These days, as the sun slips beneath the horizon early and Maghrib enters swiftly, Allah has opened for us a door of worship that is easy upon the body yet immense in reward. Winter has always been a special season for the worshippers — a gift wrapped in gentleness, handed to those whose hearts yearn for nearness to their Lord.

ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb — may Allah be pleased with him — once said:
“Winter is the booty of the worshippers.” [Abū Nuʿaym, Ḥilyat al-Awliyāʾ 1/26]

And Abū Hurayrah — may Allah be pleased with him — told the Ummah of a treasure many forget. He asked: “Shall I not direct you to a cold booty?”

They replied: “What is it, O Abū Hurayrah?”

He said: “Fasting in the winter.” (Az-Zuhd by Imām Aḥmad)

This “cold booty” has come once again — easy hours, short fasts, and cool days that spare the body from hardship while pouring reward upon the servant.

And you — the student walking to and from school in the chilly mornings…

You — the one balancing work shifts, deadlines, revision, and family…

You — the hardworking soul navigating classes, transport, or long commutes…

Know that these short days are an opportunity written for you by the Most Merciful. Your fast is not overlooked. Your effort is not unseen. Your quiet hunger in the middle of a busy school day is known to Allah, and He compensates in ways far beyond what you imagine.

Reflect on the promise of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ:

«مَن صامَ يَوْمًا في سبيلِ اللَّهِ زحزحَ اللَّهُ وجْهَهُ عنِ النَّارِ بذلِكَ اليَومِ سبعينَ خَريفًا»
“Whoever fasts a day for the sake of Allah, Allah will distance his face from the Fire by seventy years.”

Authenticated by al-Albānī — Ṣaḥīḥ an-Nasāʾī (2243). Also recorded by at-Tirmidhī (1622), an-Nasāʾī (2244) with his wording, Ibn Mājah (1718), and Imām Aḥmad (7990).

Seventy years away from the Fire — for a single day.

So what then of fasting in the gentle winter, where Allah Himself has made it easier for you?

Learn How to Recite the Final Tashahhud in Prayer: The Complete Words of Salutation and the Ibrāhīmiyyah Duʿā’!

Shaykh Aziz Farhan Al-Anizi حفظه الله

📩 The Question:

In my wedding the imam began the marriage contract by reciting Surah al Fatihah. Is this correct I see it being done in a lot of weddings so I wanted to know if it is actually legislated to recite al Fatihah during the marriage contract.

📝 The Answer:

Answered by our Shaykh al-ʿAllāmah Muḥammad bin Ḥizām al-Baʿdānī — may Allah preserve him:

It has not been reported from the Prophet ﷺ nor from his companions that they used to begin the marriage contract by reciting al-Fātiḥah, so this should be abandoned.

Rather, they should begin the marriage contract with praise and glorification of Allah through Khuṭbat al-Ḥājah. For it has been narrated from Ibn Masʿūd with Abū Dāwūd and others that he said: The Prophet ﷺ used to teach us Khuṭbat al-Ḥājah in marriage and other matters: “Indeed, all praise is due to Allah; we praise Him, and seek His help, and seek His forgiveness…” (إن الحمد لله نحمده ونستعينه ونستغفره..) — and he mentioned the well-known sermon.

And Allah is the One Whose help is sought.

https://t.me/RulingsofWomen

The Worst of People on the Day of Judgment: Those Who Expose the Secrets of Their Marital Intimacy!

Sheikh Muhammad Sa’eed Raslan حفظه الله

There are moments in the history of our ummah that shine like lamps for the hearts, teaching us what it truly means to love for the sake of Allah. Among these moments is that magnificent scene witnessed by the noble tābiʿī, Abū Idrīs al-Khawlānī — a scene whose light still reaches us today.

He said: “I entered the great masjid of Damascus in al-Shām, and suddenly, before me stood a young man, bright of teeth and radiant of face. The people were gathered around him; whenever they differed in a matter, they referred it back to him, and they would all return to his opinion.” This young man — so full of presence that hearts naturally inclined towards him — was none other than Muʿādh ibn Jabal, may Allah be pleased with him, the scholar of this ummah and the one whom the Prophet ﷺ praised as the most knowledgeable in matters of ḥalāl and ḥarām.

Abū Idrīs continued: the next day, he went early, seeking to meet Muʿādh before anyone else. Yet, upon arriving at the masjid during the early forenoon — at a time when most people would still be resting — he found Muʿādh already there, absorbed in his prayer. So he waited until the companion finished. Then he approached him from his front, greeted him with salām, and said with a heart overflowing with sincerity:

“By Allah, I love you for the sake of Allah.”

Muʿādh looked at him and said: “For the sake of Allah?”
He replied: “For the sake of Allah.”
Muʿādh repeated: “For the sake of Allah?”
He replied again: “For the sake of Allah.”

Only then did Muʿādh reach out, grab him by his cloak, pull him close, and say those glad tidings that are a treasure for every believing heart until the Day of Judgment:

“Rejoice! For indeed I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say:
Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, said:
‘My Love is guaranteed for those who love one another for My sake,
and for those who sit together for My sake,
and for those who visit one another for My sake,
and for those who spend on one another for My sake.’”
Authenticated by Shaykh Shuʿayb al-Arnaʾūṭ in Takhrīj al-Musnad (no. 22030).

What a noble moment… a meeting of two hearts connected not by worldly desire, not by lineage, wealth, favour, or benefit — but by the pure love of Allah. This is the love that raises people, purifies souls, and builds bonds that outlast the fleeting ties of dunya. It is a love rooted in honouring Allah and honouring what Allah loves.

This story shows us the beauty of Muʿādh ibn Jabal — his radiance, his knowledge, his humility, and the great trust people had in him. But it also teaches us how sacred and weighty love for Allah’s sake truly is. It is not spoken lightly. Muʿādh repeated the question three times — not out of doubt, but out of reverence for such a mighty claim. For when a heart says “I love you for Allah,” it is saying: I seek nothing from you but what draws us both closer to Him.

And the reward? Allah Himself guarantees His Love for such people.

So reflect, my dear brother and sister:
Do you love someone for Allah’s sake?
Someone whose righteousness pulls you upward, whose companionship softens your heart, whose presence revives your īmān?

If so — preserve that bond. Nurture it. Visit them for Allah. Sit with them for Allah. Support them for Allah. For these are the relationships mentioned explicitly by Allah — relationships promised His Love.

And if you have no such bonds, then seek them. For the sweetness of īmān is tasted in such love, in such gatherings, in such visits, and in such sincere sacrifice.

May Allah make us among those whom He loves — those who love one another purely for His sake, who gather only to please Him, who visit and support one another seeking only His Face, and who are embraced by His Love on a Day when no other love will benefit.

A Message to Oppressive Husbands: Fear Allah — Your Wife Is a Trust from Allah, Not a Household Object!

Shaykh Aziz Farhan Al-Anizi حفظه الله

What Should a Wife Do When She Feels Her Husband Growing Distant from Her? A Spiritual Solution for the Muslim Woman!

Sheikh Muhammad Sa’eed Raslan حفظه الله

📩 The Question:

I prayed Witr and then sat waiting for the Fajr prayer. After the adhan of Fajr was called, my menstrual bleeding began and I wasn’t able to pray Fajr. What is required of me in this situation?

📝 The Answer:

Answered by the Shaykh al-ʿAllāmah Muḥammad bin Ḥizām al-Baʿdānī — may Allah preserve him.

There is no making up upon her, because she was afflicted with menstruation before she was able to perform the prayer. It is obligatory upon her to leave off prayer and fasting, as Allah, the Majestic and Exalted, has commanded. There is no sin upon her and no negligence.

Rather, even if she delayed the prayer a little — such as being busy in her house preparing food, for example — so she delayed Ẓuhr until half of its time, for example, then the blood of menstruation came to her, there is also no making up upon her. Because it is permissible for her to pray at the beginning of the time, its middle, or its end. No negligence occurred, and there is no making up upon her, and no sin.

https://t.me/RulingsofWomen

Winter Has Arrived — Remember Your Displaced and Needy Brothers and Sisters in the Cold!

Shaykh Sulayman Ar-Ruhayli حفظه الله

A Warning Against Reciting the Qur’an at Graves: Reviving the Prophetic Sunnah in Visiting the Graveyards!

Shaykh Aziz Farhan Al-Anizi حفظه الله

The Righteous Wife: A Light That Lifts Darkness, A Smile That Softens Sorrow, and the Queen of the Household!

Sheikh Muhammad Sa’eed Raslan حفظه الله

My dear brother and sister,

Imām Aḥmad narrates in his Musnad from the ḥadīth of Ḥārithah ibn Mughirah who said: “I entered upon Khabbāb, and his shroud was brought to him. When he saw it, he wept and said: ‘But Ḥamzah was not found with a shroud except for a single cloak; if it was placed over his head, his feet were uncovered, and if it was placed over his feet, his head was uncovered. So it was spread over his head, and idhkhar grass was placed over his feet.’”

What a moment of humility and remembrance! Khabbāb wept — not for himself, but remembering a brother who died for Allah’s sake with barely a shroud to cover him. Such was the depth of their gratitude, that even at the moment of death, their eyes saw blessings where others would see loss.

When you remember the deprivation of others, the blessings of Allah shine brighter before your eyes. If your meal displeases you, remember the one who dreams of a dry piece of bread. If you are upset with your child’s grades, remember the one whose child suffers illness or loss. If you belittle your wife, recall that millions yearn for what you possess. And if you resent your job, remember the one who prays daily for a chance to work.

We are drowned in blessings, yet blinded by our ingratitude. The issue is not that we lack blessings — it is that we lack adab (refined manners) with the One who gave them.

So look around you with the eyes of thankfulness, and your heart will find rest. For gratitude magnifies every small gift, while heedlessness makes even abundance feel empty. The more you remember those deprived, the more you realise how rich you already are — and how generous your Lord has always been.

A Warning Against Reading and Believing in Horoscopes: Beware of This Modern-Day Fortune-Telling!

Shaykh Aziz Farhan Al-Anizi حفظه الله

The Magnificent Virtue of “Lā ilāha illa Allah”: Elevation in This World and Everlasting Honour in the Hereafter!

Sheikh Muhammad Sa’eed Raslan حفظه الله