وَرَفَعْتُ كَفِّي وَالمَطَالِبُ جَمَّةٌ لَكِنَّ رَبِّي وَاسِعُ الرَّحَمَاتِ
I raised my hands in prayer, my wishes are many, But my Lord is vast in mercy.

حَارَتْ شِفَاهِي أَيَّهُمْ أَبْدَا بِهَا فَبَدَأْتُ مُعْتَذِرًا عَنِ الزَّلَّاتِ
My lips were unsure where to begin, So I started by apologizing for my sins.

ما أجمل هذه الأبيات… اللهم اغفر لنا ذنوبنا وحقق لنا جميعًا ما نرجوه ويرضيك، في الدنيا والآخرة.
How beautiful these verses are… O Allah, forgive our sins and grant us all what pleases You, fulfilling our hopes in this life and the Hereafter.

From the virtues of being content with Allah’s decree

Abu Abdullah al-Barathi رحمه الله said:

“No one will come on the Day of Resurrection with a higher rank than those who remained pleased and content with the decree of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, in every situation of their lives.”

(Kitab ar-Ridaa an Allah bi Qada’ihi by Ibn Abi ad-Dunya, p. 59, narration no. 24)

‏أسهل الناس وصولا للجنة هي المرأة !
“The easiest people to enter Paradise are women!”

Shaykh Al-Shanqeeti says:
“The easiest people to enter Paradise are women, and this is evident in the saying of the Prophet ﷺ:

If a woman: • performs her five daily prayers, • fasts her month (Ramadan), • guards her chastity, • and obeys her husband—
it will be said to her:
‘Enter Paradise through whichever of its gates you wish.’”

Do you see?

Nothing more is required of you than to perform the five daily prayers, fast the month of Ramadan, protect yourself from what is forbidden, uphold good Islamic manners, and obey your husband and seek his رضا (pleasure).

And the reward is not just Paradise—no!
Rather, on the Day of Judgment, as an honor and distinction for you, it will be said:

“Choose whichever gate you wish to enter Paradise from.”

Rasoolullah ﷺ said,

"In Paradise there is a street to which they would come every Friday.

The north wind will blow and would scatter fragrance on their faces and on their clothes and would add to their beauty and loveliness

Then they would go back to their family after having an added lustre to their beauty and loveliness, and their family would say to them: By Allah, you have been increased in beauty and loveliness after leaving us, and they would say: By Allah, you have also increased in beautyand loveliness after us."

[Muslim 2833]

Indeed, for provision (rizq) there is a worry, And indeed for the worry there is a Rabb. And indeed for the Rabb there is a door.

So stand at the door of your Rabb and call upon Him to relieve your worry and to make your provision good, and rejoice!
For indeed the Rabb is Generous and His giving is great.

So whoever calls upon Him, He gives him; and whoever seeks more from Him, He grants him.

Be mindful…

Today marks the beginning of the 1st of Dhul - Qadah, which is one of the sacred months.

Wronging oneself during these months is more severe and graver than at other times, and that happens in two ways:

- Neglecting what Allah has commanded of obedience.

- Committing what Allah has forbidden, such as associating partners with Him, disbelief, innovations, sins, and acts of disobedience

Rasoolullah ﷺ Said

"Your Lord Tabārak Wa Ta'ālā says:

'O son of Ādam !! Set aside time for my worship, I will fill your heart with richness/contentment and fill your hands with provision, O son of Ādam !! Do not distance yourself from me or I will fill your heart with poverty and fill your hands with (unnecessary) work."

[خرجه الحاكم ٤/٣٦٢ وقال : صحيح الإسناد ، ووافقه الذهبي والألباني]

It is reported from Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنه that he said:

“I heard some supplications from Rasoolullah ﷺ which I will never abandon as long as I live. I heard Rasoolullah ﷺ saying:

اللَّهُمَّ اجْعَلْنِي أُعْظِمُ شُكْرَكَ وَأُكْثِرُ ذِكْرَكَ وَأَتْبَعُ نَصِيحَتَكَ وَأَحْفَظُ وَصِيَّتَكَ

‘O Allah, make me among those who are grateful to You, who remember You often, who follow Your guidance, and who preserve Your commandments.'

(Musnad Ahmed 8087)

Distance from the Qur’ān is the first step to destruction of Īmān.

Every change starts slowly and gradually.

Reading less than usual…

Skipping revision to just recite, or vice versa…

Missing a day here and there…

Missing multiple days at a time…

Before you know it, the sweetness of Īmān no longer fills your heart. The night prayer begins to slip away. Sins have entered into your life and your time is consumed with them.

The Qur’ān grounds you in faith. It anchors you in Taqwā. It shields you from Munkar. It rejuvenates your soul. Don’t be shocked at the darkness which consumes you once you begin to distance yourself from the Kalām of Allāh سبحانه وتعالى.

Beware of pulling away from it, for how many shining stars did we witness becoming mere pebbles due to their abandonment of Allāh’s Book! How many righteous youth molted until we no longer recognized them due to their distance from the Qur’ān!

Indeed, the Messenger ﷺ said, “Verily, Allāh elevates some people by (virtue of) this Book and abases others." [Muslim]

Awaken yourself from the pits of heedlessness before you are forced awake. Truly, the one who does not take himself to account in this matter is in for a rude awakening.

﴿وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَشَدُّ حُبًّا لِلَّهِ﴾

“And those who believe are stronger in their love for Allah.”

من طرق الوصول لمحبة الله أن تحافظ على هذا الدعاء: اللهم إني أسالك حبك، وحُبَّ من يحبك، وحب عمل يقرِّبني إلى حبك.

“One of the ways to attain the love of Allah is to consistently make this supplication: O Allah, I ask You for Your love, the love of those who love You, and the love of deeds that bring me closer to Your love.”

كيف وصلوا إلى هذه المحبة؟! أرشدك الله إلى سِكَّة من السِّكك: لا يزال عبدي يتقرب إلي بالنوافل حتى أحبه.

“How did they reach this love?! May Allah guide you to one of its paths: My servant continues to draw near to Me through voluntary acts of worship until I love him.”

قال القرطبي: أحبهم الله تعالى أولًا، ثم أحبوه، ومن شهد له محبوبه بالمحبة كانت محبته أتم.

“Al-Qurtubi said: Allah loved them first, then they loved Him; and whoever is affirmed in love by their Beloved, their love becomes more complete.”

أبشروا يا حبيبات، ففي الحديث أقسم النبي ﷺ — وهو الصادق المصدوق من غير قسم —: والله لا يُلقي الله حبيبه في النار.

“Rejoice, dear ones, for in the hadith the Prophet ﷺ—who is truthful and trustworthy even without swearing—said: By Allah, Allah does not cast His beloved into the Fire.”

“Indeed, Allah is amazed by a young person who has no inclination toward (sinful) desires.” — Hasan (good) hadith

The stage of youth is the time of strength and vitality in a person, and it is a period of trial with desires and impulses. If a young person overcomes their inclinations, restrains themselves through obedience to their Lord, and turns away from worldly sins, that is a sign of sincere faith and strong righteousness.

Ibn ʿUthaymīn (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

“When you say: Astaghfirullāh (I seek Allah’s forgiveness), you are asking Allah for two things: the first is that He conceals your sin, and the second is that He pardons it—so that Allah does not punish you for it.”

Each night Allah descends to the lowest heaven when the final third part of the night remains and He says, "Who calls upon Me so that I may answer him, who asks Me so that I may give him, who seeks my forgiveness so that I may forgive him?"

— Bukhārī no. 1145

يدخل الجنة اقوام افئدتهم مثل افئدة الطير

People will enter Paradise whose hearts are like the hearts of birds.

[Sahih Muslim 2480]

Paradise is the abode of everlasting bliss that never ends. It is the hope of every believer who strives for it—performing righteous deeds in this world and hoping for that Paradise through the mercy of Allah.

In this hadith, Rasoolullah ﷺ informs us about a group of people who will enter Paradise. He said:

“There will enter Paradise people whose hearts are like the hearts of birds.”

Meaning: their hearts are soft and delicate.

Some scholars said it refers to fear and awe, as birds are among the most fearful of creatures. It may indicate people whose hearts are filled with fear of Allah’s majesty and greatness.

It is also said that it refers to those who rely upon Allah (tawakkul), like birds who go out hungry in the morning and return full in the evening.

This hadith praises those who possess these qualities, and it may include all these meanings together, as there is no contradiction between them.

‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ūd (رضي الله عنه) said:

“You are passing through the course of night and day with lifespans that are steadily decreasing, while your deeds are being preserved and death comes suddenly. Whoever sows good will soon harvest joy, and whoever sows evil will soon harvest regret. Every sower will reap what he has sown. The slow one will not be overtaken in his allotted share, nor will the eager attain what has not been decreed for him. Whoever is given good, it is Allah who has given it to him, and whoever is protected from evil, it is Allah who has protected him. The people of taqwā are leaders, and the scholars are guides, and sitting with them brings increase.”

Siyar A‘lām al-Nubalā’ (1/497)

Four things that bring Rizq

• Praying Qiyam ul lail.

• Seeking forgiveness abundantly at dawn.

• Being consistent in charity.

• Remembering Allah at the beginning and end of the day

Four things that prevent Rizq :

• Sleeping in the morning

• Neglecting prayer

• Laziness

• Betrayal / dishonesty

Rizq is not just wealth - it includes barakah, peace, health, and ease in life.