TAQWAH OF ALLAH swt

BISMILLAAHIR RAHMAANIR RAHEEM,
ASSALAMU'ALAIKUM WRWBTH,
DEAR ILHAM FRIENDS,
Having Taqwah of Allah swt is the foundation of all belief and good deeds. Without it we are nothing. It is the essential 'Iman Vitamin Pill' that sustains all of our theoretical ideas and our actions in worship. It is like the two parenthesis around a sentence.
I have come across the copy of the very first Friday Khutbah that was delivered by Prophet Muhammad SAWS when he migrated to Medina. The subject was about Taqwah. The following are some excerpts from it:
" I advise you to have Taqwah with Allah, and the best advice from a Muslim to another is to encourage him to remember the Hereafter and to command him to have Taqwah with Allah...
Therefore, have Taqwah in your immediate and your late deeds, in privacy and in public. Anyone who has Taqwah, Allah will forgive him and redeem his mistakes and will replenish his rewards. Anyone who has Taqwah, Allah will make him succeed the great success.
The Taqwah of Allah will prevent a person from the Hate of Allah and from the penalty of Allah. It also prevents the person from the anger and wrath of Allah. The Taqwah of Allah cleanses the face, pleases the Lord, and raises the rank of the person..."
Let us all try to take this advice seriously and strive hard to be Muttaqeen. May Allah swt help us succeed in this pursuit. Aameen.
Ma'Salamah,
Your sister in Islam,
Tasneem

MUHARRAM MUBARAK

ASSALAMU'ALAIKUM WRWBTH, DEAR ILHAM FRIENDS,
WELCOME TO ISLAMIC NEW YEAR - 1430 H.

Muharram is sacred month and many significant incidents have taken place during this month.

The following are words of wisdom to begin this new year:
All Believers will inevitably face three circumstances:-
1. A Commandment to be obeyed.
2. A Prohibition to be respected, and
3. A Divine Decree to be accepted with good grace.

Ma'Salamah,
Sr. Tasneem

PRAYER OF PROTECTION

BISMILLAAHIR RAHMAANIR RAHEEM.
ASSALAMU'ALAIKUM WRWBTH, DEAR ILHAM FRIENDS,
The following du'a offers great protection from the Devil:
" La Hawla wa la Qu-ata illa billahil Aliyil Azim,
Ma sha Allahu kan,
La ilaha illal Lahu 'l Malikul Haqqu'l Mubin,
Subhana 'llahi wa bi hamdihi,
Subhana 'llahi 'l Azim wa bi hamdihi."

{ There is no power, nor is there strength, except through Allah, the All-High, the Almighty. Whatever Allah wills, so shall it be. There is none worthy of worship but Allah, the King, the Plain Truth. Glory be to Allah, and with His praise. Glory be to Allah the Almighty, and with His praise.}

We must never forget that the Devil can only tempt us and we have the power to reject him. The following hadith of Prophet Muhamamd SAWS proves that:
" I have been sent to offer right guidance, but (the acceptance of) right guidance has nothing to do
with me. And Iblis provides temptation, but deviation from the Right Path has nothing to do with him."
***May Allah azza wajal guide us to His Path forever.***
Ma'Salamah,
Sr. Tasneem

QURANIC WISDOM

BISMILLAAHIR RAHMAANIR RAHEEM.
ASSALAMU'ALAIKUM WRWBTH, DEAR ILHAM FRIENDS,

Allah azza wajal has informed us in His Holy Book about all matters that will lead us to Paradise. It is full of wisdom. The following are two such ayats found in surah Al-Hadid:

1. " Nothing occurs, either in the earth or in yourselves,
without its being in a Book before We make it happen.
That is something easy for Allah.
That is so that you will not be grieved
about the things that pass you by
or exult about the things that come to you." (57:21-22)

2. " You who have iman! have taqwa of Allah
and iman in His Messenger.
He will give you a double portion of His mercy
and grant you a Light by which to walk
and forgive you.
Allah is Ever-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

So that the People of the Book may know
that they have no power at all
over any of Allah's favor
and that all favor is in the Hand of Allah.
He gives it to anyone He wills.
Allah's favor is indeed immense." (57:27-28)

Ma'Salamah,
Sr. Tasneem

A GREAT SUPPLICATION

BISMILLAAHIR RAHMAANIR RAHEEM.
ASSALAMU'ALAIKUM WRWBTH, DEAR ILHAM FRIENDS,
I read lots of books especially that might help me grow spiritually. I have four books of discourses by Shaikh Abd Al-Qadir Al-Jilani, and I deeply like his advice. The following is a du'a made by him:
" O Allah, You are our Lord and their Lord, our Creator and their Creator, our Provider and their Provider, so deal with us as You dealt with them. { 'They' refer to our great predecessors}. Bring us out of us, away from us, toward You! Cause us to forget the kings and their slaves, the sultans and their subjects, the rich and the poor, the elite and the masses, the rise and fall of market prices, affluence and scarcity. Remind us to remember You! Treat us gently in your workings. Bring us close to Your nearness, and let our hearts enjoy Your intimate friendship. Keep us safe from the evil of Your cities and Your servants, and from the evil of every crawling creature that You grasp by the forelock and seize by the tail. Keep us safe from the evil of the evildoers, and from the cunning deceptions of the morally corrupt. Let us be members of Your Party, guiding others to You while abasing ourselves before You, summoning others to You while humbling ourselves before You, but standing tall against those who behave with arrogance toward You and toward the true believers among Your creatures. Amin "

***This is indeed a very comprehensive du'a made by a very pious man. There are many such beautiful du'as from Allah's Messenger SAWS. Currently they are published in a du'a book called 'Accepted Whispers,' by Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanawi. This book is available at (www.albalaghbookstore.com) The English translation is of high quality.***
Source: The Removal of Cares by Shaikh Abd Al-Qadir Al-Jilani, translated by Muhtar Holland
Ma'Salamah,
Sr. Tasneem

Re: Proper Eating Manners

BISMILLAAHIR RAHMAANIR RAHEEM.
ASSALAMU'ALAIKUM WRWBTH, DEAR ILHAM FRIENDS,

1. It was narrated from Abu Juhaifah RA that Allah's Messenger SAWS said: " I do not eat while reclining." (Ibn Majah & Al-Bukhari)

2. 'Abdullah bin Busr RA said: " I gave the Prophet SAWS a gift of a sheep, and the Messenger of Allah SAWS sat on his knees to eat. A Bedouin said, ' What is this sitting?' He (SAWS) replied, ' Allah has made me a humble and generous slave (of Allah) and has not made me arrogant and stubborn.' " (Ibn Majah & Abu Dawud)

3. It was narrated from Abu Hurairah RA that the Prophet Mohammad SAWS said: " Let one of you eat with his right hand and drink with his right hand, and take with his right hand and give with his right hand, for Satan eats with his left hand, drinks with his left hand, gives with his left hand and takes with his left hand." (Ibn Majah, Tabarani & Muslim)
Ma'Salamah,
Sr. Tasneem

Re: Continuous Forgiveness from Allah azza wajal

BISMILLAAHIR RAHMAANIR RAHEEM.
ASSALAMU' ALAIKUM WRWBTH DEAR ILHAM FRIENDS,

Narrated Abu Sa'id Al-Khudri RA: " I heard Prophet Muhammad SAWS saying: ' The Devil said to his Lord: ' By Your Glory and Majesty! As long as the progeny of Adam exists on earth. I shall continuously misguide them. At this Allah Remarked: ' By My Glory and Majesty! As long as they seek My forgiveness, I will continue to pardon them.' " (Ahmad)

***We must bring to mind that our beloved Prophet Muhammad SAWS would seek forgiveness 70 to 100 times a day. If he engaged in this ibadah, then we should always keep our mouths moist with du'as of forgiveness. We can NEVER be despaired like Shaitan about Allah azza wajal's perfect love for us. ***
Ma'Salamah,
Sr. Tasneem