My Quraan Cover - A Story worth Reading & Sharing

Ask our children: 1. If there are poor people around us, how should we treat them? 2. If we really want something, who should we turn to? Now tell them the story: Tasmiyah was an intelligent little girl who loved going to madrasah. She was in grade three and her favourite subject was Quraan. She loved reading the Quraan and she was a good reciter as well. Everything was so cheerful and joyful in her life. However there was only one thing that made her sad – her Quraan had no cover on it. She really wanted to cover it. In fact it was the only thing she wished for. Tasmiyah’s mother tried very hard to save up in order to buy one, but it was so hard to do so with the small income that came into the home. Tasmiyah had lost her father a few days after she was born. He was a passionate lover of the Quraan and passed away whilst reciting the Quraan. He left the world, but his passion for the Quraan continued to live in the heart of his one and only daughter, Tasmiyah. One day in madrasah, when all the children went out for the break, Tasmiyah decided to remain in the classroom. As she sat in her place and read her Quraan, her eyes suddenly fell on Shaakirah’s Quraan cover. It was a very simple, yet a beautiful cover. Tasmiyah’s desire to have a Quraan cover of her own now only increased. She could not hold herself back anymore. So she got up from her place and walked towards Shaakirah’s place. As she came closer, the cover just seemed to look more and more beautiful. She could not resist. She stretched out her little hand and with her soft finger tips felt the fabric of the Quraan cover. Just then Shaakirah walked in, and with eyes burning in anger she shouted out, “How dare you touch my Quraan cover with your dirty and oily hands!” What Shaakirah did not know was that Tasmiyah did not eat any lunch during the break that day. There was absolutely no food in the home that morning. Tasmiyah was all shaken up in fear and just stood there in silence. This made Shaakirah even more angry and she continued to shout at Tasmiyah until she asked Tasmiyah that one heart breaking question, “Why don’t you ask your father to buy your own Quraan cover?” Just then the rest of the children came back to the class. Tasmiyah went quietly and sat in her place. By now her heart was bursting inside with tears and her stomach was empty of even a morsel of food. But she was a strong girl. She told no one and complained to no one. That night as she lay down beside her mother, she asked, “Mother! Did father have to leave us so quickly and with nothing to live on?” The mother tried to explain to Tasmiyah, “My dear daughter, everything happens according to the beautiful plan of Allah. Allah tests some people by giving them everything they desire and others by not fulfilling any of their desires. In this temporary world we should remain thankful and patient and never lose hope in Allah.” Tasmiyah innocently interrupted, “Mummy! I fully understand and I do accept, but mummy please don’t forget, do ask Allah to please give me my own Quraan cover.” A few tears rolled down their eyes, as both mother and daughter fell off to sleep. The very next morning, there was a surprise visitor at the door. It was Shaakirah’s mother. She learned of what happened in class the previous day. So she sewed the most beautiful Quraan cover specially for little Tasmiyah. Tasmiyah’s face lit up and she immediately remarked, “Mummy! I knew Allah Ta‘ala will answer our du‘aa. But right now Allah Ta‘ala is testing me as to what I am going to do after He has fulfilled my desire.” Lessons:  1. There is wisdom and goodness in everything that Allah Ta‘ala does for us. We need to be grateful, patient and not lose hope in the perfect planning of Allah Ta‘ala. 2. We must think carefully before we say or do anything with regard to others. We have no idea how a careless, seemingly innocent remark or action may break a poor person’s heart. We should always put ourselves first in the next person’s shoes and ask, “How would I feel in his/her place if the same treatment was given to me???”

The ‘Iddah of Divorced Women

وَالمُطَلَّقـٰتُ يَتَرَبَّصنَ بِأَنفُسِهِنَّ ثَلـٰثَةَ قُروءٍ ۚ وَلا يَحِلُّ لَهُنَّ أَن يَكتُمنَ ما خَلَقَ اللَّـهُ فى أَرحامِهِنَّ إِن كُنَّ يُؤمِنَّ بِاللَّـهِ وَاليَومِ الـٔاخِرِ ۚ وَبُعولَتُهُنَّ أَحَقُّ بِرَدِّهِنَّ فى ذٰلِكَ إِن أَرادوا إِصلـٰحًا

“Divorced women should wait (abstain from remarrying) for three menstrual cycles (after being divorced). It is not lawful for them to conceal that which Allah Ta‘ala has created in their wombs if they (really) believe in Allah Ta‘ala and the last day (i.e. they should not keep their pregnancy a secret). If their husbands desire reconciliation, they have the right to take them back (into their marriage) within this period (of ‘iddah).” (Surah Baqarah, v228)

A woman who is not expecting but menstruates will wait till the completion of three menstrual cycles before terminating her ‘iddah. A pregnant woman will wait till she gives birth. She has to be honest as far as her menstrual cycles or pregnancy is concerned. If the husband issued one or two revocable divorces, he has the right to take her back within the ‘iddah period even without her consent.

Qur'aan: Witness the Miracle

Qur'aan: Witness the Miracle

By Khalid Baig

Night after night in Ramadan, the believers witness a unique spectacle at mosques around the world. They stand in special Taraweeh prayers in which the prayer leader will recite the entire Quran from memory. Those who have accomplished this extraordinary feat of memorizing all of the 6246 verses are not a handful of devotees but there are hundreds of thousands of them. Most, just like most Muslims in the world today, do not speak Arabic. Yet they have painstakingly learnt to pronounce each and every word of the Quran correctly. The phenomenon is not a result of some religious resurgence that would pass. From the very first day that the Quran was revealed, it was memorized. And the number of those who have memorized it has been increasing ever since. Memorization of Quran has been going on all through the centuries, all over the globe wherever Muslims are.

There are other religions that claim to possess the Word of God. There are none that can show a book that has commanded anything remotely comparable to this level of devotion. Quran is the most read and the only completely memorized book in the whole world. It is also the most studied book in the world. It has stimulated development of entire disciplines of knowledge dealing with its reading, writing, and interpretation.

Miraculous as it is, this is not the only unique aspect of the Quran.

Quran was the first book in the Arabic language. Yet fourteen centuries later, its language is as alive as it was when it was revealed. And there is no other example when the very first book in a language became any masterpiece let alone the eternal masterpiece that Quran is.

This Book is meant to command and guide humanity until the end of time. That the passage of fourteen centuries has not made the slightest dent in its language or literary beauty is only one evidence of that unique role; its contents have also been unassailable by the passage of time. It makes statements of scientific facts that science would discover centuries later but none that science could ever refute. It tells about ancient history, like the civilization of the 'Aad people in the Empty Quarter of the Arabian desert that no other historical sources, then or since, contain any information about. Yet, its veracity has only recently been verified by scientific discoveries. Above all, it provides a system of beliefs and a code of conduct for life which is as relevant, illuminating, and true today as it was fourteen centuries earlier and during all the centuries in between.

The believers know that this Book had to be above space and time because this is the Word of the Creator of space and time. And He has promised that it will always be above space and time. But those who are looking from the outside and are just curious may consider these additional facts:

 

• Prophet Muhammad, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam, did not go to any school, study from any teacher, or even learn how to read and write. He even had no interest in poetry, which was one of the most prized disciplines of his time. Yet suddenly at age forty, he began to recite this marvelous revelation.
• The style of Quran is very distinct from the words of the Prophet, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam, himself, which also have been preserved in Hadith collections. His own sayings are embodiments of eloquence, but they have a different style. Moreover, they clearly are the words of a human being. Although never deviating from the truth, they do show human emotions and the effects of the circumstances in which they were said. Quran, on the other hand, never shows the slightest trace of these effects. It always speaks from above.
• It was revealed over a twenty-three year period and covers a very wide range of subjects yet it shows neither a gradual development of style nor any self- contradictions in the voluminous text.
• The twenty-three years of Prophetic life was not a period spent in isolation. He did not retire to a cave to produce this miraculous work. The Prophet, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam, did spend long periods of time in quiet meditation in Cave Hira before becoming a Prophet. But after Prophethood was conferred upon him, his life was one of constant struggle with the pagans, and later the Jews, of Arabia who spared no effort to stop and persecute him. It was during this period of persecution, wars, campaigns, and solving problems associated with the bringing about of greatest civilizational revolution of all times --- an extremely busy and challenging period --- that Quranic Revelation was also received and compiled.
• The Prophet, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam, himself was most deeply moved by the Book. He used to stand for hours in solitary midnight prayers reciting from the Book until his feet used to get swollen. How preposterous that one should attempt to attribute the Book to him. Has there ever been another example of somebody getting so moved by his own words?

This is not meant to be an exhaustive list of all the evidence that proves Quran to be the Word of God. Scholars have written books expounding the miracle of miracles that Quran is. But even this small sampler may propel an inquiring mind to go and read the Book himself.

To read this Book with an open mind is to believe in it. Those who sincerely seek guidance will find their questions answered, their confusions removed, their problems solved in its pages. From the beginning until the end, every word in the Quran tells the reader that it is the Word of Allah. And those who ignore it do so at their own peril.

"And if you are in doubt as to what We have revealed to Our servant, then produce a Sura like thereunto; and call your witnesses or helpers (if there are any) besides Allah, if your (doubts) are true. But if you cannot - and of a surety you cannot - then fear the Fire whose fuel is men and stones which is prepared for those who reject Faith." [Al-Baqarah 2:23-24]

Destination the Hereafter - Have you packed your suitcases?

Destination the Hereafter - Have you packed your suitcases?

..."Dad was now becoming more worried about me. I've never cried like that before"...

Her cheeks were worn and sunken and her skin hugged her bones. That didn't stop her though; you could never catch her not reciting Quran. Always vigil in her personal prayer room Dad had set up for her. Bowing, prostrating, raising her hands in prayer. That was the way she was from dawn to sunset and back again, boredom was for others.

As for me I craved nothing more than fashion magazines and novels. I treated myself all the time to videos until those trips to the rental place became my trademark. As they say, when something becomes habit people tend to distinguish you by it. I was negligent in my responsibilities and laziness characterized my Salah.

 

One night, I turned the video off after a marathon three hours of watching. The azaan softly rose in that quiet night. I slipped peacefully into my blanket.

 

Her voice carried from her prayer room. "Yes? Would you like anything Norah?"

With a sharp needle she popped my plans. 'Don't sleep before you pray Fajar!'

"Agh ... there's still an hour before Fajar, that was only the first azaan!"

 

With those loving pinches of hers, she called me closer. She was always like that, even before the fierce sickness shook her spirit and shut her in bed. 'Hanan can you come sit beside me.'

 

I could never refuse any of her requests, you could touch the purity and sincerity. "Yes, Norah?"

'Please sit here.'

"OK, I'm sitting. What's on your mind?"

 

With the sweetest mono voice she began reciting:

[Every soul shall taste death and you will merely be repaid your earnings on Resurrection Day{3:185}]

 

She stopped thoughtfully. Then she asked, 'Do you believe in death?'

"Of course I do."

'Do you believe that you shall be responsible for whatever you do, regardless of how small or large?'

"I do, but . Allah is Forgiving and Merciful and I've got a long life waiting for me."

 

'Stop it Hanan ... aren't you afraid of death and it's abruptness? Look at Hind. She was younger than you but she died in a car accident. So did so and so, and so and so. Death is age-blind and your age could never be a measure of when you shall die.'

 

The darkness of the room filled my skin with fear. "I'm scared of the dark and now you made me scared of death, how am I supposed to go to sleep now. Norah, I thought you promised you'd go with us on vacation during the summer break."

 

Impact. Her voice broke and her heart quivered. 'I might be going on a long trip this year Hanan, but somewhere else. Just maybe. All of our lives are in Allah's hands and we all belong to Him.'

 

My eyes welled and the tears slipped down both cheeks.

 

I pondered my sisters grizzly sickness, how the doctors had informed my father privately that there was not much hope that Norah was going to outlive the disease. She wasn't told though. Who hinted to her? Or was it that she could sense the truth.

 

'What are you thinking about Hanan?' Her voice was sharp. 'Do you think I am just saying this because I am sick? Uh - uh. In fact, I may live longer than people who are not sick. And you Hanan, how long are you going to live? Twenty years, maybe? Forty? Then what?' Through the dark she reached for my hand and squeezed gently. 'There's no difference between us; we're all going to leave this world to live in Paradise or agonize in Hell.

I left my sister's room dazed, her words ringing in my ears: "May Allah guide you Hanan - don't forget your prayer."

Eight O'clock in the morning. Pounding on my door. I don't usually wake up at this time. Crying. Confusion. O Allah, what happened?

 

Norah's condition became critical after Fajar, they took her immediately to the hospital ... Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un....this is what Norah always said to say if she died.

 

There wasn't going to be any trips this summer. It was written that I would spend the summer at home., i could feel it.

 

At hospital....

It was one O'clock in the afternoon. Mother phoned the hospital. 'Yes. You can come and see her now.' Dad's voice had changed, mother could sense something had gone deathly wrong. We left immediately.

 

Where was that avenue I used to travel and thought was so short? Why was it so long now, so very long. Where was the cherished crowd and traffic that would give me a chance to gaze left and right. Everyone, just move out of our way. Mother was shaking her head in her hands - crying - as she made du'a for her Norah.

 

We arrived at the hospitals main entrance.

 

One man was moaning, another was involved in an accident and a third's eyes were iced, you couldn't tell if he was alive or dead.

 

We skipped stairs to Norah's floor. She was in intensive care.

 

The nurse approached us. 'Let me take you to her.' As we walked down the aisles the nurse went on expressing how sweet a girl Norah was. She reassured Mother somewhat that Norah's condition had gotten better than what it was in the morning.

 

'Sorry. No more than one visitor at a time.' This was the intensive care unit. Through the small window in the door and past the flurry of white robes I caught my sisters eyes. Mother was standing beside her. After two minutes, mother came out unable to control her crying.

 

'You may enter and say Salaam to her on condition that you do not speak too long,' they told me. 'Two minutes should be enough.'

 

"How are you Norah? You were fine last night sister, what happened?"

We held hands, she squeezed harmlessly. 'Even now, Alhamdulillah, I'm doing fine.'

"Alhamdulillah ... but ... your hands are so cold."

 

I sat on her bedside and rested my fingers on her knee. She jerked it away.

"Sorry ... did I hurt you?" "No, it is just that I remembered Allah's words [One leg will be wrapped to the other leg (in the death shroud)]

... Hanan pray for me. I may be meeting the first day of the hereafter very soon. It is a long journey and I haven't prepared enough good deeds in my suitcase.'

 

A tear escaped my eye and ran down my cheek at her words. I cried and she joined me. The room blurred away and left us - two sisters - to cry together. Rivulets of tears splashed down on my sister's palm, which I held with both hands. Dad was now becoming more worried about me. I've never cried like that before.

 

At home and upstairs in my room, I watched the sun pass away with a sorrowful day. Silence mingled in our corridors. A cousin came in my room, another. The visitors were many and all the voices from downstairs stirred together.

Only one thing was clear at that point ... Norah had died!

 

I stopped distinguishing who came and who went. I couldn't remember what they said. O Allah, where was I? What was going on? I couldn't even cry anymore.

 

Later that week they told me what had happened. Dad had taken my hand to say goodbye to my sister for the last time, I had kissed Norah's head.

 

I remember only one thing though, seeing her spread on that bed, the bed that she was going to die on. I remembered the verse she recited: [One leg will be wrapped to the other leg (in the death shroud){75:29}] and I knew too well the truth of the next verse: [The drive on that day we be to your Lord (Allah)!{75:30}]

 

I tiptoed into her prayer room that night. Staring at the quiet dressers and silenced mirrors, I treasured who it was that had shared my mother's stomach with me. Norah was my twin sister.

I remembered who I had swapped sorrows with. Who had comforted my rainy days. I remembered who had prayed for my guidance and who had spent so many tears for so many long nights telling me about death and accountability. May Allah save us all.

 

Tonight is Norah's first night that she shall spend in her tomb. O Allah, have mercy on her and illumine her grave. This was her Quran, her prayer mat and .and this was the spring rose-colored dress that she told me she would hide until she got married, the dress she wanted to keep just for her husband.

 

I remembered my sister and cried over all the days that I had lost. I prayed to Allah to have mercy on me, accept me and forgive me. I prayed to Allah to keep her firm in her grave, as she always liked to mention in her supplications.

 

At that moment, I stopped. I asked myself: what if it was I who had died? Where would I be moving on to? Fear pressed me and the tears began all over again.

 

The first azaan rose softly from the Masjid, how beautiful it sounded this time. I felt calm and relaxed as I repeated the Muadhins call. I wrapped the shawl around my shoulders and stood to pray Fajar. I prayed as if it was my last prayer, a farewell prayer, just like Norah had done yesterday. It had been her last Fajar.

 

Now and insha' Allah for the rest of my life, if I awake in the mornings I do not count on being alive by evening, and in the evening I do not count on being alive by morning.

 

We are all going on Norah's journey - what have we prepared for it?

 

My sister has already left on this eternal journey? Have YOU & I packed our suitcases?

 

*************************** 

 

Hazrat Abdullah bin Umar R.A says that someone asked the Prophet (sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) which man is the wisest.The Prophet (sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) said that; the one who remembers death much and is ever engaged in making preparation for it.These are the men who have become masters of this world and the next. (TIBRANI)   

Hazrat Abdullah bin Umar R.A. says that the Prophet (sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) putting his hand on his shoulder, said that they should spend life like a traveller.He forbode to wait for the morning in the evening and for evening in the morning.He advised to accumulate the prayers when he is healthy; keeping the period of illness in mind and should do something good for the death when he is ill. (BUKHARI) 

 

Hazrat Shaddad bin Aus(R.A.) says that the Prophet (sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) has said that the alert man is one; who takes account of his life and does alot of good actions; which may be useful to him after death. (TIRMIZI)

Septuagenarian becomes eldest Haafiz in Jeddah

Abdullah Mohammad Mousa, 70, becomes the eldest Hafiz in Jeddah

JEDDAH — Abdullah Mousa, a septuagenarian, has proven that age is no obstacle when it comes to fulfilling one’s goals and realizing long held dreams — in Mousa’s case memorizing the Qur’an.

There is indeed no such thing as “too late.”

“When I was younger, unfortunately I only learned two ‘Juz’ (sections) of the Qur’an and then I stopped. I became preoccupied with other distractions and then the stressors of daily life, demands of work and family obligations, and I drifted away from my dream of becoming a ‘Haafiz,’” said Mousa.

However, Mousa’s love for Qur’an prevailed and as the years went by memorizing the Qur’an in its entirety was still a lofty goal that he wished to achieve.

Mousa passionately longed to be included among those mentioned in the Hadith of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) “Verily, Allah the Exalted has people from among mankind, and the people of the Qur’an are the People of Allah, and His Chosen Ones.” (Abu Dawood)
It is common knowledge that mosques provide Qur’an lessons for boys in every city, town, and village in the Kingdom.

But, Mousa was pleasantly surprised and elated when he discovered that there were Qur’an classes for adults, too, taught at a mosque not so far from his home.

“The introduction of adult classes in the mosques is an excellent initiative on the part of the Charitable Society for Holy Qur’an Memorization in Jeddah, as these classes are greatly needed.

“The prime focus is on memorization but teachers also train attendees in correct pronunciation and recitation of the verses while adhering to the rulings of “Tajweed.”

“The adult classes give the elderly like me the opportunity to make up for what we missed in our youth, they also facilitate the learning process for middle aged working men with busy work schedules who too would like to remain connected to the Holy Book,” said Mousa.

The 70-year-old grandfather was so enthusiastic and dedicated to his noble task that he joined two Qur’an education groups, each at a different mosque, in the morning and evening.

On average he would memorize two to three new pages each day along with a daily revision of two sections, closely followed and prompted by his teachers at the mosques.

He managed to memorize the Qur’an by heart in only two and a half years.
Mousa passed his exam with a score of 91 percent and was awarded a certificate of excellence by the Charitable Society for Holy Qur’an Memorization as the eldest ‘Haafiz’ in Jeddah this year.

The secret tool that helped him constantly revise, stay focused, and finally achieve this honor, was that Mousa walked a distance of six kilometers each day, chanting and repeating the verses of the Qur’an that were on his revision schedule for that day.

As Mousa walked, he continuously repeated the verses until he was confident that he held them properly in his mind and heart.

Mousa says he is also blessed with a sharp memory, competent and compassionate teachers, and a supportive wife.

After accomplishing his lifelong dream, Mousa yearns for more knowledge. He wants to remain a student of the Qur’an as he plans to study the meanings of the verses and practice “Tajweed” in order to become more proficient at recitation.

Quran verse posted at US Harvard Varsity

Quran verse posted at US Harvard Varsity

ref: http://www.emirates247.com/news/region/quran-verse-posted-at-us-harvard-varsity-2013-01-13-1.490871

 

The US Harvard University has posted a verse of the Holy Quran at the entrance of its faculty of law, describing the verse as one of the greatest expressions for justice in history, a Saudi newspaper reported on Sunday.
 
Verse 135 of Sura Al Nisa (women chapter) has been posted at a wall facing the faculty’s main entrance, dedicated to the best phrases said about justice.

A Saudi student who studies at Harvad published a picture of the poster in his Twitter page, according to the Saudi Arabic language daily Ajel.

“I noticed that the verse was posted by the faculty of law, which described it as one of the greatest expressions for justice in history,” Abdullah Jumma said.

Harvard University was established in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 1636 as the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States.

Tomorrow is not Yours, Seize the Day!

Tomorrow is not Yours, Seize the Day!

Upon hearing about the death of a fellow Muslim, it suddenly struck me how very fleeting life is, and that I was only a twinkling of an eye away from where he is now.

Death is the reality from which none of us can escape. It draws nearer every day, every hour, every minute. So I had to ask myself, if I were to die today, would I have done all that I could to ensure Allah’s Favor, and to evade His Wrath? Unfortunately for me, the answer was a resounding NOOO.

At the end of the day, I ask myself, what good have I sent ahead for the benefit of my soul? And again, the answers usually, very little. Time, it seems, is moving by so quickly. It seems just like yesterday that we started the “New Year,” yet we’re already almost a third of the way through it. A month seems like a week, a week seems like an hour and an hour feels like just minutes. This is why I’ve resolved to try my utmost, with the aid of Allah to take advantage of every opportunity to do good deeds, and not to put off until later, what I can do now. Death is coming, are you ready?

Allah says, “Every soul shall have a taste of death, and only on the Day of Judgement shall you be paid your full recompense. Only those who are saved far from the Fire, and admitted to the Garden will have succeeded. For the life of this world is but goods and chattels of deception.” [3:185]

It is so easy for us to get caught up in the comings and goings of our everyday lives, that we tend to forget that we don’t have forever in this worldly life, and get distracted away from our true aim and purpose. We tend to forget that we are here to worship Allah and to avail ourselves of the various opportunities He gives us to store up for ourselves treasures in Heaven. For He, Subhanahu Wa Taala, also says,

“O you who believe! Revere Allah, and let every person look to what he has sent forth for the morrow; and revere Allah. Allah is well Aware of what you do. And be not like those who forgot (disobeyed) Allah, and He caused them to forget themselves. Those are the disobedient. Not equal are the dwellers of the Fire and the dwellers of Jannah. It is the dwellers of Jannah who will be successful.” [59:18-20]

He also tells us that we do not know the hour of our own deaths, or in what land we will die. But He through His unending Mercy toward us, has given us ways to prepare for the inevitable now, because once we’ve passed from this life to the next, there is no coming back to do the things we should have done. For Allah says,

“Until death comes to one of them, he says, ‘My Lord, send me back. Perhaps I may do good in that which I have left behind.’ No, it is but a word that he speaks, and behind them is a barzakh until the day when they are raised up.” [23:99-100]

Allah has given us ways to protect ourselves from the punishment of the grave. One of these ways is by fighting in the Cause of Allah. It is reported that a man asked the Prophet, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam, “O Messenger of Allah, why are all the believers tested in the graves except a martyr?” He, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam, said, “The flashing of swords over his head was a sufficient test for him.” (An-Nasai)

This may be difficult for most of us to do in this day and age, but Allah has provided us with many other ways to earn ease in the next life. These include reciting Surat ul-Mulk, because the Prophet, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam, said, “Surat Tabarak is the protector from the torment of the grave.” (Al-Hakim) He, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam, also said, “When a human being dies, all of his deeds are terminated except for three types: an ongoing sadaqh, a knowledge of Islam from which others benefit, and a righteous child who makes du’a for him.” (Muslim)

Another way to earn a continuing reward is by reviving a lost Sunnah of the Prophet, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam. He, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam, said, “He who initiates in Islam a good way gets his reward for it, as well as rewards similar to those who follow him into it, without reducing any of their rewards.” (Muslim)

For those of us who know of fellow Muslims who have already begun their journey, or who are about to enter, into the next life, there are things we can do to make the transition easier, insha’Allah. These include performing the Janazah prayer for the deceased, fulfilling the deceased’s vows, payment of the deceased’s debts and the supplications of the Muslims.

This life is fleeting. Death is coming. Let us get ready.