Now I (most of the times) wake up either the first time it rings or at the second call of my alarmclock. That is the best present I have had ever. I feel much better now. Alhamdolillah.
måndag 4 juni 2012
The Alarm Clock
Now I (most of the times) wake up either the first time it rings or at the second call of my alarmclock. That is the best present I have had ever. I feel much better now. Alhamdolillah.
Salat al-Fajr and Food
I have talked about it before but it is good to repeat it again. Food is essential to sleep, work and prayer. There is food that can improve your sleep, work and prayer and there is food that does not. Sugar is one thing. Sugar is a threat not only to our health but also our sleep and prayer. How we live affects how well we sleep.
Changing habits that have become part of a busy lifestyle is difficult. We may not even be aware that the foods we are eating are keeping us awake at night. By adjusting what and when we eat it is possible to improve sleep and feel more alert during the day, without the extra coffee!
The main sleep stoppers are caffeine, alcohol and sugar. These need to be regulated during the day and restricted during the hours before bedtime.
I usually do not drink coffee and I never drink alcohol, but I still eat sweet food like putting sugar in cakes, the chocolatemilk and I really like fruit.
Anxiety is one of the main causes of insomnia. So worrying about what I have eaten while I am about to sleep is not good. But I do not do that anymore. Now it is anxiety about salat al-fajr that keeps me awake, and the thought about jannah and gehennem.
The video is about sugar, fructos and glucos, and the dangerous effects it causes.
But in the Qur'an we can learn what to eat (the best food is that of paradise):
Changing habits that have become part of a busy lifestyle is difficult. We may not even be aware that the foods we are eating are keeping us awake at night. By adjusting what and when we eat it is possible to improve sleep and feel more alert during the day, without the extra coffee!
The main sleep stoppers are caffeine, alcohol and sugar. These need to be regulated during the day and restricted during the hours before bedtime.
I usually do not drink coffee and I never drink alcohol, but I still eat sweet food like putting sugar in cakes, the chocolatemilk and I really like fruit.
Anxiety is one of the main causes of insomnia. So worrying about what I have eaten while I am about to sleep is not good. But I do not do that anymore. Now it is anxiety about salat al-fajr that keeps me awake, and the thought about jannah and gehennem.
The video is about sugar, fructos and glucos, and the dangerous effects it causes.
But in the Qur'an we can learn what to eat (the best food is that of paradise):
Yusuf Estes talks about the food chain.
And do not waste food.
And at last, but not least, one controversial video about "Dajjal's" food. May Allah protect us from him by reciting surat al-Kahf.
tisdag 29 maj 2012
3rd and 4th day of salat al-fajr
I tried not to eat sweet food and I tried to sleep early. Neither worked well. So I stayed up until 3.15 and prayed salat-al fajr, even though I am sick. I cough very much because of a cold or something and I have allergy so I sneeze all the time. My eye hurts and is very red. But I have prayed all my prayers at time. Alhamdolillah. I only sleep for 4-7 hours per night, and I felt tired yesterday. Today it is better. I do not take any medications except a mix of oliveoil and squeezed lemon before I sleep and also when I wake up. I feel better today and have also cleaned all the house while coughing. I feel much better.
The positive thing to wake up in the morning is that you do not feel like a total hypocrite. I felt much more when I prayed, and I could even cry a little bit, which is positive for me. I want to repent, but my sins keep hindering me. I have to stop that.
I also encourage my self to learn more surahs from the Qur'an together with my children to increase my iman. It is really good, but I have only learned one verse so far, because I am not sure about the other verser of surah al-fajr. In total I now know six verses from salat al-fajr by heart.
You can read more about it in my other blog.
The positive thing to wake up in the morning is that you do not feel like a total hypocrite. I felt much more when I prayed, and I could even cry a little bit, which is positive for me. I want to repent, but my sins keep hindering me. I have to stop that.
I also encourage my self to learn more surahs from the Qur'an together with my children to increase my iman. It is really good, but I have only learned one verse so far, because I am not sure about the other verser of surah al-fajr. In total I now know six verses from salat al-fajr by heart.
You can read more about it in my other blog.
söndag 27 maj 2012
How do you start your morning?
How do you start your morning?
Do you get up early in the morning before sunrise or do you sleep all day long? Do you eat before fajr because you have the intention to fast? Do you pray nightprayer and then also the morningprayer?
When you do your salat al-fajr, you will be protected for that day until asr and the angels will accompany you. Your soul will smell good, like musk. That is the better day. If you die in this state inchallah, your soul will smell good too, and Allah the most High knows better.
Allaho Akbar. Allaho Akbar.
Do you wake up for salat al-fajr?
The iman
and the strength
is not in the body,
but in the heart.
Allaho Akbar!
Allaho Akbar!
Allaho Akbar!
Allaho Akbar!
Allaho Akbar!
Hamza Yusuf
How shall I wake up in the morning every day, doing dawah and not being thrown in the hellfire?
I ask this question because it is so important for me to do the fajr prayer now when I am doing dawah, because when a person does dawah about something and he does not do it himself, then he will be thrown into the hellfire by Allah.
Hamza Yusuf is a very wise person who converted years ago. He has founded a University called Zeituna University. I am looking for help to wake up to salat al-fajr and I found his words touching my heart. I will share some of his lectures here.
Hamza Yusuf remember us about this by telling about the prophet Muhammad sws and many other important things.
I ask this question because it is so important for me to do the fajr prayer now when I am doing dawah, because when a person does dawah about something and he does not do it himself, then he will be thrown into the hellfire by Allah.
Hamza Yusuf is a very wise person who converted years ago. He has founded a University called Zeituna University. I am looking for help to wake up to salat al-fajr and I found his words touching my heart. I will share some of his lectures here.
Hamza Yusuf remember us about this by telling about the prophet Muhammad sws and many other important things.
This first one is about taking care about my soul.
The second one is about putting your heart into worship.
The last one is about patience and courage.
How to increase my iman - my faith
To increase my iman I have tried to found some help in a couple of hadiths. I found especially two hadiths that can be helpful for me:
Few people, like me, do not find it hard to wake up if there is a plane to catch the next morning, or a lucrative job interview. This is because I am so desirous to take that trip or get that job, so my eyes open with vigor when the alarm rings. Sometimes I am awake even before the alarm, due to my anticipation.
Source:
http://seekersguidance.org/ans-blog/2011/04/07/the-importance-of-fajr-prayer-and-how-to-pray-it-on-time/
“Whoever prays the two cooler prayer times (i.e., Fajr and `Asr) will enter Paradise.” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]. I pray asr most of the times and fajr rarely, so this is a must in my life if I want to have paradise. All is depending om my iman.
Ibn ‘Allan comments on that Fajr and ‘Asr were specified since they are two times when one can easily miss the prayer: whether they are lost in sleep during Fajr, or engrossed in trade and work at ‘Asr. It is understood that the one who prays these two, usually prays all five daily prayers.
Finally, the reward mentioned in the hadith indicates that the one who regularly prays Fajr and ‘Asr can be expected to have a good ending to their life: that they die upon faith as a Muslim. Which of us would not be eager to rise for the Fajr prayer if we truly understood the benefits: a death on faith and eternal success? [Ibn ‘Allan, Dalil al-Faliheen]
The only reason this does not happen as often for Fajr is because I haven’t attached the same importance to the Hereafter as I have attached to the worldly lives. My awe and sense of duty to Allah Most High is weaker than my desire for the ephemeral things around me.
But I want to be attached to Allah, however, and see Fajr as more important than the rest of the day’s affairs put together. I want to find it easy to rise to worship my Lord, in submission and gratitude. Then I'll find peace, which spurs me to rise again, in a positive cycle. Thus, its about breaking bad cycles and establishing good ones.
The most important thing to keep iman high is to pray the prayers in the first period of prayertime and remind me of death and the people in the graves and even visit them:
Source:
http://seekersguidance.org/ans-blog/2011/04/07/the-importance-of-fajr-prayer-and-how-to-pray-it-on-time/
2nd day of waking up to salat al-fajr
2nd day!
It did not start well. Saturday was a day full of people and doings in the wordly affairs. I held company with my sister in law, who by the way was in a great deal of pain. I also took my kids to the weekly swimschool and gymnastics. I stayed there for three hours, went back and took care of my sister-in-law and her boy. The night passed by. I did not stay awake the whole night as I used to, but I thought that if I leave the window open I will hear adhan.
I did not.
So, I woke up with the sun already risen. And it was too late. How shall I continue doing dawah, when I am not even capable of doing the prayer myself. What do I have to change?
I read these to know how to wake up for fajr, how to build up my character and how to become a strong muslim.
How to wake up to fajr-prayer
The first thing to do is to sleep early at night. This is also sunnah. The prophet Muhammad sws used to go to bed and then wake up at night before fajr.
This first thing is gonna be harder the more close to summer we gets, because the time between salat-ul 'Icha and Salatul-fajr is closer. In some countries it is only two hours, and for me it is right now six hours. That should therefore not be hard for me and even I should be ashamed if I did not go to bed early, because this rythme is very common for a lot of people who get to work every day. They only sleep for six hours and THEY get up. But I am a nightingale. I like to stay up until fajr, but that day I am tired all day long.
The next step is to decrease the amount of sugar, especially after lunch and dhohorprayer. Too much sugar makes us lazy and it keeps us awake longer. This suggestion is difficult for me. I really enjoy eating sugar in many forms, even though I have cut I great amount of it. I love eating croissants and other sweet stuff.
I eat pretty good otherwise, even though I am not slim at all. I just have to adjust my intake a little bit further.
The third suggestion is to get an alarm clock. I have the great opportunity to live in a muslim country right now, but the family and the people around me are not waking up to fajr either. That is a problem. But if I do the first two things on this list, perhaps I will get up in the morning while hearing the adhan.
The next step is to have friends who do fayr. I do not have friends who do this prayer and back in my homeland I have a friend, but she never woke me up or helped me in anyway.
So these four tips are the first ones. Then what else can I do? I can try to build up my character.
How to build up my character so that I wake up at fajr!
The first thing on this list is a hadith:
Rasulullah (SAW) said, “Shall I tell you who are the best among you? The best of you are those who when seen are a means of Allah being brought to mind.” Al-Tirmidhi)
It means, for me, that if you mention Allah often, that is a sign, inchallah, that you are amongst the best of characters. It will also help you increasing your faith and consequently also help you wake up at fajr in the mornings. It is also important that your behavior is in lign with your words, i.e. that you are an example for those around you.
The next thing to help wake up at fajr Rasulullah (SAW) said, “He who does not thank people does not thank Allah.” (Al-Tirmidhi)is to do other good things like spending in the cause of Allah, and teach wisdom of Allah, i.e. al-Qur'an.
The third tips is to be thankful and also patient. Patience is the one main characterbuilder. Without it you will certainly fail. Often I have experienced that when my patience is gone, there is only a short period before the thing that I wanted to happen realizes. If I had not get mad or anything I would be much happier and thankful. Instead all I got was shame of getting mad. So patience is the third tip and it will give me strength inchallah.
Rasulullah (SAW)) said, “If a man suffers injustice and endures it patiently, Allah will grant him strength.” (Fiqh-us-Sunnah)
The fourth tip is to remember Allah, i.e. dhikr. Dhikr with your toungue helps the heart to remember, and if the heart remember, then you will get up in the morning. I do dhikr, but perhaps not enough. I have to increase the amount after every prayer during the day.
Rasulullah (SAW) said, “When any group of people remembers Allah, angels surround them and mercy covers them, tranquility descends upon them, and Allah mentions them to those who are with Him.” (Fiqh-us-Sunnah)
الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَتَطْمَئِنُّ قُلُوبُهُمْ بِذِكْرِ اللَّهِ ۗ أَلَا بِذِكْرِ اللَّهِ تَطْمَئِنُّ الْقُلُوبُ
“Those who believe, and whose hearts find satisfaction in the remembrance of Allah. for without doubt in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find satisfaction.”
(Surah Radd 13:28)
الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَتَطْمَئِنُّ قُلُوبُهُمْ بِذِكْرِ اللَّهِ ۗ أَلَا بِذِكْرِ اللَّهِ تَطْمَئِنُّ الْقُلُوبُ
“Those who believe, and whose hearts find satisfaction in the remembrance of Allah. for without doubt in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find satisfaction.”
(Surah Radd 13:28)
The last characterbuilder I will try to follow is this one:
Do not be angry. When stressed or tired I easily get angry, especially at my family. But if I sleep well and have routines, it will be much easier not to get mad.
A man once said to Rasulullah (SAW), “Teach me some words that I can live by. Do not make them too much for me, lest I forget.” Rasulullah (SAW) replied, “Do not become angry.”
How to become a strong muslim
1. The first thing is to accept that Allah exist. This one I already do believe in, but how can I increase my faith, my iman? If I increase my iman, I will certainly have a lot easier to wake up in the morning, inchallah.
2. The most important thing after believing in the Creator is to pray. Allah will judge us on the prayer, so if we do not pray we will have problems later. When we pray we must pray with sincere intentions, cry and try to pray early after the prayer sets. This one is hard, because I am a sinner. I do a lot of things that I should not do. I really have to work on this one. Being calm, restful with inner peace is beautiful, but sometimes I feel bored. That is the time when somebody whispers in my heart. So, again, I have to increase my Iman. How do I do that?
3. Pray in the middle of the night! This is really hard for me. I do not pray much on the days except for the obligatory ones. At night I amuse me with chatting with other on facebook or so. That is worth nothing really. It would be much better for me to stop that during the night, get some sleep instead and then, after a couple of days, start praying before fajr. But I know in my heart that I am a sinner so this will be really difficult. Again, my iman has to increase. How do I increase my iman?
4. Keep my promises! For me it is really difficult to keep promises I have made with myself. I always fail. Whether it is starting a business, losing weight or visiting my family more often, I fail. How can I keep my promises? By increasing my iman. How do I do that?
5. Fast! I have not been fasting since last Ramadhan and a couple of times after that. I am really scared everytime, because during that day I always get really angry, because of low sugar and intolerance. I can be out of food and beverages, but it is my character that I have to work on more. I do not pray much either during that day.
6. Never waist time on use-less things like play-station, chatting about nonsense like singers or world cup or films and useless books. Books are good if they remind us of Allah. This one is hard for me too. I do not feel any pleasure yet to recite the Qur'an. Not the pleasure that I feel when I read or watch a movie. But that is all due to my sinths. I am a big sinner.
7. Repent. That is the last and most difficult. I am a sinner, and I always go back to do more sinths. That is why it is so hard to repent. Everytime the heart closes up tighter and tighter. So how can I have nur, light in my heart again so that I can repent?
How to increase the iman - the faith!
fredag 25 maj 2012
The first night doing the fajr prayer
The first night I woke up to do the fajr prayer was a Saturday morning and I did not sleep at all. I spent the whole night teaching my children mathematics until midnight and then watching several movies. It was not the best thing to choose for the night, but I could not stop watching. It is like a drug. So eventually I heard adhan twice and I got to pray two rakahs. I did not pray sunnah, which I should, that is another two rakahs. Anyway. My husband who lives abroad has made a deal with himself to go to the mosque everyday at fajr and be amongst the first ones, or rather the first one, because if you do so, the angels will protect you with Allahs permission all day long. I do not need to go to the mosque and that is a relief, and I will be recompensated as if I assisted. Every reward I get depends on my intentions.
I must get up in the morning to get my boy to school at nine o'clock. So that gives me five hours of sleep. I must sleep better at nights or sleep another two hours during the day. The last one is difficult for me, unless I have not stayed awake the whole night in two days. So this will be a challenge for me the coming days. The third day will be the hardest. Tomorrow I will inchallah wake up as usual, but the next coming is really difficult. We'll see what happens.
The goal is to wake up 365 times from today until next year this time. How will it go?
I must get up in the morning to get my boy to school at nine o'clock. So that gives me five hours of sleep. I must sleep better at nights or sleep another two hours during the day. The last one is difficult for me, unless I have not stayed awake the whole night in two days. So this will be a challenge for me the coming days. The third day will be the hardest. Tomorrow I will inchallah wake up as usual, but the next coming is really difficult. We'll see what happens.
The goal is to wake up 365 times from today until next year this time. How will it go?
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