بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
What should you do after the Seasons of Worship?
#1 - When the Muslim performs acts of worship, he should feel fear that Allah will not accept it from him. Ibn Umar رضي الله عنهما said that if he was certain that Allah accepted two Rakah's from him, it would be more beloved to him than the whole world and what it contains.
#2 - Because the believer is afraid that Allah will not accept his worship from him, he asks Allah to accept it from him. The Salaf used to ask Allah to accept their Ramadan 6 months after it finished, Ibrahim and Ismaeel عليهما السلام asked Allah to accept their deed when they built the Ka'bah (as mentioned in Surah Al-Baqarah [2:127]):
"And (remember) when Ibrahim (Abraham) and (his son) Isma'il (Ishmael) were raising the foundations of the House (the Ka'bah at Makkah), (saying), "Our Lord! Accept (this service) from us. Verily! You are the All-Hearer, the All-Knower.""
And when the Prophet ﷺ slaughtered his sheep, he asked Allah to accept it from him and his nation.
No matter what we do, we cannot fulfill the right of Allah upon us, and our deeds are full of shortcomings.
#3 - Make Istighfar after your worship.
Ibn Al-Qayyim رحمه الله said that the sign of acceptance of a deed is that you feel disdain and contempt in your heart for what you have done.
We make Istighfar after the prayer, after Hajj, after the Wudhu, after the late night prayer, etc. Istighfar covers the shortcomings in your worship.
Ibn Abî Mulaykah رحمه الله said: I met thirty of the Prophet’s Companions – Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him – and every one of them feared falling into hypocrisy; not one of them claimed he had the level of faith of Jibrîl or Mîkâ`îl. [Quoted by Al-Bukhârî, Al-Sahîh, Chapter on the believer fearing that his deeds will be nullified without him realizing.]
#4 - Follow up the deed with other good deeds.
In Surah Muhammad [47:17]:
"While as for those who accept guidance, He increases their guidance, and bestows on them their piety."
If you find that worship is easy for you and you love it, it is from the glad tidings of Allah. Allah said in Surah Al-Layl [92:5-7]:
"As for him who gives (in charity) and keeps his duty to Allah and fears Him,"
"And believes in Al-Husna."
"We will make smooth for him the path of ease (goodness)."
And whatever you live upon, you will die upon.
#5 - The way of the Prophet ﷺ was that whenever he performed a good deed, he would make it continuous.
عَنْ أُمِّ سَلَمَةَ، قَالَتْ شُغِلَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم عَنِ الرَّكْعَتَيْنِ قَبْلَ الْعَصْرِ فَصَلاَّهُمَا بَعْدَ الْعَصْرِ .
It was narrated that Umm Salamah said: "The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) got distracted and did not pray the two Rak'ahs before 'Asr so he prayed them after 'Asr." [An-Nasaa'i]
Any voluntary act the Prophet ﷺ did, he made it continuous. Continue the worships you performed in this season.
#6 - Show gratitude to Allah. Allah said in Surah Ibrahim [14:7]:
"And (remember) when your Lord proclaimed: "If you give thanks (by accepting Faith and worshipping none but Allah), I will give you more (of My Blessings), but if you are thankless (i.e. disbelievers), verily! My Punishment is indeed severe.""
Allah told us of the invocation of the righteous in Surah Al-Ahqaf [46:15]:
"And We have enjoined on man to be dutiful and kind to his parents. His mother bears him with hardship and she brings him forth with hardship, and the bearing of him, and the weaning of him is thirty (30) months, till when he attains full strength and reaches forty years, he says: "My Lord! Grant me the power and ability that I may be grateful for Your Favour which You have bestowed upon me and upon my parents, and that I may do righteous good deeds, such as please You, and make my off-spring good. Truly, I have turned to You in repentance, and truly, I am one of the Muslims (submitting to Your Will).""
In the following verse, Allah says:
"They are those from whom We shall accept the best of their deeds and overlook their evil deeds. (They shall be) among the dwellers of Paradise, a promise of truth, which they have been promised."
Say الحمد لله that you have lived the season, that Allah made it easy for you, that you performed it safely, etc.
Reflections on Hurricane Irma....
#1 - This is one of the universal signs of Allah which we should sit and think about. We should show gratitude that we are safe from it. The first thing we learn from it is الله أكبر (Allah is the Greatest). People can take pictures of it, predict it's movement, but they cannot stop it. No one can stop the order of Allah. Allah said in the Qur'an regarding the wind He sent as a punishment to Ad in Surah Ahqaf [46:24-25]:
"Then, when they saw it as a dense cloud coming towards their valleys, they said: "This is a cloud bringing us rain!" Nay, but it is that (torment) which you were asking to be hastened! a wind wherein is a painful torment!"
"Destroying everything by the Command of its Lord! So they became such that nothing could be seen except their dwellings! Thus do We recompense the people who are Mujrimun (polytheists, disbelievers, sinners, etc.)!"
"بأمر ربها" - By the Command of its Lord
Allah is the One who is sending this by His command and order. This makes you glorify Allah. We said الله أكبر repeatedly in the previous days, and now Allah is showing us that He is truly أكبر. This is a sign from Allah. The ءايات (signs) of Allah are of two kinds:
1) Textual Signs
2) Universal Signs
The Prophet ﷺ said to Ibn Abbas رضي الله عنهما:
وَاعْلَمْ أَنَّ الْأُمَّةَ لَوْ اجْتَمَعَتْ عَلَى أَنْ يَنْفَعُوك بِشَيْءٍ لَمْ يَنْفَعُوك إلَّا بِشَيْءٍ قَدْ كَتَبَهُ اللَّهُ لَك، وَإِنْ اجْتَمَعُوا عَلَى أَنْ يَضُرُّوك بِشَيْءٍ لَمْ يَضُرُّوك إلَّا بِشَيْءٍ قَدْ كَتَبَهُ اللَّهُ عَلَيْك
And know that if the nation were to gather together to benefit you with anything, they would not benefit you except with what Allah had already prescribed for you. And if they were to gather together to harm you with anything, they would not harm you except with what Allah had already prescribed against you. [40 Hadith Nawawi]
#2 - Allah said in Surah Al-Mudathir [74:31]:
"And none knows the soldiers of your Lord except Him."
Allah is turning the light, delicate wind into something so powerful. This should put fear of Allah in your heart. People are leaving their houses in terror and do not know if they will find their houses when they return. Safety is from Allah alone. Allah reminds us in Surah Quraish [106:4]:
"(He) Who has fed them against hunger, and has made them safe from fear."
Show gratitude for the safety you are living in, and ask Allah to grant you safety in your grave and in the Hereafter. This is the real safety. You will attain safety by following the orders of Allah. You and all the people around you are weak, something can frighten you in seconds - no one can keep you safe and secure except Allah.
#3 - It shows you the mercy of Allah because it is a cause for people to turn back to Allah. People are hanging posters around the state with "In God we Trust" written on it. They do not know God at all, but in this calamity they know that no one can help and secure them except Allah. Allah is reminding them to turn back to Him, and this is out of His mercy - that He gives them chances to repent.
We should glorify and magnify Allah during this universal sign, and know that He has the perfect ability, and that no one can repel His decrees, and we should fear Allah and know that no one can give us security except Him alone, and we should know that Allah is the most Merciful and gracious, He gives chances to people even in the deepest depth of the calamities.
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