Laylatul Baraa'ah

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

As you may or may not know, tonight will Insha'Allah be Laylatul Baraa'ah. I realize that if you're in the European or Asian times zones and this is the first you've heard about Laylatul Baraa'ah you don't really have much time to prepare... but khayr, better late than never.

Basically the key thing to remember about tonight is forgiveness... forgiveness, forgiveness, forgiveness... and we all need to be forgiven. [sigh] If you can tonight, preferably in the last half of the night, unless you know you're one of those people who can't wake up early (ie before Fajr) then do some of this before you go to bed... or most ideally stay up all night, but that can be hard if you're venturing to do this on your own in the comfort of your bedroom... basically, do lots and lots and lots of istighfaar (asking for forgiveness.) Think about any and every little sin you've ever committed and ask Allah subhaanahu wa ta' alaa's forgiveness for it. Once you've completely drained your memory of all the sins you could think of, admit your weakness and plead with Allah jalla jalaaluh to forgive you for all the sins you've ever committed, hidden and open, those you remember and those you've carelessly committed and then forgotten.

And know that He hears you when you call upon Him (and even when you don't.)

Especially ask forgiveness for those things you've been doing over and over and simply haven't had the himma (strength, ability) thus far to remove yourself from them on your own. Make such passionate and sincere istighfaar for these things so you're soooo ashamed you won't even think about approaching that sin between now and Ramadan. And if you can keep away from that sin from now until Ramadan then Insha'Allah ta 'aala you'll be in a better state entering Ramadan than you would have been were you still partaking in that sin. And the higher your state when you enter Ramadan, the more likely you'll benefit even more from the barakah of the month. And we so need to benefit from Ramadan...

Below I've pasted a portion of an article by Mufti Taqi Usmani, may Allah preserve and increase him, on what's special about this night and what things to do. SubhaanAllah, notice the hadiths he mentions which talk about Laylatul Baraa'ah.... and notice the one thing mentioned again and again as the one reason your du'as could possibly not be accepted this night. SubhaanAllah... reflect upon the meaning of that, and avoid it at *all* costs. No petty dispute between you and another Muslim, no matter how passionately you feel been violated or how wronged you think you've been, is worth losing out on the opportunity to be saved from the Fire of Hell and to be forgiven your sins. Astaghfirullah... may Allah protect us.

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The Night of Bara'ah

Another significant feature of the month of Sha'ban is that it consists of a night which is termed in Shariah as "Laylatul-bara'ah" (The night of freedom from Fire). This is the night occurring between 14th and 15th day of Sha'ban. There are certain traditions of Prophet Muhammad, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam, to prove that it is a meritorious night in which the people of the earth are attended by special Divine mercy. Some of these traditions are quoted as follows:

1. Ummul-Mu'mineen 'Aishah, Radi-Allahu anha, is reported to have said, "Once Prophet Muhammad, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam, performed the Salah of the night (Tahajjud) and made a very long Sajdah until I feared that he had passed away. When I saw this, I rose (from my bed) and moved his thumb (to ascertain whether he is alive). The thumb moved, and I returned (to my place). Then I heard him saying in Sajdah: 'I seek refuge of Your forgiveness from Your punishment, and I seek refuge of Your pleasure from Your annoyance, and I seek Your refuge from Yourself. I cannot praise You as fully as You deserve. You are exactly as You have defined Yourself.' Thereafter, when he raised his head from Sajdah and finished his salah, he said to me: 'Aishah, did you think that the Prophet has betrayed you?' I said, 'No, O Prophet of Allah, but I was afraid that your soul has been taken away because your Sajdah was very long.' He asked me, 'Do you know which night is this?' I said, 'Allah and His Messenger know best.' He said, 'This is the night of the half of Sha'ban. Allah Almighty looks upon His slaves in this night and forgives those who seek forgiveness and bestows His mercy upon those who pray for mercy but keeps those who have malice (against a Muslim) as they were before, (and does not forgive them unless they relieve themselves from malice).'"

2. In another Tradition Sayyidah' Aishah, Radi-Allahu anha, has reported that Prophet Muhammad, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam, has said, "Allah Almighty descends (in a manner He best knows it) in the night occurring in the middle of Sha'ban and forgives a large number of people more than the number of the fibers on the sheep of the tribe, Kalb."

Kalb was a big tribe the members of which had a very large number of sheep. Therefore, the last sentence of the hadith indicates the big number of the people who are forgiven in this night by Allah Almighty.

3. In yet another Tradition, she has reported Prophet Muhammad, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam, to have said, "This is the middle Night of Sha'ban. Allah frees in it a large number of the people from Fire, more than the number of the hair growing on the sheep of the tribe, Kalb. But He does not even look at a person who associates partners with Allah, or at a person who nourishes malice in his heart (against someone), or at a person who cuts off the ties of kinship, or at a man who leaves his clothes extending beyond his ankles (as a sign of pride), or at a person who disobeys his parents, or at a person who has a habit of drinking wine."

4. Sayyidna Mu'adh ibn Jabal, Radi-Allahu anhu, reports that Prophet Muhammad, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam, has said: "Allah Almighty looks upon all those created by Him in the middle Night of Sha'ban and forgives all those created by Him, except the one who associates partners with Him or the one who has malice in his heart (against a Muslim)".

Although the chain of narrators of some of these traditions suffers with some minor technical defects, yet when all these traditions are combined together, it becomes clear that this night has some well founded merits, and observing this night as a sacred night is not a baseless concoction as envisaged by some modern scholars who, on the basis of these minor defects, have totally rejected to give any special importance to this night. In fact, some of these traditions have been held by some scholars of hadith as authentic and the defects in the chain of some others have been treated by them as minor technical defects which, according to the science of hadith, are curable by the variety of their ways of narration. That is why the elders of the ummah have constantly been observing this night as a night of special merits and have been spending it in worship and prayers.


What Should be Done in this Night?

In order to observe the Night of Bara'ah, one should remain awakened in this night as much as he can. If someone has better opportunities, he should spend the whole night in worship and prayer. However, if one cannot do so for one reason or another, he can select a considerable portion of the night, preferably of the second half of it for this purpose, and should perform the following acts of worship:

(a) Salah. Salah is the most preferable act to be performed in this night. There is no particular number of Rak'at but preferably it should not be less than eight. It is also advisable that each part of the Salah like qiyam, rukoo' and sajdah should be longer than normal. The longest surahs of the Holy Qur'an one remembers by heart should be recited in the Salah of this night. If someone does not remember the long surahs, he can also recite several short surahs in one rak'ah.

(b) Tilawa. The recitation of the Holy Qur'an is another form of worship, very beneficent in this night. After performing Salah, or at any other time, one should recite as much of the Holy Qur'an as he can.

(c) Dhikr. One should also perform dhikr (recitation of the name of Allah) in this night. Particularly the following dhikr is very useful:

One should recite Salah (durood) on Prophet Muhammad, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam, as many times as he can. The dhikr can also be recited while walking, lying on bed and during other hours of work or leisure.

(d) Dua. The best benefit one can draw from the blessings of this night is prayers and supplications. It is hoped that all the prayers in this night will be accepted by our Lord, insha-Allah. Prayer itself is an 'Ibadah, and Allah Almighty gives reward on each prayer along with the fulfillment of the supplicator's need. Even if the purpose prayed for is not achieved, one cannot be deprived of the reward of the prayer which is sometimes more precious than the mundane benefits one strives for. The prayers and supplications also strengthen one's relation with Allah Almighty, which is the main purpose of all kinds and forms of worship.

One can pray for whatever purpose he wishes. But the best supplications are the ones made by Prophet Muhammad, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam. These are so comprehensive and all-encompassing prayers that all the human needs, of this world and the Hereafter, are fully covered in the eloquent expressions used in them. Actually, most of the prophetic prayers are so profound that human imagination can hardly match their greatness.

Several books in various languages are available which provide these prophetic prayers, and one should pray to Allah Almighty in accordance with them, whether by reciting their original Arabic text or by rendering their sense in one's own language.

(e) There are some people who cannot perform any additional Salah or recitations for any reason, like illness or weakness or being engaged in some other necessary activities. Such people also should not deprive themselves completely of the blessings of this night. They should observe the following acts:

(i) To perform the Salah of Maghrib, 'Isha' and Fajr with Jama'ah in the mosque, or in their homes in case of their being sick.

(ii) They should keep reciting the dhikr, particularly the one mentioned in para (c) above, in whatever condition they are until they sleep.

(iii) They should pray to Allah for their forgiveness and for their other objectives. One can do so even when he is in his bed.

(f) The women during their periods cannot perform salah, nor can they recite the Qur'an, but they can recite any dhikr, tasbeeh, durood sharif and can pray to Allah for whatever purpose they like in whatever language they wish. They can also recite the Arabic prayers mentioned in the Qur'an or in the hadith with the intention of supplication (and not with the intention of recitation).

(g) According to a hadith, which is relatively less authentic, Prophet Muhammad, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam, went in this night to the graveyard of Baqi' where he prayed for the Muslims buried there. On this basis, some of the fuqaha hold it as mustahabb (advisable) in this night to go to the graveyard of the Muslims and recite Fatihah or any other part of the Qur'an, and pray for the dead. But this act is neither obligatory nor should it be performed as regularly as an obligatory act.


Fast of the 15th Sha'ban

On the day immediately following the Night of Bara'ah, i.e. the 15th of Sha'ban, it is mustahabb (advisable) to keep fast. Prophet Muhammad, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam, is reported to have recommended this fast emphatically. Although the scholars of hadith have some doubts in the authenticity of this report, yet it is mentioned earlier that the fasts of the first half of Sha'ban have special merits and Prophet Muhammad, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam, used to fast most of the days in Sha'ban. Moreover, a large number of the elders (salaf) of the Ummah have been observing the fast of the 15th of Sha'ban. This constant practice indicates that they have accepted the relevant hadith as authentic.

Therefore, it is advisable to fast the 15th of Sha'ban as an optional (nafl) fast. One can also keep a fast of qada on this day and it is hoped that he can also benefit from the merits of this fast.

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May Allah subhaanahu wa ta 'aala put barakah in all of our time tonight, and grant us the ability to make sincere tawbah, and may He accept our repentance. Ameen.

Was-salaam ma'al ikraam,
Zareen

The People of Jannah Will Ask...

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

I hope you're all in the best of health and imaan by the Grace of Allah subhaanahu wa ta 'aala, making the best of your Sha'ban so you're in a most healthy state by the time Ramadan starts and can truly benefit from the barakah and Rahma descending upon us during those blessed days.

I read something in the Qur'an today which I wanted to share. Alhamdulillah, I know we know most of these things but it's really beneficial to be reminded over and over... and over. I mean, subhaanAllah... Allah subhanaahu wa ta 'aala in His Infinite Mercy, Kindness and Wisdom repeats His Name "Ar-Rahman" well over a hundred times in His Kalaam, the Holy Qur'an, yet still some of us fall into despair when we make the same mistake again, or when we feel ourselves slip spiritually, despite His having reminded us again and again and again: He is Most Merciful.. don't you ever despair of His Infinite and Overwhelming Mercy.

So in the spirit of reminder I wanted to share a translation of the following ayahs from the Qur'an. They're ayahs 32-56 from Surat al-Mudaththir (#74.)

32. Nay, verily: By the Moon,
33. And by the Night as it retreateth,
34. And by the Dawn as it shineth forth,-
35. This is but one of the mighty (portents),
36. A warning to mankind,-
37. To any of you that chooses to press forward, or to follow behind;-
38. Every soul will be (held) in pledge for its deeds.
39. Except the Companions of the Right Hand.
40. (They will be) in Gardens (of Delight): they will question each other,
41. And (ask) of the Sinners:
42. "What led you into Hell Fire?"
43. They will say: "We were not of those who prayed;
44. "Nor were we of those who fed the indigent;
45. "But we used to talk vanities with vain talkers;
46. "And we used to deny the Day of Judgment,
47. "Until there came to us (the Hour) that is certain."
48. Then will no intercession of (any) intercessors profit them.
49. Then what is the matter with them that they turn away from admonition?-
50. As if they were affrighted asses,
51. Fleeing from a lion!
52. Forsooth, each one of them wants to be given scrolls (of revelation) spread out!
53. By no means! But they fear not the Hereafter,
54. Nay, this surely is an admonition:
55. Let any who will, keep it in remembrance!
56. But none will keep it in remembrance except as Allah wills: He is the Lord of Righteousness, and the Lord of Forgiveness.

Reflect upon this! Be not one of those who will be asked, "what on earth were you thinking during your short and fleeting life in that lowest realm?" Be not one of those who will ashamedly reply that they did not stand in prayer, that they did not give out of their wealth -however great or small- to those who needed it more (and there are always those who need it more), that they chatted about useless, unecessary and even detrimental things, that they were heedless of the reality of the Day of Judgment, its nearness, its truth, its torments... Take the proper care now to ensure that you don't fall under any of these dark categories.

And ask Allah sincerely for help... for none will increase in their love for Him but that He wills it, and none will slip into sin but that He wills it.

And He is the Most Merciful of those who show mercy.

Was-salaam ma'al ikraam.

Sha'ban Mubarak!

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

Sha'ban Mubarak!!! SubhaanAllah, Sha'ban's started!! That means Ramadan is only one month away!! SubhaanAllah.... May Allah subhaanahu wa ta 'aala give us physical and spiritual health in this blessed time.... Rasul Allah salAllahu 'alayhi wasallim would get noticeably excited when Sha'ban would start, because of his eager anticipation for the forthcoming month. So we should definitely make the most of this time.... start doing the things you want to be doing in Ramadan... stop doing the things you don't want to be doing in Ramadan. And just stop them. I mean, it's totally not worth losing out on the barakah.. the sweetness... the closeness of Ramadan for whatever petty sin you're holding onto. Look at the quote on the right about Ramadan... that's the way it should be.

I know we're not supposed to be like hermits on this Earth... not interacting with people, staying in our rooms with our doors shut doing 'ibaadah from morning till night. This is not what we've been commanded to do. But in Ramadan... do it. That's the time to do that. Just cut yourself off from as many people and things of the dunya as you can and attach yourself to remembrance of Allah and love of Him.

How sorry is the state of the person who enters Ramadan and exits Ramadan without having drawn nearer to Allah jalla jalaaluh and made some change. Ramadan is about change. It's about changing those things you tried soooo hard to change before but simply have never succeeded in doing. It's about dropping those sins you do which fill you with deeper and more painfully penetrating shame each time you go back to Allah subhaanahu wa ta 'aala to beg for His forgiveness for having slipped yet again. Ramadan's the time when the shayateen are locked up, the gates of Jannah are open, the gates of Jahannam closed.... and barakah is being poured upon the Earth and all its inhabitants. It's up to us to make use of that barakah. We have to seek it out, grab hold of it and make use of it.

So start now... don't leave yourself 100% of the work to start on the first of Ramadan. Increase in your recitation of Qur'an. Try to finish a Qur'an now so you'll be better trained in doing so once Ramadan starts. Increase in your tasbihaat. After each salaah do a few tasbihs of dhikr, any dhikr. Or if you already do, do two instead of one. Be more patient. Be kinder. Be more helpful and understanding. Fast. Rasul Allah salAllahu 'alayhi wasallim would fast the first 15 days of Sha'ban, but generally not the last half of Sha'ban, because he didn't want us to get drained. But you still can fast here or there in the last half as well, just definitely not in the last three days before Ramadan starts, in order to be certain you start fasting on the first of Ramadan. (I heard all that in one of Shaykh Husain's (db) lectures.... actually the majority of this post is directly from Shaykh Kamaluddin Ahmed (db) and Shaykh Husain (db). Except for the stuff that sounds weird. That's probably from me.)

Also, increase in your constant remembrance... remain focused on your heart throughout the day and be certain that it is remembering Allah subhaanahu wa ta 'aala at all times. This will make sin more difficult to commit and will, Insha'Allah, purify your heart. There's a hadith that says that everything in the world has a polish and the polish of the heart is the remembrance of Allah. And this act of constant, internal remembrance of Allah subhaanahu wa ta 'aala has a certain sweetness, a certain beauty that's indescribable. Coz no one knows about it. It's between you and Allah... it's your little secret : )

Ohhh.... there's this beautiful narration I heard in one of Shaykh Kamal's talks, where he explains how when you do this quiet, internal remembrance of Allah subhaanahu wa ta 'aala, it's so much between you and Allah that not even the angels get to know about it. All that happens is that a sweet fragrance comes from your heart and they smell that sweetness. So on the Day of Judgment after they present all our deed before Allah subhaanahu wa ta 'aala -veils removed- He will ask them, "Is there anything left of My servant's deeds to be presented?" And they'll say, "Oh Allah, there were times when we smelled a sweet frangrance coming from the heart of Your servant, but we knew not what it was, so we didn't know how to record it." And Allah subhaanahu wa ta 'aala will tell them, "Oh My angels, know that those were the moments My servant was remembering Me internally, quietly, secrectly, to himself... and just as I kept that between him and Me in his life, so also will I keep his reward for that between him and Me." SubhaanAllah :')

May Allah subhaanahu wa ta 'aala grant us the tawfiq to increase in our good works and to leave our bad habits in Sha'ban so that we can make the best of Ramadan. And may He grant us the sweet things we yearn for in Ramadan, and the ability to make the changes we've been dying to make but have continued to fail at. Ameen...

[Please refer to my post "Preparation for the Sweet Days of Ramadan" for lectures on Ramadan and how to make the most of it, in Urdu and English.]

Leaving a Matter of Doubt

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

Hope you're all in the best of health and imaan, using your every moment in the manner most pleasing to Allah subhaanahu wa ta 'aala, avoiding any matter in which there is the slightest doubt and embracing all that will draw you near to Allah 'azza wa jal, our true Desire and Love.

Alhamdulillah rabbil 'aalameen, I've had a realization.

A few days ago I was suddenly overcome and I spewed out a really intense lecture at someone about how important it is to avoid any act in which there's the slightest bit of doubt because it simply isn't worth taking that risk: because ultimately when you're deciding between taking or leaving some matter wherein there is doubt, you're generally deciding between harming or benefitting your relationship with Allah jalla jalaaluh. Considering the fact that the purpose of our existence is to remember, worship and love Allah it would be profoundly unwise to take on anything in which there is a strong chance of fitna occuring, as such an act could ultimately veil the heart and increase one in their distance from Allah 'azza wa jal. Is that a chance worth taking?

I realized that by blogging I was doing just that. I was walking a very thin line on the edge of disaster and, not surprisingly, I fell over on more than one occasion. In my blogs I was revealing a great deal of information about myself that I would normally never tell any non-mahram brother. The nature of a global community is that people will see what you put on here, so it's guaranteed that sisters and brothers will be viewing my blog. Essentially by speaking my heart out on here, I may as well be sitting in a crowded cafeteria with a table full of brothers and sisters telling them the very same things I was writing here, winking and giggling for added effect. That is the truth. You can hide behind as many screennames and passwords as you'd like, but effectively you're opening yourself up to the opposite gender in manners that we simply should not being doing so. Anything I say in my blog I should be ready to walk up to a brother in my university and say the very same thing to him, so long as the shari'ah allows it. Does it? For a lot of the things I wrote it certainly does not.. especially considering the circumstances, ie it being entirely unecessary.

Think about it plainly.... do you think Rasul Allah salAllahu 'alayhi wasallim would have had a blog? Astaghfirullah. I'm sure your heart cringed when you read that... of course he wouldn't have. One could say, "Oh... to do da'wah to the global community," in which case I'd say doubtfully, "maaaaaaaaaaaaaybe." But would he sit down and type up a lengthy post on who came over today, what classes he taught today, what he's worried about regarding the upcoming semester/year, what he bought today, where he went today etc, etc, etc? No. He simply would not have. I don't think he would have even told Abu Bakr radiAllahu 'anh, his dearest and most close companion, about most -if not all- of these things. He salAllahu 'alayhi wasallim probably wouldn't have even thought about them, let alone write them down (if he could write), let alone approach some ghayr sister and start telling her about them. I mean, astaghfirullah... really, reflect upon it.

And sisters... my dear sisters... you're too precious. You really are. Of the things of this world RasulAllah salAllahu 'alayhi wasallim loved women. He loved you and I for something unbelievably special we have. Allah subhaanahu wa ta 'aala, Possesor of the most Perfect and Beautiful Attributes, chose two particular attributes to remind us of constantly. "Ar-Rahmaan, Ar-Raheem." He is so unimaginably Merciful.. His Mercy outstrips His Wrath, He's saving 99 parts of His Mercy for that fateful Day, the Mercy He showers upon us every moment of every day is incomprehensible.. and this quality is so beloved that He chose to remind us of it again and again and again. The words Ar-Rahmaan and Ar-Raheem stem from the root "raa haa meem" which make "raham" which means "womb."

SubhaanAllah sisters, reflect upon this! We have been created with this sacred container within us, worthy of holding a little human life, fresh from the presence of Allah, still unpolluted by the fitna of this realm... and this container is the root of the rahm which naturally pours from us as women... Allah subhaanahu wa ta 'aala has given us this quality of His. Just part of the package of being female. (And what a beautiful gift.) He has bestowed upon us this attribute which from Him we will be longing for on the Day of Judgment, this beautiful quality worthy of the status of being mentioned before almost every surah in Kalaamullah, the Holy Qur'an.... And for this dear and sweet quality Rasul Allah salAllahu 'alayhi wasallim loves us. What an honour......

Why am I saying this? Because I want you, sisters, to realize how precious you are... how priceless you are. So don't sell yourself short. Live up to the status the Qur'an and Sunnah have given us. If we are told not to talk unecessarily to brothers, it's for a reason. It's to protect that sweetness within us, that purity, that barakah.... Sisters, whether you're married or unmarried, don't talk freely with brothers. Don't reveal yourself to them when that precious self was created to be shared only with your mahrams. If you're married, don't you want to stay pure for your husband? And if you're not married, which is the vast majority of sisters who read this, don't you want to be completely untarnished for your future husband? Don't you want to be untouched, unglanced upon, unspoken to so that you're entirely his and have not already been processed by another?

I noticed something a little while back which makes me sad. I rarely receive comments from certain sisters who I know read my blog, which I don't mind at all... but then I happened upon a few brothers' blogs and found their comment boxes overflowing with comments from those very sisters. It didn't bother me that they commented there rather than here, but it hurt me deeply to see the manner in which they commented to a brother, and in such a public forum. Sisters, it's not necessary.... in fact it's hurting you, whether you know it or not. Taking poison knowingly or unknowingly doesn't matter... it's still poison. Look at the sunnah- Rasul Allah salAllahu 'alayhi wasallim would either say something of benefit, or he'd stay silent. And he was silent most of the time. SubhaanAllah. If he salAllahu 'alayhi wasallim, who has the most beneficial of things to say -faaaaaaaaaaaar more beneficial than anything we could say- would stay silent most of the time, what could we possibly have to say that's more important than him such that we feel the need to comment so often? And to a brother?

I know that some of you reading this know exactly what I mean... dispell those thoughts in your mind which are adamantly declaring, "well it's ok because this, and I'm only doing it because that." Those aren't from you. That justification is from shaytaan. That's not from you. You're purer than that, you're better than that, you're more beloved to Rasul Allah salAllahu 'alayhi wasallim than that. Don't reduce yourself to a status lower than the one Allah subhaanahu wa ta 'aala wants to raise you to. You have it in your heart, you've tasted that sweetness... cling on to it, and shed the weight of anything which is going to hold you back from getting more.

And, brothers, this all applies to you too. You can't clap with one hand. Help us behave as we should by behaving as such as well. And don't sell yourself short. You, too, have the potential to be amazing. I mean, look at your role models: Rasul Allah salAllahu 'alayhi wasallim, the sahaba radiAllahu 'anhum... even the 'ulema and awilyaa of today. You can emobody the sunnah in ways sisters never could. What a blessing... what a beautiful gift. Take advantage of that and excel.

I must apologize now, as I'm sure I've offended some people.. such is the nature of haqq. Still, if I've said anything wrong or in an inappropriate manner I would be honoured and grateful if you would correct me.

Insha'Allah from now on my blog will no longer be a blog, but rather I'll post here reminders and reflections of benefit (insha'Allah) based on things I've noticed or experienced, or I'll post things I've read which I find beautiful or helpful or effective in anyway... But insha'Allah nothing personal... no personal stories... no personal thoughts. Those are for Allah, and the people He's given me to share them with in a halaal manner : )

May Allah subhaanahu wa ta 'aala grant us the tawfiq to abandon anything displeasing to Him and embrace all that is beloved to Him. May He adorn us inwardly and outwardly with the sunnah of His beloved messenger salAllahu 'alayhi wasallim and may He make His Pleasure our only goal and desire. Ameen.

Note: All my previous blogs have been editted for things that were personal or gave away something about myself which non-mahrams have no reason to know.

Alhamdulillah.....

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

Alhamdulillahi Rabbil 'aalameen... All praise is due to Allah Most High, Most Kind, Most Caring... Who protects His servants from falling deeper into sin...

Was-salaam ma'al ikraam,
Zareen