Benefits of sending blessings upon the Prophet Muhammad - SAW

Sending peace and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad is not only highly virtuous but something many Muslims are unfortunately not doing enough. In hopes of inspiring you to pick up the great habit of consistently sending blessings on the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ , we have put together a short list of benefits one achieves by doing so.

You are fulfilling a command of Allah

Allah clearly commands the believers in the Quran to send blessings on the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.

“Indeed, Allah and His Angels send blessing upon the Prophet, and His angels. O you who have believed, ask [Allah to send] blessing upon him and peace”

Quran 33:56

All your concerns will be lifted

When the companion Ubai Ibn Ka’ab asked the Messenger what would happen if he dedicated all of his supplications towards sending blessings on the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ .

The Prophet replied “Your needs will be satisfied and your sins will be forgiven”.

Ubai bin Ka’ab (may Allah be pleased with him), who said; ‘I said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, I supplicate often, so how much of my supplication should I devote to you?’ He replied, ‘as you desire’. I said, ‘a quarter of it?’ He said ‘as you desire, but if you were to increase upon this, it would be better for you.’ I said, ‘half of it?’ He said, ‘as you desire, but if you were to increase upon this, it would be better for you.’ I said, ‘two-thirds of it?’ He said again, ‘as you desire, but if you were to increase upon this, it would be better for you.’ Finally I said, ‘and if I dedicate my supplication in its entirety to you?’ He said, ‘then your needs will be satisfied, and your sins forgiven.’

(Sahih Musnad Ahmed)

Allah will send blessings on you

The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: “Whoever sends blessings upon me, Allah will send blessings upon him tenfold”.

(Sahih Muslim, 384).

The Prophet will receive and return your greetings

Abdullah ibn Mas’ood said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “Allah has angels who go around on earth, conveying to me the Salaam of my Ummah.”

(An-Nisa’i)

Abu Hurayrah narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “There is no one who sends Salaam upon me, but Allaah will restore to me my soul so that I may return his Salaam.”

(Abi Dawood Sahih)

Your sins will be forgiven

Anas Ibn Malak reported that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “Whoever sends blessings upon me once, Allah… will erase ten sins from him, and will raise him ten degrees in status.”

(An-Nisa’i Sahih)

It will draw you closer to the Prophet

‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ood that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “The closest of people to me on the Day of Resurrection will be those who sent the most blessings upon me.”  

(At-Tirmidhi, 484)

Imam Nawawi states, “Nearest to me” signifies “those who are most entitled to my intercession”.

It helps your Duaa get accepted

Umar Ibn Khattab said, “Duaa is suspended between heaven and earth and none of it is taken up until you send blessings upon your Prophet ﷺ”.

(At-Tirmidhi)

Source/Reference: https://onepathnetwork.com/benefits-of-sending-blessings-on-the-prophet-muhammad/

The Virtue of Patience

 

According to the Oxford dictionary the English definition of patience refers to accepting and tolerating problems or suffering without becoming annoyed or anxious. However, the term patience translated to Arabic is ‘Sabr’ meaning to control or constrain oneself.

During the month of Ramadan, we control our desires whether it be food, drinking, sexual relations, etc. We also constrain ourselves from committing things that have already been made haram to us and that at time can be more of a struggle.

He cried, “No! Your souls must have tempted you to do something ˹evil˺. So ˹I am left with nothing but˺ beautiful patience! I trust Allah will return them all to me. Surely, He ˹alone˺ is the All-Knowing, All-Wise.” [Quran 12:83]

Furthermore, Ramadan allows us to work on our patience especially when Allah tests us with calamities. It is important to always be patient as Allah is with those who are patient, there are time when it may be hard, and we think why Allah is doing this to me. But that is the wrong mentality to have, Allah loves those He tests, Allah is testing your faith in Him and wants you make du’a and rely on him.

“Surely, Allah is with those who are As‑Saabiroon (the patient)” [Quran 8:46]

There is so much virtue in patience, that it is both rewarded in this life and the Hereafter, The Messenger of Allah ﷺ says,

“Never a believer is stricken with a discomfort, an illness, an anxiety, a grief or mental worry or even the pricking of a thorn but Allah will expiate his sins on account of his patience”. [Muslim.]

Allah also says,

Verily! I have rewarded them this Day for their patience, they are indeed the ones that are successful. [Quran 23:111]

Patience is the foundation of the believer’s faith which has no other foundation. The one who has no patience has no faith, and if he has any, then it is only a little faith and it is very weak, and such a person worships Allah not to the full capacity.

The religion of Allah Most High is 100% complete and was brought to us by the best of mankind, the Holy Prophet (ﷺ). Allah Most High used the Holy Prophet (ﷺ) to perfect this religion of His, meaning that the Prophet (ﷺ) was the perfect example for us to follow.

The Prophet (ﷺ) taught us what to do in every stage in life. This is one of the qualities that makes the religion of Islam very unique and standout from other religions which are practiced in many parts of the world.

The religion of Islam guides us concerning what to do as soon as we open our eyes in the morning and throughout the remainder of the day and night till we close our eyes and go to sleep. For this and many other reasons the religion of Islam is the most complete.

Not only is this religion complete on guiding us how to live our lives, but there is accountability – reward for all the good deeds we do and punishment for all the sins we commit.

I would like to discuss the rewards and virtues of one particular good deed: Patience. First, let us look at an example of the Prophet (ﷺ) being patient . The story takes place in the city not far away from Mecca, known as Ta’if. The Prophet (ﷺ) went there to preach Islam to the locals. The Prophet (ﷺ) approached the leaders of Ta’if and called them towards Islam . Not only did the leaders reject the call to Islam but they reacted in such a way that they set young children upon the Prophet (ﷺ) to taunt him, stone him and chase him out of Ta’if . The Holy Prophet (ﷺ) bled till his footwear was drenched in blood. The Angel Jibra’eel Alayhis Salaam came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and said, “If you wish, then I will give the order for two angels to crush the residents of Ta’if between the two mountains in which it lies.” The Prophet (ﷺ) replied in the negative and said, “I am hopeful that their descendants will accept Islam.” Allahu Akbar . This was the patience of the Prophet (ﷺ)

Let’s put ourselves in that position, an innocent man leaving his young children and wife at home to present the gift of Islam to strangers; risking life and limb in the hot desert . What would we do if we had been beaten so severely that our feet were soaking in our blood? Will we be able to control our anger to the extent that we don’t attempt to frighten the perpetrators in the slightest or even show them deterring effects when given complete control and resources to do so?

He (ﷺ) did not have to turn the other cheek as numerous rocks were hitting both and cutting the rest of his blessed body also. Showing impeccable foresight, his response was prayer for the generations to come. Allah be praised.

Patience is of three types:

(i) Patience upon obedience – To be patient when finding it hard obeying Allah Most High’s rules.

(ii) To be patient when a trouble befalls you.

(iii) To be patient when finding it hard to abstain from sins.

Every believer should have the above types of patience. The Prophet (ﷺ) mentioned in a Hadith that patience is from Allah and hastiness is from the Devil.

The first type of patience is when obeying Allah and finding it difficult to do so. For example, waking up early for the fajr prayers. We should be patient and show gratitude when carrying out these deeds.

The second type of patience is when a trouble befalls you. For example, a vehicle accident or the loss of property. We should be patient at these times.

The third type of patience is when finding it hard to abstain from sins. For example, when a person listens to music and then finds out it is not allowed in Islam to listen to music, this person tries his utmost best to refrain from listening to music, even if he has the urge to do so.

Being patient is a great virtue and comes with a great reward.

May Allah Most High accept and reward us for every good deed we do. And May Allah make us from the patient ones and those that rely on Him. Ameen

Giving to Allah, a goodly loan

 

Verily those who give Sadaqah, men and women, and lend Allah a goodly loan, it shall be increased manifold, and there shall be an honorable good reward. (Quran 57:18)

The above verse from Holy Quran gives the importance of Sadaqah in Islam. Sadaqah, meaning ‘charity for the cause of Allah’ is a voluntary and sincere act in Islam. Sadaqah encompasses any act of charitable giving done out of compassion, love, friendship or generosity.

Sadaqah unlike Zakat is not obligatory on Muslims, which refers to the obligation that an individual has to donate a certain proportion of wealth each year to charitable causes. Zakat is considered as one of the five pillars of Islam and is regarded as a form of worship.

So giving anything in the way of Allah, be it Sadaqah or Zakat, is an act of submission and guarantees the best of rewards from our Creator. Allah SWT beautifully explains the reward of Sadaqah and Zakat in His book:
The example of those who spend their wealth in the way of Allah is like a seed of grain which grows seven spikes, in each spike is a hundred grains, and Allah multiplies his reward for whom He wills. And Allah is all encompassing and knowing. (Quran 2:261)

Quranic verses and the ahadith of our beloved Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) attest to the fact that giving charity not only is an act of kindness towards the recipients but it has enormous benefits for those who give it including warding off life’s challenges and problems and resulting in increase of one’s wealth. Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) said: “Charity does not decrease wealth, no one forgives another except that Allah increases his honor, and no one humbles himself for the sake of Allah except that Allah raises his status.” (Sahih Muslim)

Regardless of our financial situation, we all want Allah to spend on us, Our beloved Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) reminded us of this by saying that if we want Allah to spend on us, then we should spend on others. Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) said: “Allah said: “Spend, O son of Adam, and I shall spend on you.” (Al Bhukari)

Every penny we spend is written in our deeds which would be used on the day when there would be no other way to increase our good deeds in order to get the ultimate reward of Jannah. So, let’s spend before it’s too late. Allah tells us in Surah Al-Baqarah: “O you who believe! Spend of that with which We have provided for you, before a Day comes when there will be no bargaining, nor friendship, nor intercession…” (Quran 2:254)

“Sadaqah wipes out sins like water extinguishes fire”. (Tirmidhi)

Spending in the path of Allah even in straitened and distressed circumstances:

Allah is so kind and benevolent that He becomes happy with His servants even when they spend out of their meagre resources and small fortunes. The only condition is sincerity and good intention. We should be ready to be charitable even in the times of difficulty and austerity.

Allah appreciates His servants thus in Surah Aal-e-Imran Verse No. 134:

‘Those who spend in time of plenty and in time of hardship and hold in check their anger, and pardon their fellow-men because Allah loves the doers of good.’

A similar accolade has been stated in Surah Al Baqara Verse No. 177: ‘And he who spends his affluence, however much he may cherish it, upon his near of kin, and the orphans, and the needy and the wayfarer, and the beggars, and for the freeing of the human beings from bondage, and is constant in prayer, and renders the purifying dues to the poor.’

Once the Prophet (PBUH) was asked about the best form of charity and he replied: “Spending in the condition when you are healthy and full of life and while you are afraid of becoming poor and have desire to be prosperous.” (Bukhari and Muslim)

Allah has made wealth an indispensable means of human life and has taught man how to earn it but he has kept the end of all his efforts in His own hand. He can expand the material resources of whomsoever He wills and he can also constrict these. He has formulated an entire economic system within the auspices of Islamic Law that governs human quest for material sustenance. This system has been delegated even more beautiful and enriching by introducing voluntary charity, sadaqaat as well as fixed poor’s-due (zakaat).

Allah has made us interdependent and He is consistently watching our actions as to where we earn from and where we spend our earnings. On the Day of Judgment, according to the Prophetic traditions, we shall not be able to move an inch towards absolution unless we justify the means we adopted to earn money and the ends where we utilized it.

References/Source: Mohammad Najeeb Qasmi (www.najeebqasmi.com), https://www.almspay.com/blogs/sadaqah-and-zakat-a-goodly-loan-for-the-hereafter

The Remembrance of Death

 

Return to Our Lord! The reason why we are encouraged to be steadfast in the remembrance of our death is because it is directly related with our fear of Allah, and remembering that there is an afterlife reinforces the idea that we are mortal beings. On the spectrum of Muslims who falter when it comes to remembering death, we have two main categories: (1) Those who completely disregard the laws of Halal and Haram as defined by Islam, and (2) those who do follow most of the Islamic laws, yet stumble when it comes to “perfecting” our Islamic practice and etiquette.

Death. Excessive usage of this word, along with “the angel of death”, “heaven”, “hell”, “judgment”, and “recompense” will most probably score us a one-way ticket to the local psychiatric institute, compliments of our friends and family. Because death seems like such a horrible topic to discuss with the potential of mentally traumatizing people, many of us wonder what the logic is behind the Holy Qur’an and a vast majority of our scholars constantly reminding us about death. Isn’t our religion supposed to give us peace of mind instead of sending shivers down our spine? To understand why Islam places such a great emphasis on remembering death we must first briefly understand what death is.

Medically speaking, it’s the time when our hearts stop beating and can no longer support all our organs. It’s the time when the body literally switches off and says goodbye to this world. We stop living; there’s no more waking up every morning, spending time with family, going to work, and having fun. From the philosophical point of view and the view of the Abrahamic faiths, death is the time when the soul departs from the body. It’s the time when God says “time’s up”, and our test in this world is finally over. It’s when we officially embark on the journey to the next world in order to return to the One who gave us life. “How do you deny Allah, and you were dead and He gave you life? Again He will cause you to die and again bring you to life, then you shall be brought back to Him.” (2:28)

Almost every day we hear tragic news reports about deaths which have occurred due to freak accidents, murders, old age, illness, or numerous other natural causes. We say: “To Allah We belong, and to Him is our return” (2:156), but let’s face it, how many of us actually wholeheartedly believe that we are going to return to our Lord? While we appear to formally acknowledge death, we have become somewhat immune to this reality, and instead, we subconsciously believe that we are eternal beings.

The first group of people knowingly and openly commit forbidden acts, while having little if any concern for obeying the commands of Allah. The main reason for such Muslims is that they are surrounded by drugs, alcohol, cheating, gambling, illegitimate relationships, disrespecting parents, and broken families in the society we live in, and they decide to jump on the bandwagon.

Imam Ali (peace be upon him) has said: “He who sells his next life for his present life in this world loses both of them.”

As described by our Imam, this first group of people “sell” their next life by completely detaching themselves from the reality that they will be held accountable for what they do. The Holy Qur’an has warned us against being misled by the societies we live in: “Let not the strutting about of the Unbelievers through the land deceive you. Little is it for enjoyment: Their ultimate abode is Hell. What an evil bed (to lie on)!” (3:196-197)

The second group of people are those who make up the majority of the Muslim population. We’re the children who eat Halal food but lie to our parents. We’re the teenagers who pray on time, but when we’re around friends, we skip all religious activities and loosen up on both social and physical forms of Hijab. We’re the adults who possess a wide range of religious knowledge and attend mosque every week, yet would rather pay for a holiday halfway across the world when Hajj is still obligatory on us. We’re the parents who raise our children saying, “Everything you do must be to seek nearness to Allah”, but when it comes to their marriages, we consider superficial things such as wealth and status to be superior to piety and religious practice of their spouses. We’re the grandparents who always gave our grandchildren religious classes, but while celebrating their weddings, we’ll figure out some way to commit Haram in the name of “fun”.

In this second category of believers, the reason why we fulfill most obligatory acts yet are not concerned with doing complete justice to our faith is because we are not entirely fearful of death and Allah. We think, “Oh, it’s not that bad…it’s not as though we do Haram every day.” We forget the saying of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him and his progeny): “Do not look at the minuteness of the sin; rather, look whom you have sinned against.”

So now that we’ve acknowledged how forgetfulness of death causes us to indulge in the temporary and forbidden pleasures of this world, it’s essential for us to bear death in mind in order for us to remain fearful of Allah and to become better people.

Some may find this a bit peculiar, and others may label this as slightly psychotic. However, consider the following practices: sitting in an empty grave for 5 minutes; visiting graveyards; looking at photographs of deceased loved ones; reading the verse of the Holy Qur’an which speak of death; and visiting a dying person. In essence, putting ourselves in such mental and physical environments which remind us of death can be extremely beneficial towards redefining our goals and purpose in this world. It is narrated that as he grew older, one of the four special deputies of the Twelfth Imam (may Allah hasten his reappearance) would sit in a grave and recite one-thirtieth of the Holy Qur’an every single day!

A popular company once arranged for a compulsory mock funeral for all of its employees, in which the friends and families of the “deceased” person were invited to mourn over his/her mock death. Data collected from the mock funeral participants indicated that the employees had become much more determined people which, as a result, profited the company. The families and friends of the employees also disclosed that the mock funeral had transformed their loved ones into much more forgiving, caring, and sincere people, who were concerned about how much good they could do to this world before they died. The employees achieved all this simply because they were reminded of their deaths.

In our capitalist, materialistic society, everyone is concerned with investments and future returns. People have become so absorbed with planning ahead that it’s quite normal to find grandparents planning for the education of their unborn grandchildren. So it makes absolutely no sense that we knowingly fail to pre-plan our position in the afterlife, and that we pretend we will be able to escape death and will not have to recompense for our deeds in this world. Remembrance of death will help us fear our Lord. And fearing our Lord will ultimately help us attain heaven in the afterlife: “…for those who fear their Lord are Gardens with rivers flowing beneath; therein are they to dwell (forever), a gift from the presence of Allah; and that which is in the presence of Allah is the best (bliss) for the righteous.” (3:198)

 References/Source: https://www.islamicinsights.com/religion/remembering-death.html

About Sincerity (Ikhlas)

 

Sincerity in Islam means to worship Allah out of true faith in Him. It means to do good deeds for Allah’s pleasure. Sincerity is about what is in your heart. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines sincerity as: “honesty of mind: freedom from hypocrisy.”

He who truly knows Allah will love Him, worship Him and show Ikhlass (sincerity) towards Him.

Ikhlass (sincerity) is like Jannah (Heaven) for a Mu’men. It is the soul of the pious and a secret between Allah and His slave. Ikhlass thwarts evil thoughts and Shaytan’s (Satan) whispers to the slave. It means directing all of your actions to Allah and no one else. The Mu’men must not seek the pleasure of anything or anyone except Allah. He must never seek praise or tributes from people, but always expect rewards from only Him alone.

An example of pure ikhlass can be seen in the actions of Ayoub As-Sakhtiyani who used to perform Salah all night long. He did not tell anybody about it and when the morning came, he used to act as if he had just woken up from sleep.

To have Ikhlass means one perfects and completes an action in the best manner possible. It is the dearest trait in this world. It is to single out Allah with your intention when carrying out acts of worship through continuously observing only Allah alone. What is done for Allah’s sake alone is rewarded, but what is done for others beside Allah goes in vain and is lost into thin air. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: ‘The reward of deeds depend upon the intentions and every person will get the reward according to what he has intended. So whoever emigrates for worldly benefits or for a woman to marry, his emigration will be for what he emigrated for’ (Narrated by al-Bukhari).

The status of Ikhlass

Ikhlass has a very prominent status in religion; it is unequaled by any other trait. Deeds are only accepted by Allah if they are performed with Ikhlass. Allah reminds us in numerous ayat of the Qur’an about Ikhlass. Some of these ayat are: ‘They were not commanded except to worship Allah, (being) sincere to Him in religion, inclining to truth’ (Al-Baiyinah: 5).

Allah (mighty and majestic is He) says: 162- Say: ‘Indeed, my prayer, my rites of sacrifice, my living and my dying are for Allah, Lord of the worlds.’ 163- ‘No partner has He. This I have been commanded, and I am the first (among you) of the Muslims’ ‘ (Al-An’âm: 162-163).

Allah (mighty and majestic is He) says: ‘(He) Who created death and life to test you (as to) which of you is best in deed’ (Al-Mulk: 2).

He also says: 2- Indeed, We have sent down to you the Boo, (O Muhammad) in truth. So worship Allah, (being) sincere to Him in religion. 3- Unquestionably, for Allah is the pure religion (Az-Zumar: 2-3).

Allah the Exalted says: ‘So whoever would hope for the meeting with his Lord - let him do righteous work and not associate in the worship of his Lord anyone’ (Al-Kahf: 110).

Here are some quotes from the Quran about sincerity:

Allah (swt) specifically uses the word sincere (mukhlaseen) to describe His servants who will be rewarded:

But the sincere servants of Allah—for them is a sustenance determined. (37:40-41)

Then see what was the end of those who were warned, except for the sincere servants of Allah. (37: 73-74)

Allah (swt) relates sincerity to prayers and charity:

And they have been commanded no more than this: To worship Allah, offering Him sincere devotion, being true (in faith); to establish regular prayer, and to practice regular charity; and that is the Religion, right and straight. (98:5)

We are feeding you for the sake of Allah. We do not expect from you any compensation or thanks. (76:9)

Allah warns us about insincerity:

So woe to the worshippers who are neglectful of their prayers—those who want to be seen (of men), but refuse (to supply) neighborly needs. (107: 4-7)

O Believers! Do not make your charity worthless by reminders of your generosity or by injury, like him who spends his wealth to be seen of men and does not believe in Allah and the Last Day… (2:264)

The purpose of life’s hardships is to test our sincerity:

Do the people think that they will be left alone on saying, “We believe,” and that they will not be tested? We did test those before them, and Allah will certainly know those who are true from those who are false. (29:2-3)

Allah judges us based on sincerity:

Allah will not call you to account for thoughtlessness in your oaths, but for the intention in your hearts, and He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Forbearing. (2:225)

There is no blame on those who are infirm, or ill, or who find no resources to spend (on the Cause), if they are sincere to Allah and His Messenger: No ground (of complaint) can there be against such as do right: and Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. (9:91)

References/Sources: https://www.with-allah.com/en/meaning-of-al-ikhlas-sincerity, https://iqna.ir/en/news/3466534/points-about-sincerity-from-quran

 

All praise is due to Allah. All the angels and Messengers fear Him and to Him the worshipers prostrate. Those of knowledge appraise Allah with true appraisal, and His word to a thing when He intends it is but that He say to it, "Be," and it is.  I bear witness that there is no deity save Allah, having no associates. I also bear witness that our Master Muhammad is the Servant of Allah and His Messenger. He was the seal of Prophets and Messengers. May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, his pure blessed family and companions, and all those who follow them in righteousness till the Day of Judgment.

As to what follows,

I urge you, O servants of Allah, and myself to be aware that you are asked to obey Him the Most Exalted, in line with His orders, "and whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger and fears Allah and is conscious of Him - it is those who are the attainers." (An-Noor: 52).

Dear Muslims,

Allah the Most Exalted praises amongst His servants those who are pious and who fear Him. The Almighty says, "who fear their Lord unseen, while they are of the Hour apprehensive." (Al-Anbiyaa: 49). Indeed, fear of Allah is amongst the best of manners that stems from the human's virtuous nature and reflects one's gratefulness to Allah's great favours. Obedience of Allah is further conducive to make the Muslim committed to good ethics, exalting Allah and avoiding all that which He has prohibited. As a result, one's soul will be purified and his manners will be elevated.

In an indication of its lofty status, the holy Quran associated fear of Allah, the Most Merciful, with one's true belief. In His holy Book, the Almighty says, "but Allah has more right that you should fear Him, if you are [truly] believers." (At-Tawba: 13). Thus, upon the mention of Allah, the believers' hearts become vigilant and full of reverence to Him. Describing them, Allah the Almighty says, "the believers are only those who, when Allah is mentioned, their hearts become fearful, and when His verses are recited to them, it increases them in faith." (Al-Anfal: 2). 

So, their consciousness of Allah, the Most Exalted, makes their hearts so soft and become in full submission at the recitation of His words. The Most Gracious says, "Allah has sent down the best statement: a consistent Book wherein is reiteration. The skins shiver therefrom of those who fear their Lord; then their skins and their hearts relax at the remembrance of Allah." (Az-Zumar: 23). No wonder since their Lord is Free of need, never to be poor; the Exalted in Might Who can never be prevailed over; the Powerful Who cannot be predominated; the One and the Prevailing. With His Competence He created all things and to His Greatness all things are humbled.

All those who appraise Allah with true appraisal do fear Him and are aware of His Supreme Status. Indeed, even the angels are conscious of their Lord and are obedient to His orders. About them, the Almighty says, "they fear their Lord above them, and they do what they are commanded." (An-Nahl: 50). The Most Exalted "knows what is [presently] before them and what will be after them, and they cannot intercede except on behalf of one whom He approves. And they, from fear of Him, are apprehensive." (Al-Anbiyaa: 28).

On the same matter, the Messenger of Allah pbuh similarly described the angels saying, "When Allah decrees some order in the heaven, the angels flutter their wings indicating complete surrender to His saying which sounds like chains being dragged on rock. And when the state of fear disappears, they ask each other, 'What has your Lord ordered?' They say that He has said that which is true and just, and He is the Most High, the Most Great." That is to say: they surrender to His orders and submit to His Glory.

In fact, all of Allah's Creation fear Him, even the firm mountains. This was accentuated in the following Aya, "if We had sent down this Qur'an upon a mountain, you would have seen it humbled and coming apart from fear of Allah. And these examples We present to the people that perhaps they will give thought." (Al-Hashr: 21).

More to the point, the more the human being increased in knowledge about Allah the Almighty and His perfect attributes and powers, the more veneration they would have for Him and the more they would exalted Him. In this regard, the Prophets pbut set an example on fear of Allah as His Lord described him in His holy Book. He says, "[Allah praises] those who convey the messages of Allah and fear Him and do not fear anyone but Allah." (Al-Ahzab: 39). The Messenger of Allah pbuh embodied the true fear of Allah as he said, "By Allah, I am more submissive to Allah and more afraid of Him than you."

In like manner, the scholars are mindful of Allah the Almighty and fear Him as it ought to be. This is because they contemplate on the greatness of His Creation and the beauty of His inventions. As they ponder upon the creation of the heavens and the earth, fear of Allah becomes greater in their hearts. The Most Exalted says, "only those fear Allah, from among His servants, who have knowledge. Indeed, Allah is Exalted in Might and Forgiving." (Fatir: 28). One of the predecessors said, "To fear Allah is sufficient a knowledge for a man."

This means, the scholars and those of knowledge are the most fearful of Allah amongst people. In this sense, one of the causes of fearing Allah the Almighty is attaining knowledge because knowing Allah more makes the Muslim more watchful of Him. Moreover, reflecting on the universe and its creation, as well as recitation of the Quran are amongst the other reasons for fearing Allah. The Messenger of Allah pbuh said in this regard, "Among the people who recite the Quran with the most beautiful voices is the man who, when you hear him, you think that he fears Allah."

O Worshipers,

Please know that amongst the great merits of being conscious of Allah is that it is conducive to guide Muslims to perfect their acts and be devoted to good deeds. In evidence of this, the Most Exalted says, "indeed, they who are apprehensive from fear of their Lord. And they who believe in the signs of their Lord. And they who do not associate anything with their Lord. And they who give what they give while their hearts are fearful because they will be returning to their Lord. It is those who hasten to good deeds, and they outstrip [others] therein." (Al-Muminoon: 57-61).

The reason for this is that their hearts are so filled with faith in their Lord that they humbly submitted to Him and their senses raced for performing acts of worship and obedience, striving to do whatever He enjoined upon them to do as well as to be kind to His Creation. On this account, Al Hasan Al Basri said, "The believer combines good deeds and apprehension." Thus, being heedful of Allah will, definitely, urge the Muslim to seek perfection in all their affairs. Thus, as a result of fear of Allah the Almighty one will be dutiful towards his parents, maintain good ties of kinship, perfect his work and treat others with leniency, mercy and honesty.

An illustration of this can be seen in the following Hadith by the Prophet pbuh about three persons who were traveling, and suddenly it started raining, and they took shelter in a cave. The entrance of the cave got closed while they were inside. They said to each other, 'O you! Nothing can save you except the truth, so each of you should ask Allah's Help by referring to such a deed as he thinks he did sincerely (i.e. just for gaining Allah's Pleasure).' So one of them mentioned his fulfillment of the trust and giving to the labourer his rights. The he said, "O Allah! If you consider that I did that for fear of You, then please remove the rock." The rock shifted a bit from the mouth of the cave.

So, from this we learn that trustworthiness and giving the labourers their full rights as and when they are due are part and parcel of fearing Allah the Almighty for which the believer will attain a great recompense.

The second man mentioned his dutifulness towards his parents and then said, "O Allah! If you consider that I did that for fear of You, then please remove the rock." The rock shifted a bit from the mouth of the cave. This indicates that treating parents with kindness and showing patience with them is part of Allah's obedience and will be rewarded abundantly by Him.

For his part, the third man talked about how he controlled his desires and avoided what Allah has prohibited, relieving thereby his cousin and fearing Allah with regards to her. Then he said, "O Allah! If you consider that I did that for fear of You, then please remove the rock." So Allah saved them and they came out (of the cave).

This story shows how those three men watched their Lord and avoided performing the acts that He has prohibited, showed kindness towards parents, respected ties of kinship and fulfilled their trusts out of fear of Allah. They realised that Allah the Almighty is ever watching over them, hearing what they say, knowing their status and seeing what they do. Undoubtedly, the Most Exalted, knows that which is concealed and that which is declared. The Most Knowing says, "He knows that which deceives the eyes and what the breasts conceal." (Ghafir; 19).

With this in mind, let us pray to Allah the Almighty to grant us success to fear Him seen and unseen.

May Allah guide us all to obey Him and obey His Messenger Muhammad pbuh and obey those He have commanded us to obey in line with His orders: "O you who have believed, obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in authority amongst you." (An-Nisaa: 59).

May Allah direct us all to the blessings of the Glorious Quran and the Sunna of His Messenger pbuh.

I say this and ask Allah for forgiveness for me and you, so invoke Him for forgiveness, for He is the Most Forgiving, the Most Merciful.

All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds. I bear witness that there is no deity save Allah, having no associates. I also bear witness that our Master Muhammad is the servant of Allah and His Messenger. May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon ou­­r Master Muhammad, his pure family, companions, and all those who follow them in righteousness till the Day of Judgment.

I urge you, O Servants of Allah, and myself to be aware that you are asked to obey Him, the Most Exalted and Sublime.

O Worshipers,

Please be aware that Allah the Most High has enjoined upon lour Master Muhammad pbuh to give glad tidings to those who fear their Lord that they shall attain His forgiveness and generous rewards. The Almighty says, "you can only warn one who follows the message and fears the Most Merciful unseen. So give him good tidings of forgiveness and noble reward." (Yasin: 11). Indeed, being mindful of Allah the Almighty is a cause for one to be forgiven his misdeeds and admitted to Paradise as his perpetual abode. Allah, the Most Beneficent, says, "but as for he who feared the position of his Lord and prevented the soul from [unlawful] inclination, then indeed, Paradise will be [his] refuge." (An-Naziaat: 40-41).

Congratulations, therefore, for those who are watchful of Allah in all their actions for "their reward with Allah will be gardens of perpetual residence beneath which rivers flow, wherein they will abide forever, Allah being pleased with them and they with Him. That is for whoever has feared his Lord." (Al-Bayyina: 8).

You are, thus, urged to develop fear of Allah the Almighty in your heart and nurture it in the minds and hearts of your daughters and sons. This way, you will be amongst those who are observant of their Lord and obedient to His commands.

That is said, please bear in mind that you are instructed to invoke peace and blessings on the Prophet pbuh. Allah, the Most Sublime, says, "indeed, Allah confers blessing upon the Prophet, and His angels [ask Him to do so]. O you who have believed, ask [Allah to confer] blessing upon him and ask [Allah to grant him] peace." (Al-Ahzab: 56).

On the same matter, the Prophet pbuh said, "For everyone who invokes a blessing on me will receive ten blessings from Allah."

O Allah, please confer Your blessings and grant peace upon our Prophet Muhammad pbuh, his family and all of the companions.

May Allah be pleased with the Rightly Guided Caliphs: Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman and Ali, and all of the noble Companions.

May Allah have mercy on the honourable martyrs of our country and those of the coalition and gather them with the righteous. May Allah make their dwelling with the ones upon whom Allah has bestowed favour of the prophets. O Allah, please grant the best reward for the families of the martyrs and offer them patience and solace. May Allah grant victory to the soldiers of the Arab Coalition who gathered to restore the rights to their owners. O Lord, please be by their side and guide the Yemeni people to everything that is good.

O Lord, we beseech You to bless all of the Muslim countries and the whole world with stability and peace.

O Allah, we implore to You to increase the UAE in delight and beauty and give the best of rewards and recompense to whoever sowed the seeds of goodness and welfare in it. Indeed, You are the Most Merciful of the merciful.

May Allah grant success and continued health and care to the UAE President HH Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan. May Allah also ensure success to his Vice-President, trustworthy Crown Prince and his brothers, Their Highnesses the Rulers of the Emirates.

O Allah, please forgive all of the Muslims, men and women, living and dead. May Allah have mercy on Sheikh Zayed, Sheikh Maktoum and the Late UAE Sheikhs. O Lord, forgive and show mercy on them and bless them with Your kindness and satisfaction.

We pray to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds, to continue blessing the UAE with stability and welfare and bless its provisions. O Allah, please continue blessing the UAE with safety and security.

O Allah, we seek Your favour to send us wealthy rain and make us not amongst those who are despondent. O Allah, relieve us! O Allah, relieve us! O Allah, relieve us! O Allah, give us from the blessings of the sky and grow for us from the blessings of the earth.

Remember Allah and He will remember you. Be grateful of His benevolence and He will increase His blessings to you.

Reference/Source: https://www.awqaf.gov.ae/en/

The Bounties of Allah

All praise is due to Allah, the Most Kind, the Most Generous, the Beneficent, the Merciful. He endows His favours upon whomever He wills of His Servants, and Allah is the possessor of great bounty. I bear witness that there is no deity save Allah, having no associates. I also bear witness that our Master and Prophet Muhammad is the Servant of Allah and His Messenger. He has given him wisdom and graced him with the gift of Jawamia Al Kalim (words which are concise but comprehensive in meaning) and taught him that which he did not [previously] know. Indeed, Allah's favour upon him was ever great. May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon our Master and Prophet Muhammad, his family and all of his companions and those who follow them till the Day of Judgment.

As to what follows,

I urge you, O servants of Allah, and myself to be aware that you are asked to obey Him the Most Exalted, in line with His orders: "O you who have believed, if you fear Allah, He will grant you a criterion and will remove from you your misdeeds and forgive you. And Allah is the possessor of great bounty." (Al-Anfal: 29).

O Muslims,

There is no doubt Allah, the Most Exalted, is the Possessor great bounty and Bestower of countless favours. He is vast in His generosity and encompasses all the people with His kindness. In His Book, the Almighty reminds His servants of this fact for He says, "and Allah is full of bounty to the people." (Al-Baqara: 243). He also emphasises that His bounties engulf His servants in the entire world as He says, "but Allah is full of bounty to the worlds." (Al-Baqara: 251). Allah further assured the true believers of attaining His great bounties, so He has commanded His Messenger Muhammad pbuh to give them glad tidings of such attainment. The Most Exalted says, "and give good tidings to the believers that they will have from Allah great bounty." (Al-Ahzab: 47).

In return, the believers show gratitude to Allah the Almighty for His favours, thank Him for His giving, and do all that which He has ordered them to do, seeking to draw closer to Him and attain His satisfaction. The Most Exalted says, "and they pursued the pleasure of Allah, and Allah is the possessor of great bounty." (Al Imran: 174). In response, Allah the Most Generous bestows his favours and show mercy upon them in abundance, imparting thereby delight and pleasure to their hearts. The Almighty says, "say, 'In the bounty of Allah and in His mercy' - in that let them rejoice; it is better than what they accumulate." (Yunus: 58).

Having known this, let us, now, advise each other on the aspects of the bounty of Allah the Almighty. Allah's bounty means His generosity and kindness that He grants to whomever He wills. The Most Exalted says, "and if He intends for you good, then there is no repeller of His bounty. He causes it to reach whom He wills of His servants. And He is the Forgiving, the Merciful." (Yunus: 107).

Amongst the favours of Allah the Almighty is that He rewards His servants in multiples for their good deeds. The Messenger of Allah pbuh said, "Every good deed of the son of Adam will be multiplied manifold. A good deed will be multiplied ten times up to as many as seven hundred times." In addition to that, Allah the Most Merciful increases the doers of good in favour. He says, "and as for those who believed and did righteous deeds, He will give them in full their rewards and grant them extra from His bounty." (An-Nisaa: 173).  

This brings us to a question on how do we attain the bounty of Allah the Almighty? The answer to this question is that the means of winning the satisfaction of Allah are many. One of such means is by obeying Allah the Almighty and following the guidance His Messenger pbuh. These are of the reasons of attaining the great bounty of Allah the Almighty and being admitted to His Paradise in company of the Prophets and the righteous as Allah has promised in His holy Book. The Most Gracious says, "and whoever obeys Allah and the Messenger - those will be with the ones upon whom Allah has bestowed favour of the prophets, the steadfast affirmers of truth, the martyrs and the righteous. And excellent are those as companions. That is the bounty from Allah, and sufficient is Allah as Knower."  (An-Nisaa: 69-70).

One other way of attaining the bounty of Allah the Almighty is by holding firm to His noble Book. Allah, the Exalted is He, accentuates this for He says, "O mankind, there has come to you a conclusive proof from your Lord, and We have sent down to you a clear light. So those who believe in Allah and hold fast to Him - He will admit them to mercy from Himself and bounty and guide them to Himself on a straight path." (An-Nisaa: 174-175). That is to say: believe in Allah the Almighty, hold fast to the holy Quran and follow the example of the Prophet pbuh. 

Furthermore, seeking Allah's forgiveness and turning to Him in repentance are amongst the other causes of being granted the favours of Allah, the Most High. On this account, the Almighty says, "and [saying], 'Seek forgiveness of your Lord and repent to Him, [and] He will let you enjoy a good provision for a specified term and give every doer of favour his favour'." (Hood: 3).  

O Worshipers,

The bounties of Allah the Almighty can also be attained by drawing nearer to our Lord through performing acts of righteousness. The Exalted is He says, "and those who have believed and done righteous deeds will be in lush regions of the gardens [in Paradise] having whatever they will in the presence of their Lord. That is what is the great bounty." (Ash-Shura: 22). In this sense, amongst the good deeds that one can perform is observing prayer at its prescribed time, paying Zakat and remembering Allah often. The Exalted and Sublime says, "[are] men whom neither commerce nor sale distracts from the remembrance of Allah and performance of prayer and giving of Zakat. They fear a Day in which the hearts and eyes will [fearfully] turn about. That Allah may reward them [according to] the best of what they did and increase them from His bounty. And Allah gives provision to whom He wills without account." (An-Noor: 37-38).

Reciting the holy Quran is another great act of obedience for which the Muslim gets rewarded in abundance. Allah, the Most Generous, has promised those who recite His holy Book to bestow upon them His favour. The Almighty says, "indeed, those who recite the Book of Allah and establish prayer and spend [in His cause] out of what We have provided them, secretly and publicly, [can] expect a profit that will never perish. That He may give them in full their rewards and increase for them of His bounty. Indeed, He is Forgiving and Appreciative." (Fatir: 29-30).

One other good deed that is conducive to draw the believer closer to their Lord and attain increased bounties is spending in charity for the sake of Allah the Almighty, for He says, "O you who have believed, spend from the good things which you have earned and from that which We have produced for you from the earth." (Al-Baqara: 267). Allah, the Most Beneficent, has ordered the believers to spend and promised them of His forgiveness and increased favours in return. The Almighty says, "while Allah promises you forgiveness from Him and bounty. And Allah is all-Encompassing and Knowing." (Al-Baqara: 268).

More to the point, the believers can also achieve the satisfaction of Allah the Almighty and His bounty by working hard to earn living in lawful manner. Allah the Almighty says, "and when the prayer has been concluded, disperse within the land and seek from the bounty of Allah." (Al-Jumaa: 10).

With this in mind, let us pray to Allah the Most Generous to continue blessing us with His favour and admit us to His Paradise.

May Allah guide us all to obey Him and obey His trustworthy Messenger Muhammad and obey those He has commanded us to obey in line with His orders: "O you who have believed, obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you." (An-Nisaa: 59).

May Allah direct us all to the blessings of the Glorious Quran and the Sunna of His Messenger pbuh.

I say this and ask Allah for forgiveness for me and you, so invoke Him for forgiveness, for He is the Most Forgiving, the Most Merciful

Reference/Source:  https://www.awqaf.gov.ae/en/