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'Umar b. al-Khattab ac al said: "I am at peace no matter the state I wake up in, whether it's one I welcome or one I wish to avoid. Because goodness is not found in what I love or in what I detest. It is found in what Allah decrees." [Ibn Abi al-Dunya, Al-Faraj, p. 36]

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Among the greatest calamities of our time is nationalism, an ideology that has crept into the hearts of many Muslims, replacing loyalty to Allah and His Messenger with allegiance to artificial borders.

The Qur’an is filled with warnings, such as the story of the Israelites who turned to the golden calf in the absence of Prophet Musa to caution us against such misplaced devotion.

Today, nationalism is treated by some with the same blind reverence with elevating “the nation” above Islam.

Nationalism demands loyalty at all costs, even when it results in oppression, destruction, and the betrayal of fellow Muslims. It deceives with the illusion of safety and belonging, promising identity and fulfillment in return for unconditional allegiance but it often leads to the erasure of our Islamic consciousness and the justification of the most heinous acts even against fellow believers.

It is disheartening to witness Muslims champion movements in their countries solely because it is “their nation,” even when such movements stand in opposition to the Ummah’s collective well-being.

The concept of the nation-state is a colonial construct. Borders drawn on maps hold no weight in the divine order of brotherhood and the alliances of the believers. No boundary can sever the bond between Muslims, for a believer is the helper and supporter of his brother, regardless of geographical location.

As Muslims, we must reject this modern-day idol and reaffirm that our loyalty lies with Allah and His Messenger. Anything less is a betrayal not only of our faith but of the very unity that Islam was sent to uphold.

Drops of Mercy telegram.

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‏"ومن تمام حُسْنِ الظَّنِّ باللهِ أنْ يستقرَّ في قلبِكَ أنَّه لا خيرَ لكَ في شيءٍ مُنِعْتَ عنه، وأنَّ رحمةَ اللهِ بالحِرمان لا تقِلُّ عن رحمته بالعطاء".

"Among the perfection of having a good opinion of Allah is to firmly believe in your heart that there is no good for you in anything you are deprived of, and that Allah's mercy in withholding is no less than His mercy in granting."

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Beginning your day with the Qur’an brings you immense barakah and clarity of mind.

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When it comes to recognising the importance of niyyah (intention), this specific hadith always comes to mind:

مَن طَلَبَ الشَّهادَةَ صادِقًا، أُعْطِيَها، ولو لَمْ تُصِبْهُ.

“Whosoever asks for martyrdom sincerely shall be granted its reward, even if he does not achieve it.” [Sahīh Muslim 1908]

One thing we can learn from this hadith, is how crucial ikhlaas - sincerity, is. If you are sincere with Allah, He will grant you the reward of martyrdom even if you died in your bed, even if your feet never got dusty in His path.

People leave their beloved, lose their limbs, go through starvation and injuries and countless horrors in the Cause of Allah before they attain martyrdom in His path. So how can someone who's never faced any of that be granted the same reward?

Because we can ask Allah and make dua all we want for the rest of our lives, but Allah knows what's in our hearts. Allah knows for whom shahadah is a far-fetched dream and a lip service, and for whom it is a lifelong effort to achieve it. Allah knows the hearts that constantly yearn for it, the hearts that are always ready to jump on the caravan. Allah knows the feet that walk to work and the hands that are engaged in worldly things but their biggest concerns are those of the ummah and the aakhirah. Allah knows the grief and longing that rips them apart. The guilt and regret that eats at them.

Because sincerity is not lip service. Sincerity is doing every little thing to please Allah because Allah only handpicks those and grants the rizq of shahadah to those whom He is pleased with. Sincerity is your whole lifestyle, it is your whole mindset. Sincerity is actions, sincerity is the state of your heart that no one but Allah knows. And you cannot intend if you are not sincere, and your intention cannot have determination if you are not sincere.

A sincere dua to Allah can move mountains, it can create mountains that did not exist, it can crumble the sturdiest of mountains.

In these blessed days, make dua to Allah with sincerity for everything you've ever wanted. For what you want the most. Ask Allah for the impossible,

فهو رب المستحيل

Because He is the Lord of the impossible.

اللهم اجعلنا من عبادك المخلصين، آمين.

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As Salamu alaikum I hope this messages reaches everyone in the best of health and iman.

Ramadan is coming up, please remember me and my family in your dua especially before iftar and the last ten days. That Allah protects me from the harassment and oppression. And that I have the opportunity to raise my baby and get to watch them grow up 🥲

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إن الله اشترى من المؤمنين أنفسهم وأموالهم بأن لهم الجنة... ♡

التوبة: ١١١

وَمَنۡ أَوۡفَىٰ بِعَهۡدِهِۦ مِنَ ٱللَّهِۚ

فَٱسۡتَبۡشِرُواْ بِبَيۡعِكُمُ ٱلَّذِى بَايَعۡتُم بِهِۦۚ

وَذَٰلِكَ هُوَ ٱلۡفَوۡزُ ٱلۡعَظِيمُ

And who is truer to his covenant than Allāh? So rejoice in your transaction which you have contracted. And it is that which is the great attainment.

9:111

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For a moment, I thought these were phosphorus bombs, and not fireworks.

After Baghuz and Gaza, nothing will ever be the same for the ummah. The failures have reached the lowest of the low for us. The wounds are deep, deep.

May Allah forgive us, and may He aid the believers, ameen.

Remember the ummah in your prayers in these blessed days and nights.

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Ibn Rajab رحمه الله said:

"If only the perfect, and those free from sins, gave advice, nobody would have ever advised anyone after the Messenger of Allah because there is no perfection for anyone after him."

Lata'if al-Ma'arif, p. 19

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May Allah allow us to reach Ramadan in the best of health and imaan, forgive all our sins, and bring us closer to Him عز وجل. Ameen.

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Ramadān Tips:

By Shield of Taqwa

1. Limit your use of social media and spending excessive time on it socialising. Every second of Ramadān is precious, so don’t waste your time online if it won’t bring any benefit. However, online platforms should be used for spreading reminders and benefits, and one shouldn’t stay away from it completely if they are using it to benefit the Ummah.

2. Eat healthy. Don’t overeat and stay away from unhealthy foods as it will effect your quality of ‘Ibādah. Drink plenty of water when you can.

3. Don’t waste time after you break your fast like many do and excessively socialise. It’s best to stay away from such gatherings in the first place so you don’t fall into doing and speaking about harām things.

4. Always make extra effort and do more as Allāh has made ‘Ibādah so easy for us in this blessed month, alhamdulilāh.

5. Utilise the early hours of the morning well after Fajr, as they have so much barakah in them. Use this time to recite a lot of Qur’ān, memorise and reflect over it and remember Allāh.

6. Recite as much Qur’ān as possible! If you struggle with this, base your recitation around the prayer times and try to at least read a page before and after each Salāh and increase as you go. Although there’s nothing wrong with completing the Qur’ān as that’s what the righteous of the past used to do in this blessed month, don’t forget to also read the tafsīr and reflect over the meanings. This will have a greater effect on one’s Īmān, Taqwā and Salāh, inside and outside of Ramadān.

7. Get a decent amount of rest so you can wake up frequently if able in the last third of the night to do extra ‘Ibādah. There are special times where du’ā is more likely to be answered, now imagine the likelihood of it being answered in the last third of the night, during Ramadān, in Sujūd, and even more so if that night was Laylatul Qadr!

8. Seek Laylatul Qadr every night in the last ten nights, especially the odd nights, and refrain from singling one night out and ignoring the rest. Allāh will only allow the true, sincere ones who make effort with ‘Ibādah to witness this amazing, blessed night.

9. Help your brothers and sisters whenever you can with their needs and hasten to do good deeds even faster in this month.

10. Be humble in front of Allāh and turn to Him in repentance every day and night of Ramadān. Only Allāh knows how many sins we have accumulated over the year so we need to beg Allāh for His forgiveness during these blessed days and nights, and think well of Allāh always.

These are a few tips, but there is so much more that can be done to maximise our ‘Ibādah in this month. Also don’t forget to make plenty of du’ā for the entire ummah; those living and those in their graves.

May Allāh accept our worship and help us truly give this blessed month its rights.

اللهم آمين

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In the end, we must be our own knights, we must be our own saviours, the light must come from within us. Having righteous companions around and an Islamic environment facilitates that, but even then, we must be our own saviours

I love my lord but struggle to obey Him, I force my heart to stay steadfast on the straight path yet every single time I find myself back to square one. 

I poured the blame on everyone already, depression, evil eye, shaytan, my environment.. everyone!

I can’t believe blaming myself… I’m not like this? Or perhaps I am? Maybe I always was but never noticed? Or perhaps my heart got tainted from the amount of evil I involved myself into? 

Maybe in the end it is indeed me, maybe I am the problem, and the solution should also come from me… but that’s the hardest part! Thinking that my success relies on me is frightening, and I always avoid this thought, but for how much longer will I be heedless? How much longer will I let my youth and the blessings bestowed by Allah upon me have a chance to speak against me before my Lord -the one I claim to fear and love, yet struggle to worship-. 

Wish I could finish this text with a motivational phrase, or a good ending, a nice conclusion, but motivation is not what I need, I need action.

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"Thabat (steadfastness) on the truth during times of fitan is something that cannot be achieved through ones effort or fatigue, but rather it is achieved by asking Allah عز وجل for that, thereafter, by knowing the truth through Revelation from the Book (of Allah) and the Sunnah and the understanding of the Salaf of the Ummah. And here we are on the verge of a trial that blinds, in which whoever Allah makes steadfast will be steadfast, and whoever He leads astray will relapse.."

يامقلب القلوب ثبت قلبي على دينك

O turner of hearts, keep my heart firm on Your Deen.

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كم تذاكرنا زمانا، يوم كنا ساعدا

بكتاب الله نتلوه صباحا و مساء ...

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"عندما تقول: أستغفر الله تسأل الله شيئين:

ستر الذنب، والثاني التجاوز عنه، بحيث لا يعاقبك الله عليه".

“When you say: Astaghfirullah (I seek Allah’s forgiveness), you are asking Allah for two things: the concealment of the sin and pardon for it, so that Allah does not punish you for it.”

ابن عثيمين | مجموع فتاوى ورسائل ط: دار الوطن (٨٧/١٦)

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The best thing I ever did was stop waiting for people to accompany me. I did whatever I wanted to and needed to, and found amazing people along the journey I started on my own, Alhamdulillah ♡

My father always told me: "If you want to go for a run, go for a run, don't look for company. Sooner or later, on your fifth run or your twentieth, like-minded people will find you themselves." And only recently have I realized that this principle works everywhere.