"A man brandished a sword over the Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم saying 'Who will protect you from me?'

He صلى الله عليه وسلم replied "Allah! Allah! Allah!"*

Feel the same about your hardships and fears."

- Shaykh Ahmad Musa Jibril حفظه الله

*Bukhari; 4135

"We Western women have been brainwashed into thinking that you Muslim women are oppressed. But truly, we are the ones who are oppressed; slaves to fashions that degrade us, obsessed with our weight, begging for love from men who do not want to grow up. Deep down inside, we know that we have been cheated. We secretly admire and envy you, although some of us will not admit it. [...] We Christian women need to see what life is really supposed to be like for women. We need you to set the example for us, because we are lost."

- Joanna Francis, Journalist

01.01.2024 / Sad New Year

Perhaps the most terrifying question is how 85 days have passed without me feeling how I was alive...

Ultimately, who is dead? The one who was killed as a result of the bombing, or the one who lived and watched those they loved get killed??

- Tuleen Tamer Marshood

A shelter center in Deir al-Balah.

"On a normal occasion, dry lips and a growling stomach are annoying and at times painful, but when one knows he is serving Allah, it showers his heart with pleasure like that which the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said: 'As long as you are not mad at me, nothing matters.'

The stomach is empty, but it gets full knowing that Allah is watching, knowing and seeing that he left desires just for His sake.

One who loves Allah would not want it any other way. He endures hardship, yet he coats it with a head bowed down in humility asking Allah to accept, because if Allah accepts it then that thirst and hunger is nothing. Again, like what the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم did at at-Taa’if. The lips are dry, the throat is thirsty, but the heart gets ecstatic knowing and awaiting the day you meet Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala."

- Shaykh Ahmad Musa Jibril حفظه الله in Gems of Ramadan

Longing for the Shahaﺩa

Abdullah bin Umar رضي الله عنه said:

"My father Umar during the battle of Uhud told his brother Zaid: 'Take my shield.' Zaid replied: 'I'm seeking martyrdom just like you are.' and he refused to take it. They both ended up leaving it!"

[مشارع الأشواق إلى مصارع العشاق ١٨٨]

"If I were to marry a beautiful woman whom I love, or if I were given the good news of having a newborn son, it is less beloved and dear to my heart than to be in a cold icy night, in an army waiting to meet the enemy the next morning."

- Khalid bin Waleed رضي الله عنه

"How do we prepare for Ramadhān?"
This question is asked often. Is this a difficult question? Certainly not. All you have to do is check your surroundings, check your actions.

Ask yourself,
"What actions am I doing that is Harām and displeasing Allāh?"
I.e. listening to Harām, watching Harām, swearing, talking back to your parents, Harām income, hanging with bad friends (thus doing Harām yourself), etc.
"What actions am I leaving off that would please Allāh?"
I.e. doing good deeds, making abundant Du'ā, reading Qur'ān often, prayer, khushū' in prayer, night prayer, seeking knowledge, doing adhkār, being good to your parents, etc.

That is it, that is your answer. Leave whatever Harām you are doing and start doing whatever goodness you're leaving off. If you can't do it now, then don't expect to be able to in Ramadhān.
If there is anything severing you from doing this, then cut it off. WAllāh it's not worth it. Your relationship with Allāh is more important.

However, I find it very important to mention "burnout." Some people, especially during Ramadhān, get a sudden boost in īmān and suddenly overwork themselves to the point of emotional/physical exhaustion with insufficient rest.
Please do NOT do this. Do not go into extremes and suddenly regret it and wonder why you feel like this. Yes, you should be doing as much worship as possible and I am not discouraging anyone from trying to do way more worship than normal, but do not go into extremes. Set a scheme for yourself that you can uphold for the entire month, and not just overdoing yourself the first couple of days and suddenly towards the end of the month you're exhausted and find yourself unable to do worship as you would like to be doing. This often happens to people. You know yourself best, so prepare well. This is why you should already be preparing, so you're ready for Ramadhān! Some people think once Ramadhān comes they will start, but in reality once it comes they find themselves unable to leave old habits. And if you're not preparing, then I wonder, do you really long for Ramadhān? Do you really look forward to it like you claim? Like Sho'ip said, it is not enough to say how much you love Allāh, if it's not established in your heart and if you're not actually doing any worship (physically). For anyone who doesn't feel ready, don't be discouraged. Keep trying and working on it, you still have time, but you must take action now. No more procrastinating! It's about time you take this serious O servant of Allāh.

"Nothing is worth sacrificing your īmān. Just absolutely nothing.
Even if it requires you to change the environment you live in, or, even if it means that you have to give up certain lifestyles or, whether it means that you have to step away from certain relationships, if anything's taking a toll on your īmān, if the fitan around you is affecting the relationship you have with Allāh عز وجل, repent to Allāh, make Du'ā for Ikhlās and Tawfīq and leave it all for the Sake of Allāh because safeguarding our īmān, Dīn, the bond with our Rabb should come above all, Bi 'Idhnillāh."

Abu Darda رضي الله عنه said:

"When a servant engages in sins in private, Allah puts hatred for him in the hearts of Muslims and he does not even know why."

[Hilyatul Awliyaa, 1/215]

I will always admire those who willingly donate their last money FiLLAH, knowing, they will receive something greater in return from Allah.
May the gates of Baab As-Sadaqah be open for them on Yawmal Qiyamah, and may they hear the beautiful Salām of the Malāʾika to enter this Door of Jannah.

33.23. Among the believers are men who have been true to their covenant with God: among them are those who have fulfilled their vow, and those who are awaiting . They have never altered in any way.

"Ibn Mas’ud رضي الله عنه used to say:

'O one whose Ramadan is accepted, congratulations to you. O one whose Ramadan is rejected, may Allah amend your great loss and calamity. O slaves of Allah, which month has departed from us?

Truly, we should weep over it tears of blood, if we but knew. How can we not weep over a [blessed] month that passed while we were heedless? Then we remain ignorant of whether or not we (our Ramadan) were accepted or rejected.

I wish I knew who was the deprived and rejected among us, and who was accepted from the ones who fasted among us, so he may be congratulated. This was a month of light afore us that bloomed excellence.

So O Allah, make the result [of this month] for us be a light and excellence!'"

- Shaykh Musa Abdullah Jibril حفظه الله

إذا رأيتَ غُبارًا علىٰ مُصحَفِك ، فالغُبَارُ علىٰ قَلبِكَ أشَدُّ.

"If you see dust on your Qur'an, then the dust on your heart is worse."

Umār ibn al-Khattāb رضي الله عنه said:

"You call yourselves believers yet do nothing about the believers who are starving among you?"

[مسند الشاميين ١٠١٨]

"The stomach of Umar رضي الله عنه used to make noises because it was hungry, there was a Majā’ah [مجاعة | extreme scarcity of food] a drought and no food and he said [to his stomach]:

'Make as much noises as you want WAllahi, you will not eat until all the Ummah eat.'"

- Shaykh Ahmad Musa Jibril حفظه الله

"Is the legacy of our Sahābiyyāt only relevant when you want to justify working a low tier office job mingling and mixing with men or when you want to work a lame Harām job using Khadījah رضي الله عنها’s business as a false front?"

A sister said some days ago:

"Today's businesswomen and Khadijah رض الله عنها are never the same and never will be! By Allah, Khadijah رضي الله عنها is clean from the accusations made by these Kuffar.
Khadijah رضي الله عنها would never have gone out in the morning and come home in the evening, seen by every man in town, smiled at every man, joked with every man, defied her husband صلى الله عليه وسلم, listened to other men and neglected the remembrance of Allah for a job.."

“The more you know and the more you realise the blessings of Allāh upon you, the more you long to thank Him. Sit everyday for a few moments and contemplate the blessings Allāh gave you and your family. Look at those around you who have nothing and sit and think of Allāh, that will ignite your love and yearning to Allāh.”

— Shaykh Ahmad Jibrīl (حفظه الله).

Another Jummah has arrived...
Another Jummah where prisoners are still treated like animals,
another Jummah where parents weep for their children killed by the Yahud,
another Jummah where sisters in the camps hope to be freed by the Muslimeen...
Another Jummah where we have done nothing for the Ummah.