🎬 In my free time, you'll probably find me curled up watching a good K-drama — there's something magical about their stories, emotions, and life lessons 💫

🫶 One quote that really speaks to my heart is:

“Loving yourself isn’t vanity. It’s sanity.”
Because at the end of the day, self-love is the foundation of everything we do 🌷

🕌 Solat (Prayer)

• Every prayer is full of zikr and du’a, helping us remember Him and find peace.

• The structure of solat teaches us discipline and self-control — lining up in saf, focusing our mind, and leaving distractions behind.

• Even the movements in solat (like rukuk and sujud) have physical benefits. They help release stress and calm the heart.

• But sometimes we don’t feel that peace, maybe because we’re not truly khusyuk, or we don’t understand the meaning of what we recite.

🌙 Puasa (Fasting)

“So that you may become among the righteous…”
📖 Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:183

• It builds taqwa — making us more aware of Allah in everything we do.

• It purifies our soul and helps us take control of our nafs (desires).

• We learn self-discipline — being mindful of our words, actions, and thoughts.

• And it opens our hearts to the reality of others — we start to understand what the less fortunate go through, and that creates compassion.

💰 Zakat

📖 Surah At-Tawbah, 9:103

• It purifies both our wealth and our hearts, protecting us from arrogance and greed.

• It reminds us that everything we have is a trust from Allah, and others have a right to it.

• It's also a reminder of humility — that our wealth isn't just ours.

• And of course, it's only wajib for those who are capable.

🕋 Hajj

📖 Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:197

• Only those who are physically, financially, and emotionally ready are expected to go.

• It teaches us to be prepared — not just with money, but with spiritual strength and patience.

• We're reminded to not depend too much on others — we carry our own load, both literally and spiritually.

  
  

🧎‍♀️ What is Khusyuk?

Khusyuk is when we stand before Allah with full humility and submission, feeling small and in need of Him.
It means praying with sincerity, focus, and interest, not just going through the motions.
It also shows through the calmness of our movements in prayer, our eyes fixed on the place of sujud, and not being distracted by unnecessary actions.

🎯 The Goal of Khusyuk

• To help us stay focused in solat

• To achieve success in both this world and the next

Solat is a direct connection with Allah. Without khusyuk, the solat is still valid, but the reward may be lessened.

🌱 How to Develop Khusyuk

• Take wudu even before the adhan

• Before solat, recite:

  Subhanallah, Alhamdulillah, La ilaha illallah, Astaghfirullah — 10x each

• Make the effort to understand the meaning of the verses and du’a we read in solat

When we cry during solat, it’s a sign that our heart is alive because it touched by the presence of Allah.

☁️ One of the Seven Under Allah’s Shade

Is a person who remembers Allah until their eyes fill with tears.

• Helps increase our obedience to Allah

• A form of jihad al-nafs — fighting against our desires

• Encourages us to reflect on ourselves (muhasabah)

• Builds iffah — protecting our dignity and modesty

• Teaches tawadhu’ — humility before Allah and others

What is Hajj/Umrah?
Hajj is a special trip to Makkah that Muslims must do once in their life if they can. Umrah is a smaller version that can be done anytime.

Good Values in Hajj:

• Tadhiyyah (Sacrifice):
  We give up things we love (like animals or comfort) to show our love for Allah.

• Taqwa (God-Consciousness):
  Hajj teaches us to be good, honest, and close to Allah.

Steps in Hajj (Simulation):

• Ihram:
  Wear simple clothes and stop doing certain things to show we are all equal before Allah.

• Tawaf:
  Walk around the Kaaba 7 times to show love for Allah.

• Sa’i:
  Walk between two hills like Hajar did, showing faith and effort.

• Wuquf (Arafah):
  Stand and pray to Allah asking for forgiveness.

• Stoning (Jamarat):
  Throw stones at pillars to show we reject evil and follow the right path.

• Mabit:
  Sleep in special places like Mina or Muzdalifah to remember Allah.

• Tahallul:
  Cut or shave hair to show the end of the Hajj and a new, clean start.

What is Zakah and Sadaqah?
Zakah is a required payment to help the poor. Sadaqah is extra charity we give anytime. Both make us better Muslims and help others.

Good Values in Charity:

• Tazkiyyah (Purification):
  Giving money cleans our wealth and our heart from selfishness.

• Tawakkul (Trust in Allah):
  We trust that when we give, Allah will give us more in return.

• Ukhuwwah (Brotherhood):
  Charity makes Muslims feel like a family, helping each other in hard times.

Charity and Brotherhood in Surah Al-Zalzalah (99:7–8):

Even a tiny good deed, like giving a coin, will be rewarded by Allah. It brings people closer and makes the community stronger.

What is Fasting (Sawm)?
Fasting in Ramadan means not eating, drinking, or doing bad things from dawn to sunset. It helps us become better people and closer to Allah.

Good Values in Fasting:

• Sabr (Patience):
  Fasting teaches us to stay calm and strong even when we’re hungry or tired.

• Takrim (Respect):
  When we fast, we show respect to Allah and to others by controlling our actions.

• Rahmah (Kindness):
  Fasting helps us feel what poor people feel. It makes us kinder and more helpful.

🌙 What is Ibadah?

Ibadah means worship in Islam. It includes not just prayers and fasting, but every action we do to please Allah. From ibadah, we gain hikmah, which means wisdom and good values.

🌟 Key Lessons:

1. Setting the Right Niyyah (Intention):

   • Every act of worship must begin with a sincere intention.

   • A good niyyah makes even simple actions like helping others or studying part of our ibadah.

2. Applying the Right 'Amal (Practices):

   • We must follow the correct way of doing worship as taught by the Prophet (ﷺ).

   • Worship must be done with proper actions, time, and manners.

3. Internalising Ihsan (Excellence in Virtue):

   • Ihsan means doing everything as if we see Allah, and knowing He sees us.

   • It helps us stay honest, kind, and do our best in everything.

I am truly grateful for the opportunity to join these Usrah sessions. The group was supportive, and the environment was peaceful and respectful. I hope to continue learning and applying Islamic values in my life.

May Allah reward all those who shared knowledge and participated. Ameen.