WEEKS BEFORE RAMADHAN:`Heart Focus' WeeksMake Tawbah NasoohaListen to Islamic lectures. Choose a scholar and topic that you feelwill motivate you and get your heart into the right stateRead Islamic books about self development and purifying the heartDo your best to pray all your Salah on timeEnsure that you pray the Sunnah al-Mu'akkadah raka'at with yourfive daily fard prayersActively focus on improving your Khushoo' in salah by spendingmore time on it and concentrating on what you are saying.Allocate time to doing Tasbih and istighfar, e<strong>special</strong>ly after salah.HOW TO MAKE TAWBAHTawbah consists of three parts: Knowledge, repentance anddeterminationKnowledge: If you have knowledge of Islam then you will recogniseyour sins and understand why they are harmful for you and knowwhat the punishment is if you continue to do those sins. You mustalso have sincere faith and devotion to Allah, because if you knowthat something displeases/angers Him then you will feel bad aboutdoing it.Repentance: Once you understand that the sins you have done areharmful and that you have earned Allah's displeasure, then you willfeel bad about having sinned. You will feel deep regret and remorse,even grief at having committed those sins.Determination: When you feel so bad about doing those sins, thenyou will refrain from doing them and be determined never to dothem again, e<strong>special</strong>ly if you know what the harmful effects andpunishment are for those actions.If you have committed a sin involving taking away someone else'srights, then you must return those rights and ask forgiveness fromthat person also. (Adapted from Imam al-Ghazali, Ihya Ulumuddin,translated by Maulana Fazlul Karim, Taj Com pany, 1982, Vol. 4)TIPS TO HELP YOU STAY AWAY FROM SINS:Stay away from the places of sinningKeep yourself in the company of those who remember AllahKeep your hands busy with useful work and your tongue busy withremembrance of Allah Understand the harmful effect of sins andread about the punishment for sinningRemind yourself about the rewards fro doing good deeds, both inthis life and in the hereafterLive as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live foreverA wise man once sat in the audience and crackeda joke.. all of them laughed like crazy..After a moment he cracked the same joke again &a little less people laughed this time...He cracked the same one again & no onelaughed!!!Then he smiled and said ''when you can't laugh onthe same joke again & again then why do you keepcrying over the same thing over & over again''FORGET the past and MOVE ON ..........<strong>Bakhabar</strong>12
TipsformotivationRyan Whiteside is a Guest Blogger for PickTheBrain.First, let's find out what the importance of motivation exactlyis. Simply put, motivation is that driving force which allows youto achieve your goals and go after what you want in life. If youwant to change your personality for the better, get a promotionat work, start a new habit, be a better person who is part of thecommunity, become a better parent for your kid – all of thesethings would be easier accomplished if you are properlymotivated.As long as you have a strong personal motivation, you canachieve almost anything that you want from life. However,remember not to fall into the trap of looking for short-cuts toachieve your goals. It's perfectly fine if you have to take a longand winding road to achieve your goal. It will be an evensweeter victory when you finally achieve your goal, knowingthat you have had to go through several hurdles to attain it.Developing Motivation in LifeSo how can you develop motivation in life? If you wish toaccomplish a goal – be it short-term or long-term in nature –how can you find it in you to be properly motivated? Here are afew things that you should keep in mind:1. Focus on one goal at a time.A goal doesn't do you much good unless you are constantlythinking about, and working towards it. Write down your goaland place it somewhere that you will see it at least 1-2 times aday. If you have a weight loss goal, place your written goalbeside the refrigerator. If your goal is to get physically stronger,place your written goal near your weight bench so you can see itwhen you are working out. This provides the extra motivationyou need for those tough days.A great way to motivate yourself with business goals is to putup a motivational quote beside your desk. Do a Google searchfor motivational quotes, then print off one and put it inside of apicture frame. Keep it there and read it occasionallythroughout the day. Whenever you find yourself not looking atThis should be partnered with the fact that you should makesure that your short-term goals all help in achieving your longtermgoals. One of the best ways for you to focus on one goal ata time is to make a diary of your goals – yes, write it down – sothat you will have a visual representation of the things that youwant to achieve rather than letting it all get lost in your head.2. Get rid of all the distractions which might prevent you fromachieving your goal.Let's say that you are a writer who wants to finish a book. Howcan you type away on your keyboard one chapter after anotherif there are many distractions surrounding you like television,friends chattering away or the lure of aimlessly browsingthrough the Internet. In order for you to stay properlymotivated, make sure to steer clear of any distractions.3. Completely block out any negative influences.Finally, make sure that you are completely blocking out anynegative influences in your life. If you feel that you are beingdistracted from your goal by a problem which does not seem togo away, ask yourself what you can do to eliminate such achallenge and distraction in your life. Maybe you are beingsidetracked by negative thoughts and feelings because youhave no faith in yourself. Addressing the root of the problem,completely blocking out any negative distractions and thinkingpurely positive thoughts is the best way for you to developmotivation in your everyday life.the quote anymore, or it no longer provides the inspiration thatit once did, it's time to change the quote. It's perfectly OK tochange this quote every 1-2 weeks for maximum motivation.Some people make a habit of reading their goals either whenthey first wake up or right before they go to bed. When you readyour goals upon arising, you may begin to notice that you findyourself doing more each day to help you reach your goals.Similarly, when you read your goals right before bed, you maynotice that you wake up with good ideas that you neverthought of before.Final ThoughtsFinal ThoughtsIt's important to have motivation in your life. Motivation is thefuel that you need to continue striving for your goals. Soak upmotivating things in your life on a daily basis. Read great booksthat will inspire you. Read great blogs that are both positiveand informative.It's human nature to have days were you aren't very motivated.However, if you continue to surround yourself with positive andmotivational things, those days will be few and far betweeForwarded by M Junaid TahirConstantly Work At Motivating Yourself<strong>Bakhabar</strong>13