How productive was your day today in Ramadan?

The_truth

Well-Known Member
My day was very productive, Alhamdulilah. I woke up around 3:30 for Suhr, ate and then stayed awake till Fajr being 4:49, prayer Fajr and read some Qur'an. BTW It's really amazing how much you can do in the early hours, they really are a blessing. But from there I did chores, listend to a few lectures, cooked, and cleaned around some more. Unfortunately I stupidly read a Muslim/Islam bashing comments thread and felt a little down but Then Prayed Asr. And that's where it stops for me thus far. But I hope to end this day on a good foot. Insha'Allah. No taraweeh prayers tonight but hope to do something equally as rewarding hopefully.

Tips'

Stay up after Fajr for the rest of the day

Set a schedule, a really clear one, with activities set around specific times

Don't bother yourself in reading comments on a Yahoo article. Especially when 80% of them are pure hateful.

And from there things will hopefully turn out well.

Peace.

Asalaamu Alaikum, Jazakallahu khayr for sharing your wonderful tips. When you wake up for Suhur try to pray Tahajjud from a minimum of 2 raka'ah to a recommended 8 raka'ah. This is the best nafil prayer and the dua's at that time are readily accepted. So we must try not to miss out on praying Tahajjud and afterwards making a long and sincere dua.

You mentioned a VERY productive tip which is to stay awake after Fajr. The mornings are most blessed and staying awake after Fajr will enable one to get the most of of each day. In order to do this one must sleep as soon as possible in the night. If one is to stay awake after Fajr then it is crucial to have an afternoon nap for about an hour to half an hour which is sunnah and will also enable one to rejuvinate and revitalize oneself for the rest of the day.

Another tip you mentioned which is very important is to set a schedule for oneself everyday and in this way we can set ourselves specific targets to work towards and plan our day. It doesnt mean that everything will go to plan every single day but what is does give you is clear and defined targets to work towards so that we can at least do as much as we can of the targets we set ourselves and even surpass them.

A final point you made was regarding not wasting ones time on reading hateful material. We should never concern ourselvs with such material and not even waste a second of our lives in or outside Ramadan on such a thing. Rather we should use our precious time wisely to ONLY read and learn that which will benefit us in this world and the next. Anything which will not be of any benefit to us but cause us more harm than good should be rejected and diregarded. Rather save your time for something that will actually help you.

Jazakallahu Khayr and please keep sharing.
 

IHearIslam

make dua 4 ma finals
Assalaamu alaikum,

well, today was just...I dont know. Right before Sahur, my mom got sick and we had to rush to the hospital. We did not eat anything but had plenty of water. We were at the hospital for about six hours! came back home and had to get some sleep (PS: My mom is FINE alhamdulillah...and I have no complain of anything because we as a whole family rarely go to the ER!) all praise be to Allah. I read some Qur'an, had time to write on my blog and on TTI. And I am now headed to the hospital for a good thing :) my brother's wife gave birth to a baby girl :D so, its a Ramdan filled with blessings!

"which of the favors of your Lord can you deny?" I am greatful and just soo happy!


oh oh, PS:my mom is out of the hospital and she is doing great!!!! alhamdulillah <3 :)
 

The_truth

Well-Known Member
TIP 9: Listening to Qur'an recitation


Listening to Qur'an recitation is the perfume of the souls, the calmer of hearts, and the food of the spirit. Is is one of the most important psychological medicines. It is a source of pleasure, even to some animals – and pleasure in moderation purifies inner energy, enhances the functioning of the faculties, slows down senile decay by driving out its diseases, improves the complexion, and refreshes the entire body. Pleasure in excess, on the other hand, makes the illnesses of the body grow worse.

Abu Nu’aim states, in his Tib an-Nabbi, that the Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said that the benefits of listening to recitation are increased when it is understood – that is, when its meaning is understood.

Allah Himself says:…so give good news to My slaves, those who listen to the word and then follow the best of it(Qur’an: 39.17-18)

So we should certainly listen to some Qur'an everyday for the above reasons. On top of that i think it is important to do a variety of worship with which we can put into our daily worship schedules. In this way we will be less likely to get fatigued with doing one type of worship. Although much of our worship should consist of reciting the Qur'an as Ramadan is the month of the Qur'an and reciting the Qur'an is among the best of all worship.

Tip 10: Taking a nap in the afternoon:


If one is tired then rest. I would suggest having a little nap before or after Dhuhr or late afternoon for about an hour to half an hour. No more than an hour though. This nap is called Qayloola and is a Sunnah. Having a short nap in the afternoon will help us to re-energise and feel rejuvenated and revitalised for the rest of the afternoon and evening.

TIP 11: Serving parents


Regarding serving one's parents: A man once asked the Prophet Muhammad (Salallahu Alayhi Wasallim):

"'Should I join the jihad?' He asked, 'Do you have parents?' The man said, 'Yes!' The Prophet (Salallahu Alayhi Wasallim) said, 'Then strive by serving them!'" (Sahih Al-Bukhari, No. 5972)

Therefore serving one's parents is even better than jihad so serve your parents as much as you can and gain rewards you can NEVER imagine!

Treating your parents the best:

To be obedient and to show kindness to parents has been enjoined in the Holy Quran in such a manner as to say that among the noble deeds, to obey parents, treat them respectfully and to show kindness to them is next to worshipping Almighty Allah.

The Quran says, "Your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him, and that you be kind to parents. Whether one or both of them attain old age in thy life, say not to them a word of contempt, nor repel them, but address them in terms of honour." - Surah Al Isra (17:23).

The Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi wasallam) said:“What a loss is for him! What a loss is for him! What a loss is for him!” Someone asked: “Who, O Allah's Messenger?” He replied: “He whose parents reach old age, either one or both of them, and he does not use their presence (by being good to them, etc.) to cause him to enter Paradise.” (Muslim)


Abdullah bin Mas'ood (RA), observed: "I asked Allah's Messenger (Sallallahu Alaihi wasallam) which deed was the best." He replied: 'The Prayer at its appointed hour.' I (again) asked: "Then what?" He replied: 'Kindness to the parents.'... (Sahih Muslim: 120)

So we should do our utmost to serve our parents in anyway that we can like for eg clean the house so that our parents do less, tend to their every need etc. Surely this will be please Allah a lot and we will gain unimaginable rewards!

Bonus tip:No matter what you are doing throughout the day, whether you are laying, sitting or standing then keep your lips moistened with dhikr (Remembrance) and glorification of Allah. Just keep repeationg simple dhikr like "Subhanallah", "Alhamdulillah", "Allahu Akbar", "La ilaha ilallah" and "Asthaghfirullah". constantly repeating dhikr in the end of your tongue is so light and easy yet so rewarding and heavy on the scales.
 

The_truth

Well-Known Member
Assalaamu alaikum,

well, today was just...I dont know. Right before Sahur, my mom got sick and we had to rush to the hospital. We did not eat anything but had plenty of water. We were at the hospital for about six hours! came back home and had to get some sleep (PS: My mom is FINE alhamdulillah...and I have no complain of anything because we as a whole family rarely go to the ER!) all praise be to Allah. I read some Qur'an, had time to write on my blog and on TTI. And I am now headed to the hospital for a good thing :) my brother's wife gave birth to a baby girl :D so, its a Ramdan filled with blessings!

"which of the favors of your Lord can you deny?" I am greatful and just soo happy!


oh oh, PS:my mom is out of the hospital and she is doing great!!!! alhamdulillah <3 :)

Asalaamu Alaikum, thats very good to hear that your mother is fine. May Allah give her, you and your family the best of this world and the next. Ameen
 

sitimuslimah

New Member
Ramadhan prayer day four

Ramadhan prayer day four

اَللَّهُمَّ قَوِّنِيْ فِيْهِ عَلَى إِقَامَةِ أَمْرِكَ وَ أَذِقْنِيْ فِيْهِ حَلاَوَةَ ذِكْرِكَ وَ أَوْزِعْنِيْ فِيْهِ لأدَاءِ شُكْرِكَ بِكَرَمِكَ

وَ احْفَظْنِيْ فِيْهِ بِحِفْظِكَ وَ سِتْرِكَ يَا أَبْصَرَ النَّاظِرِيْنَ

ALLAH, on this day, strengthen me in carrying out Your commands, let me taste the sweetness of Your remembrance, grant me, through Your graciousness, that I give thanks to You. Protect me, with Your protection and cover, O the most discerning of those who see.
 

friend263

Junior Member
Assalamualaikum warehmatullahi wa barakatahu

My ramdan this year are not so productive. But im feeling very bad for the same. I am thankful to Allah azwajal that he granted me a very chweet gift last to last month alhamdullilah. But as the gift is just a month and half old hence have to take special care of him. But still i am trying to take time for namaz although i cnt supplicate for long time i also try to recite quran as much as possible atleast one chaptert a day. But still u also please remember me in your supplication. And if there are any tips for me to increase my ibadat do let me knw.
 

MalikBrother

Junior Member
^ Assalamu - Alaikum!

Thank for the very valuable tips. I will try my best to follow these steps Insha'Allaah!. Thank you, my brother.

And Jazak'Allah Khayr for all these contribution to this thread, and Subhan'Allaah!, what amazing and very knowledgeable articles you go through to provide for all of us, and May Allaah (SWT) rewards you with great immensely blessings for your hard work, Ameen!
 

The_truth

Well-Known Member
My ramdan this year are not so productive. But im feeling very bad for the same. I am thankful to Allah azwajal that he granted me a very chweet gift last to last month alhamdullilah. But as the gift is just a month and half old hence have to take special care of him. But still i am trying to take time for namaz although i cnt supplicate for long time i also try to recite quran as much as possible atleast one chaptert a day. But still u also please remember me in your supplication. And if there are any tips for me to increase my ibadat do let me knw.

Asalaamu Alaikum sister, There is no need to feel bad sister for Ramadan has just started so we can still turn things around if we act now, so do not think it is too late.

Please read through this thread for tips on Ramadan and also read through the following threads:

12 Ways to Maximize Everyday in Ramadan

http://www.turntoislam.com/forum/showthread.php?t=78578


15 Easy Good deeds to do throughout Ramadan!

http://www.turntoislam.com/forum/showthread.php?t=78630


9 things a Women on Menses can do in Ramadan

http://www.turntoislam.com/forum/showthread.php?t=78747


The Inner Dimensions of Fasting - A MUST READ!

http://www.turntoislam.com/forum/showthread.php?t=78684


With regards to prayer then know that Shaythan is always wanting to divert our attention and focus away from our real purpose in life. Therefore we have to continuously remind ourselves as to why we are here and what is our REAL purpose is on this earth. Have we been created to study, work, get married, have kids and then die? Well you could say that this is part of what we have to do in our lives on this earth but Almighty Allah tells us the sole purpose of our creation:

"I have created the jinn and humankind only for My worship" The Holy Qur'an, Chapter 51, Verse 56

What is the greatest form of worship to Allah? The answer is: Salaah!

Salaah is the second pillar of Islam and is the most important act of worship after the Shahada (decleration of faith).

It is the first question we will be asked as Muslims in the hereafter as to whether or not we fulfilled our Salaah or not. Therefore it is the most important act of worship that has been ordained to mankind.

So until our very last breath we should know what our priorities are and focus on fulfilling all of our Salaah as it is the very purpose of our creation.

Shaythan is very well aware that Salaah is our biggest obligation and so therefore is forever trying to divert mans attention away from fulfilling this obligation to Allah.

There is NO such thing as being a part time Muslim. We CANNOT be Muslims when we want to be now and again. We CANNOT be Muslims only by name and not action. Therefore let us be proper Muslims and be proud of the fact that we are Muslims and that we have been given imaan but if we neglect our imaan then we may risk losing it and destroying ourselves.

Allah tells us In the Qur'an to enter fully into our deen and not partly:

O believers enter into Islam completely and do not follow the footsteps of Shaitan, surely he is your clear-cut enemy. If you falter after receiving the clear-cut message, then keep in mind that Allah is Mighty, Wise. Are they waiting for Allah to come down to them in the shadow of clouds, along with the angels, and make His decision known? Ultimately all matters will be presented to Allah for decision. (Surah Al-Baqara, Ayah 208-210)

Allah does not expect us to be perfect angels but he will judge us on what efforts we made throughout our lives. When you hear a person say "I try to read Salaah or i try to do what i can". Do you think they are really trying? Or are they just saying they are and decieving themselves? If we really tried we can do anything.

We can decieve ourselves but we cannot decieve Allah. Allah knows us better than we know ourselves and he knows what we are capable of and praying 5 times a day is not impossible for any of us.

If we calculate how long it would take to pray 5 times a day then you could sum it upto around 40 minutes a day. Now there are 1440 minutes in a day and 40 minutes out of 1440 of our day is ONLY 3% of a day and we still can't manage that? Many of us spend that much time eating, excreting or in front of a mirror and we can't even spend it praying and fulfilling the very purpose of our creation? We spend hours on end in front of the television or listening to Music or playing our playing the latest play station games or seeing who's poked us on facebook but we can't spend a few minutes praying to the one who has given us EVERYTHING we can possible imagine and far more? We are truly at loss!

So let us internalise these changes in our heads and immerse ourselves into our beautiful way of life and not let ourselves stop practising as soon as Ramadan is over for the best way to know if our Ramadan has been accepted or not is if we actually make changes to our lives after Ramadan is over. If we go back to how we were before Ramadan started then how can we except for our Ramadan to be accepted.

I'm not saying that we should become saints overnight but what i am saying is that we should at least fulfill our obligations to Allah and that is to establish our 5 times prayers and to keep away from that which Allah has forbidden. If we can't pray the Sunnah and Nafil then we MUST at least pray the Fard as a minimum.

Rather than moulding our life around our Salaah we mould our Salaah around our life so whenever we are sitting around at home then we decide to pray.

We must remember that it is an act of kufr(disbelief) to neglect the Salaah beyond its correct time and this is for missing one Salaah but how many Salaah do we continuously miss day in and day out? Some scholars even say missing Salaah intentionally takes one out of the fold of Islam. This is how serious missing Salaah really is!

Rasulallah (Pbuh) said: "What lies between a man and disbelief is the abandonment of prayer." (Muslim)

It is a major sin to miss even one prayer and leaving even one Salaah without a valid excuse is said to cause one to spend tens of thousands of years in Jahannam and on top of that every Salaah missed is VAST rewards missed out which we will never be able to gain back.

Therefore it is incumbant on us that we fulfil ALL of our Salaah and not make excuses as to why we cannot fulfill it because Islam has been made easy for us but it is us who makes it hard upon ourselves and because of the amount of sins that we committ we find it hard to do even simple acts of worship.

Allah has made it so easy for us so let us not make it hard for ourselves and let us not listen to the lame excuses that shaythan and our desires gives us.

Let us not waste a second more for death can approach us at ANY moment and believe me death does not wait for ANYONE! It comes not a second ahead or before its appointed time and if our Salaah is not right then surely we are doomed to destruction.

So let us fulfill our very purpose in this life which is to worship Allah. We need to keep reminding ourselves of death and the hereafter and also the greatness of Allah. We need to always remember our time is too short and can go at any second. So let us never leave another Salah and when we pray then let us imagine we can see Allah and he is watching us pray so it is best to learn the meanings of what we are praying in our Salaah.

How limited is our life and how can we really be sure that we will live until tomorrow. We have a 50% chance of dying at any moment and 50% is a huge chance of dying yet we live everyday like we will live forever in this world but we are asleep and so heedless. We do so much for this world and gain wealth, propertys and various other investments but if we die the next day then will this wealth and assets accompany us? The ONLY thing that will come with us is our good deeds. Our good deeds will be our companions in the grave and in the hereafter because they will be there for us when we REALLY need them the most, whereas what we gained in this world will leave us at the point of death.

So is it wise to spend our whole lives working for this world in expense of the next? Are we going to be here for that long that we should do so much for this world and neglect our final destination?

The succession of the night and day teach us an important lesson about this life; what goes will never come back again. This lesson is only understood by the wise people and leads them to invest all of their time in useful things as they realise that these times will never come back again. Once each second, minute, hour and day is gone it will NEVER come back. Yet our seconds go by and we do not even bother to ensure we make the best of how we spend them.

Rasulallah (Salallahu Alaihi Wasallam) urged us to use our time in a useful way when he said: “Grab five things before five others: your youth before your old age, your health before your illness, your wealth before your poverty, your leisure before your work, and your life before your death.” (Al-Hakim)

He also indicated that we are to be asked about these times and how we invested them in the judgment day. Rasulallah (Salallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said: “A servants two feet will not move on the Day of Judgement until he is questioned about four (things): His youth, how he spent it, his knowledge, how he acted upon it, his wealth, how he earned it and how he spent it and his body, how he used/wasted it.” ( Al-Tirmidhi)

When he is dying he will wish that he is given another chance or extension to his life so that he may do good as Allah says:

In Falsehood will they be Until, when death comes to one of them, he says: “O my Lord! send me back (to life),- In order that I may work righteousness in the things I neglected.” By no means! It is but a word he says. Before them is a Partition till the Day they are raised up. (23:99-100)

The key to success in this life and the next is making the hereafter the MOST important thing to us and making it our main focus. If we constantly keep the hereafter as our main focus everyday of our lives and strive as much as we can everyday to ensure that each second is spent on building up our hereafter then we will not go wrong inshallah.

Ibn Masood said: “I have never regretted anything as a day spent of my life without doing good deeds.”

How many days have we had like this where we have completely wasted them? On the day of judgement we would want to go back so that we could gain the HUGE rewards that are available just for saying Subhanallah!

Bilal ibn ass’d once said: if we are asked: ‘‘do you want to die?’’, we answer ‘‘No’’; and if we are asked ‘‘why?’’ we reply ‘‘in order to repent ad do good deeds’’. However if it’s said to us ‘‘Ok then do good deeds’’ we say: ‘‘Yes I will do’’; we keep working for this life everyday and postponing working for the hereafter.

We CANNOT afford to waste a single second in this life wasting it on that which will give us no benefit in this world or the next. Once our focus becomes the hereafter then NOTHING else will matter. Even things that we do in this world like work, study, look after and provide for family, parents, wife children etc will be like worship for us because we will do them for the pleasure of Allah. Even going to the toilet can be a worship if done in accordance with the Sunnah. Our WHOLE life from sleeping, eating, going to sleep and even breathing can become reward and worship with the right intentions so let us not waste a second more.

In the hereafter, when people are rewarded according to their deeds in this life, he wishes if he can go back to this life so he can do good deeds as he has experienced the hardness of punishment. Allah says:

They will say: “Our Lord! Twice hast Thou made us without life, and twice hast Thou given us Life! Now have we recognized our sins: Is there any way out (of this)?” (40:11)

Qatadah said regarding the last verse: By Allah, they don’t wish to go back to their families or clans, to get more of the pleasure of life, or to spend and fulfill their desires. Rather, they wished to return in order to perform and do acts of obedience to Allah - the Almighty -; God have mercy on those who do, in this life, the same good deeds and act of obedience that the unbeliever will wish to do when they meet the punishment in the Judgment Day.

Allah Also says:

But warn them of the Day of Distress, when the matter will be determined: for (behold,) they are negligent and they do not believe! (19:39)

Ibn Kathir provided the following translation for the latter verse:

(And warn them of the Day of grief and regrets) warn the creation of the Day of Distress.

(When the case has been decided) when the people of Paradise and the people of Hell will be sorted out, and everyone will reach his final abode which he was destined to remain in forever.

(While (now) they are) today, in the present life of this world.

(In a state of carelessness) with the warning of the Day of grief and regret, they are heedless.

(And they believe not) meaning they do not believe that it is true.


Imam Ahmad narrted that Abu Sa`id said that the Messenger of Allah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said: “When the people of Paradise enter Paradise and the people of the Hellfire enter the Hellfire, death will be brought in the form of a handsome ram and it will be placed between Paradise and the Hellfire.” Then, it will be said, “O people of Paradise, do you know what this is?” Then, they will turn their gazes and look, and they will say, “Yes, this is death.”' Then, it will be said, “O people of the Hellfire, do you know what this is?”' Then, they will turn their gazes and look, and they will say, “Yes, this is death.” Then, the order will be given for it to be slaughtered and it will be said, “O people of Paradise, eternity and no more death, O people of Hellfire, eternity and no more death.” Then the Messenger of Allah recited the previous Ayah; then, the Messenger of Allah made a gesture with his hand and said: “The people of this life are in the state of heedlessness of this life.”

So we must get ourselves out of this heedless state that we are in and let us make our ONLY focus the hereafter so that EVERYTHING we do we do to please Allah. Before we do any action we should just stop and think to ourselves "Is this action going to be of any benefit to me in the hereafter"? If it is not then let us do that which WILL be of benefit to us. This brief moment of reflection will help us throughout our lives because it will prevent us from wasting our precious time and it will enable us to spend our precious seconds pleasing Allah and doing good deeds.

A clever and intelligent person realises that they have such limited time in this world and therefore each second should be spent on doing that which will benefit them in the long term as oppose to in the short term. Short term gains are what we do for this world and long term gains are what we do for the hereafter. Now if we spend our lives living for this world then we will have gains which are so short lived and after we die what will we have for eternity? Whereas if we lived this life to a minimum and spent our entire lives working for the hereafter then we will benefit FOREVER!

This world is like a dream that will end at any moment and in the next world we will wake up from this dream and that is when reality will hit us but by then it will be too late to do anything about it. Our chance to act is NOW! Therefore we CANNOT waste a second more.

You should certainly take things slower and gradually build up at a speed that you can manage without overwhelming yourself. Allah has never enjoined upon us that we should over burden ourselves by doing too much that we cannot handle.

Try to spend time learning about Islam and implementing what wyou learn into your daily life as well as conveying it to others so that they may benefit to.

We should always enjoin good and forbid evil every opportunity we get and give as much dawah as we can inviting people to the way of Allah.

As mentioned above we must always keep good and pious company and disregard those who do evil as bad company is like poison for us. Let us sit with the scholars and learned people and those who remember Allah.

Let us gradually increase in our recitation of the Qur'an as every letter is so much rewards that we cannot imagine. We will be raised among the levels of Paradise until we stopped reciting the Qur'an in this world. So let us keep reciting so that we can be raised to the highest stages of Paradise. Let us also learn the meanings of what we are reading so that we can understand what Allah is telling us and so that we can implement what Allah is telling us in the Qur'an into our daily lives.

Let us also gradually try to improve our character and manners as improing oneself is a lifetime process but we should start on the major things first like stopping backbiting, swearing bad language etc and whatever we need to change about ourselves for the better then let us constantly work on these things all of the time.

Abu Darda (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said, "Nothing will be heavier on the Day of Resurrection in the Scale of the believer than good manners. Allah hates one who utters foul or coarse language.''

We should spend in the way of Allah as much as we can particularly in the month of mercy and generosity- Ramadan - for we will regret the money we wasted and did not spend in the way of Allah.

Let us gradually increase ourselves in prayer and prostrations particularly the nafil prayers (voluntary prayers) because the more we prostrate to Allah in the form of prayer then the closer we will get to Allah and the higher our ranks will be in the hereafter.

We should always ask of Allah in dua as much as possible. We should know that dua is the weapon of the believer and this weapon should be used as much as possible for all of our duas that are not answered in this world will be stored for us in the hereafter and when we see the reward of those duas we thought were not accepted then we will wish that NONE of our dua's were ever accepted just so that we can gain these HUGE rewards.

We should be of the appreciative and thankful and always thank Allah for everything he has given us because he has done so many favours for us that we can never imagine. Allah gives more to the thankful and increases them in blessings.

-Allah likes those who are thankful [39:7]

-Allah rewards those who are thankful [3:144]

-Allah gives more benefits and blessings to those who are thankful [14:7]

-Allah protects those from harm who render Him thankfulness [54:34-35]


Also let us be patient through trials, hardships and adversities because they will help rid us of sin and it may be that a person who went through much trials in the world would face Allah with little or no sin and imagine how lucky that person would be on a day when we will tremble for the sins we committed in the world. What a terrible day that will be.

So we should spend our time in repentance and have hope in the mercy of Allah and at the same time have fear that our repentance and deeds won't be accepted. Hope and fear should always be balanced and one should not have too much hope and one should not have too much fear but strike a balance between the two.

Let us gradually increase our remembrance of Allah and keep our tongues moist with his glorification of Allah, How easy is it for us to utter useless words but how much will we regret when we realise that instead of all the useless talk we did in the world we we could have glorified Allah and even one glorification of Allah like Subhanallah and La ilaha ilallah gains one rewards one cannot imagine. It is just that in this world we cannot see these rewards but when we will see the rewards for ourselves on the day of judgement then we will say "Woe to me i wasted my life in useless talk when i could have been glorifying and remembering Allah."

Hadhrat Mu'az [RA] narrated Rasulallah (sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said: “The Inhabitants of Paradise will not be grief stricken or sorrowful about anything they did in the life of the world except for the time they spent without being in the remembrance of Allah” (Tabaraani)

We can remember Allah where ever we are no matter what we are doing and this is the best thing we can do in our lives is to constantly remain in the remembrance of Allah. If we alwyas have Allah in our hearts then we will do EVERYTHING to please him and refrain from anything that displeases him.

The Prophet of Guidance (sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) told us that remembrance of Allah is the best and the purest deed.

Abu Dardaa narrated that the Messenger of Allaah (sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said, “Shall I tell you of the best and purest of your deeds before your King, the one that elevates your position the most; that is better for you than meeting your enemies whose necks you strike and they also strike your necks, and better than spending gold and silver?” The companions said, “O Yes.” The Prophet (sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) then said, “Remembrance of Allaah, the Exalted.” (Ahmad, Tirmidhi and others).

We must also think before doing any action to ensure that EVERYTING we do we do to please Allah and if it will benefit us in the hereafter then we should do it but if it will only waste our time then we should not do it.


Al-Hasan Al-Basri said: “Seek sweet happiness in three things: performing prayer, Remembering Allah, and reading the Holy Quran. If you find (delight in those three things), it is alright. But if you do not, it means that the door (to Allah’s Love and Mercy) is closed; so search for the reason.”

Another of the righteous men said, “How miserable people of the present world are! They pass away from it without having tasted the most delicious thing therein.” And when he was asked: “What is the most delicious thing therein?”, he said: “Knowing Allah, the Almighty, loving Him, and remembering Him.”

So we must strive as best we can to make the best of each second of our lives to ensure that each second is spent on pleasing Allah and each second that we waste on that which will not benefit us in the hereafter will be seconds that are wasted and seconds that we will regret FOREVER! But do so within our own limits and our own speed whetaver we can manage without over burdening or over whelming ourselves but we must strike a good balance as in not go so slow and not go so fast but take a middle path with regards to our progression in the worship of Allah.

The most beautiful month of Ramadan is here now what better time to make the necessery changes that we need to make to our lives. We must NOT waste this opportunity but grab onto it! All good deeds are SO much more rewarding now so we must NOT miss out on this chance otherwise we will be in UTTER regret in the hereafter for the precious seconds we wasted in our lives not remembering Allah.

So let us live for the hereafter and denounce any love we have for this world for we are only on a short journey and this journey can end at ANY SECOND!



The following are some very beneficial lectures which you should listen to, to increase your imaan and fear of Allah:


Remembrance: ask Allah for his forgiveness

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-EK9r3rMzQ


Angel of Death!!! - Sheikh Ahmed Ali

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUzRJXlB2uA


HARD HITTING Lecture on HELLFIRE & the Day of JUDGEMENT! يوم القيامة والجحيم

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0O6L_fBk7VM

Sheikh Ahmad Ali - Hellfire Talk Part 1/3

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWTehIeCOUU

Sheikh Ahmad Ali - Hellfire Talk Part 2/3

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXTtk7rWx_U

Sheikh Ahmad Ali - Hellfire Talk Part 3/3

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmiD86w9fBc


Islam - Punishment of the Grave by Sheikh Riyadh ul Haq

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWb-hYIm2WE

Death and the Grave by Murtaza Khan

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7r2nzJVecqo

How can we not appreciate what we have after watching this?

[URL="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AkEBUC0APMg"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AkEBUC0APMg[/URL]


AMAZING short speech -"The Goodly Life"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fugf1DcNyc

If you need help, advice or anything at all then please do not hesitate to ask. Please remember me in your duas.


And Allah knows best in all matters
 

Shak78

Junior Member
It was productive until the morning when my husband decided to turn my alarm off and I missed Fajr prayer and suhoor. I did get through the second Juz and am halfway through the third so that is a positive. I am still angry at him for doing that and I am not sure if my fast today will be vaild because I missed Fajr due to him.
 

kashif_nazeer

~~~Alhamdulillah~~~
:salam2:
jazaak: very beneficent thread.,Today was alright not very productive.Woke up at suhoor,prayed faj,slept then woke up read Quran,heard a couple of lectures.Day passes ,was invited to iftar at a place a lot of da'ees were present got to hear a lecture by a prominent cleric in the city who is also a da'ee.
The thing that affects a lot is sleep,how to control sleeping?Like I wake up like 10 am in the morning after fajr,that is really a bad habit,how to overcome it?
Plus I gained a lot of information from this thread,one should not indulge in unnecessary things and lose valuable time and be concsious of Allah at all times and check our intentions regularly,that is it solely for Allah.Not indulge in unnecessary debates which would leave a bad taste in mouth and spoil a goo day and fast.(I learnt that the hard way)Invest more time in remembrance of Allah,rather than unnecessary things.
One can prepare a chart to keep track of the activities he/she indulged in during the day and what he gained from ti and keep a record of it for reference.Note down mistakes made and what should be done to rectify it.
May Allah reward you immensly for your tips dear brother.Ameen.

:wasalam:
 

The_truth

Well-Known Member
It was productive until the morning when my husband decided to turn my alarm off and I missed Fajr prayer and suhoor. I did get through the second Juz and am halfway through the third so that is a positive. I am still angry at him for doing that and I am not sure if my fast today will be vaild because I missed Fajr due to him.

Asalaamu Alaikum, do not worry sister it happens at times. Let us take lessons from it and do things better next time. Your intention was to pray so inshallah you will be rewarded accordingly.

TIP 12: Controlling anger


Whilst we are fasting then there is much more chance that we will lose our temper and become angry and this is because we are deprived of food, drink and sleep. So it is even more important that we do everything in our power to control our anger when it arises so that we do not end up ruining our fasts.

So what steps can we take to control our anger?

1. Saying the word of protection:

a`ûdhû billâhi min ash-shaytân ir rajîm

2. Changing bodily posture:

So when angry, sit down if standing — and lie down if sitting.

3. Washing the face etc, arms, hands:

Make ablution with water.


Medicines recommended by Imam Al-Ghazalî for controlling anger

Below the medicines of anger after one gets angry. This medicine is a mixture of knowledge and action.

The medicine based on knowledge is of six kinds:

(1) The first medicine of knowledge is to think over the rewards of appeasing anger, that have come from the verses of the Quran and the sayings of the Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam). Your hope for getting rewards of appeasing anger will restrain you from taking revenge.

(2) The second kind of medicine based on knowledge is to fear the punishment of God and to think that the punishment of God upon me is greater than my punishment upon him. If I take revenge upon this man for anger, God will take revenge upon me on the Judgement Day.

(3) The third kind of medicine of anger based on knowledge is to take precaution about punishment of enemity and revenge on himself. You feel joy in having your enemy in your presence in his sorrows, You yourself are not free from that danger. You will fear that your enemy might take revenge against you in this world and in the next.

(4) Another kind of medicine based on knowledge is to think about the ugly face of the angry man, which is just like that of the ferocious beast. He who appeases anger looks like a sober and learned man.

(5) The fifth kind of medicine based on knowledge is to think that the devil will advise by saying:
" You will be weak if you do not get angry!" Do not listen to him!

(6) The sixth reason is to think: " What reason have I got to get angry? What Allah wishes has occured!"

So let us act upon this and train ourselves not to get anger so that we may apply this to the rest of our lives inshallah.
 

The_truth

Well-Known Member
:salam2:
jazaak: very beneficent thread.,Today was alright not very productive.Woke up at suhoor,prayed faj,slept then woke up read Quran,heard a couple of lectures.Day passes ,was invited to iftar at a place a lot of da'ees were present got to hear a lecture by a prominent cleric in the city who is also a da'ee.
The thing that affects a lot is sleep,how to control sleeping?Like I wake up like 10 am in the morning after fajr,that is really a bad habit,how to overcome it?
Plus I gained a lot of information from this thread,one should not indulge in unnecessary things and lose valuable time and be concsious of Allah at all times and check our intentions regularly,that is it solely for Allah.Not indulge in unnecessary debates which would leave a bad taste in mouth and spoil a goo day and fast.(I learnt that the hard way)Invest more time in remembrance of Allah,rather than unnecessary things.
One can prepare a chart to keep track of the activities he/she indulged in during the day and what he gained from ti and keep a record of it for reference.Note down mistakes made and what should be done to rectify it.
May Allah reward you immensly for your tips dear brother.Ameen.

:wasalam:

Asalaamu Alaikum, jazakallahu khayr for sharing. Your question brings us to the next productive tip - Sleep patterns during Ramadan.

TIP 13: Sleep pattern


There is no doubt that Ramadan can play havoc with one's sleeping pattern for the first few days especially as the body gets used to the changes that we are experiencing in our daily routine. Sleep is one of the things that are affected by these changes.

In order for us to be most productive in Ramadan we need to be active for as long as possible in the 24 hour day. In order to do this it will take a few days of getting used to but the following should be done:

1. The best way of making the most out of Ramadan is to sleep at the earliest point possible so straight after Tarawee. Do NOT eat heavy at Iftar or before sleeping for that will make you tired and lazy. Eat light meals and just watch how fresh you will feel. Drink plenty of water.

Then one should wake up half an hour before sehri ends, make wudu and pray Tahajjud, make long dua and then eat something LIGHT for suhur.

2. The best way of having a productive day is to stay awake after Fajr for the mornings are blessed times and one would have the whole long day to pray and worship Allah. But if one is very tired and needs more sleep then one should sleep. But one should aim NOT to sleep until after 8 am. That will give one around 6-7 hours of sleep altogether which is perfect.

3. There is NO need to sleep more than 6-7 hours for we want to be as productive as possible in this precious month. So put 2 alarms on and put them both on for 8 am 5 minutes apart and put them somewhere far away so you will have to get up and turn them off.

It may take a bit of getting used to at first but you will slowly get into the habit of waking up everyday at 8 am and you will have a whole long day of worship alhamdulillah.

4. When you wake up then do some stretches which will really help you to feel freshed and then if you want to have a shower which will freshen you further. If you want to take a little walk then it will be beneifical because a little fresh air and exercise will stimulate the mind and body and will make you more fresh and that way you will be ready and prepared to focus on worshipping the whole day as best as possible inshallah.
 

The_truth

Well-Known Member
TIP 14: Beating laziness in Ramadan.


It is essential that we remain as productive as possible throughout Ramadan. Ramadan is not a quick sprint but a long 26 mile Marathon. It requires perseverance, patience and the ability to beat laziness and procrastination when it arises. Therefore it is crucial that we stay on top of laziness in Ramadan so that we may achieve as much as possible. To do this we must firstly get our sleep patterns right. The tips for sleep pattern are above. Then we must NEVER over eat but we must eat light meals until we are satisfied and NOT until we are full. The tips for eating have also been mentioned. You must drink a sufficient amount of water if you are to be at your best this Ramadan. I would recommend at least 1 and a half - 2 litres from Iftar until Sehri.

It is simple as long as we have a good sleep pattern with a short nap in the afternoon to re-energize and we never over eat then we will stay on top of laziness. In the mornings do the Sunnah of awakening which is to rub face gently with dua. Then do some light stretches. These will help your body to wake up. Have a shower which will also help you to freshen up. It is also nice to go for a nice walk in the mornings as this will freshen and stimulate your mind and body and so wake you up even further preventing you from feeling tired and lazy. But do not tire yourself out by physically exherting yourself too much otherwise you will feel tired and lazy in a few hours as de-hydration kicks in.

Fatigue can also kick in especially when we do too much of a certain worship like if we are sitting there reciting Qur'an for several hours then fatigue will kick in but we should break down our worship into manageable chunks. So recite 2 or 4 pages or even half a chapter and then have a break or switch to another worship like making Dua, doing some dhikr or praying nawafil etc. In this way we will never feel restlessness and fatigue associated with doing too much of one thing without a break.

So whenever you start to feel a bit tired then don't lay down (unless your are going to have your afternoon nap) but get up and get some fresh air or what i would recommend is to get some cold water and splash some on your face and all over your neck particularly the back of the neck. Do some more stretches if need be.

Most of all have a focus. What is your focus everyday in Ramadan? Tell it to yourself everytime you wake up. Internalise in your mind what you will achieve throughout the day. Write it down in the Ramadan planner i have provided in the previous tips. You should have goals and targets which you will work towards achieving. Focus on achieving those goals and targets to the best of your ability and keep in mind that EVERY second in the blessed month of Ramadan is too precious to waste and we will NEVER gain these seconds again.

Also keep in mind that this may be your very last Ramadan and your FINAL opportunity to gain immense reward and blessings in the most beautiful of months. This is because life is uncertain and many have passed away before they could meet this month again and next year we may not be alive to see the next Ramadan so we MUST treat this as our last Ramadan.

Let us also ask of Allah to help us to maximise every second of this month and to help us to overcome laziness and procastination so that we may be as productive as possible. Let us act upon these tips so that we can make the best of every second in this blessed month in order to please Allah and get closer to him.
 

hayat84

I'm not what you believe
:salam2:
today my parents came to my home for a visit.we spent some hours together.they saw my children and when I decided to switch the TV on the channel of Mecca,I explained to my parents why muslims make 7 turnings around the Ka'ba and how many women go there for 'Umra.we talked about the ramadhan and how useful is for the health and the mind of the muslim...today I had a good day,because I finally demonstrated to my mum that women in Islam are freer than she substained.Alhamdulillah
 

Janaan

ربنا اغفر لنا ذنوبنا
Staff member
As-salaamu `alaikum warahmatullaah!

^^May Allaah SWT grant them hidaayah(guidance), dear sister. Aameen!

My day... Well starting up from taraaweeh last night; I prayed taraaweeh(I'm Never going back to that Masjid again. The Imaam(4 of them kept switching back and forth actually) read one page(ONE) for each raka`ah. They're like on the second page of An`aam now.:( ) and then stayed at the masjid till 1 A.M reading Qur'aan(it was so quiet and peaceful, Alhamdulillah). Then I went home...didnt have much time for tahajjud so I didn't pray. After fajr, I sat down and listened to some Amazing lectures on Good Endings(husnul khaatimah) and bad endings. Took some notes. I did that upto 8. Then tried to sleep but sleep never came so I started reading whatever I could find(Islamic things) and ended up reading suwarun min hayaati sahaabah, stories of the sahaabahs. Now it's dhuhur so insha'Allah, I'll pray and sleep(more like, TRY to) till `Asr prayer..

*Lots of people kept suggesting 'schedules' or planning ahead... But honestly, that doesn't help me at all. I'm more of a plan-as-you-go kinda person. Still, khayr inshaa'Allah!

Jazakallahu khayr btw, the thread is really useful.
 

The_truth

Well-Known Member
:salam2:
today my parents came to my home for a visit.we spent some hours together.they saw my children and when I decided to switch the TV on the channel of Mecca,I explained to my parents why muslims make 7 turnings around the Ka'ba and how many women go there for 'Umra.we talked about the ramadhan and how useful is for the health and the mind of the muslim...today I had a good day,because I finally demonstrated to my mum that women in Islam are freer than she substained.Alhamdulillah


Mashallah, May Allah give them hadayah (guidance) to the straight path. Ameen
 

The_truth

Well-Known Member
As-salaamu `alaikum warahmatullaah!

^^May Allaah SWT grant them hidaayah(guidance), dear sister. Aameen!

My day... Well starting up from taraaweeh last night; I prayed taraaweeh(I'm Never going back to that Masjid again. The Imaam(4 of them kept switching back and forth actually) read one page(ONE) for each raka`ah. They're like on the second page of An`aam now.:( ) and then stayed at the masjid till 1 A.M reading Qur'aan(it was so quiet and peaceful, Alhamdulillah). Then I went home...didnt have much time for tahajjud so I didn't pray. After fajr, I sat down and listened to some Amazing lectures on Good Endings(husnul khaatimah) and bad endings. Took some notes. I did that upto 8. Then tried to sleep but sleep never came so I started reading whatever I could find(Islamic things) and ended up reading suwarun min hayaati sahaabah, stories of the sahaabahs. Now it's dhuhur so insha'Allah, I'll pray and sleep(more like, TRY to) till `Asr prayer..

*Lots of people kept suggesting 'schedules' or planning ahead... But honestly, that doesn't help me at all. I'm more of a plan-as-you-go kinda person. Still, khayr inshaa'Allah!

Jazakallahu khayr btw, the thread is really useful.

Asalaamu Alaikum, jazakallahu khayran for sharing. Regarding Tarawee then as a women you will gain immense rewards regardless of whether you pray it in the masjid or not, so do not get frsutrated but be thankful to Allah and strive for his pleasure and hope for immense rewards inshallah.

Regarding Tahajjud then we should all make every effort to pray it every night in Ramadan for it is the best of all nawafil prayers and at that time duas are readily accepted. So we should always plan so that we can pray at least a minimum of 2 but a recommended 8 Raka'ah and then follow it with a long sincere dua begging of Allah for mercy and forgiveness and thanking him and asking of him whatever you desire.

Planning and scheduling is always a good thing if you want to really maximise each second in this precious month but if you would rather worship as you go along then keep in mind your focus which is to recite as much Qur'an as possible. At least have a minimum that you willr ecite in a day in your mind. That way you can aim to complete your minimum amount of recitation.

It is best to break down your recitation. So you can do half a juz (chapter) and then do 15 minutes of dhikr, then 15 minutes dua, then 2 raka'ah nawafil (as every nawafil in this blessed month is a reward of a fard). Then half a juz, then 15 minutes listening to Qur'an recitation, 30 minutes reading tafseer and the meanings of the Qur'an. Then take a break for 20 minutes.

So It is a good idea to do a variety of worship but mainly concentrate on reciting the Qur'an, for every letter will be rewarded a minimum of 100 good deeds. Subhanallah.

Do not sleep for more than an hour after Dhuhr as the Sunnah is from 20-30 minutes and no longer than 1 hour. Anymore than that is not beneficial as it is just supposed to be a nap. If you are too tired then it is best to sleep straught after tarawee and then wake up and pray Tahajjud and then eat Suhur.

Hope that helped.
 

The_truth

Well-Known Member
TIP 15: Grab what you can for just 30 days!!!

Imagine you were given an opportunity to go through a huge shopping centre and grab whatever goods you wanted for a whole 30 days.

You can grab whatever goods you like for it is a free for all. People would go crazy to get such an amazing opportunity. Think about it a free shopping spree grabbing everything you can for a whole 30 days.

This same analogy applies to the blessed month of Ramadan. We have a once in a year opportunity for just 30 days to grab as many HUGE rewards as possible and best of all an opportunity to please Allah and get closer to him. This is the time of the year where all of this is made easier for us!

The Special offers are:

EVERY Nafil prayer rewarded like a Fard prayer!!!

Every Fard prayer rewarded like 70 fard prayers!!!

Every letter of the Qur'an rewarded a minimum of 100 good deeds and double for those who struggle reciting who get minimum of 200 for each letter!!!

EVERY good deed multiplied by 10!


So come on GRAB as many good deeds as you can before its too late. This may be your last chance to ever experience this blessed month for you may not be alive next year to benefit from these special offers ever again!

Surely on the day of judgement we will BEG each other for just one good deed but we won't get any because we will all be in need on that day. So grab what you can now before its too late!!!
 

The_truth

Well-Known Member
TIP 16: Organizing our time


A Muslim should learn how to organize their time, and make a realistic plan for their worldly and religious duties, without any of them overlapping the other. That is to say that one should know how to arrange one's priorities: the most important and the most urgent comes first, and carried out according to schedule. Organizing time also includes leaving a place for relaxation and entertainment.

One of the methods of managing our time properly is for a Muslim to get up early and sleep early, for early hours always yield great blessings. Starting our day with prayer and the supplication of the morning brings the Muslim Allah's grace. A Muslim should always bear in mind that every time has its own task that suits it. Doing tasks in their due times brings about peace of mind and comfort.

Verily, time is very important for our success both in this temporary world and the eternal world to come. If we waste time, if we abuse it, then we waste and abuse our lives. In the Life Hereafter we will be among the losers, who will suffer the torments in the Hell Fire, if Allah the Almighty will not forgive us. Therefore, if we really give value to our lives then, we must give due value to the importance of time.

There is NO time that a Muslim should try and make the best of than in the blessed month of Ramadan. This month is a mercy for us and it is a time of the year like no other. So special significance must be placed especially in this month to make the best use of our time and for us to organize our schedules and days so that we acheive as much as possible spiritually doing everything we can to please Allah and refraining from anything which angers and displeases him.

Once we have gained the habit of making good use of our time we must NEVER let go of it and carry this habit with us until our last breath because we do not know when our appointed time will come.

To make the best use of our time you can download a Ramadan hourly planner where you can set yourself daily and hourly targets and plan your day everyday this Ramadan:

Ramadan Planner:

http://www.4shared.com/document/QJoWg3bN/Ramadhaan_Planner.html

Here is a worship check where you can check and monitor your daily worship so that you can do even more the next day:

Ramadan Worship check:

http://www.4shared.com/document/2BNat9vk/Ramadhaan_Time_Table.html

May Allah help us to make the best use of our precious time and to spend every prescious second we have in his remembrance and worship. Ameen
 
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