jal says, “And give good news to the Mukhbitoon!” (22:34) Shaykh Muhammad al-Shanqiti explains who these people are in his tafsir Adhwa’ al-Bayan: “they are those who humble themselves to Allah and are at peace in their hearts with Him (as their Lord). They are those who when they hear Allah being mentioned or remembered, their hearts fill with fear and awe of Him.” Being humble is internalizing the fact that without Allah we could not have done any good. It is remembering your lowly beginning. When making supplication, it is important to call upon Allah as a humble slave who is in real need of Him. Unfortunately, in today’s society, being humble means you are a weak person. Humility only makes the believer better, as the Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) told us, “whoever humbles himself to Allah, Allah will raise him.” (Muslim)

Awwāhan: Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala describes Ibrahim (alayhi salaam) as Awwāhan in two places in the Qur’an, (9:114) and (13:18). Imam Sa’di (rahimahullah) explains that this description means that he (alayhi salaam) was continually returning and turning back to Allah in all of his affairs and he was one who supplicated to Allah, remembered Him, repented to Him and sought forgiveness a lot.

Munīban: Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala also describes Ibrahim (alayhi salaam) as munīb, one is always turning back and repenting to Allah. It is beautiful that this duaa, after asking Allah to instill in us such beautiful qualities, ends with two words that point to being repentant. We learn from this that repentance isn’t only for those who commit major sins, but we must always be repentant to Allah.

we ask Allah to bless us with these qualities and to make us true servants to Him. Ameen.

Alhamdulillah I’m very excited to be sharing another Ramadan supplication series this year! Each week we will be posting a new duaa, maybe two, that you can learn inshaAllah.

In a hadith recorded in Saheeh Muslim, Zaid bin Alqamnarrated that the Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam used to supplicate:

اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ عِلْمٍ لَا يَنْفَعُ وَمِنْ قَلْبٍ لَا يَخْشَعُ وَمِنْ نَفْسٍ ‏لَا تَشْبَعُ ‏ ‏وَمِنْ دَعْوَةٍ لَا يُسْتَجَابُ لَهَا‏

Allahumma inni a’udhu bika min ‘ilmin la yanfa’u wa min qalbin la yakhsha’u wa min nafsin la tashba’u wa min da’watin la yustajabu laha

“O Allah, I seek refuge in You from knowledge which does not benefit, from a heart that does not entertain the fear(of Allah), from a soul that is not satisfied and the supplication that is not answered.”

Audio

Listen and download here.

Selected Word Analysis

yanfa’u: Nafa’a means to be beneficial and useful. With regards to knowledge, ilman naf’ian - beneficial knowledge - is knowledge that leads to action. We covered a whole supplication asking for beneficial knowledge.

yakhsha’u: Khushu’ is a fear that is manifested not only in your heart but it is shown on your face and limbs. Khushu’ literally means to bend down and to become still. Khushu’ is used for the submissiveness of the heart which is reflected on the limbs.

tashba’u: The root of this word means to be satisfied, to eat to one’s fill and to gratify. This word can apply to eating or fulfilling desires. From this root is ishbaa’ which means satisfaction and satiation.

da’watin: Da’wah literally means a call, request or invocation. When someone is involved in da’wah, it literally means they are calling others to Allah azza wa jal. From this root is the word du’aa, both words have the same meaning when referring to a supplication.

Points of Benefit
The Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam  seeks refuge from four disastrous things in this supplication. Each one gives us a different lesson:

• “Knowledge that does not benefit”: This can mean knowledge that is not acted upon, or knowledge that has no use - such as worldly matters that do not give any benefit. The first type can lead to punishment, Rasul Allah sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam said, “On the night that I was ascended up to the heavens, I came upon a people whose lips were being cut off by pliers made from Fire. Every time their lips were severed, they would be brought back and formed again. So I said: ‘O Jibreel, who are these people?’ He said: ‘They are speakers from your nation, who say words but do not do deeds, and who read the Book of Allah yet do not act (on it).”‘ [Al Bayhaqi, Hasan]

• “A heart that is not fearful”: In the Qur’an, Allah (Subhanawata’la) describes the true believers as having khushu’ in their prayer - a humility that is seen on their limbs. If the heart has khushu’, the body will have khushu’. So khushu’ is not just a state of the heart, it is a state of the heart which is visible on a person’s actions, in their posture, and in their movements. In the hereafter, Allah says that the disbelievers: أَبْصَارُهَا خَاشِعَةٌ “Their eyes will be downcast.” (79:9) These eyes that did not humble themselves to Allah in the dunya, will have fear in the aakhirah. This fear will be apparent on their faces; faces that are full of shame, humiliation and abasement.

• “A soul that is not satisfied”: The nature of humans is to always want more, which is why we train ourselves to be pleased with the minimum. When a person is not satisfied, it may bring about greed, jealousy, ungratefulness, and a lack of contentment. The believers are satisfied with whatever they are given in this life, and in the hereafter, Allah (Subhanawata’la) says: “And therein is whatever the souls desire and [what] delights the eyes.” (43:71) By refraining from indulgence in this worldly life, Allah blesses the believers with everything they desire in the hereafter.

• When these three things exist in someone; a heart that is not fearful, a soul that is not satisfied and knowledge that is not beneficial, it leads to the four thing we seek refuge from: a supplication that is not answered. Why? For a duaa to be answered, the person has to be humble and showing their need to Allah. A person with a heart that is not fearful has a hard heart, and one that is not satisfied is greedy.

• “A supplication that is not answered”: Not having supplications answered by Allah is a scary matter. Allah tells us to call upon Him, to ask Him and that He will give us. For Allah (Subhanawata’la) to not answer a supplication, it means that the person in involved in something wrong. In a famous hadith, we learn that the man who eats, drinks and is clothed from what is haram will not have his duaa answered.

• Also, we must remember that a duaa is answered in three ways: Allah will grant the person what they are asking for, or the person is protected from something harmful or Allah will respond to the person in the hereafter. So we seek refuge from Allah from it being not answered, but we still have to have faith that we may not completely understand the wisdom if we do not see the answer we expect, since Allah may answer it in one of these three ways.

(orginally written for muslimmatters.org)

Let’s go back in time. Back to Madinah, through the masjid and to the Prophet’s (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) home. We see him there, in the darkeness of the night, praying to his Lord. He is crying as he reads the ayatof the Qur’an. He has been standing for so long, and you see that his blessed feet have swelled and the skin is cracking.

Many of us would think what A’ishah, his beloved wife, (radi Allahu anha) asked him afterward. She said, “O Prophet of Allah, why do you undergo so much hardship despite the fact that Allah has pardoned for you your earlier and later sins?” He (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) responded, “Afala akuna abdan shakura? Should I not prove myself to be a thankful servant?”

We learn from this hadith that gratitude is shown through deeds. Shukr is by action. The Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) was not commanded to worship to this degree but rather it was a complete act of devotion and thankfulness to Allah (azza wa jall).

When we want to thank someone, we go the extra mile to make them happy, especially when they are beloved to us. We go to great lengths to show our parents, spouse or friend that we appreciate them. We offer our help without their asking. We plan time to spend together. We give them gifts without expecting one in return. We do whatever will make them happy. We show our love and appreciate through our actions.

Yet, how can we claim that we love Allah when we do not even act this way with Him? We do not abide by His Rulings. We hardly go past the bare minimum of worship. We do not honor His Book. We swear by His Name in vain. We are not shy to sin in front of Him while we are shy when others are watching. We delay our daily conversations with Him, and when we finally do go to pray, we do it as fast as we can - rushing back to what we think is more important than Him.

Would we ever claim to love our mother, spouse, or friend if we treated them this way? Would they feel that we love them and appreciate them if we treated them this way?

Aren’t we ashamed that we treat our family and friends better than we do our own Creator? Surely for Allah is the Highest Example.

Allah (azza wa jall) does not need us or our worship at all. We are not harming Him or benefiting Him in any way by worshiping Him or disobeying Him. He does not need anyone or anything, rather He is Self-Sufficient and always deserving of praise. This parable is to show how we contradict ourselves - we say that we love Allah, that we are thankful to Him, yet our actions show the complete opposite. Our actions show that we are careless, ungrateful and that we are very good at saying what we don’t mean.

What is Shukr?

As a creation, we are wired to love those who give to us. In an authentic hadith, the Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) taught us, “Give gifts and you will love one another.” Linguistically, shukr is used to describe a healthy cow - a cow that has visible signs of nourishment. Islamically, the scholars define shukr as the mentioning of Allah’s Blessings upon the slave’s tongue, the slave’s recognition of these blessings in his heart, and obedience of the limbs due to these blessings.

Being thankful to Allah does not mean to only say “alhamdulillah” or doing a quick sajdah when we feel blessed. The Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) taught A’ishah that night that you must show your thankfulness to Allah. You have to strive to prove it.

We also learn from the Qur’an that shukr is by action. Allah (azza wa jall) says to the family of Dawud (alayhi salaam):

اعْمَلُوا آلَ دَاوُودَ شُكْرًا

“Work, O family of David, in gratitude.” (34:13)

Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) did not say, “Be grateful!” rather He said to work in gratitude. We learn from the Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) that the most beloved fasting and prayer to Allah is the fasting and prayer of Dawud (alayhi salaam).

Thabit al-Binani (rahimahullah) says regarding this ayah, “Dawud (alayhi salaam) would divide the hours of the night and day between his family so that there wouldn’t be an hour of the night or day except that a person from the family of Dawud would be praying, so Allah addressed them all by saying, ‘Work, O family of David, in gratitude.’” [Uddat al-Saabireen]

From this ayah, Imam ibn al-Qayyim (rahimahullah) states that there are three branches of shukr:

1. Knowledge: Knowledge is the foundation of shukr. We must be aware and knowing of the fact that Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) is the One who is bestowing us with these blessings. We attribute all of our blessings to Him ta’ala. Some people attribute good to themselves, and when they are faced with difficulty or hardship, they attribute it to Allah. This is not gratitude rather it is kufr, a defiant denial of Allah’s favors.

2. Recognition and Awareness: The slave remembers Allah and His favors with his tongue - by praising Allah, and remembering Him through supplication and words of remembrance, and acknowledges it in his heart. It is reported in Tafsir al-Qurtubi that Dawud (alayhi salaam) said, “O my Lord! How can I be grateful to You when gratitude is a blessing from You?!” Allah (azza wa jall) responded to him, “Now you have shown true gratitude (because you’ve recognized that all blessings are from Me).”

3. Deeds: The slave works in gratitude by being an obedient slave to Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala). It is reported in Tafsir al-Tabari that Abu Abdur-Rahman al-Hubaly (rahimahullah) said, “Prayer is shukr, fasting is shukr and any deed done for the sake of Allah isshukr.”

Imam ibn al-Qayyim states that the pillars of being grateful to Allah are:

1- Submission of the believer to Allah
2- Love of Allah
3- Acknowledging His favors
4- Praising Him for His favors
5- Refraining from utilizing the favors in a way displeasing to Allah

Benefits of Shukr

Allah calls mankind ‘ungrateful’ in many ayat in the Qur’an, and He says that only few of His slaves are grateful. It is easier for us to be heedless of His blessings because being a thankful slave is not easy. When we do show gratefulness to Allah, He blesses us in many ways:

1. Allah will increase you in blessings. He ta’ala says, “And (recall) when your Lord proclaimed: ‘If you thank, I shall certainly increase (My blessings on) you, and if you are ungrateful, then My torment is surely severe.’” (14:7)

2. Allah will reward you for being thankful. He (azza wa jall) says, “Allah will give reward to the thankful.” (3:144)

3. Shukr saves you from punishment. Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) tells us in the Qur’an, “The people of Lot denied the warning. Indeed, We sent upon them a storm of stones, except the family of Lot - We saved them before dawn. As a favor from Us. Thus do We reward he who is grateful.” (54:33-35)

4. Allah will be pleased with you. “And if you are grateful, He is pleased with you.” (39:7)

5. Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) will love you.

Practical Ways to Show Shukr

Now that we know what shukr really means, how can we be among al-shaakireen?

1- Take the first step. For many of us, extra deeds seem difficult because we are so used to the little we do. Don’t think that you cannot do more, rather remember the hadith qudsi: “When my slave walks to Me, I run to him.” If you take that first step, which is the most difficult, Allah will make everything else easy for you. It’s time we push ourselves to do more for Allah (azza wa jall). It’s time that we don’t accept the bare minimum from ourselves. It’s time that we have great goals for our Deen just as we do for our education, career and families. And for this to happen, we go to step #2:

2- Seek the help of Allah by means of du’a. The Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) taught us to say: “Allahumma a’inni ‘alaa dhikrika wa shukrika wa husni ebadatika. O Allah, help me to remember You, to be thankful to You and to worship You in the best way.” Say it like you mean it. Beg Allah from your heart with this duaa. Ask Him to make you from among His few slaves that are grateful.

3- Work, work and more work. Nothing comes without work. If we want to worship Allah more, we must work for it. If we want to enjoy our worship, we must put in the effort. For some, praying and fasting is easy. For others, it is extremely difficult. If it is difficult for you, don’t interpret it to mean that you do not love Allah. Rather, it means that you have to strive more and work more to see the fruits of your labor. Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) says,

وَالَّذِينَ جَاهَدُوا فِينَا لَنَهْدِيَنَّهُمْ سُبُلَنَا ۚ وَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لَمَعَ الْمُحْسِنِينَ

And those who strive for Us - We will surely guide them to Our ways. And indeed, Allah is with the doers of good. (29:69)

Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) used the word “jaahadu” here, meaning they strive and work hard for the sake of Allah (azza wa jall).

We can all do something extra in one way or another. Start slow and it will become easier, inshaAllah. You know yourself the best, so get out of your comfort zone to train yourself.

• If you cannot fast three days every month, fast at least one day.
• If you want to pray qiyam but already struggle with fajr, stay awake after fajr to remember Allah and read Qur’an before heading back to sleep, even for 15-30 minutes.
• Keep your tongue moist with the remembrance of Allah by learning the du’as from the Sunnah for various actions we perform throughout the day.
• Always do your adkhar - a collection of supplications and remembrances to make after fajr and asr prayers.
• Keep a portion of day, even 30 mins, just to remember Allah - reading Qur’an, making du’a and reflecting.
• Thank those around you. It is stated in a hadith, “Whoever does not thank the people has not thanked Allah.”
• Help others in your community. You can help at a soup kitchen, or prepare a meal for a needy Muslim in your community.

Make it your habit to not belittle any good deed. If you have a chance to do a good deed, then do it. The Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said in the hadith about the man who gave a drink to the thirsty dog that, “Allah thanked him for that deed and forgave him.” (Bukhari) We learn from this that a small deed sincerely for Allah can earn Allah’s forgiveness and appreciation.

Al-Shakur: The Most Appreciative

Remember that this work of yours is not in vain. It may be difficult for you to fast those extra days. It may be hard for you to get to sleep early so you can wake up at night, but do not forget the One you are worshiping! You are worshiping Al-Shakur, The Most Appreciative. He ta’ala does not only look at your deeds, but He looks at the effort behind it. Imam al-Qurtubi (rahimahullah) explains this Name by saying, “He accepts the little from their good deeds, and repays them with a great reward.”

He is Al-Shakur: He does not waste your efforts. He does ihsan to you - utmost good by accepting your few deeds and giving you greater in return. He blesses you with something better when you leave something for His sake.

Allah, Al-Shakur, not only rewards you for your deeds but He increases them for you because He appreciates your obedience to Him. He is Al-Shakur of your shukr! While you are struggling to show your thankfulness to Him, Al-Shakur is keeping account of all that you do, of all the effort you are putting in, of how much you sincerely want to worship Him in the best way. He will reward you with what you do not even deserve. Our deeds can never earn Paradise, but this is how Al-Shakur shows His Appreciation to His righteous servants.

Always remind yourself of this Name of Allah (azza wa jall), it is the key to coming closer to Him.  Remind yourself of the Day that Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) shows His Gratitude by saying:

إِنَّ هَٰذَا كَانَ لَكُمْ جَزَاءً وَكَانَ سَعْيُكُم مَّشْكُورًا

“Indeed, this is for you a reward, and your effort has been appreciated.” (76:22)

We ask Allah (azza wa jall) to make us of those who hear these words. May He make us among His truly grateful servants and we ask that He blesses us to worship Him, remember Him and thank Him in the best and most beautiful way. Ameen

(originally written for suhaibwebb.com)

One of the pillars of imaan (belief in Allah) is to believe in the Divine Decree – the good and bad of it. This means that we as Muslims are supposed to have complete belief and unwavering certainty in the Plan of Allah and His Decrees for us, whether they may appear good or not so good.

The believer who is aware of this knows that nothing Allah plans is completely evil. There is always some good in His Plan for us. Unfortunately, when we are in a predicament or a hardship, we feel that nothing is going our way and we begin to have bad thoughts about Allah. We feel that our world is crashing down around us and we will never have relief from our pain and difficulties.

I am here to remind you that things are not always as they seem.

Humans are creatures of logic. When we think something is logically correct, we may not see the bigger picture because it doesn’t “make sense” to us. When Allah’s Plan doesn’t make sense to us, we may begin to have doubts and feel distress because we don’t understand why something is happening to us. We know that Allah ta’ala wants good for us, but we must remember that He may put us through serious hardships so that we may get the best. Everything Allah Plans happens for a reason. You may not understand why the opposite of what you want is happening, but soon you will see that thing happened to help you grow.

Throughout the Qur’an, we see glimpses of the perfect wisdom of Allah in His Plan and Decree. One amazing example is the story of Prophet Musa’s `alayhi sallatu wa sallam (may Allah send His peace and blessings on him) mother. She was put through a great trial but she prevailed because she put her trust in Allah first.

Allah subhanahu wa ta`la tells us her story:

“When We inspired to your mother what We inspired, [Saying], ‘Cast him into the chest and cast it into the river, and the river will throw it onto the bank; there will take him an enemy to Me and an enemy to him.” (Qur’an, 20:38-39)

Umm Musa wanted to protect her infant son, but she was told to do something that seemed to be the complete opposite of protecting him. Allah (azza wa jal) not only told her to throw her baby in the river, but that the one person she was trying to hide him from would be the one to find him! Allah (azza wa jal) comforted her,

“…Do not fear and do not grieve. Indeed, We will return him to you and will make him [one] of the messengers.”(Qur’an, 28:7)

Putting baby Musa (alayhi salaam) directly into the hands of Pharoah seems like a disaster, but Allah ‘azza wa jal promises his mother that He will return Musa (alayhi salaam) to her with a higher position, so she did what she was told.  She threw her baby into the river with trust in Allah’s plan.

Allah tells us how she felt afterward:

“And the heart of Moses’ mother became empty [of all else]. She was about to disclose [the matter concerning] him had We not bound fast her heart that she would be of the believers.” (Qur’an, 28:10)

We learn from this that it is natural to feel upset about your situation. Umm Musa was so overwhelmed that she nearly revealed the identity of Musa (alayhi salaam), but Allah (ta’ala) gave her strength during this time because He intended good for her.

Umm Musa then sent his sister to watch him. Allah tells us,

“And she said to his sister, “Follow him”; so she watched him from a distance while they perceived not. And We had prevented from him [all] wet nurses before, so she said, “Shall I direct you to a household that will be responsible for him for you while they are to him [for his upbringing] sincere?” (Qur’an, 28:11-12)

Finally, we see the plan of Allah come to fruition:

“So We restored him to his mother that she might be content and not grieve and that she would know that the promise of Allah is true. But most of the people do not know. “ (Qur’an, 28:13)

Allahu ‘Akbar, God is greater. Read again what Allah says at the end of this ayah:

“…But most of the people – do not know.”

What don’t they know? They don’t know that Allah is more aware of their situation than they are. They don’t know that His Plan is the best plan. They don’t know that when He promises, His promise is true. And most of the people forget that Allah is always protecting them.

Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) not only returned Musa (alayhi salaam) to his mother, but He provided her with the opportunity of feeding her own son! Allah protected Musa by means we would never think of: raising him up in the palace of Fir’awn, the Pharoah. She trusted completely in Allah, and He (ta’ala) did not disappoint her.

What do we learn from the example of Musa’s (alayhi salaam) mother? We learn that Allah will take care of you, but you must take the first step to Him. By doing the unthinkable – throwing her child in a river – Umm Musa was given more than she could have ever hoped for.

Taking the first step towards Allah is always the most difficult, but when you do take it, Allah will take care of the rest for you. She was overcome with emotions after she threw Musa into the river, so Allah gave her the strength to endure it because she trusted in Him. When you trust in Allah, He will give you the strength and perseverance to remain patient.

While we may never be put to trial the way Umm Musa was, we learn from her story that when we trust in Allah – even if you feel overwhelmed – Allah will bless you for it and He will guide you. Oftentimes we know what is the right thing to do, we know how to take that first step to Allah but we are scared. Umm Musa was also scared, but she threw her baby.

So don’t be afraid. Throw the baby.

We now have the chance to take advantage of two sunnahs of the Prophet (alayhi salaatu wa salaam):

1- Fasting in Sha’ban

It was narrated from Abu Salamah that A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) did not fast in any month more than Sha’ban, and he used to fast all of Sha’ban and he used to say: “Do as much of good deeds as you can, for Allah does not get tired (of giving reward) until you get tired.” And the most beloved of prayers to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was that in which one persists even if it is little. When he offered a prayer he would persist in doing so. [Bukhari and Muslim]

The Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) also said about Sha’ban: “It is a month that
people neglect, between Rajab and Ramadan. It is a month in which actions are raised to the Lord of the Worlds and I love for my actions to be raised while I am fasting.” [Tirmidhi and Al-Nasa'i]

2- Fasting in the Summer

al-Qasim bin Muhammad said that A’ishah (radi Allahu anha) would fast in the intense heat, and he was asked: “What drove her to do this?” He replied: “She would take advantage of the days before death.” And some of the righteous women would choose the hottest days and fast them, saying: “If the price is low, everyone will buy,” meaning that she wanted to do those actions that only a few were capable of due to how hard it was to do them, and this is indicative of the high aspirations these women had. [ibn Rajab hafidhahullah]

Abu ad-Darda’ (radi Allahu anhu) would say: “Fast the very hot days in anticipation of the Day of Resurrection, and pray two rak’at in the darkness of night in anticipation of the darkness of the grave.” And it’s reported in the two ‘ Sahih’s that he said: “You have seen us with the Messenger of Allah (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) on some of his journeys on very hot days, and a man would hold his hand against his head due to the intensity of the heat, and none of them would be fasting except the Messenger of Allah and ‘Abdullah bin Rawahah.” [Bukhari]