Guess What? I Found A Shield!
Guess What? I Found A Shield!
You may win something , at the end of this email.
Asalam alaekum waramatullahi wabarakatu dear Sis,
Trust you're doing great.
The Sunnah acts act as a shield against your obligatory acts. When your shield is strong and you default or slip what happens is that it chips away at your shield and not what it's protecting. The Sunnah is the layer that guards your obligatory and your obligatory is the layer that guards your Eeman.
I heard this from Yaqeen’s post-Ramadan webinar in 2020. At that time, Nawafil didn't feature much in my dictionary, I was too bothered with making my obligatory acts stick.
Now in 2023,I have really come to appreciate the beauty of these Sunnah acts They have truly acted as a shield for me. They have helped to 'elevate' my obligatory acts so much, that they now feel like a part of me. On the days, I slip or have no energy ,I can rest assured that my obligatory deeds are safe.
Isn't it a blessing that we have our supererogatory acts to keep our obligatory safe?
On our journey to doing our very best and striving for the sake of Allah, these extra acts are really worth creating a habit of. They require such little time and effort, and offer in exchange for huge rewards! I can’t think of better bonuses, redeemable here and in the hereafter.
No wonder Shaytan does all he can to remind us that they are just optional! He knows that without the cover they provide, our obligatory acts are at great risk .May Allah save us from his whisperings! Ameen
Imagine having a house built for you in paradise because you prayed 12 extra units of prayer? Or having all your past sins forgiven because you praised Allah after eating?
I highly encourage you to start incorporating Sunnah acts into your routine today. Start small and before you know it, what you considered nice to have will become must haves.
Reflecting on the Sunnah Acts, also reminded me of a favourite Hadith Qudsi of mine. This is a status, I want so bad! I don't know where I am now but I really hope Allah elevates me to this state and I pray for the same for you.
Hadith 25, 40 Hadith Qudsi
On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:
Allah (mighty and sublime be He) said: Whosoever shows enmity to someone devoted to Me, I shall be at war with him. My servant draws not near to Me with anything more loved by Me than the religious duties I have enjoined upon him, and My servant continues to draw near to Me with supererogatory works so that I shall love him. When I love him I am his hearing with which he hears, his seeing with which he sees, his hand with which he strikes and his foot with which he walks. Were he to ask [something] of Me, I would surely give it to him, and were he to ask Me for refuge, I would surely grant him it. I do not hesitate about anything as much as I hesitate about [seizing] the soul of My faithful servant: he hates death and I hate hurting him. It was related by al-Bukhari.
May Allah make it easy for us to always take our servitude up a notch. May we never be satisfied with the bare minimum.
REFLECTION OF THE WEEK
Picture two children getting ready to start school for the first time. The first child has been brought up in an environment where they were told that school will feel just like home - a place where everything is fine and everyone is nice, just like family. The second child was taught that going to school will be good for them, but they may come across some challenges. For example, they might trip and fall and not have their parents or siblings to pick them up. Additionally, there's a chance they could get bullied by other children, but they should stand their ground and remember that Allah is always in control. Considering these different upbringings, which child do you think would be more resilient and better equipped to handle setbacks? - Hammad Fahim
Who is ready for this week's IbadahPlug?
Seeker’s Circle Is BACK!
Well, it did not actually go anywhere just took a break for Ramadan..lol. It comes with a gift too, you just need to guess the speaker.
Clue: Her name starts with one of the first 5 letters of the alphabet and we make Dua for her name a lot. If you know the answer, please type it in the comments section. Fastest fingers, we will only pick two winners.
Kicking off with post Ramadan webinar from Yaqeen that inspired today’s newsletter. Interesting that I watched it in 2020 and implementation is still unfolding. Alhamdullahi robbil alameen.
Next up, is Reflecting On The Names Of Allah by Dr Jinan Yousef, a course I can't get tired of recommending. Fourth class in this semester and I'm in awe of my teacher's perspectives on Allah's names! The only way to describe it.. MASHA ALLAH. Last week was Al Hafidh and oh boy did I make notes and notes from that session.. It honestly is the motivation I needed for this week..Alhamdullilahi,
Your turn do you have anything interesting for me to check out? Looking forward to hearing from you in the comments!
Till next week,
May Allah spare our lives.
We leave you in Allah's care,
One Of Us at Ibadahplug.