The Shield

Bismillah. 

One of the purest love that exists in this world is that of parents for their children. They love their kids selflessly and would go to any length to protect and benefit them. They’d even sacrifice their life for them. What could be greater than that?

If a child becomes ill, the father and mother would do whatever is humanly possible for them to do. Everyone gives their own opinion and advice regarding the child’s illness and they listen to each one hungrily, because who knows what will work? And same goes for all the matters of life. They want the best for their offspring. 

Well, here’s the good news! 

  

I’m about to share a formula which is 100% tried and tested by the prophets themselves. Imagine that! 

Sahih Bukhari, 3371:

Narrated Ibn ‘Abbas:

The Prophet (ﷺ) used to seek Refuge with Allah for Al-Hasan and Al-Husain and say: “Your forefather (i.e. Abraham) used to seek Refuge with Allah for Ishmael and Isaac by reciting the following: ‘O Allah! I seek Refuge with Your Perfect Words from every devil and from poisonous pests and from every evil, harmful, envious eye.’ “

The dua in Arabic: 

‎أَعُوذُ بِكَلِمَاتِ اللَّهِ التَّامَّةِ مِنْ كُلِّ شَيْطَانٍ وَهَامَّةٍ، وَمِنْ كُلِّ عَيْنٍ لاَمَّةٍ ‏”‏‏.‏

Let’s add this dua in our routinely supplications for protection of our beloved ones. You can make this dua for them whether they’re with you or live far away. It will benefit inshaAllah. :)

Are You a Concerned Parent?

Assalam u ‘alaikum.
Bismillah.

A lot of time Muslim parents or concerned elders want to know the kind of fun and enjoyment to have with their families which is not against the pure Islamic values, and would fill their house with peace and barakaah.

So, here are a few tips of halal entertainment. Share your own ideas in the comments section below.

• Put up a new verse or hadith every day in your house. Fix turns for kids and let them compete each day that whose verse or hadith was more interesting. Hang a small white board on a central wall, for this purpose. Or put it next to the dining table or wherever your family gathers for, say, breakfast so that everyone can read it and benefit from it.

• Inculcate in yourself the habit of reading. Kids would automatically follow your example and settle down with books when they see you reading. And this habit would then benefit them for their lifetime.

• Plant vegetables or flowers in your garden, with kids. Nowadays children are so used to ordering food that they don’t even know where the ingredients come from. Let them know it. They’d get a sense of achievement that we helped dad or mom with growing this and now it’s ready to eat. Plus they’d learn that food does not appear in a wink. It’s a whole growing process. And they’ll also learn how Allah brings life in a dead seed. Moreover, it would be healthier to eat.
  Take them on nature walks. Or hiking. Do this on a one-on-one basis too and you’ll also get time to talk with them and know them better. Take a walk with your parents too.

• Let the young boys lead salah every now and again. For teaching purposes and for developing a sense of responsibility in them. Produce imams in your house.
  Umar r.a used to wake up his whole family for tahajjud. Wake your family for tahajjud and Fajr. This would be the real love.

• Travel with your family, to know Allah. Go to places and learn collectively.

• Whenever you eat out, give charity with it, in the form of food. If you have something of Rs. 1000, give food out worth Rs. 500 (or more). Let the children calculate how much we owe to the poor people this time.

• Play sports and involve kids in it too. For boys specially, target shooting and riding are really good. Don’t let them be couch potatoes. Play with them.

• Give them Islamic education. Teach them all about Islam (not just basics) at home, and also try to send them to Islamic schools.

• Get involved in da’wah, as a family. Dawah includes giving out books, DVDs, letters, emails, text messages, one-to-one talks, lectures etc. Children will start doing da’wah at their own level.

• Visit friends and family, especially for da’wah purposes.

• Volunteer with charity organizations. Clean out the cupboards and give out extra stuff every 6 months. Teach this to children too. Tell them to sort out their extra toys every 6 months. Teach them that Allah will replace it with something much better.

• Take the kids to different lectures and halaqahs. Take the boys to the masjid (even for Fajr salah).

• Watch good, healthy movies and documentaries with them. (Check them first and don’t leave it unsupervised). Like Universe series etc. Ones that are actually eman-boosters.

Taken from Br. Raja Zia ul Haq.
Follow him on his blog: http://rajazia.blogspot.com/

Wassalam.

From the Story of Asma binte ‘Umais…

Salam,
Bismillah.

The whole story was amazing; I’m not sharing all of it. However I recommend you read it. :)

There are a lot of points that we get from her story. I’m posting some of them for a reminder. Read on!

There was a discussion between her and another companion. When we’re doing something good, sometimes we feel that what the other people are doing is lowly. But we’ve no idea how Allah thinks of it. We think that person does not have a degree & he does not have a certificate. If a companion of ours gets a bit slow in his work, we feel he’s not really doing any good work. Or if he stops doing the work we’re doing, we’ll go he’s not doing the real thing. We judge without thinking maybe Allah is taking some other work from him. The real point is to stay contented in whatever situation Allah has put us in and find some productive work for ourselves in that particular situation. With the form or shape of work being different, reward is not lessened. If you’re doing something for self-projection then it’s wasted anyway, no matter how good it is.

If you’re not motivated enough to do Allah’s work then you have nothing! Why do you have to look at others for motivation? Isn’t Allah enough for your motivation? If you’re thrown on an island, wouldn’t Allah be enough for your motivation there?

HasbunAllaha wa na’imal wakeel

If there is no one else, you still have Allah! Doesn’t He show you the way? Doesn’t He provide for you? Don’t we have to return to Him?

This is the difference between us and Companions of the Prophet s.a.w. They did a little but purely for Allah and Allah put barakah in it. Whatever they were assigned, they did it properly only for Allah.

A son was born to her and she continued on her journey to pilgrimage. What do the women do usually? Go on a rest 40 days before and 40 days after the birth of the child. They start praying salah sitting down. But she was strong! Mothers of the ummat-e-Muslimah!

She solved a problem between kids easily. Mothers today get worried about their kids at once. Bring calmness in yourself for their good upbringing. Accept your kids happily as an assignment from Allah. Women, who cry, can’t do anything really. If they’ll cry in front of their husbands, they’ll look elsewhere for someone smiling and laughing. Don’t act abnormally in front of your husband and kids. And when you have to cry, cry in front of your Lord. He will not leave you alone. The people we run after are not the contentment we’re looking for. Try it! Leave people and trust Allah, people will support you too. It is He who puts love and respect for you in people’s hearts. If He loves you, everyone will love you. Calling yourself pitiful is not the solution to the problem. Be brave! Bring that wisdom, strength and confidence in yourself. If a mother is worried, the whole house becomes anxious. Tell yourself, nothing is the problem with me. We’re self-centered; stop the ‘me’ every time. This is worshipping your own-self, Allah does not like it. Trust Him and He’ll help you from ways you can’t imagine.

And when you’re self-centered you fail to recognize the qualities of others.

Don’t do comparison amongst your kids. Remember the individual quality of each of your child. And then expect only that which he is capable of. Mothers want that every child should have all the qualities. This is wrong, saying this child has this quality and the other doesn’t.

The people who ask a lot of questions about how to do things, and don’t feel satisfied; they should check their intentions if they really are asking so that they can act on it. If yes, then Allah will give a chance inshaAllah. If you’re not given a chance then you’ll be rewarded in return for it in the hereafter. Maybe there is more khair in your dua not getting accepted.

Wassalam,
Hajrah. :)