Islamic Self Help – Page 16 – Islam + Self Help = Success in Both Worlds

Sep

2020

Protection Duas #1: A Comprehensive Supplication

This is the first in a series of articles reflecting on the wisdom behind the various morning and evening supplications. Islam recommends a variety of morning and evening supplications for protection from every kind of evil and difficulty. It is highly encouraged for every believer to memorize these supplications, and recite them every morning after Fajr, and every evening after Maghrib.

There exist many books and articles listing these supplications. So I will not list all of them here. I recommend Hisn al-Muslim for an authentic collection of supplications. In this series, I want to attempt something different. This will be a series of reflections on some of these daily duas. The purpose of this series is to help us understand these supplications, appreciate them, and use them more purposefully. The result of understanding a dua on a deeper level is that it is more meaningful and impactful.

I would like to begin with a supplication that is very close to my heart. This is a comprehensive supplication that covers a variety of worldly and spiritual issues, demonstrating the Islamic vision of aiming for the best of both worlds.

The Comprehensive Dua

اللَّهُمَّ عَافِنِي فِي بَدَنِي، اللَّهُمَّ عَافِنِي فِي سَمْعِي، اللَّهُمَّ عَافِنِي فِي بَصَرِي، لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ أَنْتَ، اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الْكُفْرِ وَالْفَقْرِ، اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ عَذَابِ الْقَبْرِ، لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ أَنْتَ

Translation: O Allah, grant me health in my body. O Allah, grant me good hearing. O Allah, grant me good eyesight. There is no god besides you. O Allah, I seek protection with you from disbelief and poverty. O Allah, I seek protection with you from the punishment of the grave, There is no god besides you. (Three times every morning and evening)

The evidence for this supplication is the following narration:

ʿAbd al-Raḥmān bin Abī Bakra reported that he said to his father, “I heard you making this supplication every morning; ‘O Allah, grant me health in my body. O Allah, grant me good hearing. O Allah, grant me good eyesight. There is no god besides you.’ and you repeat it three times in the evening and three times in the morning. You (also) say, ‘O Allah, I seek protection with you from disbelief and poverty. O Allah, I seek protection with you from the punishment of the grave, There is no god besides you.’ and you repeat it three times in the evening and three times in the morning.” He replied, “Yes, my son. I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) say them and I like to follow his way.”
Al-Adab Al-Mufrad 701, Sunan Abi Dawud 5090

Protection from many major trials

This is a comprehensive supplication that covers many crucial trials, and through which we seek protection from both worldly and spiritual trials. The biggest spiritual calamity in this world is disbelief. For a believer to lose their faith and apostate is the biggest calamity that can befall them. Yet a true believer is never complacent about faith and knows that life is a test. As a precaution, the believer will ask Allah every day for protection from disbelief in every form.

In terms of worldly calamities, the two most difficult calamities that people fear are sickness and poverty. A major illness can prevent a person from doing good deeds, and even prevent them from living a functional happy life. Illness is a very difficult trial, and those who bear it with patience and faith will have a great reward in the Afterlife. Every moment spent being patient with difficulty causes the forgiveness of one’s sin. But for those of us who do not have such illnesses, we should seek protection from it daily with this supplication.

Misconceptions about Poverty

Poverty is a calamity that some segments of the Muslim world have glamorized in recent times. Some Muslims associate poverty with piety, and wealth with sin. Yet the Prophet (peace be upon him) asked Allah for protection from poverty daily, and encouraged his companions to do the same.

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “Seek refuge with Allah from poverty, insufficiency, and humiliation, and from abusing (others) and being abused.'”
Sunan Ibn Majah 3842

Notice how the Prophet (peace be upon him) listed poverty first before not having enough, being humiliated, or being put into a situation that is either abusive or in which one can be abused. Poverty is listed first because extreme poverty can lead to all these other trials, so we seek protection from the root of these evils. Poverty opens the door to insufficiency, humiliation, and various forms of abuse. May Allah protect us all.

Islam does not glamorize poverty or wealth. Rather, Islam teaches us to be independent of others so that they cannot take advantage of us. The Prophet (peace be upon him) taught us to ask Allah for independence from His Creation through permissible wealth. (al-Tirmidhi 3563) This shows us the importance of earning wealth and having enough to live a dignified life.

Poverty is not piety, neither is wealth. Piety is not indicated by the amount of money in one’s bank account. It is a matter of the heart. If a person loves Allah and worships Allah, then that individual is fulfilling the purpose of life regardless of whether he/she is rich or poor. Money is not an indication of religious status and we need to move away from assuming that it is.

Poverty opens the doors to many sins like stealing, prostitution, and deceit. It makes life difficult and stressful. A person who is drowning in debt finds it very difficult to live a happy life or worship Allah properly. Many people cannot handle the trials of poverty and there are many cases in which it has even led to apostasy. It is a severe trial, one that we should seek protection from daily. Poverty is not a joke and should not be glamorized.

Random Reflections

Every word of every recommended supplication can teach us a lesson. Studying Arabic makes it easier to see the beauty in the choice of words in each of these supplications. The repetition of various phrases and statements in a supplication is not random, it usually emphasizes a point. In this supplication, we testify twelve times a day that there is no god except Allah. We do this after asking for protection from disbelief, poverty, and illness. This reinforces in our hearts that guidance, sustenance, and health are all from Allah alone.

This supplication is also one of the evidences for the punishment of the grave. There exist a group of rationalist Muslims who reject the concept of punishment of the grave on the basis that it is not explicitly mentioned in the Quran, and is (to them) irrational. A simple reply is that if the punishment of the grave was not real, the Prophet (peace be upon him) would not have taught us a daily supplication for protection from it.

A final point of reflection. This supplication singles out hearing and sight for protection from illness. Losing one’s sight or hearing is a major trial, one that many people cannot handle. We need our hearing and sight to fulfill many acts of worship. This supplication teaches us that these are two of the greatest gifts from Allah that we forget to show appreciation for. We can show appreciation for these gifts by using them in ways that are pleasing to Allah, and reciting this supplication every morning and evening.

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Sep

2020

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Aug

2020

Good Deeds That Erase Sins

This article is an extract from the Book of Hope, available at the links below the article.

Part of Allah’s Infinite Mercy is that He legislated many good deeds that wipe away our minor sins. The beauty of this is that even people who don’t actively seek forgiveness may still have their minor sins forgiven if they commit to these good deeds.

These specific deeds are mentioned in the hadiths below and include the following:

1. Establishing the five daily prayers

Jabir Ibn Abdullah (radiallahu anhu) reported that the Messenger of Allah (salallahu alahi wasalam) said, “The similitude of five prayers is like an overflowing river passing by the gate of one of you in which he washes five times daily.” Hasan said, “No filthiness can remain on him.”
Sahih Muslim

2. Prostrating to Allah in the salah:

Ubadah ibn al-Samit (radiallahu anhu) narrated: The Prophet (salallahu alahi wasalam) said, “No servant prostrates for the sake of Allah except that Allah will record for him one good deed, erase one sin, and raise his status by one degree. So, perform many prostrations.”
Ibn Majah

3. Performing ablution and praying two rakat with khushu:

Uthman (radiallahu anhu) narrated: The Prophet (salallahu alahi wasalam) said, “He who performed ablution like this ablution of mine and offered two bowings of prayer without allowing his thoughts to be distracted, then his previous sins will be forgiven.”
Sahih al-Bukhari, Sahih Muslim

4. An accepted umrah or hajj:

Abu Huraira (radiallahu anhu) narrated: The Prophet (salallahu alahi wasalam) said, “The umrah pilgrimage to the following umrah will expiate whatever sins were committed between them, and the accepted hajj pilgrimage has no reward other than Paradise.”
Sahih al-Bukhari

5. Converting to Islam, emigrating for the sake of Allah, or an accepted hajj:

‘Amr ibn al-‘As (radiallahu anhu) narrated: The Prophet (salallahu alahi wasalam) said, “Do you not know that embracing Islam wipes away all sins committed before it, that emigration wipes away what came before it, and the hajj pilgrimage wipes away what came before it?”
Sahih Muslim

6. Fasting the days and praying during the nights of Ramadan for the sake of Allah:

Abdur Rahman ibn Awf (radiallahu anhu) narrated: The Prophet (salallahu alahi wasalam) said, “Verily, Ramadan is a month in which Allah Almighty has obligated its fasting. And verily, I have instituted for Muslims the (recommended) practice of its prayer at night. Thus, whoever fasts it with faith and expecting reward will be rid of sins like the day he was born from his mother.”
Musnad Ahmad

Conclusion

There are many other good deeds that also wipe away our sins. This is just a glimpse of how merciful Allah is to us and how many opportunities He gives us to be free from our sins.

If Allah wanted, He could have made forgiveness dependent only upon repentance. Instead He created so many ways for us to be forgiven that it would be our fault alone if we missed every one of these paths to forgiveness.

It may be impossible to avoid committing sins for the rest of our life, but it is possible to do so many good deeds that Allah may forgive all our minor sins on account of our good deeds.

In order to earn this forgiveness, we must commit to these good deeds. Begin with praying five times a day. Establishing the five daily prayers is the most important good deed in the life of the believer.

Prayer is the second pillar of Islam, the first thing we will be asked about on the Last Day, and a means through which all minor sins can be forgiven.

The Prophet (salallahu alahi wasalam) compared it to bathing in a river five times a day. Just as bathing five times a day would wash away all physical dirt, praying five times a day washes away all sins.

So let us start with this. Let’s commit to praying five times a day for the sake of Allah. And let us make this a priority and habit in our lives. This one habit alone could save us on the Last Day and be the means through which our sins are forgiven.

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Aug

2020

Reflections on Surah al-Wāqiʿah

Surah al-Wāqiʿah is one of my favorite Surahs in the Quran. It is a beautiful poetic description of the Last Day and the final destinations of the various groups of humanity. This Surah is full of amazing lessons in theology and spirituality. I try to recite this Surah at least once a week and reflect on its meanings. I am always fascinated at how the Surah balances between creating a fear of Hellfire in our hearts while increasing our optimism that we can enter Paradise.

Background Information

Surah al-Wāqiʿah is a Makkan Surah, and this is clear from both its style and content. Its verses are short, powerful, and poetic. These are all indicative of the Makkan revelation. The content is purely focused on aspects of theology, namely the Last Day and the Afterlife. This is usually the theme of a Makkan Surah.

There are several narrations regarding the virtues of Surah al-Wāqiʿah. However, each of these narrations is of disputed authenticity, so scholars differ over its virtues. Nonetheless, it remains a powerful Surah that should be recited and reflected on often, regardless of whether we consider these narrations authentic or weak. The first narration is that the Prophet (peace be upon him) listed five Surahs that turned his hair gray, and included Surah al-Wāqiʿah in that list. (Ash-Shama’il Al-Muhammadiyah 41) The second narration is as follows.

“Whoever recites Surah al-Wāqiʿah every night, poverty will never affect him.”
Al-Tahrīr and al-Tanwīr, vol. 11, p. 279

Both of these narrations have disputed authenticity. Even among my own teachers, some regard them as weak while others regard them as authentic. I am inclined towards the opinion that they are Hasan, and Allah knows best.

A summary of its themes

Surah al-Wāqiʿah covers six core themes, all related to each other, in the following order:

A description of the end of the world and commencement of the Last Day
A description of the two types of people that will enter Paradise and the rewards that await them in Paradise
A description of the punishment of Hellfire and what awaits the disbelievers in Hell.
An explanation of the Power of Allah through various examples.
An explanation of the status of the Quran.
A description of death and how the soul leaves the body. (Al-Tahrīr and al-Tanwīr, vol. 11, p. 280)

The central theme of this Surah is theology, with a strong focus on eschatology. All six of these topics are fundamental aspects of Islamic theology, while four out of six are eschatological topics. Almost every core belief of Islam is described in detail in this Surah, making it a fundamental Surah for every believer to study and reflect on.

The Ones Who are Close to Allah

Surah al-Wāqiʿah, like Surah al-Rahmān, divides people into three groups; those who are close to God, the people of the right hand, and the people of the left hand. Two of these groups eventually enter Paradise, while the third is destined for eternal damnation. This division gives us hope of entering Paradise while making us wary of the paths to Hell.

The people of Paradise are divided into two types because not all believers are the same in their levels of piety. Yet Allah’s Infinite Mercy encompasses all believers, so even the biggest of sinners eventually enter Paradise, as long they truly believed. The divisions listed in this Surah are the close ones and the people of the right hand.

The close ones refer to the prophets, righteous, martyrs, and truthful people. (Al-Tahrīr and al-Tanwīr, vol. 11, p. 290) It includes the pious of the previous nations i.e. the true followers of Jesus, Moses, and all previous prophets, as well as the pious of this nation. In this Surah, the righteous are described as, “many from the previous generations, but a few from later generations.” (Quran 56:14) One interpretation of this is that as we get closer to the end of time, there will be less pious people on earth.

The fact that the pious will be fewer in the end times should give us something to think about. Are we trying to be among those few? It is true that it is a lot more difficult to be righteous today than it was during the time of the early Muslims, but the rewards are also proportional to the level of difficulty. These verses should inspire us to try our best to make it into those few of the later generations.

Many of the Later Generations

The good news that follows in the next set of verses is that the people of the right hand will be “Many of the early generations and many of the later generations.’ (Quran 56:39-40) The people of the right hand refer to those people who receive their book of deeds in their right hands on the Last Day. This means that their good deeds outweigh their sins by enough to get them into Paradise.

This is a level below the righteous. The righteous most likely will not have any reckoning on the Last Day at all, and will likely enter Paradise without accounting. The average believer, however, will have their good deeds and sins weighed. Whichever is heavier will decide whether they go directly to Paradise or require purification through Hellfire first.

This Surah does not discuss the fate of believers who receive their book of deeds in their left hand. The people of the left hand mentioned in this Surah are the disbelievers. Due to it being a Makkan Surah, the focus is primarily on the different destinations of those who believe in this message and those who reject it.

The fact that the people of the right hand are described as many of the later generations should fill our hearts with hope. It means that many Muslims will enter Paradise without going to Hellfire first, despite their sins. This gives hope to the average Muslim, as we commit sins every single day. Knowing that if we keep trying to be righteous, working on our good deeds, and repenting for our sins, then maybe we too could be among the people of the right hand.

The Reality of Death

Death is a reality that we too often choose to ignore. Death is scary, permanent, and a transition into the unknown. When we die, our souls leave this universe and move into the Barzakh, the dimension of souls. Thinking about this can be a very sobering experience.

In Islam, reflecting over death is a necessary part of spiritual development. We are advised to frequently remember death and to prepare for it. Our wills should always be updated, our family prepared, and our deeds in order. This world is just a temporary resting place for our souls on its journey to the Afterlife. Knowing this, the believer lives a life of purpose, focused on making it into Paradise, and to perhaps one day become one of the ‘close ones’.

When it (the soul) reaches the throat, while you are present and watching. But we are closer to him than you, even though you cannot perceive that. If you believe that you will not be taken into account, then return it (the soul to the body) if you are truthful.
Quran 56:83-87

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Aug

2020

Reflections on Islamization

Islam seems to mean something very different to people today compared to a thousand years ago. Over the past two centuries, Islam in the minds of many Muslims has become nothing more than a cultural religion; a series of do’s and do not’s. The religion for these people is nothing more than their sect and its interpretation; a strict unforgiving set of rules and beliefs, any deviation from which is pure evil and blasphemy.

This sectarian attitude has spilled over into every other facet of our lives, and in an attempt to Islamize life, too often we over-complicate it. The desire for everything we deal with to be Islamic has caused us to think too narrowly and in doing so, to make narrow that which Allah has left unrestricted and open to diversity. The result of all of this is a strict black-and-white worldview in which everything is categorized as Islamic on unIslamic.

Muslims these days fight with each other over whose organization, product, or website is more Islamic than the other. Each trying to prove the other is somehow deviant, misguided, or evil. Even though, in many of these cases, both sides are doing things that are simply permissible. The need to label everything as Islamic, and for everything that is labeled Islamic to be perfect, has caused a lot of animosity and division on issues that are not really important at all.

This seems to be a new phenomenon, a product of our times. We are obsessed with labels of Halal and Islamic, even when they are not needed. Do those socks really need a Halal label? Does that holiday to Spain really need to be packaged as an Islamic Holiday? These are just some questions we need to ask ourselves before we stick a label before something. Is that label even necessary to being with?

Early Muslim Paradigms

Any study of Muslim History will reveal that this divide between Islamic and unIslamic is almost non-existent in the minds and lives of early Muslims. it is true that Muslims advanced Algebra, but they never tried to create an Islamic Algebra or an Islamic Math. Math was Math and Muslims just used it for religious reasons when necessary, eg: when calculating Zakah and Inheritance.

The early Muslims made tons of contributions to medicine and science, but they never looked at these as Islamic Medicine or Islamic Science. Medicine was a shared field between people of all religions and Muslims contributed to it because of Islam’s overall emphasis on health and hygiene. They did not see the need to categorize it as Islamic or the necessity to justify it by linking it to specific verses of the Quran. It was simply permissible and a recommend field that many Muslims pursued.

The early Muslim empire did not have a division between school and Islamic School. There was simply the Madrassa, a place where people learned Math, Language, Science, Fiqh, Hadith, and other subjects without needing to label any subject as Islamic. Their worldview was a simpler one; Islam is our way of life and it allows us to pursue anything that is not explicitly prohibited or harmful to society. With this worldview, the Muslim world flourished and grew into a magnificent civilization.

They viewed the world more from the paradigm of “Everything is permissible until proven otherwise”. Because of this paradigm, they did not feel the need to Islamize everything they did. As long as it was permissible that was good enough. Not everything in life is going to be Islamic and religious, a lot of life is simple permissible and optional.

Do we need Islamization?

Why then today do we have Islamic Schools, Islamic Banking, Islamic Travel, and (yes, ironically) Islamic Self Help? Are these labels even necessary? Can’t we simply have good schools, banks and travel options that are permissible and exceptional without attaching the label Islamic to it?

I believe the label Islamic is really a product of our times, and many of these ideas develop from Muslims living as minorities in Non-Muslim lands. To differentiate ourselves from others, we needed a label. Our schools did not support the secular liberal beliefs of others, so they are essentially Islamic. Our banks are not supposed to engage in interest-based transaction, so we called them Islamic. (Although technically, they are just Halal, not Islamic.)

Likewise, when I started Islamic Self Help, it was with the same ideas in mind. Many ideas in the self help industry stem from materialism, capitalism and new age theories that contradict Islam. To promote a healthy version of self help literature that agrees with the teachings of Islam, I started Islamic Self Help.

However, this label isn’t always needed. This same work can be done without the label Islamic, and sometimes that may be better. In the case of banking, calling our banking system ethical or humane could help it become more mainstream, as it is simply ethical halal banking, and not Islamic in itself.

Even with our school system, too often we try so hard to be Islamic that we force our teachers to find ways to relate every single math, English, and science lesson to Islam, even when there isn’t any need or link. The result feels forced and unnatural. Why not just teach these subjects as they are, and only bring Islam into it when it is natural and necessary? Not every Math class needs to include a discussion on how al-Khawarizmi invented Algebra. Sometimes, you just need to teach Algebra!

Conclusion

Sticking the label Islamic in front of everything we do isn’t how early Muslims interacted with the world. It is a product of our time, living in Non-Muslim lands, and feeling a need to differentiate ourselves. Sometimes it has its value, sometimes we go overboard with this label. Not everything we do needs to be labeled as Islamic, as the majority of things on earth are permissible anyway.

As we grow as a community, we should consider using this label sparingly and only when necessary. Some things need to be called Islamic to differentiate from opposing ideas. A good example of this Islamic Psychology which has a very different paradigm from Secular Psychology. But not everything needs the label. We can have a good business, without the need for calling it “Islamic or Halal (Insert item here)”. We can contribute to the world without naming our organization “Islamic Muslim’s (Insert synonym for organization here”. And we can excel in both worlds without having to label everything we do as Islamic.

Check out our hit book Productivity Principles of Umar II, by choosing one of the links below.

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Protection Duas #1: A Comprehensive Supplication

The Comprehensive Dua

Protection from many major trials

Misconceptions about Poverty

Random Reflections

September Discount Offer: Homeschooling Course

YOUR CHANCE TO HOMESCHOOL LIKE A PRO

This course includes:

In this course you will learn:

Good Deeds That Erase Sins

1. Establishing the five daily prayers

2. Prostrating to Allah in the salah:

3. Performing ablution and praying two rakat with khushu:

4. An accepted umrah or hajj:

5. Converting to Islam, emigrating for the sake of Allah, or an accepted hajj:

6. Fasting the days and praying during the nights of Ramadan for the sake of Allah:

Conclusion

Reflections on Surah al-Wāqiʿah

Background Information

A summary of its themes

The Ones Who are Close to Allah

Many of the Later Generations

The Reality of Death

Reflections on Islamization

Early Muslim Paradigms

Do we need Islamization?

Conclusion

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