ISLAM – Surobi Scribbles

13 Reasons Why You Should Pray Your Salah

Surobi Mohammed — Sun, 09 Apr 2023 20:48:59 +0000

Assalamu Alaikum to the Muslim readers or hello to the non Muslim readers! Today’s article was inspired by my own motivation of why I pray my Salah and also to assist all those people out there who ask: what is the point? What is the point of praying not once, not twice but 5 times a day? What is the point of cleansing yourself before prayer? What is the point of making prayer such a priority in our lives?

This article is for anyone out there – you might be someone who prays all your prayers, but at times when you might feel lazy or you want to reflect on why you pray, this article is for you. You might be someone who wants to start praying and you want to have a motivation to pray. Or perhaps you are a new Muslim or a non Muslim here to answer your questions on why Muslims are committed to their Salah. Worry not, this article is for you.

Disclaimer: There are an abundant number of reasons why Salah is a pillar of Islam. Here I have just listed a few of these reasons in this article.

To pray, you cleanse yourself which refreshes you physically and spiritually.

For our prayers, Muslims must ensure they are in a state of Wudhu (purity). For some, making Wudhu feels like a chore, but in reality Wudhu cleans you. Cleanliness is half of one’s faith in Islam and taking a break to make Wudhu is a great way to be clean and also wake you up, especially when you are fasting and have low energy levels. Also, a Hadith states that:

When a Muslim man performs ablution, his sins are removed from his hearing, his sight, his hands, and his legs. If he sits down, he will sit down forgiven. Musnad Aḥmad 21623, Grade: Sahih

Making Wudhu shows that you honour and respect your Lord.

Another major reason why making Wudhu is powerful and mandatory is because it logically makes sense. Imagine if you were to meet your favourite celebrity. Would you go to see them unclean and sluggish? No, you would ensure you are clean and you smell good and you look presentable. So why should there be an exception for our Lord? He is the Creator of the Heavens, the galaxies, and this Earth. Such a being deserves the utmost respect and honour when we go to talk to Him. That is why we clean ourselves before prayer.

Salah is a constant reminder why we are here on this Earth and who we worship.

Let’s be honest, it is very easy to get caught up with this world. It is very easy to forget in this world of materialism that we require spirituality in our hearts. We need that time to bring peace and remember in the good times and bad times, everything so temporary which can be liberating. We remember that Allah is the one who can help us and protect us and we should not be attached to anything else except Him.

Salah improves your physical and mental health.

I cannot even begin to explain how many scientists discover things and make it a trend after seeing all the benefits of it when that same thing was already told by us 1400 years ago from the Quran and Sunnah. An example is yoga. Many non Muslims do yoga to stay fit, remain flexible and destress and we Muslims already move our bodies five times a day during prayer. People also now have a gratitude journal and plan out their goals, but Salah already establishes this as you are grateful to Allah for your blessings and you can ask Allah for whatever you want that will make you happy long term.

Salah helps you to manage your time.

One tip that everyone should follow is to plan your day around Salah, rather than the other way round. The five prayer times are fixed, so when you are studying, you could tell yourself that you will complete one chapter before Asr and then do three chapters before Maghrib.

Salah helps you to refocus on your goals and remember your priorities.

Unfortunately, this world and social media has made it so easy for us to compare ourselves to each other. But Islam tells us to focus on ourselves and being the best version of ourselves. The time to make Dua to Allah is so powerful because you ask Allah for what you want and you remember that it is possible if Allah wills.

Salah is what differentiates a believer from a non believer.

One of the main motivations for me to start praying Salah was the fact that it differentiates a believer from a non believer.

“Between a man and shirk and kufr there stands his neglect of the prayer.” Muslim in Kitaab al-Eemaan

Salah is a commandment of Allah. It is the first thing asked when you die.

Salah is your foundation. The first thing asked when you die is whether you performed your Salah. It is the basis of faith. This is shown in the Hadith below.

“The first action for which a servant of Allah will be held accountable on the Day of Resurrection will be his prayers. If they are in order, he will have prospered and succeeded. If they are lacking, he will have failed and lost. Sunan al-Tirmidhī 413

Salah is a direct way to make your message heard in the Heavens.

One of the most beautiful things I heard was ‘Sujood is so powerful because when your head is on the ground, you are reaching the highest of Heavens.’

Salah deletes sins and reaps great rewards.

Every good deed is taken into account and is being taken on your scales for the Hereafter. Allah is All Hearing and All Seeing so He sees every time you pray your Salah, and every word you utter. Prayer is a form of Dhikr and Dhikr reaps rewards and deletes your sins.

Salah protects you from evil – both evil others put on you and also prevents you from committing sins.

The Quran states that:

“Recite what has been revealed to you of the Book, and perform the Salah. Verily, the Salah prevents from Al-Fahsha’ (immoral sins) and Al-Munkar (evil deeds) and the remembering (praising) of Allah is greater indeed. And Allah knows what you do.” Surah Al-Ankaboot (29:45)

There was also a video from Smile 2 Jannah where a real magician talks about how they find it difficult to do magic on Muslims who pray their Salah because praying Muslims are protected. You want to be protected and remain healthy? Pray your Salah.

Salah is a time where you can talk about your worries to the One who can solve them.

If we want to meet any celebrity such as Elon Musk or even Barack Obama, we need to book appointments and perhaps wait weeks, if not months to be able to talk to them. However, Allah, the Greatest and the Most Important has made it so easy for us to talk to Him. We just need to raise our hands and ask Allah to get rid of our problems, our struggles. How liberating is that?

Salah teaches you discipline.

Who would you consider more disciplined: the person who wakes up at 5am to pray in the morning, and then goes on about their day such as exercise or work, or the person who wakes up 15 minutes before their class starts and rushes to class with their pyjamas on looking tired? Of course, the former is more disciplined and more healthy. This is what prayer does to you. It gives you purpose to wake up and succeed. That is why the Adhan (call to prayer) even says: ‘Come to prayer. Come to success.’

There are so many reasons I can discuss why Salah is crucial to success in all aspects of life, but I will finish here. I hope you found this article beneficial, and don’t be afraid to read this article whenever you need a reminder

As always, Allah knows best.

For those of you who may not know, I have now started my Medium blog linked here. If you would like to support my work, please comment down below this post, or head over to Medium to support me there, as well as thousands of other creators on the platform for free.

Thank you for reading, and have a lovely day!

How To Be High Value In Islam

Surobi Mohammed — Sun, 02 Apr 2023 16:11:54 +0000

In the 21st century, the word ‘high value’ is thrown around a lot as many people strive to be high value. For many people, the word ‘high value’ has a different meaning. Some may think that it means to be rich or love a luxury lifestyle. But to others, it means to have an abundance mindset. But what does our religion Islam say about being high value? In this article, I will be sharing with you all tips on how to be high value in Islam.

These tips were given by Ustadh Abu Taymiyyah and the link to watch this lecture where I obtained these tips is down below.

Purify your inner and outer self.

The first trait of a high value Muslim is someone who is constantly purifying themselves in and out. From the outside, this can mean staying hygienic, being clean and also using your senses to look at clean, Halal things. It also means teaching others about the Scripture and being a leader. For the inside, it means having a good diet, but also being spiritual by praying your 5 prayers and structuring your life according to the Scripture. Remember that you need consistency because surely:

The best of sinners are those who turn back to Allah.

Allah will humiliate you if you don’t follow Him so don’t focus your time and energy on pleasing others and instead seek to please Allah.

A high value man is one who maintains and finances for his woman.

This may be applied to men but I think women can learn from this too. Being a high value Muslim is someone who is not lazy and who is striving to fulfil their responsibilities. These are your tasks you have to complete and Islam teaches us that a man should be the masculine provider of the family and a woman should be the feminine complementary role who provides peace to herself and her husband. Mastering and understanding your responsibilities and acting upon them can make you high value and help you to have the right focus to achieve your goals.

A high value man is one who has Ghayrah (protective jealousy).

Protective jealousy is missing amongst many men today. It is when a man does not want his women to be exposed and keeps her safe. Of course, this does not mean that a man should not let the women in his life achieve their goals, because surely men should be supportive to their wives. But for example, a man should not be okay with letting their wife just roam around outside at 1am in the morning for no legitimate reason. Feminism can trick many women into believing that women are weak and going out at night makes them strong, but Islam teaches us that women already have all the rights they need and we should feel safe and protected by the men in our families. For a woman, it is to know your boundaries and values that is really helpful to protect yourself. They should not expose their adornment. They should be self aware.

Those were the three main tips shared in the lecture and the explanation for each tip was based on the lecture but also based on my research and experience. Jazakallah Khair for reading. Please share this article with anyone who can benefit!

The lecture I watched: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7arv31OhJs

As always, Allah knows best.

Thank you for reading, and have a lovely day!

Beautify Your Character This Ramadan / The One Important Thing Everyone Forgets In Ramadan

Surobi Mohammed — Sun, 26 Mar 2023 14:10:46 +0000

Assalamu Alaikum everyone! Ramadan Mubarak! We all know the five pillars of Islam: Shahadah, Salah, Zakah, Sawm and Hajj. However, many people forget this Quranic verse, where Allah says:

“O Messenger of Allah! It is a great Mercy of God that you are gentle and kind towards them; for, had you been harsh and hard-hearted, they would all have broken away from you.”
(Quran 3:159)

This is so beautiful and the absolute truth. The reason that some of these people who were once non Muslims, who were once burying their daughters alive, who were once committing the filthiest acts, all came to Islam were because of the Prophet’s character. It is because of the Prophet’s warmth, kindness and love. The way the Prophet understood their struggles but taught them patience. The way the Prophet forgave others despite being hurt. The way the Prophet gave to the orphans and the needy. This was the beauty of his character that brought people to Islam.

One Surah that was sent down to beautify your character to the Prophet (pbuh) was Surah Hujurat. Here are some of the takeaways I learnt from this Surah through this beautiful lecture (linked at the bottom of the article) from Ustadh Abu Taymiyyah (May Allah bless him):

Surah Hujurat was sent down to adorn the people of faith with the best of etiquettes

The Prophet was sent to perfect our morals and teach us how to be kind.

There are two types of etiquettes: with Allah and with people

Once you fix the etiquettes with Allah and you please Allah, Allah will take care of what is between you and others because Allah changes the heart of people.

To fix etiquettes with people, we need to remember that we do not have a guarantee that our good deeds have been accepted. We are all humans who always need to better ourselves so we should be kind to each other.

Allah causes the righteous acts of people to disappear if you are doing sins behind closed doors.

You need to be righteous in front of people but also righteous with Allah behind closed doors. If you are faking it, then Allah will be displeased with you and will cause your sins to get exposed in front of others. These private sins will lead you to go astray.

The best way to be righteous both alone and in public is to do more righteous deeds alone than in public.

By doing more righteous deeds alone, you know that you are being sincere and you are not showing off to others. In Sha Allah, this will help to purify your intentions.

There are three reasons why Allah exposes your sins.

Allah gives you chances but after a certain point, He will expose your shortcomings. This is to act as a punishment, notification or as a lesson for the people.

If you want Allah to forgive you, forgive others.

Not only are you increasing your chances of Allah for forgiving you, but you also improve your character by doing so.

Don’t listen to tale carriers.

Tale carriers are those who spread rumours about others and separate between loved ones. This is a huge sin and it is prevalent today where couples are getting divorced, and this affects the future generations and their Islam.

There are six things every believer should do when there is a tale carrier.

Don’t listen to the tale carrier and don’t trust them, advise them, hate them for the sake of Allah as they are despised by Allah, don’t have bad thoughts about the victim whose rumours are being spread around about, don’t spy on one another and do not tell others what they said.

As part of good character, you can joke but you should follow these six conditions when joking.

Don’t mock the deen of Allah, don’t mock people, don’t lie, don’t shock people, don’t be excessive, choose the right time to joke.

Check out the lecture I gained the knowledge from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9y1NcEAO2g

I hope that In Sha Allah this article has benefited you in some way. For those of you who may not know, I have now started my Medium blog linked here. If you would like to support my work, please comment down below this post, or head over to Medium to support me there, as well as thousands of other creators on the platform for free.

Jazakallah Khair for reading. Share this article to a loved one and In Sha Allah, you will be rewarded.

As always, Allah knows best.

Thank you for reading, and have a lovely day!

How To Master Your Salah (Even At School or At Work)

Surobi Mohammed — Sat, 11 Mar 2023 21:59:48 +0000

“Between a man and shirk and kufr there stands his neglect of the prayer.”
Narrated by Muslim in Kitaab al-Eemaan from Jaabir ibn ‘Abd-Allaah from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)

I know how it feels. You are a busy student in school, you may not have many Muslim friends, and you really want to pray your Salah in school, but you don’t know how to. How do you keep your Wudhu? How do you make the time to pray? How do you get rid of the embarrassment of someone walking into your room when you pray? Worry not, because in this article, I will be sharing with you all the tips on how to pray even in school or at work, whether you are a Hijabi or a non Hijabi.

What is Salah?

Salah is one of the pillars of Islam. Muslims perform prayers and pray their 5 prayers throughout the day at set assigned times.

Before school/work:

Make Wudhu.

Hopefully, you are making Wudhu in the morning for Fajr anyways. You can choose to keep this Wudhu on for the rest of the day or even do Wudhu right before you leave the house. Regardless of when you do Wudhu, wear a pair of socks while you are in the state of Wudhu. Even if you do not plan to break your Wudhu, if it ends happening, you can just do Masah over Socks.

Take the essentials with you.

If you are a non Hijabi, always keep a headscarf with you, preferably the long home ones. You can just buy one only to wear outside and always keep it in your bag. Also have a pocket prayer mat. If you wear makeup, and you suspect you will need to wipe your make up off, have a cleanser and cotton pads to wipe them off. Keep a water bottle to use in the toilet, if you need to use the toilet. For me as a Hijabi, I just carry a pocket prayer mat with me everywhere. I also keep a moisturiser to moisturise my face after Wudhu.

It might seem like a lot, but trust me, it is not that much in the long run.

Check the prayer times and make a to do list around your prayers.

This is the best way to ensure your prayers are incorporated. You can also fit your tasks around your prayers. Another reason why you should do this is because then you also know when your free periods are to make Wudhu so you can get prepared for prayer.

During School/Work:

Do Wudhu.

So it may feel a little scary to do this in public. But please do not be ashamed of doing Wudhu in front of others. Muslims will usually know what you are doing and if you encounter non Muslims, tell them that you are getting ready for prayer. If they have questions, seek knowledge about Wudhu. Remember that you are not only spreading Dawah but you are also cleansing yourself and your sins are falling off before prayer. So make Wudhu with confidence.

You also don’t need to wash your feet if you did Masah over socks. If you want more information about this, check out this article.

Find a spot to pray.

You are incredibly lucky if you have a prayer room in your school/work place. I am absolutely blessed that my school does have a prayer room and I thank Allah for it. If you don’t have access to a prayer room, find a spare room to pray in. No one should ever restrict you from prayer unless you are interrupting anything. Have the app on your phone to find the Qibla and then place your pocket prayer mat on the ground and pray!

Bonus tip: consistency is key!

On those days where your Imaan is low, you may find it hard to pray. There will be days where you ask yourself what is the point, you may feel lazy or too sad. But remember that Allah sees your efforts. And indeed, Allah promises that:

Make friends who also pray if possible! You can keep each other accountable! You can then start to go to Islamic events and improve even more. But always keep your intentions pure.

So keep praying! It will pay off in this life or/and in the Hereafter In Sha Allah!

That is it! That is how you pray!

I hope you have enjoyed reading this article. If you enjoyed this article or found it beneficial, please check out my other articles too:

As always, Allah knows best. Thank you for reading, and have a lovely day!

Shaytan’s Khutbah / Discussing The Social Issues of the 21st Century

Surobi Mohammed — Sun, 29 Jan 2023 21:15:57 +0000

Assalamu Alaikum to the Muslims or hello to the non-Muslims! In this article, I will be sharing my fabulous and exciting trip to East London Mosque where I listened to a talk from The Sunnah Guy and Abu Taymiyyah. This happened on the 14th January 2023, and it was the first Islamic event I attended on 2023 Alhamdulillah. So what did I learn?

Disclaimer: As usual, I was not able to list all the lessons I learnt on this blog post, so I am just sharing some of the key highlights that I learned.

What is the ‘Shaytan’s Khutbah’ event?

This event happened in the East London Mosque, held by The Sunnah Guy and Abu Taymiyah. They discussed some of the social issues of the 21st century so it was the perfect talk for everyone.

Timeline of Events:

The doors opened at 6:30pm. My sister and I arrived slightly later. This event was so packed with thousands of people that they had to open up the first floor Subhanallah! My sister and I went upstairs and we were able to watch it from the big screen. It was spacious and there were many sisters there.

First Speaker: The Sunnah Guy
Prayed Isha in East London Mosque
Second Speaker: Charity
Third Speaker: Abu Taymiyah
The Sunnah Guy and Abu Taymiyah
QnA session

First Speaker: The Sunnah Guy

I was so excited to see The Sunnah Guy as his shorts on YouTube are very engaging and beneficial. You can find them here: https://youtube.com/@thesunnahguy
‘The best of sinners are those who turn back to Allah.’
One’s desires are their shackles so don’t be fooled by social media as they may lack fulfilment and instead have the right expectations in this world
Focus on yourself and save yourself from the Hellfire by being with ode who encourage you to be on right path and never feel shy to be Muslim.

Second Speaker: Charity Partner

Third Speaker: Abu Taymiyah

There will be four directions which are the ways Shaytan takes you away from Allah:
Front – doubts about the Hereafter and religion (through philosophy)
Back – cause them to love the Dunya and keep asking ‘what’s next?’ when in reality the heart craves for its Creator.
Right – blocking away from knowledge.
Shaytan cannot come above and in between you and Allah.
Our ultimate purpose is to worship Allah.
Shaytan can use other tricks such as through pronouns/surgery/watching movies. But the most beloved act of Shaytan is drugs and intoxication.
Every man is for himself so don’t do evil acts for anyone and you are the one who accepts the invitation.
The two types of clothing are:
Clothing to wear on our bodies.
Clothing of Taqwa: having self consciousness
Men are made weak so be careful how you conduct yourself.
The more you learn about Allah, the more glorified it will become.
The 6 tricks of the devil: committing Kufr/Shirk, innovations, major sins, minor sins, busying yourself with what is less virtuous, and your family members.
Always ask yourself, ‘what is the root cause of all these sins?’
Everyone is welcome in the mosque, whether you are a non Hijabi or whether you are a niqabi, Whether you are a drug addict, whether you are practising or non practising, you are welcome into the mosque and into Islam.

Fourth Speaker: The Sunnah Guy and Abu Taymiyah

Stay close to your elders and a man and a woman should not be secluded.
The more Haram you do outside of marriage, the less Baraka in your marriage.
Men’s weakness are women and money so make sure you have good people around you.
Music will cause hypocrisy as it exposes you to women, takes you away from Quran and the love of music and Quran cannot happen together.

Q&A session

Work towards being a righteous person. Look for a wife not only with looks but also who will be a righteous mother.
To stop watching inappropriate content online, get rid of smartphone just like Sulaiman (pbuh) slaughtered his branded horse.
Pray two rakats when you fall into sin and keep going.

Food:

In terms of food, my sister each had our own egg bread which was bread containing egg which was really huge and quite delicious. We also had pakoras.

Alhamdulillah, this was my article on this amazing event! I really enjoyed this event by the mercy of Allah and I would highly recommend anyone to come to events such as these. It was very engaging and both speakers were fabulous (may Allah bless them).

Please share this article with anyone who can benefit.

Of course, as always Allah knows best.

Thank you for reading, and have a lovely day!

‘Paradise on Earth’ Islamic Event / My Experience, The Lessons And The Food

Surobi Mohammed — Sun, 18 Dec 2022 21:26:48 +0000

“By Allah, that Allah guides a man through you is better for you than a herd of expensive red camels.”
Sahih Al Bukhari 2487

Assalamu Alaikum to my Muslim readers or hello to my non-Muslim readers. I had the pleasure and the privilege of going to an Islamic event on Friday 16th December 2022. This event was known as ‘Paradise on Earth’ and it featured four great speakers Subhanallah. They were none other than Hamza Tzortzis, Yahya Rabbi, Asim Khan and Kazi Ashiqur Rahman.

In this article, I will be sharing my experience at this event. I was not able to list all the lessons I learnt, but In Sha Allah, you can still benefit from this article.

What is the ‘Paradise on Earth’ event?

The ‘Paradise on Earth’ event is an event that was hosted by some speakers. This event was held at the London Muslim Centre in Whitechapel, London.The four topics that it consisted of were: ‘Up All Night’, ‘Pathway To Paradise’, ‘Your Mother’ and ‘The Great Struggle’. This event was for brothers and sisters.

Timeline of Events:

The doors opened at 6:30pm. My female friends and I arrived around that time and after we got registered, we took our seats. There was food available such as sweets and samosas. At around 7pm, the event began whereby the host went over some logistics before going over to speakers.

First Speaker: Kazi Ashiqur Rahman
Prayed Isha in East London Mosque
Second Speaker: IlmForum
Third Speaker: Hamza Tzortsis
Fourth Speaker: Charity Partner ‘Action For Humanity’
Fifth Speaker: Yahya Rabbi
Sixth Speaker: Asim Khan
Seventh Speaker: Closing Dua
‘The Divine Reality’ Book Signing

First Speaker: Kazi Ashiqur Rahman – Pathway To Paradise

Allah gives you 10 Salams when you give Salam to the Prophet (pbuh).
Some of the ways to get to Jannah:
Repeat after the Muezzin when he does the Adhan, except when they say ‘Haya alal Falah’ and ‘Haya alal Salah’, where you say ‘La hawla la quwwata illa billahil alliyul azeem’.
As long as you do no Shirk, you pray your Salah, fast in Ramadan, do the 5 pillars of Islam and do many acts of Ibadah, you will go to Jannah.
If you visit a sick person, it is very rewarding.
There are a few signs that one will go to Jannah when they are in their grave: perfume/scent will emanate from the grave, the grave is widened and it is a peaceful death.

Second Speaker: Ilm Forum

‘Charity extinguishes sins like water extinguishes fire’.

Third Speaker: Hamza Tzortzis – The Greatest Struggle

Dawah is to invite and it is to spread the essence of Islam and the Quran which is Tawheed. The main messages one should spread when giving Dawah is: to promote the oneness of Allah, to encourage using the Prophet (pbuh) as a role model, to reduce hatred of Islam, and showcase its superiority as Islam is not a failed civilization.
Allah praises us if we give Dawah. We have a collective duty to give Dawah as Muslims and Allah favours, honours and considers those who give Dawah/perform good work as the best of people.
Dawah also means you start connecting to the Quran more and there is an Imam Bukhari Hadith that states that guiding people to Islam is the best type of wealth.

Fourth Speaker: Charity Partner ‘Action For Humanity’

‘Tara Taree’ Samosa and Chicken Roll

Each of the food items were £1.50 and they were being sold in the centre. The samosa was filled with the chicken and the delicious Asian flavours. It was large in size and had a nice golden colour at the front and filled with the toppings inside. It was definitely a nice snack to have while listening to the lecture.

The chicken roll looked like one of my favourites, ‘Aloo Chop’. It was nice and large, and it had the orange-golden colour. Overall, this also tasted delicious as well but it did have a hint of spice in it! It was yummy!

‘Cakes And Craves’ Chocolate Cake and Custard

Yum! This was just yum! In the mosque, there was a selection of desserts available and I had a hard time choosing one. In the end, I chose this chocolate cake and custard and there were no regrets Subhanallah! This chocolate cake combined with the custard was absolutely tasty and it was smooth at the top. Even just looking at the cake was tempting. I really enjoyed this dessert, and it was £4.

This charity, Alhamdulillah raised over £30,000 for charity in less than an hour Alhamdulillah, which really shows the generosity of Muslims.

Fifth Speaker: Yahya Rabbi – Up All Night

No act of worship is more important than Salah.
Prayer protects you from Haram, and if it doesn’t make you feel bad for committing sin, then it either means that you have not been praying, or it has not been observed properly.
Salah differentiates whether you are Muslim or not ‘Whoever abandons the prayer, there is no religion.’

Sixth Speaker: Asim Khan – Your Mother

Imam Bukhari, the great author of the Sahih Bukhari books, was partially sighted and eventually became blind. His mother made so much Dua for him and saw a dream with glad tidings for him that He regained his eyesight.
His eyesight was even better than he had previously and he got photographic memory after the Dua.
The 3 prayers were always accepted: the Dua of the Oppressed, the Dua of the Traveller, and the Dua of both parents. In terms of your parents, make the best of the situation by doing what you think Allah would want.

Book Signing

I received the book ‘The Divine Reality: God, Islam and The Mirage of Atheism’ for free with the book signing by the author!

Alhamdulillah, this was my article on this amazing event! I really enjoyed this event by the mercy of Allah and I would highly recommend anyone to come to events such as these. Please share this article with anyone who can benefit.

Of course, as always Allah knows best.

Thank you for reading, and have a lovely day!

10 Habits of Successful Muslims / Become The Best Muslim You Can Be

Surobi Mohammed — Sun, 13 Nov 2022 17:30:35 +0000

Assalamu Alaikum to the Muslim readers or hello to my non Muslim readers!

Through this busy month of November as I am writing this, it can be easy to forget or neglect Islam as we all have so much to do.

But, I have to remind you all of this quote:

‘So, remember me, I will remember you. And be grateful to Me and do not deny me.’ (Al-Baqarah 2:152)

So in this article, I will be sharing 10 of the many small things that you can incorporate into your routine or daily life In Sha Allah to just get one step closer to Allah. Because surely:

‘The most beloved of deeds to Allah are those that are most consistent, even if it is small.’ (Al-Bukhari)

Disclaimer: You do not have to follow all these things. Remember that your journey in Islam is unique to you and as long as you are trying your best and you do what your gut tells you to do, you will be okay. Take things slowly and do it with the right intentions, don’t judge or compare your journey into Islam with anyone else. Allah loves us all <3.

Nail your 5 pillars.

You can’t do maths without learning your basic arithmetic. You cannot write an essay without knowing your letters. Just like that, you cannot truly appreciate Islam without fulfilling your 5 daily prayers. Praying your Salahs is what differentiates a Muslim and a non Muslim. So I urge you to start writing your Salah in your to do list and fulfilling them. This will also structure your routine really well.

Remember Allah.

This is so simple but make it easy for you to remember Allah. We all tend to remember Allah when we are facing hardships, but try to remember Allah when you are happy too. The best way to do this is by incorporating it into your daily speech e.g. saying Alhamdulillah when something good has happened, saying Salam to Muslims or even reading Duas for a specific activity such as studying.

Take some time to focus on the Quran.

How miraculous is it that we have literally been given the words of Allah, our Creator in a book in its original language? How miraculous is it that no one has changed even one letter of this book? How miraculous is it that millions of people strive to memorise this holy and sacred book? Take some time to read the Quran daily or listen to the Quran recitations (my favourite reciter is Ismail Annuri).

Practise modesty.

Modesty is very important and I know that just like with every other aspect of religion, this is also something unique for everyone. Practise being modest the best way you can. To someone, being modest could mean not showing any skin and to someone else that could mean wearing the niqab. Do what is best for you in your journey.

Cleanliness is one half of faith.

Cleanliness is something that isn’t talked about much but I think every Muslim can do this. Stay clean. This can mean many things but for some this can mean having salads for the inside and to someone else this could mean keeping your nails clean.

Talk to others about Islam.

Sometimes, this can be difficult to do as we live in a judgemental society or a cancel culture where perhaps, many can call you out if you do anything wrong if you are deemed to be religious. Don’t let this stop you from talking about Islam. Everyone sins but this should not stop you from trying to do good deeds that could even erase those sins. You can do this by talking to your friends about Islam sometimes.

Be kind to others.

Being kind is so important especially in Islam. Our role model, the Prophet, always spoke in a soft manner and tried to show compassion for others. Give back to those who you appreciate, and sometimes, even listening to someone can be nice. With that being said, it is also crucial for you to seek support when needed and keep your boundaries.

Try to level up in every aspect of your life.

Some Muslims unfortunately have this misconception that only poor people or people with no friends go to Jannah. This could not be further from the truth. Allah wants to see us happy. Allah wants us to earn a Halal income, be fit and have a good lifestyle. So strive to be the best version of yourself. A great way to do this is by reflecting in every aspect of your life and thinking about how to improve on it.

Make dua.

Dua in itself portrays faith in Allah. Dua is the powerful conversation you have with your Lord to express gratitude, seek forgiveness and say your wishes. It fills one’s heart and is the time where you can be vulnerable yet strong. You can do this at the end of your Salah.

Build your own legacy of Islam.

There are so many simple ways you can build your own legacy of Islam that others can benefit from and you can gain rewards from. Whether that is donating charity to build a well that hundreds of people can use, or whether it is writing a blog like this one, you can record ways that you have gained good deeds and In Sha Allah the angels will record these good deeds in your book too.

These were ten of the many things you can do as a Muslim. Jazakallah for reading till the end. Remember to enjoy the journey in Islam, however hard it gets!

Comment down below one thing that you will do from this article!

Thank you for reading, and have a lovely day!

5 Ways To Reconnect With Allah For Back To School

Surobi Mohammed — Sat, 27 Aug 2022 20:07:52 +0000

Hello everyone! There is just around 1 week left until back to school and honestly it has come about so fast. One of the things that many students like to do is get ready for back to school by buying new stationery, cleaning and organising and by creating new routines. However, this year I wanted to give it a twist and share how you can recharge your Iman and get closer to Allah this academic year. So get smarter in books but also in Islam In Sha Allah!

When creating new routines, incorporate your 5 Salahs.

At this time of year, many people are creating their ideal morning and evening routine to follow every day. So if you are, add in your prayer times first and then all your other tasks. That way you prioritise your prayers and also work everything around your prayers. I know prayers can sometimes be difficult to do for some people, but without the constant remembrance of Allah 5 times a day, you won’t have a foundation and it would be hard to build up your faith in Allah.

Make learning about Islam exciting.

Shaytan can make you feel like learning about Islam is difficult or complicated when in reality it is so simple and exciting. Find ways to learn about Islam from authentic sources. If you love reading books, pick up some books on Islam. If you like listening to podcasts, subscribe to some. The world has a wealth of resources so don’t be afraid to dig in and incorporate some research every day.

Invest in some good materials.

While thinking of going back to school shopping for stationery and books, have you thought about shopping for some Islamic items? For me, I went to the Zam Zam store recently, and I bought myself a new cotton hijab to wear while praying. Buy yourself some items (you don’t need to break the bank) that could possibly motivate you to get closer to the religion and help fulfil your Sunnahs, whether it is a comfy prayer mat, Atar or even a nail cutter.

Connect with the Quran.

Again, a very simple habit but one that many struggle to do. If you feel overwhelmed with the thought of reading 10 chapters of the Quran every day, then don’t. Because a) you don’t need to overwhelm yourself and b) you don’t even need to read 10 chapters. Find a way that will make reading the Quran a habit, even if it is two verses every day. Whether it is by installing an app such as Quranly that motivates you to read the Quran or having a set time in the day e.g. after Zuhr, you can find a way to read a few verses every day for some time. Indeed, something is better than nothing.

Accept that seasons change but consistency is key.

One thing that you need to accept as you strengthen your connection with Allah is that your Imaan (faith) will have seasons. There may be times where you feel so connected and you feel like to pray your extra prayers, read more of the Quran or attend the mosque daily. And there may be other times where even praying the 5 compulsory prayers gets difficult for you. And that is okay. You are not perfect, but you are practising and that is what matters. Even if you have time where you don’t feel connected, my biggest tip would be to just keep being consistent with your prayers. Because as soon as you start missing your Salah, it is easy to forget about all the other aspects of Islam. Be self aware of your bad habits and keep working on them. Keep working on your relationship with Allah. I promise you that it feels so good to know that there is someone out there for us, guiding us, loving us, and always there to forgive us.

I hope that these five tips help you to start supercharging your Imaan and I pray that we all feel the peace and contentment in our souls that we can only feel with the presence of Allah in our lives.

Of course, Allah always knows best.

Please share this article with anyone going back to school/work!

Thank you for reading, and have a lovely day!

I Went To The Fun Family Nasheed Event / Solo Travel 3

Surobi Mohammed — Sat, 30 Jul 2022 09:13:41 +0000

Hello everyone! In this article, I will be sharing my experiences with going to an event very recently. As a Muslimah who loves to strengthen my connection with Allah as best as I can, I thought I would share my thoughts on this event I went to on Saturday 23rd July 2022. The event was held in The Atrium and the nasheed artists that were present were Omar Esa, Imtiyaz, Ehsan Tahmid and Ilyas Mao.

When I first came to the event, I was feeling a little nervous due to a few reasons. However, as the time went by, I realised that many Muslims from all over London and maybe the UK were coming to see this. By the time I was leaving, I was glad to have come to this event.

What is The Fun Family Nasheed Event?

This event was held by Charity Right or perhaps sponsored by them. The event was held in The Atrium Bethnal Green and it was a Nasheed royale with Nasheed artists, Omar Esa, Ehsaan Tahmid, Imtiyaaz and Ilyas Mao. They also had free food and they were also giving out calligraphy.

What happened in the event?

The event started at around 6pm but we were told to arrive at 5:30pm. I arrived at 5:30 and there was already a pretty long queue waiting for everyone to enter. We had to book our free tickets before hand and after showing it to the staff, I entered a great hall with lots of chairs, somewhat like a lecture hall. We were first introduced to the programme by the hosts who were quite funny and they were very engaging, especially by making the kids enter. Later on Ehsaan Tahmid came and after singing a few nasheeds, including having a sneak peek of his new nasheed on fathers, Omar Esa came. Omar Esa’s family sat at the front and then Omar Esa performed some of his popular nasheeds, some that I have known for years such as Aisha (RA), and also new ones that I hadn’t properly heard (and I loved) which was Superhero. I also loved how everyone started singing along and I felt this peacefulness. I felt great to be with my Ummah. After listening to Omar Esa’s nasheeds, I then left at 7:30pm, when the event finished at 9:30. This was because my house was far away and this meant that I was not able to try the food or look at the calligraphy. However, it was still enjoyable and Alhamdulillah it was something new I had never experienced before.

What did I like about the event?

I liked how everyone got together and sang the nasheeds together.
I really liked how the hosts and the Nasheed artists were quite funny and engaging.
I also liked how the venue was quite spacious and any Muslim could come as it was free.

What did I not like about the event?

There was one instance where this woman in the row front of me started shouting about another lady which I found a bit disrespectful but the event volunteers handled it quite well.
I also wish they gave a rough schedule of the timings in the future so I could know what was coming up and when each artist was coming.

Would I recommend it?

I would recommend it. I know it can be nerve wrecking to go to an event such as this as a non-Hijabi but remember you are doing this to strengthen your connection with Allah and you should focus on yourself. That is why I felt quite happy to have went to this event.

I really hope you have enjoyed this article. If you want attend Islamic events like this in the future, subscribe to Nasheed artists YouTube channels or Instagrams and that willl allow you to stay updated. I found this Nasheed event from Omar Esa’s YouTube channel. Make sure to read my other articles.

Thank you so much for reading, and have a lovely day!

Eid Prayers At Valentines Park / Eid 2022 Diaries

Surobi Mohammed — Sun, 29 May 2022 10:26:11 +0000

Eid Prayers

As I have already stated in my previous article, Eid 2022 was the best Eid of my life. After getting 3 hours of sleep after going to Chand Raat, I woke up at around 6:30 in the morning and I got ready to go to Eid prayers. Eid prayers are special because you get to thank Allah for getting you through Ramadan, you gain blessings by saying the Takbeer and you get to be with the Ummah starting Eid together. I went to Valentines Park for Eid this year for the first time, where Mufti Menk holds the Eid Salah.

What is Valentines Park?

Valentines Park is a park that is south of Gants Hill and is the largest green space in the London borough of Redbridge.

What are Eid Prayers?

For those who don’t know, Eid Salah celebrates and commemorates the end of Ramadan on the day of Eid-ul-Fitr. They are usually two rakats of Eid prayer and involve saying a lot of Takbeer to thank Allah and gain blessings. They can be done at home or outside, and this year, I really wanted to do it outside with my Ummah.

What did I like about doing Eid prayers in Valentines Park?

Valentine Park is a beautiful park, with a pond, ducks, trees with flowers and of course, a large green space. It really reminded me of the beautiful world that Allah has put me in.
I got to listen to and be part of the prayers held by the world-renowned Mufti Menk, an eloquent Muslim scholar who has inspired many Muslims.
The talk this year was about the 5 pillars of Islam, which was a simple topic, yet I remember feeling the deep sense of peace in my heart while listening as well as guilt for any mistakes/sins I have commited in the past.
Praying together as an Ummah with the breeze rushing made me feel like Allah was blessing us, and with the soft sunlight pouring on us, it was even better.
I accomplished something good right from the start of the day Alhamdulillah and I had the whole rest of the day to enjoy Eid.
I then went to the funfair for a little while, where I saw my Chemistry teacher, got to see Mufti Menk and walked around with my sister to see the rides and food for a little while.

What did I dislike about doing Eid prayers in Valentines Park?

I really liked how different Muslims from different backgrounds came together on this day. There were hundreds of people, the old and the young, men, women and children, and the sick and healthy. There were Hijabis and non-Hijabis. As a non-Hijabi, I felt slightly scared and guilty of taking off my Hijab after the prayer but I realised that we are all ion our own journey of Islam, and we should not judge others, instead we should focus on ourselves.
There were men and women both exiting the park, and I think they should have separated the male and female exits.

Would I recommend it?

Yes, yes and yes! I would highly recommend going to this park just for fun and also when Eid Salah happens, which normally happens every year! Even if you are non-Muslim, you are welcome to come and watch the Eid Salah and witness the peace that we Muslims feel while praying!

This was my short review or diary entry about doing Eid prayers in Valentines Park in 2022. These are my opinions about this place. Make sure to check out my other articles.

Thank you for reading, and have a lovely day!