5 Difficult Sunnahs You Ought To Be Doing

1. Praying Tahajjud or the Night Prayer.

Oh yeah, this one is difficult. It’s hard enough for many Muslims to even get up for Salaatul Fajr (the Dawn Prayer) which is mandatory. It’s certainly no easy thing waking up even earlier for the night prayer. Establishing and maintaining this wonderful act takes great sacrifice and patience.
Which is why the rewards are so plentiful.

In fact, this is one of the few Sunnahs that are endorsed by Allah in the Quran as well as the hadith.

Arise to (pray) the night except for a little. Half of it or subtract from it a little.
Chapter 73, verse 2-3.

2. Making All of The Sunnah Prayers

• Two Rakaah before Salaatul Fajr; none after.
• Four Rakaah before Salaatul Dhuhr; two Rakaah after.
• Four Rakaah before Salaatul Asr; none after.
• None before Salaatul Maghrib; two Rakaah after.
• None before Salaatul Isha; two Rakaah after.
• It is also recommended that you make Salaatul Witr before going to bed. This can also be combined with Tahajjud instead.

3. Fasting on Mondays and Thursdays

Generally, fasting is difficult no matter when you do it. It’s difficult to do it for thirty days straight during Ramadhan. And it’s difficult to do it twice a week outside of Ramadan.

But it is an act that is loved by Allah. So, it is something you should try to make part of your life. After all, this is one action that no one except you and Allah knows about.

People can see you pray. And they can see you give charity. And they can see you read Quran.

But no one can “see” you fast. Even if you tell someone you’re fasting, no one knows the truth except you and Allah. That’s one of the reasons Allah loves this deed so much.

4. Reciting Suratul Kahf on Fridays

Suratul Kahf (the Chapter of the Cave) is a very interesting chapter. It is the 18th chapter of the Quran and includes many lessons and stories. Some of the stories included are:

• The story of the Companions of the Cave.
• The story of Musa and Khidhr.
• The story of Dhul Qarnain and Gog and Magog.

Some of the lessons included are:

• Leaving the land of disbelief if oppressed for your beliefs.
• Understanding that all pleasures in this world are temporary.
• Being patient with Allah’s decree.
• Signs of the Last Day.

Whoever reads Suratul Kahf on Friday, he will be illuminated with light between the two Fridays. Narrated by Al-Hakim

It’s easy to see the benefits of reciting suratul Kahf every Friday. But actually doing so is not so easy. Some reasons I think many people neglect this action:

• It’s a fairly long chapter. It takes about forty minutes to read the entire chapter in Arabic with proper Tajweed. Even someone who reads better than I do would probably take at least half an hour.
• You have to know how to read Arabic and read it pretty well. If you don’t know how to read Arabic or if you’re not very good at it, you’re going to find what takes me forty minutes will probably take you a couple of hours. Not trying to discourage you. Just keeping it real. And no, you can’t read it in English and expect the same reward.
• People forget. It’s not easy to remember to do something once a week, week in and week out. If it’s done every day, it might be easier to remember. My suggestion, program your cell phone calendar to remind you that it’s Friday and you have to read Suratul Kahf.
• People are lazy. Plain and simple.

5. Making Two Rakaahs After Every Wudu

Seriously? This one is not even all that difficult. But I’m sure many people don’t do it.

Abu Hurairah reported that the Messenger of Allah, upon whom be peace, said to Bilal, “O Bilal, tell me what good deed you have done in Islam that I hear the sound of your footsteps in Paradise?” Bilal said, “That after I purify myself during the day or night, I pray with that purification as much as Allah has destined for me.” Related by Bukhari

I can understand why you might want to neglect this deed. If you work in an office building or are in school, it may not be so easy to find a place to make a two rakaah several times a day.

But this is a list difficult Sunnahs, isn’t it?

Don’t be too hard on yourself if you’re not fulfilling any of these. Even though there is great reward in doing them, they are voluntary acts. So there is no punishment if you decide not to do them.

However, rather than neglect them altogether, pick out the ones you think you can do. And then, do it.

It’s really that simple.

Source : http://islamiclearningmaterials.com/5-difficult-sunnahs-you-ought-doing/

FOODS MENTIONED IN THE QUR’AN BANANA

Bananas are mentioned in the Qur’an as one of the fruits of Paradise:
فِي سِدْرٍ مَخْضُودٍ وَطَلْحٍ مَنْضُودٍ وَظِلٍّ مَمْدُودٍ وَمَاءٍ مَسْكُوب وَفَاكِهَةٍ كَثِيرَةٍ لَا مَقْطُوعَةٍ وَلَا مَمْنُوعَةٍ

Amid thornless lote-trees, and banana-trees (with fruits), one above another. And extended shade, and water flowing constantly, and abundant fruit, neither intercepted nor forbidden. 

(Surat al-Waqi’a: 28-33)

Benefits of Banana

Bananas contain three natural sugars - sucrose, fructose and glucose combined with fiber. A banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy.

Research has proven that just two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout. No wonder the banana is the number one fruit with the world's leading athletes.
But energy isn't the only way a banana can help us keep fit. It can also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making it a must to add to our daily diet.

Depression: According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND amongst people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating a banana. This is because bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier.

PMS: Forget the pills - eat a banana. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.

Anemia : High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anemia.

Blood Pressure: This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it perfect to beat blood pressure. So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit's ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.

Brain Power: 200 students at a Twickenham (Middlesex) school ( England ) were helped through their exams this year by eating bananas at breakfast, break, and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power. Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert.

Constipation: High in fiber, including bananas in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives.

Heartburn: Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating a banana for soothing relief.

Morning Sickness: Snacking on bananas between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness.

Mosquito bites: Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of a banana skin. Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation.

Nerves: Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system.

Ulcers: The banana is used as the dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness. It is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronicler cases. It also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach.

Temperature control: Many other cultures see bananas as a 'cooling' fruit that can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers. InThailand , for example, pregnant women eat bananas to ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD): Bananas can help SAD sufferers because they contain the natural mood Enhancer tryptophan.

Smoking &Tobacco Use: Bananas can also help people trying to give up smoking. The B6, B12 they contain, as well as the potassium and magnesium found in them, help the body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal.

Stress: Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body's water balance. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, thereby reducing our potassium levels. These can be rebalanced with the help of a high-potassium banana snack.

Strokes: According to research in The New England Journal of Medicine, eating bananas as part of a regular diet can cut the risk of death by strokes by as much as 40%!

Warts: Those keen on natural alternatives swear that if you want to kill off a wart, take a piece of banana skin and place it on the wart, with the yellow side out. Carefully hold the skin in place with a plaster or surgical tape!

So, a banana really is a natural remedy for many ills. When you compare it to an apple, it has four times the protein, twice the carbohydrate, three times the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals. It is also rich in potassium and is one of the best value foods around So maybe it's time to change that well-known phrase so that we say, 'A banana a day keeps the doctor away!'

http://beyondthebluedomes.blogspot.com/2012/03/benefits-of-banana.html
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8 Health Benefits of Bananas

Banana, the once-exotic fruit, has found its way into our daily lives. Whether sliced over cereal or blended in a smoothie, here are eight great reasons to include about four bananas a week in your diet.

Diet
One banana has 11% of the RDA of dietary fiber and only about 108 calories. The fiber in bananas not only keeps digestion regular, but also helps maintain low blood sugar and curbs overeating.

Lower Blood Pressure
Studies show that the high amounts of potassium in bananas (over 13% of the RDA) can lower one's blood pressure, which in turn lessens the possibility of atherosclerosis, heart attack and stroke.

Bone Health
Along with lowering blood pressure, potassium prevents the weakening of the body's bones. A high sodium intake, which is typical of many American diets, can cause excessive amount of calcium to be lost through the urine, which threatens not only the strength and general health of the bones, but also negatively affects blood clotting, proper muscle contraction, and normal nervous system function. The potassium found in bananas neutralizes the high amounts of sodium in one's diet, thus allowing for healthy amounts of calcium to remain within the body.

High Nutrient Absorption
The potassium in bananas is not the only means to ensure healthy levels of calcium in the body. Bananas also contain high levels of fructooligosaccharide (FOS) that--along with insulin--promotes calcium absorption. FOS further nourishes healthy bacteria in the colon that manufacture vitamins and digestive enzymes that boost the body's overall ability to absorb nutrients.
Healthy Digestive TractBananas can diminish the uncomfortable effects of diarrhea and constipation. The high amounts of potassium in bananas can restock electrolytes that are easily depleted when suffering from diarrhea -- potassium being an important electrolyte itself. Furthermore, bananas can relieve the body from constipation and help restore regular digestion with pectin, a soluble polysaccharide that helps normalize the digestive tract.

Rugged Gut
Bananas protect the healthy constitution of the stomach in two ways. Firstly, they trigger the production of mucus in the stomach, which provides a protective barrier against stomach acids. Secondly, bananas possess protease inhibitors, a substance that breaks down bacteria in the stomach that cause ulcers. (Moreover, protease inhibitor also obstruct the replication of certain cells and viruses, including HIV.)

Cancer Prevention
A large study by the Internal Journal of Cancer illustrates that the probability of developing kidney cancer is greatly lessened by frequent consumption of fruits and vegetables, though especially bananas. For instance, the probability of developing kidney cancer in female subjects decreased by 50% when eating bananas four to six times a week.

Vitamin B6
One banana has an impressive 34% of the RDA of vitamin B6, which serves many important roles in the body's health. For example, the B6 in bananas acts as an anti-inflammatory agent that helps ward off cardiovascular disease, type II diabetes, as well as obesity. B6 also contributes to the maintenance of the lymphoid glands that ensure the production of healthy white blood cells that protect the body from infection. Finally, the vitamin B6 in bananas plays a pivotal part in cell formation and proper nervous system function, making one banana a day a healthy and delicious choice.

http://www.healthdiaries.com/eatthis/8-health-beneits-of-bananas.html

Do You Possess These Seven Habits ?

This talk was based on the following hadith from Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him):

There are seven whom Allah will shade in His Shade on the Day when there is no shade except His Shade:
1: a just ruler;
2: a youth who grew up in the worship of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic;
3: a man whose heart is attached to the mosques;
4: two men who love each other for Allah’s sake, meeting for that and parting upon that;
5: a man who is called by a woman of beauty and position [for illegal intercourse], but be says: I fear Allah,
6: a man who gives in charity and hides it, such that his left hand does not know what his right hand gives in charity;
7: and a man who remembered Allah in private and so his eyes shed tears.

Related by Bukhari

1. They Remember Their Sins

Some people fall into the habit of judging others by their sins while forgetting their own. They may not even think the sins they have committed are all that bad. This is a sign of weak Muslim.

A believer sees his sins as if he were sitting under a mountain which he is afraid may fall on him, whereas the wicked person considers his sins as flies passing over his nose and he just drives them away like this.

Related in Bukhari

Of course, if you see someone doing wrong, you should advise him or her to change their behavior. But dont become arrogant or prideful because you are not committing that sin. In fact, you should reflect on the sins you have committed and turn to Allah for repentance.

Who knows? Perhaps that person is doing something else that Allah loves. And perhaps you are doing something else that Allah hates.

By constantly remembering and being mindful of the sins you commit, you will be more inclined to repent, change your behavior, and do good deeds to make up for them, Inshallah.

2. They Mind Their Business

People like to think that only women engage in gossip. I can tell you from experience, that is not true. Muslim men can be some of the worst gossipers and backbiters around. And this is unfortunate given how many warnings there are of such horrible behavior.

How do people fall into gossiping and backbiting? By not minding their own business. These people hear a rumor or a tale, and before the next prayer comes in, they have spread it to a dozen other people. And then those people turn around and do the same thing.

If only we would remember what Allah says in His book:

And do not obey every worthless habitual swearer.

(And) scorner going about with malicious gossip.

A preventer of good, transgressing and sinful.

Chapter 68 verses 10-12

These are some pretty strong words coming from our Lord condemning this behavior. So, rather than mind other folks business, and spread rumors, tales and gossip, how about we just tend to our own affairs?

Are they not complicated enough to keep us busy for a lifetime ?

3. They Say What is Good

This goes hand in hand with the previous habit. Whereas Habit #2 was just to mind your own business and not say evil, Habit #3 is encouragement to say good.

Anyone who believes in Allah and the last day, should speak good or keep quiet.

Related in Bukhari

There you have it. Advice directly from the Prophet (peace be upon him) telling us to say something good or shut up. I dont mean to put it so bluntly but thats the gist of it.

This advice doesnt just mean speak good of people. It means to speak good about everything. Here are some examples:

• Rather than complain, be grateful and praise Allah for what you have.
• Rather than be boastful, once again, be grateful and praise Allah for what He has given you.
• Rather than criticize, advise and compliment on the good someone does.

Have you ever noticed how a negative person, who always has negative things to say, also seems to always bring a negative feeling with them? It’s like negativity is contagious. They are always complaining, nagging, and criticizing.

Don’t be like that person.

When you think about it, saying something good is really not all that difficult. When you’re about to say something bad or negative, try to think of something good (or at least neutral) to say.

And if you cant, just shut up.

4. They Keep Good Company

If you want to fulfill the previous three habits, you should be around people who want the same. You’ll find yourself very ineffective if you are always surrounded by people who think they are better than others, are always minding other people’s business, and cannot say good.

So if you are serious about becoming an effective Muslim, you should take a close look at the people you spend time with. If you can convince them to change their ways, that is best. But if not, maybe it’s time to find new friends.

A good friend and a bad friend are like a perfume-seller and a blacksmith: The perfume-seller might give you some perfume as a gift, or you might buy some from him, or at least you might smell its fragrance. As for the blacksmith, he might singe your clothes, and at the very least you will breathe in the fumes of the furnace.

Related in Bukhari

Once again, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) is giving it to us in a clear and beautiful manner. If you hang around good people, that goodness will rub off on you. If you hang around negative people, that same negativity will rub off on you, and may eventually lead you astray.

So if you don’t want to get burnt, find some good friends.

5. They Do Not Procrastinate (To postpone or delay needlessly).

• How many people owe days of fasting from the last Ramadan but put them off for months? Some people have to rush to get these days in just weeks or even days before the next Ramadan begins.
• How many people have money and the health to make Hajj but wait years and years to make it? Some people wait until they reach old age and have to to visit the Kaaba with multiple illnesses and difficulties.
• How many people routinely procrastinate in making their daily prayers ? The best of these procrastinators rush to get their prayer in before time is out. The worst completely miss the prayers due solely to procrastination.

Procrastinating in your daily duties is bad enough.
Please dont procrastinate with the orders of Allah.

6. They Put Their Trust in Allah

And (Allah) will provide for him from where he does not expect. And puts their trust in Allah – then He is sufficient for him. Indeed, Allah will accomplish His purpose. Allah has already set for everything a (decreed) measure.

Chapter 65 verse 3

Well, there you got it; straight from The Creator. If you put your trust in Allah, then He is all you need.

We often fall into the trap of putting our trust in the creation. We ask help from people who cannot help us. We complain to people who have no authority. Instead, we should seek help and complain to Allah Almighty.

Of course, if you do need assistance and you know of someone who has the ability to help, it is okay to ask them for help. But understand that whatever help they can provide ultimately comes from Allah. After all, even that person may let you down. But if you put your trust in Allah, He will never let you down.

7. They Remain Mindful of Allah

This is the most important habit of them all.

• If you do not remember Allah, you will not think of your own sins and seek repentance for them.
• If you do not remember Allah, you will not try to avoid His punishment by minding your own business without falling into backbiting and slander.
• If you do not remember Allah, you will not try to seek His favor by saying what is good.
• If you do not remember Allah, you will not seek out good company who are also focused on remembering Allah.
• If you do not remember Allah, you will never be able to put your trust in Him and will always look for help from those who can do you no good.

These are not the only things we can do to become effective Muslims. I am sure you can think of many more habits that will bring you closer to Allah and improve your daily life. But these seven habits of highly effective Muslims is a great place to start.

May Allah make it easy for you and me to implement these habits every day of our lives.

Ameen.

http://islamiclearningmaterials.com/7-habits-highly-effective-muslims/