16 things you can do on the Night of Power
Abdul Malik Mujahid
Laylatul Qadr (the Night of Power) is described in the Quran as, "better than a thousand months" (97:3). Any action done on this night such as reciting the Quran, remembering Allah, etc. is better than acting for one thousand months which do not contain the night of Qadr.
Allah's Messenger used to exert himself in devotion during the last ten nights to a greater extent than at any other time." (Muslim). Allah's peace and blessings be upon our beloved Prophet.
Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, related that the Prophet said: Look for Laylatul Qadr on an odd-numbered night during the last ten nights of Ramadan (Bukhari).
The Prophet said: "Whoever prays during the night of Qadr with faith and hoping for its reward will have all of his previous sins forgiven." (Bukhari and Muslim recorded from Abu Huraira).
Here are some tips of things we can do on the Night of Power and the time before and after it.
1. Take a vacation for Allah
We take a break from our jobs for almost everything in life. Why not this time to focus on worshiping and thanking our Creator.
If this is not possible at least take a few days off if you can. This can make it easier to stay awake at night to do extra Ibadah, not having to worry about getting to work the next day.
It will also facilitate doing Itikaf.
2. Do Itikaf
It was a practice of the Prophet to spend the last ten days and nights of Ramadan in the masjid for Itikaf.
Those in Itikaf stay in the masjid all this time, performing various forms of zikr (the remembrance of Allah), like doing extra Salat, recitation and study of the Quran. They do not go outside the masjid except in case of emergencies, therefore, they sleep in the masjid. Their families or the masjid administration takes care of their food needs.
Itikaf of a shorter period of time, like one night, a day or a couple of days is encouraged as well.
3. Make this special Dua
Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, said: I asked the Messenger of Allah: 'O Messenger of Allah, if I know what night is the night of Qadr, what should I say during it?' He said: 'Say: O Allah, You are pardoning and You love to pardon, so pardon me.' "(Ahmad, Ibn Majah, and Tirmidhi).
The transliteration of this Dua is "Allahumma innaka `afuwwun tuhibbul `afwa fa`fu `annee"
4. Recite the Quran
Perhaps you can choose Surahs or passages from the Quran which you have heard in Tarawih this past Ramadan to recite.
If you attend a class where the recitation of the Quran is taught, this is a great time to put your knowledge into practice.
5. Reflect on the meaning of the Quran
Choose the latest Surah or Surahs you've heard in Tarawih and read their translation and Tafseer. Then think deeply about their meaning and how it affects you on a personal level.
(If you want to study the Quran with more understanding, check out Way to the Quran and Access to Quranic Arabic.
6. Get your sins wiped out
Abu Huraira narrated that the Messenger said: Whoever stands (in prayer) in Laylatul Qadr while nourishing his faith with self-evaluation, expecting reward from Allah, will have all of his previous sins forgiven. [Bukhari and Muslim).
Don't just pray using the shorter Surahs that you know. Try to make your prayers longer, deeper and meaningful. If you are familiar with longer Surahs, read the translation and explanation and then pray reciting these Surahs, carefully reflecting on the meaning while you pray.
Even if you are only familiar with the shorter Surahs, read the translation and explanation beforehand, and then pray reflecting on the message of the Surahs.
This is a good way to develop the habit of concentration, even in regular prayers, where many of us tend to be fidgety and/or easily distracted.
7. Make a personal Dua list.
Ask yourself what you really want from Allah. Make a list of each and everything, no matter how small or how big it is, whether it deals with this world or not. Allah loves to hear from us. Once this list is ready, you can do three things:
• Ask Allah to give you those things
• Think about what actions you have taken to get those things
• Develop a work plan to get those things in future.
8. Evaluate yourself.
Ask yourself those questions that need to be asked. Do an evaluation of where you are and where you are going. Let this evaluation lead you to feel happiness for the good you have done and remorse for the bad you have done. (see a short and a long evaluation guide) This latter feeling should make it easier to seek Allah's sincere forgiveness when making the Dua mentioned in tip number one above.
9. Make long, sincere and deep Duas
One of the best times to do this is during the last part of the night.
Abu Huraira, may Allah be pleased with him, related that the Prophet said: When the last one-third of the night remains, our Lord, the Glorious One descends towards the heaven of the earth and proclaims: Who is that who supplicates for Me, and I grant his supplication? Who is that who begs Me for anything and I grant it to him? And who is that who seeks My forgiveness, and I forgive him? (Bukhari, Muslim).
That means for instance, waking up one hour before Suhoor time to ask Allah for anything and everything you want that is Halal. This can be done using the Duas of the Sunnah, but also Dua in your own language, with sincerity and conviction.
For some tips on making Dua please see the article Some personal Duas you can make.
10. Memorize a different Dua every night
They don't have to be long. They can be just one line. And be sure to know what they mean generally at least, even if you don't know the exact translation in English.
You can put them on index cards (or and keep them with you during the day, glancing at them during work, while driving, waiting in line, etc.) Then practice them at night in prayer.
11. Have Iftar with the family
If you've spent Iftar time on weekdays in your cubicle at work alone with a couple of dates, now is the last few days you'll have this Ramadan to spend with your family. Use it wisely.
12. Take the family to Tarawih
Have your spouse and kids missed Tarawih most of Ramadan because you weren't there to drive them to the Masjid, which is too far away to walk to? If so, do all of yourselves a favor and bring everyone for Tarawih in these last ten nights.
13. Attend the Dua after the completion of Quran recitation
Almost all Masjids where the Imam aims to finish an entire reading of the Quran in Tarawih prayers in Ramadan will be completing their recitation in these last ten nights. They may try to end on one of the odd nights and read the Dua at the end of a reading of the Quran. Attend this particular night's Tarawih prayer with your family. See if you can attend different Masjids' Tarawih prayers the night they finish reading the Quran.
14. Finish reading a book on the Prophet
Read about the Prophet's life, which can increase your love for him and Islam by seeing how much he struggled for Allah's sake. It may inspire you to push yourself even harder during these last ten nights. This community is built on sacrifice.
15. Plan for the next year
Once you've done a self-evaluation, you can plan on where you want to go, at least in the next 12 months. Laylatul Qadr is a great night to be thinking about this (without taking away from your worship), since you'll Insha Allah, be in a more contemplative state. You may choose to dedicate one night of power for evaluation and one night for planning for the next year.
16. To do list for the Night of Power
Make a to do checklist for each Night of Power. This should define how you would like your night, the one better than a thousand months, to be used. Pick things from this list and define the sequence you would like to do things in. This will help you avoid wasting your time in unproductive chats which common in the festive atmosphere of Masjids at the Night of Power.
From:http://www.soundvision.com/info/ramadan/10.16things.asp
Friday, August 20, 2010
Thursday, August 19, 2010
arrrrrrgh
Assalamualaikom wr wb/Salam
It is really get into my nerve when a muslimah fully cover her awrah but still some brothers try to catch her attention by saying salam, or asking where she s wanna go.Please,brothers we, real muslimah do not need all those.It s really make us sad, you know.And wishing we were in Rasulullah SAW period, where muslimah can go out without disturbed by man.
Allah SWT says :Tell the believing men to reduce [some] of their vision and guard their private parts. That is purer for them. Indeed, Allah is Acquainted with what they do.(Nur:24:30)
really , the best place of woman is her home.
What do you think? Man nowaday is....
It is really get into my nerve when a muslimah fully cover her awrah but still some brothers try to catch her attention by saying salam, or asking where she s wanna go.Please,brothers we, real muslimah do not need all those.It s really make us sad, you know.And wishing we were in Rasulullah SAW period, where muslimah can go out without disturbed by man.
Allah SWT says :Tell the believing men to reduce [some] of their vision and guard their private parts. That is purer for them. Indeed, Allah is Acquainted with what they do.(Nur:24:30)
really , the best place of woman is her home.
What do you think? Man nowaday is....
Friday, August 13, 2010
A Story Worth Reading
Since last night my young son has been unwell. When I got back from Work this evening I decided to take him to hospital despite my exhaustion.
There were many waiting; perhaps we will be delayed by more than an hour. I took my number and sat down in the waiting room. There were many faces, young and old, but all silent. Some brothers made use of the many booklets available in the waiting room.
Some of those waiting had their eyes closed, while others were looking around. Most were bored. Once in a while the long silence was broken by a nurse calling out a number. Happiness appears on the one whose turn it is, and he gets up quickly; then silence returns.
A young man grabbed my attention. He was reading a pocket-sized Qur`an continuously; not raising his head even once. At first I did not think much about him. However, after one hour of waiting my casual glances turned into a deep reflection about his lifestyle and how he utilizes his time. One hour of life wasted! Instead of making benefit of that hour, it was just a boring wait. Then the call for prayer was made. We went to prayer in the hospital's Masjid. I tried to pray close to the man who was reading the Qur'an earlier in the waiting room.
After the prayer I walked with him. I informed him of how impressed I was of him and how he tries to benefit from his time. He told me that most of our time is wasted without any benefit. These are days that go from our lives without being conscious of them or regretting their waste. He said that he started carrying the pocket-sized Qur`an around when a friend encouraged him to make full use of his time. He told me that in the time other people waste he gets to read much more of the Qur`an than he gets to read either at home or in the masjid. Moreover, besides the reward of reading the Qur`an, this habit saves him from boredom and stress.
He added that he has now been waiting for one and a half hours. Then he asked, when will you find one and a half hours to read the Qur`an? I reflected; How much time do we waste? How many moments of our lives pass by, and yet we do not account for how
they passed by? Indeed, how many months pass by and we do not read the Qur`an? I came to respect my companion, and I discovered that I am to stand for account and that time is not in my hand; so what am I waiting for?
My thoughts were interrupted by the nurse calling out my number; I went to the doctor. But I want to achieve something now. After I left the hospital I quickly went to the bookshop and bought a pocket-sized Qur`an. I decided to be mindful of how I spend the time.
If this information is beneficial to you, then please do forward it to your friends and relatives.
There were many waiting; perhaps we will be delayed by more than an hour. I took my number and sat down in the waiting room. There were many faces, young and old, but all silent. Some brothers made use of the many booklets available in the waiting room.
Some of those waiting had their eyes closed, while others were looking around. Most were bored. Once in a while the long silence was broken by a nurse calling out a number. Happiness appears on the one whose turn it is, and he gets up quickly; then silence returns.
A young man grabbed my attention. He was reading a pocket-sized Qur`an continuously; not raising his head even once. At first I did not think much about him. However, after one hour of waiting my casual glances turned into a deep reflection about his lifestyle and how he utilizes his time. One hour of life wasted! Instead of making benefit of that hour, it was just a boring wait. Then the call for prayer was made. We went to prayer in the hospital's Masjid. I tried to pray close to the man who was reading the Qur'an earlier in the waiting room.
After the prayer I walked with him. I informed him of how impressed I was of him and how he tries to benefit from his time. He told me that most of our time is wasted without any benefit. These are days that go from our lives without being conscious of them or regretting their waste. He said that he started carrying the pocket-sized Qur`an around when a friend encouraged him to make full use of his time. He told me that in the time other people waste he gets to read much more of the Qur`an than he gets to read either at home or in the masjid. Moreover, besides the reward of reading the Qur`an, this habit saves him from boredom and stress.
He added that he has now been waiting for one and a half hours. Then he asked, when will you find one and a half hours to read the Qur`an? I reflected; How much time do we waste? How many moments of our lives pass by, and yet we do not account for how
they passed by? Indeed, how many months pass by and we do not read the Qur`an? I came to respect my companion, and I discovered that I am to stand for account and that time is not in my hand; so what am I waiting for?
My thoughts were interrupted by the nurse calling out my number; I went to the doctor. But I want to achieve something now. After I left the hospital I quickly went to the bookshop and bought a pocket-sized Qur`an. I decided to be mindful of how I spend the time.
If this information is beneficial to you, then please do forward it to your friends and relatives.
7 Tips for Improving your Relationship with the Qur'an
Salam
Are you one of those people who rarely touches the Qur'an? Or do you read daily, but don't find it is having the impact on you that it should? Whatever the case may be, these are some simple tips that can help you connect with the Qur'an.
1. Before you touch it, check your heart. The key to really benefiting from the Qur'an is to check your heart first, before you even touch Allah's book. Ask yourself, honestly, why you are reading it. Is it to just get some information and to let it drift away from you later? Remember that the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) was described by his wife as a "walking Qur'an": in other words, he didn't just read and recite the Qur'an, he lived it.
2. Do your Wudu (ablution). Doing your Wudu is good physical and mental preparation to remind you you're not reading just another book. You are about to interact with God, so being clean should be a priority when communicating with Him.
3. Read only 5 minutes everyday. Too often, we think we should read Qur'an for at least one whole hour. If you aren't in the habit of reading regularly, this is too much. Start off with just five minutes daily. If you took care of step one, Insha Allah (God willing), you will notice that those five minutes will become ten, then half an hour, then an hour, and maybe even more!
4. Make sure you understand what you've read. Five minutes of reading the Qur'an in Arabic is good, but you need to understand what you're reading. Make sure you have a good translation of the Qur'an in the language you understand best. Always try to read the translation of what you've read that day.
5. Remember, the Qur'an is more interactive than a CD. In an age of "interactive" CD-Roms and computer programs, a number of people think books are passive and boring. But the Qur'an is not like that. Remember that when you read Qur'an,you are interacting with Allah. He is talking to you, so pay attention.
6. Don't just read, listen too. There are now many audio cassettes and CDs of the Qur'an, a number of them with translations as well. This is great to put on your walkman or your car's CD or stereo as you drive to and from work. Use this in addition to your daily Qur'an reading, not as a replacement for it.
7. Make Dua (supplication). Ask Allah to guide you when you read the Qur'an. Your aim is to sincerely, for the love of Allah, interact with Him by reading, understanding and applying His blessed words. Making Dua to Allah for help and guidance will be your best tool for doing this.
Are you one of those people who rarely touches the Qur'an? Or do you read daily, but don't find it is having the impact on you that it should? Whatever the case may be, these are some simple tips that can help you connect with the Qur'an.
1. Before you touch it, check your heart. The key to really benefiting from the Qur'an is to check your heart first, before you even touch Allah's book. Ask yourself, honestly, why you are reading it. Is it to just get some information and to let it drift away from you later? Remember that the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) was described by his wife as a "walking Qur'an": in other words, he didn't just read and recite the Qur'an, he lived it.
2. Do your Wudu (ablution). Doing your Wudu is good physical and mental preparation to remind you you're not reading just another book. You are about to interact with God, so being clean should be a priority when communicating with Him.
3. Read only 5 minutes everyday. Too often, we think we should read Qur'an for at least one whole hour. If you aren't in the habit of reading regularly, this is too much. Start off with just five minutes daily. If you took care of step one, Insha Allah (God willing), you will notice that those five minutes will become ten, then half an hour, then an hour, and maybe even more!
4. Make sure you understand what you've read. Five minutes of reading the Qur'an in Arabic is good, but you need to understand what you're reading. Make sure you have a good translation of the Qur'an in the language you understand best. Always try to read the translation of what you've read that day.
5. Remember, the Qur'an is more interactive than a CD. In an age of "interactive" CD-Roms and computer programs, a number of people think books are passive and boring. But the Qur'an is not like that. Remember that when you read Qur'an,you are interacting with Allah. He is talking to you, so pay attention.
6. Don't just read, listen too. There are now many audio cassettes and CDs of the Qur'an, a number of them with translations as well. This is great to put on your walkman or your car's CD or stereo as you drive to and from work. Use this in addition to your daily Qur'an reading, not as a replacement for it.
7. Make Dua (supplication). Ask Allah to guide you when you read the Qur'an. Your aim is to sincerely, for the love of Allah, interact with Him by reading, understanding and applying His blessed words. Making Dua to Allah for help and guidance will be your best tool for doing this.
Monday, August 9, 2010
Ramadhan tips
Bismillahir rahmanirrahim...
Salam/Assalamualaykum all
Ramadan is a month when we should come back to the very essence of our life because we are entering a month that everything is about the essential dimension, the very essence of this Islamic teaching and then you should transform Ramadan into a school, a school of life, that is, just how we have to behave. Ramadan is the month of lights not a month between brackets.
There are four things that need to be done in Ramadan that make you a better person. First is seclusion, every one of us needs an hour for himself. The second thing is silence, we talk too much. We need to watch our tongue because a word may slip out of your mouth that can drop you into hell for a hundred years. Number three is hunger. Because when we are eating all the time, we are not noticing what we are doing. As the Prophet (PBUH) said a person only needs few mouthfuls.
Number four, which is the best, it is thinking. If you are keeping silent, if you are keeping hungry a little bit and if you are secluding yourself, what you need to do is to think, to reflect, to ponder. I believe the majority of human beings do not reflect. We are in a time where we are in a rush all the time.
Salam/Assalamualaykum all
Ramadan is a month when we should come back to the very essence of our life because we are entering a month that everything is about the essential dimension, the very essence of this Islamic teaching and then you should transform Ramadan into a school, a school of life, that is, just how we have to behave. Ramadan is the month of lights not a month between brackets.
There are four things that need to be done in Ramadan that make you a better person. First is seclusion, every one of us needs an hour for himself. The second thing is silence, we talk too much. We need to watch our tongue because a word may slip out of your mouth that can drop you into hell for a hundred years. Number three is hunger. Because when we are eating all the time, we are not noticing what we are doing. As the Prophet (PBUH) said a person only needs few mouthfuls.
Number four, which is the best, it is thinking. If you are keeping silent, if you are keeping hungry a little bit and if you are secluding yourself, what you need to do is to think, to reflect, to ponder. I believe the majority of human beings do not reflect. We are in a time where we are in a rush all the time.
Welcoming Ramadhan
Bismillahir rahmanirrahim...
Assalamualaykum/Salam
Hey everyone, on August 11 2010, we will entering the month of Ramadhan,the month when every Muslim around the world fasting.It is the big event for us, Muslim as it is our month.He [the Holy Prophet] said Rajab is Allah's month, Sha'ban is my month, and Ramadan is the month of the Ummah.
It s the month all people forgive each other and restraint ourselves from bad things.I am sure one of the obstacles for Muslims today is that they are not finding it in their hearts to forgive one another.
Ramadan is the month of mercy and forgiveness. If you are unable to give, give it in Ramadan, if you are unable to share, share it in Ramadan, if you are unable to go out of your way to do the things that you were not able to do before, do it in Ramadan. I just ponder this word and reflect my self: How do you expect Allah to forgive you when you do not forgive your spouse, your relatives, or your kids?
Ramadhan mubarak everyone!!!May Allah bless all of us,amen.I wanna apologize if there s any mistake I did.
Assalamualaykum/Salam
Hey everyone, on August 11 2010, we will entering the month of Ramadhan,the month when every Muslim around the world fasting.It is the big event for us, Muslim as it is our month.He [the Holy Prophet] said Rajab is Allah's month, Sha'ban is my month, and Ramadan is the month of the Ummah.
It s the month all people forgive each other and restraint ourselves from bad things.I am sure one of the obstacles for Muslims today is that they are not finding it in their hearts to forgive one another.
Ramadan is the month of mercy and forgiveness. If you are unable to give, give it in Ramadan, if you are unable to share, share it in Ramadan, if you are unable to go out of your way to do the things that you were not able to do before, do it in Ramadan. I just ponder this word and reflect my self: How do you expect Allah to forgive you when you do not forgive your spouse, your relatives, or your kids?
Ramadhan mubarak everyone!!!May Allah bless all of us,amen.I wanna apologize if there s any mistake I did.
Friday, August 6, 2010
New things
Bismillahir rahmanir rahim...
Assalamualaykum wr wb/Salam
I am back to blogging world.So many things happen to me.Im now officially a 2nd year student with lots of burden to carry. Many things to read and revise.But, yet I am still the same person, like to have fun with life.Alhamdulillah, I am joining arabic class during convocation holiday via Skype and I meet so many muslimah around the world :)Isn't that great? No, it s awesome!Make new friends and talking about Islam as well, how wonderful.They also have Iqra class, but I never had a chance to join.I missed the class.ALL.But, Insha Allah I will try to join next week.Till that c u .My break is over.
Assalamualaykum wr wb/Salam
I am back to blogging world.So many things happen to me.Im now officially a 2nd year student with lots of burden to carry. Many things to read and revise.But, yet I am still the same person, like to have fun with life.Alhamdulillah, I am joining arabic class during convocation holiday via Skype and I meet so many muslimah around the world :)Isn't that great? No, it s awesome!Make new friends and talking about Islam as well, how wonderful.They also have Iqra class, but I never had a chance to join.I missed the class.ALL.But, Insha Allah I will try to join next week.Till that c u .My break is over.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)