وَلَا تَمْنُن تَسْتَكْثِرُ

In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Especially Merciful,

If you are going to do something, then do so for Allah and expect nothing apart from your sincerity with Allah. Free yourself from expectations and the desire for praise, and neither be affected by criticism if your heart is sincere. For there is no one who will be able to reward you like Allah.

A heart and mind freeing themselves from desiring anything in return leads to internal freedom, to deeds that are accepted, and to a heart that is refined and polished.

Lower your expectations from others and increase your expectations from within yourself, following the example of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)'s beautiful character. You will gain an internal
Happiness, peace, and like the rose, you will leave a fragrance and happiness behind in others. 

Razia Zahra  my mom's childhood best friend name is razia sultana and she lived in Canada my mom trying to find her 🙂I thought probably you are her friend 

For your Lord, be patient.

As a leader, you need to be patient when striving to change society. The patience Allah asks of us is the kind rooted in seeking His pleasure.

While you work to be resilient and patient in achieving a noble goal, remember not to do so merely to keep yourself strong, to gain respect, to maintain a relationship, or for any worldly reason along the way.

This is a different perspective: you are patient because this life is a test. Your patience and gratitude are a means to pass this test with excellence (Ihsan) so that you may meet Allah while He is pleased with you.

Sometimes, even with Sabr, you may not achieve what you want in this world. But you will certainly be rewarded with Jannah when your patience is sincerely for Allah’s pleasure.

سورة الإنسان
وَجَزَىٰهُم بِمَا صَبَرُوا۟ جَنَّةࣰ وَحَرِیرࣰا ١٢ 
And will reward them for what they patiently endured [with] a garden [in Paradise] and silk [garments].

Have a sincere intention, not only at the beginning of each action or journey but also with every tool, means, or characteristic you employ. And persevere only for the sake of  your Lord.
 
#GuidedLeadership

Today we had our weekly Sisters Quran Circle and we started surah Al-Muddathir today. The beautiful reflections the sisters shared today were so profound I just have to share them. 

'The way Allah SWT is so sweet and he elevates us more than what we are. He speaks so kindly towards us, but we don’t often do this in our lives. He’s kind of showing us the way we could be kind towards others without putting ourselves in the situation'
- This reflection stemmed from the first ayah. We were talking about how by Allah calling the Prophet (pbuh) by 'o you covered up 'in your clothes'!' is a personalized term of endearment for him, which is what makes it so special. We eventually revisited this love Allah has for the Prophet and for us, which led us to a discussion that led to this beautiful reflection. It's not often that we understand that Allah loves us. Allah loves you. 

'Allah is the only one giving and he made this between him and us. We believe things belong to us but they don’t.'

'The only transaction we should focus on is between you and Allah, but Allah is the one giving and he doesn’t owe us anything. We’re the ones gaining from what he gives us.'
- For this reflection we were talking about how humans are very transactional in nature, meaning we always expect some sort of compensation in return. The conclusion we came to was that 1) Anything we give was never in our possession to begin with, it's all from Allah. 2) Even if we do a favor without expecting anything in return from the person, we'll still be compensated by Allah. So it's not that we won't get something in return, it's that we have to be patient to get it in a different way, from a better source - from Allah.  Not only that, but when we do this, we're shifting our transaction from between you and someone else to between you and Allah. And who better to make a transaction with than Allah. 

'Ayahs 2-7 are cures to illnesses that Allah knew the Prophet needed to adopt in order to spread the message of Islam.'
- This gem was pulled from @whamza from Project 100 which someone shared with us.  We need to adopt these cures ourselves to walk on the straight path. 
Disease | Cure
Laziness/ Not being active | Arise and Warn 
Not making Allah the most important thing, Not understanding that Allah is above all things | Glorify Allah 
Not purifying yourself outwardly , in terms of cloths, and character | Purify your cloths
Not Purifying yourself inwardly | Shun uncleanliness
Thinking that you are doing a lot, and all by yourself  | Do not think that you are everything, and everything happens because of you.
Not being patient | Be steadfast for your Lord 

'He (the Prophet (pbuh) was facing rejection after rejection but he knew that true success is with Allah - so that’s how he got through it'
- This was a wrap up reflection. Any advice we learned from these ayat are ones that the Prophet (pbuh) practiced and perfected and he had a heavy task. But the way he got through it was by knowing true success lies with Allah. If we could remember this ourselves, imagine how easy every hardship would be.  

These were some of our reflections. I'm just a messenger. 
Anything good I've said is from Allah and any mistake I've made is from my own shortcomings. 

#jjxccnysistersqurancircles

Muslim Student Organization & Women in Islam  CCNY

Ustaadh Wael Hamza talked about the 6 cures to 6 illnesses that were taught to the prophet pbuh in the very beginning of his journey. And rightfully so, we are taught this in the beginning of our journey in the seerah. 

But it's so hard to actually implement it , each and every aspect of this .

1) laziness, not taking the initiative. 
2) not making Allah the center of your life, not glorifying Him in secret and in open
3) not being careful of the filth on our cloths or the filth that is shown in our character
4) not purifying the filth in our hearts, which requires constant struggle of the inner self
5) thinking that we have done so much for Islam and we need something in return.
6) not being patient or steadfast in the process of curing all of the above. 

What this requires is an active mindset , and constant rehearsal of the diseases and their cures. And most importantly Dua. 

#Project100

JAK - I was hoping it can be captured and accessible and you just did that!

These are the first 7 orders Allah gave to His Messenger as He tasks him with the message. THESE are essential to reflect on and embrace for anyone who would take on such a responsibility. #probingTheDepthdsOfSeeraProject100

According to some scholars of tafseer, al-muddathir refers to the one wrapped in his outer garments (cloak, blanket, etc.) while al-muzamil is the one wrapped more closely in inner layers. 

We can think of our roles in dawah and Islamic work as an outer layer of clothing and an inner layer.

The outer layer of clothing is what we present to the outside world and what protects us against the harmful elements:  stand up, warn people, purify our outward manners, glorify Allah with our voices, avoid all things that stain our character, and to be patient for the sake of our Lord as we attempt to walk along the path previously forged by the prophets. 

The inner layer insulates, it is rests against our skin, gives us comfort, remains hidden and keeps us warm. That is the layer of night prayer and worship. The work of the one who calls to Allah is heavy, and the words of the Quran are deep, but the night keeps us straight and strong, makes our speech true and our understanding deeper. 

The days are long, tiresome, and full of pitfalls, but it is worship that ensures that the strife of the day brings us closer, not further, from our aim. If you are active in Islamic work, pay attention to both the inner and outer garment. 



#Knowledge, #Purification, and #Activism are inseparable and important components to any believer. The first verses to be revealed in the Holy Quran started with these three components and requirements: Read (knowledge), Prayer & Qiyam (Purification), and Warn and spread the message (Activism).

I always coupled the verses of Al-Muddathir (activism) and the verses of Al-Muzammil (qiyam/spirituality). I never made the connection with the verses of knowledge, until now.

Reflecties: Al-Muddaththir 74:6