Tag: rethink

Isn’t it amazing that in this day and age, at any given moment, you can easily find someone calling to prayer using the same exact words that were used hundreds of years ago, since the Prophet’s ﷺ time? Similar to wudu, the power of our unity as a single community committed to following Allah’s messenger is evidenced in this small action we take for granted every day. 

The athan, or call to prayer, is Allah calling you to Him. Your meeting with Him is about to start. 

The athan begins with “Allahu Akbar”, which means “Allah is greater”. Greater than whatever it is that you’re currently doing, or thinking about, however important you think it is. When the call to prayer was made while the Prophet ﷺ was at home with his family, he became – contrary to his usual demeanor – distracted and detached. It was as if he did not know anyone around him. He would be so immersed in the beautiful meanings of the words, that it would feel as if he wasn’t there anymore.

These days, we hear the athan in the background as we continue doing whatever we are doing, not realizing how hypocritical this is. If indeed we believe that Allah is greater than anything we can think of, then our actions need to be in line with the words on our tongues and the beliefs in our hearts. If we can change how we respond to the athan, then maybe it’s the beginning of changing our experience of the salah as well. 

Read More

It’s clear from our discussion thus far that there’s so much that goes into experiencing salah that begins before the prayer itself. That’s even more prominent with regard to how you prepare yourself for the prayer. You’re going to be standing in front of Allah… If you were going to stand in front of your boss, what would you wear? How would you want to smell? How should your hair look? Now remember … you’re actually going to stand before Allah, the King of all kings … How do you look?

That is why Allah gifted us wudu – the ritual purification for worship. If we were to really think about it, we would never really be able to look good enough to stand before Allah. The wudu, though, is Allah’s promise to us that we are good enough, so long as we make this small effort to show our care. 

Now let’s take a step back and talk about the importance of intentionality which often gets lost when we make wudu. 

Renewing your intention in whatever you do changes the action you’re doing – however small it is – and helps you stay mindful before and while doing it. If we take sleep, as an example, you can choose to sleep and wake up without stopping for a second to think about what you’re doing or why you’re doing it. OR, since you’re gonna have to do it anyway, you can choose to be more mindful, and revisit your intentions every night before you sleep. If your intention is to sleep so you can have the strength to wake up for fajr, and afterwards to work and worship Allah, then the 6-7 hours of sleep can be added to your good deeds!

Going back to wudu, don’t make your wudu just out of habit. Be intentional. It’s your time to really get your head in the game before you stand before Allah. When you do your wudu, give it more dimension by mindfully thinking about what the wudu is and does. Here are some things to keep in mind to help the wudu gain more meaning for you:

Read More