Ibn al-Jawzī رحمه الله:

If Shaitaan ever whispers to your heart saying, "How long have you been supplicating but you still see no answer?"

Let your answer be, "I worship Him with my supplications, while I am confident and certain that my supplications shall be answered.
Yet, maybe the answer is postponed to bring forth a goodness that is for my interest for answers come when the time comes.

And even if no answer is noted, it suffices the humility and worship I am in."

[Captured Thoughts | pg. 730]

Don’t say In Shaa Allaah after du’a.

None of you should say: “O Allah, forgive me if You wish; O Allah, be merciful to me if You wish.”

But he should always appeal to Allaah with determination, for nobody can force Allaah to do something against His Will.

Source: Sahīh Bukhārī (6339)
Source 2: Sahīh Bukhārī (7447)
Source 3: Jāmi’ at-Tirmīdhī (3497)
Source 4: Muwatta Malik 15/28

The Blessings of Gratitude

Al-Hasan al-Basri (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

"There is no man who sees the blessings of Allah upon him and says:

"الحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي بِنِعْمَتِهِ تَتِمُّ الصَّالِحَاتُ"

"al-ḥamdu lillāhi alladhī biniʿmatihi tatimmuṣ-ṣāliḥāt"

"All praise is due to Allah, by whose favour good deeds are accomplished,' except that Allah enriches him and increases his blessings."

📚 Hilyat al-Awliya, 2/148.

Praising Allaah after having food:

The Messenger of Allaah ﷺ said: ❝Whoever eats food and then says:
الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي أَطْعَمَنِي هَذَا وَرَزَقَنِيهِ مِنْ غَيْرِ حَوْلٍ مِنِّي وَلاَ قُوَّةٍ
(Al-ḥamdulillaah, alladhee aṭ`amanee haadha wa razaqaneehi min ghairi ḥawlin minnee, wa laa quwwah)
“All praise is to Allaah who has fed me this and granted it as provision to me, without any effort from me nor power (on my part)”, his past sins shall be forgiven.❞
📚[Sunan Abu Dawood, Sunan al-Tirmidhee, Sunan Ibn Maajah, graded as “Hasan” by Shaikh al-Albaanee]

In a situation where we lost something precious, we usually make du’a for the bleeding to stop, for the anguish to go away, for the grief to subside. But did you know that we’re also taught to ask Allah to replace what was lost with something better? Rasulullah salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam said:

🌺 ❛If any servant [of Allah] who suffers a calamity says:

Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’oon
(We belong to Allah and to Him shall we return)

Allahumma jurnii fii musibatii
(O Allah, [I seek with You the] reward for my affliction)

wa akhlif lii khayran minha
(and [I ask You to] give me something better than it, in exchange for it).

…then Allah will give him reward for (his) affliction,
and would give him something better than it, in exchange.❞
【Sahih Muslim 918b】

A lot of us are going to lose things in this dunya. And that’s the norm.

🌿 So if we lose health, don’t just ask Allah to restore our health, but ask Allah for health that is better than before.

🌿 And if we lose our career, or income, or opportunities, ask Allah to bless us with a career / income / opportunities that are better than what was taken away.

Don’t just ask Allah to stop the bleeding, don’t just ask Allah to protect and safeguard it, but ask Allah to increase it, to make it better.

And after making the du’a, don’t pin the exact outcome of that du’a, because the best that we’re expecting might not actually be the best. Instead have full trust and conviction that the One you’re asking is All-Knowing and Fully Capable. In whichever way Allah chooses to answer, it IS best for us.

May Allah make us believers who are patient and pleased with His qadr, and replace what has been lost and taken away with that which is far better.

How to Assess the State of Your Heart - Imām Ibn al-Qayyim

Imām Ibn al-Qayyim said, “Seek out your heart in three places:

[1] When listening to the Qur’ān,
[2] in the gatherings of [Allāh’s] remembrance [circles of knowledge], and
[3] when [alone] in privacy,

If you do not find it in these places, then ask Allāh to grant you a heart – for verily, you do not have one.”

See Al-Fawā’id [p. 479]

Action plan:

- Read the Qur’ān for at least 20 minutes daily.
- Attend at least one Islamic class per week.
- Engage in the remembrance of Allāh in private.
- Read the following supplications:

يَا مُقَلِّبَ الْقُلُوبِ ثَبِّتْ قَلْبِي عَلَى دِينِكَ

“O Turner of the hearts, affirm my heart upon Your religion.”

اللّٰهُمَّ أَصْلِحْ قَلْبِي وَعَمَلِي

“O Allāh rectify my heart and my action”

اللهُمَّ طَهِّرْ قَلْبِي مِنْ كُلِّ سُوْءٍ

“O Allāh, purify my heart from every evil.”

How Much Do You Remember Allāh Daily?

Qur’ān: Allāh says,

“Surely in the remembrance of Allāh do hearts find comfort"

Sūrah Ar-Ra'd: 28

Spiritual Development: Imām Ibn Taymīyyah said:

“Dhikr [Remembrance of Allāh] is to the heart as water is to a fish; see what happens when a fish is taken out of water!”

See Al-Wābil As-Sayyib [p.63].

Practical steps to remember Allāh on a daily basis:

1 - Incorporate Dhikr into daily tasks like commuting or cooking.

2 - Set fixed times each day for focused remembrance of Allāh.

3 - Use phone reminders or apps to help keep up with daily Dhikr.

4 - Start now with this Dhikr which is light on the tongue, heavy on the Scale and beloved to Allāh:

سُبْحَانَ اللهِ وَبِحَمْدِهِ ، سُبْحَانَ اللهِ الْعَظِيْم

“Allāh is free from imperfection and all praise is due to Him, Allāh is free from imperfection, the Greatest.”

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The Prophet (sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam) said:

مَنْ دَعَا لأَخِيهِ بِظَهْرِ الْغَيْبِ قَالَ الْمَلَكُ الْمُوَكَّلُ بِهِ آمِينَ وَلَكَ بِمِثْلٍ

“He who supplicates for his brother behind his back [in his absence], the Angel commissioned [for carrying supplication to his Lord] says: ‘Aameen, and it is for you also.'” [Muslim #2732]

Consistent istighfar comes with so much khayr and your sins are forgiven.

Appropriate grammar when you use "Allahumma baarik" plus pronoun:

1. Allahumma baarik laka - "May Allah bless you" (if you're talking to a singular male)

2. Allahumma baarik laki - "May Allah bless you" (if you're talking to a singular female)

3. Allahumma baarik lahu - "May Allah bless him" (if you're talking about a male who is not present or is a third person)

4. Allahumma baarik laha - "May Allah bless her" (if you're talking about a female who is not present or is a third person)

5. Allahumma baarik lahum - "May Allah bless them" (if you're talking about plural males who are not present or third person)

6. Allahumma baarik lahunna - "May Allah bless them" (if you're talking about plural females who are not present or 3rd person)

7. Allahumma baarik lakum - "May Allah bless you" (if you're talking to plural males who are present)

8. Allahumma baarik lakunna - "May Allah bless you" (if you're talking to plural females who are present)

9. Allahumma baarik lana - "May Allah bless us" (if you're talking about you (plural) who are present or 2nd person)

10. Allahumma baarik li - "May Allah bless me"

11. Allahumma baarik lakuma - "May Allah bless you two" (if you're talking to a dual person, either males or females or a combination)

12. Allahumma baarik lahuma - "May Allah bless them" (if you're talking about dual persons not present, either males or females or a combination)

I hope this helps others' confusion. 🙂

©️Umm Hadi