Ramadan Strong – Day 9 – Desire, Dedication, Discipline

You may not have fasted the months before Ramadan. But now all of a sudden, you're requested to fast every day for 30 days.

salaam aleikum wa rahmatullah he better catch him in the Peace and blessings of Allah be upon you all. Now that we've been to this month of Ramadan in 2019, I really want to bring to you three points three things, desire, dedication, and discipline. Now that we're in the beginning of this month, we have to ask ourselves this question, what do you really desire? Yes, you've may have practiced Ramadan in the past and may have been a born Muslim, or converted to Islam, and you have fasted the month of Ramadan. But now that a year has passed since the last Ramadan, you have to ask yourself the question again. What do you desire from this month? You see, desires is a natural

characteristic that Allah has placed within us. It's ingrained within us to desire something, whether it's food that's bad for us, or whether it's water that's good for us. That desire is present. But what's important for us in this life is to desire the things that are beneficial for us. So managing that desire to do and to desire that which is better for you. This is what's important. So in this month of Ramadan, do you desire Allah meaning that do you desire, his pleasure? Do you desire his love? Do you desire him being pleased with you and what you do? This is the desire that one should have when entering this month of Ramadan, to desire to meet Allah

subhanho wa Taala in the next life, and the key for that is doing the things in this life that he has ordered you to do, and his ordered you to stay away from? Do we desire his Shinya to implement the religion of Islam, and in this month of Ramadan, the means of getting closer to Allah primarily, is fasting in particular. The second aspect is dedication. Number two, are we dedicated to do what it takes to reach that goal. This is what's important for us to understand. You may have that desire to please alone, you may know who Allah is, you may have dismantled that doubt and nurtured conviction. You've been that individual that has always desire to please Allah, this month of

Ramadan may be a final frontier for you. It may be the biggest tests for you. But that dedication is what can get you through in the beginning, those first couple of months or the months before Ramadan, you probably didn't fast at all. And now all of a sudden, the first week, you have to start fasting, sunup to sundown, no eating, no drinking, no relations with your partner, that requires along with desire, dedication, you have to say within yourself, I'm ready to do what it takes to reach that goal of what I desire. This is very important. That desire is that which serves as the fire that is ignited for you to continue on to that which is more beneficial for you. So being

dedicated to move off of that desire is very important in this first week of Ramadan. But that leads to the third thing, discipline, constant control to reach a goal, you have that control over yourself, you have that control over your desires, and you're dedicated to get there. But on a consistent basis is what requires and what is called discipline. Motivation is the spark that will get you in the beginning. But to continue on, to persevere, requires discipline. And what maintains that discipline primarily, is your purpose. Going back to that desire that you have, what do you desire, and if you made a purpose out of that, I'm fasting this month of Ramadan, because I know

that the one that created the heavens and the earth, the one that has brought me into existence, the one that has given me the faculties to recognize him and to show gratitude towards him. I want to please Him, because I know in pleasing Him, it will rectify everything in this life, from the ways that I think the feelings in my heart the actions that I perform that but to be consistent on that praying five times a day if you haven't prayed five times, let this month be a catalyst to fast if you haven't fasted before whether you've been Muslim all your life, or this is your first year, let this month be a catalyst. Let these first couple of days be a catalyst. And that's what we conclude.

You know, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam he said habitat Malik Illallah a Duomo when, when he answered his wife, Aisha, his wife, he told her the most beloved actions to Allah are the ones that are a small amount, but that are consistent. Even if it was a little bit start small. You don't have to pray all 20 of the total wish prayers or even the eight. Make sure you're praying fudger on time. Make sure you're praying for them.

In the masjid, try your level best to pray fudger on time and then move to that in the masjid, but be consistent upon the obligatory acts. If you were not in the months before, disciplined. That is the goal to be disciplined to let this month serve as a catalyst to a new beginning. We ask Allah subhana wa Allah to bless you in this month of Ramadan, and in his first week of Ramadan, to serve as a catalyst for a new beginning to motivate you to move on to that discipline level, to have the desire initially, to be dedicated from that desire and to be disciplined upon what these two have brought you to and that is pleasing Allah subhanho wa Taala May Allah bless you this month of

Ramadan and make use of those that are well disciplined and to serve as a catalyst for a change in your life as salaam aleikum wa rahmatullah wa barakatu. Thank you.