Thank God it's Friday!

Jummah Mubarak!

Every Friday, for as long as I can remember, I get a call from my best friend saying, "Jummah Mubarak!" and it's a tradition that I'm proud of and look forward to every week, mashallah... (",)

Friday is a huge blessing from Allah and a sign of His Mercy. Subhanallah, even non-Muslims wait anxiously for the blessed day of Friday!

The Prophet Muhammad (SAW) said:

"Friday is the best of all days and the most virtuous in the sight of Allah Most High. In the sight of Allah Most High it has more greatness than Eid ul-Fitr and Eid ul-Ad'haa." (Ibn Majah)

" The people of Jannah can not wait for the arrival of al-Jumuah, to fill their eyes more and more with the presence of the Almighty. For this reason al-Jumuah has been named the day of more (increase) ." {At-Tabarani}

If you think about it, the above quote is quite breathtaking as it implies the people of Jannah will anxiously be waiting for the arrival of Friday because it is the day when they will be able to see Allah.. Subhanallah!!!

We're so fortunate to be given such a blessed day... EVERY WEEK! It's crucial that we take the time to appreciate this beautiful day regardless of our busy lifestyles. If we haven't done anything to earn Allah's pleasure during the week, then Friday is our last chance. So try and visit the sick or an elderly person, get ready for Jummah prayers, offer to help someone out in need, give your Mum a hug, tell that special someone just how special they are to you, thank Allah for blessing you abundantly and ask for an honourable death on the blessed day of Friday.

Try and make the most of this and every Friday, it'd be a terrible shame to let such an awesome day pass without giving it much thought.

Be Positive!

When speaking to a friend today, I heard the words, "I can't be arsed" or "I can't be bothered with anything anymore" or something along those lines and it inspired me to right a few words on the importance of being positive.

It's so easy to adopt a negative attitude when things aren't quite going the way you want them to, but having an optimistic outlook on life can be so beneficial to both the mind and soul (and even to those around us!).

As Professional Muslims, we should have the wisdom to realise it doesn't take much to switch that little bit of negative energy we have inside and use it to inject others with positivity. And the funny thing is, a positive attitude is not a difficult thing to have at all. It just takes a little effort to extend to others a warm smile, or a kind word and it's amazing how beneficial it can be for your own spiritual and physical health too!

If you're not aware of the effect your attitude has on people and on your influence as a Muslim, beware! You may be doing a good job of putting food on the table, giving Zakat, working hard, going to the mosque, praying every day, fasting, etc. BUT the power of your attitude behind all that you do will essentially determine the true effect of your actions. Having a good attitude shows your concern for those around you before yourself, it shows your reverence for Allah and the strength of your character to hold a smile even when it may not be your day.

Attitude directly affects your friendships, your family, your work, your ability to serve Allah... it affects EVERYTHING!! So when you're contemplating life and wondering what you may be doing that is hurting your relationships, or asking yourself why life is being cruel to you, take a look at how you hold yourself around others and the attitude you hold towards life.

In conclusion, even when we may not be feeling happy or at ease, we can still show a smile on our face or share a few friendly words and kind gestures. Often, it is simply our attitudes that can influence someone or inspire someone to seek Islam. We need to be aware of that. We can be doing all the rights things in our minds, thinking that we are being good examples of Islam to others, but if we are not carrying a positive attitude at all times, we may not be doing as good of a job at being 'Professional Muslims'.

I know it's easier said than done, and I'm not always so positive myself but I wrote this because I also need to remind myself that attitude is everything, and I think ESPECIALLY for Muslims. We can build a mosque, we can do great things for Islam, but one of the greatest things can simply come from the attitude we have. So, let's all start being positive people!! (",)

So Who Is This Professional Muslim?

It's you!

It's nothing to do with being a lawyer, or a doctor, or a teacher, or of any profession, its more about developing and improving your chararcter in the hope of becoming a better Muslim... a 'Professional' Muslim! (",)

It seems that in our professional lives, we're always seeking ways to move up the ladder, whether it be going on training courses or taking further exams or even just doing that extra bit of reading so we're up-to-date with the latest in our fields of work. However, it is just as important that we strive to work our way up the Islamic ladder too, by working on our social conduct, being charitable, helping out in the community, educating ourselves, and educating others by sharing our knowledge.

To seek knowledge is a sacred duty; its obligatory on every Muslim. And its not only the knowledge of Deen, but ANY beneficial knowledge is Islamic knowledge; an ocean that has no coast.

The Qur'an is filled with verses inviting man to use his intellect, to ponder, to think and to know. The Hadith literature is also full of references to the importance of knowledge,

"Seek knowledge from the cradle to the grave"

and

"Seek knowledge, even as far as China".

These ideas have echoed throughout the history of Islam and encouraged Muslims to seek knowledge wherever it might be found. During most of its history, Islamic civilization has been witness to a true celebration of knowledge. That is why every traditional Islamic city possessed public and private libraries, and some cities like Cordoba and Baghdad boasted of libraries with over 400,000 books!!

I mean, it's great that as young British Muslims, we're succeeding both academically and professionally, however, it's so important that we are just as clued up on imaan, islam, good character and good conduct so that we can achieve success in not only this life, but also in the Hereafter.

 

And vice versa too. Like, there's no point in being all clued up on Islam, when you don't make an effort to seek non-religious knowledge or don't strive to excel in your job.

 

As Professional Muslims, it's all about striking a good balance between Deen and Dunya, showing others what a great blessing it is to be a part of this beautiful religion called Islam!

Salaam and Welcome to my blog!

Bismillah hir Rahman nir Raheem.
In the Name of Allah, The Beneficient, The Merciful.

I will start with the dua that Prophet Musa made before he confronted Pharoah,

"My Lord, I ask you to expand my breast, make my task easy, undo the knot in my tongue so that my speech will become comprehensible."

I'm always reading up on Islam, finding ways to increase my Islamic knowledge and I come across so many amazing facts, quotes, words of inspiration and videos that I decided to create a blog so that I could share this wealth of beautiful knowledge with others too.

I hope you all enjoy reading my posts, and please, feel free to comment or add anything you'd like to share with others.

So, with the name of Allah, let the blogging begin... (",)