Part One


Praise be to Allah. We praise Him and seek His help and forgiveness. We seek


refuge in Allah from the evil within ourselves and from our wrong deeds. He whom Allah


guides, none can misguide, and he whom Allah sends astray, none can guide. I bear


witness that there is no god but Allah alone, Who has no partners, and I bear witness that


Muhammad is Allah’s servant and messenger. May Allah bestow his bountiful peace and


blessings upon him and upon his family and Companions.


O Muslims!


Fear Allah, servants of Allah, as He should be feared, for fear of Allah is the road


to guidance and disobeying Him is the road to misery.


O Muslims!


One’s time is the period for work, either to achieve eternal happiness in the


hereafter or to cause oneself destruction and misery. Due to the importance of time, Allah


has sworn by some of its parts. He has even sworn by the entire time including its nights


and days. He says:


By the night as it envelops. By the day as it appears in


brightness. (Al-Lail: 1-2)


There are lessons and morals that can be drawn from the passage of nights and


days for those who fear Allah. Allah, Majesty be to Him, says:


And He it is Who has put the night and the day in


succession, for such who desires to remember or desires to


show his gratitude. (Al-Furqan: 62)


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Our Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, devoted his entire life to Allah.


Allah says in His Qur’an:


Say (O Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him)):


“Verily, my Salat (prayer), my sacrifice, my living, and my


dying are for Allah, the Lord of the ‘Alamin (mankind, jinn


and all that exists).” (Al-An‘am: 162)


The Prophet’s Companions also made full use of their time. In the Noble Qur’an, Allah


tells us about some of their deeds:


... You see them bowing and falling down prostrate (in prayers),


seeking bounty from Allah and Good Pleasure. The mark of them


(i.e. of their Faith) is on their faces (foreheads) from the traces of


(their) prostration (during prayers) ... (Al-Fath: 29)


Abu Bakr advised Umar, may Allah be pleased with them, saying, “Allah has


enjoined us to do certain deeds at night, which He does not accept in the day, and has


enjoined us to do certain deeds during the day, which He does not accept at night.”


Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud, may Allah be pleased with him, said, “Never do I regret anything


as much as I regret a day that passes and decreases my lifetime without me doing any


good deeds on it.” The righteous predecessors, may Allah have mercy on their souls, took


full advantage of every moment in their lives. They used their time in doing deeds that


are pleasing to their Lord. Al-Hasan Al-Basri, may Allah have mercy on his soul, said, “I


have met men who were more protective of their time than you are of your dirhams and


dinars.”


The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “The feet of a son of


Adam will not move [from before his Lord] on the Day of Judgement until he is


asked ... about his lifetime, what he spent it on” (Reported by At-Tirmidhi).


Longevity, when coupled with good deeds, is indeed one of Allah’s greatest favours. The


Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “The best people are those whose


life is long and whose deeds are good” (Reported by At-Tirmidhi). One’s days are


numbered; with each day that passes, one’s life diminishes. The passing of one part of


life is an indication that the whole of it will equally pass away. Man embarks on the


journey to his Lord the very moment he sets foot on this earth. The successful ones are


those who make the best of their lives by doing deeds that are beneficial to them, while


the losers are those who waste the time they have. The Prophet, peace and blessings be


upon him, said, “There are two blessings in which many people incur loss [i.e. by


wasting them]: health and free time” (Reported by Al-Bukhari).


Ibn Al-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy on his soul, said, “Wasting time is worse


than death, for wasting time severs one from Allah and the hereafter, whereas death


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severs one from the present world and the people living in it.” Whoever wastes his time


will inevitably regret losing every single moment of it; and whoever spends a day in his


life without discharging a duty, fulfilling a religious obligation, or acquiring some useful


knowledge, has indeed wasted that day can squander his whole life in this way. The wise


person is one who occupies himself with deeds that are pleasing to his Lord; no sooner


does he complete a good deed than he engages in another one. Allah, Glorified be He,


says:


So when you have finished (your occupation), devote


yourself to Allah’s worship. (Ash-Sharh: 7)


Ibn Kathir, may Allah have mercy on his soul, commented on this verse saying, “This


means that once you have completed your worldly affairs and tasks and you have broken


away from them, then get up to engage in worship of Allah with zeal and complete


devotion and purify your intention and desire to serve your Lord.”


The best acts of worship to be performed are the declaration of the Oneness of


Allah, i.e. bearing witness that there is no god but Allah alone, and the performance of


the integrals of Islam in a perfect manner. The best thing to fill up our time with and to


have our ranks elevated is to memorise the Book of Allah, revise it, and reflect upon it,


for it is a precious treasure and a source of immense benefit. The Prophet, peace and


blessings be upon him, said, “Would any of you not like to go out in the morning to


the mosque and learn (or recite) two verses of the Book of Allah? They are better


for him than two she-camels, and three verses are better than three (shecamels),


and four verses are better for him than four, and the same is true of any


number of verses” (Reported by Muslim).


He who learns the Book of Allah by heart is honoured; he who recites is revered;


and he who draws nearer to it is dignified. The servant’s rank in Paradise will be


proportional to the number of the verses of the Qur’an that he recited in this world. In


times of trials, tumults, widespread doubts, and lustful desires, holding fast to the Book of


Allah and drawing nearer to it becomes all the more obligatory.


Acquiring religious knowledge, attending sessions of learning held by scholars,


and memorising Prophetic hadiths and the basics of different branches of religious


knowledge make a Muslim well-established in knowledge and elevate his rank. Allah,


Glorified be He, says:


... Allah will exalt in degree those of you who believe, and


those who have been granted knowledge ... (Al-Mujadilah:


11)


Imam Malik, may Allah have mercy on his soul, said, “The best supererogatory act is to


learn and teach religious knowledge.” It is through knowledge and learning that one’s life


4


is enlightened and one’s memory remains even after one dies. In addition, calling people


to this religion and spreading it with wisdom is the practice of all messengers and


righteous people. Allah says:


Say (O Muhammad peace and blessings be upon him):


“This is my way; I invite to Allah (i.e. to the Oneness of


Allah – Islamic Monotheism) with sure knowledge, I and


whosoever follows me (also must invite others to Allah, i.e.


to the Oneness of Allah – Islamic Monotheism with sure


knowledge) ... (Yusuf: 108).


This is the door to all goodness and blessings. As the Prophet, peace and blessings be


upon him, said, “If Allah guides a single person through you, this will be better for


you than a whole lot of red camels [i.e. better than the best property in this


world]” (Agreed upon).


Honouring one’s parents is an act of obedience to Allah and a source of happiness


to the servant. Getting close to one’s parents leads to inner peace and success. Allah,


Glorified be He, tells us that His prophet ‘Isa (Jesus), peace be upon him, said of himself:


“And dutiful to my mother, and made me not arrogant,


unblest.” (Maryam: 32).


Ibn Kathir, may Allah have mercy upon his soul, said, “Whoever is dutiful to his parents


is always unpretentious and happy in his life.”


A perceptive child rejoices over the advent of the holidays, for that will offer him


the opportunity to be more dutiful to his parents, to make them happy, and to keep their


company. Parents will be happy when they see their children holding fast to the religion.


One way of honouring one’s parents after their death is to visit their friends and show


kindness to them. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “The highest


form of honouring one’s father is to maintain relations with the people whom he


loved” (Reported by Muslim).


Maintaining the ties of kinship is pleasing to Allah, the Most Beneficent, prolongs


one’s life, increases one’s wealth, blesses one’s time, brings hearts together, reveals one’s


good character, and testifies to one’s sense of honour. The Prophet, peace and blessings


be upon him, said, “He who likes to have his provision expanded and his term of


life lengthened should maintain the ties of kinship” (Agreed upon).


Visiting religious scholars and virtuous people helps to refine and elevate the


soul, strengthen one’s determination, improve one’s condition, and remind one of the


hereafter. A person who visits religious scholars gains more knowledge and


understanding, for scholars are the inheritors of prophets and the callers to guidance.


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One of the qualities of the dwellers of Paradise is that, in this worldly life, they


compete for good and for acts of piety. Allah, Glorified be He, says:


… and for this let (all) those strive who want to strive (i.e.


hasten earnestly to the obedience of Allah). (Al-Mutaffifin:


26)


Al-Hasan Al-Basri, may Allah have mercy on his soul, said, “If you see people doing


good, then compete with them in that.”


Good companions provide the best help in doing good deeds. They urge us to do


righteous deeds, prevent us from treading the pathways to evil, and encourage us to do


acts of obedience to Allah. Those who love one another for the sake of Allah will be on


pulpits of light on the Day of Judgement, and even the prophets and the martyrs will be


happy for them and will wish to have the same status as theirs.


On the other hand, a bad companion calls to evil and dissuades one from doing


good. His company is always a source of grief and remorse. Allah, Glorified be He, says:


And (remember) the Day when the Zalim (wrong-doer,


oppressor, polytheist) will bite at his hands, he will say:


“Oh! Would that I had taken a path with the Messenger


(Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him). Ah! Woe


to me! Would that I had never taken so-and-so as a Khalil


(an intimate friend)!” (Al-Furqan: 27-28)


Abdullah ibn Mas’ud, may Allah be pleased with him, said, “You can judge a man by the


company he keeps, for a man only accompanies his likes.”


Pursuing sources of temptation and matters leading to it, such as what is presented


on television channels, only leads man to show ingratitude to Allah’s favours and engulfs


the heart in total darkness.


The holidays provide a good opportunity to bring parents closer to their children


and give them the chance to support them emotionally, refine their manners, and mend


any deviation they might show. In fact, the duty of the father towards his sons is great,


and so is the mother’s duty towards her daughters. She should look after them and


commit herself to giving them advice and guidance and ordering them to wear the hijab


(veil) and observe modesty and chastity.


Abdullah ibn Umar, may Allah be pleased with him and his father, said,


“Discipline your son, for you will be questioned about him: What manners did you


impart to him and what did you teach him? He will also be questioned about whether or


not he honoured and obeyed you.” Children feel happy in the company of their parents


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and experience peace and tranquillity in their presence, benefit from their character, and


acquire their good qualities. Ibn ‘Aqeel, may Allah have mercy on his soul, said, “A


judicious person gives due rights to his wife and to himself as well, and when he is alone


with his children he acts as if he were one of them and abandons seriousness for a while.”


In addition, rewarding children for doing good is one way of providing good care.


Ibrahim ibn Adham, may Allah have mercy on his soul, said, “My father said to me, ‘My


son! Learn the Prophet’s hadiths. Whenever you hear a hadith and you commit it to


memory, I will give you one dirham.’ This is how I learnt the hadiths.”


A father who turns away from his children and distances himself from them is in


fact neglecting their upbringing, for this makes them easy preys to evil-doers, which will


only cause remorse and anguish to the father. Going on a journey sanctioned by Islam


with them is one way of bringing parents and children together and mending any defects


in their relationship. For example, the ‘umrah is a journey and is also an act of worship


that wipes away sins and raises one’s rank in Paradise. In addition, offering one prayer in


the Prophet’s Mosque in Al-Madinah is far better than offering one thousand prayers in


any other mosque (with the exception of the Holy Mosque in Makkah). Conversely,


going on a journey that is forbidden by Islamic law is a waste of money, subjects one to


temptations, and is the cause of a great deal of doubts and lustful desires. A person who


makes such journeys returns home in a state that is far worse than his initial state.


In holidays, people start new families through marriage. Part of showing


gratitude to Allah for this favour is to make sure that wedding parties do not involve


forbidden acts and that the marriage itself is free from any sin.


Allah blesses all that the members of the Muslim ummah do in early mornings.


He has also made the night for rest and the day for livelihood. It was the practice of the


Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, to sleep at the beginning of the night and pray


towards its end. Abu Barzah, may Allah be pleased with him, said, “The Prophet, peace


and blessings be upon him, disliked sleeping before the ‘Isha’ (Nightfall Prayer) and


engaging into a conversation after it” (Agreed upon). If staying up late at night leads to


missing the Fajr (Dawn) Prayer in congregation in the mosque, then it is forbidden.


A Muslim is watchful of his Lord under all circumstances and at all times and


knows for certain that Allah sees his acts, hears his speech, and knows what his breast


conceals. Allah, Glorified be He, says:


... nor you (mankind) do any deed (good or evil), but We


are Witness thereof, when you are doing it ... (Yunus: 61)


The best status of faith is to know that Allah is always with you and is All-Aware of what


you do. One of the commandments that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him,


gave to his followers was, “Fear Allah wherever you are” (Reported by At-Tirmidhi).


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Allah’s ghairah (sense of honour, protectiveness, and pride) is provoked when the


limits He has set are violated whether one is on a journey or at home. The Prophet, peace


and blessings be upon him, said, “Allah has ghairah (sense of honour,


protectiveness, and pride), and Allah’s ghairah is provoked when a person does


something which Allah has prohibited” (Agreed upon).


O Muslims!


A believer keeps himself away from committing sins, seeks to increase his good


deeds, and uses his time wisely in accordance with whatever Allah has ordered. If hard


work is laborious, idleness is a cause of evil. If you do not occupy yourself with doing


right, your lower self will occupy you with doing wrong. Man is subject to tests in times


of ease and hardship, in times of health and illness, and in times of travel and staying


home. A truly successful person is one who makes fear of Allah a means to his ends and


hastens towards his Lord’s Paradise by doing good deeds. I seek refuge in Allah from the


accursed Devil:


Whosoever does righteous good deed, it is for (the benefit


of) his ownself; and whosoever does evil, it is against his


ownself. And your Lord is not at all unjust to (His) slaves.


(Fussilat: 46)


May Allah bless you and me with the Great Qur’an and make us benefit from its


verses and wise words. I have said what you have heard and I ask forgiveness of Allah


for myself, for you, and for all Muslims, for any sin that we have committed. Ask Allah


for forgiveness. He is the Oft-Forgiving, the Most Merciful.


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Part Two


Praise be to Allah for His kindness to us; and all forms of gratitude are due to


Him for the success He has blessed us with and for His graciousness. I bear witness that


there is no god but Allah, Who has no partners, in glorification of His dignified position.


I also bear witness that our prophet, Muhammad, is His servant and messenger. May


Allah bestow His bountiful peace and blessings upon him and upon his family and


Companions.


O Muslims!


Life in this world is very short indeed, and the pleasures of this world are transient


and abominable. Therefore, do not take from it more than a stranger takes to meet his


needs when he is away from home, and occupy yourself only with what a traveller


occupies himself with after making sufficient preparations to return to his family.


A believer is in constant fear of two things: a sin which he has committed and


does not know what Allah will do to him regarding it, and the approaching time of death


after which he does not know what destiny he is going to meet. A wise person spends his


free time worshipping his Lord. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, used to


observe voluntary fasts very frequently during the month of Sha‘ban. There are no


authenticated hadiths regarding the virtue of this month except that the Prophet, peace


and blessings be upon him, used to fast frequently in it; indeed, neither the night of the


middle of Sha‘ban nor any other night in it has any special virtue. Deeds are only


accepted if they are done according to the Shari‘ah.


Know that Allah has commanded you to ask Him to bestow His peace and


blessings upon His Prophet. He says in His perfect revelation:


Allah sends His Salat (Graces, Honours, Blessings, Mercy)


on the Prophet (Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon


him)) and also His angels (ask Allah to bless and forgive


him). O you who believe! Send your Salat on (ask Allah to


bless) him (Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon


him)), and (you should) greet (salute) him with the Islamic


way of greeting (salutation, i.e. AsSalamu


‘Alaikum). (Al-


Ahzab: 56)


O Allah! Bestow bountiful prayers, peace, and blessings upon our Prophet,


Muhammad, and be pleased with the Rightly-Guided Caliphs, who ruled by truth and


thereby established justice, Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, and Ali, along with all the


Companions, and also be pleased with us together with them, by Your grace and


generosity, O Most Generous of all the generous!


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O Allah! Grant power and glory to Islam and Muslims, subdue polytheism and the


polytheists, and destroy the enemies of the religion. O Allah! Make this country of ours,


as well as all other Muslim countries, safe, secure, and prosperous.


O Allah! We ask You for success and happiness in this life and in the hereafter. O


Allah! Inspire us to do right, guide us to the truth, keep us away from trials and tumults,


and make us among Your chosen, guided servants, who love and obey You most, O


Owner of Majesty and Honour!


O Allah! Improve the condition of Muslims everywhere. O Allah! Spare their


blood and gather them around the truth, guidance, and piety, O Most Strong! O All-


Mighty! O Allah! Make the best among them the ones who rule them, O Owner of


Majesty and Honour!


O Allah! Lead our ruler to Your guidance, make all his deeds pleasing to You,


and guide all the leaders of the Muslims to act according to Your Book and rule by Your


Shari‘ah, O Owner of Majesty and Honour!


Servants of Allah!


Verily, Allah enjoins Al‘


Adl (i.e. justice and worshipping


none but Allah Alone – Islamic Monotheism) and AlIhsan


[i.e. to be patient in performing your duties to Allah,


totally for Allah’s sake and in accordance with the Sunnah


(legal ways) of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon


him) in a perfect manner], and giving (help) to kith and


kin (i.e. all that Allah has ordered you to give them, e.g.


wealth, visiting, looking after them, or any other kind of


help), and forbids AlFahsha’


(i.e. all evil deeds, e.g. illegal


sexual acts, disobedience of parents, polytheism, to tell


lies, to give false witness, to kill a life without right), and


AlMunkar


(i.e. all that is prohibited by Islamic law:


polytheism of every kind, disbelief and every kind of evil


deeds), and AlBaghy


(i.e. all kinds of oppression), He


admonishes you, that you may take heed. (An-Nahl: 90)


Remember Allah, the Most Great, the Sublime, and He will remember you. Thank


Him for His blessings and favours and He will give you more. Verily, remembrance of


Allah is greater than all, and Allah knows what you do.