DIY SADAQAH JAR

بِسْــــــــــــــــــمِ اﷲِالرَّحْمَنِ اارَّحِيم 

 

Assalamu Alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. 

 

This Sadaqah jar is so simple to make. You can make it exactly the way you like it or just really out of any craft supplies you have around in the house. Let the children make their own special jar to their own desire. It would be so helpful and a great start for the kids to know about charity and the importance of giving to others. Yes, even if they’re 3 years! They have to start early and appreciate the blessings Allah Subhana wa T’Ala blessed them with in their lives and they can only do that by learning. We must remember that all kids learn differently then we do so at times we just have to get down to their levels. And please, stop making excuses about the ‘young’ age of the child. Just get down to their levels and you’ll see a wonderful change In Sha Allah.
You can also make a family jar and involve everyone in it. It will probably be used even more by then with the intention in the right place In Sha Allah.
We live in a world where pennies get used as a floor and decor? Like it has no value or something. And yup – I’ve seen that on pinterest and Google before! Subhan Allah – what kind of hayat is that? Is it even a life? It’s so heartbreaking.
Those pennies can save a life! Please, show and teach your children that e-v-e-r-y little effort can make a huge difference.

Materials needed;

•  A jar. (Which I used but you can basically use anything; A bottle, an old tin, box etc.)
• Stickers or anything that's available in your house. Like paint or any wrap paper.
• Labels or markers.

I used the jar on the left, but this is just to show you what I did from the bottom.

The stickers I used. Too girly maybe? No problem. You go and choose your favorite color. You can get the stickers in every craft store for cheap money. 

 

How cute are these stickers? Anyway, that's what I chose.

 

Let the decorating begin.

 

You have to make sure to let people know what the jar is for.

 

This is the final result with a label on the side which says 'Allah loves the giver'. You can do it however you like it. I just like it very simple and clean. Just remember there's absolutely no limits for the kids. Let them have fun and be creative In Sha Allah. 

 

________________________________________________________

 

''Have you seen him who denies Our religion? It is he who harshly repels the orphan and does not urge others to feed the needy. Woe to those who pray but are heedless of their prayers; who put on a show of piety but refuse to give even the smallest help to others.'' (Surat Al-Ma'un: 1-7)

The Prophet (Sal'Allahu alaihi Wa'Sallam) said: "There is not a day in which the obedient slaves rise in the morning except that two angels descend, and one of them says: 'O Allaah! Compensate the one who spends.' The other angel says: 'O Allaah! Destroy the wealth of the one who is niggardly."

[Al-Bukhaari and Muslim)

 

Be a giver and you'll be gifted In Sha Allah. Gifted with a great reward from Allah Subhana wa T'Ala.

May Allah, The Most High and Generous, always give us the opportunity and means to help the needy, poor and ill. And may He accept it from us. Ameen.

 

 Wa'Salam.

 

A taste of His Creation ♥ (Pomegranates/rumman)

بِسْــــــــــــــــــمِ اﷲِالرَّحْمَنِ اارَّحِيم 

 

Assalamu Alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. 

 

 

 

 

Firstly, Glory be to Allah! ♥

Have you ever felt so fascinated by the fruits and just wanted to investigate further about it? The meat, the grains, colors, structures and the soft/harded 'shield' which I only see as a form of protection for the fruit itself. Fascinating! Subhan Allah. There's absolutely something so beautiful and unique about these fruits. All kind of fruits. Yes, the fruits Allah Subhana wa T'Ala created. This time it's about the incredible, juicy and delicious pomegranate Ma Sha Allah. 

Pomegranates are mentioned in the Qur'an Al Kareem couple of times. I decided to base it on this Ayah In Sha Allah, where Allah Subhana wa T'Ala describes His beautiful bounties and amazing creation which He has poured on us in this world.

 

The Almighty Says:

“He it is Who sendeth down water from the sky, and therewith We bring forth buds of every kind; We bring forth the green blade from which we bring forth the thick clustered grain; and from the date palm, from the pollen thereof, spring pendant bunches; and (We bring forth) gardens of grapes, and the olive and the pomegranate, alike and unlike. Look upon the fruit thereof, when they bear fruit, and upon its ripening. Lo! herein verily are portents for a people who believe.” (Surat Al-An'am: 99)

 

___________________________________________________________________________

 

 

So basically, Allah Subhana wa T'Ala indicates a difference between the believers and non-believers in this Ayah, which means that as a believer we have to take lessons and bounties of these signs, which in the end will raise us in Iman In Sha Allah. We shouldn't just pass by the creation of Allah Subhana wa T'Ala. It's much deeper than that. We have to ponder over the beautiful creation as well, as a result increasing our love and conviction for The Almighty. We have to see through the eyes of our hearts and not only through the eyes of our face. That's a true believer.

 

 

 

 

 Does anyone know the story of Abdullah Ibn Al Mubarak and the garden of pomegranates? I just had to include this one since it has something to do with pomegranates (obviously).

Al Mubarak, the father of one the scholars was once a slave. His master freed him and he worked in a garden taking care of a garden of pomegranates for many years. The owner of the garden asked for a bowl of pomegranates. The owner said these pomegranates are very sour, bring me some sweet pomegranates. The gardener said but I don’t taste the pomegranates so I don’t know which ones are sweet or which ones are sour. The owner was surprised that the gardener did not taste the pomegranates and asked the gardener how many years he has worked for him in the garden. He told the master all these years that he has worked for the master he never tasted the pomegranates because it is haram for him. The master thought that as very noble of him. He asked the neighbours about this man who all said he was very honest.

The owner of the garden later called the gardener to ask him for some advice. The master asked him “I have a daughter, how can I choose the right husband for my daughter?” The gardener said some people choose wealth, some beauty etc. but in Islam Prophet Muhammad Sal'Allahu Alaihi wa Sallam advised us to choose someone for their religion, so choose someone who is righteous. The master said to the gardener that “I could not find anyone more pious than you”. The gardener, a servant accepted the proposal of marriage. This man left eating from a garden full of pomegranates and Allah Subhana wa T'Ala gave him the daughter of the owner of the garden. Alhamduli Allah. And their son was to become a pious scholar.

Subhan Allah. Amazing, isn't it? This story is actually more about honesty, but I can't help myself and think about the beautiful garden of pomegranates. If His creation is so beautiful, how Beautiful is He? The Beauty of The Creator is indeed apparent in His Creation Subhan Allah. Pomegranates are so fascinating. I love me some rumman at any time! Not only because it's tastes so wonderful and has lots of health benefits but truly because it's one of Jannahs fruits too. We should enjoy this Ni'mah from Allah Subhana wa T'Ala more often, since He bestowed upon us His bounties in this dunya. RasulAllah Sal'Allahu Alaihi wa Sallam said: “There is not a pomegranate which does not have a pip from one of the pomegranates of the Garden (of Jannah) in it." - Can anyone imagine how delicious pomegranates are in Jannah? May we be able to taste the sweetness of His Creation in the hereafter In Sha Allah. Surely, it is Jannah that we want which is everlasting. Let's strive to seek it and please our Creator. The Only Creator of the heavens and of the earth, and all between. The Creator of beauty in this world and Jannah. Ameen.

 

I almost forgot to mentend this lovely book I have on the picture. I really, I mean really recommend this book 'Healing with the medicine of the Prophet (Sal'Allahu Alaihi wa Sallam). It's such a great book! Searching for good health? And want to do it the Sunnah way? Please, get yourself this book In Sha Allah. You can read about the health benefits, cures etc. of pomegranates and almost everything else from our beloved Propthet Sal'Allahu Alaihi wa Sallam's time. There's two copies of it actually. The one I have is the old version, but basically they're the same. The new one just contains lots of pictures. (This one doesn't). Get it from here In Sha Allah: Medicine of the Prophet

Narrated Anas bin Malik: RasulAllah Sal'Allahu Alaihi wa Sallam said, "There is none amongst the Muslims who plants a tree or sows seeds, and then a bird, or a person or an animal eats from it, but is regarded as a charitable gift for him." (Bukhari)

 

All good herein is from Allah, and there's no shortcomings but for my own.
Wa'Salam.

7 people that will be shaded under the Shade of Allah (Swt), on the day where there will be no shade.

بِسْــــــــــــــــــمِ اﷲِالرَّحْمَنِ اارَّحِيم 

 

 Assalamu Alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.

 

 

 

Allah would say on the Day of Judgment: ''Where are those who love each other for the sake of My glory? Today I will shelter them with My Shade, as there is no shade today expect My shade.

 

 

 

 

1. - A just ruler. In terms of anything, whether it be a father of a household, a teacher, an imam or a ruler of a country.
 

 2. - The youth who grew up worshipping Allah. He acquired the knowledge about religion, fulfilled the obligations and avoided the sins. An admonishment to the parents to aid their child in worshipping Allah from a young age.
 

 3. - A man whose heart is attached to the Masjid. There is great encouragement in the Sunnah for men to pray in the mosques and the reward associated with it is tremendous. Not only does it make the person eligible for Allah's Shade on the Day of Judgment, but also: ''he does not take a step (towards the mosque except that because of it, he is raised by one rank and one sin is removed from him. Then when he prays, the Angels do not cease supplicating for him [for] as long as he remains at his place of Prayer [sayings]: O Allah send blessings upon him, O Allah have mercy upon him.'' [Al-Bukhaari]
 

 4. - Two persons who love one another for the sake of Allah. Met on this love and departed on this love only in the cause of Allah. Nothing can break it other than death. To have the pure love to each other means to order one another to do good deeds, and to forbid one another from committing evil.
 

 5. - A man who refuses the call of a charming woman of noble birth for unlawful intercourse with her, and says: I am fearful of Allah. It has been related that a righteous Muslim's supplication was always fulfilled. When asked about the mystery of this endowment he replied: It was a year of drought when a very beautiful lady came into my house and asked me for something to eat. I said to her: I will give you the food you need, after you give me yourself (i.e. to allow him to have the unlawful intercourse with her). She said: It would be better to me to die from hunger than disobeying my Lord, and went away crying. Then she came after few days and she was starving to death, and asked me for food. I said to her: I won't give you anything unless you give me yourself. She replied: It would be better to me to die from hunger than disobeying my Lord, and went away crying. I realized that she wasn't bearing the starvation, so I followed her and heard her reciting some verses from the Qur'an and praising Allah. This strengthened the faith in my heart and the love to do good deeds, and I repented to Allah. Then I called for her saying: come and take what you want for the sake of Allah. She took the food then raised her hands to the sky the direction of supplication and said: O Allah as you guided and enlightened his heart, make his supplication always fulfilled.
 

 6. - A man who give charity so much (secretly), to the extent that the left hand didn't know what the right hand gave. Nobody knows how much he has given in charity, because he is not doing that in order to be praised by people but rather he is only doing that in sincerity to Allah Swt.
 

 7. - A man whom remembers Allah when he is alone and his eyes shed tears. Such eyes are protected from being burnt in Hellfire on the Day of Judgment.

 

 

You may have already noticed? This Hadith is mostly related to men, but as we know, Allah swt told us that both men and women have equal opportunities to achieve Jannah.

Tomorrow is never promised to anyone, but standing in front of Allah on the Day of Judgment is.

We need to love each other for the sake of Allah Swt, so we may be Shaded with His Shade on the Day of Judgment InshaAllah. This task is simple and His Swt Promise is the Best Promise.

 

Ya Allah, make us among those who follow the guidance of the Prophet and let our death only reach us when You have forgiven our sins and You & Your beloved ones are pleased with us. آمين

 ♥

The secrets of Surat Al-Kahf

بِسْــــــــــــــــــمِ اﷲِالرَّحْمَنِ اارَّحِيم

 

Assalamu Alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.

═✦════✦ SECRETS OF SURAT AL-KAHF ✦════✦═

Ever wondered why Prophet Muhammad (Saaws) asked us to recite Surat Al-Kahf every Friday?
Let’s find out today InshaAllah.

I found this on facebook and I just had to share it asap!
MashaAllah - This is some great Ilm to share and 100% beneficial for all of us.
May Allah Swt bless this brother/sister and grant him/her the best of the best for sharing this and letting us know more about the Sunnah on this amazing and blessed Jummah. BarakAllahu feekum.








This Surah has Four stories in it, having some morals, lets see them and understand what they are saying to us:


1) The People Of The Cave
Its the story of young men who lived in a disbelieving town, so they decided to migrate for the sake of Allah and run away. -Allah rewards them with mercy in the cave and protection from the sun - They woke up and found the entire village believers.
MORAL:TRIAL OF FAITH.

2) The Owner Of Two Gardens
A story of a man whom Allah blessed with two beautiful gardens, but the man forgot to thank the One who blessed him with everything and he even dared to doubt Allah regarding the afterlife.So His garden was destroyed - He regretted ,but was too late and his regret did not benefit him .
MORAL:TRIAL OF WEALTH.

3) Musa(AS) and Khidr(AS)
When Musa(AS) was asked-“Who’s the most knowledgeable of the people of earth?”” Musa(AS) said:Me…,but Allah revealed to him that there’s someone who Knows more than him.Musa(AS) traveled to the man and learnt how the Divine Wisdom can sometimes be hidden in matters which we perceive as bad.
MORAL:TRIAL OF KNOWLEDGE.

4) Dhul-Qarnayn
Its a story of the great King that was given knowledge and power and was going around the world,helping people and spreading all that’s good.He was able to overcome the problem of Yajooj-Majooj and build a massive dam with the help of people whom he could not even understand.
MORAL:TRIAL OF POWER.

In the middle Allah mentions Iblees as the one who stirs these trials:

Behold! We said to the angels “Bow down to Adam”: they bowed down except Iblis. He was one of the Jinns, and he broke the Command of his Lord. Will ye then take him and his progeny as protectors rather than Me? And they are enemies to you! Evil would be the exchange for the wrongdoers!

Now let us see what’s the relationship between Surat Al-Kahf and the Dajjal (Anti-Christ)? 

Dajjal will appear before Day of Judgement with the 4 trials:


***He’ll ask people to worship him and not Allah:
Trial of Faith .


***He’ll be given powers to start/stop rain and tempt people with his wealth:
Trial of with his wealth. .


***He’ll trial people with the “knowledge” and news he gives them:
Trial of Knowledge .


He’ll control huge parts of the Earth.
Trial of Power .

How to survive these trials? The answers are in Surat Al-Kahf 

• Survival Kit 1: Good companionship.

“And keep thy soul content with those who call on their Lord morning and evening, seeking His Face; and let not thine eyes pass beyond them, seeking the pomp and glitter of this Life; no obey any whose heart We have permitted to neglect the remembrance of Us, one who follows his own desires, whose case has gone beyond all bounds.” (Surat Al-Kahf, verse 28)

• Survival Kit 2: Knowing the Truth of this World .

“Set forth to them the similitude of the life of this world: It is like the rain which we send down from the skies: the earth’s vegetation absorbs it, but soon it becomes dry stubble, which the winds do scatter: it is (only) Allah who prevails over all things” (Surat Al-Kahf, verse 45)

•  Survival Kit 3: Humbleness.

“Moses said: “Thou wilt find me, if Allah so will, (truly) patient: nor shall I disobey thee in aught.””(Surat Al-Kahf, verse 69)

•  Survival Kit 4: Sincerity.

“Say: “I am but a man like yourselves, (but) the inspiration has come to me, that your Allah is one Allah. whoever expects to meet his Lord, let him work righteousness, and, in the worship of his Lord, admit no one as partner.” (Surat Al- Kahf, verse 110)

• Survival Kit 5: Calling to Allah .

“And recite (and teach) what has been revealed to thee of the Book of thy Lord: none can change His Words, and none wilt thou find as a refuge other than Him.” (Surat Al-Kahf, verse 27)

•  Survival Kit 6: Remembering the HereAfter .

“ One Day We shall remove the mountains, and thou wilt see the earth as a level stretch, and We shall gather them, all together, nor shall We leave out any one of them. And they will be marshalled before thy Lord in ranks, (with the announcement), “Now have ye come to Us (bare) as We created you first: aye, ye thought We shall not fulfil the appointment made to you to meet (Us)!”: And the Book (of Deeds) will be placed (before you); and thou wilt see the sinful in great terror because of what is (recorded) therein; they will say, “Ah! woe to us! what a Book is this! It leaves out nothing small or great,but takes account thereof !” They will find all that they did, placed before them: And not one will thy Lord treat with injustice.” (Surat Al-Kahf, verses 47-49)

♥

The Importance of Salah

بِسْــــــــــــــــــمِ اﷲِالرَّحْمَنِ اارَّحِيم

 

Assalamu Alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.

Rasul Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: “All human beings without exception are sinful, but the best sinners are those who repent the most.” [Tirmidhi]

 

 



Wash your heart every day with Salah, then warm it up with Dhikr

 

Have you ever thought about it? Why Salah is so important?

I will share my point of view InshaAllah.

 

There's 5 pillars of Islam.
1. Shahadah
2. Salah
3. Zakat
4. Sawm
5. Hajj

Now we all know that the second pillar of Islam after the Shahadah is Salah. There's a reason for it. The most important thing after the Shahadah a Muslim should live up to and maintain is, Salah. Salah is obligatory.

It's actually very simple. Allah Swt instructed us to worship Him. Salah is the best contact we can have with Allah Swt. Worshipping Allah Swt is the purpose of our creation. Salah is a type of purification for a human being. Allah Swt says, in the Quraan:
''And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me.'' (Surat Adh-Dhariyat: 56)
This ayah is so powerful, SubhanAllah.

It is not enough that we only have our Iman in our hearts. We have to act upon it and pray before we are prayed upon.

Salah is going to be the FIRST Allah Swt will ask us on Youm Al Qiyamah (Day of Judgment) and that shows how IMPORTANT Salah is to Allah Swt.

 

Prophet Muhammad (Saaws) used to get most of his revelations through Jibreel (As), but when Allah Swt wanted to command Muslims Salah, He (Swt) brought Muhammad (Saaws) up to Himself in Heaven (Which is, Isra wal Miraj) and Allah Swt chose to personally to inform Muhammad (Saaws) about Salah. So, the importance and beauty in this, is that our Salah is a heavenly revelation because Muhammed (Saaws) got this revelation in Heaven and not through Jibreel (As).

 

Firstly, Muhammad (Saaws) and his companions (Alayhum Assalam) got an order to pray 50 times a day. SubhanAllah, can you imagine praying 50 times a day? But the Prophet (Saaws) continued to appeal that the Salah should be reduced because he feared that Muslims couldn't manage to pray 50 times a day. And SubhanAllah, Salah got reduced to 5 times a day and the reward for it is 50. SUBHANALLAH.

 

Our beloved Prophet Muhammad (Saaws) also made it clear to us that one of the things that separates us from kuffar (Disbelievers) is our Salah. Think about that!

"The covenant between us and them is prayer, so if anyone abandons it he has become a disbeliever." (Ahmad, Tirmidhee, Nasaa'ee)

 

Allah Swt gave us eyes, noses, mouths, legs, arms, food on the table, a mother/family, clothes on our body, a mind and a heart - Should we not then be thankful for all that? Alhamdulillah. If we thanked Allah Swt day and night, we would still not be able to pay Him (Swt) back, not even for an eye.
So, the least we can do is to maintain our Salah, InshaAllah. Imagine how happy Allah Swt will be with us. Besides that, it will save us from Jahannam and purify our sins. If your legs can't take you to Prayer, then how do you expect them to carry you to Jannah?

The Prophet (Saaws) said: "Allah has obligated five prayers. Whoever excellently performs their ablutions, prays them in their proper times, completes their bows, prostrations and khushu' (total concentration and spiritual connection) has a promise from Allah that He will forgive him. And whoever does not do that has no promise from Allah. He may either forgive him or punish him." [Recorded by Malik, Ahmad, Abu Dawud, al-Nasa’I and others. According to al-Albani, it is sahih. Al-Albani, Sahih al-Jami, vol. 1, p. 616.]

.

This is just to illustrate a small part of the importance of Salah. InshaAllah we all understand the importance of Salah and the mercy of Allah Swt. Whatever our individual cases may be, I hope and pray that we can all remember why Salah is so important to us and how much it really benefits us and InshaAllah to stay motivated to always improve. Worries end when Salah begins. No one could ever give a better guarantee than Allah Swt, so please maintain your Salah and pray them the way they're meant to be prayed - Wudhu and Salah only takes 10 mins. If you don't know how to perform Salah - please let me know, i'll help you InshaAllah.
Until next time, may you all have a blessed day and don't forget to make lots of Duaa.

 

“What has caused you to enter Hell” They will say: “We were not of those who used to offer the Salah, nor did we feed the poor.”  (Surat Al-Muddathir: 42-43)

Wa Alaykum Assalam.

Chocolate mousse with digestive biscuit crust and strawberries

بِسْــــــــــــــــــمِ اﷲِالرَّحْمَنِ اارَّحِيم

 

Assalamu Alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.

 

I decided to make a dessert today but really didn't felt like baking a cake or something big. I haven't made chocolate mousse for a long time and it's so simple to make, so yes .... Chocolate mousse was on the menu. This dessert would basically be great for Ramadan too InshaAllah. It's cold, easy to make and everyone loves it. Alhamdulillah.
Give it a try and enjoy it with your loved ones :)

 

Ingredients:

200g dark chocolate
200g digestive biscuits
Some melted butter

50ml instant coffee
4 eggs
2 tbsp caster sugar

 

 

Method:

1. Put the biscuits in a foodprocessor or a zip bag and crush the biscuits into fine crumbs. Melt the butter and mix well with the biscuit crumbs til it have that wet sand consistent. Put the biscuit crumbs into 3-4 glasses and place them in the freezer while making the mousse.

2. Melt the chocolate together with the coffee either in a microwave or in a bowl over a pan of boiling water. Beat the egg yolks into the chocolate one by one.

 

3. Transfer the egg whites into a large mixing bowl and beat until they form soft peaks. Add the sugar and continue to beat until the point at which they begin to form harder, stiffer peaks – be careful not to over beat. Gently fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture in three parts.

 

4. When fully incorporated transfer the mixture into glasses of one's own choice, bung them in the fridge and serve after an hour or so with some strawberries and leftovers from the biscuit crumbs or anything you prefer.

 

 

 Umar said, The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be on him, said:
"Eat together and do not eat separately, for the blessing is with the Company"

How to complete the Quraan in Ramadan?

 بِسْــــــــــــــــــمِ اﷲِالرَّحْمَنِ اارَّحِيم

Assalamu Alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh

 

O you who believe! Observing al-sawm (the fasting) is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may become al-muttaqoon (the pious).
(Surat al-Baqarah 2:183)

 

Have we realized that the beautiful month of Ramadan is just right around the corner? Are we prepared?

First of all, we need to realise that this might be the last Ramadan we experience, so how can we use our time wisely, most beneficial and make the most out of it?
I hope and know you already decided how much Dhikr and Ibaadat you'll be doing, the things you'll be stopping and to make a sincere effort this year, InshaAllah. We can make a list of things in preparation for Ramadan and also try to purify our hearts and intentions before the commencement of Ramadan to make the fast most successful for our families and ourselves.
So, let's ask ourselves - How can we make this upcoming Ramadan the most memorable in the best way?
Well, If we learn the mistakes from our last Ramadan and improve it this year, that would be a good start and beneficial for ourselves. Submit yourself to Allah by praying (in the nights too), fasting, offer Zakat ul Fitr, make lot's of Duaa, Dhikr, no evil talking, seeing or hearing and read the Quraan by heart with the intention to finish it. InshaAllah.

This could be your way to finish the Quraan during Ramadan:

The Quraan has 600 pages approx. If you divide it on 30 days, that's 20 pages a day. You see, that sounds difficult to do, right? But, if you divide it on the 5 prayers a day, it gets easier:

• If you read 4 pages after every Salah in Ramadan, then you've completed the Quraan.
• If you want to complete the Quraan twice, you can read 4 pages before and after every Salah.

Imagine if we forward this message, how many people will benefit and complete the Quraan.
Spread the word and let our brothers and sisters know, InshaAllah.

May we all arrive in Ramadan in the best of state, Ameen.