Revive A Sunnah
Revive a Sunnah
If you LOVE the Messenger of Allah [peace be upon him] then…
REVIVE HIS SUNNAH!
Simple deeds, immense rewards; words defining many of the sunnan of the Prophet (sallaAllahu alayhe wasallam). Despite their ease, we sometimes fall short in acting upon them, usually for no other reason but the need of a reminder. A reminder of both the deed and the promised reward is what it takes for many of us to revive a sunnah in our lives.
The Prophet (sallaAllahu alayhe wasallam) says that Allah says, "And My servant continues to draw nearer to Me with supererogatory (nawafil) deeds until I love him." (Bukhari).
The promise of Divine love is certainly enough to motivate us to return to some of the neglected or forgotton sunnan of our Messenger (sallaAllahu alayhe wasallam). The most effective revival is to make an effort to implement at least one sunnah and be an example to others. No matter how much we preach and write, in the end it is action that counts.
A few sunnan we can revive everyday:
Purification
Siwaak – A twig that earns the pleasure of Allah and was beloved to His Messenger (sallaAllahu alayhe wasallam).
When Aisha (radhiAllahu anha) was asked about the first thing he would do upon entering his home, she replied, "When he entered his house, the first thing he would do was to use the siwaak." (Muslim). The Messenger of Allah (sallaAllahu alayhe wasallam) said, "Siwaak cleanses the mouth and pleases the Lord." (Bukhari).
If you have one, use it now and please your Lord. Carry some with you and gift them to those you love.
Wudu before Sleeping: Want an angel to supplicate for you while you sleep? The Messenger of Allah (sallaAllahu alayhe wasallam) said, "Purify these bodies, and Allah will purify you. Whenever a slave spends his night in a state of purification, an angel spends his night within his (slave’s) hair and he does not turn over during the night except that he [the angel] says: O Allah, forgive Your slave, for he went to sleep in a state of purification." (al-Tabarani, graded ‘good’ by Al-Albani).
Prayer
Performing Voluntary Prayers in One’s House: Jabir related that the Messenger of Allah (sallaAllahu alayhe wasallam) said: "If one of you has finished the prayer in his mosque, let him make a portion of his prayers for his home, as Allah will certainly put goodness in his home from his prayer." (Muslim).
In another hadith, "A person’s salah in his house is better than his salah in my mosque, except for the fard (obligatory) salah." (Abu Dawud).
Going Early to the Jumuah Prayer: Abu Hurairah narrated that the Messenger of Allah (sallaAllahu alayhe wasallam) said, "Whoever does ghusl on Friday like ghusl for janabah, then goes to the prayer (in the first hour, i.e., early), it is as if he sacrificed a camel. Whoever goes in the second hour, it is as if he sacrificed a cow;
whoever goes in the third hour, it is as if he sacrificed a horned ram; whoever goes in the fourth hour, it is as if he sacrificed a hen; and whoever goes in the fifth hour it is as if he offered an egg. When the imam comes out, the angels come to listen to the khutbah." (Agreed Upon).
When it Rains
When rain descends from the sky, it is your chance to turn to Allah, asking Him for everything you desire from the good of this life and the Hereafter, for yourself and those beloved to you. The Prophet (sallaAllahu alayhe wasallam) said, "Two are the du’as that are never returned: the du’a made when the prayer is being called, and at the time of rainfall." (Abu Dawud).
Du’a upon hearing thunder:
سبحان الذي يسبح الرعد بحمده والملائكة من خيفته
Subhanaha alladhi yusabbihur-ra’du bi hamdihi wal malaa’ikatu min khifaatih
‘How perfect He is, (The One) Whom the thunder declares His perfection with His praise, as do the angels out of fear of Him.’
During Rainfall:
اللهم صيباً نافعاً
Allahumma sayyiban naaf’ian
O Allah, may it be a beneficial rain cloud
After Rain:
مُطرنا بفضل الله ورحمته
Mutirna bi Fadhlil-lahi wa Rahmatih
We have been given rain by the grace and mercy of Allah
After Drinking Milk
Even in drinking milk, we have an opportunity to earn reward through following the sunnah.
Rinsing mouth: Ibn Abbas narrated the Prophet (sallaAllahu alayhe wasallam) drank some milk then called for some water. Once he got the water he rinsed his mouth then said, "It has fat." (Agreed Upon)
Du’a after drinking milk:
اللهم بارك لنا فيه، وزدنا منه
‘Allahumma barik lana feehi wa zidna minhu’
‘O Allah, bless it for us and give us more of it.’
(Abu Dawud, al-Tirmidhi).
With the Believers
Greeting youngsters with salaam: Anas bin Malik (radhiAllahu anhu) used to always greet the children as he passed them, saying that he did so because he had observed the Prophet (sallaAllahu alayhe wasallam) doing the same. (Agreed Upon).
Tell Someone You Love them for the Sake of Allah
Anas reported that a man was with the Prophet (sallaAllahu alayhe wasallam) when another man passed by and the former said: "O Messenger of Allah! I love this man (for Allah’s sake)." The Messenger of Allah (sallaAllahu alayhe wasallam) asked, "Have you informed him?" He said, "No". The Prophet (sallaAllahu alayhe wasallam) then said, "Tell him (that you love him)." (Abu Dawud).
What a beautiful sunnah that is sure touch the heart of your beloved brother or sister and brighten up their day!
Go ahead, remind us of a sunnah below, perhaps one other person would act upon it, multiplying your reward:
"Whoever revives a Sunnah from my Sunnah and the people practice it, will have the same reward of those who practice it without their reward diminishing." (Sunan ibn Maajah, ).
