Assalmu alaikum, May peace be with you all. In the name of Allah, the most kind, the most merciful. May His choices, blessings and salutations, salaah and salaam be upon the Beloved Nabi Muhammad , and may we also benefit from these blessings, ameen,ya rabil alimeen.
The pursuit of happiness begins with Salaah, so let our days begin with Salaat al Fajr.
I was scrolling through Instagram the other day, and came across this account called @fajreminders. Initially I followed the account, because I am a bit of a quotes fanatic, but I soon realised, these were more than quotes and inspirations. I’ve highlighted a few inspirations below.
Follow @fajreminders on Instagram
This post is merely a reminder for us to cement our intention to rise for Salaah.
As humans, we love our sleep! But if Allah is saying “Salaah is better than sleep”, then certainly, we should abandon sleep for His pleasure? The way is see it is two – fold, because in pleasing Him, isnt He Loving you? Rewards to the maximum!
Aisha R relates that Rasulullah S said “ the two rakaats of fajr (the Sunnah) are better than the world and all it contains”
Is it then not understood that we should be rising before the sun to offer this prayer to the Almighty before walking our dogs and donning expensive suits and elegant dresses, coffee in hand rushing through the traffic to participate in the world? Surely, if we start with Fajr, we will have the mercy and blessing of the One who commanded us and our days may just be a lot easier. It is also said in a narration, something to the effect that, we should place our worldly requests before Allah at this time, for He will take care of them for us. So will you rise before the sun and breathe the pure dawn air? So let’s be active participants in our religious obligation as much as we are in our worldly obligation.
We live in a society where we wake our kids up for school, but not for Fajr
We call ourselves muslim, and we do as commanded, but what about inculcating these habits in to our children? We know, that we have a responsibility to look after the children entrusted to us, from the Almighty. We don’t want them to fall on the playground and scratch their precious knees and we want them to raise the trophy at the end of the year #firstprize. But what about being the shining trophy in the eyes of Allah and kneeling on the ground before Him? If our kids are habitually waking up for school, but not fajr, we have failed them and our Lord. Yes – it may not be compulsory on them now, but it will be in the near future, why not make it easy for them to habitually rise at the call to prayer to please their Creator from the earliest age of understanding?
What is heavier? The Gym Bench or the Blanket for Fajr?
Please don’t give up your gym routines! Those are very helpful guys, but waking up a few minutes earlier and training your soul before your body is the ultumate option. The best form of exercise is salaah for the mind and the body. Our strength is in standing two feet firm on the musallah, in kneeling and bowing with full concentration on Allah and His command, Magnificence and Praise. The blanket is less than 1kg, let’s rise and raise the bar in obedience to the Nourisher, Sustainer and Provider.
theres just one more that i want to point out and that is,
Only the best may come from pleasing Allah
Allah never ordains that which may be harmful to us. So for those of us that have concerns about a lack of sleep, the idea has certainly been planted by Shaytaan and cultivated by our busy lives and nafs – think jihad an Nafs!
Fajr is designed to begin the day with light and with life, with positive energy and the presence of the Angels. The early morning sets the tone and energy for the entire day, and by beginning the day in the best possible way, in prayer and meditation, in spiritual practice, you will bless your entire day with barakah and noor, blessings and light.
Early morning is a blessed time and most conducive to spiritual awakening and the cultivation of consciousness, for while the world sleeps, the spiritual beings arise and assert that “prayer is better than sleep,” that consciousness, transcendence and divine purpose are greater than heedlessness, unconsciousness and loss of purpose.
I leave you asking that today, we all make the intention to observe the Fajr Salaah and that we ask Almighty to open our eyes and allow us to rise before the sun and all the birds and animals which awaken to praise HIM, In sha Allah
Some tips:
1. Eat Healthy, Eat Light: Light and healthy meals cultivate consciousness and feed our positive energy, whilst heavy unhealthy meals contribute to lethargy and laziness.
2. Sleep early with intention: Give your body the love and care it needs to obtain its maximum purpose for your maximum benefit. Our souls are housed by our bodies, we need to care for both in order to please Allah. Sleep in a state of purity, in wudhu and with intention to rise for Fajr salaah.
3. Meditate daily: Center your mind, train your spirituality to enter every crevice of the mind and fill it with concentration and love for Allah and His invitation to meeting Him. A command is less burdensome, when you Love the commander.
4. Muhasaba: Take account for your day in Dunya,and you will have ease in answering in Akhira. Keep a conscious record of your worship and your spiritual growth and goals.
gracefulstrides 