Of duas and deeds

 أَعُوذُ بِٱللَّهِ مِنَ ٱلشَّيۡطَٰنِ ٱلرَّجِيمِ، بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ

Perhaps the simplest way to begin one's journey to Allah is recognition: knowing at least some of the blessings and gifts one has been given. This encompasses far more than we can ever realize, but the key is to open the doors of appreciation so that shukr becomes a trait expressed easily and often. 

Without question, the fardh (obligatory) acts of the religion is where it all begins. After those are sound, then the next step is to make the obligatory more beautiful by adding more of the Sunnah and voluntary duas/deeds. There is no end to this pursuit, just levels and levels of getting closer to Allah.


In no particular order, how to help ourselves along this road:
(many things to add, suggestions always welcome) 

_____ 

Dua for when leaving the home:


بِسْمِ اللهِ ، تَوَكَّلْـتُ عَلى اللهِ وَلا حَوْلَ وَلا قُـوَّةَ إِلاّ بِالله 

Translation:
"In the name of Allah, I place my trust in Allah, and there is no might nor power except with Allah."

Benefit:
[then] it is said to him:

“You have been sufficed, protected, and guided, and the shaytan would move aside from him, then say to another shaytan: What access do you have to a man that has been guided, sufficed, and protected?”

_____

The Messenger of Allah said,Allah will build a house in Paradise for whoever is diligent in observing 12 sunnah rakaat (as follows):
4 rakaat before and 2 after the Dhuhr Prayer,

2 after the Maghrib,
2 after the Isha Prayer,
and 2 before the Fajr Prayer.

 

[Reported by Tirmidhi and others] - underlined particularly important
_____



رَبِّ أَوْزِعْنِي أَنْ أَشْكُرَ نِعْمَتَكَ الَّتِي أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيَّ وَعَلَىٰ وَالِدَيَّ وَأَنْ أَعْمَلَ﴿
﴾ صَالِحًا تَرْضَاهُ وَأَدْخِلْنِي بِرَحْمَتِكَ فِي عِبَادِكَ الصَّالِحِينَ ۝ 


Rabbi ’auzi‘nî ’an ’ashkura ni‘matakallatî ’an‘amta ‘alayya wa ‘alâ wâlidayya wa ’an ’a‘mala sâlihan tardhâhu wa ’adkhilnî bi-rahmatika fî ‘ibâdikas-sâlihîn.

Translation:
My Lord! Enable me to be grateful for Your favour which You have bestowed upon me and upon my parents and to do righteousness of which You approve. And admit me by Your mercy into (the ranks of) Your righteous servants. [Sûrah an-Naml 27: from verse 19]

______

  رَبِّ إِنِّي لِمَا أَنْزَلْتَ إِلَيَّ مِنْ خَيْرٍ فَقِيرٌ

Translation: "My Lord, indeed I am, for any good that you bestow on me, very needy.” (Surah Al Qasas, 28:24) - Dua of Musa (a.s.)

_____

When you go to sleep, perform ablution as for prayer, then lie down on your right side and say:





Translation:
O Allah! I have submitted myself to You, I have turned my face to You, entrusted my affairs to You; and committed my back to You out of desire for You and fear of You; (expecting Your reward and fearing Your punishment). There is no refuge and no place of safety from You but with You. I believe in the Book You have revealed and in the Prophet You have sent.

Benefit:
"If anyone recites these words and dies during the night, he will die on the true Deen, and if he remains alive until the morning, he will obtain good. And make this supplication your last words (before sleeping).”
_____




Surah Al-Baqarah Verse 201, Translation:
"Our Lord! Grant us good in this world and good in the hereafter, and save us from the torment of the fire."

_____










Al-Imran Verse 8, Translation:
"Our Lord! Let not our hearts deviate now after Thou hast guided us, but grant us mercy from Thine own Presence; for Thou art the Grantor of gifts without measure."

_____

 

No comments: