#Islam

How to Own a Mansion Bigger Than Shaq’s in 12 Minutes

Published

August 7, 2015

Many years ago, during a trip to Florida, I happened to drive near a town named Windermere. I had heard that this was a place where several celebrities and athletes live. I was curious to see what their mansions looked like, so I stopped by one of the nearby stores and asked if my assumption was correct and they confirmed that this town included homes of athletes such as Tiger Woods and Shaquille O’Neal.

I decide to drive by to see their mansions. Upon arriving in the vicinity, I noticed that the mansions were in a gated community. So I drove up to the gate and there was a security guard who asked me if I needed any help and I told him I wanted to drive around to view some of the mansions. He told me that I couldn’t just drive around like that. Then I asked what if I wanted to purchase one, won’t I have to be allowed to drive in? I purposely said at the beginning of this post “many years ago” :)

The security guard smiled and told me: no person comes to purchase a house in this area unless a real estate agent accompanies them. I thanked him for clarifying things for me; I reversed with the car and drove off…

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According to Star Maps, the following is Shaq’s 11 bedrooms and 13 bathrooms, with a total of 64,000 sq ft mansion in Windermere, Florida from satellite view:

What came to my mind after not even being able to see the mansions from the outside, let alone entering them (let alone owning one!) was a hadith of Prophet Muhammad (saw). The hadith, in Sahih Muslim, which goes as follows:

An-Numan, son of Salem said:

“Amr the son of Aws said: “Anbasa the son of Abi Sufyan said to me (i.e. Amr): “Shall I not tell you of a hadith Umm Habibah, the wife of Prophet Muhammad (saw) has told us?” We replied: “Yes!”. He, Anbasa, said: “She told us that the Prophet (saw) said: “Whoever prays 12 prostrations (i.e. 12 rak’as) voluntarily, Allah will build them a house in Jannah”. Umm Habibah (may Allah be pleased with her) then said: “I have never stopped praying (i.e. the 12 raka’as) since I heard this hadith from the Prophet (saw).“

Anbasa then said: “I have never stopped praying them since I heard this hadith from Umm Habibah.”

And Amr said: “I have never stopped praying them since I heard this hadith from Anbasa”.

And finally An-Nouman said: “I have never stopped praying them since I heard this hadith from Amr”.

Allahu Akbar! Basically everyone in that chain who heard the hadith applied it and never stopped afterwards. Brothers and sisters, we may never enter a mansion in our lives let alone own one. However, by the mercy and generosity of Allah, He promised to build us a mansion for every day we pray 12 voluntary raka’as. Allahu Akbar! One of the best ways to divide these 12 voluntary raka’as is as follows:

2 before Fajr

4 before Duhr and 2 after

2 after Maghrib

2 after Isha

Whenever I get a chance and mention this story in my lectures, I illustrate how long completing 1 raka’ah takes. Obviously, it can take as long as you want but, generally, you can spend a comfortable 1 minute to complete 1 raka’ah. With that, you will get a mansion every day you pray for 12 minutes :) May Allah bless you and accept from you.

Feel free to share this post with your friends and family. For every person who ends up doing it because of you will earn them a mansion and so do you! Allahu Akbar :) As the Prophet (saw) said: “The one who guides to which is good is as if they have done it”. – Sahih Al-Jami

And Allah knows best.

Wassalaamu alaykum,

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Related Topics:goals hadith Islam Jannah mansion Muslim muslim matters paradise Shaquille O'Neal wealth

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Majed Mahmoud

Majed completed a Bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Windsor, a Bachelor’s in Islamic Studies in Islamic Jurisprudence and Legal Theory from Al-Madinah International University, and a Master’s in Business Administration from Wayne State University. As he travels worldwide lecturing about different aspects of Islam, Majed works full-time as a mechanical engineer and teaches with Al-Maghrib Institute. He currently lives in Michigan with his wife and children.

12 Comments

Tadar Jihad Wazir

August 7, 2015 at 8:07 AM

As-Salaam-u alaikum, Where does it say or imply that a house is to be built every-time that one makes these voluntary twelve prostrations?

Your heading is more in line with what is stated in the translated meaning of the hadith. Otherwise, one could get a house for each day of the year, times how many years one does this.

How many places can one person be at one time? Is this waste? What does Allah say about waste?

Reply
- Ali
  
  August 8, 2015 at 12:48 PM
  
  How many places can one person be at one time? Is this waste? What does Allah say about waste?
  Why would any of that matter in Jannah? This isn’t the finite world we’re talking about.
  
  Reply
  - Iman
    
    August 21, 2015 at 9:38 AM
    
    Good answer brother, masyaAllah…
    
    Reply
Muslima

August 7, 2015 at 11:53 AM

Baarak Allahu feekum for this article. I have a suggestion: the title and article should be about “how to…in a day” not in 12 mins because we expect people to pray at a decent speed.

Reply
Hue Man

August 10, 2015 at 10:18 AM

Jazzak Allah Kul Khair for the great reminder.
Allah is Akram Al Akrameen = The Most Generous of those who are Generous.
12 Rukuas = a home in Jannah
No need to over think this one.
SubhanAllah!
Just be thankful.

Reply
Maslam

August 10, 2015 at 7:18 PM

He intention to motivate us to take advantage of voluntary prayer.

We are busy with dunya.

Ustadh, thank you for sharing.

Reply
Lauryn

August 10, 2015 at 9:00 PM

As a Muslim, I sometimes wonder why we are “bribed” with so many rewards and “threatened” with so many punishments. In essence, I feel that we pray because we want these rewards and avoid wrongdoings because we are afraid of the punishments. Ultimately, we are not doing it because of Allah but rather because we want comfort for ourselves.

My ustaz said once “Oh Allah if Hell is where you are then let me live there for I desire to be by your side at all times, and if Heaven is where you are then let me be there.” Basically saying he will go through discomfort just to be with Him and doesn’t think of the rewards/punishments.

Reply
- Ida
  
  August 10, 2015 at 9:44 PM
  
  Assalamualaikum Lauryn, actually the one who “bride” is Allah Azza wa jal Himself. He knows the desire in every human to have good houses, beautiful spouse etc. So He explicitly offer the reward in the Quran and through the words of Prophet S.A.W. It’s not wrong to hope for the reward at the same time increase our spiritual connection with Allah. And Allah know best.
  
  Reply
Omar

August 11, 2015 at 1:34 PM

May Allah give you barka that was a wonderful story I will start my pray since today Insha’allah and I never knew that was going to be so easy like that

Reply
Mumin

September 2, 2015 at 3:59 AM

Asalamu Alykum, Shugran aqii for the reminder. We, the muslims have so much opportunities to enter Janah but we are not taking advantage those opportunities, due to busy for this temporary dunyah. Don’t take me wrong if you are studying, working for your families and doing all halal things, than those are part of ibadah. But we must do things in particular order, obligatory prayer must come before voluntary.

Also I wanted to add few things don’t forger to say after prayer
Subhana-Allah wa-bihamdihi: as many as you can daily. If you say then Allah will build house for you in Janah.
Istafuruh-Allah: Allah will forgive your sins
Al-Hamudilah: Allah will give you barakah in your wealth, children etc.

Reply
SADIQ OLABAMIJI SAKARIYA

July 24, 2016 at 10:46 AM

Asalam Alaikum, i don’t have much to say than JAZAKUMULAAHI HAERAN.

Reply
Nnoor malaysia

November 25, 2016 at 11:27 PM

Great of sunnah Solah Dhuha…
Is it including in this I thought as well it could be made 12 rakats itself..
MAsya Allah..bless to all..
Nnorfillah15@gmail.com

Reply