We are often told that when we are inspired to do a good deed, we should do it immediately. Otherwise we may be subject to the whisperings of shaitan or our own self. For example, if you feel like giving charity, do it right there and then. Later, you might change your mind, you may forget, or even opt to give less than you wanted to initially. There are those types of good deeds that are one-off, then there are others that require commitment and perhaps even a lifestyle change. You may be inspired to memorise the Qur'an, put on the hijab, go to the mosque for the daily prayers, or stop a sin, such as drinking alcohol. Once you are inspired, doubts start to set in. Will I really be

The 'hardship' of self-discipline is much lighter than the weight of regret. Work hard today & you will appreciate your efforts tomorrow. Work hard for the afterlife and Allah will appreciate your efforts. The People of Paradise will be told, 'This is (all) a reward for you, and your efforts have been appreciated' (76:22).

A Ramadan of meaningful moments

It can be easy to be taken in by the need to do so much this month - to focus on the quantity. Of course, that takes effort, and our efforts are rewarded by God.

Yet we can get caught up in the number of times we recite the Qur'an, and how many units of taraweeh we prayed. But perhaps this Ramadan should be equally - or more - about the state of our hearts during the acts of worship, and focusing on the connection with Allah as we commit to acts of submission.

Once, the companions were traveling and one of them would lead the prayers. In every prayer, this companion would recite Surat al-Ikhlas. The companions were bothered by this and complained to the Pro

If you're doing it for the sake of Allah, don't let the reactions of others - appreciative or not - stop you from doing good. One of the devil's tricks is for someone who's doing good to become discouraged by any means, and one example of that is that they felt unappreciated so they stopped something that should've been sincerely for Allah's sake. While Allah (SWT) encourages us to be appreciative and thankful to one another, and to express that gratitude (sometimes in different forms), on the receiving end we're less impacted when our hearts are sincere towards Allah, knowing that the reward waiting for us with Him is greater than anything we can imagine. May Allah (SWT) grant us con

Sometimes trying to do even the basics feels like a struggle. Waking up on a cold morning to pray fajr, avoiding haram, maintaining family ties, praying Isha when you'd rather go to sleep, maintaining your modesty, etc. But did you know that Allah is ash-Shakoor, The Appreciative? Imam Al-Ghazali tells us that ash-Shakoor is 'The one who rewards the practice of a few pious deeds many-fold, and in response to the action of a few days, gives limitless happiness in the life to come. The one who rewards a good deed many-fold is said to be grateful for that deed, while whoever commends the one who does a good deed is also said to be grateful. Yet if you consider the multiplication