Memorable Friday

Last week was a blessed week. Firday particulraly was emotional but full of meaning. It's astonishing how your soul is affected by the words of God, by reminders of Him and by the teaching of our noble Prophet (salalahu alayhi wa salaam).

I has decided to attend jumah prayers after a long time of not doing so. I specifically chose a masjid that wa sfurther away from work but in which I felt good. I love it b/c of its cleaningness, its private are for women, its vastness and its beauty. Case in point is that there is an Imam who has a very beautiful tarteel that always makes me weep and I needed to hear the beautiful words ot Allah (swt) recited beautifully.

The khutba was on something that had been disturbing me for a while: the power of duas. The khutba was about duas and the requirements for Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala to accept duas. They are the following: 1) praying to Allah and to Him alone, without associating any partner, 2) sincerity of the heart- understanding and meaning what one is saying, 3) eating from the halal- that includes one's income, food, clothing, etc, 4) refraining from what is forbidden, 5) enjoining good and forbidding evil and 6) being hopeful and certain that Allah will answer this dua.

Also, Allah says that He answers duas several ways: 1) either by granting the dua immediately or by delaying it, meaning when He thinks it's right for you, 2) either by preventing something bad from happening to you in the future, maybe even in the next life, 3) or by reserving it for you on yawmal qiyamma. Subhanallah and that's the best. Let us remember all this even in difficult moments and draw near to Him. After all, He said that He would test us with fear, hunger and with life [our own and our beloved ones] so that we can can learn taqwa, meaning become more conscious of Him. Let us also remember that dua can change the qadar of Allah (swt).

Later that evening, there was a special guest who would read Isha salaat: Imam Salah al-Budair, Imam from the mosque of Rassululah. Subhanallh, it was magic. His presence and his recitation were more than enough to warm my heart. He recited part of suratul qaf in a beautiful way- almost as beautifully as my favourite qari Ibrahim al Jibreen.

After salaat, he made a very short lecture on one's legacy on earth. He reminded us that once one dies, s/he is remembered through the following three act: 1) children praying for the perosn, 2) charity that the perosn has given and which continues to benefit others and 3) knowledge the person taught someone which continues to benefit the person.

He mentionned that the people of Jannah were those who others only speak good of after they've passed away. But one must be careful in exerting for that. because first and foremost, one's intention must be for Allah's reward and not for people's praises.