Value Time!

[Mujaahid]

What Amaal (good deeds) you Can Do In One Minute


The time is the life of a person and it should be preserved and spent properly. Therefore, a wise person is he who preserves his time and does not waste it in useless things and idle talk. Rather, one should spend his time in good endeavours and in performing righteous deeds which should please Allaah, the Exalted, and which should benefit people. Hence, in every minute of your life, you may do something which will increase your status (in the Hereafter) and bring happiness to your nation.

Therefore, if you are keen to achieve glory and bring happiness to your people, you should not waste your time in resting and playing.

Indeed, in one minute, one may do much good and obtain a great reward. One single minute could extend your life, increase your acts of obedience, your understanding, your memorization (of the Quran), and your good deeds. If you know how to spend one minute, it can be added to the book of your good deeds (on the Day of Judgement).3

"Beware of every hour and how it passes, and only spend it in the best possible way, do not neglect yourself, but render it accustomed to the noblest and best of actions, and send to your grave that which will please you when you arrive to it." [Imam Ibn Al-Jawzee]

[Mujaahid]

ONE MINUTE INVESTMENTS:

1- In one minute, you can recite chapter Al-Faatihah (the opening chapter of the Quran) silently.

Some scholars, may Allaah have mercy upon them, stated that a person gets more than 1400 good deeds for reciting it once. If one recites it 7 times, one gets 9800 good deeds in one minute.

2- In one minute, you can say ''Astaghfiru Allaah'' (I seek forgiveness of Allaah) more than 100 times. The virtue of seeking forgiveness is well-known, it is a reason of obtaining forgiveness, entering Paradise, having good provisions, increasing one's strength, repelling harm, having affairs facilitated, the descent of rain, and increasing in wealth and children.

3- In one minute, you can read a part of the Quran.

4- In one minute, you can memorize a small verse of the Quran.

5- In one minute, you can say ''Laa ilaaha illa Allaah wahdahu laa shareeka lah, lahul mulku wa lahul hamdu wa huwa 'ala kulli chay'in qadeer'' (None has the right to be worshipped except Allaah Alone, He has neither partners nor associates, to Him belongs sovereignty and praise and He is over all things wholly capable) 20 times;

its reward is setting 8 slaves free for the sake of Allaah from the children of Ismaa'eel (Ishmael), may Allaah exalt his mention.

6- In one minute, you can say ''Subhaana Allaah wa bihamdihi'' (How perfect Allaah is and all praise be to Him) 100 times, and whoever says this, his sins will be forgiven even if they were like the foams of the sea.

7- In one minute, you can say ''Subhaana Allaah wa bihamdihi, Subhaana Allaah Al-Adheem'' (How perfect Allaah is and all praise be to Him, how perfect Allaah is, The Supreme) 50 times, and these are two expressions which are easy to say, but they are very heavy on the scale of good deeds, and they are beloved to Allaah. [ [Bukhari: Hadith No:673, V:8] and [Bukhari, B:9, V:93, Hadith 652]].

Prophet Muhammad (sallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam) said, "There are) two words which are dear to the Beneficent (Allah) and very light (easy) for the tongue (to say), but very heavy in weight in the balance. They are: Subhan-Allahi wa bihamdihi, Subhan-Allahil-Azim (Allah is free from imperfection and His is the praise)'.

8- The Prophet, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, said: ''If I were to say: ''Subhaana Allaah, wal hamdu lillaah, wa laa ilaaha illa Allaah, wallaahu Akbar'' (How perfect Allaah is, all praise be to Allaah, None has the right to be worshipped except Allaah, and Allaah is the greatest.) it is better for me than the whole world.'' [Muslim]. In one minute, you can say all the above words 18 times, and these words are the most beloved words to Allaah, and the best of all speeches, and their weight on the scale of good deeds is very heavy, as reported in authentic narrations.

9- In one minute, you can say ''la hawla wa laa quwwata illa billaah'' (there is neither might nor power except by Allaah) more than 40 times.
This is a treasure among the treasures of Paradise, as reported by Al-Bukhaari and Muslim, may Allaah have mercy upon them. It is also one of the major reasons of bearing difficulties and hardship.

10- In one minute, you can say ''Laa ilaaha illa Allaah'' (None has the right to be worshipped but Allaah) approximately 50 times, and it is the greatest word, as it is the word of Tawheed (Oneness of Allaah), a good word, and a firm statement, and whoever says this expression as his last words before breathing his last, he will enter Paradise(inshaAllah); the above expression also has other virtues.

[Mujaahid]

[Mujaahid]

WANT SOME MORE INVESTMENTS?

$: In one minute, you can say: ''Subhaanah Allaah wa bihamdihi, 'adada khalqihi, wa ridha nafsihi, wa zinata 'arshihi, wa midaada kalimaatihi'' (How perfect Allaah is and all praise be to Allaah, by the number of His Creation and His Pleasure, and by the weight of His Throne, and the ink of His Words) more than 15 times. This statement equals multiplied rewards of ordinary legislated mention of Allaah, as confirmed by the Prophet, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam.

$: In one minute, you can give a short summarized speech which could be very beneficial for the listeners.

$: In one minute, you can exalt the mention of the Prophet, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, by saying ''Sala Allaahu 'Alayhi wa sallam'' (may Allaah exalt his mention) 50 times, for which Allaah will exalt your mention 500 times, because one exaltation is multiplied tenfold.

$: In one minute, you can think about the creation of the heavens and the earth, as a result you will be considered among the people of understanding whom Allaah mentioned in the Quran.

$: In one minute, you can think about being grateful to Allaah, loving Him, fearing Him, hoping for Him (His Mercy) and longing to meet Him; by doing so, you would have achieved great acts of worship while you may be lying down on your bed or walking in the street.

$: In one minute, you can read more than two pages from a beneficial book which is easy to understand.

[Mujaahid]

In one minute, you can keep ties with your kinship by phoning them

In one minute, you can supplicate with general supplications.

In one minute, you can greet (by saying Salaam to) a number of people and shake hands with them.

In one minute, you can forbid evil.

In one minute, you can enjoin good.

In one minute, you can advise a brother.

In one minute, you can intercede in doing good for a person.

In one minute, you can comfort a distressed person.

In one minute, you can take off an obstacle from the road.

By benefiting from one minute, you will preserve and benefit from other times.

[Mujaahid]

What is it that keeps us from being the best Muslims, the best human beings possible? Excuses. Excuses are an enormous part of the internal struggle we engage in on a day-to-day basis. The most common excuses are related to having too many responsibilities, intending to do it later, not having enough energy, or time to get it all done. Now is time to gain control reign in our excuses




How To Stop Making Excuses

You want to become a better Muslim. You want to start exercising. You want to read and increase your knowledge. You want to engage more in dhikr. But although you may intend for these things, you can’t seem to ever get to them.

Why?

It could be because you are letting your excuses control you.

So how does one overcome excuses? The process begins with identifying the type of excuse that is keeping you from performing the act and then using a tailored approach to break it.

So let’s identify the most common excuses that keep us from doing good and see what we can do to break them:

“There’s something else I need to do right now”

This excuse is perhaps the most prevalent when it comes to engaging in an act of dhikr such as reading the Quran or performing nafl (extra voluntary) prayers.

It is rare that we will consciously say such-and-such activity is more important than this extra prayer, but we either subconsciously believe that or follow waswasah (whispers from Shaytan).

Ask yourself, what is the alternative that you are focused on right now? Is it something important, like helping your parents, or is it something leisurely, like watching TV or surfing the Internet?

If it is a matter of fulfilling a responsibility to your parents or another commitment, then perhaps it makes sense to see this not as an excuse, but as a valid reason.

While limited leisurely activities are fine, it is important not to make them the focus of your day. More importantly, do not forgo good deeds for them. The solution to this would be to be very conscious and very wary of such whispers from the Shaytaan and the nafs. When the thought of opening the Quran is immediately followed by this whisper, your mind should stand upright. Seek refuge in Allah, The Exalted, and just dive in.

“I’ll do it, just not right now. I’ll do it later.”

This is closely connected to the excuse of having other things to do, but it should be listed separately because it is perhaps an even more deceptive excuse. By using this reasoning, one is putting a task to an indefinite (unwarranted) future. The best way to break this excuse would be to focus on the fact that one has the most control over the present.

Realizing the importance of making the most of the present also involves reflecting on the fact that we could be taken from this dunya at any time. Some of the early scholars of Islam used to say, “If the remembrance of death leaves our hearts for an hour, our hearts will become rotten.” [Dham Qaswat al-Qulub – Ibn Rajab)

If we want to strive to be intelligent Muslims, we must reflect on death, and as we do that we realize how important it is to not put off until later what we have the ability to do right now.

“I don’t have the resources.”

“I’ll start learning about fiqh when I can make hijrah and study with scholars.”

“I need my own room to concentrate and study, and until that happens I can’t study the Quran.”

“My laptop is dying, and until I get that fixed I won’t be able to do the research I was supposed to do.”

To break your excuses, remind yourself that where ‘there is a will, there is a way’. Are there too many distractions at home? Go to the library. Waiting on a book or any other resource? While you are waiting, look elsewhere to start learning about the topic before you receive it.

By making excuses due to your circumstances, you are putting yourself in a state of mind that is not ready to accept knowledge, iman, or self-improvement. If you find that you are lacking something you need to be a better person, pray earnestly to Allah (The Exalted), and at the same time refuse to be dissuaded and actively seek alternative means.

“I don’t have the energy.”

Physically speaking, low energy is often caused by not getting enough sleep or exercise, or by having a diet that is too rich in carbohydrates. To gain physical energy, you owe it to Allah to be in a good state of physical fitness.

You also need to tap into the resource of spiritual energy so that one is charged and fired up and ready to do a good act, regardless of one’s level of physical energy. I find that the most efficient way of breaking the low energy excuse to think of those who are in an incredibly high state of iman. Such people do not get drained by worship and good deeds; they are energized by it. Just like you shouldn’t think that giving zakat or sadaqah reduces your wealth, you shouldn’t think that engaging in good acts and improving yourself as a person will sap your strength. And a du’a will also help you.

Insha’Allah the more effort it takes for you to complete an act, the greater the reward you will receive for it.

“I don’t have enough time”

Have you ever noticed how some people manage to do so many things? How do you think they do it? It’s because they have made the most of the barakah in each given day.

[Mujaahid]

3 Steps to Stop Excuses and Finally Start Being Productive

Go to bed and wake up earlier.

When you sleep after ‘Isha and stay up after (Tahajjud or) Fajr, you will feel that there are much more hours in the day. By giving yourself extra time in the morning before work or school, you do the things you are usually too tired to do in the evenings: recite and reflect on the Quran, doing extra dhikr, exercising, etc.

Be efficient in your tasks

Is something that should take you only 30 minutes taking you 2 hours? Beware of time wasters; focus only on the task at hand and cut yourself off from all possible distractions, whether they involve instant messaging, browsing, or talking on the phone.

Know when to say No

Have you shouldered more than you can handle, or doing any extra activity that will not benefit you in the long run? When the above steps don’t work, you might need to examine your activities and make a decision about which one you will have to let go.

It is not until the ummah understands these excuses, and the power to overcome them, we can truly start benefiting from Allah’s immense mercy and bounty.

To end, I would like to remind us of Surat-ul-Asr:
“By time,
Indeed, mankind is in loss,
Except for those who have believed and done righteous deeds and advised each other to truth and advised each other to patience.” (103:1-3)

Have you recently stopped making excuses and started getting things done? Share with us how you did it



(About the author: Sarah Farrukh is an Information Studies graduate student at the University of Toronto. Her interests include books, publishing and the digital age. )

[Mujaahid]

Practical Tips to Stop Wasting Time in Gossip




What’s gossiping?

Have you ever met someone guilty of cannibalism? Probably not, yet if many of us who gossiped were to go by any name – it would be this. This is the way backbiting is described in Islam and many of us know it.



Allah warns us: “O you who believe! Avoid much suspicion, indeed some suspicions are sins. And spy not neither backbite one another. Would one of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? You would hate it (so hate backbiting). And fear God, verily, God is the one who accepts repentance, Most Merciful.” (49: 12)

As the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) informed us, backbiting is “to say something about your brother that he would dislike.” Someone asked him: “But what if what I say is true?” The Messenger of Allah said: “If what you say about him is true, you are backbiting him, but if it is not true then you have slandered him.”

Why do people gossip?
When someone loves to gossip, it is usually for one or more of the following reasons:

Ignorance
Low Self-Confidence
Envy
Boredom/Wasting time
Trying to impress you
Low faith
What to do when people gossip?
Sometimes we feel we have been dragged into it and really want to avoid situations where gossip takes place, and though we really want to do it, we don’t know how toget out of the conversation let alone put a stop to it. Here are some tips to help you out insha’Allah:

1. Praise the person being talked about
Witness your imaan increase up as you defend them as the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:

“whoever defends his brother’s honour, Allah will protect his face from the Fire of the Day of Resurrection.” (Tirmidhi)

There may be that moment just before speaking up in which you hesitate, but muster up some courage: once you get the first few words out, you will feel good about doing the right thing and people will realize that they are engaging in wasteful talk.

2. Invite truth from each other
Though it might be quite an outrageous act at first, you could ask the one who is gossiping to actually come with you and check the truth about what they are saying in the presence of the one they talked about! You don’t really need to go and verify but this is an action which is really part of the Sunnah, for we should prevent lying about one another and tarnishing people’s reputation especially if it is based on rumours.


3. Explain it’s none of your concern:
This is probably the hardest part we stumble upon when a group of friends slip into gossip, however we should imply that it‘s none of the gossiper’s business to discuss other people affairs unless it is in a permissible manner. If you can encourage someone to not speak about others badly, then you can also tell them that it does not interest you or is irrelevant to you – instead find a mutual topic of interest to discuss other than people!

Al Hasan Al Basri said: “A sign that Allah has turned away from a servant is that He makes him busy with matters that are of no concern to him.”

4. Put yourself in their shoes
Asking the person gossiping( or even ourselves for that matter) the question: “How would I feel if this vicious rumour was said about me?” should make one regain some sense of integrity and put himself in the position of the one he just spoke against, hopefully repelling him/her from talking about another.

5. Change the topic
If you’ve tried the steps above and still find someone engaging in gossip about useless matters, find something else to talk about; take the lead in bringing up a subject you know they are interested in, or ask them to tell you about themselves.

6. Leave
If all else fails and you’ve tried to pull out all of the above tips– simply excuse yourself and leave the gathering. For Allah has advised us in the Quran:

“When you see men engaged in vain discourse about Our Signs, turn away from them unless they turn to a different theme. If Satan ever makes you forget, then after recollection, do not sit in the company of those who do wrong.” [Al-An’am 6:68]

How to stop yourself from gossiping?

What about if it’s you who’s responsible for the vain talk?

Hold your breath and recall these tips before saying a word.

1. Remember backbiting is a major sin in Islam and is one of the causes for entering the Hellfire.

2. Ask yourself:
“Would the person I am about to speak of like what I’m going to say? Would I say it if the person was present? Will I feel good about myself after saying it?”

You can save yourself some guilt ridden apologies later by simply asking these questions to yourself. In addition, you can try to think about how you felt the last time you found out that people were speaking badly or falsely about you.

3. Is it useful for anyone to know?
Allah Most High has said: “Successful are the believers, who are humble in their prayers, and who turn away from pointless talk” [23:1-3] And “Those who do not bear witness to what is false, but when they pass by pointless talk, pass by with dignity” [25:72], “When they hear pointless talk, they turn away from it” [28:55]

These verses describe the characteristics we should embody in speech. A top tip to help you is to cut short telephone conversations and keeping chat to essential things.

4. Is it necessary for anyone to know?
Even if it is, does it require your intervention? Often it is the trick of shaytan when we indulge in backbiting, as we seem to feel better about ourselves if we downgrade others. Instead ask yourself how we can improve our own character and lives.

5. Imagine that the person you are talking about can hear everything you are saying. However, know that Allah Ta’ala is The All-Seeing, All-Hearing, and All-Knowing. We should not forget about Day on which we will be held accountable for our deeds. Remember backbiting is a bad reflection on your own character.

6. Be mindful of the company you keep Keep away from people who usually turn to gossip. Recall the times in which you usually find yourself gossiping and keep yourself busy during that time with other tasks or even better – invite friends to learn about the grave consequences of gossiping!

7. Are you 100% sure about it?
Spreading false information is slander as it is creating discord and problems between Muslims. As we are told in the Quran:

“Why, when you heard it, did not the believing men and believing women think good of themselves [i.e. one another] and say: ‘This is an obvious falsehood’?” [24:12]

8. Rejoice at the time and reward you’ll gain by stopping this nasty habit not to mention the good deeds you will accumulate to efface the bad ones. You‘ll be surprised about the time, energy, and faith boost you will gain in this life, and the reward that awaits you in the akhirah insha’Allah.

9. Look for positive qualities in people. If you really have to talk about someone who’s not there, talk about how great, hardworking, funny, humble they are instead of deficiencies; as I often say ‘we are always quick to find imperfections in others but not ourselves’.

10. If you feel you have to say it to someone and that you can’t keep the news for yourself, write it in your diary or on a private piece of a paper. Reread it after a couple of days and evaluate if you still want to let the world know you are not trustworthy enough to keep a confidential fact to yourself! Discard of the paper, and of the thought in your mind – disciplining your thoughts to be good of others should be instilled instead.

11. Repent and make the intention to stop, you could keep the verses and ahadith about the punishment of this sin on your wallpaper or screen to remind you at work (where people politics can enter!). Lastly make dua’a to Allah (Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala)to help you and while it takes effort, don’t give up:

“Whosoever believes in Allaah and the Last Day, then let him speak good or remain silent.” [Al-Bukhari]

And the Prophet (Peace and blessings be upon him) was asked: “O Messenger of Allah, which of the Muslims is best?” He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “He whose tongue and hand the Muslims are safe from.” [Al Bukhari and Muslim]

What about if someone is gossiping about you?
Send them a gift. They are providing you with rewards!

Someone was told: “So-and-so has gossiped about you” so he sent him a dish of dates, with the message: “I heard that you had given me your rewards as a gift, and I want to return the favour; please excuse me for not being able to pay back in full!”

Whilst this is amusing, it bears great dignity for one to befriend the one who has backbitten him

To conclude, make the intention to purify your heart today by applying these practical tips to stop wasting your life on a grave act.

[Mujaahid]

[Mujaahid]

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I knelt to pray but not for long,
I had too much to do.
I had to hurry and get to work
For bills would soon be due.


So I knelt and said a hurried prayer,
And jumped up off my knees.
My Muslim duty was now done
My soul could rest at ease.


All day long I had no time
To spread a word of cheer.
No time to speak of ALLAH to friends,
They'd laugh at me I'd fear.


No time, no time, too much to do,
That was my constant cry,
No time to give to souls in need
But at last the time, the time to die.


I went before the Lord,
I came, I stood with downcast eyes.
For in his hands God held a book;
It was the book of life.


ALLAH looked into his book and said
Your name I cannot find.
I once was going to write it down...
But never found the time"

[Mujaahid]

[Mujaahid]

One of the greatest gifts that we have been given by Allah [SWT] is that of Ayatul Kursi (the Verse of the Footstool). It is verse 255 in Surah Baqarah [2].

The Prophet (ﷺ) pbuh said:

1- “Whoever recites Ayatul Kursi immediately after each prescribed (obligatory) prayer, there will be nothing standing between him and his entering Paradise except death.” [An-Nasa’i and Ibn Hibban].
...
2- The Prophet described it as the greatest ayah in the Quran. [Muslim]

3- “The one who recites ayatul kursi after the conclusion of an obligatory prayer, he is under the Care of Allah تعالى until the next prayer commences.” [Tabarani].

[Take 60 seconds…]

Make this ayah your best friend, learn it, live it & teach it to someone you care about. For you never know which deed will please Allah swt for you to be entered into Jannah.

La ila ha ilalla hu Muhammadur-rasoolulla.

[Mujaahid]

[Mujaahid]

[Mujaahid]

Bismillah: Rabi’a bin Ka’b (ra), a companion of the Prophet ﷺ pbuh said: “I was with Allah’s Messenger ﷺ one night and I brought him water and what he required. He said to me: ‘Ask [anything you like].’

I said: ‘I ask your company in Paradise.’

He said: ‘Anything else besides it?’

I said: ‘That is all (that I require).’

... He said: ‘Then help me to achieve this for you by devoting yourself often to prostration.’” [Muslim]


The prostration is so important that Satan hates us for it. It has been narrated that when the son of Adam recites the verse of Sajdah (prostration) and then falls down in prostration, Satan goes into seclusion and weeps and says: “Woe unto me, the son of Adam was commanded to prostrate, and he prostrated and Paradise was entitled to him and I was commanded to prostrate, but I refused and am doomed to Hell.” [Muslim].

Ask yourself would you like to be in the company of the Prophet ﷺ pbuh?
If yes then take action now and schedule in an extra 2 rakah nawafil prayer a month / week / day for the next 3 months / weeks / days.