The Essence of Fasting and Its Purpose
If the devils are chained during the month of Ramadan, why do I still sin and see many people sin as well?
The devil whispers the sin to you outside of the month of Ramadan and if you abstain from the sin he returns to you and if you abstain again he returns again and insists until you fall for it. In this context, Allah mentioned to us the story of Adam and how Iblis whispered to him over and over again and used different means and techniques.
When you fall in the sin the first time, you would be sinning but feeling regrets, then he comes and whispers again to you reminding you of the pleasures you felt and promising you even more, and keeps doing so until you sin again... time over time your feeling of regret weakens and the sin becomes a habit.
You do not feel bad anymore with this sin and Iblis does not need to whisper anything to you, he actually leaves you to your habit. Therefore, most sinners in Ramadan commit sins they have
become used to, such as a girl who got comfortable with clothes that show off her arms. She wears them with no feeling of regret, and when Ramadan comes she continues doing so naturally.
Whomever got accustomed to backbiting does so without feeling any sense of regret. And when Ramadan comes, he continues committing this sin without the need for a devil to whisper anything.
This type of sinners whose sin has become a habit and do not feel bad about it anymore, is actually described in the Holy Quran: ﴾... are encompassed by their misdeeds...﴿.(1)
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(1) Al Baqara: 81.
Nutritious Recipe
from my kitchen with love
Mashed Potato Spread Recipe 🥔✨
Ingredients:
1 lb of potatoes 🥔
3 Cloves of garlic 🧄
3 Tablespoons of yogurt 🥄
2 Tablespoons of tahini 🥄
Juice of one lemon 🍋 (or more, to taste)
Salt 🧂
Instructions:
1️⃣. Peel the potatoes and cut them into chunks.
2️⃣. Boil the potatoes in salted water until soft. Drain and let them cool.
3️⃣. Once cooled, place the potatoes and garlic in a food processor and puree until smooth.
4️⃣. Add the yogurt, tahini, a squeeze of lemon juice, and salt. Blend again until well mixed and smooth.
Tips for Serving:
⭐ Enjoy this comforting spread like hummus with pita bread! 🍞
⭐ Add a touch of smoked paprika on top and a drizzle of olive oil for extra flavor. 🌶️
⭐ For a special touch, melt hot ghee and pour it over the spread, topped with golden brown pine nuts. 🥜
⭐ Serve with pickles or hot peppers for a delightful kick! 🌶️🥒
Saha w Hana
From One Seed to Seven Hundred: The Power of Giving
Today, I would like to share the story of one of the most generous companions of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). He is the possessor of the two lights... the one who undertook the two migrations... and the husband of the two daughters. Uthman ibn Affan (may Allah be pleased with him).
During the caliphate of Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him), a severe drought struck the people, devastating their crops and livestock. This year became known as the Year of Ramadah due to the extreme famine. The situation worsened as the people found themselves in great distress, with hunger reaching critical levels.
One morning, the people approached Umar and said, "O Khalifah of the Messenger of Allah, the sky has not rained, and the earth has not produced anything... the people are on the brink of destruction... What should we do?"
Umar looked at them with a face strained by worry and said, "Be patient and have hope... I hope that you will not face evening without Allah bringing relief to you."
As the day went on, news arrived that a caravan belonging to Uthman ibn Affan (may Allah be pleased with him) had come from Syria and would reach Medina by morning.
When the Fajr prayer was completed, the people rushed to welcome the caravan, gathering in groups as the merchants went to meet it. To their astonishment, the caravan consisted of 1,000 camels, loaded with grain, oil, and raisins.
The caravan arrived at the door of Uthman ibn Affan, and the young boys began unloading its burdens. The merchants approached Uthman and said, "Sell us what has arrived, O Abu Amr."
He replied, "Of course, but how much profit will you give me on my purchase?" They responded, "We will give you two dirhams for each dirham." Uthman said, "I have been offered more than that." They increased their offer, but Uthman insisted, "I have been offered more than what you have increased."
Finally, the merchants said, "O Abu Amr, there are no other traders in Medina besides us... and no one has approached you before us. Who has offered you more than we have?" Uthman replied, "Indeed, Allah has granted me tenfold for each dirham."
The merchants said, "We have no more to offer, O Abu Amr."
Uthman then declared, "I bear witness before Allah that I have made what this caravan carries a charity for the poor of the Muslims, seeking neither a dirham nor a dinar from anyone, but only the reward and pleasure of Allah."
Lessons Derived from This Story:
Famine is a form of test, as Allah says: "And We will surely test you with something of fear and hunger..." (Quran 2:155).
Major events can bring both good and bad, making them significant enough to be noted in history.
People turn to the leaders of the community during times of hardship and distress.
The suffering of Caliph Umar (RA) due to the drought was evident, and he advised patience and trust in Allah’s mercy, reminding them that ease follows hardship.
Umar’s intuition regarding impending relief was accurate; he was a man of inspiration, as the Prophet (peace be upon him) stated: "In the nations before you, there were inspired individuals, and if there is anyone among my nation, it is Umar."
The eagerness of people to acquire food, especially during famines.
It is common for traders to rush to buy goods for substantial profit.
The righteous are not swayed by profit margins and see what Allah has to offer as better, as He rewards good deeds tenfold.
One of the greatest qualities of believers is selflessness and charity towards the poor, seeking Allah’s pleasure.
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Du'a of the Day
دعاء ثبات القلب على الدين
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ الثَّبَاتَ فِي الْأَمْرِ، وَالْعَزِيمَةَ عَلَى الرُّشْدِ، وَأَسْأَلُكَ مُوجِبَاتِ رَحْمَتِكَ، وَعَزَائِمَ مَغْفِرَتِكَ، وَأَسْأَلُكَ شُكْرَ نِعْمَتِكَ، وَحُسْنَ عِبَادَتِكَ، وَأَسْأَلُكَ قَلْبًا سَلِيمًا، وَلِسَانًا صَادِقًا، وَأَسْأَلُكَ مِنْ خَيْرِ مَا تَعْلَمُ، وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ شَرِّ مَا تَعْلَمُ، وَأَسْتَغْفِرُكَ لِمَا تَعْلَمُ، إِنَّكَ أَنتَ عَلَّامُ الْغُيُوبِ.
اللَّهُمَّ أَنتَ الْمَلِكُ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا أَنتَ رَبِّي، وَأَنَا عَبْدُكَ قَدْ مَتَّنِي نَفْسِي، وَاعْتَرَفْتُ بِذَنْبِي، فَاغْفِرْ لِي ذُنُوبِي جَمِيعًا، إِنَّهُ لَا يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ إِلَّا أَنتَ، وَاهْدِنِي لِحُسْنِ الْأَخْلَاقِ لَا يَهْدِي لِأَحْسَنِهَا إِلَّا أَنتَ، وَاصْرِفْ عَنِّي سَيِّئَهَا لَا يَصْرِفُ عَنِّي سَيِّئَهَا إِلَّا أَنتَ، لَبَّيْكَ وَسَعْدَيْكَ، وَالْخَيْرُ كُلُّهُ بِيَدَيْكَ، وَالشَّرُّ لَيْسَ إِلَيْكَ، تَبَارَكَتَ وَتَعَالَيْتَ، أَسْتَغْفِرُكَ وَأَتُوبُ إِلَيْكَ. اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْتَغْفِرُكَ لِكُلِّ ذَنبٍ خَطَوْتُ إِلَيْهِ بِرِجْلِي، وَمَدَدْتُ إِلَيْهِ يَدَيَّ أَوْ تَأَمَّلْتُهُ بِبَصَرِي، وَأَصَغَيْتُ إِلَيْهِ بِأُذُنِي، أَوْ نَطَقَ بِهِ لِسَانِي، أَوْ أَتْلَفْتُ فِيهِ مَا رَزَقْتَنِي ثُمَّ اسْتَرْزَقْتُكَ عَلَى عِصْيَانِي فَرَزَقْتَنِي، ثُمَّ اسْتَعَنْتُ بِرِزْقِكَ عَلَى عِصْيَانِكَ فَسَتَرْتَهُ عَلَيَّ، وَسَأَلْتُكَ الزِّيَادَةَ فَلَمْ تَحْرِمْنِي وَلَا تَزَالُ عَائِدًا عَلَيَّ بِحِلْمِكَ وَإِحْسَانِكَ يَا أَكْرَمَ الْأَكْرَمِينَ.
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ بِأَنِّي أَشْهَدُ أَنَّكَ أَنتَ اللَّهُ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا أَنتَ الْواحِدُ الْأَحَدُ، الْفَرْدُ الصَّمَدُ، الَّذِي لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ، وَلَمْ يَكُن لَهُ كُفُوًا أَحَدٌ، اللَّهُمَّ عَامِلْنَا بِمَا أَنتَ أَهْلُهُ وَلَا تُعَامِلْنَا بِمَا نَحْنُ أَهْلُهُ فَأَنتَ أَهْلُ التَّقْوَى وَأَهْلُ الْمَغْفِرَةِ، سُبْحَانَ الَّذِي لَا يَضُرُّ مَعَ اسْمِهِ شَيْءٌ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَلَا فِي السَّمَاءِ وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ.
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ عَيْشَ السُّعَدَاءَ، وَنَزْلَ الشُّهَدَاءِ، وَمُرافَقَةَ الأَنْبِيَاءِ، وَالنَّصْرَ عَلَى الأَعْدَاءِ، يَا سَمِيعَ الدُّعَاءِ، يَا ذَا قَوْلٍ وَعَطَاءٍ، وَجَّهْتُ وَجْهِيَ لِلَّذِي فَطَرَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ حَنِيفًا، وَمَا أَنَا مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ، إِنَّ صَلَاتِي وَنُسُكِي وَمَحْيَايَ وَمَمَاتِي لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ، لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ وَبِذَلِكَ أُمِرْتُ وَأَنَا مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ.
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْتَغْفِرُكَ مِن كُلِّ سَيِّئَةٍ ارْتَكَبْتُهَا فِي بَيَاضِ النَّهَارِ وَسَوَادِ اللَّيْلِ، فِي مَلَأٍ وَخَلَاءٍ وَسِرٍّ وَعَلَانِيَةٍ وَأَنْتَ نَاظِرٌ إِلَيَّ، اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْتَغْفِرُكَ مِن كُلِّ فَرِيضَةٍ أَوْجَبْتَهَا عَلَيَّ فِي آنَاءِ اللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ تَرَكْتُهَا خَطَأً أَوْ عَمْدًا أَوْ نِسْيَانًا أَوْ جَهْلًا، وَأَسْتَغْفِرُكَ مِن كُلِّ سُنَّةٍ مِن سُنَنِ سَيِّدِ الْمُرْسَلِينَ وَخَاتَمِ النَّبِيِّينَ سَيِّدِنَا مُحَمَّدٍ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ تَرَكْتُهَا غَفْلَةً أَوْ سَهْوًا أَوْ نِسْيَانًا أَوْ تَهَاوُنًا وَجَهْلًا أَوْ قِلَّةَ مُبَالَاةٍ بِهَا، أَسْتَغْفِرُ اللَّهَ وَأَتُوبُ إِلَى اللَّهِ مِمَّا يَكْرَهُ اللَّهُ قَوْلًا وَفِعْلًا وَبَاطِنًا وَظَاهِرًا.
اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ وَسَلِّمْ عَلَى سَيِّدِنَا مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَى آلِهِ وَصَحْبِهِ الطَّيِّبِينَ الطَّاهِرِينَ. اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الْكُفْرِ وَالْفَقْرِ، وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ عَذَابِ الْقَبْرِ، اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الْجُبْنِ، وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ أَنْ يُرَدَّ إِلَى أَرْذَلِ الْعُمُرِ، وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ فِتْنَةِ الدُّنْيَا، وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ عَذَابِ الْقَبْرِ، لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ، لَهُ الْمُلْكُ وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ، وَهُوَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ، اللَّهُمَّ لَا مَانِعَ لِمَا أَعْطَيْتَ، وَلَا مُعْطِيَ لِمَا مَنَعْتَ، وَلَا يُنْفِعُ ذَا الْجَدِّ مِنْكَ الْجَدُّ.
اللَّهُمَّ أَنتَ رَبِّي لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا أَنتَ، خَلَقْتَنِي وَأَنَا عَبْدُكَ، وَأَنَا عَلَى عَهْدِكَ وَوَعْدِكَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُ، أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِن شَرِّ مَا صَنَعْتُ، أَبُوءُ لَكَ بِنِعْمَتِكَ عَلَيَّ، وَأَبُوءُ بِذَنْبِي فَاغْفِرْ لِي فَإِنَّهُ لَا يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ إِلَّا أَنتَ.
اللَّهُمَّ ارحمنا إذا بلغت التراقي، وقيل من راق، وظن أنه الفراق، والتفت الساق بالساق، إلى ربك يومئذٍ المساق، وتأكدت فجيعة الفراق للأهل والرفاق، وقد حمَّ القضاء، فليس من واقٍ.
اللَّهُمَّ ارحمنا إذا حُمِّلنا على الأعناق، وكان إليك يومئذٍ المساق، وداعًا أبديًا للدور والأسواق والأقلام والأوراق، إلى من تذل له الجباه والأعناق. اللَّهُمَّ ارحمنا إذا وُرينا التراب، وغُلِقت من القبور الأبواب، وانفضَّ الأهل والأحباب، فإذا الوحشة، والوحدة، وهول الحساب.
Duaa for Steadfastness of the Heart on the Religion
O Allah, I ask You for steadfastness in my affairs, and determination in righteousness. I ask You for that which brings forth Your mercy, and for firm resolutions of Your forgiveness. I ask You to grant me gratitude for Your blessings, and to worship You well. I ask for a sound heart and a truthful tongue, and I ask You for the best of what You know, and I seek refuge with You from the evil of what You know. I seek Your forgiveness for what You know; indeed, You are the All-Knower of the unseen.
O Allah, You are the King; there is no deity except You, my Lord. I am Your servant; I have wronged myself and I acknowledge my sins. Forgive me all my sins, for none forgives sins except You. Guide me to good character; none can guide to its best except You, and turn away from me its evils; none can turn them away except You. Here I am at Your service, and all good is in Your hands, and evil is not attributed to You. Blessed and Exalted are You. I seek Your forgiveness and I turn to You.
O Allah, I seek Your forgiveness for every sin I have committed with my feet, and reached out to with my hands, or contemplated with my eyes, or listened to with my ears, or spoken with my tongue, or wasted from what You have provided me, and then I sought sustenance from You for my disobedience, and You provided me. Then I sought Your help with Your provision in disobeying You, and You concealed it from me, and I asked You for increase, and You did not deprive me, and You continue to return to me with Your forbearance and kindness, O Most Generous of the Generous.
O Allah, I ask You, bearing witness that You are Allah; there is no deity except You, the One, the Unique, the Eternal Refuge, who neither begets nor is born, and there is none comparable to Him.
O Allah, treat us as You are worthy of, and do not treat us as we are worthy of. You are the One worthy of piety and forgiveness. Glorified is He who nothing harms with His name in the earth or in the heavens, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing.
O Allah, I ask You for the life of the happy, the abode of the martyrs, the companionship of the prophets, and victory over the enemies. O Hearer of supplications, O Giver of words and gifts, I direct my face to Him who created the heavens and the earth, inclining to Him, and I am not of the polytheists. Indeed, my prayer, my rites of worship, my living and my dying are for Allah, Lord of the worlds. He has no partner, and this is what I have been commanded, and I am of the Muslims.
O Allah, I seek Your forgiveness for every evil I have committed in the light of day and the darkness of night, in gatherings and solitude, in secret and in public, while You are watching over me.
O Allah, I seek Your forgiveness for every obligation You have imposed on me during the hours of the night and day that I have neglected, whether by mistake, deliberately, forgetfully, or out of ignorance. I seek Your forgiveness for every Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah, the Seal of the Prophets, our master Muhammad (peace be upon him) that I have neglected, whether out of heedlessness, forgetfulness, negligence, or indifference. I seek forgiveness from Allah and turn to Allah for what Allah dislikes in word, action, and in my inner and outer self.
O Allah, send prayers and peace upon our master Muhammad and upon his pure and good family and companions.
O Allah, I seek refuge in You from disbelief and poverty, and I seek refuge in You from the torment of the grave.
O Allah, I seek refuge in You from cowardice, and I seek refuge in You from being returned to the lowest of ages. I seek refuge in You from the trials of this world, and I seek refuge in You from the torment of the grave. There is no deity except Allah alone, with no partner. To Him belongs the dominion and to Him belongs all praise, and He is over all things competent.
O Allah, there is no one who can withhold what You have given, nor can anyone give what You have withheld, and no one can benefit from You without effort.
O Allah, You are my Lord; there is no deity except You. You created me, and I am Your servant, and I am on Your covenant and promise as much as I can. I seek refuge in You from the evil of what I have done. I acknowledge Your blessings upon me, and I acknowledge my sins, so forgive me, for none forgives sins except You.
O Allah, have mercy on us when we reach our throats, and it is said, "Who will save?" and the thought of separation dawns. When the shins are entwined, to You is the gathering on that day. The agony of separation from family and friends is confirmed, and the decree is set, and there is no refuge.
O Allah, have mercy on us when we are carried on necks, and to You is the gathering on that day. A final farewell to homes, markets, pens, and papers, to whom prostrates the foreheads and necks.
O Allah, have mercy on us when we are buried in the earth, and the doors of the graves are closed, and the family and friends disperse. Then comes the solitude, and the loneliness, and the horror of reckoning.
Ameen
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