Allah (`azza wa jall) says in the Glorious Qur'an, "Say (O Muhammad): 'If you (really) love Allah then follow me, Allaah will love you and forgive you your sins. And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful."
[surah ali-Imran, 3: 31]
This is a beautiful verse, named by some of the salaf as "the verse of the test", as it tests how true one's love of Allaah is. They explained that if one loves Allah, then he must show that in his/her following of the Prophet Muhammad (salAllahu alayhi wasalam). The verse tells us that those who follow the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) if sincere, can insha'Allah expect the following two:
Allah (ta`ala) loving them
Allah (ta`ala) forgiving their sins.
One of the ways to manifest our loving of Allah, by following the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) is to do those acts that he (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) advised his Companions, and the Ummah in general, to do. A sunnah which is certainly relevant to us in these days is his(salAllahu alayhi wasalam) practice to fast six days in the month of Shawwal (the month after Ramadan).
Abu Ayyub al-Ansari narrated that Allah's Messenger (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) said: "He who fasts Ramadan, and six of Shawwal, it will be (in terms of rewards) as if the fasted a whole year."
[Sahih Muslim,at-Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud, Ahmad, Ibn Majah]
So this is an established sunnah, which carries a great reward.
Attributes of the Prophet Muhammad SAW Praise be to Allah, the Lord of Creations, and Peace and blessings be upon our prophet Muhammad, the faithful and the honest. Oh, Allah, we know nothing but what You teach us. You are the All- Knower, the Wise. Oh Allah, teach us what is good for us, and benefit us from what You taught us, and increase our knowledge. Show us the righteous things as righteous and help us to do them, and show us the bad things as bad and help us to keep away from them. O Allah our Lord, lead us out from the depths of darkness and illusion, unto the lights of erudition and knowledge, and from the muddy shallows of lusts unto the heavens of Your Vicinity. Dear brothers, this is the first part of the introduction to our new series: “Ways of access and signs of acceptance”, inspired by Allah’s Words: "I am only a man like you. It has been inspired to me." [Al Kahf, 110] It is as if in this ayah Allah the ...
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