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Virtues of Salah – Spiritual & Physical Benefits – Part Two

Hello everyone am back to my writing I know its been very long just got busy during Ramadan. Hope you all liked my previous blog on spiritual benefits of salah , today I will be throwing some light on the perspective of physical benefits of each posture and why the salah is performed in alloted time is beneficial for human health.

Each rakah of the salah consist of 7 postures with 2 extra at the end of every group. On an average a person will be performing 119 postures a day , studies have shown that daily prayers will account to an energy expenditure of 80 calories / day with a rate of spending 6 minutes for two rakahs. Oh I should also start praying slowly and steadily . The following are the postures that make a rakah:

Takbir – standing
Qayyam – standing
Ruku – bowing
Qayyam – standing
Sajdah – prostration
Jalsa – sitting
Sajdah – prostration
Jalsa – sitting
Salaam – turning head from right to left (performed at end of each group)

We will look into each and every posture as to how it is beneficial for our physical health.

Takbeer & Qiyyam / Standing

The total duration of both the postures combined together should be about 1.5minutes, studies have shown that standing upright will help in even distribution of weight which helps the body to attain its central equilibrium, helps in strengthening the back and improves posture.

Ruku/ Bowing

Ruk’u is forward flexion of lumbar spine and flexion at hip joint performed for 6-8seconds, in this posiiton knee joint bears load in extension.This position stretches the para spinal muscles of lumbar spine, hamstrings, and calves (gastrocnemius & soleus) muscles.It strengthens the back, extends the spine and increases the flexibility of hips and hamstrings. It relieve the stiffness at spine, neck, and back and help to improves posture as well as balance and co-ordination. Ruk’u is good for the lower vertebral column, trunk stability and provides a gentle distraction at vertebras.

Sajdah / Prostration

Perfomed for 10 – 12 seconds this posiiton allows the postural neck muscles to be activated in order to control the neutral head position in lowering down, and while lifting it from the floor. The hands are also stretched out in a manner that allows the forearm as well as the arm muscles to bear weight.Al- Gazal (2006) and Ayad (2008) stated that prostration is the only position in which the head is in a position lower than the heart and therefore, receives increased blood supply to the brain, stimulates the brain’s frontal cortex. This reduces the chances of brain hemorrhage.

Jalsa/ Sitting

This position lasts for 40-60 seconds in every second rakah ,in this pose muscles at the front of the ankle and foot are stretched. It stretches the tibalis anterior, the extensor hallucis longus (with toe extended), the quads and gluteus muscles (while knees and hips are flexed).Sitting with lower back in good posture will help to strengthen core muscles. Core strengthening has a strong theoretical basis in treatment and prevention of LBP.

Salaam / Neck turns

Salam is an excellent form of neck and upper vertebrae exercise. Salam is an excellent form of neck and upper vertebrae exercise. Al- Gazal and Ayad et al. (2008) stated that the neck muscles, in particular, are strengthened such that it is uncommon to find a person offering regular Salah prostrating at least 40 times a day to suffer from cervical spondylosis or myalgias.

SubhanAllah such is the blessing of Allah isn’t it wonderful to know that each and every posture that we perform is been very precisely designed to benefit each and every muscle in our body. It is considered as a fullbody workout.

Source: Physical benefits of (Salah) prayer – Strengthen the faith & fitness – Ghazal Kamran*

Now next part is the timing , how many times have we wondered as to why only on these particular timing we perform salah. Let us look at the reaosns:

Fajr – performed before sunrise: Studies show that working out in the early morning hours will give a good feeling that you have accomplished something, morning workout will give a boost of 20% more fat burn, also it will imcrease the metabolism threrfore continuing the calorie burn throughout the day .

Zohr – performed midday: So the day has started all of us are busy working on our laptops and fulfillig our professional duties. Recently if you have been following the trends going on in corporate sector you would have noticed one such trend is companies are forcing their employees to take a break and do some minimun physical movents liek standin, bending , flexing,turnign the neck etc., If we noitice Zohr salah is to be perfomed midday and it involves all the necessary activites. The lunchtime workout gives your eyes, your brain, and your body a much-needed break from your sedentary 9 to 5.

Asr – performed between Zohr and sunset & Maghrib – this is performed at sunset: between 2pm – 6pm we are said to have highest body temperature which means our body is ready for the activity and will make most of it very effectively. Studies say that evening execise routine will also help in getting a some sleep. Performing salah in a very much involved manner can also relax from the stress you encountered through out the day from work or at home.

Isha – performed between Maghrib and midnight: Late night exercise is what we can do to have a good nights sleep , performing any type of physical activity one our before sleeping helps in getting peaceful sleep , inshallah. It can also be considered as a stress reliving activity.

So these are the physical and spiritual benefits of performing salah, Hope you all enjoyed this perspective of reading salah. Indeed everyting given by Allah swt is beneficial for humans in every possible way , its blessing in disguise which we often tend to ignore.

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Virtues of Salah – Spiritual & Physical benefits – Part One

Salaam and a very good morning, today we are observing the 17th of Ramadan Alhamdulillah. Today we are going to see a very spiritual topic about “salah”. I know you all must be knowing what is salah, why we do and everything but as always my blogs have a small twist and Inshallah it will enlighten all my readers on something better, as there are many muslims out there who may or may not know as much as the others who are aware about the imporatnce of salah.

Spiritual significance of Salah

“Salah” the second pillar of Islam,is the form of worship performed after “Adhaan”‘ the call for prayer / call for success it is performed with different postures complied in a series of systemic repetition called “Rakats” or “rakah”. Salah is prayed 5 times a day and it is said to establish a connection between Allah (swt) and the individual. It is a very simple concept for eg. 1) you meet a person and you wish to befriend him, what do you do ? we try to get their contact call them , meet them , spend time with them to know them better and to strengthen your friendship. 2) you meet a new client for your business how do you gain his trust and get the deal? it is by meeting him frequently you improve the ties and gain face value , get the client to know your company and you better , you find his weaknesses and strength. Salah is also based on same concept of meeting your creator Allah (swt) 5 times in a day and work on increasing your face value and strengtheing the friendship. I call this freindship because it is always a friend to whom we turn to in time of need, Allah (swt) is that friend who knows all the deepestest darkest secrests and thoughts of our heart and mind, He knows what is our past,present and future , and you can confess anything to him at anytime He is always listening and He will not let you down in front of others if you have asked for forgivness with a pure heart.

Allah says in the Holy Quran” O ye who believe! seek help with patient perseverance and prayer; for Allah is with those who patiently persevere”.[2:153]. There are five separate daily prayers which are to be performed at given times, along with their blessings is mentioned below:

Fajr – this is performed before sunrise – There is glow (noor) in your face
Zohr – this is performed midday -There is blessing in your income
Asr – this is performed between Zohr and sunset – There is strength in your body
Maghrib – this is performed at sunset – There comes beauty in your iman ( faith)
Isha – this is performed between Maghrib and midnight – There is peace in your sleep.

Fajr – The Dawn Prayer

Fajr prayer comprises of 2 rakahs of Fard (obligatory) and 2 rakahs of Sunnah( act by Prophet Muhammed (saw)) . Its a wonderful feeling to pray the Fajr prayers when everything around you is calm and quite, one can really feel the spiritual connection being established. Prophet Muhammad (SAW) said: “Whoever offers the Morning Prayer, he is under the protection of Allah, the Mighty and Sublime”(Ibn Majah). Fajr prayer ensures that we begin our day with a good vibe & positivity .

Zohr – The Noon Prayer

Zohr prayer comprises of 4 rakahs of Sunnah, 4 rakahs of Fard, 2 rakas of Sunnah and 2 rakas of Nafil (optional) .A call for success in the middle of working hours, how important is that call hence the blessing will be seen in your income Inshallah. It is that time of the day wen the gates of heavens are open and it is very important to perform good deeds during this period.

Asr – The Afternoon Prayer

It is considered as the most important prayer of the day it filled with blessings from Allah (swt). It comprises of 4 rakas of Sunnah and 4 rakas of Fard. Prophet Muhammad (SAW) said: “He who performs Salat (prayers) before the rising of the sun and before its setting, will not enter the Hell.” (Muslim). “This prayer (salat ul Asr) was ever obliged to the people before you, but they wasted it. So whoever keeps this prayer, hence for him the reward is doubled “ (Muslim). Offering Asr prayer will give you success in life as well as in the Hereafter.

Maghrib – The Sunset Prayer

The Maghrib salah is comprised of 3 Fard rakahs, 2 Sunnah rakahs and 2 Nafil rakahs. Prophet Muhammed (SAW) said, “And the time of Maghrib salah extends so long as there is some glow left on the (western) horizon.” (Muslim). Salamah ibn Akwah (RA) has said, “The Messenger (SAW) used to perform the Maghrib salah immediately after the sun has set, when its upper side would disappear.” (Abu Dawood). It is advised by the Prophet Muhammed (saw) to stay indoors during maghrib time , He says “Do not let your animals and children go out when the sun has set, until the first part of the night is over, for the devils come out when the sun sets until the first part of the night is over.” (Muslim) . We can rightly understand how important it is to perform maghrib salah on time and increae the beauty of out iman.

Isha – The Night Prayer

The last prayer of the day comprises of 4 rakahs of Sunnah , 4 rakahs of Fard, 2 rakahs of Sunnah and 2 rakahs of Nafil. 3 rakahs of Witr are performed separatly it’s not a part of Isha salah. Prophet Muhammad (saw) said: “Whoever offers Isha salah in jama’ah it is as though he spent half the night in worship. And whoever offers fajr salah in jama’ah it is as though he spent the entire night in worship.” (Muslim), such is the greatness of Isha salah. Offering the prayer before going to sleep will benefit one to have a peaceful sleep.

So these were the fundamental spiritual benefits of salah. Inshallah in part two we will see on how the procedure of performing salah is beneficial to us both spiritually and physically.

Arabic words of the day

Adhaan – call for prayer

Salah – form of worship

Noor – glow

Iman – faith

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Faith – To Believe in Unseen – Seen Fading

Hello , Salaam , Good Morning to all my followers and ardent readers, we will be completing 6 weeks of lockdown soon what is the one thing that keeps us going strong is the “Faith” we believe this too shall pass and a much better future is waiting for all of us, that is perfectly planned by Allah(swt).

But these days I personally find somewhere this belief in unseen is fading, not only in the younger generation but it’s also seen in people from older generation. People don’t want to marry get into a commitment; don’t want to have kids they are terrified if they will be a good parent or will they be blessed to provide their children with good education , love and affection; you go way beyond your principles to get the business deals done; to maintain a child’s performance in academics a parent will see to it that the teacher is given the best gift to make his child stay on top and many more.

Why is it that we are not able to put that complete trust in the superpower without whose knowledge it’s impossible even for a leaf to move . It is mentioned in The Holy Quran “And with Him are the keys of the unseen; none knows them except Him. And He knows what is on the land and in the sea. Not a leaf falls but that He knows it. And no grain is there within the darknesses of the earth and no moist or dry [thing] but that it is [written] in a clear record.” Surah Al -An’am.

When it comes to life long commitment why are we scared to take the plunge and say “I Do” , Allah (swt) says “And among His signs is this, that He created for you mates from among yourselves, that you may dwell in tranquility with them, and He has put love and mercy between your hearts. Verily in that are signs for those who reflect.” (Quran 30:21). We can argue then why do marriages fail or why eveyone doesn’t have a happy marriage Allah says “And we have made some of you (people) as trial for others – will you have patience? And ever is your Lord, Seeing” (Quran 25:20). There is a plan made by the master planner for everyone of us for every walk of life. To all my single readers there go ahead take the step life will change for better stay with eachother ,support eachother no matter what never complain or make fun of your spouse in public, and those having trouble in their marrigae hang in there give your best shot , discuss and solve the issues have faith things will get better. If nothing works take your decision and leave the rest to the superpower, master planner.

When I look at couples who are doubtful about their parenting ability I feel heartbroken, I completely understand that it’s a couple’s personal choice whether they want to have their own or adopt. My advice to them is there is no “right time” to be parents and there is nothing as “good or bad parent”, you just have to go with the flow and it’s wonderful feeling to have the little one around as your partner in everything you do. The couple need to be confident about themselves that they will be able to provide the child with the best as Allah (swt) is also known as “Ar – Razzaq – The Provider” . It is mentioned in the Quran “Every time Zakariya entered upon her in the prayer chamber, he found with her provision. He said, “O Maryam, from where is this [coming] to you?” She said, “It is from Allah. Indeed, Allah provides for whom He wills without account.” (Al Qur’an 3:37). For all those couples out there who are trying hard to be parents do not lose hope when Prophet Zakariya (AS) was very much excited on seeing the miracles of Allah (Swt) he prayed with utmost faith in Allah (swt) asking for a child as he had become very old and his wife was labelled barren by his people. But Allah (swt) answered his prayers an angel comes with good news confirming that he will have a child , “My Lord, how will I have a boy when I have reached old age and my wife is barren?” The angel said, “Such is Allah; He does what He wills.” (Al Qur’an 3:40) , have faith your prayers will be answered .

Wealth and richness is something that we human beings are not satisfied with we always have the need to have more ,to live better, to have a better way of life to achieve all these the path we choose is of utmost importance. Doesn’t matter you are employeed, an entrerpreneur, small scale bussiness or have a partnership firm the wealth you gain should be earned from lawful ways. Be a just worker or leader, I will not adrress the head as boss as I belive in leading the team to the success and celebrate the togetherness, and not by bossing around and claiming the success belongs to me. The job or bussiness has to be based on principles Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 11 Surah Hud verse 85:(Prophet Shuaib said ): “And O my people! Give just measure and weight, nor withhold from the people the things that are their due: commit not evil in the land with intent to do mischief. Chapter 4 Surah Nisaa verse 29:O you who have believed! Do not devour one anothers property by unlawful ways; but do business with mutual consent. So why do we see people indulge in such activites 1) arrogance 2) greed 3) fear of losing what is attained 4) fear of being questioned. Only if a human realises “Allah increases the provision (rizq) for whom he wills, and straitens (it from whom He wills), and they rejoice in the life of the world, whereas the life of this world as compared with the hereafter is but a brief passing enjoyment” [TMQ Ar-Ra’d: 26]. We as humans live to impress in this bridge without realising that the end is what matters. To my readers who are struggling hard to get back to work, who are stuck as they are not being paid justly, who are waiting to win a deal stay there stay strong always remember the promise of Allah (swt) “We provide for you” [TMQ Al-Anaam:151].

The present lockdown situation is not something new to mankind, Allah(swt) has always grounded us humans in different ways. Stories of prophets from the Holy Quran are a wonderful example for us to comprehend the present situation for example Prophet Yunus (pbuh) left his people and went off in anger, he was locked down in the belly of the whale till he realized his mistake and asked for forgiveness. Upon return he found his people have submitted to Allah (swt) his happiness had no bound. When Maryam(pbuh) was chosen to bear a pure boy, she was advised to go to a remote place , she gave birth to prophet Isa (pbuh) . There are many more examples to be appreciated in The Holy Quran.

What we learn from these is we should take this time of lockdown during Ramadan as a blessing in disguise and make the most of it . Let’s take time to realize , accept our sins and ask for forgiveness. Prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h.) said that this dua( la ilaha illa anta subhanaka inni kuntu minaz-zalimin)is useful for receiving patience during hardships in our affairs and acknowledging our mistakes while seeking Allah’s protection. We are at the peak of lockdown there is no time to go back , we need to hold our faith firmly in Allah (swt) that the life will go back to normal. Allah (swt) says So We responded to him and saved him from the distress. And thus do We save the believers.” (Qur’an 21:88).

Arabic word for Faith – Eman

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Deck the Halls ,it’s Ramadan time, Blessings time.

Inshallah coming friday will be the first of Ramadan for us , hope you all are getting prepared for this blessed month. We are set almost alhamdulillah, with this lockdown we are very carefully doing our shopping and stocking for Ramadan.

I know am late to post this blog , you see am also handling my full time instagram page https://www.instagram.com/chidakhan/ on food do visit and follow me there too, it gets really difficult to capture edit and post my videos and photos. So i basically juggle between insta, blogging and being the Queen of my House ;).

Back to the topic of “Ramadan the month of blessing” why do muslims all around the world believe this to be the most blessed month , let’s take a look at few proofs: “(Allah said), ‘Every good deed of Adam’s son is for him except fasting; it is for Me. and I shall reward (the fasting person) for it.’ Verily, the smell of the mouth of a fasting person is better to Allah than the smell of musk.” (Bukhari) The Holy Quran states: “Ramadan is the (month) in which the Quran was sent down, as a guide to mankind and a clear guidance and judgment (so that mankind will distinguish from right and wrong).” (Quran,2:185) “Allah has made Laylat al-Qadr in this month, which is better than a thousand months, as Allaah says…The Night of Al-Qadr is better than a thousand months. Therein descend the angels and the Rooh [Jibreel (Gabriel)] by Allaah’s Permission with all Decrees, there is peace until the appearance of dawn.” — Al-Qadar 97:1-5 The Messenger of Allah (saw) said, “When the month of Ramadan starts, the gates of the heaven are opened and the gates of Hell are closed and the devils are chained.” (Imam Bukhari) … From the above verses we understand clearly that how blessed the month is going to be, Rewarded by Allah (swt) , gates of paradise being opened, the night of power also falls in this month about which we will discuss in future blogs.

**All handmade homemade decor –** Salt dough moons, crochet lanterns and paper lanterns

I have started preparation as to how am I going to make most of it with the family being involved. My son and I put up a very cute Ramadan decor for him to understand a very important month is coming up , we are having a countdown for Ramadan to start, I keep giving him little insights about Ramadan and my husband & I encourage him to perform prayer with us and he loves to do that which will be continued through out Ramadan Inshallah.

Ramadan Activities given by my neighbour

But for a toddler how else can I make the most of it as children do not have to fast, however as parents we can encourage them to take part in observing fast by waking them up for suhoor (meal before dawn) , performing salah , and planning out various activities. So my very lovey neighbour gave us a “tree of good deed” so every good deed he does he gets an apple or a sticker to put up on the tree. We can make a Ramadan calender where there can be dua of the day, surah of the day , names of Allah (swt), names of surahs, islamic tirvia, good deed of the day etc. As parents we can keep a check on the Ramadan activities performed by our child and we can give them a special reward on Eid day.

Gergean- goodie bags for kids.
picture courtesy: flickr.com

Here in Middle East there is a very cute tradition called “Gergean” where children dress up in traditional clothes, go to neighbors house from door to door knocking, singing traditional songs and asking for candy & nuts. It’s usually done on 15th of Ramadan when the moon is full . It’s a fun way to keep the expectations of children high during this month, kids love to dress up and sing around. Some families keep this as a mark of motivation for kids to fast if they complete 15 days of fasting on “Gergean” night they are gifted and encouraged to fast until Eid.

As for adults to fast is not only from food and water, the real meaning is the fast of Ruh(soul) and Nafs (self – conscious). Allah (swt) says in Quran “Indeed the nafs that overwhelmingly commands a person to do sin”.[12:53]. So its not enough to refrain from food and drink we should also refrain ourselves from gossiping, backbitting, lying, having ill toughts about others,jealousy & anger. Its indeed a month of test for every soul.

Let’s all get in the festive and spiritual mood , stay home decorate , pray together with family the best of the things that can be done, spread some positivity and hope this lockdown ends before Eid and we all have a very joyful month of Ramadan.

Arabic words

Ruh – soul

Nafs – self

Gergean – Knocking

Ramadan – 9th month of islamic calendar

Kareem – generous

RAMADAN KAREEM from Adiba, Mohsin & Zidan.

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Contentment – Secret of happiness, success & a sign of wealth.

Have we ever be contented with what Allah(swt) has blessed us with , its human nature to always want more than what we have be it – grades, house, car, gadgets,clothes, jewellery , a higher position in society, more riches, even kids these days want more than what the parent can offord or its soemtimes the other way round also as parents want their kids be accessible to the best possible.

A drive to achieve things is very important in life till it doesn’t become the reason for one to run behind more riches, status , fame , position & succumb to greed .The Prophet advised his Ummah (nation) to have contentment when he said: “If you are content with what Allah has given you, you will be the richest person.”

When a person is not contended with what he has he will never be satisfied with how much ever he has, he will be driven to satisfy his needs but he will never find peace and happiness in his earnings. Which might lead to anxiety and other mental health issues.The Prophet Muhammed (saws) said, “Riches does not mean having a great amount of property; real wealth is self-contentment.” Sahih Bukhari (Book 81, Chapter 15) . This is something that we do to ourselves when are passing through life we always look up to those who have more than us its human tendency to do so , but for a change if we look at those who have lesser than us and say Alhamdulillah – all thanks to Allah for whatever we have the prespective of life will change . Reported by Abu Hurairah that the Messenger of Allah said:” Look at those who are lower than you, and don’t look at those who are higher than you, so that you will not disgrace the blessings of Allah on you.”

As a young parents I often wonder, how are going to teach our son to be contented with what Allah (swt ) has blessed him with , it’s a very difficut task for us as parents to do so, but we try our best to make him understand. We as parents assume that the child will not undertand, so let’s give in for their tantrums but trust me you will be surprised to see how maturely they can take up the whole concpet of not getting or having something that the other person possess and be happy with the available alternate provided.

How do we teach “contentment the real wealth” to our kids is first by being contented ourselves, children learn from their parents they play the major role in there life until they join a full time school. We as parents can first show them by the concept of limitation- set limits for everything like buying toys, clothes, screen time, pocket money, outing and anything that the parent feels is going off limits. The parent should show the kid that they themselve have limited many resources and yet they are happy and contented. Concept of being grateful – we should teach our kids to be grateful and thankful for how their day had passed, discuss it during the dinner time appreciate for whatever good deed they have done. My husband and I personally appreciate the minimalist effort put in by our son in daily chores and we also make it a point he thanks Allah (Swt) for the blessed day he had. Celeberate every small win – as a family how often do we celebrate the “DAY”- dress up , order food , set the table up, light the candles, take pictures , play games, enjoy and cherish every moment you will make a lot of lovely memories for your children to remember and you wil be giving the a contented childhood. Concept of sharing ,caring and giving – Nowadays I see many of my friend’s kids are unabel to understand sharing with friends as parents tend to provide everything in their own home. I remember as kids we used to go and play in our cousins or neighbours house we always use to share our toys I migh tnot have everything in my house so we used to exchange and borrow from each other. We shoul not povide our kids with everythign that they see in their friends or cousins house it’s ok let them go and ask them to use it and we should also teach our child to share their things with their cousins an friends. Always teach them to smile, care for and respect others. The Prophet said: “Your smile for your brother is a charity. Your removal of stones, thorns or bones from the paths of people is a charity. Your guidance of a person who is lost is a charity.” (Bukhari).

So brothers and sisters with just two weeks for the Ramadan its time to teach our future generation the real meaning of wealth the Prophet gave us glad tidings as he said: “Successful is the person who adopted Islam, has been provided with what is just sufficient for his needs, and been made content by Allah with what He has given him.”

Allah (swt) says in Quran “Your wealth and your children are but a trial, and Allah has with Him a great reward.” ( Surah At-Taghabun, 64: 15). Let’s say Alhamdulillah for how blessed we are and walk towards the journey of becomign a true believer.

Arabic words

Alqhanatu, Ridaa – Contentment

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Patience – The highest virtue

Today lets look at one very important and highest virtue of islam “Sabr” – Patience.

I reside in KSA and yesterday there came an announcement that the region I live is also going on a 24 hour curfew meaning we will only be allowed to go out for bare essentials within our neighborhood. Panic struck everyone it’s a very obvious reaction , but else we can do there were many versions of how and how not things are going to be, it became very chaotic. All online applications that deliver food and grocery are busy for two days, eggs and potato going out of stock can you imagine.

Then as the day passed public realised it’s nothing different from the previous day we only need to plan out our visit to store or place online order by being calm and patient “Indeed, the patient will be given their reward without account.” [Az-Zumar: 10]

This was just one scenario of how important it is to be patient. We as humans lose our patience many times during the walk of our life, eg. when our loved one passes away we forget to remember “Truly, to Allah we belong and truly, to Him we shall return.” [Noble Quran 2:156] , when we lose money in our financial dealings, in sickness, during natural calamities , when an honest person is accused of something unfair, when we get into argument with our family, friends or coworkers, when our children trouble us in the most childish way possible etc., we lose our patience, get angry , scold them , complain to Allah (swt) for doing this to us, for putting us through such hardship, what we forget here is “Allah does not burden a soul beyond that it can bear…” (Qur’an, 2:286).

How are we going to attain this level of patience is the bigger question here but the answer is very simple if a person loves Allah (swt) it becomes much easier for him to be patient, calm and compost as he believes everything comes to him Allah (swt) and there is defintely a reason why this has happened to him. Let me give you all an example from the life of a person whom I love a lot, so this person got a very good opportunity for doing a research in Italy and was supposed to join March 2020 it was the dream oppurtunity blah blah blah everything but some how that didn’t go through so this person felt very sad and bad saying nothing happens right in life you know the usual stuff we as humans say, but now the same person said Alhamdulillah, thank you Allah (swt) that am not in Italy now.

So my beloved readers everything happens for cause trust Allah’s (swt) plan and keep trying to achieve all your goals “surely, Allah is with those who are As‑Saabiroon (the patient)” (Quran, 8:46). From this verse of Holy Quran, we can say that no matter what’s the situation we are facing we should be faithful and patient as Allah is with us He will never leave us alone.

Narrated Aisha:I asked the Messenger of Allāh (ﷺ) about plagues and he said, “They are a punishment which Allāh sends upon whomsoever He wills, but Allāh has made it a mercy to the believers. Anyone who remains in a town which is plagued with an epidemic, remaining patient and anticipating Allāh’s reward, while firmly believing that nothing will befall him other than what Allāh has preordained for him, then he will receive a reward of a martyr.” Sahih Al-Bukhari – Book 7 Hadith 616

Let’s all patiently hope this difficult phase to pass and soon we all will be seeing each other physically and not just on group calls , play areas, parks and beaches will be open too for kids to finally get out of this quarantine.

This Ramadan let’s focus on becoming As-Saabiroon. Inshallah.

Arabic words :

Sabr : Patience

As – saabiroon : The Patient.

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Arrogance & Pride

Arrogance is the camouflage of insecurity – Tim Fargo

Pride is the mother of arrogance – Toba Beta

Salaam Hello Hola everyone hope all are enjoying this lockdown with your near and dear ones and those who are away from family stay strong we are in this together.

I know am late in my post today as I was just busy with my toddler and didn’t get time to put this up. Today my blog is on a very important topic which most of us tend to ignore in oneself and always look it in others- Pride & Arrogance. There is a very thin line that seperates these two but they are always seen together.

What is pride ? What is arrogance ? A simple definition is when one is blessed abundantly by Allah (swt) it may be in wealth, health, beauty, smartness, intelligence, obedient children, loving spouse, excellent parents, extremely loving siblings, wonderful friends or spiritual status, he thinks he is superior to others or they are inferior to him.

Feeling proud of oneself: One might ask why shouldn’t I be proud if I do well in my studies, am intelligent and all capable of being praised or one might ask why shouldn’t I feel good and proud about my beauty , of course you are allowed to feel good and proud about yourself be thankful to Allah(swt) , but when this becomes the reason for you to look down on to others that’s when one becomes arrogant. If you think am beautiful and other are ugly or if you are doing well in studies and you start thinking am the smartest or if you do well financially and start considering yourself superior to others because of this, then its considered arrogance and pride in the eyes of Allah (swt).

Express feeling of arrogance by words: One might feel proud of how they have achieved whatever they have in life, their children excelling in academics, sports or mannerism, siblings or friends who are doing well in their individual life; yes we should be proud of our near and dear ones , their achievements in life and likewise but we should be careful enough to not boast about this to others and make them feel less.

Showing arrogance by action: when one is in a gathering he always act as he is the one who has excelled when compared to your friends or family, when one does not prefer to visit anyone as he feels he is better than the rest, when one refuses to accept the truth and comply with it.

Our beloved Prophet Muhammad (SAW) said that pride is the disease which is the greatest sin in the sight of Allah Almighty; one who is proud is arrogant. People who are arrogant will not enter paradise. “None shall enter the Fire (of Hell) who has in his heart the weight of a mustard seed of Iman and none shall enter Paradise who has in his heart the weight of a mustard seed of pride”. (Sahih Muslim Book 001, Number 0165)

A very powerful message is sent to all of us through this hadith, seriously how big is the mustard seed may be 1 or 2 mm, which is often considered negligible by us but let me tell you it takes a seed to become a tree. Pride can take any form and shape it attacks when you least expected.

We must not forget what happened to Iblis (shaytan) – an alim , who was living with the angles of Allah (swt) . What led to his downfall was his pride and arrogance. Allah(swt) says in the Quran And behold, We said to the angels: “Bow down to Adam” and they bowed down. Not so Iblis: he refused and was haughty: He was of those who reject Faith. (Suratul Baqarah Ayah 34). It was his arrogance , that Adam(AHS) was created from clay and he was created from fire, “since fire is better than clay, I’m better than Adam. Why should I bow to him?”.

In this blessed month let’s go far from the disease called pride and try to getting closer to Allah (swt).

“Everyone sins, yours may not be the forbidden (haram) way, may be it’s the thinking of you’re better than them -arrogance just like iblis” – unknown

Arabic words of the day:

Alghatrasa – Arrogance

Fakhar – Pride

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Stay Blessed.

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Selflessness The Forgotten Art of Love

Let me start by requesting all my lovely readers to ask themselves a very simple question- How selfless am I?.

As we approach Ramadan, the month of giving where Allah (SWT) promises to give us abundant blessings , isn’t it also our duty to give in abundance selflessly.

How many of us actually give selflessly? not many ,we always think what are we going to get in return? am sure there are many hundred such questions that come up in our mind before we actually give something to the person.

Giving is usually equated with monetary help, yes it is a very import aspect of giving but that’s not the only one. Helping a stranger to load his car ; helping an elderly to carry stuff; Giving your time to your spouse, kids, parents, extended family ; reciting Quran to someone who is not able to ; Praying for humanity etc without thinking about the returns should be the goal towards which we all must work in this blessed month.

A broader religious prospective of Al-‘eethar (selflessness; giving preference to others over yourself and considering their happiness and welfare before your own) is looking at the following example from life of our beloved Prophet Muhammed (SallAllahu Alaihi Wa Sallam).

The Prophet (SAW) said “None of you will have faith till he wishes for his brother what he likes for himself.” This is the motto of al-’eethar. That is to say your faith will be complete only when you wish for your brother what you wish for yourself.

Looking at this incident that occurred when Prophet (saw) and his companions immigrated to Al – Medinah: The Prophet (saw) went to the Ansar and told them “Your brothers (Al-Muhajireen) have come to you and they know nothing about agriculture. What do you think of sharing your property with them?” They replied, “Yes, O Messenger of Allah. We will divide our money equally between us and them”. The Messenger wanted the Ansar only to help the Muhajireen when he asked, “Can you help them more?” The Ansar replied, “How, O Messenger of Allah?” He said to them, “Share your fruits with them” – because they can neither make use of money nor get out of Al-Madinah as it is besieged. They replied,“Yes, O Messenger of Allah, but for what (in return), O Messenger of Allah?” He said to them, “For Al-Jannah”.

Such is the reward of Al-‘eethar. For a year Ansari would take the best produce from their farms and give to Muhajir, Ansari used to take the entire produce to Muhajir and tell them to chose what they want, Subhan Allah what a quality , seriously how many of us give the best to others, its something really to think about.

To conclude I will say this Ramadan spread love, happiness & peace selflessly, give your time to family and friends & be the reason for someones smile . InshAllah lets join hands in this time of crisis and quaranitne by extending our support in whaterver way possibel to help those in despair.

A candle loses nothing by lighting another candle.” James Keller.

Arabic words of the day :

Al-‘eethar – selflessness

Al – Jannah – Paradise

Ansar – Helpers ; citizens of Al Medina

Muhajireen – “The Emigrants” first converts to islam emigrated from Mecca to Medina

P.S. – to share my blog selflessly is also a form of Al-‘eethar 🙂 🙂 .

Do not forget to like , share and comment. Stay blessed.

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RAMADAN VIBES

With 21 days left for Ramadan we should start preparing ourselves spiritually, economically & mentally to try and get benefited by this blessed month during this quarantine period.

How are we planning on to achieve this ,ofcourse we will be fasting, performing salah, reading Quran & giving zakat but are these things really enough to attain what we should. Is our beautiful religion only ritualistic??.

I think , there is a lot more to our religion than the rituals. So people starting from today until Eid 2020 I will be blogging on the other aspect of our religion which is to be a Righteous (Alsaalihin) being.

“Righteousness is not that you turn your faces toward the east or the west, but [true] righteousness is [in] one who believes in Allah , the Last Day, the angels, the Book, and the prophets and gives wealth, in spite of love for it, to relatives, orphans, the needy, the traveler, those who ask [for help], and for freeing slaves; [and who] establishes prayer and gives zakah; [those who] fulfill their promise when they promise; and [those who] are patient in poverty and hardship and during battle. Those are the ones who have been true, and it is those who are the righteous.” [Al Baqara: 177]

Also we will be learnign Arabic words in my blogs , So today the words are :

Righteous : Alsaalihin

Correct: Mustaqim

Inshallah lets get ready to be the righteous being not ONLY the ritualistic being.

Have a blessed day.

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Let us Get Munching

Have you ever wondered too why we crave to munch and we say ” I feel like eating …..” feeling is for the heart but it’s our brain that tells us what to eat. Its all due to hormone imbalances that occur daily. Sometimes we eat for pleasure, to reward ourselves & to overcome certain emotions.

Anyone even me crave to eat foodstuff that’s rich in carbohydrates and am a big fan of potato, cheese, chocolates, desserts yummmmm. So basically we feel like eating anything sweet, sour & spicy. The good news is there are healthy options to satisfy this craving of ours.
So here are my suggestions and some favorites for our “tea time” :

Whole wheat/multi-grain: Tea and toast go hand in hand why not make it healthy by using whole grain bread or whole wheat bread, crackers or biscuits. whole grains are high in fiber, antioxidants, polyphenols, magnesium, iron, zinc & proteins.

Nut butter : Now as we all know a good toast is served with loads of butter on it and yes we might use some healthy alternatives for our regular butter made from nuts like almond, peanut, pistachio, hazelnut, cashew nut or any nut of your choice pick it up from store or whip your own. why choose them because they are nutrient-dense filled with lots of good fats, cholesterol-free, high in protein & antioxidant-rich.

Sunflower seeds: A crunchy nutty can also be buttery, Eaten as a snack roasted with salt and condiments, added to cereals, parfaits, salads or make a delicious sunflower butter. Spread it on toast or rice cakes. An excellent source of Vitamin E (234% of Daily Value), dietary fiber, dietary minerals – zinc, magnesium, iron, and phosphorus.

Homemade granola bars: A very easy and quick recipe to make with almost everything available. oats, almonds, seeds, dry fruits, dried coconut, honey, and some nut butter to keep things bound voila a yummy healthy snack.

Fox nuts/ lotus seeds/makhana: Lotus seeds or makhana as they are called in India is a very light, fluffy, crunchy to bite and tasty as well. one might wonder how suddenly they are all over the internet but let me tell you these seeds are being used in India from a very long time often used as an offering to God and by some during fasting as its an excellent source of protein, low in carbohydrates, a good source of minerals.

Legumes: Chickpeas are the oldest legumes known to mankind its been used in almost all types of cuisines. Any legume like kidney beans (rajma), peas, fava beans, soya bean and many more. either boil, bake or roast them add some flavoring and they are ready to eat. High in protein,low in fat, high in fiber, a good source of minerals & vitamins and low in carbohydrate,

So these are my few suggestions for healthy snacking. If you have queries or discussion please feel free to comment. Don’t forget to like, share and subscribe.

Information & Picture courtesy: healthyfyme,practo,popsugar,pinterest,glnc.org.

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My First Blog

To Believe….

Be yourself; Everyone else is already taken.
— Oscar Wilde.

This is the first post on my new blog . I’m just getting this new blog going. My future blogs will be on absolutely anything from food, nutrition, diet counseling, exercise, movie, shopping, an incident that made my day, anything and everything that I find will help people out there to follow & adhere on the path of well-being,

Today let’s talk about the power of belief. You might be wondering what has belief got to do with well-being, the first step to have healthy and happy life is to believe that you can do it. When belief is everything, it changes things inside- out. So what do one believe in is the big question to be asked , I would say to believe in yourself. You need to believe and have confidence in what you do, how you do ,why you do & where you do is undoubtedly correct in all possible senses.

The food you eat, the people you meet, the places you visit , the things you do everything has a direct effect on your health & happiness. When one is broken mentally, physically, emotionally or at any personal level what do we do , we just believe “this too shall pass”.

I believe these blogs of mine will help you all to have a few moments of joy , motivation and to maintain a happy and healthy life by starting to accept, understand and believe in who we are.

so stay tuned for more & don’t forget to subscribe below to get notified when I post new updates.