CAN I GUIDE OTHERS?

Assalamualaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakaatuhu

"Perhaps, [O Muhammad], you would kill yourself with grief that they will not be believers.

If We willed, We could send down to them from the sky a sign for which their necks would remain humbled.

And no revelation comes to them anew from the Most Merciful except that they turn away from it.

For they have already denied, but there will come to them the news of that which they used to ridicule.

Did they not look at the earth - how much We have produced therein from every noble kind?

Indeed in that is a sign, but most of them were not to be believers." [ Surah Ash-Shuára:2-8]

These ayats are very comforting when you feel something like how Rasool Sallalahu alaihi wasallam felt...

Every once in a while you get this jerk of life that hits you to remind you that you can't guide anybody to what''s the truth. You cannot change the hearts of anybody. You can't put others in your place and position to know what you know or to feel what you feel.

It's only Allah alone Who Guides and can change the heart of the person who is really looking for a change.


Many times I have found myself in the situation where bringing people closer to Islam is only by feeding words into their ears and then simultaneously praying for them. It works wonders. But this needs to be a consistent act with a lot of patience.


What hasn't normally worked was the constant nagging and making others understand what you know and how you feel the iman in yourself that others don't and won't feel. You can't force anybody to do a certain thing when they don't have the iman at that point of their lives to do an act of deed. 

What needs to be done is strengthening the basic core of Islam first, that is knowing Allah and getting to know the Prophet Sallalahu alaihi wasallam. Teaching them the basics of Islam that is the aqeeda of Laa ilaha illallah and the pillars of iman and pillars of Islam. When these cores are strengthened only then the fruitful act of good deeds will be produced.
You don't have to ask them to pray yet. They should pray on their own after they've learned the meaning of their Kalima tayyiba. Maybe asking them to pray can be done when they are at their very emotional and rough phases of their lives, so they can turn to Allah and pour in all their sorrows to Him. But someone who already knows about the real importance of Prayer should be reminded constantly and everytime of the day. 

Ilm is the basic and the most important thing that we all need to learn. It is fard upon every muslim to learn the main and basic ilm of Islam. 

Our main concern is to bring people close to Islam at least by making them stay away from the major sins like Shirk, biddat, disobeying parents, zina, riba, drinking alcohol etc. That way Allah keeps having mercy upon them, keeps guiding them and makes the path of Jannah easy for them. in sha Allah!

And it's not that easy to be honest. Not every one you meet is going to be a hard core practicing muslim. I mean we all have flaws but not everyone is going to pray five times a day or not listen to music or don't have a bf or gf. Not everyone you find or meet out there does the right things all the time.

Main thing to remember is that you are not pious and nor were you pious when you knew nothing about Islam. You were just like them. Humble yourself. Thank Allah for guiding you.
You also need to remember how would you have wanted others to approach to you when you were in the times of jahaalat and gaflat.
When bringing others close to Islam, you need to purify your intentions on what you are doing and why you are doing it and for whom you are doing it and proceed with the best of your patience. 

Guide People to Islam through what was was sent as a guidance; through the Qurán and the Sunnah. Use these guides as a means for guiding others and see how Allah guides them; if He wills. 

Learn to accept that you can never guide anyone. You are only their to deliver a message and forbid the evil and command the good. Make duwa for your family, relatives, friends and the muslim ummah, and after that your work is done...

May Allah guide us to the straight path. Ameen!

This might not be a very beneficial post but this is something that many of us need to feel relieved about. These ayats are comforting and makes you feel that Allah is the ultimate GUIDE. He guides Whom He shall will and unto Him is our final return. We are there to be good muslims and help others in the same journey as us.  :D

جزاكم الله خيرا كثيرا for reading! Ask me anything regarding this topic here at http://ask.fm/manalmirza23 

Thank you for reading. 

Please feel free to send me the link of your blogs and comment below if you have similar views. 

- Manal Mirza

DO YOU HAVE THE QUALITY OR SIGN OF A HYPOCRITE?

 Assalamualaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakaatuhu

This post is just to make us all aware of what the qualities of a hypocrite are and how we need to stay away from these qualities in order to be saved from the extreme harsh punishment in aakhirat. 

“There are four (characteristics), whoever has all of them is a complete hypocrite, and whoever has some of them has some element of hypocrisy, unless he gives it up: when he speaks, he lies; when he makes a treaty, he betrays it; when he makes a promise, he breaks it; when he quarrels, he resorts to insults.”(Narrated by Muslim, 53) 

“Verily, the hypocrites will be in the lowest depth (grade) of the Fire”[al-Nisaa’ 4:145]

1. They lie whenever they speak.

2. They make promises with no intention in fulfilling it and later break it to escape from the commitment.

3. They break the trust when they are entrusted with it.

4. They do not spend in the way of Allah and also stop others from spending or doing any good deed. 

5. They do not pray Fajr and Isha.

6. They avoid and dislike masjids and even if they do go, they go when the prayer is about to finish.

7. They become transgressive, violent and abusive in disputes. 

8. They speak a lot and say what they will do but when the time comes when their need is required, they flee from it secretly.

9. They don't do salam properly because they are actually cursing.

10. He eats from the stolen and steals from the war of booty. 

11. He sleeps a lot and is heedless about Fajr and Isha and gets up to pray with laziness.

12. They care a lot about physical appearance and having a beautiful speech but their hearts are hollow and shallow filled with jealousy, malice and hatred. 

13. They are double faced. They are camouflaged in whichever environment or majlis they go.  They are different in different majlis according to others just to blend in.

14. They worry a lot about what people might say or think. Hence, they do everything just to please people and gain their acceptance.

15. If you ask them to seek forgiveness from Allah, they turn away in arrogance not accepting their mistake.
16. Whenever they hear an alarm for seizing the cheaters, they become scared and traumatized in fear of getting caught of their mischief.
17. They prefer worldly life over the life of the aakhirat. Their process of mind is based from the knowledge of the worldly perspective. 
18. They are extremely negative and are always criticizing in every good thing they see.
19. They demotivate the believers into doing any good deed.
20. They show off in their Salat and in any good deeds they do.
21. They insult others by reminding others' of the favors they have done on them. 
22. They take credit for the things they haven't done in order to gain praise, compliments and fame. 
23. They deny in some parts of the Qur'an and sunnah and take some which suits their desires.
24. They advice people to do bad things and forbid them from doing good.
25. They do not follow the sunnah and turn away from it in aversion when asked to follow the sunnah. 

26. They make fun of Islam and Rasool Sallalahu Alaihi wasallam and make fun of those muslims who practice Islam.

And when it is said to them, "Come to what Allah has revealed and to the Messenger," you see the hypocrites turning away from you in aversion. Surah An Nisa 61

There are many more signs of a hypocrites. These are the many signs that I could find from the way the hypocrites behaved during the time of Prophet Muhammad Sallalahu alaihi wasallam, from the hadith and also from the Qur'an.
To know more about the Munaafiqoon (hypocrites) read Surah At Tauba and Surah Al Munafiqoon.
For much detailed version with daleels, click this link.

The cure of hypocrisy is to fear  the severe consequences of this disease (that is the lowest pit in the Hell), to give lots of charity (that will remove the love of wealth), to do lots of dhikr of Allah, fear Allah even in public and privacy, to sincerely seek repentance of our sins and cry to Allah to change our hearts. And the best cure is to learn what is in the Qur'an and gain knowledge and then act upon the guidance and path of Allah.

May Allah protect us from nifaaq and remove any kind of hypocrisy from our hearts. Ameen 

جزاكم الله خيرا كثيرا


 Ask me anything regarding this topic here. Thank you for reading. Please feel free to send me the link of your blogs and comment below if you have similar views. 

- Manal Mirza

Do Not Be Addicted to Money

 Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakaatuhu 

Money shouldn't make people stingy or make them keep accounts of everything. Money was given to us for spending on our family and to give rights to other needy being. Allah blessed us with money as a responsibility to spend moderately on those who depend on you, not to make you stingy, collect and then hoard on it.

Allah says in the Qur'an, 'Woe TO EVERY SLANDERER AND BACKBITER. WHO AMASSES WEALTH AND KEEPS ON COUNTING IT. HE THINKS THAT HIS WEALTH WILL INSURE HIS STATUS FOREVER. By no means! He shall be thrown into the crushing fire." (AL Humaza 1-4)

Let us all become responsible and wise enough to deal with money carefully and beautifully. May Allah make us among those whom He is pleased with. Ameen 

Give charity

Is blaming the media the answer?

Blaming the media has become one of the easiest things we do online especially when we know media isn't on our sides.

Media has and will always be one of those things of our generation that has made one point clear, that they will do anything to defame us and they will do anything to hide the real oppression caused by their people whilst they call Muslims terrorists without any clear proof or without a valid reason. 

We as muslims can't blame media for everything especially for not reporting the sad news of the shootings of the three Muslim young adults at Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Why? Because we know they aren't on our sides and they never will be.  So what's the point? Moreover, we are our own media. We have our own social media. We can create awareness through those.  But is that the only solution? To create awareness of the oppression and humiliation we are facing as a Muslim Ummah?

The only thing we, as a Muslim Ummah need to do is, to get up at night and pray tahajjud. Get up and pray fajr in the masjid and wake up. Wake up from your delusional worldly life. Get back to the tawheed. Remove shirk. Stop worshipping anybody or anything be it money, job, love, children, career and entertainment, more than Allah. Devote your life to Allah. When will we realise Allah will only give us victory when we return back to Allah??

How weak are we to be mesmerised into the plot of shaitaan? For How long will we not pray? For How long will we remain in haram relationships? For how long will we keep disobeying and disrespecting our parents? For how long will we not give zakat or do hajj? For how long will we keep hatred and grudges in our hearts for our beloved Muslims and humans in general? For how long will we have the worst manners? Remember Allah said that the plot of the shaitaan is the weakest. Then it is YOU who is responsible. Let's begin the change now. Do not respond to hate by hate. Do ehsaan. Be patient over the humiliation we are facing as an UMMAH. And have taqwa of Allah, FEAR ALLAH BEFORE YOU DO ANYTHING. Fear Allah.... This is the only way we can truly gain the victory of Allah.  We wouldn't have to plead and cry for the disbelievers to report for us or have sympathy for us. 
Allah won't change our conditions when we aren't even willing to change ourselves. 
May Allah have mercy of the souls of the three Muslims, Deah, Yusor and Razan. May Allah forgive all their sins and keep their charity mission running to give them immense reward even in their Graves. Ameen. 

#‎ChapelHillShootings‬

WHAT TO DO WHEN SOMEONE DIES?

Assalamualaikum Waramatullahi Wabarakaatuhu

Many children, women and men are dying everyday. They are not only dying, they are been killed. Our hearts sympathise and ache from the loss of beautiful kids that were killed by the terrorists in the latest attack in Peshawak. All the deaths that were caused this year made me realise how close we all are to the Day of Judgment.
Nonetheless, it hurt me when Pakistani children were brutally killed by terrorists. It also hurt me when Syrian children terribly suffered from the chemical attacks and it also hurt me severely to see Gazan children dying everyday under bombed houses, hospitals and schools. Moreover, it hurts me when anybody is killed unjustly.
Not a single innocent murdered person has died a less painful death. Their deaths are equally sad for me. Allah is ever Watchful of their oppression and mass murdering of innocent lives. He remembers while we forget. Let us not forget what's our mission. Turn to Allah. Be Muslims, not Pakistanis or Indians. We are Muslims, we support one another. We pray for eachother. We help one another. Let us all stand firm in the deen of Allah. Allah will honor us greatly and Allah will give us victory. Just turn back to His religion... Be just with a Muslim and a non-Muslim. We are humans at the end of the day. So be humans...
Moving on to the next discussion is when a person dies or when a group of children die or anybody die as a matter of fact what should be our amal?
1. Be patient
2. Accept the qadar of Allah. Remember that death is only from the permission of Allah and if He wills for anything to happen, it happens. We can't blame Allah and be angry with Him
3. Pray for that dead person's maghfirat
4. Console and sympathise with the deceased's family. Say encouraging words to them. Let them cry and express their pain and ask them to be patient and trust Allah
5. You can perform umrah and hajj with their names or complete their missed fasts. But only the blood relative can do these to actually benefit the deceased.
6. Take heed from these deaths. Remember even you will die one day so now it's time to prepare for the aakhirat and start changing.
7. Revenge with blood to blood with equality is allowed but with no injustice. But forgiving is more close to Allah and the reward is due on Allah in aakhirat.


But What should one not do??

1. To Start a biddah in groups and read Qur'an for the deceased. Reading the Qur'an is for the living and what you read won't reach the dead. It will increase your good deeds but not theirs. What will reach to the dead are three things, “If a human dies, then his good deeds stop except for three: a Sadaqa Jariah (continuous charity like digging a well, building a masjid etc), a beneficial knowledge (like teaching Qur'an to others so when you die and others learn from what you taught you get the reward too) , or a righteous child who prays for him.” – (Sahih Muslim).
2. To Read tasbeeh or durood for forty days. These are all biddah and rituals which our beloved Rasool sallalahu alaihi wa sallam never did even when his own beloved companions passed away or were killed terribly by the kuffar.
3. To not Feast around and bring lots of food in the house like as if it's a party going on.
4. Do not curse the dead or expose their sins rather recollect all their good deeds.
5. Do not try to seize the wealth of the deceased's inheritors in an unjust manner by not giving the inheritance to the respected rightful people.
6. Do not slap yourselves, hit yourselves or cry loudly by hitting your chest or cursing Allah.
7. To wear white or black clothing by imitating the Christians and Hindus.
8. To start a trend in the same of the dead like the black day which began recently, the two minute silence and the candle lightnings in groups. This is not from our religion.
Please protect yourself from all these biddahs in the name of good intentions. If our good intention is not according to the sunnah then that deed is nullified. Our religion is so easy yet we love to put ourselves into hardships by making matters fard on ourselves which were not ordained on us.
JazakumuaAllah hu khairan for reading please share this information ahead.


Ask me anything regarding this topic here 
Thank you for reading. Please feel free to send me the link of your blogs and comment below if you have similar views. 
- Manal Mirza

REASONS FOR LACK OF GOOD DEEDS

Assalamualaikum Waramatullahi Wabarakaatuhu!

I would like to share one really important ayat with you all that could solve possibly the root cause of why we lack in doing good deeds or why we are lazy and do not seize the opportunity in doing good deeds, or do something that is beneficial for our deen.
Most commonly, we are living our daily lives in heedlessness without any purpose. We are doing what we are doing without worrying the least about aakhirat. We cook, eat, sleep, work, pray and back to sleep. So let me state what this ayat states. 

Whoever desires the harvest of the Hereafter - We increase for him in his harvest. And whoever desires the harvest of this world - We give him thereof, but there is not for him in the Hereafter any share. [Surah Al-Shoora- 20]

Whatever little good deeds we do, we must have an intention to get its reward in the Hereafter. Some of us complain about how we always pray, we always read Qur'an but Allah only afflicts us with troubles and adversity, never did we see anything good in our lives. This mentality arises when we don't do all the worship and good deeds sincerely for the sake of Allah or to attain its ajar in the Aakhirat. 
We must learn to accept the decree of Allah and remember that this world is a jail for a mo'min and paradise for a kafir. What else would you derive from this ayat? This is why you see celebrities and disbelievers getting everything in this world because that's why they are sowing their seeds for, to harvest its product in the dunya, to get all the riches and fame. But what they don't have is the peace and contentment in their hearts. Tis blessing only a true believer is blessed with which Allah gave him as a result of his sincere good deeds, he understands the wisdom of Allah behind every calamity and adversity. 

If a mo'min comes to know the reward of his good deeds in the Aakhirat, he would regret for any of his duwas of good to be accepted in the Dunya. Such is the reward of Allah!

Whoever desires the harvest of the seeds (good deeds) which he sowed in his field (lifetime) to achieve the reward in the Hereafter, it is for him whom Allah will increase. He will increase his reward by 700 times and more, just because of his strong intention. Not only that, He will increase him with more opportunities to do good deeds and therefore more rewards. A mo'min receives reward from Allah in this dunya with 'more ability to do good deeds'. This is a mo'mins reward. 
If you are not doing enough good deeds right now, it can only mean that you are sowing your field with the intention to harvest the fruits in the dunya and overtime, Allah snatches the tawfeeq of doing good deeds away from you which makes you sin immensely and then the shaitaan makes your sins beautiful to you.

Those who have the passion to do good will only get the tawfeeq to do good deeds. 

We usually don't do good deeds when we face trials because that's where shaitaan has an upper hand over a sad believing soul and for shaitaan, the sad believer is an open target to be tricked by him into making the believer believe that all his good deeds are nothing but a waste; all that comes to him from doing good deeds is nothing but trials and tribulations. 

Hasn't this thought ever cross our minds when someone we truly love hurt us after all the good we did to them, and in retaliation we get upset and start refraining to do any form of Ehsan for them? We start asking ourselves; why should I be the one to mend ways first? Why me? What good did it bring me except of sadness? Didn't this thought ever cross our minds? Yes, it did, because all we expected while doing those good deeds was expect its reward and goodness from this world

Which is why Allah says in the above ayat, "And whoever desires the harvest of this world - We give him thereof, but there is not for him in the Hereafter any share" 

That person will not receive any share from the Hereafter and if Allah wills He will give them what they want in the dunya only a little or even nothing. 

Allah has given us opportunities but it is we who need to avail those opportunities. 

Lessons learned from this ayat:
1. Purify your intentions before committing any good deed sincerely for the sake of pleasing Allah and to expect its reward in the aakhirah. With this sincerity, Allah will increase us in rewards and give us the ability to do more good deeds. 
2. A mo'min's 'ibaadah' will only be rewarded in the aakhirah, but what about the worldly acts like earning money, marrying, upbringing children, seeking education? If we try to purify our intentions to please Allah and expect whatever good that comes from these worldly acts in the Hereafter, then Allah will definitely increase you in every goodness, regardless of whether in this dunya or the aakhirat!

Question for my readers:
What draws you closer?
a) a great job offer or an opportunity that benefits you immediately with some worldly gain or experience OR
b) a good deed or a profession in Islamic education that may not benefit you that much in the dunya at all but brings you much peace at heart? 

Those who have passion to do good for the religion of Allah will not sleep or consider their aamal as enough for them. No good deed is enough for a mo'min. He keeps striving till his very last breath to earn good deeds for the sake of Allah and to expect its harvest in the Hereafter. 

Jazakamullahu khairaa for reading. 

Ask me anything regarding this topic here. Thank you for reading. Please feel free to send me the link of your blogs and comment below if you have similar views. 
- Manal Mirza

PRODUCTIVITY GUIDE: BACK TO SCHOOL, WORK AND ROUTINE!

Assalamualaikum Readers!

I am so sorry for not blogging for a while now. I was lost.. So lost that I didn't have any inspiration nor motivation to write anything or do anything as a matter of fact. My sister Saadia asked me why haven't you blogged since so long until it hit me, that I should get myself together and think about how I can benefit others. So here I am.. LET'S GO! Bismillah!

Schools are re-opening soon and for me, work and school BOTH are re-opening at the same time and yes, I am a total mess at the moment. I haven't done any home works, (maybe I've done some; can't deny how nerd I am) nor am I close to being prepared or excited to go back to the same routine. I feel as if I haven't done anything this vacation that I wanted to do and I am still lacking behind. But hey, it's not the end nor is it too late. There is still a week. As I am writing for you guys, I am very much writing for myself on how to achieve my last minute goals in this one week which I have procrastinated for so long.

Step 1: MAKE A STRONG MIND SET:

Start with the pure intention in your heart that you only have these 7 days and after that you're not going to spend this time the way you want it to be. Make the most of it and remind yourself of how important it is for you to start doing your leftover junk of home works or chores NOW because it is only going to burden you later when you are already busy piled up with so many other things. (which let's face it, you are going to procrastinate even those)

Step 2: TAKE IT ONE STEP AT A TIME:

Write down everything that you wanted to do and you didn't do. Keep some in the high priority list and the others in low priority list this way you'll know what comes first. You don't want to learn everything in one day or finish all your tasks, duties or plans in one day. If you're schools are re-opening, first step is to find where that bag is, then open it and just look at them and just appreciate how boring they are. Once you're over that phase of frustration of appreciating your books (:P), the next step is to open and read what's inside and start feeling fresh of your memory and believe me you will feel educated! lol
If you are looking to organize your room's mess, start with the worsened disaster that you've made these holidays and then jump into the slightly lesser mess you've made. Don't torture these days by only and only working or recollecting your mess because this still IS your holiday so enjoy at the same time. Go out for lunch or breakfast with your friends or families. Enjoy your time. Buy your classmates gifts, buy breakfast groceries for yourself or stationery from now itself. Do not leave anything remaining one day before your school or work begins. That is the day for you to sleep at 10 p.m sharp without worrying about a thing! in sha Allah!!


Step 3: START GETTING HEALTHY AND CHANGE YOUR SLEEPING HABITS:

For what I have noticed I became really unhealthy this summers. I don't know what happened but that happened which is why I feel that I have been easily demotivated or uninspired is because of how my fitness was not included much this summers. What you eat and how you sleep is what produces out of you. Either it is sickness, frustration or negativity. 

Try to pamper yourself, do facials, mani-pedi, get yourself a haircut and take care of your skin, get a massage because I am sure many of you haven't pampered yourselves as most of us are jet lagged, tired and are still working. So maybe why not? Give a try maybe? You'll feel great. So eat healthy, exercise daily and sleep at 10 and wake up at 4. Period.

Step 3: LEAVE EVERYTHING TO ALLAH:

If you aren't able to find time or aren't able to do everything in these ten days, do not worry. Leave the matter onto the hands of Allah. Trust in Him and make duwa for your difficulty to be eased. 
And what's there to even worry about, you still have weekends right? You can still do your procrastinated work in the weekend or if not, you can still do it daily during the weekdays because obviously your teachers or work is going to force you anyways! In the end, my advice is to not lose hope. These WERE your holidays and there shouldn't have been any home WORK in the first place. :P 
I hope this benefits some of you. It benefited me at least. I can now sleep peacefully thinking that I have done something productive today by writing for my lovely readers. 

Jazakumulllah hu khairan for reading. Don't forget to rate, share and follow my blog for more posts. 


Ask me anything regarding this topic here. Thank you for reading. Please feel free to send me the link of your blogs and comment below if you have similar views. 
- Manal Mirza

A SYMPATHY TO THOSE WHO COMPLAIN OF INSUFFICIENT RIZQ

Assalamualaikum WarahmatuAllahi Wabarakaatuhu!!

Everybody has problems and distresses in their lives. And many of the problems in our lives comprise of financial, health and mental distress. At the times of difficulties we usually complain that why isn't Allah helping me, why isn't He answering my prayers quickly, Why can't He just help me already, What did I do to deserve this. These are the types of statements we usually make not realizing the severity of this complaint.
What comes under Rizq? money, health, food, rain, water, resources, clothes, knowledge, talents, parents, children, spouses, every khair etc. 

Allah subhanAllah said in Surah Al Ankaboot: Verse 58 "And those who believe (in the Oneness of Allah Islamic Monotheism) and do righteous good deeds, to them We shall surely give lofty dwellings in Paradise, underneath which rivers flow, to live therein forever. Excellent is the reward of the workers." 
The above ayats show us, we actually need to increase our Iman and do good deeds in normal days and even in sad days, then Allah will give us lofty rooms in the Jannah in which they will live eternally. But our problem is that we are living for the world. We are always making duwas for our world. Why don't we focus more on the aakhirah? If we do, then that way Allah subhanAllah will also give us more in the dunya and increase our khair in aakhirah as well. in sha Allah

Also Allah wants us to be patient and put all our trust in Him Alone! Al Ankaboot-59. Those who are patient, and put their trust (only) in their Lord (Allah). Ask yourself, are you patient when you are in distress? Do you become angry, ungrateful or act like a victim when you are afflicted with calamity? The awwal (first) and aakhir (last) amal of distress is what is called Patience. If we scream in the beginning and then become patient, this is not called patient. Some people bear everything with patience in the beginning but burst out when the temperature has reached the boiling point. Real patience comes from being grateful. Say “Alhamdulillah álaa kulli haal–Praise is due to Allah in every condition.” (Narrated by At-Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah) and accept the qadr of Allah even if you do not like some thing that happened to you then say, Qadarallahu wa ma sha faál. 
Remember every distress in our life whether it is from people, financial, health, mental, brokenhearts, loss of lives or poverty is nothing but a test from Allah. Allah says at the beginning of this surah Al Ankaboot- Verse 2. Do people think that they will be left alone because they say: "We believe," and will not be tested.

Remember Every single believer will be tested with their most precious things ever, but Allah wants to see whom do we love the most, Allah or people, family or sunnah? dunya or aakhirat? haram or halal? Not that Allah doesn't know what we love the most, He just wants us to know on the Day of Judgment of what we did and that He doesn't punishes us with injustice. 
Remember, it is Allah who provides for you. People and your jobs are only an asbaab (means) which are also provided by Allah. So thank Him first and then thank others later. Considering a person or thing to be the "only" reason behind your rizq is shirk. Because you have associated others with the sifat of Allah. Never say because of my patient, I got the rizq. Nay! but because of Allah and His mercy you were given that rizq! Do not say because I am leaving this place, it is raining. Nay! Because it is the mercy of Allah. These are such heedless things to utter but little do we ponder or care!


Allah also says us to not worry about our rizq. Why? because "How many creatures are there that do not carry their provision (rizq) with them? Allah provides for them as He provides for you. And He is the All-Hearer, the All-Knower." [Surah Al Ankaboot- 60] 
If Allah can provide food and all khair to the animals and all the living creatures out there in the air, land and water when they don't have the capability to earn for themselves nor do they hold their rizq (they don't hold their future rizq), then how did we even think for a second that Allah will not provide for us or that we will never be blessed with goodness in this world? Put your trust in Allah, be patient! Allah is The One who takes care of us not our fathers or our spouses nor the people around us so stop expecting from them. 

Every single person will die with his estimated and measured rizq that Allah has written for him in his fate. Whatever is written for us will only reach us as Allah wills. Allah says, : "Allah gives abundantly to whom He wills and sparingly to whom He wills, surely Allah has knowledge of all things." [Al Ankaboot- 62]
So from now on, don't make Rizq as an issue. Just expect from Allah and know that He will give you whilst you even try for it. Be patient, put your trust in Allah, do good deeds, be grateful, pray to Allah at all times then you wouldn't find the time to even complain or let alone feel depressed. Don't worry, the help of Allah is soon to come. Just trust in Allah and say HasbunAllahu wa ne'mal wakeel wa ne'mal maula wa ne'man naseer

Ask me anything regarding this topic here. Thank you for reading. Please feel free to send me the link of your blogs and comment below if you have similar views. 
- Manal Mirza

FINDING IT DIFFICULT TO PRACTICE ISLAM IN YOUR COUNTRY? TWO SOLUTIONS

Assalamualaikum WarahmatuAllahi Wabarakatuhu!

Today I would like to share with you two solutions that Allah subhanAllah wa taála has given us if we find it difficult to practice Islam, or follow the ehkamaat ordained by Allah upon us. 

The first Solution is given in Surah Al Ankaboot Verse: 56 (O My Servants who have believed! Surely, My Earth is spacious to migrate if Needed, therefore worship Me and  ME Alone!) This verse was revealed when the Muslims in Makkah were facing a hard time to practice Islam and faced a lot of oppositions from the Kuffar e Makkah so some travelled to Habasha and later even Rasool Sallalaahu alaihi wasallam also had migrated to Madinah because of the severe threats and oppositions he had faced. 

This ayat shows us our first clear solution. Migrate or move from your country to protect your deen. For verily if you even find fitna in the place where you live and find it hard for yourself to practice your religion, then move and migrate for the sake of Allah. Wouldn't we migrate  if we faced oppression in our countries to save our lives if there were terrorist attacks going on or if there was a drought or bad economy? Then why not migrate to save your deen? 

The second Solution is to do Utmost Struggle (Jihad) with your own nafs and soul. If you find it difficult to practice your religion and still can't move or migrate then strive in the cause of Allah and follow His commandments no matter how many oppositions you face. Can we compare our oppositions to the oppositions faced by Rasool Sallalahu alaihi wasallam and his beloved companions in Makkah where many early muslims in Islam were tortured brutally and killed just because they said Allah is One? We don't face half the oppositions they faced yet we have 10 excuses to present. 

We cannot makes excuses when it comes to following the commandments and rules set by Allah whether if it was a muslim country where following Islam is easy or a non-muslim country where praciticing Islam can be difficult. We can't say that we weren't able to wear Hijab, stop giving Riba or pray Salat because the people here call us oppressed and look at us with weird eyes and we would not get a job, no one would be our friend, no one would marry me. 
Sure it is hard for you and Allah Alone knows what you go through, but for that difficulty Allah has also shown you a way out to bring you out of that misery, then why not take His advice? Either migrate of Jihad un Nafs

This can be confirmed with another ayat in Surah An Nisa Verse 97. Verily! As for those whom the angels take (in death) while they are wronging themselves (as they stayed among the disbelievers even though emigration was obligatory for them), they (angels) say (to them): "In what (condition) were you?" They reply: "We were weak and oppressed on earth." They (angels) say: "Was not the earth of Allah spacious enough for you to emigrate therein?" Such men will find their abode in Hell - What an evil destination! 98. Except the weak ones among men, women and children who cannot devise a plan, nor are they able to direct their way. 99. For these there is hope that Allah will forgive them, and Allah is Ever Oft Pardoning, Oft-Forgiving.

Even the birds migrate when they face any difficulties
in survival

Ask yourself really before calling yourself Weak or oppressed. Do you have enough money to eat, travel, spend in your child's education, pay rents, have good friends circle? Were you arrested, threatened, tortured by the kuffar? If the first answer is yes and the second answer is no then you are not weak nor oppressed. 

These are such stern ayats that we take so easily as if we never read or heard them. But, subhanAllah, if you look at the bright side there are some inspirational people out there also who practice Islam and still follow the commandments set by Allah and they do it for the sake of Allah wherever they are and what they do is the real Jihad un Nafs. And they are our real inspirations. 

If we thought for one second that we need to please Allah alone, then how many deeds would we be doing differently? 

Ask me anything regarding this topic here. Thank you for reading. Please feel free to send me the link of your blogs and comment below if you have similar views. 
- Manal Mirza