Jum'a Mubarak and Istighfaar

Bismillah hir Rahman nir Raheem.
As-salaamu 'alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu....

Haven't blogged in a while. I suppose I just haven't felt inspired. But I just thought I'd write up a quick post and blurt out a couple things I'm thinking about. Firstly, don't forget to read Surah Kahf today. Insha'Allah he who reads Surah Kahf on Jum'a, preferably before Jum'a Salaah, will be protected from the Dajjal when he comes. And we all need protection from him. I've heard that righteous people will run and hide from him out of fear that if they meet him they'll be convinced by him and swayed off the Path. Imagine- that'll be state of the righteous. What'll happen to us?

Also increase in your salawaat upon Rasul Allah salAllahu 'alayhi wasallim. On any other day, when you say "Allahumma salli 'alaa sayyidinaa Muhammad" an angel rushes to deliver that gift to our beloved Prophet. But on Yawm al-Jum'a those sweet words are heard directly by him salAllahu 'alayhi wasallim. SubhaanAllah, reflect upon that...

And one last thing... don't ever think it's too late. So long as there is breath in your lungs, blood in your veins and beats in your heart, it's not too late. It doesn't matter how far you've gone down the wrong path, it doesn't matter how many times you've made the same mistake, it doens't matter how ashamed you feel going back and asking Allah jalla jalaaluh to forgive you for something you've done for the 23rd time.... what matters is that you're still alive, you're not in your grave and you can do istighfaar and change. Don't even think about it. Just don't. Don't give yourself that extra moment of thought for shaytaan to come in and whisper. If you're doing something wrong, *stop* and do istighfaar.

Imagine.. Allah subhaanahu wa ta 'aala has said that He loves the one who turns over and over in repentance, seeking forgiveness. Hear these words! "Allah loves..." Think about that! Just stop, clear your mind and heart and reflect upon that phrase, "Allah loves..." And what comes after it? You'd think, "Allah loves those who do good... Allah loves those who are patient... Allah loves those who stand up in prayer in the predawn hours..." Yes, Allah 'azza wa jal may well love those people... but what is He saying here? "Allah loves the one who turns to Him over and over in repentance." And who falls in that category? Sinners! Sinners who sin.. over and over.. such that they are in need of turning over and over in repentance! SubhaanAllah! Allah has said to you, Oh you who are sinning, Oh you who are filthying your heart with blackness, Oh you who are wrong, Oh you who are destroying your soul.... Allah *loves* you.... if you but turn in repentance. SubhaanAllah.. He loves you.. just turn to Him. Ask Him sincerely for forgiveness, He will grant it. He is the Most Merciful of those who show mercy... He is the Most Kind of those who have kindness... It's not too late.... you're alive... and look at Who you're asking forgiveness from.. if it were your best-friend that you'd wronged over and over and over, would she forgive you after the 100th time? Probably not. But this is Allah.. Allah Most High.. Allah Most Kind.. Allah Most Loving...

Just do it... you have nothing to lose and everything to gain... stop what you're doing. Just stop... it's not worth it.. it's sooo not worth it. SubhaanAllah, it really isn't. Stop, do istighfaar with sincerity again, for the umpteenth time.. and Allah subhaanahu wa ta 'aala will forgive you... He loves you, oh frequent sinner....

May Allah subhaanahu wa ta 'aala grant us the tawfiq to leave those things that are keeping us away from Him, for verily in the moment you are committing a sin you have almost definitely left the remembrance of Allah and thus our purpose in this life, and if you were to die in that state you may well die in heedlessness... May He grant us the tawfiq to stop, do istighfaar, and return to our Lord, Who loves us for our ability to repent.. again and again and again... May He fill our last moments on this earth -and those last moments began the day we were born- with love for Him and remembrance of Him... let us not spend a single moment of our time in heedlessness of Him, for only in those moments are we prone to sin... Ya Rabb let us love You the way the people of our previous generations loved You.. with our every breath, heart beat, tear, blink, step and sigh, Ya ArhamurRaahimeen. Ameen.