The Essence of Fasting and Its Purpose
How can I get rid of the sins I became accustomed to?
The holy month of Ramadan is your true chance to achieve this. All you have to do is to study the list of the Great Sins; this will allow you to identify the sins you have become accustomed to, and that you do not even regret because you are simply almost unaware of. When you study that list you become mindful of your own sins and you become ready to repent and to actually stop them during the month of Ramadan. Then you start asking Allah wholeheartedly during the special times of acceptance of supplications, before sunset and at dawn, to help you persist in your resolutions and your repentance after Ramadan.
This is a way to abandon completely some of those sins; and while you might go back to some other after Ramadan, you would then be feeling the guilt and regret that were absent before, which in turn would remove them from the most dangerous category of sins: that is the circle of habits that in your eyes did not seem to need repentance or forgiveness.
Every year during the month of Ramadan you would detach from some more of your sins in a cycle of continuous improvement; you would thus increase in piety and end your life with the honored ones designated by Allah in the verse: ﴾The most noble of you in Allah’s Sight is the most pious﴿.(1)
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(1) Al Hujurat:13.
Source: Kalima Taiba
Nutritious Recipe
from my kitchen with love
Potato Soup Recipe 🥔🍲
Ingredients:
4 medium potatoes (peeled and cut into cubes) 🥔
2 leeks (cleaned and cut into cubes/slices) 🥬
1 medium onion (diced) 🧅
2 cloves garlic (minced) 🧄
1 carrot (diced) 🥕
2 tablespoons ghee (animal-based fat) 🐄
4 cups chicken or beef broth 🍗🥩
Salt 🧂
Pepper
1 cup heavy cream 🥛
Chives (for garnish) 🌿
¼ cup browned crispy shaved beef (do not burn it) 🥩
Instructions:
Prepare the Ingredients:
🥔 Peel the potatoes and cut them into cubes.
🥬 Clean the leeks and cut them into cubes or slices.
🧅 Dice the onion and 🧄 mince the garlic.
🥕 Dice the carrot.
Sauté the Vegetables:
In a large pot, add a couple of tablespoons of ghee (🐄) and heat it over medium heat.
Add the diced onion, minced garlic, and diced carrot. Sauté until they are softened and fragrant. 🥕🧅
Add Potatoes and Leeks:
Toss in the cubed potatoes and sliced leeks. Mix everything well. 🥔🥬
Add Broth and Seasonings:
Pour in the chicken or beef broth 🍗🥩 until the vegetables are fully covered.
Season with salt 🧂 and pepper to taste.
Boil and Simmer:
Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and let it simmer until the vegetables are tender (about 20-25 minutes). ⏳
Blend the Soup:
Once the vegetables are tender, use a blender or an immersion blender to blend the soup until it is completely smooth. 🥄
Add Cream:
Return the blended soup to the pot and stir in the heavy cream until it boils🥛.
Garnish and Serve:
Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with chopped chives 🌿 and browned crispy shaved beef 🥩 (make sure not to burn it).
Enjoy your delicious potato soup!
Saha w Hana! 🎉
From One Seed to Seven Hundred: The Power of Giving
Abdul Rahman ibn Awf (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that when he migrated to Medina, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) established a bond of brotherhood between him and Saad ibn Al-Rabi, an Ansari from the Khazraj tribe and one of the leaders at the Pledge of Aqabah. The concept of brotherhood (Mu’akhah) meant that the two men would pledge to support and assist each other, becoming as close as brothers in kinship.
Saad offered Abdul Rahman half of his wealth and suggested that he choose one of his wives, divorce her, and after her waiting period, Abdul Rahman could marry her. However, Abdul Rahman declined this offer, saying, "I have no need for that."
He then asked Saad about the location of the marketplace in the city for trade, and Saad directed him to the market of Banu Qaynuqa, a Jewish tribe in Medina. Abdul Rahman began trading in ghee (clarified butter) and dried curds (a form of dried yogurt). He continued this until he accumulated wealth, and then he came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) with the scent of the perfume he had applied. The Prophet asked him, "Have you married?" He replied, "Yes." The Prophet asked, "To whom?" He said, "A woman from the Ansar, the daughter of Anas ibn Rafi from Banu Abd Al-Ashhal." The Prophet then asked, "How much did you give her as a bridal gift?" Abdul Rahman responded that he had given her the weight of a date stone in gold, which is equivalent to three and a third dirhams. The Prophet then instructed him to hold a feast, even if it was with a sheep, indicating that the feast (walimah) is the food prepared for a wedding celebration. The feast can be with a sheep or something larger for those who can afford it; for those who cannot, there is no blame on them, as the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) hosted a feast with barley and dates for some of his wives.
It was said that the brotherhood between the Emigrants (Muhajirun) and the Helpers (Ansar) had two reasons: one was that it was a continuation of what they were accustomed to in the pre-Islamic era of alliances, as they used to inherit through these alliances. The Prophet said, "There is no alliance in Islam," and he established the brotherhood, as a person who is weaned off what he is used to may become withdrawn. The second reason was that the Emigrants arrived in need of wealth and shelter, so they stayed with the Ansar, and this companionship was reinforced by the brotherhood. After the Battle of Badr, there was no longer a need for such brotherhood, as they became self-sufficient through the spoils of war.
The refugees from Mozaic face a situation that resonates deeply with many: they arrive with little to nothing, striving to provide for their families with dignity. They are eager for support, seeking skills and entrepreneurship knowledge to help them thrive.
By empowering these individuals with the tools and resources they need, we can help them stand on their own feet, becoming independent and self-sufficient. Your contribution can make a significant difference in their lives, providing them with the training and support necessary to build a brighter future for themselves and their families.
Let’s come together to support these resilient individuals in their journey towards self-sufficiency. Every donation, no matter how small, can create a ripple effect of positive change. Together, we can help them not only survive but thrive. Please consider donating today and be a part of this transformative journey. Your generosity can help restore hope and dignity to those in need.
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Du'a of the Day
أدعية لراحة البال والروح
اللهم آتِ نفوسنا تقواها وزكِّها، أنت خير من زكَّاها، أنت وليُّها ومولاه. اللهم إنا نعوذ بك من علم لا ينفع، ومن قلب لا يخشع، ومن نفس لا تشبع، ومن دعوة لا يستجاب لها. اللهم ارضَ عنا وارضِنا يا أرحم الراحمين.
ربِّ إني أسألك أن تريح قلبي وفكري، وأن تصرف عني شتات العقل والتفكير. ربِّ إن في قلبي أمورًا لا يعرفها سواك، فحققها لي يا رحيم. ربِّ كن معي في أصعب الظروف، وأرني عجائب قدرتك في أصعب الأيام.
اللهم إنا نسألك زيادة في الدين، وبركة في العمر، وصحة في الجسد، وسعة في الرزق، وتوبة قبل الموت، وشهادة عند الموت، ومغفرة بعد الموت، وعفوًا عند الحساب، وأمانًا من العذاب، ونصيبًا من الجنة، وارزقنا النظر إلى وجهك الكريم.
اللهم يا مسهِّل الشديد، ويا ملين الحديد، ويا منجز الوعيد، ويا من هو كل يوم في أمر جديد، أخرجني من حلق الضيق إلى أوسع الطريق. بك أدفع ما لا أطيق، ولا حول ولا قوة إلا بالله العلي العظيم.
اللهم بشرني بالخير كما بشرت يعقوب بيوسف، وبشرني بالفرح كما بشرت زكريا بيحيى.
اللهم استر عورتي، وأقل عثرتي، واحفظني من بين يدي ومن خلفي، وعن يميني وعن شمالي، ومن فوقي ومن تحتي، ولا تجعلني من الغافلين.
اللهم إني أستغفرك من كل سيئة ارتكبتها في بياض النهار وسواد الليل، في ملأ وخلاء، وسر وعلانية، وأنت ناظر إلي.
Prayers for Peace of Mind and Soul
O Allah, grant our souls their piety and purify them; You are the best of those who purify them, and You are their Guardian and Protector. O Allah, we seek refuge in You from knowledge that does not benefit, from a heart that does not humble itself, from a soul that is never satisfied, and from a supplication that is not answered. O Allah, be pleased with us and make us pleased, O Most Merciful of the merciful.
O Allah, I ask You to comfort my heart and mind, and to divert from me the scattering of thoughts and worries. My Lord, there are matters in my heart that no one knows but You; fulfill them for me, O Most Merciful. My Lord, be with me in the toughest circumstances, and show me the wonders of Your power in the hardest of days.
O Allah, we ask You for an increase in faith, blessings in our age, health in our bodies, abundance in our sustenance, repentance before death, martyrdom at the time of death, forgiveness after death, pardon on the Day of Judgment, safety from punishment, a share of Paradise, and grant us the joy of seeing Your noble face.
O Allah, O Facilitator of the difficult, O Softener of iron, O Fulfiller of promises, O One who is every day in a new affair, take me out from the confines of distress to the broadest of paths. With You, I push away what I cannot bear, and there is no power and no strength except with Allah, the Exalted, the Great.
O Allah, give me good tidings as You gave good tidings to Jacob about Joseph, and give me joy as You gave good tidings to Zechariah about John.
O Allah, cover my faults, and relieve my burdens. Protect me from in front of me and from behind me, from my right and my left, from above me and from below me, and do not make me among the heedless.
O Allah, I seek Your forgiveness for every sin I have committed in the light of day and the darkness of night, in gatherings and in solitude, in secret and in public, while You are watching over me.
Ameen
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