In fact, this is one of the few Sunnahs that are endorsed by Allah in both the Quran and the hadith. Arise to (pray) the night except for a little. Half of it or subtract a little from it.

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 the 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
Surah al-Kahf (the Chapter of the Cave) is a very interesting chapter. It is the 18th chapter of the Quran and includes many lessons andstories. 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 Surah al-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 Surah al-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 that 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 is to program your cell phone calendar to remind you that it’s Friday and you have to read Surah al-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 (radi Allahu anhu) 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 of difficult Sunnahs, isn’t it?

Don’t be too hard on yourself if you’re not fulfilling any of these. Even though there is a 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.

Abu Huraira(radi Allahu anhu) narrates from Rasool Allah(Sallallahu alaihi wasallam), “Allah is extremely displeased with the person who doesn’t do duaa to Allah.”(Tirmizi)

Abu Huraira(radi Allahu anhu) narrates from Rasool Allah (Sallallahu alaihi wasallam), “In the court of Allah, there is no greater thing than Duaa.”(Ibn-e-Majah)

Abdullah bin Umar(radi Allahu anhu) narrates from Rasool-Allah(Sallallahu alaihi wasallam),” Among whatever has been descended and whatever has not been descended Duaa is beneficial of all. Oh people of Allah! Assume Duaa a must for yourselves.” (Tirmizi)

Jabir(radi Allahu anhu) narrates from Rasool-Allah(Sallallahu alaihi wasallam), “Whoever does duaa to Allah, Allah fulfills his seeking or in exchange averts misfortune until the duaa is not related to sin or breaking some relation.” (Tirmizi)

Salman Farsi(radi Allahu anhu) narrates from Rasool-Allah(Sallallahu alaihi wasallam), “Duaa turns away destiny, and good deeds lengthen age. (Tirmizi)

Umar (radi Allahu anhu) narrates that, “Whenever Rasool-Allah( Sallallahu alaihi wasallam) raised his hands for duaa, he did not put them down until HE took both hands over his face.” (Tirmizi)

Jabir (radi Allahu anhu) narrates from Rasool-Allah (Sallallahu alaihi wasallam), “Don’t do Bad-duaa [against] yourself, your wealth, or for your children. May it be the moment of acceptance in the court of Allah, and your Bad-duaa be accepted. (Muslim)

the religion of community, unity, being together, and helping one another towards righteousness and good deeds. Allah said, which means: “Verily all of mankind is in a state of loss except those who believe, do good deeds, and encourage one another.” (Al-’Asr 103:2-3).

Sharing is the Noble Islamic Character, so you live, sleep, and die with others, like a candle. A candle burns itself and produces light for others. We have to do something not only for our individual selves or families, but for the benefit of other Muslim families, the animals, the birds, and even for non-Muslims.

The Prophet Muhammad (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said: “If the Hour were to occur and you had a seed or a small plant in your hand, (you would plant it) and if you can plant it before that, then plant it (now).”

Subhaanallaah!
Islam is a religion of work and sacrifice. This demonstrates that we are living to help others even if dying. You see the Judgment, the Hour is in front of you, so why not put the seed in the ground? Let someone else benefit if this is the last moment of your life, because you not only live for yourself, but to help others as well.

Allah narrates in the Qur’an the story of Prophet Lut(AS) and how He saved him and his family. But from what?! So the environment is very important. You may know about science and chemistry more than I, and we all know the surroundings of an object will have some impact upon it. Just as a candle’s flame will extinguish from a lack of oxygen, and likewise, a plant unexposed to sunlight will wither. The Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) has explained: “The similitude of good and bad company is like the one who sells perfume and the blacksmith. When you sit with the perfume seller, you smell a good scent, and in contrast, bad company is like one who blows into a furnace.” (Al-Bukhari)

We will order the angels to take them out, and the angels will know them by the mark of the traces of prostration (on their foreheads), for Allah banned the fire from consuming the traces of prostration on the body of Adam’s son. So they will take them out, and by then they would have burnt (as coal), and then water, called Maul Hayat (water of life) will be poured on them, and they will spring out like a seed springs out on the bank of a rainwater stream, and there will remain one man who will be facing the (Hell) Fire and will say, ‘O Lord! It’s (Hell’s) vapor has Poisoned and smoked me, and its flame has burnt me; please turn my face away from the Fire.’ He will keep on invoking Allah till Allah says, ‘Perhaps, if I give you what you want), You will ask for another thing?’ The man will say, ‘No, by Your Power, I will not ask You for anything else.’

Then Allah will turn his face away from the Fire. The man will say after that, ‘O Lord, bring me near the gate of Paradise.’ Allah will say (to him), ‘Didn’t you promise not to ask for anything else? Woe to you, O son of Adam! How treacherous you are!’ The man will keep on invoking Allah till Allah will say, ‘But if I give you that, you may ask me for something else.’ The man will say, ‘No, by Your Power. I will not ask for anything else.’ He will give Allah his covenant and promise not to ask for anything else after that. So Allah will bring him near to the gate of Paradise, and when he sees what is in it, he will remain silent as long as Allah will, and then he will say, ‘O Lord! Let me enter Paradise.’ Allah will say, ‘Didn’t you promise that you would not ask Me for anything other than that? Woe to you, O son of Adam! How treacherous you are!’ On that, the man will say, ‘O Lord! Do not make me the most wretched of Your creation,’ and will keep on invoking Allah till Allah will smile and when Allah will smile because of him, then He will allow him to enter Paradise, and when he will enter Paradise, he will be addressed, ‘Wish from so-and-so.’ He will wish till all his wishes will be fulfilled, then Allah will say, All this ( i.e., what you have wished for) and as much again therewith are for you.’ ”

Abu Huraira added: That man will be the last of the people of Paradise to enter (Paradise).
Narrated ‘Ata (while Abu Huraira was narrating): Abu Said was sitting in the company of Abu Huraira, and he did not deny anything of his narration till he reached his saying: “All this and as much again therewith are for you.” Then Abu Sa’id said, “I heard Allah’s Apostle saying, ‘This is for you and ten times as much.’ ” Abu Huraira said, “In my memory it is ‘as much again therewith.’ ”

Sahih Bukhari No: 6162 (The Book of Heart-Softening Narrations)

A report by Umm Sinan (radi Allahu anha), a companion of the Prophet (peace be upon him), states that she saw four of the Prophet’s wives coming to that house to look at Safiyyah (radi Allahu anha). They had heard of her beauty. Umm Sinan (radi Allahu anha) says, ‘I heard Zaynab (radi Allahu anha) speaking to Juwayriyyah (radi Allahu anha): ‘I fear that this young woman will be the Prophet’s favorite.’ Juwayriyyah (radi Allahu anha) answered: ‘I do not think so. She belongs to a type of woman who is rarely favored by her husband.’ Whatever Juwauriyyah (radi Allahu anha) saw to make her give this judgment is not mentioned. The Prophet (peace be upon him), however, did not treat Safiyyah (radi Allahu anha)  any differently from his other wives. She established her position in his home, and she loved him dearly. When he suffered illness, shortly before his death, she said she would willingly bear the pain if he would only recover. He (peace be upon him) said that she was expressing her genuine feelings.

After their marriage, the Prophet (peace be upon him) did all he could to help Safiyyah (radi Allahu anha) forget the events of the past, which were naturally a source of grief to her. She is reported to have said later: “God’s Messenger (peace be upon him) was very hateful to me because he killed my husband and my father. However, he kept apologizing to me, saying that my father had raised the Arabs against him, and did this and did that, until all my hard feelings disappeared.”

One day, the Prophet (peace be upon him)  went into Safiyyah’s room to find her crying. When he asked her why, she said that Ayesha (radi Allahu anha) and Hafsah (radi Allahu anha), who were both his wives, kept talking about her, belittling her position. They said that either of them was far superior to her because they were distant cousins of the Prophet and that he married them for their personalities, not for any other reason. He said to her: “Why did you not reply to them and say: ‘How can you be superior to me when Aaron (peace be upon him) is my father [meaning her lineage ended with him], and Moses (peace be upon him) is my uncle, and my husband is Muhammad (peace be upon him)’.”

It is reported that when Safiyyah was still a young girl, she saw in her dream that the moon fell into her lap. She mentioned her dream to her father, and he hit her hard in the face. He said to her: “You surely wish to be wed to the King of the Arabs.” The slap left a visible mark on her face, which the Prophet (peace be upon him) noticed when he married her. He asked her about that mark, and she told him its cause.

Safiyyah died in the year 50, when she was around 70 years of age. She reported several Hadiths that are transmitted in anthologies of authentic Hadiths.

– By Adil Salahi