assalamu alaykum wa rahmatullah:
"One day we were praying behind the Messenger of Allah (sallalahu alayhi wa salam) and when he raised his head from the position of ruku`(bowing position), he said: “Sami Allahu leman hamidah” – ‘Allah hears the one who praises Him’. A man from behind added:
“Rabbanna wa la kal hamd – hamdan katheeran tayyiban mubarakan fih” – ‘Our Lord, all praise is due only to You, praise which is abundant, excellent and blessed.’ When we finished the prayer the Prophet said: ‘Who spoke?’ The man said, ‘I did’. He said, ‘Indeed I saw some 30 angels all scuffling to see which one of them could record it."
[Sahih Muslim]
-------------------------------------------------
Spend 5 mins and learn this (if you do not know), it is a very easy way for you to gain rewards inshaAllah and forward this if you want to benefit others inshaAllah.
jazakum Allahu khayran
Fares
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Friday, January 7, 2011
10 Steps to keep the Masjid Clean
assalamu alaykum wa rahmatullah,
Unfortunately, it seems like we as a collaborative ummah love to transfer responsibilities to others. Many of us are negligent of caring whether the houses of Allah are clean or not. There are too many brothers/sisters turning a blind eye to dirt in the Masjid. And you see several individuals dropping tissues and other stuff and pretending not to notice. So here are a few steps we can take to help keep the Masajids clean and at the same time gain a tremendous amount of reward in doing so insha Allah.
Before reading the steps, remember the Hadith where the Prophet (sallalahu alayhi wa salam) praised the lady who used to clean the Masjid, when she passed away he was not notified and they prayed the janazah without Him. When he found out he specially prayed janazah just for her due to her actions. Good hadith to keep in mind while reading these steps. inshaAllah we will begin:
1. Treat the Masjid like your own House - Very simple and self explanatory. You try your best to keep the carpets in the house clean and tidy. Every now and then you vacuum the house or mop the floors. This is your house; imagine how much more cleaner should you keep the House of Allah.
2. Preparation before Guests Arrive - When you have guests coming over, you make that extra effort to make sure the house is very clean, smells good and nicely decorated. What about the House of Allah where there are not only your Brothers/Sisters, there are continuously Angels praising and glorifying Allah. Also, what if a non-Muslim guest arrives to get information about Islam? A soon to be Muslim might be discouraged to accept Islam by feeling Muslims are unclean.
3. A collaborative effort - The Ummah needs to work together in solving issues like this. If we keep shifting responsibilities to others (ex. the caretaker), we wont be able to solve this issue. Just like the parking situation in the Masjids, if one person parks properly and the rest park like fools, will it solve the problem? Remember those old clean up days in middle school, where the entire classroom worked together to clean up, not just one individual. If everyone does their share the overall outcome is better and easier to achieve. Do not just follow and say just because so and so did so and so, I will do the same.
4. Wear clean clothes (especially socks) - Self explanatory. If you are simply to lazy to wear clean socks, at the minimum wear clean socks on Fridays. Spray some fabric fresheners in your clothes and socks in order to smell fresh. The socks smell is tremendous in some places. Sometimes in Sujood you can smell the brother in front and it completely ruins your khushoo. This takes us to the next step.
5. Perfume yourselves (applies to men only) - Stop smelling like curry, get some nice smelling Attr (not the horrible fake mixed with water ones). A good trick is to put some on your palms and forehead, that way when you go into Sujood your are also making the Masjid smell good! Imagine if everyone did this! But remember everything should be done in moderation and not extreme levels. Sharing your Attr with others is also a good idea and a great way for earning more rewards.
6. Buy Air Freshener- A very simple step to help keep the Masjid smelling good. Just go to the dollar store and pick up some sprays or plug in air fresheners, leave it in the Masjid so anyone can utilize it and inshaAllah your rewards will grow. It is only a few dollars! You can also buy some Attr and put it on the bookshelves so others can make use of it.
7. Washrooms! - Please keep the washrooms dry and clean. A book can be written about how bad the washrooms in the Masajid are. At times they are so bad that it is preferable to go to a public washroom over the Masjid washroom.
8. Watch what you eat - It is sad that a lot of brothers and uncles cant stop burping, when it is an act specifically detested by the Prophet (sallalahu alayhi wa salam) in the Authentic hadith. No Angels want to be around the burper, how can you seek the pleasure of Allah by burping? Believe me also the guy beside you is getting irritated no matter how nice the brother might be. So please stop burping! There is obviously a reason why Prophet (sallalahu alayhi wa salam) detested it. Also remember that he prohibited eating garlic and onions before entering the Masjid. 90% of the curry we cook have onions, so not only do you smell onions, you smell some fried curry mixed onion! Imagine if you entered the Masjid with the Prophet (sallalahu alayhi wa salam) there.
9. Keep the shoe racks neat and tidy. 10. Do not throw things in the wudu area. It looks disgusting, especially those wet paper towels. Lastly remember the last two ayahs from Surah Az Zalzalah, Search it up right now if you do not know them. These are just a few steps we can take, I am sure there are many more, feel free to share this with others. This was not intended to target anyone specific; rather it is for myself and for all of us as a reminder inshaAllah. May Allah forgive us for our shortcomings and assist us in keeping His Houses clean. Aameen.
Your brother in Islam,
Fares Elahi
Jan 2011
Unfortunately, it seems like we as a collaborative ummah love to transfer responsibilities to others. Many of us are negligent of caring whether the houses of Allah are clean or not. There are too many brothers/sisters turning a blind eye to dirt in the Masjid. And you see several individuals dropping tissues and other stuff and pretending not to notice. So here are a few steps we can take to help keep the Masajids clean and at the same time gain a tremendous amount of reward in doing so insha Allah.
Before reading the steps, remember the Hadith where the Prophet (sallalahu alayhi wa salam) praised the lady who used to clean the Masjid, when she passed away he was not notified and they prayed the janazah without Him. When he found out he specially prayed janazah just for her due to her actions. Good hadith to keep in mind while reading these steps. inshaAllah we will begin:
1. Treat the Masjid like your own House - Very simple and self explanatory. You try your best to keep the carpets in the house clean and tidy. Every now and then you vacuum the house or mop the floors. This is your house; imagine how much more cleaner should you keep the House of Allah.
2. Preparation before Guests Arrive - When you have guests coming over, you make that extra effort to make sure the house is very clean, smells good and nicely decorated. What about the House of Allah where there are not only your Brothers/Sisters, there are continuously Angels praising and glorifying Allah. Also, what if a non-Muslim guest arrives to get information about Islam? A soon to be Muslim might be discouraged to accept Islam by feeling Muslims are unclean.
3. A collaborative effort - The Ummah needs to work together in solving issues like this. If we keep shifting responsibilities to others (ex. the caretaker), we wont be able to solve this issue. Just like the parking situation in the Masjids, if one person parks properly and the rest park like fools, will it solve the problem? Remember those old clean up days in middle school, where the entire classroom worked together to clean up, not just one individual. If everyone does their share the overall outcome is better and easier to achieve. Do not just follow and say just because so and so did so and so, I will do the same.
4. Wear clean clothes (especially socks) - Self explanatory. If you are simply to lazy to wear clean socks, at the minimum wear clean socks on Fridays. Spray some fabric fresheners in your clothes and socks in order to smell fresh. The socks smell is tremendous in some places. Sometimes in Sujood you can smell the brother in front and it completely ruins your khushoo. This takes us to the next step.
5. Perfume yourselves (applies to men only) - Stop smelling like curry, get some nice smelling Attr (not the horrible fake mixed with water ones). A good trick is to put some on your palms and forehead, that way when you go into Sujood your are also making the Masjid smell good! Imagine if everyone did this! But remember everything should be done in moderation and not extreme levels. Sharing your Attr with others is also a good idea and a great way for earning more rewards.
6. Buy Air Freshener- A very simple step to help keep the Masjid smelling good. Just go to the dollar store and pick up some sprays or plug in air fresheners, leave it in the Masjid so anyone can utilize it and inshaAllah your rewards will grow. It is only a few dollars! You can also buy some Attr and put it on the bookshelves so others can make use of it.
7. Washrooms! - Please keep the washrooms dry and clean. A book can be written about how bad the washrooms in the Masajid are. At times they are so bad that it is preferable to go to a public washroom over the Masjid washroom.
8. Watch what you eat - It is sad that a lot of brothers and uncles cant stop burping, when it is an act specifically detested by the Prophet (sallalahu alayhi wa salam) in the Authentic hadith. No Angels want to be around the burper, how can you seek the pleasure of Allah by burping? Believe me also the guy beside you is getting irritated no matter how nice the brother might be. So please stop burping! There is obviously a reason why Prophet (sallalahu alayhi wa salam) detested it. Also remember that he prohibited eating garlic and onions before entering the Masjid. 90% of the curry we cook have onions, so not only do you smell onions, you smell some fried curry mixed onion! Imagine if you entered the Masjid with the Prophet (sallalahu alayhi wa salam) there.
9. Keep the shoe racks neat and tidy. 10. Do not throw things in the wudu area. It looks disgusting, especially those wet paper towels. Lastly remember the last two ayahs from Surah Az Zalzalah, Search it up right now if you do not know them. These are just a few steps we can take, I am sure there are many more, feel free to share this with others. This was not intended to target anyone specific; rather it is for myself and for all of us as a reminder inshaAllah. May Allah forgive us for our shortcomings and assist us in keeping His Houses clean. Aameen.
Your brother in Islam,
Fares Elahi
Jan 2011
Monday, January 3, 2011
50 Narrations on Virtuous Deeds
All narrations have been declared ‘authentic’ by Shaykh al-Albani.
1) Whoever reads Surah Ikhlas ten times, Allah will build a palace for him in Paradise. ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) exclaimed, “If that’s the case, then we will increase in our palaces!” The Prophet ﷺ (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) responded, “Allah is better and greater (in reward).” [Ahmad]
2) Whoever reads Surat al-Kahf on Friday, it will act as a light/protection for him from one Friday to the next. [Bayhaqi]
3) Whoever memorizes the first ten verses from Suratul Kahf, he will be protected from the trial of the Dajjal (Anti-Christ). [Ahmad]
4) Whoever reads Ayatul Kursi after every obligatory prayer, nothing will keep him from Paradise except death. [Nasaa’i]
5) When you go to your beds at night, read Surat al-Kafirun then sleep upon completing it, for it will be a protection from Shirk (associating partners with Allah). [Ahmad]
6) Whoever performs their ablution carefully and then affirms (their faith by testifying): “Ash-hadu an laa ilaha il Allah wahdahu laa shareeka lahu wa anna Muhammadan `abduhu wa rasuluhu; Allahumma-ja’lni min at-tawaabeen waj-a’lni min al-mutatahireen”: ‘I testify that there is no true deity except Allah Alone, Who has no partners, and that Muhammad ﷺ is His slave and Messenger; O Allah, make me from those who repent and purify themselves’ – the eight gates of Jannah are opened for him so he may enter through whichever of these gates he desires.[Tirmidhi]
7) Whoever makes ablution then says upon finishing: “Subhanaka Allahumma wa bihamdika;, Ashhadu an laa ilaha ila anta, Astaghfiruka wa atoobu ilayk”: ‘Glory be to You O Allah and all praise belongs to You; I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except You. I seek Your Forgiveness, and I turn to You,’ - it is written in a parchment, then sealed; and is not opened till the Day of Resurrection. [Nasaa’i]
8) While we were praying one day with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, a man from among the people said, “Allahu Akbaru Kabeera, walhamdulillahi Katheera, wa Subhan’Allahi bukratan wa aseela”, ‘Allah is the Greatest above everything else, and All Praise is for Allah abundantly, and Glory be to Allah in the morning and evening.’ The Prophet ﷺ asked, “who said those words?” A man replied, “I did, O Messeger of Allah.” The Prophet ﷺ then said, ‘I am amazed by your speech, for they caused the doors of heaven to open.’ Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) added to this narration, “I never left saying those words after I heard the Messenger of Allah say that. [Muslim]
9) One day we were praying behind the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and when he ﷺ raised his head from the position of ruku` (bowing position), he said: “Sami Allahu leman hamidah” – ‘Allah hears the one who praises Him’. A man from behind added: “Rabbanna wa la kal hamd – hamdan katheeran tayyiban mubarakan fih” – ‘Our Lord, all praise is due only to You, praise which is abundant, excellent and blessed.’ When we finished [the prayer] the Prophet ﷺ said: ‘Who spoke?’ The man said, ‘I did’. He ﷺ said, ‘Indeed I saw some 30 angels all scuffling to see which one of them could record it.’ [Muslim]
10) Whoever prays twelve units of prayer voluntarily in a day and night, Allah will build him a house in Paradise. [Muslim]
11) Whoever observes four rakaat (units) before dhuhr (midday) prayer, and four rakaat after prayer, the fire will not touch him. [Abu Dawud]
12) May Allah have mercy on a person who prays four rakaat before ‘Asr (afternoon) prayer.[Abu Dawud]
13) Whoever stands in night prayer and recites ten verses (from the Qur’an) will not be written as a heedless person. And whoever recites 100 verses will be written as a devout slave. And whoever recites 1000 verses will be written as one who has mountains of good deeds. [Abu Dawud]
14) The voluntary prayer of a man where no one can see him is 25 times greater than voluntary prayer in front of the people. [Abu Ya’la]
15) Whoever prays four rakaat of Duha (mid-morning) prayer, and then another four (for a total of eight rakaat), a house is built for him in Paradise. [Tabarani]
16) Verily, Allah and His angels pray for the ones who fill in (or complete) the rows [in prayer], and whoever fills in a gap, Allah will raise his status because of it and will build a house for him in Paradise. [Ahmad]
17) Whenever a servant prostrates to Allah, Allah writes a reward for him, wipes out one of his sins and elevates his rank by one degree; so prostrate as much as you can. [ibn Majah]
18) Whoever prays fajr (morning prayer) in congregation then sits remembering Allah until the sun rises, then prays two units of prayer has the reward like that of Hajj and Umrah. [Tirmidhi]
19) “Whoever prays to Allah for forty days in congregation, not missing the first takbeer (of prayer), he will be recorded as being free from two things: free from the Fire and free from hypocrisy. [Tirmidhi]
20) The best of prayers with Allah is the fajr (morning) prayer, prayed in congregation on Friday. [Abu Nu’aym] (There is a difference of opinion among the scholars if this narration is a hadith or a statement of ibn Umar – Allah knows best)
21) Whoever says, “Subhan’Allah al-Adheem wa biHamdihi” – ‘Glory be to Allah the Most Great and for Him is all praise’, will have a date-palm tree planted for him in Paradise. [Tirmidhi]
22) Whoever says “Subhanaka Allahumma wa bihamdika, ash-hadu an laa ilaha illa anta, astaghfiruka wa atubu ilaika” - ‘(O Allah, You are free from every imperfection; praise be to You. I testify that there is no true god except You; I ask Your Pardon and turn to You in repentance)’ in a gathering of remembrance, it will be like a seal to stamp it (the remembrance) with, and he who says it in a gathering of vain talk, it will be an expiation for it (the vain talk). [Nasaa’i]
23) Indeed, (saying) “SubhanAllah” – ‘Glory be to Allah (and He is high above any imperfection)’ and “Alhamdulillah” – ‘All praise and thanks is only for Allah alone’, and “Laa ilaha ilAllah” – ‘There is no deity worthy of worship except ’llah’, and “Allahu Akbar” – ‘Allah is Greater than everything’, cause a slave’s sins to fall away just as the leaves of a tree fall. [Ahmad]
24) Would any of you like to accumulate 1000 rewards every day? Say “SubhanAllah“, ‘Glory be to Allah and He is high above any imperfection’ 100 times and Allah will record for you 1000 rewards or He will remove 1000 mis-deeds. [Muslim]
25) Verily, Allah has chosen four words from all speech: “SubhanAllah” (Glory be to Allah and He is high above any imperfection), and “Alhamdulillah” (All praise and thanks are for Allah alone), and “Laa ilaha ilAllah” (There is no deity worthy of worship except Allah), and “Allahu Akbar” (Allah is the Greater than everything). Therefore whoever says SubhanAllah twenty deeds will be recorded for him and twenty sins will be removed from him. And whoever says Allahu Akbar will get the same. And whoever says Laa ilaha ilAllah will get the same. And whoever says “Alhamdulillahi Rabbil `Alamin” – ‘All praise and thanks is for Allah alone, the Lord of all things’, from his heart, thirty good deeds will be recorded for him and thirty sins will be dropped from him. [Nasaa’i]
26. Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates, “The Prophet ﷺ (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) passed by me once while I was planting some crops. He said, ‘O Abu Hurayrah! What are you planting?’ I answered, ‘some crops.’ The Prophet ﷺ said, ‘Shall I inform you of crops which are far better than all this? Saying: “SubhanAllah” – ‘Glory be to Allah (and He is high above any imperfection)’ and “Alhamdulillah” – ‘All praise and thanks is for Allah alone’, and “Laa ilaha ilAllah” – ‘There is no deity worthy of worship except Allah’, and “Allahu Akbar” – ‘Allah is Greater than everything’. With every one of these [words], a tree will be planted for you in paradise’.” [Sunan ibn Majah]
27. Whoever is stingy about spending his wealth, and fears to fight the enemy, and is in terror of enduring the night should repeat frequently “SubhanAllahi wa biHamdihi” – ‘Glory be to Allah the Most Great and for Him is all praise’. By Him in whose Hand is my soul, they (those words) are more beloved to Allah than two mountains of gold and silver. [Abu Nu’aym]
28. Whoever enters a market and says: “Laa ilaaha illAllah waHdahu laa shareeka lah, lahul mulku wa lahul Hamdu yuHyi wa yumeetu wa huwa Hayyun laa yamoot, bi yadihil khayr, wahuwa `alaa kulli shay’in Qadeer” – ‘There is nothing worthy of worship but Allah, He is alone without partner, to Him belongs dominion and praise, he causes life and death and He is the Living and does not die. In His Hand is all the good, and He is over all things competent’; Allah will write for him a million good deeds, erase a million of his bad deeds and raise him a million levels and build for him a house in Paradise. [Tirmidhi]
29. Shall I guide you to something greater than remembering Allah (all) night and day? Say: “Alhamdulillahi `adada maa khalaq, Alhamdulillahi mil`a maa khalaq, Alhamdulillahi `adada maa fee-s-samawati wa maa fil`ardhi, Alhamdulillahi`’adada maa ahsaa kitabahu, wa Alhamdulillahi `alaa maa ahsaa kitaabahu, wa Alhamdulillahi `adada kuli shayy, wa Alhamdulillah mil`a kuli shayy” – ‘Praise be to Allah by the multitude of what He created; Praise be to Allah by the abundance of what He created; Praise be to Allah by the multitude of what is in the heavens and the earth; Praise be to Allah by the multitude of what His book enumerates; And Praise be to Allah for what His book enumerates; And Praise be to Allah as abundantly as everything.’ Then Glorify Allah similarly (by): learn these (phrases) and teach them to those who will follow after you. [At-Tabarani]
30. Whoever sends blessings on me (the Prophet ﷺ) 10 times in the morning and 10 times in the evening will have my intercession (Shafa’ah) on the Day of Judgment. [At-Tabarani]
31. Whoever says: “Radheetu billahi Rabba, wa bil Islaami Deena, wa bi Muhammad Nabiyya” – ‘I am pleased with Allah as my Lord, and with Islam as my Religion, and with Muhammad as my Prophet,’ Paradise would be (made) mandatory for him. [Abu Dawud]
32. Whoever supplicates for his brother (in Islam) in his absence, an angel is appointed to his side who says “Ameen (so be it) and may you also be blessed with the same.” [Muslim]
33. Whoever defends the honor of his brother in his absence will be entitled to Allah’s Protection from the Fire. [Tirmidhi]
34. Whoever removes a harmful thing from the path of the Muslims, Allah shall write for him a virtue whose reward is Paradise. [At-Tabarani]
35. Whoever extends the time to his debtor [to return the loan] , or forgives the debt, will be in the shade of the Throne (of Allah) on the Day of Resurrection. [Muslim]
36. Whoever gives respite to a poor person or writes off his debt, Allah will put him under His shade on a day on which there will be no shade except His (Judgment Day). [Muslim]
37. Whoever asks Allah for Paradise three times (Allahumma inni as’aluk al-Jannah), then Paradise will say: “O Allah! Enter him into Paradise!” And whoever seeks protection with Allah from the Fire three times (Allahumma najjini min an-Nar), the Fire will say: “O Allah! Protect him from the Fire!” [Tirmidhi]
38. Whoever is easy-going, gentle and kind, Allah will make the fire forbidden for him. [Hakim]
39. Whoever abstains from asking others for some financial help, Allah will give him (help) and save him from asking others; Allah will make him self-sufficient.” [Bukhari]
40. Whoever builds a Masjid for the sake of Allah even if it is like a nest which a bird builds for its eggs, Allah will build for him/her a house in Paradise. [Tirmidhi]
41. In Paradise there are rooms whose outside can be seen from the inside and the inside can be seen from the outside. Allah has prepared them for those who feed the poor, who are gentle in speech, who fast regularly and who pray at night when (other) people are asleep. [Ahmad]
42. If a Muslim plants a tree, or sows a field and men and beasts and birds eat from it, all of it is charity from him. [Muslim]
43. Whoever visited a sick person or visits his brother in Islam, a caller calls from the skies: “You have done well and your walk was good also, and you have earned a place in paradise”. [Tirmidhi]
44. If a man visits his sick Muslim brother, it is as if he walks reaping the fruits of Paradise until he sits, and when he sits he is showered in mercy, and if this was in the morning, seventy thousand angels pray for him until the evening, and if this was in the evening, seventy thousand angels pray for him until the morning. [Tirmidhi]
45. Whoever says, “Astaghfirullah al-lathi laa ilaha illa huwa, al-Hayyul Qayyum wa atubu ilayh” – ‘I ask forgiveness from Allah the One whom there is no deity worthy of worship except He, the Ever-Living and Sustainer and I repent to Him’ three times, Allah would forgive his sins even if they were as much as the foam of the sea. [Abu Dawud]
46. Shall I teach you some words that if you were to say them, Allah would forgive you? “Laa ilaha ilAllahul `Aliyyul ‘Adheem, laa ilaha ilAllahul Hakimul Kareem, la ilaha ilAllahu SubhanAllahi Rabbis-Samawaati as-Sabi’ wa Rabbil ‘Arshil ‘Adheem. Alhamdulillahil Rabbil `alameen” – ‘There is no deity worthy of worship except Allah, The Most High, The Great. There is no deity worthy of worship except Allah, The Most Wise, The Most Generous. There is no deity worthy of worship except Allah, Glory be to Allah (and He is high above any imperfection), The Lord of the Seven Heavens and the Lord of the Great Throne. All praise and thanks is for Allah Alone, Lord of all that exists.’ [Ahmad]
47. From the acts that guarantee forgiveness is being generous with the spreading of salaam [i.e., frequently greeting] and good speech. [at-Tabarani]
48. Glad tidings for the one who finds in his book (i.e. his book of deeds) lots of seeking forgiveness (repentance). [ibn Majah]
49. He who has taken food and says at the end, ”Alhamdulillah’illadhi at`amani hadha, wa razzaqanihi min ghairi hawlin minni wa la quwwatin” – ‘All praise and thanks is due to Allah Who has given me food to eat and provided it without any endeavor on my part or any power,’ all his past sins will be forgiven.’ [Ahmad]
50. Whoever seeks forgiveness for believing men and believing women, Allah will write for him a good deed for each believing man and believing woman. [At-Tabarani]
1) Whoever reads Surah Ikhlas ten times, Allah will build a palace for him in Paradise. ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) exclaimed, “If that’s the case, then we will increase in our palaces!” The Prophet ﷺ (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) responded, “Allah is better and greater (in reward).” [Ahmad]
2) Whoever reads Surat al-Kahf on Friday, it will act as a light/protection for him from one Friday to the next. [Bayhaqi]
3) Whoever memorizes the first ten verses from Suratul Kahf, he will be protected from the trial of the Dajjal (Anti-Christ). [Ahmad]
4) Whoever reads Ayatul Kursi after every obligatory prayer, nothing will keep him from Paradise except death. [Nasaa’i]
5) When you go to your beds at night, read Surat al-Kafirun then sleep upon completing it, for it will be a protection from Shirk (associating partners with Allah). [Ahmad]
6) Whoever performs their ablution carefully and then affirms (their faith by testifying): “Ash-hadu an laa ilaha il Allah wahdahu laa shareeka lahu wa anna Muhammadan `abduhu wa rasuluhu; Allahumma-ja’lni min at-tawaabeen waj-a’lni min al-mutatahireen”: ‘I testify that there is no true deity except Allah Alone, Who has no partners, and that Muhammad ﷺ is His slave and Messenger; O Allah, make me from those who repent and purify themselves’ – the eight gates of Jannah are opened for him so he may enter through whichever of these gates he desires.[Tirmidhi]
7) Whoever makes ablution then says upon finishing: “Subhanaka Allahumma wa bihamdika;, Ashhadu an laa ilaha ila anta, Astaghfiruka wa atoobu ilayk”: ‘Glory be to You O Allah and all praise belongs to You; I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except You. I seek Your Forgiveness, and I turn to You,’ - it is written in a parchment, then sealed; and is not opened till the Day of Resurrection. [Nasaa’i]
8) While we were praying one day with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, a man from among the people said, “Allahu Akbaru Kabeera, walhamdulillahi Katheera, wa Subhan’Allahi bukratan wa aseela”, ‘Allah is the Greatest above everything else, and All Praise is for Allah abundantly, and Glory be to Allah in the morning and evening.’ The Prophet ﷺ asked, “who said those words?” A man replied, “I did, O Messeger of Allah.” The Prophet ﷺ then said, ‘I am amazed by your speech, for they caused the doors of heaven to open.’ Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) added to this narration, “I never left saying those words after I heard the Messenger of Allah say that. [Muslim]
9) One day we were praying behind the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and when he ﷺ raised his head from the position of ruku` (bowing position), he said: “Sami Allahu leman hamidah” – ‘Allah hears the one who praises Him’. A man from behind added: “Rabbanna wa la kal hamd – hamdan katheeran tayyiban mubarakan fih” – ‘Our Lord, all praise is due only to You, praise which is abundant, excellent and blessed.’ When we finished [the prayer] the Prophet ﷺ said: ‘Who spoke?’ The man said, ‘I did’. He ﷺ said, ‘Indeed I saw some 30 angels all scuffling to see which one of them could record it.’ [Muslim]
10) Whoever prays twelve units of prayer voluntarily in a day and night, Allah will build him a house in Paradise. [Muslim]
11) Whoever observes four rakaat (units) before dhuhr (midday) prayer, and four rakaat after prayer, the fire will not touch him. [Abu Dawud]
12) May Allah have mercy on a person who prays four rakaat before ‘Asr (afternoon) prayer.[Abu Dawud]
13) Whoever stands in night prayer and recites ten verses (from the Qur’an) will not be written as a heedless person. And whoever recites 100 verses will be written as a devout slave. And whoever recites 1000 verses will be written as one who has mountains of good deeds. [Abu Dawud]
14) The voluntary prayer of a man where no one can see him is 25 times greater than voluntary prayer in front of the people. [Abu Ya’la]
15) Whoever prays four rakaat of Duha (mid-morning) prayer, and then another four (for a total of eight rakaat), a house is built for him in Paradise. [Tabarani]
16) Verily, Allah and His angels pray for the ones who fill in (or complete) the rows [in prayer], and whoever fills in a gap, Allah will raise his status because of it and will build a house for him in Paradise. [Ahmad]
17) Whenever a servant prostrates to Allah, Allah writes a reward for him, wipes out one of his sins and elevates his rank by one degree; so prostrate as much as you can. [ibn Majah]
18) Whoever prays fajr (morning prayer) in congregation then sits remembering Allah until the sun rises, then prays two units of prayer has the reward like that of Hajj and Umrah. [Tirmidhi]
19) “Whoever prays to Allah for forty days in congregation, not missing the first takbeer (of prayer), he will be recorded as being free from two things: free from the Fire and free from hypocrisy. [Tirmidhi]
20) The best of prayers with Allah is the fajr (morning) prayer, prayed in congregation on Friday. [Abu Nu’aym] (There is a difference of opinion among the scholars if this narration is a hadith or a statement of ibn Umar – Allah knows best)
21) Whoever says, “Subhan’Allah al-Adheem wa biHamdihi” – ‘Glory be to Allah the Most Great and for Him is all praise’, will have a date-palm tree planted for him in Paradise. [Tirmidhi]
22) Whoever says “Subhanaka Allahumma wa bihamdika, ash-hadu an laa ilaha illa anta, astaghfiruka wa atubu ilaika” - ‘(O Allah, You are free from every imperfection; praise be to You. I testify that there is no true god except You; I ask Your Pardon and turn to You in repentance)’ in a gathering of remembrance, it will be like a seal to stamp it (the remembrance) with, and he who says it in a gathering of vain talk, it will be an expiation for it (the vain talk). [Nasaa’i]
23) Indeed, (saying) “SubhanAllah” – ‘Glory be to Allah (and He is high above any imperfection)’ and “Alhamdulillah” – ‘All praise and thanks is only for Allah alone’, and “Laa ilaha ilAllah” – ‘There is no deity worthy of worship except ’llah’, and “Allahu Akbar” – ‘Allah is Greater than everything’, cause a slave’s sins to fall away just as the leaves of a tree fall. [Ahmad]
24) Would any of you like to accumulate 1000 rewards every day? Say “SubhanAllah“, ‘Glory be to Allah and He is high above any imperfection’ 100 times and Allah will record for you 1000 rewards or He will remove 1000 mis-deeds. [Muslim]
25) Verily, Allah has chosen four words from all speech: “SubhanAllah” (Glory be to Allah and He is high above any imperfection), and “Alhamdulillah” (All praise and thanks are for Allah alone), and “Laa ilaha ilAllah” (There is no deity worthy of worship except Allah), and “Allahu Akbar” (Allah is the Greater than everything). Therefore whoever says SubhanAllah twenty deeds will be recorded for him and twenty sins will be removed from him. And whoever says Allahu Akbar will get the same. And whoever says Laa ilaha ilAllah will get the same. And whoever says “Alhamdulillahi Rabbil `Alamin” – ‘All praise and thanks is for Allah alone, the Lord of all things’, from his heart, thirty good deeds will be recorded for him and thirty sins will be dropped from him. [Nasaa’i]
26. Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates, “The Prophet ﷺ (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) passed by me once while I was planting some crops. He said, ‘O Abu Hurayrah! What are you planting?’ I answered, ‘some crops.’ The Prophet ﷺ said, ‘Shall I inform you of crops which are far better than all this? Saying: “SubhanAllah” – ‘Glory be to Allah (and He is high above any imperfection)’ and “Alhamdulillah” – ‘All praise and thanks is for Allah alone’, and “Laa ilaha ilAllah” – ‘There is no deity worthy of worship except Allah’, and “Allahu Akbar” – ‘Allah is Greater than everything’. With every one of these [words], a tree will be planted for you in paradise’.” [Sunan ibn Majah]
27. Whoever is stingy about spending his wealth, and fears to fight the enemy, and is in terror of enduring the night should repeat frequently “SubhanAllahi wa biHamdihi” – ‘Glory be to Allah the Most Great and for Him is all praise’. By Him in whose Hand is my soul, they (those words) are more beloved to Allah than two mountains of gold and silver. [Abu Nu’aym]
28. Whoever enters a market and says: “Laa ilaaha illAllah waHdahu laa shareeka lah, lahul mulku wa lahul Hamdu yuHyi wa yumeetu wa huwa Hayyun laa yamoot, bi yadihil khayr, wahuwa `alaa kulli shay’in Qadeer” – ‘There is nothing worthy of worship but Allah, He is alone without partner, to Him belongs dominion and praise, he causes life and death and He is the Living and does not die. In His Hand is all the good, and He is over all things competent’; Allah will write for him a million good deeds, erase a million of his bad deeds and raise him a million levels and build for him a house in Paradise. [Tirmidhi]
29. Shall I guide you to something greater than remembering Allah (all) night and day? Say: “Alhamdulillahi `adada maa khalaq, Alhamdulillahi mil`a maa khalaq, Alhamdulillahi `adada maa fee-s-samawati wa maa fil`ardhi, Alhamdulillahi`’adada maa ahsaa kitabahu, wa Alhamdulillahi `alaa maa ahsaa kitaabahu, wa Alhamdulillahi `adada kuli shayy, wa Alhamdulillah mil`a kuli shayy” – ‘Praise be to Allah by the multitude of what He created; Praise be to Allah by the abundance of what He created; Praise be to Allah by the multitude of what is in the heavens and the earth; Praise be to Allah by the multitude of what His book enumerates; And Praise be to Allah for what His book enumerates; And Praise be to Allah as abundantly as everything.’ Then Glorify Allah similarly (by): learn these (phrases) and teach them to those who will follow after you. [At-Tabarani]
30. Whoever sends blessings on me (the Prophet ﷺ) 10 times in the morning and 10 times in the evening will have my intercession (Shafa’ah) on the Day of Judgment. [At-Tabarani]
31. Whoever says: “Radheetu billahi Rabba, wa bil Islaami Deena, wa bi Muhammad Nabiyya” – ‘I am pleased with Allah as my Lord, and with Islam as my Religion, and with Muhammad as my Prophet,’ Paradise would be (made) mandatory for him. [Abu Dawud]
32. Whoever supplicates for his brother (in Islam) in his absence, an angel is appointed to his side who says “Ameen (so be it) and may you also be blessed with the same.” [Muslim]
33. Whoever defends the honor of his brother in his absence will be entitled to Allah’s Protection from the Fire. [Tirmidhi]
34. Whoever removes a harmful thing from the path of the Muslims, Allah shall write for him a virtue whose reward is Paradise. [At-Tabarani]
35. Whoever extends the time to his debtor [to return the loan] , or forgives the debt, will be in the shade of the Throne (of Allah) on the Day of Resurrection. [Muslim]
36. Whoever gives respite to a poor person or writes off his debt, Allah will put him under His shade on a day on which there will be no shade except His (Judgment Day). [Muslim]
37. Whoever asks Allah for Paradise three times (Allahumma inni as’aluk al-Jannah), then Paradise will say: “O Allah! Enter him into Paradise!” And whoever seeks protection with Allah from the Fire three times (Allahumma najjini min an-Nar), the Fire will say: “O Allah! Protect him from the Fire!” [Tirmidhi]
38. Whoever is easy-going, gentle and kind, Allah will make the fire forbidden for him. [Hakim]
39. Whoever abstains from asking others for some financial help, Allah will give him (help) and save him from asking others; Allah will make him self-sufficient.” [Bukhari]
40. Whoever builds a Masjid for the sake of Allah even if it is like a nest which a bird builds for its eggs, Allah will build for him/her a house in Paradise. [Tirmidhi]
41. In Paradise there are rooms whose outside can be seen from the inside and the inside can be seen from the outside. Allah has prepared them for those who feed the poor, who are gentle in speech, who fast regularly and who pray at night when (other) people are asleep. [Ahmad]
42. If a Muslim plants a tree, or sows a field and men and beasts and birds eat from it, all of it is charity from him. [Muslim]
43. Whoever visited a sick person or visits his brother in Islam, a caller calls from the skies: “You have done well and your walk was good also, and you have earned a place in paradise”. [Tirmidhi]
44. If a man visits his sick Muslim brother, it is as if he walks reaping the fruits of Paradise until he sits, and when he sits he is showered in mercy, and if this was in the morning, seventy thousand angels pray for him until the evening, and if this was in the evening, seventy thousand angels pray for him until the morning. [Tirmidhi]
45. Whoever says, “Astaghfirullah al-lathi laa ilaha illa huwa, al-Hayyul Qayyum wa atubu ilayh” – ‘I ask forgiveness from Allah the One whom there is no deity worthy of worship except He, the Ever-Living and Sustainer and I repent to Him’ three times, Allah would forgive his sins even if they were as much as the foam of the sea. [Abu Dawud]
46. Shall I teach you some words that if you were to say them, Allah would forgive you? “Laa ilaha ilAllahul `Aliyyul ‘Adheem, laa ilaha ilAllahul Hakimul Kareem, la ilaha ilAllahu SubhanAllahi Rabbis-Samawaati as-Sabi’ wa Rabbil ‘Arshil ‘Adheem. Alhamdulillahil Rabbil `alameen” – ‘There is no deity worthy of worship except Allah, The Most High, The Great. There is no deity worthy of worship except Allah, The Most Wise, The Most Generous. There is no deity worthy of worship except Allah, Glory be to Allah (and He is high above any imperfection), The Lord of the Seven Heavens and the Lord of the Great Throne. All praise and thanks is for Allah Alone, Lord of all that exists.’ [Ahmad]
47. From the acts that guarantee forgiveness is being generous with the spreading of salaam [i.e., frequently greeting] and good speech. [at-Tabarani]
48. Glad tidings for the one who finds in his book (i.e. his book of deeds) lots of seeking forgiveness (repentance). [ibn Majah]
49. He who has taken food and says at the end, ”Alhamdulillah’illadhi at`amani hadha, wa razzaqanihi min ghairi hawlin minni wa la quwwatin” – ‘All praise and thanks is due to Allah Who has given me food to eat and provided it without any endeavor on my part or any power,’ all his past sins will be forgiven.’ [Ahmad]
50. Whoever seeks forgiveness for believing men and believing women, Allah will write for him a good deed for each believing man and believing woman. [At-Tabarani]
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