I was weeding the rose garden, which was completely overrun by the most malicious and sadistic weeds to ever exist in a city garden. They were so tall, I could hardly see my rose bushes, making it completely impossible for me to carry out the pruning I intended to do. So, I was hacking away at these tyrants, thanking Allah for the rain that made the soil so soft, and thus my task so much easier, and also wondering how these things thrive with zero attention to them. My mom suggested that “well, plants make dhikr too, and these things probably just remember Allah more than your roses do…you and your roses have something in common!” Ouchie.

Today, after our dhikr-fest, I was reading “Virtues of Salaat alan Nabi” and a couple of the hadith cited were of benefit to me…so I am sharing it for it to be easy for me to remember:

According to Abu Hurairah RadiAllahu Anhu, Rasulullah Sallallaahu Alayhi wa Sallam said, “Whoever recites salaat on me ten times, on him shall Allah send one hundred mercies, and whoever recites it one hundred times on him shall Allah send one thousand mercies and whoever out of love and devotion increases his salaat beyond that, for him shall I be an intercessor and a witness on the day of Qiyaamah.”

Sayyidina Umar RadiAllahu Anhu reported that Rasulullah Sallallaahu Alayhi wa Sallam said, “On the enlightened night (Friday night) and the enlightened day (Friday) recite much salawaat on me, because your salawaat are presented to me and (in return) I pray for you and beg forgiveness on your behalf.”

So lets make good use of a few spare moments in our Fridays, inshaAllah. And that goes for me first.

This morning, we were listening to an audio lecture on Jannah. The sheikh was describing how in jannah, wanting for anything and having it will be instantaneous. He said how when you see a bird flying in jannah, and if your appetite for it is whetted, you will just point to it and there it will be, cooked and ready to eat just the way you like it.

My dad was sitting there with us in the living room, listening, and goes, “Will you eat birds in Jannah, DigiN?” I am not a meat-eater, so I am guessing that consuming birds won’t figure in my jannah…but only Allah knows. I might change my tastes for the birds of Jannah!

What do I want in jannah? I have literally no idea. I think a really nice quiet lushly green spot, with a big waterfall and beautiful fish (not to eat!) where I can entertain the people of my heart sounds like jannah. But Allah knows, if I ever make it to the gates of jannah, I will want more, eh? Somehow, jannah always equals trees and greenery for me…

What does it take to plant a tree for yourself in Jannah? The single recitation of SubhanAllah walhamdulillah wa laa ilaaha illallahu wAllahu Akbar; wa laa hawla wa laa quwwata illa billahil aliyil adhim gives us a tree of our own in Jannah, no watering, no fertilizer, no pruning required.

InshaAllah, we will all have acres of trees waiting for us, by just doing this dhikr whenever we are bored out of our minds sitting around waiting for class to begin, or on our way to the mall, or whatever it is that is otherwise just empty time in our day.

What will be the centerpiece of your jannah? Share and inspire

The tasbeeh was just laying there like that. I had to take a picture.

Last week, I made that post saying that dhikr is basically the only way I can really retain my sanity, and I threatened to bore you all by constantly resurrecting the post every Friday. Well, to my (happy) surprise some said you would join me in my dhikr-fest if I really do keep pulling that post back up. As your reward, you get a whole new post…this time just to tell you what I do by way of dhikr on Fridays, inshaAllah. There are so many different dhikrs specific to Friday…but I will get back into the groove with baby steps, with the ones relevant to the time after Asr Salaah:

• Shaikhul Hadith Moulana Zakariyya (rahmatullah alayh) had related a Hadeeth in his Faza’il Durood Sharief: on the authority of Abu Huraira (RadiAllahu Anh) , Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said that anyone who recites the following Salawaat 80 times after Asr Salaah, before getting up from his place, Allah will forgive his sins of 80 years and reward him 80 years of good deeds:

Allahumma salli ‘alaa Muhammadin Nabiyul ummiyi wa ‘alaa aalihi wasallim tasleema.
Oh Allah, bestow Your blessings upon the untutored (unlettered) Prophet and upon his family, and bestow Your Mercy upon him and his family.

• 70 times Ayat al Kursi…

I can’t find my source for this one. If someone has a source, please share?

• Seek the Saa’ati Ijaabat, that blessed moment on Fridays wherein Allah (subhanahu wa Ta’ala) accepts all legitimate du’aas. Some Ulama believe that moment falls between the two khutbahs, while the rest believe it occurs right before Magrib salaah. I choose to make duaa for everyone in the Muslim world right after I do the Ayat al Kursi. Choose a time that works best for you. Allah knows best.

Now, pick up a tasbeeh, and get to work…whatever your dhikr of choice is