Boston Aftermath Commentary

Bismillahi Ar Rahman Ir Rahim

I’m a Muslim and I’ve lived in America for 23 years. I’ve watched people I’ve known and loved be wrongfully accused, threatened, harassed, and even deported. I’ve been called bad names. The front of my masjid was destroyed by an angry man after 9/11. My fellow Muslims in countries such as Iraq, Afghanistan, Palestine, Syria, Egypt, and Yemen have been victims of acts of terrorism, genocide, corrupt governments, desperate measures, and a severe and humiliating lack of understanding and dialogue. Yet, all of us…ALL OF US…DO NOT tolerate acts of violence against innocent civilians. It’s terrifying when what we see on the news all over the world hits us at home. I’m not sure I believe everything the news is saying, but what I do believe in is patience and good will. I believe that God is All-Merciful, All-Knowing, The Wise. I love my family, my friends, and I love the opportunities I’ve received while living in America. I’ve become a stronger, more dedicated Muslim, and I’ve been so blessed with the peace and stability I’ve enjoyed here. But let’s not forget those who suffer everyday without a voice, without peace, without stability, where acts like those that happened on Monday are frequent, deadlier, and rarely talked about.

Forget the religion, race, gender, politics of the person responsible for the Boston attacks for now. Right now, let’s just be humans helping humans, getting past this and helping one another for the sake of whatever any of us believes in. Later, when things we have settled and we’re no longer in a panic, let’s worry about the semantics and the politics. And use the ties we’ve made in helping one another to allow wisdom and reflection in to our dialogues. Turning tragedy in to progress and progress in to peace and understanding should be the only goal here. That being said, I disagree wholeheartedly with the way the media portrays tragedies like this. Don’t believe in everything you hear and see on TV, don’t be quick to accept what is shown. Don’t fall for loaded questions and loaded statements and propaganda. Focus on rebuilding after a storm instead of yelling at the sky.

Let us rely on Allah’s Infinite Wisdom and pray that He keeps our Imans strong and resilient during this time of difficulty. May Allah keep all innocent civilians safe from the actions of reckless and thoughtless individuals and increase understanding between communities so that we may live in peace and understanding. May Allah increase us in noor, Iman, ilm, and give us steadfastness in all that pleases Him, give us piety and patience, and give us Jannah. Ameen.

Imam Suhaib Webb on CBS’s Face of the Nation

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=50143922n&tag=api

Etiquette of Du’a

Bismillahi Ar Rahmani Ar Rahim

Assalamu Alaikum!

It’s midnight on a Sunday (I guess Monday) , and I’m up writing away on WordPress.

Sigh. This is why I have problems waking up. My sleep schedule is set on ‘random’. Last night I passed out at 9pm, woke up around 10pm, passed out again 15 minutes later, woke up at 1:30am, then couldn’t sleep until 4, woke up for Fajr, then slept until…I’d-rather-not-say-o’clock.

It truly sucks.

No, I cannot help it! Yes, I’ve tried.

Anyway.

My mother is an avid listener of Dr. Farhat Hashmi.

If any of you have heard of her, you’ll know she’s a scholar, has a website and a series of lectures on hadith, sunnah, and Qur’an. She speaks in an interesting dialect of Urdu that I can’t quite understand but my mother helps me with that.

She’s quite good, mashAllah. She’s married to Dr. Idrees Zubair, who is also an Islamic scholar, mashAllah.

Dr. Hashmi has also published books, one of which I’m currently perusing. It’s called “Qurani & Masnoon Duas”. I’ll put the publishing info under sources, as usual.

The book is basically a compilation of du’a’s found in the Qur’an and in the Hadith/Sunnah of the Prophet (SAW). It’s a beautiful compilation though without transliteration, which I found a tad disappointing but I’m quite happy with it nonetheless.

In the beginning of the book, Dr. Hashmi included a little list of Du’a etiquette.

Etiquette. Etiquette?

Like, manners for making du’a?

Yessiree bob.

And why shouldn’t we have manners while making du’a? Are we not praying to our creator?

Do you go to your parents/husband/wife and say “EXCUSE ME BUY ME THIS THANK YOU”, kiss their cheek and leave the room?

Sometimes I feel like that’s how we treat du’a.  A precursory kiss after salah. A swift ‘thanks for everything, God, btw, I’d like to pass my finals, You da best’ before we fold over the top edge of the prayer rug, exhale loudly, and make a sandwich.

No! No. No. No. No.

NO. Authubillahi min-ash-shaytaan ir rajeem. (I seek refuge in Allah from Satan the rejected one)

When you feel that twinge of impatience after your salah, that little urge that invites you to leave the prayer mat without making a sincere du’a…

THAT IS WHEN YOU NEED DU’A THE MOST. Know that little voice is Shaitan.

Du’a is the ESSENCE of worship – (Tirmidhi, Ahmad)

We, as Muslims, should take every opportunity to increase ourselves in ikhlas (sincerity) and Emaan.

So, here it is. Etiquette of Du’a, as compiled by Dr. Farhat Hashmi. And, as always, Allah knows best.

Etiquette of Invocation (page 11)

• Sincere Intention.

• To begin with praise and glorification of Allah and to send blessings on the Prophet (SAW) and to end the du’a in the same manner.

• To invoke with the certainty that it will be accepted.

• Do not ask from anyone other than Allah.

• Invoke for oneself first and then for others.

• Seek forgiveness from Allah while acknowledging one’s sins.

• Acknowledge the blessings of Allah upon oneself and to show gratitude

• To make dua with full concentration as Allah does not accept a dua of a heedless heart.

It might take a while to incorporate these steps into your du’a routine. I’m still struggling with it but inshAllah I’ll get the hang of it soon. One thing I really like about using these steps is that it gets my heart and mind in the right place to make du’a, subhanAllah.

May Allah accept our du’a’s, increase us in Ilm, Ikhlas, remove the love of this world from our hearts, remove ostentation from our hearts, and Guide us, forgive our sins, and give us Jannat Al Firdaus, Ameen.

Sources:

Qurani and Masnoon Duas. Dr. Farhat Hashmi. Al-Huda Publications

website: (www.farhathashmi.com)

http://www.nuradeen.com/archives/Contributions/Ikhlas.htm

http://lutonmuslims.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=399:powerdua&catid=36:virtues&Itemid=62

Junaid Jamshed & Sheikh Hasan Abunar

Bismillahi Ar Rahmani Ar Rahim

Assalamu Alaikum!

It’s been a while, hasn’t it? I’m sorry for the delay. My life has just gotten a little more crazy, which is saying something. Actually it helps, because it’s helping me keep my mind off other things, Alhamdulillah.

So what’s new? I just came home after 4 hours at the masjid. I’m exhausted! So, if I sound distracted during this post, please forgive me. I’m starting to see sheep at the edges of my peripheral vision and my pillow has never looked so fluffy.

(Not my Masjid’s flier)

Well…for starters, Junaid Jamshed and Sheikh Hasan Abunar both came to visit my masjid! It was a fundraising event for Darul Uloom in New York.

I won’t lie and tell you that I’ve heard of these two all of my life and know everything there is to know.

Truth is, I knew very little about Junaid Jamshed and nothing about Sheikh Hasan Abunar. It was only until today that I found out who they were, and mashAllah!

I can now say I’m a big fan.

The audience at the masjid was maybe 90% Pakistani-Indian people who all came to see Brother Jamshed. It was funny to see all the aunties and uncles gathered in the hall, all excited. They were even served biryani for dinner! Alhamdulillah

Brother Jamshed used to be a rock and roll pop (I was corrected, thanks to a friend) superstar in Pakistan in the 1980’s and 1990’s, but had a change of heart and decided to drop the music and focus on Islam. He now sings naats and nasheeds, and very beautiful ones mashAllah.

If you’ve ever heard “Dil Badal de” (Change my heart), which you probably have, that’s Junaid Jamshed, mashAllah!

Here’s the link to the nasheed: Junaid Jamshed Dil badal de. MashAllah, look at that beard!

On to Sheikh Hasan Abunar. At one point in time, he was selected as the best Qari in the world, mashAllah. This is just what the presenter said, I actually don’t know where his biography is on the internet, but once I find it, I’ll post it, inshAllah. His nationality is either Jordanian or Palestinian…PLEASE…if anyone finds anything about him please post a comment with a link inshAllah.

He led the prayer for both Maghrib and Isha. His is probably one of the most beautiful and heart-stopping recitations I’ve ever heard.

My younger sister, Reem, said it best:

When he stopped, I felt like my heart was empty.

SubhanAllah. I couldn’t have said it better myself.

The Sheikh is also a very funny man! He and Brother Jamshed seem to be very good friends, and apparently Sheikh Abunar picked up on some Urdu from Brother Jamshed. He entertained and made the audience laugh with some words of Urdu, mashAllah.

My heart was moved completely by the stories Sheikh was telling. I do not remember them perfectly and I don’t want to write anything I’m unsure of. But the stories were concerning Adam (AS). They were so beautiful and the Sheikh told them so beautifully I began to cry. Tears are springing to my eyes as I write this just at the memory of what I heard, subhanAllah.

I felt so much in my heart, and I didn’t even know where it was coming from. I wanted to sob.

MashAllah, I just remember the noor on the Sheikh’s face and just felt so much emotion. I was sitting way in the back, I couldn’t even see him, but I felt completely humbled!

May Allah reward both of these men, give them Jannat al Firdaus, and forgive them, and give them a home near Allah in Jannah. Ameen.

The Sheikh also told us that at the very end of our life, right before we die, Allah will show us a glimpse of where we will be in the afterlife.

Can you imagine, the last breath you take, you’re delivered a vision of your akhira? What if it’s Hell?

Ya Allah, what if it’s Jannah?

Allah protect us and forgive us all! Ameen.

Luckily, for you, I took a video of Sheikh Hasan Abunar reciting from Surah Rahmaan and uploaded it to YouTube. I made the decision a little bit after he began, just so you know.

Here it is! Also, a little disclaimer. I am not a representative or being paid in uploading this video. I am just a Muslimah who wants to share this beautiful recitation by Sheikh Hasan Abunar, mashAllah.

The sound quality is good, but you can’t really see him since I decided to sit at a table in the back. My hands are bit shaky and I move it around a little but you can just minimize it and listen to the recitation, since that’s the point.

MashAllah!

And finally, here are some weirdly placed pictures of the two. Sorry I couldn’t get it to be more organized. My bad, yo.

Brother Jamshed

Sheikh Hasan Abunar

Brother Jamshed

    

Sheikh Hasan Abunar

And on that note…. I’m going to bed.

It was an amazing night, mashAllah! Enjoy the recitation, the pictures, the nasheed, inshAllah.

By the way…

<—- this is my favorite picture of the night. And not because of the auntie who turned around at the perfect time.

Ok. Assalamu Alaikum. Good night, good morning, good afternoon.

– Nesha

Du’a’s Close to My Heart: Part II

Assalamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh

Bismillahi Ar Rahmani Ar Rahim

Hope everyone’s week is going well. Mine is going okay so far, alhamdulillah. My younger sister is in town from Boston so I’ve been getting some time with her, alhamdulillah. Maybe I’ll write a blog about her, because she’s just that inspirational, mashAllah.

Anyway, I thought I’d blog some more du’a’s that I find helpful and, well, crucial to my life, to be quite honest. They are from the same book as my first post on Du’a’s. If you don’t remember, the details for the book will be on the bottom under “sources”.

Last night, I had this weird urge. I was settling down after Isha prayer with a gigantic, 700 page book from the library. It’s fiction, but it’s really interesting so far, and I was looking forward to reading more from it.

And then I said, wait a minute.

I feel like I shouldn’t be reading this.

There’s something more important I should do first.

And I grabbed my trusty little Fortress of the Muslim, alhamdulillah, and read. And read.

And read.

When my days are particularly rough (and they have been for a while now), I have certain du’a’s I like to say that keep my eyes and heart on what is most important, which is Allah.

So…from the top!! We’ll start with the easiest and I’ll try to keep this post to medium length, and inshAllah save the bigger ones for another post. Please follow me! Bookmark me! Critique me! InshAllah!

Here we go!

What to Say When in Anguish (pg 144)

1. “Allaahu Allaahu Rabbee laa ‘ushriku bihi shay’an.”

Allah, Allah is my Lord. I do not associate anything with Him.

I love this du’a. I’ve read this probably a thousand times but I never really let it absorb into me. For those of you who are just getting the hang of Quranic Arabic, it’s really exciting when you start to recognize certain words and understand what the meaning is without looking at the translation. For example: “shirk”, a major sin, basically means associating partners with Allah. Therefore, “Ushriku” in the du’a, can be connected to “shirk”, therefore connecting to “associate”. “Laa” is “no”, in Arabic. And “Rabb” means Lord. If you read regularly, you can string some of the words you know to get some or all of the meaning, and then, of course, check it with the translation.

Trying to understand the Arabic makes it easier to memorize, subhanAllah.

2. Laa ‘illaha ‘illa ‘Anta subhaanaka ‘innee kuntu minadh-dhaalimeen

There is none worthy of worship but You, Glory is to You. Surely I was among the wrongdoers.

Humility. Humility. Humility. Submitting and repenting to Allah is, in my opinion, an essential characteristic of a Muslim.

What to Say When Something You Dislike Happens, Or You Fail to Achieve What You Attempt to do (pg 155)

Qadarullahi wa maa shaa’a fa’ala

It is the decree of Allah and He does whatever He wills.

Another du’a I find really easy to memorize and very useful, alhamdulillah. You missed the bus on the way to work. Say it. Your toaster broke. Say it. You didn’t do well on a Stats exam. Say it. You failed your driver’s exam for the 15th time. Say it. And then practice in a parking lot (maneuvering sucks).

Just SAY IT!

What to Say When Things Become Difficult (pg 153)

Allahumma laa sahla ‘illaa maa ja’altahu sahlan wa ‘Anta taj’alul-hazna ‘ithaa shi’ta sahlan.

O Allah, there is no ease other than what You make easy. If You please, You ease sorrow.

That driver’s exam you keep failing…say this. That Stats class that’s twisting your brain? Say this.

Trust and look to Allah in everything, big or small.

Invocations for When you are Stricken by Doubt in your Faith (pg 150)

Amantu billahi wa Rusulihi

I believe in Allah and His Messenger .

What I say for courage and strength.

Hasbunallahu wa ni’mal wakeel, wa ‘al allahi tawakalna

Allah is sufficient for us, and He is our Guardian and upon Allah do we rely.

In matters of the heart, this one helps me a lot.

Remembrance of Allah (pg 229 – 238)

Allahumaghfirlee, warhamnee, wahdinee, wa’afinee, warzuqnee

O Allah, forgive me, and have mercy on me, and guide me, and give me good health, and provide for me.

This one is valuable, because in saying it, we are reminded in 5 different areas (there are more) that we should turn to Allah. In repentance  seek Allah. For mercy, seek Allah. For guidance, seek Allah. For good health, seek Allah. For ANYTHING, seek Allah! Truly, it drills into the believer that ALLAH is our RABB. So whatever we come across, need, want, don’t want, fear, love, whatever…we TURN TO ALLAH.

Subhaanal-laahi wa bihamdihi, Subhaanallahil-‘Adheem

Glorified is Allah and Praised is He, Glorified is Allah the Most Great.

According to the book, the description for this du’a, is as follows: “Two words are light on the tongue, weigh heavily in the balance and are loved by the Most Merciful One.” (pg 230-231)  So say the above du’a often. Often! With love and sincerity!

So, that’s it for part II, Alhamdulillah.

InshAllah in the third part, I’ll be going into the longer du’a’s.

May Allah, forgive us, have mercy on us, guide us, give us good health, and provide for us. Ameen.

Allah-Hafiz.

Sources.

Fortress of the Muslim. Compiled by Sa’id bin Wahf Al-Qahtani. Publisher: Darussalam. 6th Edition. 2007

The Art of Shutting One’s Mouth

Bismillahi Ar Rahmani Ar Rahim

Assalamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh,

InshAllah I hope everyone had a restful weekend and a good week so far. InshAllah nothing stressful is happening in your life at the moment, but if it is, May Allah correct your affairs for you and make things easier, Ameen.

So, where to begin?

Sometimes, randomly, you’ll have an experience that makes your understanding of Islam a little bit sharper. It can be as simple as tripping over a rock and scraping your knee, in which you remember that, SubhanAllah, Allah has removed a sin from you. Or it can be as harrowing as watching someone die, and thinking about your own mortality and grave in the hands of Allah, SubhanAllah.

Mine was on the lighter end of things and it was just something someone said that struck some understanding within me. Last week, I was sitting with my family in the living room, day dreaming a bit about who-knows-what. My youngest sister came into the room and had some food in her hand which she wanted to feed my father.

She said to him, “Papa, try this,”

Papa: “No, I don’t want to.”

Sister: “Just close your eyes and open your mouth.”

Papa: “No! I don’t want it.”

Sister: “Come on! Just close your eyes and open your mouth and eat it!”

And my father relented.

The phrase “just close your eyes and open your mouth” stayed with me, echoing in my head a little. And when I got my hands around what it meant to me, I said aloud, “Ah, isn’t that interesting?”

It’s interesting that the dunya (the world) and Shaitan (the devil) want you to close your eyes and open your mouth and consume the world. Consume the pleasures and temptations. Blindly indulge in excess and chase after transient things, such as wealth for the sake of monetary gain and luxury for the sake of comfort. Greed, temptation, and desire trip our feet and have us fearing poverty when we should be fearing Allah. 

Allah teaches us through His perfect words to do the exact opposite. Open your eyes. Shut your mouth. Look at what you are being fed in this world before it becomes your undoing. Before the glittering lies and deceptive attractions poison you into thinking that the world can offer you anything important or valuable. It is not the world that determines your fate. Allah determines your fate according to what you DO in the world, for His sake.

I thank Allah for giving me the kind of family I have, Alhamdulillah. Everyday they remind me how blessed I am and how important it is to give back, give back, give back, for the sake of Allah. My father could have forced me to go to medical school. Instead he let me find my own way, do what my interests were in. While I’m sure he wishes I would have picked a career path that could have afforded me more financial security, I’m beginning to see the fruits of struggling on the path of Islam. In choosing a career path that makes my finances look a little blurry, my faith in Allah has increased, SubhanAllah. I do not want to become a person that depends on fat paychecks, nor makes a career the most important thing in life.

So, is this naivety? Or is this Emaan? 

I can see both arguments. But of course, for me, it is Emaan.

Does that mean, however, that I should not be ambitious and not do whatever I can to support my future family? Does that mean I should get a part time job and have no aspirations?

That ALL depends on my intentions.

Anything I do, I must do to the best of my ability for the sake of Allah. Being lazy is disliked in basically all religions, Islam being no exception. Below, a hadith narrated by At-Tirmidhi reminds us that being prepared and organized is important. Carelessness and laziness have no place in Islam.

“One day Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) noticed a Bedouin leaving his camel without tying it and he asked the Bedouin, “Why don’t you tie down your camel?” The Bedouin answered, “I put my trust in Allah.” The Prophet then said, “Tie your camel first, then put your trust in Allah””

Whatever I have been given by Allah, I must use it to for the sake of Allah. Before I graduated college, I used to surf through the web and look at the salaries of certain job titles. I lost sight of my personal strengths and focused entirely on what a certain title could give me, instead of focusing on my strengths and relying on Allah to help me in finding the right career, whatever it might be.

According to At-Tirmidhi:

Do not own an estate and thus begin to desire the world.

According to Ahmad:

Beware of living sumptuously, for the [true] servants of Allah do not live sumptuously.

According to Provisions for the Seeker, the Tirmidhi hadith “warns against occupations that make one heedless of his obligations to Allah” (pg 74). Therefore, as Muslims, we should not chase after careers that might veer us from the path of Islam. That is why choosing a career simply because of a large salary is dangerous, because it sets our sights on the world and can remove our dependency on Allah. It is Allah that provides. Not a paycheck.

The Ahmad hadith is pretty straight-forward. As Muslims, we should not live in extravagance. The greatest Muslim that ever lived, Prophet Muhammad (SAW), was an extremely modest man. He kept very little and was entirely focused on his comforts being in the akhira (afterlife) rather than in the world, SubhanAllah.

A beautiful hadith that exemplifies the Prophet (SAW)’s belief and faith in Allah is one in which Umar (RA) weeps at the sight of the Prophet (SAW) living in very modest conditions:

…When I reached the story of Um Salama, Allah’s Apostle smiled while he was lying on a mat made of palm tree leaves with nothing between him and the mat. Underneath his head there was a leather pillow stuffed with palm fibres, and leaves of a saut tree were piled at his feet, and above his head hung a few water skins. On seeing the marks of the mat imprinted on his side, I wept. He said.’ ‘Why are you weeping?’ I replied, “O Allah’s Apostle! Caesar and Khosrau are leading the life (i.e. Luxurious life) while you, Allah’s Apostle though you are, is living in destitute”. The Prophet then replied. ‘Won’t you be satisfied that they enjoy this world and we the Hereafter?’ “

-narrated: Ibn ‘Abbas, Bukhari.

Whether I choose to be a doctor or a librarian or cook, I just pray that, inshAllah, Allah keeps me on the path of Islam. I pray that whatever career is in my future, whatever salary that Allah has already determined for me, I pray that, inshAllah, I am able to use both career and salary for the sake of Allah, and that I have done everything in my power, used all the resources Allah has given me to do my best, inshAllah. InshAllah, everything I work for is used to support my family for the sake of Allah.

What is belief without practice? What is faith without a test? Allah has given us the world and filled it to the brim with tests for us. Do we desire immediate satisfactions, transient pleasures, blind consumption? Do we close our eyes, open our mouths, and consume and live in blissful ignorance?

Or Do we believe in Allah and the promise of Jannah and a warning of Hell? Do we look at what we’re being fed? What is our intention in everything we do? Is it for Allah, or is it for worldly gain? How often do we think of Allah during the quickly passing days of our lives?

May Allah give us steadfastness and give us more opportunity to gain His reward, and correct our affairs for us and guide us in the right way always, Ameen.

If I’ve made any sort of mistake or have cited something incorrectly, please let me know. Or if you have anything you want to add, please comment below! Let me know how I’m doing, what you want to see more or less of, I’m totally open for suggestions, criticisms, etc!

Sources:

Provisions for the Seeker. Muhammad Ashiq ILahi Al-Bulandshehri & Abdur-Rahman ibn Yusuf.  Reprint 2009. White Thread Press. Page 74 & 76.

http://www.theonlyquran.com/hadith/Sahih-Bukhari/?chapter=60&hadith=431&pagesize=15

http://msanational.org/six-steps-to-improving-muslim-life-on-campus/

Du’a for Noor

Bismillahi Ar Rahmani Ar Rahim

Noor. The mysterious, ethereal glow on the face of a true believer.

So subtle and yet so vibrant at the same time. When I see it, I find myself looking for its source. Sometimes, shamelessly scanning their faces with curiosity and awe. May Allah forgive me for staring.

How is it that one person can possess such beauty, such light? Not in the way their face is structured. Not in the thinness of the nose, the flawlessness of the skin. Not in the fullness of lips nor the size of the eyes.

But a light that seems to emanate from within. A light that sets their blood aglow, shining from within with purity. Golden, it seems to be, in places where the skin is soft.

SubhanAllah.

May Allah keep the noor on the faces of those who already possess it, and give noor to those who desire it, Ameen,

I have read this du’a before, but it has been a while since I’ve read it last. I thought I’d share it because, well, it’s important.

I hunted all over the internet and found some sites that had it. I’m citing the website that had the transliteration and translation. So I take NO ownership of the transliteration or the translation below. I just found them. May Allah reward those who have taken the time to translate and transliterate the du’a’s we so desperately need, Ameen. 

Transliteration in Arabic:

Allaahummaj’al fee qalbee nooran, wa fee lisaanee nooran, wa fee sam’ee nooran, wa fee basaree nooran, wa min fawqee nooran, wa min tahtee nooran, wa ‘an yameenee nooran, wa ‘an shimaalee nooran, wa min ‘amaamee nooran, wa min khalfee nooran, waj’al fee nafsee nooran, wa ‘a’dhim lee nooran, wa ‘adhdhim lee nooran. Waj’al lee nooran, waj’alnee nooran. Allaahumma ‘a’tinee nooran, waj’al fee ‘asabee nooran, wa fee lahmee nooran, wa fee damee nooran, wa fee sha’ree nooran, wa fee basharee nooran.

Allaahummaj’al lee nooran fee qabree, wa nooran fee ‘idhaamee.
Wa zidnee nooran, wa zidnee nooran, wa zidnee nooran.
Wa hab lee nooran ‘alaa noor.

*note* in the 2nd line of the du’a where it says “wa ‘an yameenee”, it  is pronounced “wa ay-yameenee”. Also, I listened to the recitation on the blog I found this on, and it sounds like we don’t pronounce the n’s on the end of every “nooran”. Allahu Allam. (Allah knows best).

Translation:

O Allah, place light in my heart, and on my tongue light, and in my ears light and in my sight light, and above me light, and below me light, and to my right light, and to my left light, and before me light and behind me light. Place in my soul light. Magnify for me light, and amplify for me light. Make for me light, and make me light. O Allaah, grant me light, and place light in my nerves, and in my body light and in my blood light and in my hair light and in my skin light.

O Allaah, make for me a light in my grave… and a light in my bones.
Increase me in light, increase me in light, increase me in light.
Grant me light upon light,

According to the blog, this hadith can be found in Bukhaari, Tirmidhi, and in Muslim.

Transliteration & Translation taken from:

http://muslimfortress.wordpress.com/2011/12/10/duaa-of-light-noor/

You can find more information about a similar Hadith and Du’a here:

http://spa.qibla.com/issue_view.asp?HD=1&ID=771&CATE=3

Du’a’s Close to My Heart

. 

Bismillahi Ar Rahmani Ar Rahim (In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful)

Assalamu-Alaikum (May Peace be with you)

I wanted to share some du’a (supplication) from Fortress of the Muslim. If you don’t have this book I urge you to purchase a copy. It’s a tiny little thang, a pocketbook, but it has truly helped me in lots of different situations. I think many people really underestimate the importance of du’a.

The 5 salah, (5 daily prayers) is a fard, or requirement, for all Muslims. However, that’s not where our worship should stop. It should never stop. There are many Quranic verses and hadith regarding this. Below are just a few.

“Du’a is the essence of Ibadah (worship).” – at-Tirmidhi, Ahmad

“There is nothing more dear to Allah than a servant making du’a to Him.” – at-Tirmidhi, Ahmad

“If you ask, ask Allah and if you seek help, seek help from Allah.” – at Tirmdhi, Ahmad

Allah loves when we supplicate to Him. Why? It shows our devotion and dependency to Allah; our belief, reliance, and fear all turned towards Allah in a moment of supplication.

What do we supplicate for? For whom? At what time?

Anything, anyone, anytime. Sincerely, truthfully, repetitively.

When I was a little girl and my desires were still rather immature, I made du’a after Dhuhur prayer for some roller skates. My mother looked at me with an expression of curiosity and asked me what I made du’a for. I told her, “I prayed for roller skates.”

And I got them the same day.

Now, I can see some of you who are new to Islam or new to learning about it, sort of raise your eyebrows. Do I really think it such a big deal that, as a little girl, I asked for roller skates and got them? Do I truly believe it was an act of God and not the act of a proud Muslim mommy? After all, don’t children wet the floors of toy stores with their tears and tantrums and get what they want anyway?

Of course it was Allah. Of course!  If you believe in Allah then you must believe HE is in control of everything. I wouldn’t have gotten those skates if Allah didn’t want me to. I’m sure my mother was happy with me and I’m sure that’s the reason she bought me my skates (which were AWESOME. Vintage care bears and rainbows all over them. Freakin’ cool. I miss the 90’s), but that doesn’t mean Allah’s will wasn’t involved. That doesn’t mean it wasn’t a blessing from Allah.

not really MY skates…but these are what they looked like, haha.

It makes me feel a little funny inside as I write this. There have been many moments where I’ve forgotten the power of du’a and many moments where I’ve been blown away by it. Alas, such is Emaan. An ever fluctuating muscle of faith we must always keep an eye on.

May Allah have mercy on us all, Ameen.

Anywho, now that we’re done with that little tangent, let’s get on the main topic!

Here are some du’a’s I’ve found particularly handy and easy to memorize. I’ll also include some commentary and which situations I find the dua handy. I’ll be listing the page numbers that they can be found on in my edition (photo above) of Fortress of the Muslim. At the end of the post I’ll include the publisher’s information so you’ll have an easier time finding this specific copy.

What a Muslim Should Say When He is Praised (pg 215)

“Allahumma laa tu’aakhithnee bimaa yaqooloona, waghfir lee, maa laa ya’lamoona (waj’alnee khayram-mimmaa yadhunnoon).”

“Oh Allah, do not call me to account for what they say and forgive me for what they have no knowledge of (and make me better than they imagine).” 

I’m not sure if you’re supposed to say this one out loud. I think this is said silently, to oneself. That’s how I’d do it, anyway. I also find this useful to say when you feel like your ego might be getting the better of you, or if you feel like you’re being over-praised (it happens, and it’s dangerous, if you know anything about the evil-eye). It’s a good anchor to remind yourself that Allah knows everything about you, and only He can reward you. It keeps you humble, alhamdulillah. And Allah knows best. Tell me immediately if I have anything wrong, and cite your sources!

What to Say if Something Happens to Please you (pg 208)

“Alhamdu lillaahil-lathee bini’matihi tattimus-saalihat”

“Praise is to Allah Who by His blessings all good things are perfected.” 

What to Say if Something Happens to Displease you (pg 208)

“Alhamdu lillahi ‘alaa kulli haal.”

Praise is to Allah in all Circumstances.

Invocation for Fear of Shirk (pg 195)

“Allahumma inee a’oothu bika ‘an ‘ushrika bika wa ‘anna ‘a’lamu, wa ‘astaghfiruka limaa laa ‘a’lamu”

“O Allah, I seek refuge in You lest I associate anything with You knowingly, and I seek Your forgiveness for what I know not.”

Shirk is associating anything with Allah. Since Muslims believe in the ONENESS of Allah, this is the worst sin a Muslim can commit, associating partners with Allah. I used to think this was obvious…why would I worship anyone else than Allah? It doesn’t make sense. But Shirk actually goes deeper than that. Sometimes you might not even know you’re committing it, tolerating it, or even encouraging it.

This du’a helps me when I find myself depending on anything or anyone else other than Allah (Subhana Wa Ta’aala.)

I think this post is long enough haha. I’ll be adding a part 2 of du’a’s in the next day or so, inshAllah.

May Allah make this beneficial for all of us, have mercy on us, give us Ihsaan, Emaan, and steadfastness, Ameen.

May Allah correct our affairs for us and give us all Jannah. Ameen.

your friendly neighborhood Muslim

Nesha

Sources

Fortress of the Muslim. Compiled by Sa’id bin Wahf Al-Qahtani. Publisher: Darussalam. 6th Edition. 2007

http://lutonmuslims.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=399:powerdua&catid=36:virtues&Itemid=62