QUR’AN JOURNALLING SESSIONS AT HUJJAT STANMORE

VIDEO RECORDINGS OF THE THURSDAY NIGHT SESSIONS
AVAILABLE TO WATCH AT YOUR OWN CONVENIENCE

Journalling the Qur’an Audio

MONTH OF RAMADHAN 1447

RESOURCES FOR THE MONTH OF RAMADHAN 1447 CAN BE FOUND AT THE LINK BELOW

2 FEBRUARY 2026

SHA’BAN 1447 (12)

PREPARING FOR THE NIGHT OF THE 15 SHA’BAN (PART 9) 

Just some reminders for tonight (or for some tomorrow night)

“……after Laylat al-Qadr there is no night better than the Fifteenth Night of Sha`ban. Its greatness is due to the divine gifts that are bestowed during it.”

“O. Muhammad! Whoever spends this night in His remembrance (Tasbihaate ‘Arba’aa) dua, istighfar and recitation of Qur’an will be forgiven and granted Janna” Jibraail to the Prophet (pbuh).

In essence a night of reflection – “Who am I? What is my mission statement? What do I want from life? What is my aakhira like?” … focusing on His mercy, asking for forgiveness, and the celebration of the birth of the Imam of our time Muhammad Al Mahdi (pbuh) renewing our pledge to him.

Some of the recommendations for the night to assist reflection.

1. Ghusl
2. Dua Al Kumayl
3. Ziyara of Imam Husayn (pbuh)
4. Recitation of Qur’an
5. Salaa
6. Munajat Shabaniyya
7. Sadaqa
8. Fast on 15 Sha’ban

1 FEBRUARY 2026

SHA’BAN 1447 (11)

PREPARING FOR THE NIGHT OF THE 15 SHA’BAN (PART 8) 

And we’re at the door (tomorrow or Tuesday night) of the most awesome night of the year next to Laylatul Qadr
After all is said and done, we need to work out a direction (goal to focus on)
“And everyone has a direction to which he turns, so hurry to the best of works; wherever you are, Allah will bring you all together; surely Allah has power over all things. 2:148
It’s about thinking about the directions – Physical, Mental, Emotional & Spiritual. He gives what is asked for … (See 14:34)
Word of caution – Divinity does not read in between the lines, has no sense of humour – is very clear cut and straight and does not take kindly to ditherers… So, make sure YOU know where YOU want to go and what YOU want….

PRACTICAL TIPS

1. Get to know who YOU really are and what YOU really want. Verbalise it and keep on talking to HIM
2. As for forgiveness until you are forgived out….
3. Find a Mujibud Da’wat (Someone who cares for you enough to pray for your hajat). Someone you can confide in.
4. Engage with the Qur’an – bespoke your life plan with ayaat of the Qur’an
5. Reach for the stars…
6. And finally, and most important it’s time to remove all the things that will stop us from achieving our goals… those that constricts our growth…

31 JANUARY 2026

SHA’BAN 1447 (10)

PREPARING FOR THE NIGHT OF THE 15 SHA’BAN (PART 7) 

AREEDHA

2/3 sleeps left for Laylatul Baraa’a

It’s a practise to write an areedha on the night or day of 15th Sha’ban.

An areedha is a formal written request, appealing to authority in respect of a particular cause.

We are writing to ask Allah with the waseela of the Imam of our time for that which we are unable to do.

1. It’s about trying ones best to resolve life’s problems. When there are no resources left, then to hand it over to Divinity as per the the aya of Qur’an 40:44 (wa ufawwidhu amriy ilallah…… I hand over my affairs to Allah) through the wasila of The Imam of our time.
2. It is akin to handing over a task that one is unable to do to someone whom you trust implicitly to carry it out and then know that the outcome whatever it may be is the best.
3. The idea if putting it in water is to ensure:
4. i) That you have handed it over. No going back to analyse it or despair over it
5. ii) Water purifies and transports and thus the ‘posting’ of the Areedha in a river or stream.

JUST SO YOU KNOW

There is a narration by the 5th Imam which says to fast on a Thursday and then write ones needs to Allah. ‘Post’ the areedha on a Friday in water reciting Bismillah and a Salawaat.

Today psychologists tell us that evidence suggests that writing down one’s thoughts and wants   can be a useful strategy to help combat anxiety, reduce stress, and support mental health.

31 JANUARY 2026

SHA’BAN 1447 (09)

PREPARING FOR THE NIGHT OF THE 15 SHA’BAN (PART 6) 

If you have any tears about any overwhelming difficulties and hardships, they need to be cried out before Laylatul Baraa’a One of my favourite duas is Dua Al Abaraat (the dua of tears) taught by Imam Mahdi. 
So my two pennies worth –
Recite it and cry it out before the night of the 15 Sha’ban (even if it’s just reading the translation)
Reserve the night of the 15th for forgiveness and making the impossible possible.

30 JANUARY 2026

SHA’BAN 1447 (08)

Sha’ban Mubarak

PREPARING FOR THE NIGHT OF THE 15 SHA’BAN (PART 5) 

The recitation of Suratu Yaseen 3x is a practise on the night of the 15th of Sha’ban with the intentions of (i) long life, (ii) prosperity and (iii) safety from misfortune.
There are numerous recorded incidents where terminal illnesses have been cured, businesses restored and disasters averted as a result.
If you find it difficult, then one Suratu Yaseen with the three intentions but with an understanding of the sura known as Qalbul Qur’an (the heart of the Qur’an).

28 JANUARY 2026

SHA’BAN 1447 (07)

Sha’ban Mubarak

PREPARING FOR THE NIGHT OF THE 15 SHA’BAN (PART 4) 

So, when you make a list of your hajaat…
Pray for what you really want – for you are asking He Who can do anything however and whenever He wants
You don’t have to be logical or realistic… JUST ASK FOR WHAT YOUR HEART AND SOUL WANTS…
Then leave it up to Him…If not the exact thing you have asked for, He will definitely give better.

Just some examples from the most awesome of human beings….
1. Prophet Zakariyya prayed for a child in old age and his wife had no previous children
2. Prophet Yaqub prayed to be re united with his son not knowing whether he was alive or dead
3. Prophet Musa asked for the Bani Israail to be freed from Firawn (a near impossible feat)
4. Prophet Muhammad wished for the Makkans to adopt Tawheed, Divine Guidance and Accountability.
5. Sayyida Zaynab wished for the message of Abaa Abdillah of freedom to be kept alive.

27 JANUARY 2026

SHA’BAN 1447 (06)

Sha’ban Mubarak

PREPARING FOR THE NIGHT OF THE 15 SHA’BAN (PART 3) – 2/3 FEB 2026

6/7 nights to go and it’s now serious

Jibraail tells the Prophet (pbuh)

“…stay awake on the night of the 15th of Sha’ban in  prayer and encourage your Umma to also keep awake this night in order to get closer to Divinity.

This is a night in which ALL duas are accepted and responded to,

ALL sins are forgiven,

ALL tawba is accepted….

Whosoever is deprived of the goodness of this night has definitely lost out….”

(Iqbaalul A’maal)

“… This is a night in which not a single person does dua except that his duas are accepted. Nobody asks for a single thing on this night except that it will be given to him. No one asks Allah for forgiveness except that his sins are wiped out. No one turns in repentance to Allah except that He accepts their repentance. Whoever is deprived of the goodness of this night has definitely been deprived of something great.”  Imam Baqir & Imam Sadiq (pbuh)

It’s not rocket science to understand what an awesome night this is.

My 2 pennies worth: Time to make a list (as long as you want) starting with asking for forgiveness.

26 JANUARY 2026

SHA’BAN 1447 (05)

Sha’ban Mubarak

PREPARING FOR THE NIGHT OF THE 15 SHA’BAN (PART 2) – 2/3 FEB 2026

It brings memories of my grandma (Maa as I called her).

She would make me a white dress to wear on the night of 15 Sha’ban on her hand operated sewing machine.

She would talk about the 15 Sha’ban as being the night when freedom would come through gratitude and recognising Imam Mahdi ( pbuh)

She taught me to thank God in every situation, realising that only He can see the big picture. She would always say, E MALIK TOJO LAKH SHUKR TU KITRO NIGEHBAAN AAI ( O my Master, thousands of thanks to You, You are extremely Kind) 
My father died at the age of 37 when I was 10 but I remember the day like it was yesterday. She was the pillar that strengthened us all. “You cannot fight with Divinity” she would say. “You have to accept His will”
In every qunoot, I see her face and I fervently pray that I can be an iota of what she was.
She taught me that to be connected to Imam Mahdi ( pbuh) , one had to serve the community and the opportunity to serve the community is the greatest achievement.  

I WOULD LIKE TO END WITH EXTRACTS FROM A LETTER I WROTE TO HER TO WHICH I ADD TO ALL THE TIME… 

Dear Maa

I want to start by saying thank you.

Thank you for teaching me how to pray and recite Qur’an

Thank you for teaching me how to connect to Imam Mahdi ( pbuh)

Thank you for being you. 
You taught me that the most important relationship is the relationship with Divinity and Imam.

You taught me what it means to forgive and love unconditionally. That the most important thing in life was what. Maya Angelou said ““I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

 Whenever I was around you,  I felt better about myself and a peace ensued.

You taught me that chocolate cures everything and laughter and tears are both healing for the soul. 
More than anything else, you taught me that it is enough to be Me. (I forget and have to be reminded by your presence on the musalla)

I can only raise my hands in dua for you in every breath I take that He grants you the house in Janna that you always told me to build

In sharing this  letter with all of you, the message  is to recognise that every action gets passed down through generations and it’s not about the things you do, but the atmosphere you create.

And that in essence is what preparation for Laylatul Baraa’a is all about.

My Maa did what is possible for each one of us – it isn’t rocket science nor does it need a degree or any formal education. Just being an Ahlul Bayti, and connecting to Imam.

26 JANUARY 2026

SHA’BAN 1447 (04)

Sha’ban Mubarak

PREPARING FOR THE NIGHT OF THE 15 SHA’BAN (PART 1) – 2/3 FEB 2026

We have a week to go and should start preparing now…

The Fifteenth Night of Sha`ban, known in Arabic as Laylat al-Nisf min Sha`ban, literally “the eve of the middle day of Sha`ban,” is one of the greatest nights of the year. (In Islam the night precedes the day so really it is the night before the fifteenth day of Sha`ban.) `Ata’ bin Yasar said that after Laylat al-Qadr there is no night better than the Fifteenth Night of Sha`ban. Its greatness is due to the divine gifts that are bestowed during it.

Kumayl ibn Ziyad narrates: “I was sitting with my master Ali (pbuh) in Masjid Kufa with a group of companions.

One of them asked him about the verse; ‘Whereupon every wise command is made clear.’ (Suratud Dukhan 44: 4)

Imam (pbuh) replied: “The meaning of this is the night of the 15th of Sha‘ban. I swear by the One who holds the life of ‘Ali in His hands there is not a single servant of Allah except that all the good and bad that will reach him in this year is divided up and handed out on the 15th of Sha‘ban and this good and bad will continue from the 15th of Sha‘ban until the next year on the same night. The servant who stays up this night and recites the Du‘a of Khidr will have his duas answered.” This dua was taught to Kumayl ibn Ziad and is now known popularly as Dua Al Kumayl.

So my 2 pennies worth to start with….

1. Recite, internalise and understand Dua Shabaniyya
2. Recite, internalise and study Dua Al Kumayl highlighting all the relevant verses

Mountains of Duas of freedom on Laylatul Baraa’aa

21 JANUARY 2026

SHA’BAN 1447 (03)

SHA’BAN & KHUSHALI(S) MUBARAK

Many many felicitations on the birthdays of Abaa Abdullah, Hazrat Abbas & Imam Sajjad

It is the night of the birthday of Sayyedush Shuhada tonight (for some tomorrow night) and am remembering Futrus, the angel who got his wings back when he went to congratulate Sayyida on the birth of her son… The story brings back childhood memories but somehow now its mystical element has a greater impact then it did then. Pray for wings to reach your full potential with the wasila of Abaa Abdillah…….

And then the birthday of Hazrat Abbas 

Hazrat Abbas was given a horse named “Uqab” (Eagle)  

It was initially presented to Rasulullah (pbuh) by-the King of Yemen, Saif ibn Zee Yazni, through Abdul Muttalib. The king considered the horse to be very important and its superiority over other horses was evident by the fact that its genealogical tree was also maintained. It was initially named as “Murtajiz” which comes from Arabic name “Rijiz” meaning thunder (lightning).

Allama Iqbal in his poetry makes more than 35 references to the eagle (using the Urdu names shaheen,shahbaz and uqab).  I love his poetry and want to share:

“Tundi-e- Baad-E-Mukhalif se na ghabra, ae Uqab;

Yeh to chalti hai tujhe uncha udane ke liye.”

“Don’t fear the violent winds, O Eagle! These blow only to make you fly higher.”

“Khuda tujhe kissi toofan say ashna kar de;

Keh tere bahr ki mojon main iztirab naheen.”

“May God bless you with some storms! 

Because the waves in your ocean (of self) are devoid of movement (turmoil)”

And finally my favourite

“Nighae ishq dil-e-zinda ki thalaash main hai 

shikar-e-murdah sazawar-e-shahbaaz nahin” 

 “Love is in search of a passionate heart; 

For an eagle, a carcass is not acceptable.”

And then Imam Sajjad. Suffice to see his awesomeness in Sahifatus Sajjadiyya and the sermon in Damascus….

My two pennies worth –

Recite Dua Tawba and Dua Makarimul Akhlaq in preparation for the month of Ramadhan.

Many many felicitations, love and as my friend says gallons of Duas for an awesome three Khushalis

20 JANUARY 2026

SHA’BAN 1447 (02)

Sha’ban Mubarak

DUA SHA’BANIYYA

One of the most awesome duas to be recited in Sha’ban and throughout the year is Dua Shabaniyya.

Taught by Imam Ali (pbuh) and recited by all the Ma’sumeen 

 Imam Zainul ‘Abideen (pbuh) used to recite this dua every day in Sha`ban at the time the sun passes the meridian and especially on the night of 15th Sha’ban.

Its one of the most awesome conversations one can have with Divinity … You tube has several renditions of it…

And just a reminder

Three recommended things to do throughout this month (The Prophet (pbuh) called it his month)

1. Istighfar (seeking forgiveness)
2. Giving sadaqa (charity)
3. Fasting (here’s the deal according to hadith – each fast in Sha’ban accords you 20 hajat and forgiveness for 20 sins…) Do the math and go for it (Oh! And entry into Janna guaranteed).

And finally, this month has a blue cross sale of Divine Mercy and Grace……Not rocket science to access it…

19 JANUARY 2026

SHA’BAN 1447 (01)

THE MONTH OF THE PROPHET (PBUH)

And we come to another awesome month – Sha’ban

The Prophet (pbuh) called it his month signifying its importance in his life.

Visiting Madina last week made me realise that his vibes are immortal and the aura he left behind makes me want to know more about him.

Every aspect of his life screams out “Talk about me first”.

Have decided to focus on the three credentials that highlight the awesomeness of a human being that he was titled with…

His enemies despite their enmity called him The Truthful One and The Trustworthy one. His God called him a Mercy to the worlds. So the focus is on Truthfulness , Trustworthiness and Compassion.  (TTC). not either or but as a package.

But then the dilemma… are these qualities inherent or can they be developed?

One of the most awesome books to learn how to develop them is Sunan An Nabi by Syed Muhammad Hasan Taba Tabai

One of the aspects of the Prophet is that he was persistent in his dua….

He never stopped so ask and ask and ask.

In this month of the Prophet ask Allah (*Al Rauf) with the waseela of His *Rauf Prophet.

*Extremely compassionate and the One who understands the dilemmas of the heart and soul.

And finally recommended to connect to the Quran in preparation for the month of Ramadhan.