بسم الله. ربي زدني علما. امين

بسم الله. ربي زدني علما. امين
May Allah the Almighty grant us more beneficial knowledge, accept our good deeds, forgive our mistakes, protect us from fitna, and join us with the righteous believers in Jannatul Ferdaus. Ameen.

Wednesday, July 13, 2022

Hadith: For Allah's Sake Make Sure That You Perform Wudhoo / Ablution As Properly As You Can




📖 Thawban RadhiAllahu 'anhu narrated: Allah's noble Messenger Muhammad SallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam said, "Remain upright (steadfast, firm upon the truth) though you cannot encompass it entirely. Know that the best of your good deeds is the prayer and that none preserves his ablution but a believer (only the true believers strive to perform wudhu/ablution as properly as they can)."
Source: Sunan Ibn Mājah 277
Grade: Sahih (Authentic) according to Al-Albani
Al-Nawawi said, “Our scholars agreed upon the recommendation to renew ablution, which is that one with ablution later performs it again, without having lost his ritual purification.”
Source: Al-Majmū’ Sharḥ Al-Muhadhab 1/469

Note: Don't Compare Your Marriage Life To Other Love Stories

💐 In The Name Of Allah The Most Gracious The Most Merciful 

💌 Not everyone has the same love story. I remember my dear mom (Allah yarhamha. Ameen.) telling me how my father (Allah yarhamhu. Ameen.) used to make many attempts to court her, like the typical romantic Maranao guy with classic bell-bottoms back in the 80s, but she would reject every one of his efforts to gain her attention until he had the courage to speak to her family to officially seek her hand in marriage. Alhamdulillah my parents got married, visited several countries around the world including the US and UK, networked with Da'ees like Bilal Philips and AbdurRahman Dimashqiah, wrote several Islamic books together which were published by Darussalam Bookstores, and although their very first son passed away before I was born Alhamdulillah they did an excellent job at raising me and my brothers with a strict but worthwhile upbringing. Before my mom died from cancer she requested my dad to remarry so their kids can have a stepmother. My father however chose to have her as his only wife until after some months it was Allah's Qadr that my dad passed away following her. I believe his medical complications were also due to severe sadness from being a widower.
I pray that Allah the Most Merciful reunites my dear parents in Jannatul Ferdaus and accepts all their good deeds with Allah's Mercy. Ameen.
My husband's mother from what I know got married when she was around 14 or 15 years old. Alhamdulillah she and her husband, who happens to be my uncle (Allah yarhamhu. Ameen.) since I married my cousin, were able to have twelve children together Alhamdulillah, with one baby boy that passed away before my husband was born. 
My brother Ahmad since he was a baby was engaged to get married in the future to his childhood friend whom we'll nickname "A". A's mother and my mother gave birth at almost the same time in 1988 Dammam (northeastern Saudi Arabia). Because they were close friends, they promised they would let their babies (boy and girl) get married when they become adults. However since Allah's Plans always overtake His servants', that plan didn't take place. Thus my brother Ahmad got married to our paternal cousin who's around three years older than him. Alhamdulillah they currently have five adorable kids, whereas A is married to a Saudi guy whom she met in Malaysia and has one beautiful half-Saudi half-Filipino daughter at the moment.
My brother AbdurRahman, with Allah's Will, was the one who got married to his childhood friend Eemaan. They were never close though as little kids, but our families regularly attended the same gatherings back in Riyadh city. I pray that Allah the Most Loving blesses them with many pious Muslim children. Ameen.
My love journey is a complicated one, but Alhamdulillah every struggle comes with a set of lessons learned from whatever we experience. In my teens I received several marriage proposals, one coming from a religious Pakistani guy, one from a Filipino Muslim who was employed in Madinah at that time, one from a Filipino residing in USA, and another from a childhood friend whose name is like one of my brothers Abdul-Rahman. I rejected them all, claiming this one was too baby-faced, that one was too shy, this one was younger than me and I preferred an older guy. After some time my mother (Allah yarhamha. Ameen.) with her motherly instincts thought I was having a haraam connection with one of my former best friends, but that wasn't the case, we just enjoyed talking to each other on the phone a lot. Because she was worried I might turn into a "lesbian" (no, I'm not gay, queer, or bisexual), which is probably why in her opinion I kept saying no to the marriage proposals I was getting, she and my dad finally got me arranged to marry my first cousin, a medical doctor. So Alhamdulillah in Shawwal 2006 I got married at age 20 to my cousin who was 28 then. Since I grew up in Saudi Arabia while he was raised in Mindanao, we saw each other like complete strangers in the beginning and Alhamdulillah we learned more about love along the way. When I was around 26 years old I became his first wife when he married this Visayan lady who's one year older than me. Alhamdulillah through this marriage I became more enthusiastic and supportive of polygyny after doing extensive research on its virtues and benefits.
Another brief love story I want to mention is that of a childhood friend who divorced her husband after having one daughter with him. Several years later they remarried and Alhamdulillah they're able to have more children. Another older acquaintance, a mother of one of our students here at Wisdom Islamic School, also divorced her husband at one point but after a number of years went by, they remarried and had more kids with Allah's Will.
Never compare your love journey to others' marriage lives, as our Qadr, capabilities and roles are not exactly the same. What makes a marriage blessed isn't the couple's large number of children nor how much money the head of the family makes, but what really adds blessings and barakah to your marital life is genuine love for Allah's sake. A marriage is a blessing from Allah Subhaanahu wa Ta'aala if it protects both wife and husband from getting into zina / forbidden relationships, and if it trains you to embrace patience / Sabr and gratitude / Shukr thereby completing the other half of your Deen and leading you to Jannah Paradise where the sincere believers can enjoy perfect and flawless love for eternity.
📖 Abdullah Ibn Mas’ud RadhiAllahu anhu narrated that Allah's noble Messenger Muhammad SallAllahu alaihi wa sallam said, "O young men, if you are able to support a wife, then get married. Verily, it restrains the eyes and guards chastity. Whoever is not able to do so, he must fast (Sunnah fasts) as it is a means of control."
Source: Sahih Al-Bukhari 1806 
Sahih Muslim 1400
Grade: Muttafaqun Alayhi (Authenticity agreed upon) according to Al-Bukhari and Muslim
💚

Tuesday, July 12, 2022

Note: Don't Expect All Friendships To Last Long In This Fleeting Dunya

💐 In The Name Of Allah The Most Gracious The Most Merciful 
📑 While some friendships can last long even until both friends reunite in Jannah Paradise, other links are just temporary connections which train us to excel at Sabr and remind us to rely only on Allah Subhaanahu wa Ta'aala. It is possible for close friends to gradually drift apart when one of them doesn't make any effort to keep the bond strong. Friendship is like a plant that needs constant care and proper watering for its preservation. A connection where only one person is doing all the invites, thoughtfully asking how the other is doing, initiating the conversations, giving advice and not taking much in return is bound to get broken eventually. A friendship between two Muslims can't be long-lasting if one of them stays uncaring, unsupportive or they're guilty of envy.
If you've experienced being unfriended on Facebook or you no longer communicate with some ex-friends on a regular basis, reassure yourself by knowing that if Allah the Most Wise saw any goodness or benefit in them for you in the future, He would've let them stay and prevented you both from drifting apart. 
As long as you strive to be loved by Allah the Almighty, detaching yourself from one-sided friendships and negative or toxic people becomes manageable.
The empty spaces which former friends left are reserved for those who share your energy in wanting to serve Allah the Almighty, who can identify with your life experiences, whose noble character match your good qualities, who are incapable of envying you, and who deserve your daily Du'as, generous amount of love and loyalty.
~•~
📖 Abu Huraira RadhiAllahu 'anhu narrated: Allah's noble Messenger Muhammad SallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam said, "Love whom you love moderately, perhaps he will become hateful to you someday. Hate whom you hate moderately, perhaps he will become your beloved friend someday."
Source: Sunan At-Tirmidhi 1997
Grade: Sahih (Authentic) according to Al-Albani
📖 Abu Huraira RadhiAllahu 'anhu narrated: Allah's noble Messenger Muhammad SallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam said, "The strong believer is more beloved to Allah than the weak believer, but there is goodness in both of them. Be eager for what benefits you, seek help from Allah, and do not be frustrated. If something befalls you, then do not say: 'If only I had done something else.' Rather say: "Allah has decreed what He wills." Verily, the phrase ‘if only’ opens the way for the work of shaytan." 
Source: Sahih Muslim 2664 
Grade: Sahih (Authentic) according to Muslim

Sunday, July 10, 2022

Note: No Need To Constantly Prove You Have A Fabulous Social Life On Facebook And Instagram

💐 In The Name Of Allah The Most Gracious The Most Merciful 

📑 Just because a Facebook user's timeline doesn't contain many photos of themselves and their friends does not mean that they lack social life offline. The most confident people out there could go to a five-star restaurant, attend a friend's wedding ceremony, do tons of grocery shopping, enjoy a huge family gathering, travel by plane or drive a brand new car without needing to upload selfies on their social media accounts for everyone to see. It's okay if your intention of photographing the food you're about to eat is to helpfully promote a friend's halal café, or the purpose of taking pictures at a place is to encourage other Muslims to enroll their kids at an Islamic school, to do Da'wah, or to support an Islamic institute. However posting numerous selfies of oneself in different attire or making it an assignment to snap a collection of photos of almost every meal enjoyed could be an indirect message stating that the selfie-addict is either too in love with themselves or they're slightly insecure. Insecure individuals have this mentality of assuming that only they can be awesome or look beautiful, so anyone else who portrays better skills or fine appearance would be considered as a threat to them. Their insecurity prevents them from complimenting others, congratulating and motivating their peers because they're afraid that the latter may take from their spotlight, supersede or outdo them. So they overcompensate by posting as many pictures of themselves when they're outdoors. "I look specially fabulous today. Let me take a selfie to remind my Instagram and Facebook followers how hot I am.", "Nice classy restaurant... allow me to upload these selfies and emptied plates to showcase the fact I can afford gourmet cuisine and exotic dishes.", "My make-up is on fleek again. This calls for my 100th something selfie. My stalkers can't get enough of this flawless beauty." are some probable thoughts of people with an addiction to selfie-taking.
A reminder to all including myself is to never judge people by their Facebook accounts alone. A Facebooker may hardly post Islamic status updates but their faith/Imaan and Khushoo' or concentration in Salah is way better than many of those who appear intellectually religious online. A so-called hijabi model may receive dozens of reactions to their photo uploads with thousands of followers yet inside they still feel empty as though they're missing something significant in their life. Another user may not be popular on social media but offline they have charisma as well as the courage to interact with various types of people. 
If you really want to know what a person is like, don't estimate their value by the number of likes they get from their posts nor scrutinize their online profiles. Actually get to know them in real life, travel with them more than once, have a sleepover at their house or let them stay overnight at yours, go on frequent outings and observe their reaction whenever you can't fulfill all their rights. The actual nature of a person is known when Only Allah Subhaanahu wa Ta'aala sees them day and night, away from prying spectators, not by their online profiles. 
📖 Sa'd Ibn Abi Waqqas RadhiAllahu 'anhu narrated: Allah's noble Messenger Muhammad SallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam said, "Verily, Allah loves a servant who is righteous, independent, and obscure (unknown, unpopular, not famous)."
Source: Sahih Muslim 2965
Grade: Sahih (Authentic) according to Muslim 

Friday, July 8, 2022

Tips: What You As A Loyal Wife Can Do If Your Husband Can't Join You For The Eid Prayer

💐 In The Name Of Allah The Most Gracious The Most Merciful 
💌 Five tips to cope with your husband's absence on Eid while he is employed in another city / country or he is with his other wife: 
1] As a Muslim, Alhamdulillah, patiently accept Allah's Qadr/Decree that your husband is unable to join you for the Eid prayer. Eagerly look forward to earning more rewards and love from Allah Subhaanahu wa Ta'aala for striving to stay patient for His sake. 
2] Understand that you're not the only married female on earth whose husband is frequently unavailable. Somewhere around the globe is a wife who hasn't hugged her husband for some time because he's working or studying in a faraway country while another is capable of staying loyal despite not seeing her spouse who's been behind bars for several years. 
3] Before and/or after the Eid prayer send a loving message to your husband. Confidently refrain from feeling upset or disappointed if he can't always answer your messages or calls promptly. 
4] Avoid emulating shaytan in being prone to acting on jealousy. Every time you notice couples, whether Muslims or not, visibly enjoying pleasant moments together, delightedly be more inspired and motivated to remain stubbornly loyal to the man whom Allah the Most Wise chose as your soulmate. 
5] Persistently remind yourself that this world, its ornaments and the trials which come with it are all temporary. Eternal bliss and actual joy can be enjoyed in Jannatul Ferdaus. Aspire to deserve Jannah Paradise with your husband, so continue mentioning him a lot in your loving supplications and being his faithful friend and wife for Allah's sake with limitless patience and empathy.
~•~
📖 Abu Huraira RadhiAllahu 'anhu narrated: Allah's noble Messenger Muhammad SallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam said, "If I were to order anyone to prostrate to another, I would have ordered a wife to prostrate before her husband."
Source: Sunan At-Tirmidhi 1159
Grade: Hasan (Fair) according to At-Tirmidhi
Ali Al-Qari said, "That she prostrates to her husband is due to the number of his rights over her and her difficulty in maintaining gratitude for them. This rhetorical point conveys the obligation of the wife to obey her husband in his rights. Indeed, prostration is not lawful to anyone other than Allah Subhaanahu wa Ta'aala."
Source: Mirqāt Al-Mafātih 5/2125 
📖 Thawban RadhiAllahu 'anhu narrated: Allah's noble Messenger Muhammad SallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam said, "The best wealth is a tongue that remembers Allah, a grateful heart, and a believing wife to help one in his faith."
Source: Sunan At-Tirmidhi 3094
Grade: Sahih (Authentic) according to Al-Albani 
📖 Abdullah Ibn Amr RadhiAllahu 'anhu narrated: Allah's noble Messenger Muhammad SallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam said, "The world is enjoyment and the best enjoyment in the world is a righteous wife."
Source: Sahih Muslim 1467
Grade: Sahih (Authentic) according to Muslim