[Continued..]
4. DUA –
CALLING UPON ALLAH IN DUA (Supplication)
Allah the most compassionate says in the Holy Quran:
“Call on Me. I will answer your prayer, but those who are too arrogant to serve me will surely find themselves humiliated in Hell” (40:60).
Allah the Exalted, has said:
“And your Lord says: Pray unto me: and I will hear your prayer” (Quran 40:60),
“Call upon your Lord Humbly and in secret”
(Quran 7:55),
“When My servants question thee concerning Me, I am indeed close (to them): I listen to the prayer of every suppliant when he calleth on Me”
(Quran 2:186),
“Is not He (best) who listens to the (soul) distressed when it calls on Him, and who relieves its suffering.”
(Quran 27:62)
Dua’s Are Never Wasted:
Aisha radhiallaahu anha said:
“No believer makes Dua and it is wasted. Either it is granted here in this world or deposited for him in the Hereafter as long as he does not get frustrated.”
Allah’s Anger At Those Who Don’t Make Dua:
In fact, it is even wrong to never make Dua, “Whosoever does not supplicate to Allah, He will be angry with Him.”
[Saheeh Jaami’as-Sagheer: 2414]
Dua Is A Weapon For The Believers:
Rasullullah (S.A.W.S.) is reported to have said:
“Dua is the weapon of a Muslim”.
Dua For Ones Brother In His Absence:
“The supplication that gets the quickest answer is the one made by one Muslim for another in his absence.”
[Abu Daw’ud and Tirmidhi]
So let us build a close relationship with Allah by making much dua to him. He loves it when his slave calls upon him and it angers him if his slave does not call upn him.
Let us have full hope that our dua’s will be accepted and if you think they won’t they know Allah is keeping the rewards for you in the hereafter and those rewards are so great that one would wish that none of there duas were accepted in this world just so that one can gain all the rewards for their duas in the next world.
5. QUR’AN –
BUILDING A CLOSE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE QUR’AN
Recite the Holy Qur’aan as much as we can for It will come as an intercessor for its reciter’ on the Day of Judgement.
[Muslim]
Learn the Qur’an and recite it, because the example of one who learns the Qur’an, reads it and recites it in Tahajjud is like an open bag full of musk whose fragrance permeates the entire place. And the person who has learnt the Qur’an but sleeps while the Qur’an is in the heart is like a bag full of musk but with its mouth is closed.
Virtues Of Reciting The Qur’an:
“Whoever reads a letter from the Book of Allah will receive a hasanah (good deed) from it (i.e. his recitation), and the hasanah is multiplied by ten. I do not say that Alif-Laam-Meem is (considered as) a letter, rather Alif is a letter, Laam is a letter, and Meem is a letter.” [At-Tirmidhi, Ad-Darimi]
“There is no envy (acceptable) except in two (cases): a person whom Allah has given the Qur’an and recites it throughout the night and throughout the day. And a person whom Allah has given wealth, that he gives out throughout the night and throghout the day.”
[Al-Bukhari and Muslim]
It was narrated that Abdullah ibn Mas’ud said: Whoever reads “Tabarakallahi Biyadihil Mulk” [i.e. Surah al-Mulk] every night, Allah will protect him from the torment of the grave. At the time of the Messenger of Allah (Sallellahu Alayhi Wa Sallam) we used to call it al-mani’ah (that which protects). In the Book of Allah it is a surah which, whoever recites it every night has done very well.
(An-Nasa’i)
Abdullah Ibn ‘Abbas and Anas Ibn Malik (Ra) reported that the Prophet (Sallellahu Alayhi Wa Sallam) said:
“Whoever recited Surah Zilzilah (99) would get the reward of reciting half the Qur’an. Whoever recited Surah al Kaafirun (109) would get a reward as if reading a quarter of the Qur’an. Whoever recited Surah al Ikhlas (112) would get a reward as if reading one third of the Qur’an”.
[At-Tirmidhi 2818/A]
Reading, Understanding And Implementing The Qur’an In Our Daily Lives:
The virtues of reciting the Qur’an are too numerous to list. In order to get closer to Allah we need to recite the Qur’an, understand it and implement it in our daily lives.
We should make a target of reading at least a chapter a day. If one can’t manage that then at least half a chapter. If one still can’t manage that then recite at least quarter of a chapter or even a page a day. However much we can manage we should try to recite each day with its meanings and implement what we learn into our daily lives.
Reading a little each day is better than reciting a lot once in a while. We should build a close relationship with the Qur’an which is in fact building a close relationship with Allah!
“Verily Allah raises nations by this book (the Qur’an) and puts down (i.e. destroys) others by it.”
[Muslim]
6. GOOD COMPANY –
KEEPING GOOD COMPANY
One of the most important things we must do, which sadly many people neglect, is that we should avoid bad company. People we should avoid taking as friends those who speak too freely, who miss Salah, who do not dress modestly, who backbite, slander etc.
The company of such people is poison; just even sitting and talking with them will lead one to commit sins. Just as a person who sits for a long time with a perfume seller begins to smell nice, and a person who sits by a gutter cleaner begins to smell awful, similarly a person who spends time in the company of the wicked eventually gets affected badly by them.
Rather, we should seek out pious friends who fear Allah taala and who have the qualities of humility, charity, compassion, modesty and knowledge. If we sit with them we will always benefit and they will be a means for us to get closer to Allah taala!
The Prophet (s.a.w.s.) said:
“The case of the good companion and the bad companion is like that of the seller of musk and the blower of the bellows (iron-smith). As for the seller of musk, he will either give you some of the musk, or you will purchase some from him, or at least you will come away having experienced its good smell. Whereas the blower of the bellows will either burn your clothing, or at least you will come away having experienced its repugnant smell.” [Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim]
Remember: “All friends will be enemies of one another on that Day (Day of Judgment) except those of the virtuous.”
(Al-Qur’an 43:67)