the repository

reference, post, and comment repository of u/travelingprincess

[travelingprincess]

MOVE NOTICE

As-salaam alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu!

This is a notice to everyone interested in my content that I've moved my writings over to my standalone website:

travelingprincess.me

All future content (including some pretty spicy stuff!) is posted there. You can also follow me across various social media:

Reddit: u/travelingprincess

X: @travlngprincess

Instagram: @travlingprincess

Telgeram: @travelingprincess

Discord: travelingprincess

[travelingprincess]

On Memes

﷽

As Muslims, we know that we cannot afford to follow along with whatever the people are doing—we have a clear guidance before us, alhamdulillah; a set of principles by which we measure everything we do.

"Are those who know equal to those who do not know?"

—Qur'an (az-Zumar) 39:9

Once we understand the nature of memes and what's involved in them, the rulings attached to joking about the religion, the rulings on picturemaking, and the manners of a Muslim, we will see that dedicating too much time to this pursuit is not praiseworthy.

Joking About the Religion

In a world as irreverent and blaisé as ours, it's easy to see that there are no frontiers which comedy doesn't violate. Rather, those calling for guardrails to humor are openly vilified. Essentially, we're raised with the understanding that you can joke about anything.

Of course, this isn't true, as Allah warns us in the Qur'an:

And if you ask them, they will surely say, "We were only conversing and playing." Say, "Is it Allah and His verses and His Messenger that you were mocking?" Make no excuse; you have disbelieved after your belief.

—Qur'an (at-Tawbah) 9:65-66

Subhanallah, joking about the religion is categorized as kufr, clear cut.

Shaykh ibn Baz brought a consensus from the scholars, who are all in agreement that "if a Muslim reviles Islam, or criticises it, or he reviles the Messenger (ﷺ), or criticises or mocks him, then he is an apostate and a kafir" (Fataawa Noor 'ala ad-Darb by ibn Baz, p. 139).

Shaykh ibn Jibreen has also explained that this kufr makes an individual's spouse haram to them (they're automatically divorced) and the individual is not able to inherit from his Muslim relatives, and so on (Fataawa Islamiyyah, 3/533).

Interesting to note is that mocking the religion is enough to take a person outside of the fold of the religion without the need to refer the matter to scholars / the ulema. It is something which is open and apparent.

With this in mind, is it any wonder that memes and idle internet jokes are a hotbed for this type of fitnah? Imagine how quickly a word of kufr can be uttered in a group, and everyone laughs and all of them have now participated in this?

And when you (Muhammad (ﷺ)) see those who engage in a false conversation about Our Verses by mocking at them, stay away from them till they turn to another topic. And if Shaiytaan causes you to forget, then after the remembrance sit not you in the company of those people who are the Zalimun (polytheists and wrong­doers, etc.).

—Qur'an (al-An'am) 6:68

Some of the students of knowledge have gone on to explain that seemingly "simple" things, such as calling the niqabi a ninja or saying that she looks like a letterbox, denigrating the Sunnah beard, making fun of one who wears his trousers above his ankles, and so on—all fall under the category of mocking the religion.

May Allah guide us all and keep us steadfast upon his religion; may He protect us from every kind of fitnah. Ameen.

Picturemaking

Another aspect of standard-issue memery is picturemaking. As is quite well-known, picture making (and statuary) are not permissible in Islam.

"...a person came to ibn 'Abbas and said, "I am the person who paints pictures; give me a religious verdict about them." He (ibn 'Abbas) said to him, "Come near me (still further)." He came near him so much so that he placed his hand upon his head and said, "I am going to narrate to you what I heard from Allah's Messenger (ﷺ). I heard him say, 'All the painters who make pictures would be in the fire of Hell. The soul will be breathed in every picture prepared by him and it shall punish him in the Hell,' and he (ibn 'Abbas) said, "If you have to do it at all, then paint the pictures of trees and lifeless things..."

—Sahih Muslim 2109c, 2110a

In the hadith, we learn that landscapes and inanimate things (cityscapes, abstract art, etc.) are not forbidden, rather, the prohibition is most stern on living beings, whether human or animal. Though the issue may be somewhat nuanced, the following guidelines are generally agreed upon for the most liberal opinoin on the matter:

avoid living subjects, especially to draw them in their entirety

among living subjects, refrain from making a complete face, or including the eyes and nose

pictures of people or animals must not be hung up in the home or elsewhere

photo manipulation, especially of living beings, is forbidden

With these above points in mind, let us be honest and realistic about what memes typically entail:

they almost always involve photo manipulation of living beings

animal head on human bodies or vice versa (chad doge meme)

manipulation of living beings for gifs (2 legged horse gif)

transferring the faces or facial features of one individual onto another (as when combining memes to double up on a sentiment)

they usually involve living beings, generally; not many memes involve landscapes

often the meaning of a meme itself can be problematic, wherein someone is being denigrated or slandered unjustly

Manners of a Muslim

From the manners of a Muslim is that she does not engage overmuch in frivolity and idle play. It is permissible to joke around from time to time or as the opportunity arises. But to be a jokester, or someone who is known as such, is not for the Muslim to aspire to.

Oftentimes, one starts off in the permissible bounds of joking around and idle chit chat and ends up where it was unnecessary or even impermissible to go. Because as we know, the tongue is the quickest way to jahannam, and all it takes is a single word to get us there.

(Remember) that the two receivers (recording angels) receive (each human being), one sitting on the right and one on the left (to note his or her actions). Not a word does he (or she) utter but there is a watcher by him ready (to record it).

—Qur'an (Qaf) 50:17-18

The scholars have mentioned, even, that whoever speaks more—fears Allah less. Subhanallah.

Additionally, women should be especially careful with our speech, as we know from authentic hadith that our tongues and our words will cause a large portion of us to enter the Hellfire (may Allah protect us from such a fate, ameen!):

It was narrated that Jabir ibn ‘Abd-Allah (radhiAllah anhu) said, "I attended Eid prayers with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). He started with the prayer before the khutbah, with no adhan or iqamah. Then he stood up, leaning on Bilal (radhiAllah anhu), speaking of fear of Allah (taqwa) and urging us to obey Him. He preached to the people and reminded them. Then he went over to the women and preached to them and reminded them. Then he said, 'Give in charity, for you are the majority of the fuel of Hell.'

A woman with dark cheeks stood up in the midst of the women and said, 'Why is that, O Messenger of Allah?'

He said, 'Because you complain too much and are ungrateful to your husbands.' Then they started to give their jewellery in charity, throwing their earrings and rings into Bilal’s cloak."

—Sahih Muslim 885

In other versions of this hadith as well as the explanations of the people of knowledge, I've heard it said that the "complaining" mentioned here includes being quick to gossip, backbite, curse, or be otherwise careless with our tongues.

From what is normal in joking and playing around, is exaggeration or outright lying for the sake of making others laugh. On this, we have a very specific and explicit hadith:

Mu'awiyyah ibn Haydah reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Woe to one who tells lies to make people laugh. Woe to him! Woe to him!"

—Sunan Abu Dawud 4990

Whatever is repeated thrice is a dire matter indeed, so it isn't something we should take lightly or dismiss out of hand.

In Closing

For the reasons listed above, the Sisters in Sunnah Discord server does not have a meme channel, and the subthread which was created was also taken down. I do not wish to encourage that kind of dedicated space and time-wasting on the pursuit of idle joking. Whatever happens to come up in the main lounge chat is more than sufficient (and truth be told, could probably be toned down a bit.)

Because of the world we live in, I respect that submitting to the decree of Allah may be difficult. It may be something that many of us struggle with. But we should not be from the people who reject the truth when it comes to us, aouthubillah. Let us not, in a moment of knee-jerk, emotional reactions, speak a word displeasing to Our Creator.

May Allah rectify all of our affairs and make us from among those He is pleased with. May He take our souls in a good state and accept our sincere deeds from us. Ameen.

Citations & Resources

Is it permissible for ordinary people to label as a kaafir one who reviles Islam, without referring to the scholars concerning that?

Making Fun of Islam and Repenting From It

Ruling on Drawing Animate Beings Without Showing the Facial Features

[travelingprincess]

Toxic Desi Mothers-in-Law

Purely armchair psychology coming in, but, my working theory is:

Domestic abuse is rife in traditional desi families of our parents' age. By this I mean not just physical violence (which is actually not the norm) but the abuse which takes place by essentially using a wife as a maid for not only her husband but his entire family. She is also often openly disrespected, especially within the confines of the house and family. As a result, many desi mothers put their everything into their children. If their sons are among the elder children, I think subconsciously, many desi mothers start hanging their hopes for a good life on these children.

This is problematic from many angles, including the fact that the sons will be given preferential treatment their wholes lives, thus become infantilized and needing to rely on those same mothers well into adulthood. This serves a dual purpose to the mother in ensuring she can use this good treatment as blackmail down the line as well as a kind of job security—"he can't do anything by himself, so he will always need me!" These sons then grow up with a ton of guilt for not giving in to every single thing their mothers say because they feel a duty to her in everything. Thus, as an adult, that son is now in a position to provide the life the mother was denied in her youth: being taken care of, loved and valued. It's quite sad. :(

When the son marries, however, the new wife presents an obstacle to his mother: someone who has the potential to "win" him away from her. The daughter-in-law can do everything she can (cooking, cleaning, taking care of her son) while also providing the additional benefits of a sexual relationship and children (by the permission of Allah). Thus many of these mothers feel their hard-won position within the hierarchy is threatened when the son marries.

[travelingprincess]

Adoption in Islam

﷽

There are several factors and points of clarification when it comes to how Islam handles the concept of adoption. Because of the strict segregation between genders, there are sensitivities at hand which the non-Muslim never has to consider, but alhamdulillah, it is still not only very doable, but also highly encouraged within the religion.

Inshallah, I hope to present the relevant proofs and evidences in this post.

Establishing a Mahrem Relationship

There are a few ways that mahram relationships are established—that is, a type of relationship whereby persons are forbidden in marriage to each other. The women forbidden to men are mentioned comprehensively in the Qur'an:

"Forbidden to you (for marriage) are: your mothers, your daughters, your sisters, your father’s sisters, your mother’s sisters, your brother’s daughters, your sister’s daughters, your foster mothers who gave you suck, your foster milk suckling sisters, your wives’ mothers, your stepdaughters under your guardianship, born of your wives to whom you have gone in—but there is no sin on you if you have not gone in them (to marry their daughters),—the wives of your sons who (spring) from your own loins, and two sisters in wedlock at the same time, except for what has already passed; verily, Allaah is Oft‑Forgiving, Most Merciful”

—Qur'an (al-Nisa') 4:23

To break this down, we can see that the categories include:

Blood Ties

Your parents, siblings, maternal and paternal aunts and uncles, grandparents and all direct ascendents and descendents are default mahrams. This is a permanent state of being; you are never allowed to marry this category of people.

Marriage

Some relationships become forbidden to you once a marriage takes place, such as your parents-in-law. The father-in-law, for example, is someone who is mahram to you even if you divorce his son down the line. He becomes a permanent mahram by way of marriage.

Through Breastfeeding

The Prophet (ﷺ) said in a hadith that "what becomes mahram (forbidden for marriage) through breastfeeding is that which becomes mahram through ties of kinship."

—Sahih al-Bukhari 2502, Sahih Muslim 1447

As for the breastfeeding, then it is 5 full feedings which, when completed, renders the person a mahram to the woman.

On the authority of A'ishah (radhiAllah anha), who said, "Among the things that were revealed of the Qur’an was that ten definite breastfeedings make a person a mahram, then that was abrogated and replaced with five definite breastfeedings, and the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) passed away when this was among the things that were recited of the Qur’an."

—Sahih Muslim 1452

Thus a woman may adopt a male child, breastfeed him 5 full feedings and he becomes mahram for her, bithnillah.

Adoption

It is that last category of of "mahramship" which is relevant on the topic at hand. As mentioned, an adult woman is able to adopt a male child and there is nothing wrong with that, provided the 5 full feedings are completed.

Age of the Child

One issue of dispute is the age of the child. The majority of scholars are agreed that as long as the feedings are done before the child reaches the age of 2 years old, the mahramship is established.

There is also a minority opinion, which was followed by A'ishah (radhiAllah anha) in which the age of the child doesn't matter at all, as long as the 5 feedings are established. Allahu 'alim on which is correct; the first is safer, but I personally also follow the ijtihad of our Mother A'ishah (radhiAllah anha), who was a scholar and mountain of knowledge in this religion.

Naming the Child

What is prohibited in adoption is to give the child your name or otherwise attribute him or her to yourself, such as giving them your last name or calling them "son of [yourself]" as is the typical Islamic naming convention ("Fulan ibn Fulan").

"nor has He made your adopted sons your real sons. That is but your saying with your mouths. But Allah says the truth, and He guides to the (Right) Way.

Call them (adopted sons) by (the names of) their fathers, that is more just with Allah. But if you know not their fathers (names, call them) your brothers in faith and Mawaleekum (your freed slaves). And there is no sin on you if you make a mistake therein, except in regard to what your hearts deliberately intend. And Allah is Ever Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful"

—Qur'an (al-Ahzaab) 33:4,5

Your Husband and the Adopted Child

Going back to the establishing of the mahram relationship, a woman's child established through breastfeeding takes on the same ruling as those of blood ties. A woman's daughters become her husband's mahrams if the marriage is consummated. If your husband has children already, then they also become mahrem for you.

So if you marry a man and the marriage contract is consummated, your children become mahram for him, alhamdulillah, and this applies for your children which you birthed, or those which you adopted and breastfed, as has been explained above.

Breastfeeding

For those who have never given birth (whether single or married) and thus are not naturally lactating, it's possible to induce lactation via manual manipulation or pharmaceutical drugs (inshallah). These regiments normally take some time (a few months), so one should plan ahead.

Conclusion

There is nothing wrong with a person adopting children (whether male or female) and later getting married, inshallah. May Allah grant us the best of this life and the Hereafter. Ameen.

Additional Sources

The Wife's Mother: Rulings and Issues

Naseeha Sessions: Who Is Your Mahram?

[travelingprincess]

Sunan at-Tirmidhi 2088

Abu Huraira reported: The Prophet (ﷺ) visited a man who was sick and he said, "Be glad, for Allah has said: 'It is My fire that I afflict upon my sinful servant as his share in place of Hellfire.'"

[travelingprincess]

Response to Questions About Salafiyyah

﷽

Learning Your Religion

The best way to learn your religion is through authentic sources: the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of RasoolAllah (ﷺ). If this seems like a daunting task, take heart—we've put together an easy to understand, not-overly-technical guide to getting started with the basics.

Real, proper learning can't really happen with just a few YouTube videos or Instagram posts.

Salafiyyah

The term "Salafi" or "Salafiyyah" has been frequently abused and misused by nefarious characters both within and without the religion. So let's clarify the definition first and foremost:

A Salafi is one who strives to follow the religion as it was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) and as it was understood by the Salaf.

Who Are the Salaf?

The Salaf (literally, "predecessors") are the first three generations of Muslims in this Ummah. They are also referred to as the Salaf as-Salih / Salaf as-Saliheen (Pious Predecessors).

Abdullah ibn Mas'ud reported: The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "The best people are those of my generation, then those who come after them, then those who come after them. Then, there will come people after them whose testimony precedes their oaths and their oaths precede their testimony."

—Sahih al-Bukhari 6065, Sahih Muslim 2533

Thus a Salafi is one who follows the methodology and way of the Pious Predecessors in understanding and contextualizing the religion of al-Islam which was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ).

The Dress of the Muslim Woman

Is Niqab Wajib?

Whether or not the niqab is wajib (obligatory) is a matter of legitimate ikhtilaf (difference of scholarly opinion) among the ulema. Some of said that it is, and others have said what is wajib is to cover everything except the face and the hands. However, despite this differing, all the scholars are agreed that niqab is better as it's further away from the gray area of uncertainty, further away from fitnah, and objectively more modest.

So some of the Salafi women who wear niqab may do so not because they believe it to be mandatory, but because they know it to be more pleasing to Allah. I fall into this category myself, although more and more I'm leaning towards the opinion that it is wajib.

Here is the best breakdown on the issue I know of in English.

Wearing Colors

The point of hijab is essentially to anonymize the Muslim woman when outside of her house. As such, what the scholars have said is that part of the conditions of hijab include that the woman not stand out so as to catch unnecessary attention. So this is a matter that often boils down to the norms of the land.

Black is just the easiest, most anonymous color so I suspect that is why it's the most widely used. However, if you look at some countries like Afghanistan, for example, the bright blue burqa is what is normal for women to wear, so you'll see most of them wearing that.

The Schools of Thought (for Fiqh)

Alhamdulillah, all 4 imams followed for fiqh related rulings currently active in the Muslim world today (that is, Imams as-Shafi'i, Malik, Abu Hanifa, and Ahmed ibn Hanbal) were all upon Salafiyyah. Their aqeedah was the aqeedah of pure tawheed and they took their affairs and derived their rulings according to the understanding of the Sahaba and those who followed them in good. That means that any of the 4 schools of fiqh can be followed, you are not restricted to any one, nor are any of them superior to the others.

Every individual on the Earth has mistakes with them, including these great imams, so we do not blind follow them in their mistakes. But this does not mean we disrespect a single one of them, as they are scholars of the Sunnah and are owed a certain position and respect from us.

Amr ibn al-'As reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "If a judge makes a ruling, striving to apply his reasoning and he is correct, he will have two rewards. If a judge makes a ruling, striving to apply his reasoning and he is mistaken, he will have one reward."

—Sahih al-Bukhari 7352, Sahih Muslim 1716

No person who claims to be upon the Sunnah would dare to denigrate a mountain of Islamic knowledge like Imam Abu Hanifa.

The Hanafi School of Thought

This school of thought is particularly prevalent in the subcontinent and unfortunately, many people in the region, in their zeal for "their Shaykh" have fabricated many claims about not only the great Imam but also our Prophet (ﷺ) as well; a grave sin.

As a result, there are many strange and outright incorrect claims made in this school which have been attributed to Imam Abu Hanifa but which aren't actually from him. These are rejected by anyone who has done the appropriate study and has a sound intellect. This may be what you've been picking up on.

Do We Know More Than the Imams?

This is always a big point of contention by most people who are unaware about the methodology of the Salaf. What you, or I, or our neighbor Joe has to say on any matter in the religion doesn't matter at all. When an imam's ruling is rejected or labeled a mistake, it is not because a layperson or even a Shaykh disagrees with it of his own feelings or opinions. Rather, it is because we have a stronger evidence to refute the statement of the Imam in question.

Fiqh rulings in the religion are derived from 4 sources, in this order of priority:

Qur'an

Authentic Sunnah

Ijma' of the scholars (Consensus)

Qiyas (Analogy)

An easy to understand example is the one of Imam Abu Hanifa's ruling that a woman is able to give herself away in marriage without the need for a wali (guardian). He came to this decision by way of analogy (see #4 above): if a woman can buy and sell in the marketplace on her own authority, she would have more of a right to give herself away in marriage to a man.

Why is this a mistake?

Because we have numerous authentic ahadith that talk explicitly, in no uncertain terms, about the requirement for a wali in an Islamic marriage. There are more than just a handful.

Thus, the clear ahadith supercede and outweigh the ijtihad of Imam Abu Hanifa, and we follow what the Prophet (ﷺ) commanded rather than what the Imam deduced.

The Focus on Men

This seems to me to be an anecdotal point. Here on this sub, for example, we focus on numerous issues, including those specific to women, those specific to practicing Muslims, and general knowledge/reminders all the time. Here are just a few examples from a quick scan of our frontpage just now:

Post about 7 types of men that should be avoided for marriage

Different types of head coverings

Post about how to meet and make practicing friends while living alone

Another post on finding the company of practicing sisters

Fasting the Day of Ashura

Discussion on a video re: redpill men

Question about online education

And so on.

We are a community-lead group, so whatever is on anyone's mind, they are free to post and share, provided nothing violates our rules and principles.

The Relationship Between Husband and Wife

the relationship we have wouldn't be deemed appropriate in terms of a Salafi mindset.

Respectfully, I don't feel this is an appropriate statement to make, as you yourself do not know what actualy constitutes "a Salafi mindset."

That said, there is nothing problematic in your relationship from an Islamic perspective. RasoolAllah (ﷺ) was romantic and playful with his wives. He used to drink from the same place on the cup she drank from. He used to give her his time and attention for casual conversation. He even hugged and kissed her while they were fasting. And of course, we're all aware of how he (ﷺ) used to help with household chores if he had the time while he was at home. Many Muslims don't know, however, that he (ﷺ) used to take a ghusl together with his wife and play-act like he was going to use all the water up himself until A'ishah (radhiAllah anha) would low-key panic and say, "Leave some for me!" These are from the beauties and comforts of married life, that spouses can and should have this kind of relationship.

I always ask him if he's happy with me and if there's anything I need to improve on and he always states that he is.

Allahumma barik, sis, may Allah increase your marriage in goodness and love. May He make each of you a means for the other entering Paradise. Ameen.

Umm Salamah narrated that The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "Whichever woman dies while her husband is pleased with her, then she enters Paradise."

—Jami' at-Tirmidhi 1161

What to call your husband is a matter of preference, mutual agreement, and (often) cultural norms and expectations. Many of our parents' generation were shy to use their husband's names. We sometimes tease my mom about it. It's chill.

The wives of the Prophet (ﷺ) used to be more intimidated by Umar ibn al-Khattab (radhiAllah anh) than they were of their husband, because Umar was stricter. He used to admonish them for speaking casually or argumentatively with the Messenger (ﷺ), and they would say that he (ﷺ) didn't mind. That said, they were married to the one who was the best of all Creation, upon whom the wahy descended from Allah. They never called him by his name alone, just like that. This is from the manners of the Muslim towards the Prophet (ﷺ). None of us should be calling him by his name alone.

The Salaam

Some time ago, I wrote about the importance of the Salaam in Islam! :) It's a short read, if you're interested. I'm glad the niqabis are returning your salams—it can kind of sting to not get it back!

The Saved Sect

Islam is not a religion sent down for a specific time or place, unlike the previous scriptures. Islam is for all places, for all times. The religion of Allah will be established upon the Earth until the Hour.

This life is a test, as we Muslims know, and the ones passing that test are the ones who are upon what the Messenger (ﷺ) and his Companions were upon at that time. This idea and concept sits at the core of the Salafi methodology, and everything essentially goes back to it.

This religion was completed during the lifetime of RasoolAllah. That means there is nothing left to add, subtract, or edit. It is sealed.

In Closing

I know this was a lot of information to get through; if you have any additional questions, please feel free to add a follow up.

Anything I've said which is correct or beneficial is from Allah alone, and any mistakes are from myself and the Shaiytaan. May Allah forgive me and correct me, ameen.

[travelingprincess]

Sahih al-Bukhari 5641, 5642

Narrated Abu Sa'id Al-Khudri and Abu Huraira: The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "No fatigue, nor disease, nor sorrow, nor sadness, nor hurt, nor distress befalls a Muslim, even if it were the prick he receives from a thorn, but that Allah expiates some of his sins for that.

[travelingprincess]

Advice to One Struggling with Being Unmarried

The permanent solution for your issue is, in fact, marriage, but below I've detailed some advices for you to follow in the meantime, inshallah.

Pray

Sister, how is your prayer? Do you pray every prayer at every appointed time? It is the single most important thing you can do as a Muslim.

‘Abdullah bin Buraidah narrated that his father said: “The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: ‘The covenant that distinguishes between us and them is prayer; so whoever leaves it, he has committed Kufr.’”

—Sunan Ibn Majah 1079

In relation to your situation directly, we have an ayah from the Qur'an:

"Verily, Salah restrains (oneself) from shameful and unjust deeds…"

—Qur'an (al-'Ankabut) 29:45

Fast

In addition to the prayer, fasting is recommended to reduce one's urges:

Narrated `Abdullah: We were with the Prophet (ﷺ) while we were young and had no wealth. So Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "O young people! Whoever among you can marry, should marry, because it helps him lower his gaze and guard his modesty (i.e. his private parts from committing illegal sexual intercourse etc.), and whoever is not able to marry, should fast, as fasting diminishes his sexual power."

—Sahih al-Bukhari 5066

If you don't already, try to fast Mondays and Thursdays. Add the 3 white days of every month. If that's still not enough, fast the fasting of Dawud (alayhisalaam), which is every other da

Sublimate

verb /ˈsəbləˌmāt/ 1. (in psychoanalytic theory) divert or modify (an instinctual impulse) into a culturally higher or socially more acceptable activity.

ex: "libido must be sublimated into productive work activities"

—Oxford Languages

You should avoid anything that triggers urges for you. Get off social media and give up listening to music if you still engage in either (these are common things that lead to haram).

Things don't happen in a vacuum, they happen as a result of what we think, see, say, and do. So you don't start anything except you have a thought about it first or you see something that makes you inclined towards an action, etc. Inshallah try to safeguard yourself by leaving off anything that inclines you towards even thinking about or preparing for sin. If that means being alone, for example, try to always be around friends or family. If showers are a fitnah, take cold showers and set your alarm for 5 minutes so you can get in and get out.

Fill your "spare" time with the consumption of beneficial content instead of haram things. Swap Netflix for good lectures (they don't have to be super academic), leave off browsing Instagram for reciting Qur'an, even if it's just 5 minutes. Increase in istighfar, especially when you catch yourself straying. The remembrance of Allah alone will help firm your resolve, inshallah.

Know Your Audience

Lastly, I urge you to remember your audience, and this is something I've heard the students of knowledge saying. You are doing something you would never do in front of your parents, but yet you are fine with Allah watching you. The noble scribes are forced to not only witness this act but also write it down in your scrolls. We should develop the appropriate shyness and haya of Allah, who has more right to it from us than our own parents.

May Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) make this easy for you. Ameen.

[travelingprincess]

Sahih Muslim 2750

Hanzalah al-Usayyidi reported: I said, “O Messenger of Allah, when we are in your presence, we are reminded of Hellfire and Paradise. It is as if we are seeing them with our own eyes, but when we leave you and attend to our wives, our children, and our businesses, we forget many things.”

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “By Him in whose hand is my soul, if you could always remain in remembrance as you are in my presence, the angels would shake your hands on your couches and in your roads. Rather, there is a time for this and a time for that.”

The Prophet (ﷺ) said it three times.

[travelingprincess]

FOUNDATIONS: Halaqa #1 Notes

Halaqa Details

Step 1, Reading: 1

Schedule

short introduction from the facilitator (u/travelingprincess)

Reading: Publisher's Note

Reading: Foreword

Reading: Chapter 1 (The Categories of Tawheed)

questions & answers

discussion

Notes

Publisher's Note

The author, Dr. Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips, is a graduate of Madinah University

Foreword

Tawheed and its importance is often misunderstood or dismissed, even (and maybe especially) among Muslims

By the Islamic definition, Islam is the ONLY monotheistic religion

Christianity is polytheism

Judaism is a subtle form of idolatry

All the deviations and misguidances in the religion stem from a corruption of the concept of Tawheed

The importance of understanding Tawheed (and indeed, the whole of the religion) as it was understood by the Companions of the Prophet (ﷺ)

Chapter 1: The Categories of Thawheed

Tawheed ar-Rububiyyah (singling out Allah in His Lordship)

affirming that Allah is one, without partners in his sovereignty

nothing happens except by the will and permission of Allah

what man considers fortune or misfortune, fate, etc. is just part of the qadr of Allah (predestiny)

"Man proposes and God disposes"

The Sahaba considered those who denied the qadr of Allah to be kuffar

Tawheed al-Asma was-Sifat (the uniqueness of Allah's Names and Attributes)

affirming that they (His perfect Names and Attributes) are incomparable and unique

5 Main Aspects

Allah must be referred to according to how He and His Prophet (ﷺ) have described Him, with their apparent meanings

God's attributes are free from imperfection, and unlike any of His Creation

example: humans and animals see, but we don't see the way Allah sees; we know things, but we do not have perfect, all-encompassing knowledge as Allah does

example: we cannot say that "Allah's anger" doesn't mean His anger, but rather, his punishment

We do not give Allah any new names or attributes that He has not given Himself

the Creation is in no position to describe the Creator

this is important in order to prevent the false description of God

We do not give Allah the attributes of His Creation

We do not give Allah, Who is Perfect and Self-Sufficient, the attributes of His creation, who are deficient and needy. (EDIT: added on 7/4)

in Christianity and Judaism, it is written that God created the world in 6 days, then rested on the 7th (aouthubillah); resting is a human attribute. It is the finite creation which requires rest to recuperate from work. Allah is free from such needs.

Man cannot be given the attributes of Allah

In the New Testament, both Melchizedek and Jesus are described as having no beginning or end (aouthubillah). In reality, it is only Allah who is infinite.

Shi'as believe their imams to be infallible, able to control the universe and have knowledge of the unseen (astaghfirullah). In reality, it is only Allah that controls the Universe (see: Tawheed ar-Rububiyyah) and has knowledge of the Unseen.

It is not permissible to give Allah's names in their definite forms to humans without adding "'Abd" (male) or "Amatu" (female) before them, which means "slave / servant" of

Permissible Name: 'Abdur-Rahim = slave of The Most Merciful

Impermissible Name: Ar-Rahim = The Most Merciful (this is only for Allah)

Tawheed al-Uluhiyyah / al-Ibadah (singling out Allah for Worship)

affirming that Allah is alone in His right to be worshipped

can be considered the most important category of Tawheed

the kuffar of Makkah during the time of the Prophet already affirmed the first 2 categories of Tawheed, yet Allah calls them pagans and idolaters in the Qur'an and speaks harshly about their condition in the Hereafter

Du'a is worship, and must be for Allah alone1

it is haram (SHIRK!) to make du'a to other than Allah; you cannot use anyone (peers, saints, holy men, the Prophet (ﷺ), angels, jinns, etc.) as intermediaries to Allah. Your relationship with Allah is direct.2

Allah is the ultimate lawgiver: His is the Creation and His is the Command

at the very least, the Muslim should not be pleased with systems of law and governance other than Allah's (including democracy, communism, etc.)

The systematic categorization and science of Tawheed was not done nor needed during the time of the Prophet, as everyone's understanding of the concept was complete. After the death of RasoolAllah (ﷺ) however, when deviations started creeping in from the expanding Islamic empire, the scholars began to put this together in order to teach the people the correct understanding.

Questions & Answers

I had a family member suggest that other people's dislike of something for you can cause bad things to happen to you. Could that be considered believing in omens?

Yes and no. It’s not other people’s dislike but their jealousy that leads to evil eye which may cause someone to be harmed. It is not the same as believing in omens (EDIT added on 7/4). Evil eye ('ayn) is a real phenomenon, and it may cause a person to encounter problems in their life or in the thing which was envied / made to amaze others, etc.3 So in that sense, that is from Islam and not an innovation. But to believe in amulets, taweez, good luck charms or horoscopes, that is haram.

The solution from the Shari'a to remove evil eye is that the one who gave it must give his wudu water to the afflicted, to be poured over them.4,5,6

How do we reconcile free will with fate?

We all have free will, Allah simply knows the condition of our hearts and the choices we'll make. For example: each of us chose to attend today's lecture, while we could have been doing any number of other things. We were not forced.

Is calling yourself servant of the Prophet considered forbidden? There's a sheikh that calls himself that.

Yes, it is not permissible to add the "'Abd" prefix to anyone other than Allah. This violates the 5th aspect of Tawheed Al-Asma was-Sifat.

And what does it mean that Allah SWT blew his spirits into us

In the Qur'an, Allah explains how the angel whose job it is to place the soul in the fetus does his work, so this may be the "blowing of the soul" that is referred. Elsewhere in the Qur'an, Jibril (alayhisalaam) is referred to as Ruh-Allah, it is a title, similar to the title of Ibrahim (alayhisalaam) of KhalilAllah.

I have a family member who would make dua by asking Allah for something through the barakah of someone else or by virtue that Allah gave that person barakah. Does that relate to what Mujahid said towards the end of his commentary on page 33?

It is from the perfection of one's tawakkul in Allah, that he only asks Allah for his needs, not the people, including asking others to make du'a. It is not haram, though, but a level of perfection to aspire to, inshallah. In the lecture section of this course, we will see also that it is permissible to ask Allah to grant you good or accept your du'a on the back of the good deeds you've done.

[EDIT additional information on this question added 7/4): As for making du'a for the sake of so and so or through so and so, this is a bid’a and minor shirk, which should be avoided completely. You can ask Allah through

His Names and Attributes

Righteous deeds you’ve done for the sake of Allah

Ask someone you know, who is alive and present, to make dua for you.

Anything outside of these 3 is not allowed.

Is it safe for us to say that rather the Prophet Muhammad Sallalhu Alayhi wa Salaam has a rank above all creation and of course not above Allah?

The Prophet (ﷺ) does have a rank above the rest of Creation, as he is from the Prophets, who all have a special rank. From the Prophets, He is the best of them, and the Leader of them.

There are images in sheikhs in my house (cant do anything about it cause they get put up again) I have a family member that says when he looks at the picture of the sheikh that he reminds him of Allah. Does this relate to ayah 38:3 on page 38?

Subhanallah, this is exactly how shirk and idol worship was first introduced to humanity by Shaiytaan during the time of Nuh (alayhisalaam). A generation of pious worshippers passed away, and Shaiytaan whispered to the people that they should make status and pictures of these men, then erect them in the town squares and in their homes. That way, when the people passed by them, they would remember Allah and would increase in worship. So the people did that. When those people passed away, Shaiytaan whispered to the next generation that their parents used to worship these statues and pictures, so they should, too. And they did that. Thus in 3 generations' time, idol worship became manifest among mankind.7,8

Should we avoid scholars or people of knowledege who even though they were on the right track for the most part, saying ambiguous or potentially problematic things?

Yes; the religion, your imaan, your tawheed is the most important thing you have. Once people excuse a speaker for small transgressions, the larger heresies are easier to forgive and thus deviation and misguidance set in. Avoid.

Discussion & Benefits

Social media is a fast-track to gaining 'ayn; avoid it.

We learn from the story of Yusuf (alayhisalaam) that even your own family can have ill wishes for you

not everyone needs to know your business; if you fear someone doesn't have the cleanest heart with regards to you, keep it brief even if they're family. You don't need to share all the details of your blessings with others.

You can give evil eye even to yourself!

There is a difference of opinion among students of knowledge. I've heard some say you should say "mashallah" I've heard others say you should say "mashallah" when you're enjoying a blessing of your own, and say "Allahumma barik / Allahumma barik lahu" when you see something you like of others' blessings. Allahu 'alim, either should be fine, inshallah.

Citations

1: Sunan Abu Dawud 1479 2: Qur'an (al-Baqarah) 2:186 3: Sahih Muslim 2188 4: Muwatta of Imam Malik 50/1 5: The Evil Eye - Causes & Cures 6: How to get rid of Evil Eye if you know who gave it to you? 7: Stories of the Prophets by ibn Kathir 8: Sahih al-Bukhari 3322

[travelingprincess]

Sunan Abu Dawud 336

Jabir reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, “Verily, the only cure for ignorance is to ask questions."

[travelingprincess]

Maintaining Ties of Kinship with Kafir Parents/Family

Maintaining the ties of kinship is a big deal in Islam; to cut them off is from among the major sins. This is something that most people dismiss very easily but on the Day of Judgement it will be a heavy thing indeed.

See how strongly Allah speaks about the matter:

"Would you then, if you were given the authority, do mischief in the land, and sever your ties of kinship? Such are they whom Allah has cursed, so that He has made them deaf and blinded their sight."

—Qur'an (Surah Muhammad) 47:22-23

Subhanallah, we even have an example from the time of RasoolAllah (ﷺ) regarding a kafir mother!

Asma bint Abu Bakr (radhiAllah anha) went to the Prophet (ﷺ) and said: My mother (who was a disbeliever) has come to me and she desires to receive a reward from me, shall I keep good relations with her?"

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “Yes, keep good relation with her.”

—Sahih al-Bukhari 2620

If the following hadith were the only benefit from this action it would be enough for us:

A'ishah (radhiAllah anha) reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, “The bond of family is suspended from the Throne and it says: Whoever upholds me, Allah will uphold him. Whoever severs me, Allah will sever him.”

—Sahih al-Bukhari 5989, Sahih Muslim 2555

From the Seerah of RasoolAllah (ﷺ), we learn that this was also a major character trait of his, that he upheld the ties of kinship.

Upholding family ties doesn't mean you have to live in each other's backyards, though. As long as you keep those channels of communication open, it may be enough, inshallah. So you visit sometimes. You call and check in on her. You take gifts when you visit, or send them to her. Things like that.

I would absolutely not recommend casually cutting off ties with her without speaking to a person of knowledge upon the Sunnah.

As for calling child services, lol, nothing of what Islam enjoins is harmful, rather the opposite, so what would child services be there to do? In a sane world, the parents who let their children drink, commit zina and destroy themselves should be the ones locked up.

Overall, if you're on the fence about how much to expose your daughter to this corrupted way of thinking in order to maintain kinship, I would definitely recommend speaking to a person of knowledge upon the Sunnah regarding the matter.

And Allah knows best.

[travelingprincess]

The AstroTurfing of Muslim Communities

AstroTurf: simulated or artificially created public support for something, generated by an orchestrated marketing or public relations campaign.

Recently an emotionally charged post was made on another Muslim sub, which dealt with a husband sabotaging his wife's birth control in order to get her pregnant while knowing she wanted to wait to have children. It garnered a lot of buzz (surprise, surprise), and everyone had an opinion on the matter, regardless of knowledge. It was brought up in our Discord server, even, so we discussed it and moved on. A few days later, an update was posted.

That's when the alarms bells started going off in my head.

The update closed with the following paragraphs:

[We] are keeping the abortion and situation a private manner. Honestly, I do not regret my abortion. I feel like it was ultimately the best decision for me. Had I continued on, I knew I would regret it and possibly resent my child. When I bring a baby into this world, I want to cry tears of joy and be happy at the time of birth, not upset.

We are living in scary times. As most of you know, Roe vs. Wade was overturned, removing the constitutional right to abortion. I am lucky to live in a state that would not ban abortions, but it is saddening to know that women who might be in a similar situation or worse will be forced to continue depending on what state they live in.

Aouthubillahi min as-Shaitaan ir-rajeem.

What a transparent attempt to sway the opinion of Muslims in favor of a hot button political topic that's taking over the current political discourse. This is a pathetic attempt at shoehorning politics into religion and curbing Islam to be in line with modern sensibilities.

As Muslim women, let us not be naïve. There are absolutely targeted campaigns from within and without to water down our religion and separate us from the Command of Allah. For us women, specifically, there are even more targeted attacks to separate us from our homes, families, haya, hijab, and more.

Tale As Old As Time

If you pay attention you will see these kinds of similar posts popping up anytime there are major political issues on the national/international stage. They all bear some general similarities:

high on emotion, low on logic or religion

dismissing religion out of hand or outright demonizing it

often (not always) newer accounts (example OP's account was a week old)

suspicious timelines

in the example, OP started a fresh reddit account for the purposes of sharing this story 2 weeks ago, but a week goes by and she posts nothing

1 week ago, she posts the story, noting that her husband JUST told her last night that he'd sabotaged the birth control and she was beside herself

4 days later, she posts an update saying she'd had the abortion

they will ALWAYS mention the political issue explicitly or tie it in somehow

in OP's example, you can see that the message doesn't even fit the tone of the rest of the post but it's hamfisted in there to yield an emotional response and leave the reader with that as the final take-away from the exercise

Let us not be from those who follow our desires or change our colors with the wind. Let us learn our religion from the ones with knowledge and let us be as the Muslims are:

The only statement of the [true] believers when they are called to Allah and His Messenger to judge between them is that they say, "We hear and we obey." And those are the successful.

—Qur'an (an-Nur) 24:51

Anything can be made into a political issue—and in fact, very many things are, specifically so that they can be "debated" upon and changed. If tomorrow a consensus ruling is passed in America that says there is no god and everyone must be athiest (as it is in some countries), does that mean we will all have to give up Islam? La wallahi!

Islam is greater than politics. It is the decree of our Lord, it is perfect in every sense, and it will remain until the Day of Judgement.

On Abortion

Due to the subject of the example, I'll take a moment to say I'm not knowledgeable enough to speak on the topic of abortion in Islam. Anyone with any questions should seek counsel with an imam, qadhi, Shaykh, or other learned person upon the Sunnah.

[travelingprincess]

Sunan at-Tirmidhi 2687

Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, “The word of wisdom is the lost property of the believer. Wherever he finds it, he is most deserving of it.”

[travelingprincess]

On Celebrating Non-Muslim Holidays

Recurring celebrations (national holidays, birthdays, anniversaries) are not celebrated in Islam.

The Muslims have two (2) celebrations: Eid al-Fitr (which immediately follows Ramadan) and Eid al-Adha (which is when the Hajj is, ~2 months after the first Eid). You can also treat Friday like a celebration as it's our "holy day," if you will, and a blessed day.

Let me share my evidences for this:

Anas ibn Malik reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) arrived in Medina during two days in which they were celebrating. The Prophet said, “What are these two days?”

They said, “We would celebrate these two days in the time of ignorance.”

The Prophet said, “Verily, Allah has replaced these two days with two better days: Eid al-Adha and Eid al-Fitr.”

—Sunan Abu Dawud 1134

For a more in-deoth analysis (and really excellent, at that): https://youtu.be/PpzNijWPiZE

[travelingprincess]

Response to a Sister Upset with Men’s Reward in Jannah

Sister, it seems to me (and to clarify: I am not a person of knowledge, just a layperson who is learning)—you have a fundamental flaw in your understanding of a few key concepts related to both life and the religion. I apologize if my candor is upsetting, it's not my intention, but I think we often tiptoe around these important topics and it doesn't benefit us to do so.

Some Questions to Think About

does it upset you that men do not have periods?

does it upset you that men do not give birth?

does it upset you that you're not able to urinate standing up?

does it upset you that men have to wear their pants above their ankles?

does it upset you that you can't grow a full beard?

does it upset you that men have to maintain their wives and families financially?

does it upset you that men are more analytic thinkers, generally speaking, and women more emotionally intelligent?

If the answer to the above is "No," then why does it upset you that most men desire multiple wives, while most women desire one man. In fact, just with the statement laid out like that, you can see the wisdom and perfection of Allah's decree—to the woman, what she desires (being married to a single man) and to the man what he desires (to be married to multiple women). This is like if you're at a party and everyone gets a single slice of cake. You share yours with someone but then are upset if anyone else also shares some with him.

Jannah

As for Paradise, then truly, our concern should only be with getting in.

That said, I've heard of women clutching their pearls over men having multiple wives in Jannah and it always feels so incredibly shortsighted.

Some Questions to Think About

are you upset that you have to work for a living in this world?

does it bother you that you have to seek out food and sustenance and then eat it intentionally?

are you upset that you have to seek out shelter and live in a house?

The you that was a fetus did not have any such worldly concerns, yet you were alive for a period of roughly 8 months in the belly of your mother, with all your concerns taken care of by The One Who Created You, and you were content because you hadn't yet learned ingratitude. The same Allah who decreed you would be in a safe place (as the womb is referred to in the Qur'an) for 9 months before your birth is the same Allah who has promised:

"I have prepared for My righteous slaves that which no eye has seen, no ear has heard and it has never crossed the mind of man. All of that is reserved, besides which all that you have known is as nothing."

—Sahih al-Bukhari 3072, Sahih Muslim 2824

And He has said in his Noble Qur'an:

"No person knows what is kept hidden for them of joy as a reward for what they used to do"

—Qur'an (al-Sajdah) 32:17

So will you then put your meager, human mind and imagination up against that which Allah has created? Who knows better what you will be pleased with? You or Allah the Most High? Just think in this world, how many things you begged Him for which were terrible for you, which you didn't get and you came to know afterwards that you were saved from a wretched affair?

"and it may be that you dislike a thing which is good for you and that you like a thing which is bad for you. Allâh knows but you do not know."

—Qur'an (al-Baqarah) 2:216

In addition to this, Jannah is full of only perfection. Everyone is young, tall, and beautiful. I have heard students of knowledge mention that the wives of men in Jannah will be even more beautiful than the hooris, and a man will leave his house in the morning, and when he returns, he will say to his wife, "By Allah, when I left I thought you were so beautiful but now, upon my return, I find you even more beautiful than before!" and she will say the same to him.

Death, sadness, rancor, jealousy, envy, hatred—all these feelings and more will be eradicated before anyone enters Jannah. So however you feel about anything on Earth will be completely irrelevant by the time we get to Jannah, by the permission of Allah.

May Allah make us from among those who enter Jannah. Ameen.

Marriage

In Islam, a man with multiple wives has to fulfill ALL the rights due to each one. That means that for all intents and purposes, for her, it's almost no different to being married to a man who has no other wives. She is still:

being taken care of financially

being taken care of emotionally

having her needs met sexually

respected and her family is also given their due respect

within her rights to have children from the union

Polygyny isn't for everyone at the end of the day, so you can write it into your contract if it's an issue for you.

To Be Muslim

Ultimately, what does it mean to be Muslim?

The only statement of the [true] believers when they are called to Allah and His Messenger to judge between them is that they say, "We hear and we obey." And those are the successful.

—Qur'an (an-Nur) 24:51

[travelingprincess]

Her Imaan Rises & Falls

Burn out is real, yes. There is no need to overwhelm ourselves with too much or force ourselves to do more than we're able. At the same time, we should not become lazy or negligent—especially with regards to the obligatory acions (fardh salah, fasting during Ramadan, etc.). Islam is about balance.

I've broken my comment out into my general advice to you, and then followed it with my own personal habits and what's worked well for me. Hope this helps!

Obligatory Deeds

My advice to you, is that if your fardh are not strong and you sometimes don't perform the obligatory actions, drop everything and focus 100% on making those second nature. None of the Sunnah acts matter if you're not even completing your fardh properly. As far as Salah, note that only the fardh are, well, fardh. These are:

2 rakat Fajr 4 rakat Dhuhr 4 rakat Asr 3 rakat Maghrib 4 rakat Isha

Everything outside of that is extra. So first make sure you do those. Make sure you preform wudu properly, prior to Salah. Try to make time to recite Qur'an everyday or at least regularly.

General Advice Re: Sunnah Acts

If all of those are in place and good, alhamdulillah, now you should move onto incorporating Sunnah acts slowly, and at a pace comfortable to you. Remember the words of the hadith:

Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, “Take up good deeds only as much as you are able, for the best deeds are those done regularly even if they are few.”

—Sunan ibn Majah 4240

I've even heard students of knowledge say that the great scholars of the past used to not memorize a verse of the Qur'an until they implemented it in their lives.

So for example, let's say you want to start fasting on Mondays and Thursdays, alhamdulillah that is good. Give it your best effort. But don't beat yourself up if you miss some days. And if you're feeling low energy, you can reduce some of the lectures you're watching those days. Or take a nap. Whatever.

As for watching beneficial content on YouTube, switch it up. Some things require a very academic kind of attention, such as when a Shaykh is going through scholarly books, and you're probably taking notes on your end.

But there are other types of content which is more freeform, and gives you more casual knowledge. Things like:

Q&A's

Chai with my Bhai

Diaries of an Exorcist

On The Road

Signs of the Hour

Learn What Deviant Sects Are Upon

The Muslim Family - Amazing

These are still conferring beneficial Islamic knowledge while being in a more relaxed environment/presentation, thus they don't strain the mind as much. On low imaan days, maybe use these, or pepper them throughout your learning.

Also, and this is a major one: make du'a that Allah keeps you steadfast upon the Deen and seeking knowledge.

Surround yourself with good company, as the friends we have and people around us have a huge affect on our imaan. Good people will get you excited about doing good, and others will only incline you towards evil and straying away from Allah.

What's Worked For Me

Du'a has really been transformative, for me. Truly, it is the weapon of the believer, so I always advise people with it. It's been extremely beneficial in helping me attain my religious goals for myself.

Another thing I like to do is gain a lot of passive Islamic knowledge (watching lectures and episodes without taking notes or straining myself too much, just watching for information) and then if there's a topic or a statement I find particularly intriguing I may do further research on it and dive deeper into that particular thing.

Another important note is that many great lectures can be a bit lengthy—you don't have to watch them all in one sitting. Make use of the pause button, and watch when you have the full focus to give it and benefit properly from the more scholarly videos. If you find you're struggling, pause and do something else. Take a bi of a stroll, stretch your legs, try again. Still not there? No worries, try again tomorrow, inshallah.

There are some lectures that it took me weeks to get through because I paused them for a week before returning to them. There's no harm in it and this is one of the benefits of recorded lectures. Eventually, your attention span should improve such that you may find yourself pausing less and less, even.

Another thing I've found helpful is to set my daily routine around Salah. So I know that there are certain things I do before or after certain Salah and that helps keep my day focused and centered around the remembrance of Allah. If you're able to do this, I highly, highly recommend it.