Dealing with Stress

The worry-free days of childhood are long behind us. Without the right strategies and the proper mindset, getting through life's daily challenges can seem like an uphill battle. There are plenty of feel-good tactics that you can employ from exercise to positive thinking and these do have a place in the life of a Muslim. But you can supplement these practices with a level of reassurance and faith that comes from placing your trust in God and engaging in prayer. Here are a few ways that you can deal with any difficult obstacle that comes your way:

1) Pray 5 times a day: 

 I've always found that I achieved a sense of calmness and peace immediately after prayer. It didn't mean that whatever was troubling me at the time was resolved nor did it mean that I was simply ignoring the problem. Prayer, however, reassured me that I'm not alone in dealing with it, that a more powerful hand has a role in the way things turn out and that I just have to trust Him. 

The Prophet once said that in prayer, he would find rest and relief (Nasai). He would also regularly ask for God's forgiveness and remain in prostration during prayer praising God (Tasbeeh) and asking for His forgiveness (Bukhari). 

2) Make Du'a regularly and with faith: 

Recognizing that Allah (S.W.T.) is the One who controls everything is essential when dealing with a problem. This is why it is critical to take Him as our confidante and call onto Him if one encounters difficulties. Have faith in Him and do not despair. 

Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported, “The Messenger of Allah (PBUH), ‘The supplication of every one of His slaves will be granted as long as he does not get impatient and say, “I supplicated to my Rubb again and again but I do not think my prayer will be answered." [Al-Bukhari, Muslim].

It also just as important to trust that Allah (S.W.T.) is omniscent and knows all that is hidden and revealed. Have faith that whatever happens, happens for the best and be at peace with it.

"It may be that you hate something when it is good for you and it may be that you love something when it is bad for you. Allah (S.W.T.) knows and you know not." [Sura al-Baqara, 216] 

3) Try your best and leave the rest to Allah (S.W.T.):

Having the fortitude that comes with knowing that Allah (S.W.T.) is on your side should not lull you into complacence. Continue trying your best and exerting yourself to the best of your ability to resolve the problems you face. This may involve some creativity on your part or reaching out to other fellow Muslims. Whatever the case may be, you must not give into despair and stop trying. Do your part and leave the rest to Allah (S.W.T.)

"Allah (S.W.T) does not change a people's lot unless they change what is in their hearts." [Sura al-Ira'd: 11].

One day, Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H.) noticed a Bedouin leaving his camel without tying it. He asked the Bedouin, "Why don't you tie down your camel?" The Bedouin answered, "I put my trust in Allah." The Prophet then said, "Tie your camel first, then put your trust in Allah" (Tirmidhi). 

4) Even the Prophets were tested! 

During difficult moments, we may find ourselves wondering why Allah (S.W.T.) is testing us even though we may be doing our best to be good Muslims. It may help to know that Allah (S.W.T.) tested even the best of his followers i.e. the Prophets. For example, Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.) became acquainted with deep sorrow at a very tender age when he lost his father, his mother and his grandfather in very early childhood. Simply revisiting the Seerah will present a record of seemingly insurmountable obstacles that might have broken a lesser person. If Allah (S.W.T.) in his infinite wisdom tested the best of all human beings, we certainly can't claim any special exemption either! This isn't cause for despair however. On the contrary, the stories of our Prophets can be a source of inspiration and motivation for us during our difficult times! 

"Or do ye think that ye shall enter the Garden (of bliss) without such (trials) as came to those who passed away before you? they encountered suffering and adversity, and were so shaken in spirit that even the Messenger and those of faith who were with him cried: "When (will come) the help of Allah?" Ah! Verily, the help of Allah is (always) near! [Sura Al-Baqara, 214]

5) This life is temporary:

Always remember that this life is just temporary and in that same vein, all difficulties are also transient. If you begin to feel overwhelmed, remind yourself that you are not given any test which you would be unable to handle. You are given the tools you need to solve any issue. It is only a matter of what you choose and how you do it!

"Allah puts no burden on any person beyond what He has given him. After a difficulty, Allah will soon grant relief." [Sura Al-Talaqa, 7].

In life, we may sometimes find ourselves in positions where we feel entirely helpless and it is in moments like these when turning to our Creator can be just what we need to overcome obstacles. With the right mindset and faith, you can overcome just about any problem, Insha-Allah! 

4 Resolutions To Become a Better Muslim in 2012 and How to Keep Them:

Since we’re already into February, the thrill of the new year has most likely simmered down by now. Unfortunately, February also means that most of us may have already given up on our resolutions, be they religious ones or not.

The mistake most of us make when acting on any resolution is overzealousness. For example, if you decided that you wanted to get into better shape this year, you may have thought that hitting the gym every day, running as hard as you can or greatly curbing what you eat would be sure-fire ways to get into the fast lane to your goal. Such enthusiasm can be a great motivational aid initially but achieving any resolution requires dedication, commitment and most of all, consistency. You must first learn to walk before you can run or else you risk burnout!

It also helps to remember that it takes only 21 days to form a habit. When starting out, especially if you hit early obstacles, just remember to stick it out for at least 3 weeks. You will find that by the end of this period, what seemed like a chore before will simply become routine!


With that said, here are five simple resolutions you can do today to become a better Muslim in 2012! With time and effort, they are wide enough in scope to allow you to keep building and adding to them as the months pass!

1) Pray your five daily prayers and wake up for Fajr:

To truly make great strides towards becoming a better Muslim, it is essential to have your basics covered. This means that if you’re not already praying your five daily prayers, today is a great time to start!

Resolve to wake up for Fajr to the best of your ability. Set an alarm every night to go off during Fajr time. Initially, it may seem daunting to interrupt your sleep to answer the call of prayer but with time, it will become second nature.

Track the number of times that you have kept your prayers and the number of times you may have missed them.

For the tech geeks amongst you, Qamar Deen is a great app that gives you a prayer chart where you can record your daily prayers including if you’ve prayed them in Jamaat or by yourself with or without Sunnah. For the ladies, Qamar Deen even allows password protection and an option of recording the days that you are excused from prayer.

2) Make “Allah” part of your daily vocabulary:

Remembering Allah doesn’t only have to happen in prayers. You can easily increase your good deed count for the day by saying Insha-Allah whenever you intend to do something in the future. Sprinkling Masha-Allah whenever you compliment someone else or adding Alhamdullillah whenever you have been blessed with good news are other easy ways to remember Allah.

3) Read 30 verses of the Quran and its translation daily:

Many of us have already read the Quran in the original Arabic script at least once. But not many of us can say that we have undertaken a study of the translation and its meaning. Truly understanding the Qu’ran is a laudable but exhaustive endeavor that many of us may not be able to undertake right away. An easy goal to undertake is to read 30 verses of the Qur’an along with the translation every day. You can even track your daily readings in Qamar Deen!

4) Commit to donating anywhere from 2.5-10% of your monthly income as Sadaqah:

Sadaqah or charity Is a laudable effort but one that can be easily forgotten unless one makes a conscious effort. No matter what your position in life, committing to donating anywhere from 2.5-10% of your monthly income will go a long way in becoming a better Muslim as well as making a difference.

Even if you’re just a student working part-time jobs, assuming you earn about $400.00 per month, 2.5% of that amount is a mere $10.00. With just one less trip to Starbucks or to the movies – a change that you’ll barely notice – you will be making a difference in someone else’s life and reaping tremendous rewards for your efforts.

A Prayer Time I-Cal maker

I was trying to sort out my schedule one morning, and I thought "wouldn't it be splendid if there was a way to put the prayer times on my iCal calendar?" A quick google search later and I found this:


http://praytimes-ics.appspot.com/

It's an extremely simple webapp that you enter your location into, choose your calculation method, and click which feed type you want! The calendar will download to your Mac, then all you have to do is click on it and it'll put itself into iCal! :D