A Day in Your Life – No. 1: What to do after you open your eyes…

Assalamu Alaikum.

Yes, I’ve started a new series and yes, I am planning to complete all the other series especially the tennis one, insha-Allah.

What’s this series about? Well, we always seems to have these “Ramadan schedules” floating around just before the greatest month comes.

The sad part about these “Ramadan schedules” is that most of the things in them are meant to be done on a daily basis, not just in Ramadan.

So, this series is a step by step guide on how we can improve ourselves in the “little” aspects that occur from the time we wake up until the time we go to sleep. If we implement these things, then most of our day will resemble those “Ramadan schedule” days, insha-Allah.

So, the first thing that happens in the morning is that we open our eyes and then what?

Well, what usually happens to many people is that they yawn, stretch themselves and then rush towards:

Or if you live in certain parts of the world:

However, that’s not what we are supposed to do.

We’re supposed to remember Allah before we remember to answer the call of nature.

So what do we do?

We do what the Prophet (salallahu alaihi wasallam) did of course.

لَّقَدْ كَانَ لَكُمْ فِي رَسُولِ اللَّـهِ أُسْوَةٌ حَسَنَةٌ لِّمَن كَانَ يَرْجُو اللَّـهَ وَالْيَوْمَ الْآخِرَ وَذَكَرَ اللَّـهَ كَثِيرًا

“Indeed in the Messenger of Allah you have a good example to follow for him who hopes in (the Meeting with) Allah and the Last Day and remembers Allah much.” [Surah Al-Ahzab (33) : 21]

So, what did he do after he woke up?

كان النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم إذا أراد أن ينام قال : ( باسمك اللهم أموت وأحيا ) . وإذا استيقظ من منامه قال :  الحمد الله الذي أحيانا بعد ما أماتنا وإليه النشور

Narrated Hudhaifa (radiallahu anhu): Whenever the Prophet (salallahu alaihi wasallam) intended to go to bed, he would recite: “Bismika Allahumma amutu wa ahya (With Your name, O Allah, I die and I live).” And when he woke up from his sleep, he would say: “Al-hamdu lil-lahil-ladhi ahyana ba’da ma amaatana; wa ilaihin-nushoor (All the Praises are for Allah Who has made us alive after He made us die (sleep) and unto Him is the Resurrection). “ [Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume No. 8, Hadeeth No. 336]

So, the dua is:

[Courtesy of Make Dua.]

[Note: Sleep is a minor death. When you realise this, both the duas mentioned above will make sense.]