The blessing of waking up in the morning upon Islam
In The Name of Allah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy.
أَصْبَحْنَا عَلَى فِطْرَةِ الْإِسْلَامِ وَعَلَى كَلِمَةِ الْإِخْلَاصِ، وَعَلَى دِينِ نَبِيِّنَا مُحَمَّدٍ صَلَى اللهُ عَلِيهِ وَسَلَّمَ، وَعَلَى مِلَّةِ أَبِينَا إِبْرَاهِيمَ، حَنِيفَاً مُسْلِماً وَمَا كَانَ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ
We have reached the morning whilst being upon the Fitrah of Islam; upon the statement of Ikhlas; and upon the religion of our Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and the way of our forefather Ibrahim , who was Haneefan [one who singled out Allah in worship and distanced himself from everything worshipped besides Allah] and Musliman [a true Muslim], and he was not of those who associated partners to Allah [in worship]. NB: In the evening, the phrase [أَصْبَحْنَا – we have reached the morning] is replaced with [أَمْسَيْنَا – we have reached the evening]
Explanation
[أَصْبَحْنَا عَلَى فِطْرَةِ الإِسْلاَمِ – We have (reached the morning whilst being upon) the Fitrah of Islam]- Meaning: We have been favoured through reaching the morning, whilst we are upon the religion of Islam, adhering and being safeguarded upon it- neither being from those upon something different nor those who substitute their Islam.
The religion of Islam is the religion of Fitrah- [i.e. the religion a person would naturally incline towards because Allah created mankind with the natural disposition to incline towards it], therefore, a person turns towards it wholeheartedly, making it the main goal and adhering to it -outwardly and inwardly- through the deeds and sound creed ordained by Allah. Allah, The Most High, said:
فَأَقِمۡ وَجۡهَكَ لِلدِّينِ حَنِيفً۬اۚ فِطۡرَتَ ٱللَّهِ ٱلَّتِى فَطَرَ ٱلنَّاسَ عَلَيۡہَاۚ لَا تَبۡدِيلَ لِخَلۡقِ ٱللَّهِۚ ذَٲلِكَ ٱلدِّينُ ٱلۡقَيِّمُ وَلَـٰكِنَّ أَڪۡثَرَ ٱلنَّاسِ لَا يَعۡلَمُونَ
So set you [O Muhammad] your face towards the religion of pure Islamic Monotheism Hanifan [worship none but Allah Alone] Allah’s Fitrah [i.e. Allah’s Islamic Monotheism], with which He has created mankind. No change let there be in Khalqillaah [i.e. the Religion of pure Islamic Monotheism], that is the straight religion, but most of men know not].
This is the natural disposition upon which mankind was created, so whoever abandons this state has opposed and corrupted his natural disposition, just as the Messenger said that Allah said: “Indeed, I created My servants as Hunafaa [i.e. one having a natural inclination to worship Allah alone and respond to the call of my Messengers], but it is Satan who turns them away from the right religion and makes unlawful for them what I made lawful for them, and commanded them to ascribe partners to Me that which I have sent down no authority.” [Saheeh Muslim Number 2865]
[وَكَلِمَةِ الإِخْلاَصِ – (we have reached the morning, whilst being upon) the statement of Ikhlaas]: Meaning: We have reached the morning whilst being upon this pure statement and that is the statement: “There is no deity worthy of worship except Allah”. This great and lofty statement is the best of all great statements and loftiest of them; rather it is main fountainhead of the religion and its foundation. Due to this, mankind was created solely for the purpose of fulfilling what this statement necessitates, and likewise due to this statement the Messengers were sent to mankind, the Books were revealed and the people were divided into believers and disbelievers. It is the essence of the call of the Messengers and the basis of their message. It is the greatest favour that Allah has bestowed on His servants. Sufyaan Bin Uyaynah, may Allah have mercy upon him, said, “Allah has not bestowed on a servant -amongst His servants -a bounty greater than the fact He acquainted them with statement [ لا إله إلا الله – There is no deity worthy of worship except Allaah]
The statement [ لا إله إلا الله – There is no deity worthy of worship except Allah] is a statement of sincerity -a statement of Islamic Monotheism and rejection of Shirk [i.e. polytheism of all types – in belief, creed, deeds, ideas etc]. Allah, The Most High, said that Prophet Ibrahim, peace be upon him, said to his people:
وَإِذۡ قَالَ إِبۡرَٲهِيمُ لِأَبِيهِ وَقَوۡمِهِۦۤ إِنَّنِى بَرَآءٌ۬ مِّمَّا تَعۡبُدُونَ
لَّا ٱلَّذِى فَطَرَنِى فَإِنَّهُ ۥ سَيَہۡدِينِ
وَجَعَلَهَا كَلِمَةَۢ بَاقِيَةً۬ فِى عَقِبِهِۦ لَعَلَّهُمۡ يَرۡجِعُونَ
And (remember) when Ibrahim (Abraham) said to his father and his people: “Verily, I am innocent of what you worship, “Except Him (i.e. I worship none but Allah Alone) Who did create me, and verily, He will guide me.” And he made it [i.e. La ilaha ill-Allah (none has the right to be worshipped but Allah Alone)] a Word lasting among his offspring (True Monotheism), that they may turn back (i.e. to repent to Allah or receive admonition).
If a servant of Allah wakes up whilst being upon what this statement of sincerity necessitates -neither being from those upon something else nor who substitute it- he has reached the morning whilst being upon a good situation.
[وَعَلَى دِينِ نَبِيِّنَا مُحَمَّدٍ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ – (i.e. and we have reached the morning whilst being) upon the religion of our Prophet Muhammad]- Meaning: We have reached the morning whilst being upon this great religion, which Allah is pleased with for His servants and sent His Prophet with. Allah [The Most High] said:
[ٱلۡيَوۡمَ أَكۡمَلۡتُ لَكُمۡ دِينَكُمۡ وَأَتۡمَمۡتُ عَلَيۡكُمۡ نِعۡمَتِى وَرَضِيتُ لَكُمُ ٱلۡإِسۡلَـٰمَ دِينً۬اۚ – This day, I have perfected your religion for you, completed My Favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion]. Allah said: [إِنَّ ٱلدِّينَ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ ٱلۡإِسۡلَـٰمُۗ – Truly, the religion with Allah is Islam. (3:19)]
Allah said: [وَمَن يَبۡتَغِ غَيۡرَ ٱلۡإِسۡلَـٰمِ دِينً۬ا فَلَن يُقۡبَلَ مِنۡهُ وَهُوَ فِى ٱلۡأَخِرَةِ مِنَ ٱلۡخَـٰسِرِينَ – And whoever seeks a religion other than Islam, it will never be accepted of him, and in the Hereafter he will be one of the losers. (3:85]
Allah stated about those whom He favoured with this religion:
وَلَـٰكِنَّ ٱللَّهَ حَبَّبَ إِلَيۡكُمُ ٱلۡإِيمَـٰنَ وَزَيَّنَهُ ۥ فِى قُلُوبِكُمۡ وَكَرَّهَ إِلَيۡكُمُ ٱلۡكُفۡرَ وَٱلۡفُسُوقَ وَٱلۡعِصۡيَانَۚ أُوْلَـٰٓٮِٕكَ هُمُ ٱلرَّٲشِدُونَ
But Allah has endeared the Faith to you and has beautified it in your hearts, and has made disbelief, wickedness and disobedience (to Allah and His Messenger) hateful to you. These! They are the rightly guided ones. [49:7]
Allah said: [وَلَوۡلَا فَضۡلُ ٱللَّهِ عَلَيۡكُمۡ وَرَحۡمَتُهُ ۥ مَا زَكَىٰ مِنكُم مِّنۡ أَحَدٍ أَبَدً۬ا وَلَـٰكِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُزَكِّى مَن يَشَآءُۗ وَٱللَّهُ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ۬ – And had it not been for the Grace of Allah and His Mercy on you, not one of you would ever have been pure from sins. But Allah purifies (guides to Islam) whom He wills, and Allah is All-Hearer, All-Knower. [24:21]
[وَعَلَى مِلَّةِ أَبِينَا إِبْرَاهِيمَ حَنِيفًا وَمَا كَانَ مِنْ الْمُشْرِكِينَ – and the way of our forefather Ibrahim, who was Haneefan (one who singled out Allah in worship and distanced himself from everything worshipped besides Allah) and Musliman (a true Muslim), and he was not of those who associated partners to Allah (in worship)]- Meaning: We have reached the morning whilst being upon this blessed religion of Ibraaheem, – the friend of the Most Merciful (Allah)- the religion of Monotheism and distanced from polytheism. And indeed Allah commanded His Prophet, peace and blessing of Allah be upon him, to follow the way of Prophet Ibrahim, saying:
[قُلۡ إِنَّنِى هَدَٮٰنِى رَبِّىٓ إِلَىٰ صِرَٲطٍ۬ مُّسۡتَقِيمٍ۬ دِينً۬ا قِيَمً۬ا مِّلَّةَ إِبۡرَٲهِيمَ حَنِيفً۬اۚ وَمَا كَانَ مِنَ ٱلۡمُشۡرِكِينَ – Say (O Muhammad): “Truly, my Lord has guided me to a Straight Path, a right religion, the religion of Ibrahim (Abraham), Hanifa[i.e. the true Islamic Monotheism – to believe in One God (Allah i.e. to worship none but Allah, Alone)] [6:161]
Allah said: [وَجَـٰهِدُواْ فِى ٱللَّهِ حَقَّ جِهَادِهِۦۚ هُوَ ٱجۡتَبَٮٰكُمۡ وَمَا جَعَلَ عَلَيۡكُمۡ فِى ٱلدِّينِ مِنۡ حَرَجٍ۬ۚ مِّلَّةَ أَبِيكُمۡ إِبۡرَٲهِيمَۚ – And strive hard in Allah’s Cause as you ought to strive (with sincerity and with all your efforts that His Name should be superior). He has chosen you (to convey His Message of Islamic Monotheism to mankind by inviting them to His religion, Islam), and has not laid upon you in religion any hardship, it is the religion of your father Ibrahim (Abraham) (Islamic Monotheism).
If a servant of Allah wakes up in the morning whilst being upon this blessed religion of Islamic Monotheism, he (or she) is upon a tremendous good and virtue. How beautiful and great that a Muslim begins their morning with these blessed statements.
[An Excerpt from ‘Fiqhul Ad’iyah Wal Adhkar’ pages 3/35-39]