SAFAH

Surah Duha & struggling with low mood & depression Many of us know surah ad-duha off by heart and have probably read its meaning many times as well, which seems quite straightforward. How many of us, though, have actually gone into the reason behind its revelation and derived the lessons and implications this surah has in our lives? This is a great text to save and make intention to learn the surah if you don't know it already. *Surah Ad-Duha* was revealed to Prophet Muhammad (saw) at a time when he had not received any revelation for six months, not even in the form of a dream! The Prophet (saw) was in a very disturbed state of mind, feeling negative and depressed and believing that Allah was displeased with him, had forgotten him, and did not want him as a Nabi anymore. Don’t we have similar feelings in our lives? *Times when our level of imaan is low, our khushoo in salah wavers and we feel a drop in our connection with Allah?* We feel like our duas are not being answered, our salah is not having a positive impact on our hearts, and worst of all the feeling that we’re horrible human beings, that Allah doesn’t love us or doesn’t care about us anymore. *Surah Ad-Duha* was revealed to the Prophet (saw) to relieve him of these negative feelings and to give him hope, positivity, and the assurance that Allah is with him no matter what. From it we too can find peace, hope, and a renewed faith in Allah when we go through similar states of depression, sadness, and hopelessness. So what does this surah say? *Wad duhaa*— By the morning brightness This is the first thing you need to hear when you’re depressed: Wake up, look at the sunshine! Everything in life is not doom and gloom– you just have to look up! *Wal laili iza sajaa*— And [by] the night when it covers with darkness, Why is this aayah immediately talking about darkness? As a reminder to us that the night is meant to cover and give us comfort and rest. Generally when we’re depressed, we tend to get into a very bad sleep pattern by staying up at night and sleeping all day, thereby worsening our state of mind. This aayah reminds us to use the night as a comfort to ease our distress. *Ma wad da’aka rabbuka wa ma qalaa* -Your Lord has not taken leave of you, [O Muhammad], nor has He detested [you]. This is a very powerful verse from Allah telling us that He doesn’t hate us and hasn’t forgotten us– reminding the depressed person that He is always by his or her side! *Walal-aakhiratu khairul laka minal-oola*— And the Hereafter is better for you than the first [life]. Many times when we’re depressed we think: Is this all my life is going to be? Is it never going to get better? This aayah serves as a perfect answer to those questions, reminding us that life in this world is temporary and that Aakhira is certainly a better, more permanent place for us than this world could ever be. This makes us look forward to attaining our place in Jannah and helps us look at any problems in our lives as temporary tests of our faith from Allah. *Wa la sawfa y’uteeka rabbuka fatarda*— And your Lord is going to give you, and you will be satisfied. A promise from Allah that very soon he will give us a massive reward (Jannah) and we will be happy! Subhanallah! Isn’t this the best thing to hear when you’re depressed and fed up with this worldly life and the problems you’re facing? *Alam ya jidka yateeman fa aawaa* – Did He not find you an orphan and give [you] refuge? From this verse onwards, Allah gives us reason to believe His declarations and promises in the first half of the surah. Now many of us may think: how would this aayah about orphans relate to the majority of us? Think about it– weren’t there many times in your life when you were sick or lonely and felt like you had nobody who cared about you? Who was the only one by your side at that time? Allah! It was He who took care of you and guided you out of that stage in life. *Wa wa jadaka daal lan fahada*— And He found you lost and guided [you]. How many of us, despite being born Muslims, have found ourselves misguided and straying away from Islam in the past? It was Allah who gave us that hidaya and brought us back to the straight path and to Him and made us practicing Muslims. Alhamdulillah! *Wa wa jadaka ‘aa-ilan fa aghnaa*— And He found you poor and made [you] self-sufficient. Many of us have probably gone through many periods in our lives when we have been short of money and wealth. Now when we look back we realize that it was only Allah who gave us that rizq in some form and got us through those tough financial times. When a person is depressed, giving him or her examples of how Allah has helped them in the past will strengthen their conviction and belief in the promises Allah makes in this surah for their future. *Fa am mal yateema fala taqhar* — So as for the orphan, do not oppress [him]. This aayah is the ultimate antidote to depression! Depressed people are mostly consumed with their situation and feel that nobody could possibly be in a worse situation. This aayah reminds us to look at people who are in far worse situations than ourselves when we’re feeling hopeless and depressed— Look at the orphans, who have no family or loved ones and nobody to care for them. We have families and parents who love us, a roof over our heads and food on the table and we still think we’re in a bad situation? Subhanallah! *Wa am mas saa-ila fala tanhar*— And as for the petitioner, do not repel [him]. Another example is of the beggar – to once again remind us of the many material blessings that Allah has given us that we take for granted – food, clothing and shelter. How many of us have ever gone to sleep hungry? How many of us don’t have clothes to wear? Or don’t have a home to go to? These examples of the orphan and the beggar are ones we should constantly remind ourselves of to be thankful for the numerous blessings Allah has given us, get over our depression and feel connected to Allah again, out of gratitude. *Wa amma bi ne’mati rabbika fahad dith* – But as for the favor of your Lord, report [it]. This final aayah is about maintaining that renewed faith and bond with Allah – by pondering, glorifying and talking about the blessings of Allah! Either in terms of halaqas, discussions with family and friends or even da’wah! Dhikr, reading quran and listening to lectures are also great ways to keep the remembrance of Allah close to your heart! So the next time you feel disconnected, disheartened or depressed with your level of Imaan and your connection with Allah – read Surah Ad Duha and ponder over its meanings – Inshallah it will restore your faith and increase your belief in the greatness of Allah.

Why are you tempted in this life? Its because you need guidance, and the best way to be guided, is to build character through temptations.

To Celebrate or Not to Celebrate… It’s that time of year again where Muslims are at difference regarding the celebration of the Prophet’s Birthday (peace be upon him). Some are in view that there is nothing wrong in celebrating, while others oppose it completely. So who’s view is the correct one ? As we know, the Prophet (peace be upon him) was born on a Monday. So the question is, did he ever commemorate his birth day ? Well, let’s take a look. When the Prophet (peace be upon him) was asked about fasting Mondays, he said: “It is (the day) when I was born and revelation was sent down to me.” Muslim 1162 e The Messenger of Allah said: "Deeds are presented on Monday and Thursday, and I love that my deeds be presented while I am fasting." Jami` at-Tirmidhi 747 From these hadiths, we can conclude that the Prophet (peace be upon him) fasted on Mondays out of gratitude that he was born on this day. It was a virtuous day in which the Revelation came down to him and when deeds are presented to Allah. Therefore, the day of his birth was one of the reason he fasted on this day. So, for those who claim that the Prophet did something special in connection to his birth, then yes, you are right. He most definitely did, how ? By fasting every Mondays. He made it a day of worship. In the light of this, those who truly and genuinely love the Prophet (peace be upon him), will follow his teachings and adhere to his Sunnah, in this case, fasting Mondays. Allah says in the Quran: Say (O Muhammad to mankind): "If you (really) love Allah then follow me, Allah will love you and forgive you of your sins. And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful." (3:31) The question now is… did the Prophet (peace be upon him) ever celebrate the DATE in which he was born ? The answer: No. If we look at all the authentic hadiths available, you will come to learn that never did the Prophet (peace be upon him) nor his companions (may Allah be pleased with him) designate a day from the year to commemorate his birth. And looking back at the righteous predecessors and earlier generations, none of them celebrated a specific date from the year to remember the Prophet (peace be upon him) but rather, they would fast on Mondays. No one ever loved the Prophet (peace be upon him) more than his companions and the earlier generations, so if they saw good in celebrating, they would have done so. So it's very important that we hold strong to the sunnah and not be misguided by wrong teachings. As the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: Indeed, whomever among you lives, he will see much difference. Beware of the newly invented matters, for indeed they are astray. Whoever among you sees that, then he must stick to my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the rightly guided Khulafa', cling to it with the molars." Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2676 Now, we should ask ourselves another question… Do we really know the EXACT date in which the Prophet (peace be upon him) was born ? Until today, the exact date is unclear and there are no authentic hadiths or proofs deriving the date in which the Prophet (peace be upon him) was born. As a matter of fact, scholars have not only differed regarding the date he was born, but the month as well. The only authentic information we have regarding the birth of the Prophet (peace be upon him) is that he was born in Mecca on a Monday in the Year of the Elephant. Let's look at another point now. Birthdays. Did you know that the idea of celebrating birthdays is a Pagan tradition ? Now, if the Prophet (peace & blessings be upon him) knew that we turned his "supposed" date of birth into a practice derived from a Pagan tradition, do you think he would accept and be happy about that ? Remember the hadith : When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) came to Medina, the people had two days on which they engaged in games. He asked: What are these two days (what is the significance)? They said: We used to engage ourselves on them in the pre-Islamic period. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Allah has substituted for them something better than them, the day of sacrifice (Eid Al-Adha) and the day of the breaking of the fast (Eid Al-FItr). (Abi Dawud 1134) The religion has been completed over 1400 years ago. If the Prophet (peace be upon him) knew of any good in celebrating his birthday, he would have advised us to do the same to show our love for him. So we should be very cautious to keep away from innovation as the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Whoever innovates anything in this matter of ours (i.e., Islam), that is not part of it will have it rejected." Muslim 1718 a The Prophet (peace be upon him) should not be remembered with deep love only once a year, but daily. Remember, leaving your prayers, abandoning the teaching of the Prophet, committing sins then coming to show true love for him on this one day is not called real love. But rather, it's following his footsteps and teachings, learning about his life, sending peace and prayers on him everyday is what real love means. May Allah make us from those who follow his every footstep and keep us away from sin and innovation. ... This day have I perfected your religion for you and completed My favour to you, and have chosen for you as religion al-Islam. [Qur'an 5:3]

The right woman is a blessing from Allah. If you have a woman by your side, who makes you feel at ease, a woman who you feel at peace with. When you look at her you feel love and mercy in your heart. She defends your honor and you defend hers. She fears her Creator and you fear Him. She cares about your rights and you care about hers. If you love each other for the sake of Allah, if you care about each others akhira and do everything to make each other better. If you got this.. You are richer than most people. I often talk about love because i really believe that a strong and peaceful household, built out of love of Allah, fearing Allah is the solution to a lot of problems we have these days. Thats what makes this ummah strong. A strong household makes you strong as a individual. Especially as a man, the best thing you can give a woman, your family is knowledge. Invest in each other, and each others akhira. A motivation for me to gain knowledge is so im able to teach my family. Alhamdulillah.. may Allah grant us a household in which we feel at peace and ease. A household that has ghair and barakah in it. A woman that has your back, and does whatever she can to make you happy. A household built out of Love for Allah. A household in which knowledge is spread. (Im not trying to romanticize anything but honestly, love and mercy between a husband and wife are signs from Allah. When the love fades away, there will still be mercy, and in sha Allah love comes back). A good woman can make a man feel like a king. A good household is your Jannah on earth. But it requires hard work, commitment and patience. Bradley Morrell

I think life is way too short to have bad blood with anyone. If anyone hurts you, forgive & move on for the sake of Allah.

There’s someone having their worst day today, there’s someone having their best day today. Someone is going through a tough trial, and someone is being blessed through the du’ā they made. Someone lost something/someone today, and someone got something/ someone today. There’s that person, laughing like never before, and then there’s another one, crying their eyes out. Every single person is going through something, whether it be happiness or sadness, blessings or trials, every one of us went through something today. The next day it might be the other way around. The thing is, nothing and absolutely NOTHING lasts forever. Give thanks to Allāh azza wa jal and try to be grateful through everything you’re/you’ll go through.

*Today's Beautiful Hadith is about Accepted Supplications* Abu Huraira (RA) reported that Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) said: The supplication of every one of you is granted if he does not grow impatient and says: I supplicated but it was not granted. (Sahih Muslim, Book 48, Hadith 125) 👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇 When your Lord is patient with you, allows you to grow, forgives your sins and accepts your prayers, how can you not be patient with the one who granted you patience to start with? Have faith and hope that your duas will be answered, every prayer has its allotted reward.

*Today's Beautiful Hadith is about Major Sins* Anas (RA) narrated from the Apostle (peace be upon him) about the major sins. He (the Holy Prophet) observed: Associating anyone with Allah, disobedience to parents, killing a person and false utterance. (Sahih Muslim, Book 1, Hadith 166) 👇👇👇👇 Always protect your imaan. Your hands, your thoughts, your heart and your tongue. Avoid major sins and Insha'Allah you will be of the successful.

*Today's Beautiful Hadith is about Seeking Refuge* Narrated Masruq (RA): `Aisha (RA) said that a Jewess came to her and mentioned the punishment in the grave, saying to her, "May Allah protect you from the punishment of the grave." `Aisha then asked Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) about the punishment of the grave. He said, "Yes, (there is) punishment in the grave." `Aisha added, "After that I never saw Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) but seeking refuge with Allah from the punishment in the grave in every prayer he prayed." (Sahih al-Bukhari, Vol. 2, Book 23, Hadith 125) 👇👇👇👇👇 In every Salah, seek refuge in Allah from the punishment of the grave. We should always be grateful for all we have, seek forgiveness for the sins we know about and those we don't, and remember that every time you ask of Allah (swt), He is listening and will respond

You are an Author Aisha (radi Allahu anha) narrated: “Once I began to cry at the thought of Hell. The Messenger of Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) asked me, ‘What makes you cry?’ and I answered, ‘The thought of Hell frightened me. Will you remember your family on the Day of Judgment?’ At that, the Messenger of Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) replied, “There are three occasions when no one will remember anyone else: first, when the Scales of Justice are set up to determine whether the weight of one’s good deeds is heavier or lighter; second, when the Books of Deeds are delivered until the time it is determined in which hand the Book of Deeds will be delivered to each person – in his right hand or in his left hand or from behind – and upon receiving it in the right hand, a truthful believer will joyously show it to others and say, ‘Read it’; and third, when the Bridge will be placed over the pit of Hell, and everyone will be commanded to walk over it.’” [Abu Dawud] We each write our own Book of Deeds. We are all authors... even the illiterate! We each write our own books in life; non-fiction, non-stop, from scene to scene until our deaths. Our books remain in edit for as long as we live. We can erase with repentance and write over bad deeds with good deeds. The Day of Judgement is our Day of Exposition (Yawm al-Ardh); that is the day we have our books published; that is the Day of Viewing, Accounting and Recompense. We do not sell our literary works to publishers; rather, we are the sole buyers of our masterpieces. Its contents are put in the Scales of Justice and they determine whether we will be able to cross the Bridge to Paradise or not. You’re an author too. So take note of what you’re writing. May Allah subhanahu wata'ala guide and protect us. Ameen.

*Today's Hadith is about Marriage* It was narrated from Aishah (RA) that: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “Marriage is part of my sunnah, and whoever does not follow my sunnah has nothing to do with me. Get married, for I will boast of your great numbers before the nations. Whoever has the means, let him get married, and whoever does not, then he should fast for it will diminish his desire.” (Sunan Ibn Majah, Vol. 3, Book 9, Hadith 1846) 👇👇👇👇👇👇👇 May Allah (swt) bless all our spouses, all those getting married and all who are seeking to get married. Family is important in Islam from maintaining the ties of the womb to having love and mercy for your spouse. Reflect on your relationship with your husband and wife and thank Allah for having someone to help push (or pull) you to Jannah!

Faith can move mountains... Beautiful story!! This brought tears down my eyes this morning...!!! Its worth a read. Allah is Faithful! - The Best article I've Read This Year! In the country of Armenia, in 1988, Samuel and Danielle sent their young son, Armand, off to school. Samuel squatted before his son and looked him in the eye. "Have a good day at school, and remember, no matter what, I’ll always be there for you." They hugged and the boy ran off to school. Hours later, a powerful earthquake rocked the area. In the midst of the pandemonium, Samuel and Danielle tried to discover what happened to their son but they couldn’t get any information. The radio announced that there were thousands of casualties. Samuel then grabbed his coat and headed for the schoolyard. When he reached the area, what he saw brought tears to his eyes. Armand’s school was a pile of debris. Other parents were standing around crying. Samuel found the place where Armand’s classroom used to be and began pulling a broken beam off the pile of rubble. He then grabbed a rock and put it to the side, and then grabbed another one. One of the parents looking on asked, "What are you doing?" "Digging for my son," Samuel answered. The man then said, "You’re just going to make things worse! The building is unstable," and tried to pull Samuel away from his work. Samuel just kept working. As time passes on, one by one, the other parents left. Then a worker tried to pull Samuel away from the rubble. Samuel looked at him and said, "Won’t you help me?" The worker left and Samuel kept digging. All through the night and into the next day, Samuel continued digging. Parents placed flowers and pictures of their children on the ruins. But, Samuel just kept working. He picked up a beam and pushed it out of the way when he heard a faint cry. "Help! Help!" Samuel listened but didn’t hear anything again. Then he heard a muffled voice, "Papa?" Samuel began to dig furiously. Finally he could see his son. "Come on out, son!" he said with relief. "No," Armand said. "Let the other kids come out first because I know you’ll get me." Child after child emerged until, finally, little Armand appeared. Samuel took him in his arms and Armand said, "I told the other kids not to worry because you told me that you’d always be there for me!" Fourteen children were saved that day because one father was faithful. How much more faithful is our Allah Almighty! Whether trapped by fallen debris or ensnared by life’s hardships and struggles and diseases such as Covid 19, we are never cut off from Allah’s faithfulness. He is true to His character. He is reliable and trustworthy and can always be counted on. Trust Allah to the end. Don't break the chain of this story by reading alone, you might be encouraging someone. Encourage someone, pick up someone, lend a helping hand, keep your word, always. Lead by example so that people know who to trust....

Imagine you spent your entire life worshipping Allah, fasting, praying, giving loads of charity, even did Hajj and it all went to waste. Why?💔 Because you simply could not keep your mouth shut about others! -Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said: "Backbiting is more grievous than adultery and Allah, will not forgive the backbiter until the one wronged has forgiven him." Do not backbite muslims, and do not search for their faults, for if anyone searches for their faults, Allaāh will search for his faults. And if Allah searches for the fault of anyone, He humilities him (even if he hides) in his house.🍂 "And do not spy or backbite each other. Would one of you like to eat the flesh of his brother dead? you would detest it." (49:12)♥️🥀

*Today's Hadith is about Supplication* It was narrated from Jabir bin ‘Abdullah (RA) that he heard the Prophet (peace be upon him) say: “When a man enters his house, and remembers Allah when he enters and when he eats, Satan says: ‘You have no place to stay and no supper.’ If he enters his house and does not remember Allah upon entering, Satan says: ‘You have found a place to stay.’ And if he does not remember Allah when he eats, (Satan) says: ‘You have found a place to stay and supper.’” (Sunan Ibn Majah, Vol. 5, Book 34, Hadith 61) 👇👇👇👇👇👇 Protect your house, your meals and yourself from Satan. Remember these duas, say Bismillah before doing anything and keep the remembrance of Allah (swt) in your heart and on your tongue. He will protect you always!

If you focus on hurt, you will continue to suffer. If you focus on the lesson, you will continue to grow. Allah is enough!