ARTICLE : How to Show Gratitude for the Blessing of Motherhood - Productive Muslim

Some useful, simple tips in the linked article below - Masha'Allah.

How to Show Gratitude for the Blessing of Motherhood - Productive Muslim

Wudu + 2 Rak'ahs of Voluntary Prayer = Allah's Forgiveness

I think it would be fair to assume that most mothers experience heightened fatigue in the period immediately after giving birth; with the baby waking up every few hours at night (or less!), trying to do what you can around the house and trying to sleep as well. I know I was tired. Due to this, when I prayed, as I was tired, I felt I wasn't as focused as I would like to have been. During those early days as well, it was winter in the UK - November, December times, and so Dhuhr, Asr and Maghrib salah times were very close together, so I didn't always want to catch much needed sleep between those three salahs as I didn't want to risk missing them. I'd mostly set an alarm for the next salah though and try and sleep, but when I would sleep, I'd find I still wasn't happy with my salahs (as I didn't feel rested so I was struggling with khushuu).

So I was speaking to a sister on the phone, who's a mother to two very young children, and I asked her how she maintained her khushuu in salah and if she has any tips/ibaadaat that I could incorporate into my day that have worked for her as a Mum. And she gave me a really good tip masha'Allah, may Allah reward her, so I thought I'd share it. She said that she struggled with praying her sunnahs in the day with two young children but what she, at times, did do was make wudu and pray two rak'ahs of voluntary prayer at the end of the day, after putting her kids to sleep. Two rak'ahs of salah for tawbah, as per the hadith of the Prophet, sallaahu alaihi wa sallam:

''If anyone performs ablution like that of mine and offers a two rakat prayer during which he does not think of anything else (not related to the present prayer) then his past sins will be forgiven.'' [Bukhari]

I thought this was just what I needed to be reminded of subhan'Allah. A salah where I could seek forgiveness, when I felt otherwise busy/tired/preoccupied. It gave me hope the times I prayed it as well, as it brings to mind the hadith qudsi whereby Allah says that if you take one step towards Him, He will take many towards you...and I hoped He would look upon this act as a small step towards Him, SWT...

Do you have any acts of worship that you feel work really well for you as a Mum, or any khushuu reminders? Please share.

Jazakum'Allahu Khairan,

Muslim Mums.

Dishes And Incorporating Dhikr Into Housework

Cleaning and I aren't great friends. I have always disliked washing up. And since I had my little one, and in some periods of my pregnancy, I, more often than not, have unfortunately had a messy sink...no more alhamdullilah. As I don't really like washing lots of dishes, I've now begun washing up after cooking and also after meals. As it's just my husband and I on most evenings, that works out to just a few plates, glasses, and cutlery. So it is no longer a chore alhamdullilah and my kitchen sink is forever vacant and clean, alhamdullilah (so far!)

Please share any effective cleaning tips you may have in the comments section, or things that work for you. It'd also be great if you could share how one can incorporate any form of dhikr into these tasks too. I find that as we do cleaning tasks and general chores so repetitively and frequently, it is wise to maximise such time to insha'Allah, pile up some good deeds and remember Allah SWT - thus, insha'Allah, investing in our aakhirah. Such dhikr gives mundane tasks purpose and meaning, I think.

Before I got married, when I lived with my Mum, I used to put on Islamic lectures when cleaning the house, or memorise du'aas on my ipod whilst washing up (the latter is something I need to get back into actually, insha'Allah). Post marriage, I would try to memorise some ayaat of the Qur'an from my ipod - I'd voice record a selection of ayaat from the internet or from Qur'an audios, put them on my ipod and play that selection on repeat, whilst washing up. However, I found that the only chore I felt comfortable memorising to was washing up as I was stationary and it is, for me, a fairly mindless chore: so I could focus on what was being recited...with other chores, such as sweeping, ironing etc, I personally found I couldn't focus on the audio playing in my ears.
Another easy form of dhikr is to recite (whilst pondering over, of course) some stipulated-in-the-sunnah adhkaar, such as 'subhan'Allahil wa bihamdi' and 'subhan'Allahil adheem', and 'laa ilaaha illallah' etc. Such adhkaar is what I mostly (try to remember to!) utter since becoming a Mum...

I may write a post containing a link listing the ahadith and ayaat pertaining to dhikr as a reminder to myself and others inshaAllah.

Jazakum'Allahu Khairan,

Muslim Mums.