...To live a successful, productive, powerful, energetic, fulfilled and spiritual life you have to 'Be Your Authentic Self.' ***What does this mean?*** It means being who you were created to be. It means your soul being happy in your body. It means accepting your flaws and shortcomings and working to better yourself. It means celebrating your strengths and achievements. It means having an 'Attitude of Gratitude' - thanking Allah (swt) at every point and really truly appreciating from within - from the soul. And when your Lord proclaimed: “If you give thanks , I will give you more, but if you are thankless, verily! My Punishment is indeed severe.” [Surah Ibrahim 14:7 - partial] ***But what if the 'Authentic Me' is not so good?*** Simple - you work on yourself, daily! Everyday we work on ourselves to make ourselves better - there is no such thing as perfect but YOU are the perfect YOU and there is only one of you - so nurture the YOU. 'You say that you are just a body but inside of you is something greater than the universe!' Imaan Shafi You were put in this world as a unique being so celebrate that and allow yourself to grow, learn, develop, mature and enjoy the one life you have in this world. If you spend a life time of trying to be like someone else then you are only harming yourself as you will never be happy or fulfilled in any area of your life. Don't compare your life to anyone else - as each one of us has a unique journey and we are all travelling upon different roads. When you are not the authentic you then you are being one way to one person and another way to someone else - a bit like lying - and we know that lying ultimately hurts only us. So go ahead, make a vow today to start being the authentic you and working on your daily self-development - at least 30 minutes each day. When you are being your authentic self then all the doors of opportunities will open up to you, you will make a greater impact in the world and you will be the complete person that you were created to be. Today's Tips & Action Points: 1. Grab your pen and notebook/journal and write down who you are, who you have been up until now and who you want to be from this moment onward. 2. Schedule in at least 30 minutes a day (to start with) to read up on personal development material (or go through our previous blog posts) and start to put those teachings into practice. 3. What is your unique purpose in this world and what will you do to make this world a better place? Now go work it! :) I think this following dua is beautiful. On the coming of dawn the The Messenger of God (may peace be upon him) used to say in his prayers: "O Allah (God), illuminate my heart with light, and my eyes with light and my ears with light and let there be light on my right and light on my left. Let there be light above me and light below me, let there be light in front of me and light behind me. O Allah, make me a light" Leave me a comment below and let me know what message you took away from this post and let's become an active community here who help to inspire and motivate each other towards goodness insha'Allah! :)
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One of the injustices we can do to ourselves is not believing in ourselves and just always listening to others. And others may not always be our best supporters (even if we think they 'should'!). But, are we the best supporters for our loved ones who have dreams and goals they want to achieve? Hmm.... We're in December and 2013 is almost over. Now is the time to have a quick look at those goals you set for the year. Be realistic. Things happen. They are supposed to happen. I've completed some and some I am restarting this month (my studies - after a year break!) to get a head start. I ain't waiting til 1st January - this moment is all I have! We are a working progress. Let this be a reflection moment and let this be a trigger to get us focused again and back on track insha'Allah. Now would be a good time to look at our goals and achievements so far. Remember though, each moment is our only real moment - this moment is all we have and this moment could be the moment you decide to make some positive changes in your life! Always keep the end in mind - Jannah al-Firdaus. Do something phenomenonally awesome right now. Start up your very own 'Dream Team' and become part of someone's dream team! The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said : "None of you will believe until you love for your brother what you love for yourself." Related by Bukhari & Muslim In this dream team you have your supporters, mentors and coaches. And you would be the same in someone else's dream team. We all need A* players in our world - on our side. God created us social beings and it is in social settings we thrive and excel. "Help you one another in Al-Birr and At-Taqwa (virtue, righteousness and piety); but do not help one another in sin and transgression." {Qur'an; 5:2} (partial) This dream team will be there to support you through all your ups and downs and will encourage you to excel. What you think? Go on, start your dream team right now :) Action Point & Tips: 1. What do you want to achieve in your 'Dream-Become-Reality' Life? - Grab a pen and paper and draw a circle in the middle of the page. - Slice the circle into however many areas you want to work on in your life (for each person it is different - it could be work, family biz, or it could be work, family, biz, health, kids etc) - Rate each slice of your circle out of 10 - so for example you know health is very important to me so right now i would give it a 6 or 7 out of 10. - Look at the top 3 areas that you want to work on right now and for each of these ask and answer the following questions. a) What do i want to achieve in this area of my life? b) What three things do i need to do right now to achieve them? c) Who can help me get what i need to achieve this now? 2. Who do you want in your 'Dream Team'? - These could be living or dead. You know why? There's many who have passed on yet their legacy and message continues - just like Rasool-Allah, all his companions and all our pious predecessors. They have numerous works and books from the seerah all the way to their biographies and inventions - so add them into your team. - Living - who are they? Are they those who have already achieved what you want to achieve? Those you admire and look up to for their moral, ethics, beliefs and principles? Or are they someone living on your street who is an unsung hero and has so much to offer you in terms of advice and nuggets. Never underestimate who we can learn from insha'Allah. - Write down the names of all these people and what they have to offer you in what you are trying to achieve for yourself. 3. Whose 'Dream Team' do you want to be part of? - Has anyone approached you asking for advice and nuggets? Not just those who always seem to have issues but those who really want to achieve something and look up to you. - Contact them and offer to mentor when you can. Of course you set your own time and days when you can be available but let them know that you are here to help. - Could you teach others this message about creating a dream team? If so, go ahead and do so now - share this post. Do you already have a dream team? Are you ready to create yours now? Comment below and let me know :) “No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another.” Charles Dickens [Ps - I will be opening up VIP Day's where you get to work with me for a day one 2 one. To pre-enquire drop an email to webeinspired@selfaware.com] Wishing YOU and YOUR loved ones a blessed, productive and successful year ahead :) We don't usually 'celebrate' or 'wish' each other when it is the Islamic New Year - but why not? I agree that our Beloved Prophet (pbuh) and his companions did not wish each other - and I'm not adding a new thing into our deen (before you go all crazy on me) - however in a world where our youth are confused and constantly told 'halaal/haraam' - we need to teach them about our deen - we need to teach them about the Islamic months and their significance. We need to relate to them. In a world where our fellows humans are constantly harmed or tortured by fellow humans we need to spread some peace love and lots and lots of duas. So my dua is that Allah (swt) showers His infinite mercy on each of us - puts barakah in our life, time and purifies our intentions and sincerity. We have one life here on planet Earth and each moment is our only moment. Make each moment count. Aspire to inspire before we expire. Live a life on purpose with purpose. Do something great for yourself, your family, the Ummah of Rasool-Allah and the entire humanity. Be Creative. Be Passionate. Be on Purpose. [Ps - We have a special Masterclass coming up insha'Allah to set the tone for the year ahead and my new baby niece came into the world today!] ...Yes, I have attachment issues too. Well, I am a human after all. But my attachment issue is not with humans (I love my parents, siblings, family friends) or animals (and I love cats and my Mano). My attachment is with my Allah-Ji whom I've been extremely close to since childhood. He's my bestest friend. When I was little, lying in the garden one summer afternoon, I looked up to the sky and was making shapes with the clouds. With one of them I made a castle. I said; 'That is Allah-Ji's Castle - His Home' and I imagined I was Jack from Jack and the Beanstalk and I planted some seeds and then a massive beanstalk shot up and became a ladder and I climbed up and went into the castle. I was only about 7, 8 or 9 then. I bug him 24/7 and tell Him everything. Actually, He already knows everything. But I still bug Him with my stories. This attachment is so intense that I can be without humans and seclude myself to worship Him and talk to Him. Only He understand me and my tears! It's a childhood thing. It's from Him. And i'm eternally grateful as this has allowed me to understand His creation, the human emotion and our ultimate purpose. By the way, just before you think it, i'm no where perfect and I don't have any intentions of trying to be perfect and I don't claim to be given a free ticket to Jannah. Non of us have been given that ticket. We have to work it. Jannah must be won! I invite you to learn more about Allah through His names and attributes. This well help you in your ibaadah - in your Salah and your Qur'an. Allah (swt) says: “Take one step towards me, I will take ten steps towards you. Walk towards me, I will run towards you.” Hadith Qudsi (partial). Attachment issues - especially those with humans - especially with a haraam relationship - are a way of saying that we have an unfulfilled need - which usually stems from childhood. Take a serious look at your life and see where this is coming up for you. To read more about this click here to read the post on 'All about Love'. God has created you for greatness and a higher purpose. Let's not waste our time on attachments and let's once and for all deal with them and heal our souls. We will be accountable for it on the Day of Judgement. Start your Monday on the right foot or on the right note (whichever you prefer) - if you were to die right now, are your ready to meet Allah? Are you ready to understand your relationships and tread wisely. The only one who can save us is Allah - yes even from our own destruction. Get motivated to re-connect with Allah right now. And for the ladies reading this register for my *FREE* Diamonds Masterclass. I reveal my top 3 secret on how i said enough is enough and started living my life on purpose again. You too can become close to Allah and attached to Him. He too can be your bestest friend - if only you allow Him to be. Will you give Him that permission now? He's waiting for you! :) Love, love and love! It seems everyone is into love. Wants to be loved. Is in love. Is complete and fulfilled by love. Is broken by love. Is confused by love. And wants to be loved again. Me too! I’m all about love! Ok, well it’s not 14th February (Valentino’s Day – as I like to call it) and maybe I should save this post for then (I’ll repost it then!) but I really want to get into this topic today as it’s not just a Valentino’s day thing but an everyday thing. And in fact love is not actually or just about Valentino’s day – that’s just some crazy commercialised holiday – as are so many other holidays. Today I’m not here to talk about love as in spoucy type or when you get married etc, but I’m going to talk about everyday love, eternal love, internal love and that love that is simmering within us 24/7. This love is beyond marriage or children. It is much, much more. It’s basic stuff really. And in fact, it is practiced by each of us daily – albeit unconsciously at times. And you know what – this love is pure. It’s like the baby love – you know when a baby just wants to be loved by its parent and isn’t aware of anything other than pure mummy/daddy love. I want to talk to you about this love today – which is deep within us – because this love can actually make us or break us. And it does daily – depending on how we use it. And, no, it’s got nothing to do with the opposite gender at all! Confused? Keep reading. This post is about love in the context of personal and spiritual development of the individual. According to Maslow love and belonging are third on the level of human needs (after physiological and safety needs are fulfilled). Humans need to love and be loved and this need is particularly strong in childhood and any deficiency in it can affect us in our adult life. And any deficiency in adult life can lead to loneliness, anxiety and depression. God created us social being and to be part of a social network. The Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) teaches us many different aspects of our social life – how to interact and deal in different social settings and to create successful social spheres. Here’s the thing. This is all awesome and brilliant – and I totally agree with it. However, our childhood conditioning can lead us to seek love and focus on it more than doing anything else in life. What I mean by this is – and I speak from personal experience and in fact it is something I have to also work on a lot in my life – we always want to seek approval from those who we love when we want to take a step into whatever it is we want to do. This form of approval can be from anyone really. Mostly it is family. However if we have had childhood family issues then we seek it elsewhere. Some reading this may disagree – but in my personal coaching and mentoring capacity and getting to know many people from across the globe I have noticed that we tend to seek approval even if it is from our boss and even if we act all ‘nothing hurts me – business is business!’. Deep down inside we have a craving – we need to fulfill it – we need to belong! We are seeking love and trying to fill the ‘void’ within us. Now when we seek constant approval from those we love and we don’t get it we start to self-sabotage our own dreams and life. We don’t even realize that we do it – it seems so normal. I want you to focus back on you today. I want you to start loving yourself today. I always say love and respect yourself if you want to be loved! Love doesn’t cost a thing! You don’t have to go out there and purchase a magic pill to love yourself. It’s free! And think about it for a moment – the love that you’re craving – whoever you’re craving it from – they are also craving it too! Did you even know that? Like wow! So, I mean, here we are being selfish and wanting to be loved yet how much do we love the one we want to be loved by? Unconditionally? This is no manipulation game! This is no; ‘If you love me and I will love you’ or ‘If you’re there for me I will be there for you’. No! This is the pure love that comes from within. It’s natural. You just love – because you do. No expectations. Read that again. NO EXPECTATAIONS. The reason we are stuck where we are is because we are yearning to be loved and accepted and we want to hear it in words or feel it with love or tangible objects. But that is not necessary at all. Yes, it’s part of it. But not the main part. You know I have a very close relationship with my parents and siblings since childhood. Whenever anyone asked me; ‘Do you love Abu more or Ami more’ I used to get confused and say both. ‘No, you have to choose one’, they used to say. And me? I used to start crying! As I got older things changed. Life changed. Its’ supposed to – it’s natural! And all I ever wanted was to ‘feel’ that love as I felt it as a child. Every time I asked my parents; ‘What shall I study/work/do?’ they always replied with; ‘Do what you want and feel happy with!’. Ok, which kid does not want to hear this and do what they feel, right? But me? I thought they didn’t love me anymore. I thought they were too busy for me. But they weren’t. They were always there for me – but had a different way of expressing it. You know if my parents never said; ‘Do what you want and feel happy with’ then today I wouldn’t be who I am – at all! Honestly! But the crazy part is – I stopped loving myself! I hated ME! My own soul! Like, what?! Yes, I hated me – because I thought the ones I loved didn’t love me! You feel me on this? Ah man! How wrong was I?! And because of this, I didn’t take the steps I needed to in life. I was never confident. Actually, everyone thought I was confident. But I wasn’t! I faked it. There – I confessed! (But, it worked!). It’s like I had to start from square one and love myself again. Love myself enough to believe in me. Love myself enough to love others without attachment. They pure type – for the sake of Allah type. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “None of you truly believes (in Allah and in His religion) until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself” [Bukhari and Muslim] It doesn’t cost anything to love your sister and brother in Islam or humanity. How could we want bad things to happen to them? We don’t wish bad on ourselves. If we follow this Hadith correctly then there would be no hatred in the world and we wouldn’t need to search for love here and there and we wouldn’t have attachment issues. And in fact the only one we need to be attached to and ask of is our creator – our Allah. “And yet there are some people, who replace Allah with rivals, loving them as Allah is loved. But the believers love Allah more intensely” (Surah Al-Baqarah 2:165) When you develop deep love for Allah then you will love everyone unconditionally and you will be good to them and wish good for them without attachments. You won’t need to worry about attachments or fall into them. You will see that your family mean well and your siblings mean well. You will see that those around you mean well. Obviously I’m not talking about someone who has taken your rights off you and has deliberately hurt you physically or emotionally or those oppressive tyrants across the globe. I’m praying that my tribe of followers have more knowledge and wisdom to think I’m condoning all that! But what I am trying to say is that we need to move away from; ‘Oh I was attached again and he/she hurt me again’. That is victim mentality – and no one wants to be there. The only one allowing yourself to fall into that trap is you. You’re scared of being alone, rejected, not wanted. I know! I’ve been exactly there! Understand who YOU are! Understand why YOU feel the need to be loved and then fall into this scenario. Mine was straight up – I was looking for that ‘support’ from my parents and when I didn’t get it (or understand their way of giving it) I looked elsewhere! Wrong move! Now – it’s all good. Now I understand. Now I know that everyone who comes into my life is for a reason. Allah has sent them for a reason. And if they have to go – Allah said so! You don’t become bitter. You don’t hate. You just…be. Love doesn’t cost a thing! You don’t have to be selfish with it. You don’t have to ‘astagferullah’ about it. It is who we are and there’s plenty to go around the world. Allah is the one we need to turn to at each point. He (swt) is the one who helps us, guides us and heals us. Don’t hate any one. Everyone is on their journey. You’re not the only one in this world and the world doesn’t owe you anything. When you realise this you can actually start to heal your wounds. You can close previous chapters. You can forgive and leave them to God and move on. You are much stronger than you’re giving yourself credit. And this is not the time and place to be getting all humble and modest. Think about it – others have moved on and getting on in life – so what about you? Get to know yourself again. Get to know God again. This is deep stuff – I know – it doesn’t happen overnight, but it’s a start right? Once you become aware of this and focus on the purpose why Allah created you and how limited your life truly is then you won’t waste it. Attachments are all about a need which was not fulfilled and most likely from childhood. Seriously. Think about it and dig deep. Where in your life does this issue come up and with whom? I’m not talking about today – trust me – I’ve given you a direct example of my own life. Once you realise this – work on it and understand the context then you’ll be able to move forward. When it happened with me I went through this process also - with Allah. I talked to Him (swt) and asked Him to show me the way. You need to do this for yourself and do it now. If not you’ll always be stuck. You’ll misunderstand love. Love is an emotion deep within. Allah put it there. Don’t fight it! Don’t be bitter against love. That’s wrong. Will you hate everyone and everthing? That’s what we end up doing really! And if it does go down the haraam road then trust me it’s something you need to look into your life. Wait till Allah makes it halaal for you! Why is it that we become so attached to s/he and our parents become our enemies? Where is this coming up in your life? Work on it and heal it. Maybe you’ve never seen it this way before. I hope it truly helps. As even when you’re married your love for Allah will be more – as you know that He is the one who gives and takes and He is our Creator. He (swt) is not here to hurt us. We hurt ourselves. Love yourself again if you want others to love you. Love Allah even more and watch the doors of goodness He (swt) opens up for you. There are numerous verses in the Qur’an about love – and I could just quote them. All things start with us – even going to brush our teeth! If you want to make the most of this one life Allah has given you then now is the time. I invite you to a world of love and happiness – which is already awaiting you now. Action Points: 1. Reflect on your life and your relationships – where can you improve and what needs to be resolved. Get on to it. 2. Learn about Allah and our purpose. Learn about RasoolAllah and his mission. 3. What do you want from your life now and whose approval are you waiting for? Be real – to yourself – and now you know what steps to take insha’Allah. Leave me a comment and let me know what you thought about this article. ...Today I was going to give up and quit it all - all of it! I cried - a lot. Sometimes it gets really overwhelming and just too much for one soul. I made a dua in the early hours and asked Allah to show me the way. I've never been more serious about quitting than today. Today is also the Day of Arafah. Millions of people are right now on the plains of Arafah begging for Allah's mercy and forgiveness. A day when many are guaranteed salvation from the Hell-Fire and those who return from Hajj return as a new born - sinless - a Hajj Mabroor. I remember it clearly - like it was just today. It was 5th March 2001 - I was on the plains of Arafah with my parents and millions of other Hujjaj. A childhood dream come true and one of the youngest from my clan to do my Hajj. I was just 20 years old (actually, two weeks after I returned I was to turn 21 and I was in my final semester of my final year of my law degree at University). So many dreams in the eyes of a young 20 year old. I'm childhood ambitious. I have grand dreams. Not just for myself though - i'm not that selfish. I have grand dreams for our Ummah and for the entire humanity. I have grand dreams which involve YOU - yes YOU reading this now. I want to see YOU succeed in all areas of your life - in this world and the next. I walk the talk and expect 150% ExCel Mode from myself. That is what I operate at. You might say i'm too harsh on myself - or that I expect too much of myself. You're right - I do! I only have one life here - just one chance to work for that one vision Jannah al-Firdaus. It all starts here though - right here - in my front room, by the fire. It all starts in this world. How else will you and I achieve our ultimate vision of Jannah al-Firdaus if we don't work it here. Jannah has to be won - it won't be given to us on a plate. On a day like Arafah when gazillions are begging for Allah's mercy and forgiveness - here I was ready to quit - today 2013. I'm extremely sensitive. Only my very close souls know this. Everyone else see's the confident me. But my close one's know how deep I am and how sensitive I am and how I take things to heart. I don't cry in front of anyone - not my family, not my friends. Just with Allah - and Mano (my cat). I'm not overly emotional - like I don't burst out crying if you don't like me. Not me! I may have my shy and sensitive girly side - but i'm very much tom-boyish also. I have zero-tolerance on women and men who just cry over tiny things! I'm the; 'Yes we can! Let's do it now' type. So, for me to even be sharing a piece of my heart with the entire universe is deep. This is the vulnerable me - one which you might not see again - or might see on a very rare occasion - like today. I'm willing to give you a glimpse into my heart and soul - and be vulnerable like this whilst I have tears in my eyes. I share with you as you may be going through your own journey, trying to find who you are and what you want to be or supposed to be doing. You may feel lost and confused. You're trying and trying and yet nothing is working. No one is supporting you - like you thought they would! Just like me you may be ready to give up. I went to sleep crying with my dua of guidance. And then I woke up to a message from a sister who made dua for me and said; "...jazakAllahu khair for your posts they really are inspiring and I just wanted to say never give up what your doing mashaAllah. May Allah grant you a long and productive life sis and remove all your sins ameen. Don't let others negativity affect you. I know its hard but you touch more hearts than u know inshaAllah. Allah chose u for this - I don't see anyone else doing what u do and that is your calling so keep close to Allah and don't get knocked backed wen the road is so tough. Ur work is inspiring and an encouragement to others". I think I'm gona cry again! This one message has taught me so much instantaneously and touched my core. And the weird part is that this sister had no idea what i was feeling. She is someone i met a year ago and we have the usual facebook and whatsapp contact. This was deep. Read her message again - it's from me to you now. I'm ready to redirect my intention and focus. I'm here til Allah decides my time is up. For now - i'm staying :) Bismillah-ExCel! Begin the day and the week on the 'Right Intention'. In Islam actions come from intentions and each person will have what s/he intended (That is a hadith which i just summarised in my own quick words). Here's the thing though. In the West we have become accustomed to living in a Matrix. We go to work all week and then weekend we party and then we have Monday Blues. Who created this Monday Blues concept? Each day we wake alive is another day for us to ask for Allah's forgiveness. His mercy and His help. We ask Him (swt) in each prayer; 'Guide us to the straight path' yet we have Monday Blues? We as Muslims need to snap out of this! And yes we can. Monday is also a Sunnah fast day - so fast. Surround yourself with good friends, books, articles - all things which will uplift your soul and help you - especially if you have an emaan low. This doesn't mean that we don't think about others who are being oppressed in the world - however, honestly, how can we help them if we need help? I mean if we are low on emaan or if we are negative then how can we help our Ummah. Helping those oppressed is not just through monetary means but also by being strong Muslims. Eats well. Sleep well. Read well. Be well. If you are well then insha'Allah you can help others also. And then if you are down others can help you also. That's the way it works. So no more Monday Blues - let's make our moments count as each moment is our only moment - and this should be a sufficient reminder for us. Have a blessed week ahead and let me know what you've got planned! :) If you're a sister reading this and you missed the 'Diamonds Masterclass' - then click here to register to the class right now! :) Live: Thursday 26th September 2013 9-10pm GMT Replay: Available til end of October - register below! This is a *FREE* online Masterclass for Diamonds who have had enough of being stuck in a psychological rut and have said 'enough is enough already!' Come and learn some of my top secrets on how I stopped self-sabotaging my soul and decided to live a life on purpose with purpose. Bring pen and paper (and some coloured pens) to take notes as we'll get creative in this class and i'll help you start making those positive changes in your life to live upon the deen and prepare for your best akhirah insha'Allah. That's right. Come and join like minded sisters, bring your family and friends with you and be ready for a transformation. It's time to unleash your diamond within! Ready? Say bismillah and sign up/register for this *FREE* class right here :) I reveal my TOP 3 SECRETS!!! ****************************************************************************** Here is what one sister said after attending the class: "I have taken away a lot but most importantly the concept of 'permission'. If you don't allow yourself time to do the right things in life, other things will take over and your ultimate goal will remain unachieved. Since Thursday night I constantly reflected back. I wake up at 5 am every morning. After Fajr prayer my hubby spends an hour reading the Quran and learning Arabic whilst I make breakfast and pack lunch for everyone. Similarly, when I come home after work I get busy in the kitchen preparing dinner and doing things for my family's comfort. But when is comes to prayers, I am always rushing! Allah will not change the condition of those who do not change what is within themselves." Sr S.C My passion in life is to creatively help you find your unique purpose in life and to align it with our ultimate purpose of worshiping God. This is my unique purpose! :) [We were in the company of the Prophet in a funeral procession at Baqi Al-Gharqad. He said, "There is none of you but has his place written for him in Paradise or in the Hell- Fire." They said, "O Allah's Apostle! Shall we depend (on this fact and give up work)?" He said, "Carry on doing (good deeds), for everybody will find it easy to do (what will lead him to his destined place)." Then he recited "As for him who gives (in charity) and keeps his duty to Allah, and believes in the Best reward from Allah (i.e. Allah will compensate him for what he will spend in Allah's way). So, We will make smooth for him the path of ease. But he who is a greedy miser...for him, the path for evil." (92.5-10)] I want to take this opportunity to say jazaakAllah khair and thank you for being part of the We Be Inspired family. I hope and pray these posts inspire and motivate you in your every day life and help you to get closer to Allah. As the title of this post goes; 'Here to Serve You!' Now is your chance to get interactive and let me know what YOU want from We Be Inspired. We Be Inspired is all about Islamic Personal and Spiritual development. So this is YOUR time . I'm here to serve you - so tell me what services and products I can create that will serve you, help you in your every day life and will help you find your unique purpose in life (and if you have found it then strengthen it) and to align it with our ultimate purpose of worshiping Allah. What issues keep you up at night and what solutions do you want. We Be Inspired is not exclusive to women only - it is also for men (unless we have a specific workshop of class for sisters only). We Be Inspired also invites non-Muslims to come and be inspired and learn something that will help them in their life insha'Allah. So go ahead now and comment on this post (if you have noticed this is not your normal type of weekly blog post) - but masha'Allah since loads of you always read these posts, comment and message me i thought it's the best platform to engage you all. Waiting for your comments so i can get back into my home workshop and start creating all those services and products for you insha'Allah. Go ahead and leave me your comments now :) Nadia x This is the Book about which there is no doubt, a guidance for those conscious of Allah” {Qur’an; 2:2} As another Ramadan draws to an end we may suddenly fall into the ‘Post-Ramadan-Blues’. We have barely broken our final fast that we start to moan and ‘Oh I feel sad and upset’. But isn’t Eid a gift from Allah? And should we not be grateful to Allah for this Day? And should we not look forward to the celebration? We seem to give more weight and precedence to other celebrations in our lives – whether that is a birthday, wedding, new born, graduation, new job, new house [insert the special moment you like to celebrate] and yet as soon as maghrib adhan is called on the final fast we seem to get the ‘Blues’. Our religion Islam is not about getting the blues or being in a negative state! Yes, things happen, we fall, cry, make up, break up and cry a little more – but does life end here? Maybe you have been through some of the above so you can relate – because I sure have been through a good few of those myself. You may be feeling blue because you feel you didn't do enough – and you feel you should have done more. Listen, you did as much as you could in your circumstance and honestly instead of worrying how little you did now – as Ramadan is over – make continuous dua that the little you did Allah accepts it. I pray that Allah accepts it from you and me. You may be wondering how I can sound so cold or be so direct about it. You may be thinking ‘Does she think she is better than the rest and all her deeds are accepted’ and the answer to your wonderings is ‘Absolutely NO!’. I too am sad that Ramadan is leaving and I too wish I could do more – however when we get into this type of negative rhetorical we fall downwards and downwards. We just got blessed with such a beautiful month and we are already being ungrateful for that by being blue? I mean we can at least read some voluntary nafl for gratefulness right? Or even some voluntary nafl to ask Allah to accept our deeds and allow us to continue right? Here’s the thing. Well, two things. Firstly we get hooked up on to the blues. We listen to and read about what everyone else is saying [think social media – the F word!] and then we may feel we have to feel the same way – so we put ourselves into that state and we become blue and start talking blue. It’s all in the mind we are the ones who are thinking what we are thinking. The Lord of Ramadan is still our Lord outside of Ramadan and how many more opportunities does He (swt) bless us with throughout the year which also have extra reward? Exactly! [Get pen and paper and list them please]. Secondly once we get ourselves onto the blue-downward-ride we seem to go round and round. We keep thinking we didn’t do enough – we keep thinking we should have done more – we keep thinking everything is over. But here’s the deal (halaal deal) – it’s not over! It’s not over until we are 9 feet under! So do yourselves a favour right now and snap out of it! I’ll be right here when you’re ready to continue and please only 5 minutes ok? Good! ……….waiting Back? Awesome! “I am as My servant’s opinion of Me.” (Bukhari) Think good of Allah as He is our Creator and He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. Seriously, if we think negative – negative will happen. We need to watch what we say to ourselves. We need to purify our intention and sincerity. Energy flows where intention goes. Think positive of Allah – there is no need whatsoever to think negative of Him. I mean, this is a whole topic in and of itself however just for now know that if you are reading this then #1 you are alive, #2 you are more blessed that those in places such as Syria and Palestine right now and #3 There is ALWAYS hope – ALWAYS! So take a deep breath in – hold – release and say ‘THERE IS ALWAYS HOPE’. And now, let me ask you – and this is purely reflectional for you as it is for me – if Ramadan is the month of the Qur’an then how much did you and I read, recite and study the tafsir? And before you slip to the blues again – think RED – (it’s my favourite colour) You know by now that I’m all about self-help (i.e. as Allah says He will not change our condition until we first take that step, right) and I’m a personal development junkie. And if you’re reading this right now then that means you are someone who wants to make positive changes in your life starting right now and prepare for your best akhirah insha’Allah. See Ramadan may have left us but we shouldn't leave it or our ibaadah – worship – from this month. *Re-read that sentence and reflect on it for a moment* This is what the blues does to us – it makes us lose hope! Did you know that the Qur’an and the Bible are known to be the #1 self-help books? Shocked? And you thought that the dude or dudess who got onto the New York #1 bestseller list had all the answers for you. Nope! And just before I continue, yes do read self-help and personal development books, because I do and I write on personal development. However if you have noticed then you would have noticed that my message is primarily based upon firstly the Qur’an and Sunnah and then everyday life. Now what this means for us is that Ramadan may have left us for another year – and may Allah bless us with another Ramadan insha’Allah [kul – ameen!] however it has left you and I with a gift – the gift that it came to remind us about – the gift that we've already got on our shelf – the Qur’an. If you are someone who wants to live a life upon the deen and prepare for your best akhirah then right now know that Ramadan came to remind you of a gift you already have which you may not connect with too often around the year. Now, dearest soul, is the time to hold on tightly to this gift! Do not fall into the shaytaan trap of the blues. Listen – it is ok to miss Ramadan and the unity it brings and the tarawih prayers and the sisterhood/brotherhood – I get it. But don’t let it leave now. It leaves when we hit the downward. So grab your Qur’an and be thankful to Allah that you have the best and #1 self-help book right with you. In fact it is your ULTIMATE self-help book and with it in your life you can never go wrong. We make a dua in Surah Fatiha where we ask Allah (swt) to guide us on the ‘Straight Path’ and subhan’Allah – look at the power of our dua – Allah (swt) answers it instantaneously in the next following Surah where He (swt) says that THIS BOOK (the Qur’an) is a GUIDANCE for those who are conscious of Allah – aware of Him – fear Him – love Him – want His forgiveness and mercy – this book has the answers! I invite you to embrace it and promise to read, study and live by it insha’Allah. I’ll show you how in the tips and action points below. But just before I get there I want to say a big phat EID MABROOK to you and your family from me and my family – taqabbal Allahu minna wa minkum - may Allah accept it from you and us – [ameen!] You may not understand everything the Qur’an is saying at the moment – but that is ok because that will change – remember ‘Hope’. Also the thing is that because we are so accustomed to getting advice and help from elsewhere (friends, social media, etc) we can’t seem to connect to the concept that the Qur’an has all the answers for us. But all we need to do is look at the Seerah of Rasool Allah and we will come to know that yes the Qur’an does have all the answers for me as Aisha (RA) said that Rasool Allah was the ‘walking Qur’an’ – as he was the Qur’an translated into action. Tips and Action Points: 1. Believe! - Believe in Allah’s mercy, in His forgiveness – believe that when you ask Him to guide you and straighten your affairs He (swt) will. Nothing is more powerful in life than belief – and nothing is more powerful than believing that Allah (swt) will make it alright and He (swt) will show you the way. - If you’re having the doubts then firstly know it is waswasa from shaytaan and his job is to lead us off course and secondly think of all the times that Allah helped you (specifically where something major was happening and you called out to Him – we’ve all had that moment in our lives). - Purify your intention and sincerity – these two are really important for us in all that we do – so let’s make it a habit to purify them at each step insha’Allah. 2. Make a Qur’an Plan - Just like a ‘To-Do’ list or scheduling your diary make a plan for your Qur’an. So in this plan you will write how much you will recite each day, what times, for how long and when will you study the tafsir, attend Qur’an courses (including hifz and tajweed) and what resources you will use. Some of the resources you could use are online YouTube videos (Like Qur’an Weekly Ramadan Gems - if you haven’t already then I highly recommend you watch them all – 30 short 5 to 10 min videos) books, getting teachers (maybe private teachers). There are a lot of resources available to us – you have to be curious enough to do your own research – that is your study part – you can’t expect anyone to do it for you. Also in this plan you could include Family Qur’an Time – especially if you have younger siblings or children – this is the best self-help start you can give your family insha’Allah. 3. Your Dream Team - Who is in your world? I.e. who are your friends? Time for a friend check-up! - You want a team who will help you realize not only your potential as a human and what you’re capable of achieving but also a team who loves Qur’an just as you do – for there is nothing worse than having those in your life who don’t share the same passions and who don’t love and appreciate the Qur’an and its message! - In this dream team you have your supporters, mentors and coaches. And you would be the same in someone else's dream team. We all need A* players in our world - on our side. Allah created us social beings and it is in social settings we thrive and excel. This dream team will be there to support you through all your ups and downs and will encourage you to excel. This special team is called ‘Qur’an Dream Team’. Go create yours right now insha’Allah. The Qur’an creates a special kind of connection with our Rabb Allah – He is speaking to us through the Qur’an and we need to make it our #1 Book in our life insha’Allah. I do hope and pray that this post today does help you in some way or another. Please leave me your comments and let me know what three things you will do right now to keep the Ramadan spirit alive and connecting with your very own #1 self-help book – the Qur’an! :) |
AuthorNadia Leona Yunis Archive
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