Assalamualaikum,

It’s that time of the year again! Finals are just around the corner and you probably have to deal with a lot more than just studying and writing papers. You may have to prepare for an an emotional roller coaster if things get rough. But remember Allah through it all and you will succeed, inshAllah. Even for those of you who don’t have to worry about those lovely exams and papers, this is always a helpful reminder:

“And He provides for him from (sources) he never could imagine. And if any one puts his trust in Allah, sufficient is (Allah) for him.” -Quran 65:3

As a side note, before any particularly difficult test, a good way to boost your confidence is to repeat to yourself  “La Hawla Wa La Quwwata illa Billah” — There is no power and strength except with Allah. Oh, and don’t forget to start your papers by saying “Bismillah” !

Just some helpful reminders for all of you and myself as well.

Peace.

“As I walked into the masjid and headed towards the crowds of people staring at the Ka’ba, my emotions were uncontrollable. I burst into tears and began saying, ‘Allahu Akbar!’”

Anyways, check out the video interview below from the Deen Show.

May Allah swt guide, protect and give him the best in this life and in the next. Ameen!

(Credit: www.muslimquarterly.com)

“And Allah has extracted you from the wombs of your mothers not knowing a thing, and He made for you hearing and vision and intellect that perhaps you would be grateful.” – Surah Nahl, Ayah 78

Alhumdulilah, recently I hurt my foot and it made me realize how important each body part is. My initial reaction was anger but I soon after I remembered the hadith of Prophet Muhammad (S) when he said:

“No fatigue, nor disease, nor sorrow, nor sadness, nor hurt, nor distress befalls a Muslim, even if it were the prick he receives from a thorn, but that Allah expiates some of his sins for that.”

It’s true, you don’t truly appreciate what you have until you lose it and when life is going consistently well, we may become susceptible to take what we have for granted.

And from time to time, Allah (swt) will test us we can respond to these tribulations hopefully with deep reflection and positive change. In others words, it should bring us closer to him. More precisely, as believers we should have an Attitude for Gratitude.

What you don’t want to develop is a habit of turning to Allah (swt) only in difficult times. Allah (swt) is worthy of gratitude in every instance and breath of your life and it’s important to stay conscious of this. It’s easy to recognize what you don’t have in life, but when we all recognize what we have, it will allow us to stay content and appreciative.

The most important point to remember is that Allah (swt) dosen’t need us at all, we need him! Which is exactly why we should be thanking him for everything he as given us.

5 Ways to Show Gratitude to Allah (SWT)

1. Pray Your Salat – This is the most important obligation as a Muslim. Allah (swt) has given us so much and in return he commands that we pray at least at the minimum of 5 times a day. If you happen to miss any salats, make sure you make them up.
2. Give Sadaqa – There are people in the world who have far less than they need. One of the ways to thank Allah (swt) is to share the blessings he’s given you with other people such as orphans, homeless, etc.
3. Du’a - There is a du’a for just about everything in life. Whether it’s putting on new clothes or waking up from sleep, the ability to remember Allah (swt) throughout the day shows that Allah (swt) is at the center of your life.
4. Thank others – No one is completely independent in life. We seek help from others and in return Allah (swt) enables them do so. It’s important you thank anyone that offers assistance and help because Prophet Muhammad (S) said: “He has not thanked Allah who has not thanked people.” (Sunan, Abu Dawud)
5. Live for Allah swt - It’s difficult in a world where there are constant tribulations and fitnah, but as long as you cling to the Deen, Qur’an and Sunnah you will always find your relationship with Allah (swt) constantly improving or renewed.

Conclusion

Allah (swt) makes it clear in the Qu’ran how important giving gratitude to him is when he says ”If you give thanks, I shall certainly increase you (in favor)” (Quran 14:7).

Often times we hear people say “I’m too blessed to be stressed”, this essentially captures the state of mind or attitude of how a slave of Allah swt should internalize and display in character.

Because in reality, we’re all too blessed to be stressed no matter how hard life gets for us on an individual level. “So which of the favors of your Lord would you deny?” (Surah Rahman: Ayah 13)

May Allah swt give us the strength and guidance to be conscious believers who are grateful to him. If you have any more suggestions on gratitude, please share them below. Oh and keep me in your dua’s, Jazaka’Allah Khair =)

As you’ll notice, the best time to publish a blog post is the morning. I guess I’m on the right track at it’s 7:50 am EST =) right now.

The Science of Social Timing - Best time to publish blog posts

Alhumdulilah in the early generation of Muslims or better known as the righteous predecessors, many high caliber Islamic scholars were produced. One of these well known scholars which has always amazed me in his thought and character was Malik ibn Anas (R).

Lately, I’ve been collecting many of his quotes and I wanted to share them with you all. I couldn’t find anywhere on the web where several of his quotes were presented in one place so insha’Allah I hope it’s beneficial.

“The shield of the scholar is, ‘I do not know,’ so if he neglects it, his statement is attacked.”

“Argumentation hardens the heart and engenders resentment”

“The Sunnah is like the Ark of Noah. Whoever embarks upon it reaches salvation and whoever refuses is drowned.”

“Whosoever introduces into Islaam an innovation, which he deems is good, then he has claimed that Muhammad (S)  has betrayed (the trust of conveying) the Message. Read the saying of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic: ‘This day I have completed your Religion for you, and I have perfected my favor upon you, and I am pleased with Islam as a Religion for you.’ [Surah Ma’idah: Ayah 3]

“I do not accept knowledge from four types of people: (1) a person well-known to be foolish, even though all the other people narrate from him, (2) a person involved in committing heresy and calling others towards the innovation in Deen, (3) a person who lies in regular conversation with people, even though I do not accuse him as liar in regards to Hadith, (4) and a person who is pious worshiper or scholar, but does not properly and correctly memorize what he narrates.”

Once a man came to Imam Malik from a very far distance and he asked him 40 questions. Imam Malik only answered four of them and for the rest of the 36 questions he replied, “I don’t know.”

The man was surprised and asked Imam Malik “what should I tell people about these 36 questions for which you said (I don’t know)?” Imam Malik replied that the man should tell the people that Malik says: “I don’t know,” “I don’t know,” “I don’t know.” Imam Malik (R) said this 3 times.

These were all of the quotes I was able to find by listening to different scholars and coming across some texts. May Allah swt allow us to benefit from the wisdom of the scholars of our Ummah. Ameen.

Do you have any quotes from Imam Malik (R) or any of the other early scholars? Feel free to Share them!

An Intimate Conversation With Suhaib Webb from Mustafa Davis on Vimeo.

Ever had that moment where you’re sitting in class, half alert, you hear one sentence or one word and all of a sudden you have an epiphany about something totally unrelated. Well, that is exactly what happened to me when my professor asked, “What is capital’?”

While the rest of the class attempted to answer this intentionally vague and abstract question, I started thinking about all the different types out there: financial capital, human capital, social capital.

People invest socially by doing things that put them somewhere high on the social ladder and help them network with others, like going to college to get more knowledge or joining some group.

Professional schools invest in human capital by accepting students with a broad range of experiences and interests, because they can’t have bookworms becoming doctors and lawyers.

Businesses invest financially by putting their money towards things that will help it grow in the long run, like buying a plot of land for a store or providing paid training for their workers.

What if your life and soul is your business. That would be your spiritual capital. Then it would make sense to be an entrepreneur and invest in yourself.

Why, you ask?

Well, a 2007 study on Spirituality and the Health of College Students concluded that “College students integrating a spiritual component while processing decisions about risks that could negatively [affect] their health experienced better health outcomes.” Basically, people who are spiritual or religious in any way tend to live longer, cope better with stress, deal better with loss, and are more optimistic overall.

Let’s take a minute to think about spiritual capital from an Islamic point of view.

5 Ways You Can Invest in Spiritual Capital

1. Increase tawakkul –> Decrease heartache

Tawakkul is your faith and trust in Allah.

“Say: “Nothing will happen to us except what Allah has decreed for us: He is our protector”: and on Allah let the Believers put their trust.” – Q9:51

Everything that happens to you, good or bad, come from Him. There is a reason and wisdom behind everything whether we know it or not. So don’t sweat the petty things. Everything in dunya is petty when you think about the big picture.

2. Increase taqwa –> Decrease procrastination

If your life was a movie, would you even want to watch it?

One meaning of ‘taqwa’ describes your fear of Allah. An example of this is described when Allah swt says in the Quran:

“And say, “Do [as you will], for Allah will see your deeds, and [so, will] His Messenger and the believers. And you will be returned to the Knower of the unseen and the witnessed, and He will inform you of what you used to do.” -Q9:105

Think about this next time you spend 5 hours of your life on Facebook or YouTube when you have work in front of you. If you fear Allah, you will fear the consequences of your actions and how you spend your time. By practicing this awareness, you can help stop your own procrastination. This way you not only accomplish more in life and in school, but you can also free yourself up to worship Allah swt by putting your time and energy in beneficial activities.

3. Pray on time –> Increase discipline

As a wise person once said, “Your schedule should revolve around salah, not the other way around.” If you plan your activities for the day, you will notice that you have a ton of room to get work done from Fajr to Zhur.

If you continuously work on praying five times a day, respect the boundaries of the prayer times, and pray with khushu (concentration/presence of the heart), you will notice that this practice will stick with you and it will help you become disciplined in many areas of your life, particularly with time management and focus. This is especially important when we, as a culture, have ADD. I am generalizing here, but I personally believe that we should strive to be more conscious and focused in our lives in order to be productive human beings.

4. Recite Quran –> Better acquisition of knowledge

When I was younger, after my Quran lesson for the day, my mother would tell me to make du’a by saying Rabbeh-zidni-ilma (My Lord, Increase me in knowledge). I never understood why until I was older and came across this verse:

“So high [above all] is Allah , the Sovereign, the Truth. And, [O Muhammad], do not hasten with [recitation of] the Qur’an before its revelation is completed to you, and say, “My Lord, increase me in knowledge.”” -Q20:114

I also notice that I can understand tough reading material better when I have read some Quran or have the desire for it in my heart. Aside from the fact the Allah swt provides us with a book full of His Knowledge (and He is, after all, the All-Knowing), it follows logically that if you are able to memorize the entire Quran, you should have no problem learning anything you aspire to learn.

5. Make du’a often and for others –> Increase positivity in your life and relationships

If you are a human person over the age of 16, it is more than likely that you have faced some sort of seemingly huge “Why me?” moment. Nope, I’m not a mind reader. Astaghfarullah. I’m just really sure its a universal phenomenon. These kinds of moments make it hard to stay optimistic. But everyone has ups and downs. Make du’a to show your appreciation of the ups. Make du’a He helps you with the downs. This goes back the verse in point #1.

Get into the habit of making du’a in your heart, softly to yourself, or out loud when no one’s around. Ask Allah for a candy bar if you really want one. It sounds silly, but making a habit out of asking Allah for anything your heart desires is beneficial for so many reasons, in this particular case, it helps make Allah your first resource in any emergency. Not only do you end up airing out your thoughts by talking to Him, you gradually learn to articulate what’s really bothering you. Kind of like going to a therapist, but without the huge bill. Sometimes, just pinpointing your problem is winning half the battle. It allows you to move on and be positive about life again.

Following the same line of thought. If you make du’a for other people in your life, you gradually realize their importance to you, how much you also want them in jannah with you, how much you want their success and their happiness. The prophet (pbuh) said,

“…the du’a of a Muslim for his brother (in Islam) in his absence is readily accepted, and an angel is appointed to his side, whenever he makes a beneficial du’a for his brother the appointed angel says “Ameen and may you also be blessed with the same” (Muslim)

Also, family and friends can be a fitnah sometimes, and you can lose sight of the long term relationship in the heat of short term problems. Turn to Allah with a sincere heart and ask Him to help resolve conflicts.

Conclusion

These are all reminders to myself first. Many of us struggle in one, or more, or even all of these categories. There is a lot of overlapping, too. It is important to recognize that and invest as needed. If you do this with the intention to please Allah and you are thinking about the akhira, your investment is doubly blessed: not only can you, by Allah’s Will, have success in your life in this dunya, but you secure eternal success as well. Kill two birds with one stone.

Chill, let’s not kill any birds, but you know what I mean.

For those of you itching to know, my professor later defined capital as a means of production. So, in conclusion, let’s be productive and start investing in spiritual capital today!*

*This is NOT a gimmick.

Rabbana atina fid-dunya hasanatan wa fil ‘akhirati hasanatan waqina ‘adhaban-nar
(Our Lord! Grant us good in this world and good in the hereafter, and save us from the chastisement of the fire.)

Ameen.
Peace.

A couple of months ago I wrote about how a particular miswak called “This Miswak” is making is way into retailers in the west. Interesting how the Sunnah of using a miswak is being branded and marketed in different ways.

Well whatever the case, at least one thing is consistent which is that being clean is half of your deen, so pass the alcohol free Listerine.

One of the areas which deserves attention is blog post titles. Certainly, the blog post title isn’t everything, the underlying content within the articles needs to also be unique and have substance. In any case, your potential reader will decided to visit or not visit your website based on what they see first and usually that’s your post title.

I’m going to try breaking this post down like tetris logically so you can understand what I mean:

Why do Blog Post Titles Matter?

1. It affects how your content gets fetched or indexed in all search engines. (Google, Yahoo, Bing, etc)
2. Readers are receptive to clear post titles with attractive keywords.
3. If you title your post right, your posts can spread like butter on bread through social media.
4. Essentially you want to maximize exposure and increase sharing, the chances of that happening can be done when you carefully craft your blog post title.
5. Readers are exposed to hundreds if not more articles a day, what’s going to make your post stand out?

That being said, I wanted to dive into 3 ways you can write compelling blog post titles. I’ll take examples of what I’ve done in the past that worked and insha’Allah it can be beneficial for you guys. Remember based on your situation, you’ll need to apply the following practices accordingly.

3 Ways to Write a Blog Post Title

1. Tackle a real problem or issue that’s relevant to your target readers. If it’s something which they are missing in their daily life’s, then address the blog post title to do just that. This can be done by starting off with “How”. In my case, one example is when I wrote the article “How to Stop Making Excuses for Missing Salat”. I knew the issue of missing Salat is very relevant within our community, especially amongst young Muslims so I captured that in my title . Alhumdulilah this article continues to get good engagement.
2. Communicate a Benefit. In my previous example, notice that I started with “How”. This assumes the post would give real practical ways to stop missing Salat. Another way you can write a post title is by asking “Why”. For example, “Why You Should Take the High Road When Others Aren’t”. Both are essentially displaying some sort of benefit to the topic or issue that is being discussed. Notice in this title, I also personalized it by including the keyword “You”. This speaks directly to the reader on an individual/personal level.
3. Lastly, you can ask a creative question. For example,  one of my articles was titled “Tarbiya or Disturbia?”. Anytime, you ask a question, your immediately getting a potential reader’s attention because it is influencing them to reflect on what is being asked and this tends to have them seek more interest.

There are more tactics that can be addressed but I didn’t want to make this too long so yea that wraps it up like Eid gifts. If you have any suggestions, feel free to share them below.

Please keep me in your dua’s, insha’Allah will write again soon. Wa’salaam Yo

The least we can do is stand up for prayer and continue spreading awareness about what is going on. May Allah (swt) protect and grant victory to the innocent people of Syria, Ameen.

Credit: SYRIANMARCH