Turning Daily Words into Worship

Each Arabic line is a button. Press it to go through its words, then press a word for its meaning.

إِذَا أَرَدْتَ ذِكْرًا يُغَيِّرُ يَوْمَكَ فَلَا تَكْتَفِ بِصَوْتٍ بِلَا مَعْنًى

If you want a remembrance that transforms your day, do not settle for a sound without meaning.

اجْعَلْ ذِكْرَكَ جُمَلًا تَامَّةً تَقُودُ قَصْدَكَ

Make your remembrance complete sentences that guide your intention.

حِينَ تَقُولُ بِسْمِ اللهِ فَالْمَعْنَى أَبْدَأُ عَمَلِي مُسْتَعِينًا بِاللهِ وَأَجْعَلُ نَتِيجَتَهُ لِوَجْهِهِ

When you say, 'In the name of Allah,' the meaning is: I begin my work seeking assistance from Allah, and I dedicate its outcome for His sake.

وَحِينَ تَزِلُّ قَدَمُكَ فَتَقُولُ أَسْتَغْفِرُ اللهَ فَالْمَعْنَى أَطْلُبُ سَتْرَ الذَّنْبِ وَمَحْوَ أَثَرِهِ وَأَتْبَعُهُ بِإِصْلَاحٍ عَمَلِيٍّ يُثْبِتُ صِدْقَ الطَّلَبِ

And when your foot slips and you say, 'I seek forgiveness from Allah,' the meaning is: I ask for the covering of the sin and the erasure of its effect, and follow it with practical correction proving the sincerity of the request.

وَفِي الصَّلَاةِ تَقُولُ سُبْحَانَ رَبِّيَ الْعَظِيمِ وَسُبْحَانَ رَبِّيَ الْأَعْلَى تُنَزِّهُهُ عَنْ كُلِّ نَقْصٍ

And in prayer you say: 'Glory be to my Lord, the Most Great' and 'Glory be to my Lord, the Most High'; you declare His transcendence above all deficiency,

ثُمَّ تَضَعُ جَبِينَكَ حَيْثُ تُوَاضِعُ الْقُلُوبُ فَيُولَدُ مِنَ التَّسْبِيحِ خُشُوعٌ وَعَمَلٌ

Then you place your forehead where hearts show humility, and devotion and action are born from glorification.

الِاسْمُ الْمُجَرَّدُ شَرَارَةٌ بِلَا نَارٍ أَمَّا الْجُمْلَةُ الْمَشْرُوعَةُ فَنُورٌ يَسْرِي

A mere name is a spark without fire; but a prescribed sentence is a light that spreads.

تَوْحِيدٌ يُفْرِدُ اللهَ بِالْقَصْدِ وَتَعْظِيمٌ يُثْمِرُ الْخَشْيَةَ وَاسْتِحْضَارُ عَمَلٍ يُهذِّبُ الْجَوَارِحَ

Tawhid that singles out Allah in purpose, glorification that produces awe, and mindfulness of action that refines the limbs.

هَكَذَا تَصِيرُ الْعَادَاتُ عِبَادَاتٍ لُقْمَةٌ تَبْدَأُ بِـ بِسْمِ اللهِ فَتُرْزَقُ بَرَكَتَهَا

This is how habits become acts of worship: a morsel begins with 'In the name of Allah' and is blessed with its barakah,

وَخُرُوجٌ مِنَ الْبَيْتِ مَعَ بِسْمِ اللهِ تَوَكَّلْتُ عَلَى اللهِ فَيُحْفَظُ الْمَسَارُ

And leaving the house with 'In the name of Allah, I rely on Allah,' preserves the path.

وَالْأَفْضَلُ أَنْ تَجْمَعَ اللَّفْظَ وَالْحُضُورَ تُرَدِّدُ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللهُ وَأَنْتَ تَفُكُّ قُيُودَ قَلْبِكَ مِنْ كُلِّ مَعْبُودٍ بَاطِلٍ صُورَةٍ مَالٍ هَوًى

And it is better to combine the utterance and presence: you repeat 'None is worthy of worship except Allah' while freeing your heart from all false gods: images, wealth, desires.

خُلَاصَةُ الطَّرِيقِ أَصْلَانِ أَنْ تُعْبَدَ اللهَ وَحْدَهُ وَأَنْ تَعْبُدَهُ بِمَا شَرَعَ

The essence of the path is two principles: that you worship Allah alone, and that you worship Him with what He has prescribed.

هَكَذَا يَتَحَوَّلُ الذِّكْرُ إِلَى مَدْرَسَةٍ يَوْمِيَّةٍ يُعَلِّمُكَ النَّظَرَ الصَّحِيحَ يُطَهِّرُ لِسَانَكَ مِنَ اللَّغْوِ وَيَشُدُّ قَلْبَكَ إِلَى رَبِّهِ

This is how remembrance becomes a daily school: it teaches you correct perception, purifies your tongue from idle talk, and binds your heart to its Lord,

فَتَسِيرُ بِنُورٍ لَا يُطْفِئُهُ صَخَبُ الدُّنْيَا

So you walk with a light that is not extinguished by the noise of the world.