“Allah delays His victory for His servants because, through increased trials, comes distinction, and the truthful are distinguished from the hypocrites. (And if Allah had willed, He could have defeated them, but [He delays it] to test some of you by means of others).”

This reflects the idea that Allah’s wisdom may include delaying victory to test people’s faith and sincerity. It emphasizes that trials help differentiate between those who are truly sincere and those who are not. The quoted part is from the Qur’an (Surah Muhammad 47:4), showing that victory could be instant if Allah willed, but the delay serves a purpose of trial and growth.

Our Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said:

The world is the prison of the believer and the paradise of the disbeliever.

Explanation of "Sahih Muslim" al-Nawawi said:

This means that every believer is, in a way, imprisoned in this world, being restricted from engaging in sinful and prohibited desires. The believer is tasked with fulfilling difficult acts of obedience. So, when the believer dies, they will rest from this, transitioning to the eternal bliss and pure comfort prepared by Allah, which is free from any deficiencies.

As for the disbeliever, the world is like their paradise, as they experience ease and pleasure in it, despite the anxieties and worries. But when they die, they will face the eternal punishment and endless suffering in the Hereafter.

**Hadith:

عن**ْ تَميمٍ الدَّاريّ رضيَ الله عَنْهُ أنَّ النَّبيَّ - ﷺ - قال:
"الدِّينُ النَّصيحَةُ" ثلاثًا، قُلْنا: لِمَنْ يا رَسُولَ اللهِ؟ قالَ: "للهِ ولِكتابِهِ ولِرَسولِهِ ولأئمَّةِ المُسلِمِينَ وعامَّتِهم"
رَواهُ مُسلمٌ

Allah’s Messenger ﷺ said: “Religion is sincerity.” He said it three times. We asked the Prophet, “To whom, Oh Messenger of Allah?" He replied, “To Allah, to His Book, to His Messenger, to the leaders of the Muslims and to their general masses."

Explanation from Jami' al Ulum wal Hikam of ibn Rajab:

sincerity to Allah-
• pure monotheism and ascribing to Him only all attributes of perfection and majesty, along with exalting Allah far above any defects and imperfections
• to avoid any disobedience of him and stand firm in obedience to Him and utmost devotion to Him
• to love and hate only for Allah's sake
• to wage Jihad against those who oppose Allah
• to call others to all of this and encourage them in that direction

sincerity to the book of Allah-
• Belief in it, honoring it, defending it, reciting it as it should be recited and binding oneself to its orders and its prohibitions.
• To understand its knowledge and its parables, contemplate its signs and call others to it.
•To defend it against the extremists who distort it and the attacks of the atheists.

sincerity to Allah’s Messenger-
•To believe in him and in what he brought.
•To respect and honor him.
•To hold fast to obedience to him and the revival and preservation of his Sunnah.
•To collect and spread the knowledge he brought.
•To be an enemy to whoever
bears enmity to him and to have allegiance to all those who have allegiance to him.
•To take his lofty character traits as your own as much as you can and his manners as your manners.
•Finally to love his family members and his Companions.

sincerity to the imams of the Muslims-
•To aid them and assist them in the way of the Truth
•To obey them therein and remind them of the truth.
•To bring to their attention any shortcomings of theirs gently and with respect and to avoid attacking them.
•To pray to Allah to grant them every success and keep them on the correct way.

sincerity to the masses of the Muslims-
•Guiding them to what will benefit them.Teaching knowledge of both the religion and [beneficial] worldly matters.
•Concealing their faults and shortcomings.
•Aiding and protecting them against any who bear enmity toward them unjustly.
•Avoiding any lying or deception of any of them, nor having any envy of anyone and to learn to love for another what you love for yourself and to dislike for another what you dislike for yourself.

In 1991, a scientist called Armour discovered that the heart has its own “little brain” or an “intrinsic cardiac nervous system” consisting of 40,000 neurons that are similar to the ones found in the brain. Its elaborate circuitry enables it to act independently of the cranial brain which means the heart has its own basic functions to learn, understand, perceive and obey as well as to feel or sense.

This changed the way we viewed what the hearts actual function was, for years it was thought the heart was there to pump blood around the body.

The reason I have mentioned this is because, over 1400 years ago, the Quran alluded to this.

أَفَلَمْ يَسِيرُوا۟ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ فَتَكُونَ لَهُمْ قُلُوبٌۭ يَعْقِلُونَ بِهَآ أَوْ ءَاذَانٌۭ يَسْمَعُونَ بِهَا ۖ فَإِنَّهَا لَا تَعْمَى ٱلْأَبْصَـٰرُ وَلَـٰكِن تَعْمَى ٱلْقُلُوبُ ٱلَّتِى فِى ٱلصُّدُورِ

Have they not travelled throughout the land so their hearts may understand, and their ears may listen? Indeed, it is not the eyes that are blind, but it is the hearts in the chests that grow blind.

[Surah al-Hajj, verse 46]

ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَتَطْمَئِنُّ قُلُوبُهُم بِذِكْرِ ٱللَّهِ ۗ أَلَا بِذِكْرِ ٱللَّهِ تَطْمَئِنُّ ٱلْقُلُوبُ

Those who believe and whose hearts find comfort in the remembrance of Allah. Surely in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find comfort.

[Surah ar-Ra’d, verse 28]

أَفَلَا يَتَدَبَّرُونَ ٱلْقُرْءَانَ أَمْ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبٍ أَقْفَالُهَآ

Do they not then reflect on the Quran? Or are there locks upon their hearts?

[Surah Muhammad, verse 24]

لَهُمْ قُلُوبٌۭ لَّا يَفْقَهُونَ بِهَا

They have hearts with which they do not understand

[Surah al-Araf, verse 179]

These are just a few verses that pertain to this as further proof that the Quran is the word of Allah.

There is major emphasis on the qalb in the Quran and hadith, it is so important that we soften our hearts and purify it with the remembrance of Allah and doing righteous actions.

Virtues of the Day of Arafah:

⁃ 2 years worth of (minor) sins are expiated

Abu Qatadah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was asked about fasting on the day of ‘Arafah and he said: He was asked about fasting on the day of 'Arafa (9th of Dhu'I-Hijja), whereupon he said: It expiates the sins of the preceding year and the coming year. [Sahih Muslim 1162b]

⁃ Day of forgiveness from sins and freedom from the fire.

A’isha (May Allah be pleased with her) reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “There is no day upon which Allah frees more of His servants from the Hellfire than the day of Arafat. He draws near and then he boasts of them to the angels, saying: What do these servants want?” [Sahih Muslim 1348].

As for you staying till the evening in Arafah, then Allah descends to the sky of the Dunya and He boasts about you to the Angels, and says: ‘My slaves have come to Me, looking rough, from every deep valley hoping for My mercy, so if your sins were equivalent to the amount of sand or the drops of rain or like the foam on the sea I will forgive them. So go forth My slaves! Having forgiveness and for what or who you have interceded for.” [Tabrani, Al-Albani graded it Hasan, Taken from ‘Saheeh al-Targheeb wa Tarheeb’. Volume 2,Page 9-10, hadeeth no. 1112].

Abdullah ibn Umar reported: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Verily, Allah Almighty boasts to His angels of the pilgrims on the afternoon of the day of Arafat, saying: Look at My servants, coming to Me disheveled and dusty.” [Musnad Ahmad 7089, classed as Sahih by Al-Albani]

⁃ Best Dua is to say it on this day

‘Amr ibn Shu’ayb reported: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “The best supplication is that which is made on the day of Arafat. The best of it is what was said by myself and the prophets before me: There is no God but Allah alone, without any partners, unto Him belong the dominion and all praise and He has power over all things.” [Tirmidhi 3585, graded as Hasan by Al-Albani]

The arabic for the dua:
لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ لَهُ الْمُلْكُ وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ وَهُو عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ

Transliteration: La ilaha illallahu wahdahu la sharika lahu lahul mulku wa lahul hamdu wa huwa ala kulli shay in qadeer

Talhah ibn ‘Ubayd ibn Kurayz narrated in a mursal report: “The best of du’a is du’a on the day of ‘Arafah.” [Narrated by Malik in al-Muwatta’ (500); classed as hasan by al-Albani in Sahih al-Jami’ (1102)]

⁃ Allah perfected the religion on this day.

Imam Ahmad recorded that Tariq bin Shihab said, "A Jewish man said to Umar bin Al\-Khattab,O Leader of the Believers! There is a verse in your Book, which is read by all of you (Muslims), and had it been revealed to us, we would have taken that day (on which it was revealed) as a day of celebration.' Umar bin Al\-Khattab asked,Which is that verse' The Jew replied (This day, I have perfected your religion for you, completed My favor upon you...) Umar replied,By Allah! I know when and where this verse was revealed to Allah's Messenger . It was the evening on the Day of Arafah on a Friday."' Al\-Bukhari recorded this Hadith through Al\-Hasan bin As\-Sabbah from Jafar bin `Awn. Muslim, At-Tirmidhi and An-Nasa'i also recorded this Hadith.

In Surah al-Araf when Shaytan was outcast from Jannah for disobeying Allah’s command and for being arrogant, part of what he said is this:

ثُمَّ لَـَٔاتِیَنَّهُم مِّنۢ بَیۡنِ أَیۡدِیهِمۡ وَمِنۡ خَلۡفِهِمۡ وَعَنۡ أَیۡمَـٰنِهِمۡ وَعَن شَمَاۤىِٕلِهِمۡۖ وَلَا تَجِدُ أَكۡثَرَهُمۡ شَـٰكِرِینَ﴿ ١٧ ﴾

“Then I will approach them from their front, their back, their right and their left. And you will find most of them ungrateful.”

[Al-Aʿrāf, Ayah 17]

This is in reference to preventing the believers from the right path. Shaytan mentions each direction but one thing he doesn’t mention is from above.

قال ابن عباس: ولا يستطيع أن يأتي من فوقهم لئلا يحول بين العبد وبين رحمك الله تعالى.

Ibn Abbas said: Iblis cannot come from above because there is no barrier between the servent and the mercy of Allah.

[تفسير الجلالين]

One such mercy is the first 10 days of Dhul Hijjah, the best days of the year. Lets make the most of these 10 days and keep our oppressed muslim brothers and sisters in your duas.

عيد مبارك
تقبل الله منا ومنكم

Eid Mubarak! May Allah accept all our efforts in Ramadan and forgive our shortcomings. May Allah accept every dua that we made, every sujood and every rukoo’. May He also grant is forgiveness and mercy and allow us to reach the next Ramadan.

Eid al-Fitr Day To do list:

1- Recite Takbir from Maghrib on last day of Ramadan until Eid.

Allaahu Akbar, Allaahu Akbar (Allahu Akbar), laa ilaaha ill-Allaah, Allaahu Akbar, Allaahu Akbar (Allahu Akbar), wa Lillaahi’l-hamd

You can say Allahu Akbar 2 or 3 times, both are permitted.

2- To do ghusl, some of the salaf used to do this.

3- Use Miswaak

4- Adorn yourself in your best clothes whilst ensuring modesty

5- Apply perfume (men only)

6- Head out to the place of Eid prayer early and eat an odd number of dates before you do.

7- Give Sadaqah al Fitr (Zakat al Fitr) before the Eid prayer.

8- Walk to the place of Eid prayer and return from it with a different route

9- Listen to the Khutbah after the prayer

10- Greet each other and congratulate each other:

تقبل منا ومنكم
Taqabbal Minna wa Minkum

“May Allah accept from us and from you.”

Another virtue of Laylatul Qadr is mentioned in Surah al Qadr, Verse 4. “That night the Angels and the Spirit descend, by the permission of their Lord, for every matter.”

The Spirit in this case refers to the Angel Jibreel [Ibn Kathir].

In the same way the angles descend for the remembrance of Allah or how they lower their wings for a person on their way to seeking knowledge, they descend on the Night of Qadr.

It is mentioned in Tafsir Ibn Kathir that the Angels give salaam to the people in the Masaajid on the night of Qadr until Fajr.

As mentioned from the signs of Laylatul Qadr, the sun will rise with no rays the following morning [Muslim 762].

Perhaps the angles descending as mentioned in Surah al Qadr, creates a sign for us the next day that it was Laylatul Qadr the night before.

Imam Nawawi mentions that al-Qadi ‘Iyaadi said: The meaning of no rays is just a distinctive sign from Allah but it is said due to plethora of Angels coming and going on its night; and their descending to the earth, and their ascending, with that which they descended with, their wings and their subtle/ethereal bodies screen the light of the sun and its rays, and Allah knows best. [Sharh Muslim Imam Nawawi, Book of Fasting 762].

Ibn Rajb رحمه الله said:

"Maintaining ablution for prayer is evidence of the steadfastness of faith in the heart."

قال ابن رجب - رحمه الله:

فالمحافظة على الوضوء للصلاة؛ دليل على ثبوت الإيمان في القلب.