Stay Connected - Abeer Arain

Stay Connected: A Pocket Guide of Prayers for Muslims

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ISBN 978-1-84774-232-2 Paperback

ISBN 978-1-84774-233-9 ebook

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Avoiding Gossip

Remembering Allah during work hours

Dealing with stress at work

Dealing with an unsupportive work environment

When work schedule is busy

Chapter Five: Arriving home

Entering the home

Interacting with family

Dhikr of Allah at home

The evening meal Chapter

Retiring

Shopping

Doctor’s

Gathering

Introduction

Our life in this temporary dunyā is like a tree. The trunk is the main body that symbolizes the connection with the One who created us, and the rest of our life issues are scattered around the branches of the tree. The trunk, being the main powerhouse, provides nutrients to the branches. These branches symbolize the family, and others; including friends, career, and other engagements and commitments. If the trunk is suffering from an imbalance, the entire tree feels the effect. The same goes for our connection with Allah . When the connection is strong, everything in life is peaceful and satisfying; a person feels contented and even faces difficulties with ease. However, when the tree of life is deficient in the essential nutrients of dhikr, du'ā’, shukr,

Stay Connected and following of the Sunnah, the nourishment of every part gets compromised. Life becomes ungratifying and the person may feel restless when the connection with Allah  is weak.

From the early years, a Muslim child is taught various supplications and Qur’anic verses. Young children are introduced to Ramadan, and we celebrate their achievements such as the memorization of a Sūrah or the completion of the Qur’an recitation. As we grow up and get busy with education and careers, we unfortunately, lose the vital connection that was built during those early years of life. Our youth is spent busy with studies and establishing a promising career. Marital life and offspring bring other challenges. As a result, mindfulness of the presence of Allah and the thoughts of the Afterlife may fade.

In today’s society, we are surrounded by a neverending competition for acquiring wealth and fame. Allah  has allowed us to earn money and travel the world but, when thoughts revolve around this worldly life, the focus on the Ākhirah gets blurred. If not careful, one may easily

CHAPTER ONE

Waking up in the morning

Du'a’ upon waking

Sleep is one of the biggest blessings from Allah . A human body is recharged, and the mind is restored during sleep. Upon waking, we feel energized to start another day and accomplish our goals. Sleep is also a form of temporary death. Every morning, Allah  gives us another chance to rectify our matters and ask for forgiveness for our shortcomings. Our Prophet  recited the following du'ā’ upon waking up, which itself is a reminder of our final departure from this world:

CHAPTER THREE

Going to work

Choosing an outfit

In a world where poverty and unemployment rates are high, having stable finances is a great blessing from Allah . Reminding ourselves of the importance of being able to earn a living not only brings the feeling of shukr, but also starts our day with positive energy.

Subhana Allah wa’l-hamdu lillahi wa-la ilaha illa Allahu wallahu akbar

Glory is to Allah, praise is to Allah, there is no god but Allah, and Allah is the Most Great! 33

Having good clothing is another blessing from Allah . There are those who are not happy with the garments they have, while many others do not get to enjoy the blessing of beautiful clothes. We should recite this du'ā’ when dressing:

Al-hamdu lillahi al-ladhi kasani hadha (al-thawba) wa-razaqanihi min ghayri hawlin minni wa-la quwwah

Praise be to Allah, who clothed me with this garment and provided it to me without any strength or power of mine. 34

When changing out of clothes, we must remember to recite the following du'ā’ to protect against the evil of the Shaytan.

33. Sunan Ibn Majah 3811.

34. Sunan Abu Dawud 4023.

CHAPTER FOUR

At the workplace

Interaction with co-workers and greeting people.

There is no task that we perform in our daily life that cannot be changed into an ‘ibādah. It is only a matter of our intention. By reciting the supplications made by the Prophet  the entire day can turn into a constant act of worship.

We should enter our workplace with the name of Allah  (Bismillāh) and remind ourselves that we are following the command of Allah  by earning halal income. All Prophets used to earn their income through physical labour (Prophet Idrisas  a carpenter, Prophet Dawud  used

40 Stay Connected to make iron armours and our Prophet  worked as a shepherd and a merchant in his lifetime). This thought can change the perception of work and our mind can be redirected towards shukr of Allah  who blessed us with a source of income. The Prophet  regarded seeking a halal income as a duty after the (ritual or obligatory) duty.

Abdullāh ibn Mas'ūd (may Allah be pleased with him) reported, “Allah’s Messenger  said, ‘Seeking halal earning is a duty after the (ritual) duty.’”39

Our workplace provides more opportunities for the dhikr of Allah  than we think. When interacting with Muslim co-workers, we can be the first ones to greet with al-salām 'alaykum. There is a deep spiritual connection in salaam and the Prophet  said that the first one to greet with al-salām 'alaykum becomes free of pride.40

In the West, we are often welcomed with “good morning” and “how are you”. While we may not

39. Shuʻab al-Iman, hadith 8741. 40. Shuʻab al-Iman, hadith 8407.

CHAPTER SEVEN

Other Events

Shopping in the era of consumerism

Going to a marketplace is a time when the dhikr of Allah  is recommended. Markets are disliked by Allah  because it is where time is easily wasted, and people may overspend their wealth. That is why our Prophet  advised us to recite the following:

“O Allah, I ask You for 'afiyah (freedom from illness and grief, away from all problems)”.

Another supplication which was a part of morning dhikr of our Prophet  was:

Allahumma inni as’aluka [ilman nafi[an wa-rizqan tayyiban wa-[amalan mutaqabbalan

“O Allah, I ask You for beneficial knowledge, goodly provision and acceptable deeds).”76

It is also not uncommon to find a woman who stays at home to complain about her husband, his relatives and other matters of her home such as financial stress, home renovation etc. to others. This sometimes happens between the women of the neighbourhood or family friends. The outcome of such conversations is nothing but ingratitude, jealousy, and greed. It causes one to dive into the matters of others and focus on the ones above them. How does one stay con-

76. Sunan Ibn Majah 925.

Staying connected to Allah, as a Homemaker

109

nected with Allah  in this? By making du'ā’ for what she does not have and saying shukr for what she possesses. Du'ā’ is a weapon of a believer and a form of worship (even if it is in our own words). It is the door where one can knock at any time and ask from the Creator of the Heavens and the earth. On the other side is the blessing of shukr. It is commonly noticed that some of the happiest people are the ones who are grateful for what they have. Gratitude is loved by Allah , and it brings us closer to Him, as Allah  says in Sūrah Ibrahim:

“And He gave you whatever you asked for. If you (try to) count the bounties of Allah, you cannot count them all. Indeed, mankind is highly unjust, very ungrateful.” (Ibrahim 14:34)

Ibn al-Qayyim said: “Too much socializing, wishing for things, attachment to others besides Allah, filling one’s stomach, and sleep: These five affairs are amongst the greatest corrupters of the heart.”