Why Do We Fast

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There's brothers, sisters and youngsters, today's the first Friday Juma in the month of Ramadan.

It is an amazing and blessed time to be alive. Think about this. We are in the most blessed month of the year, on the most blessed day of the week, during one of the most blessed apps of worship, fasting Subhan, Allah, may Allah accept it from every single one of us, and grant us the ability to be grateful for such a lesson.

Now that we have been fasting for a number of days, it has become easier for us almost like habit. But one of the things that happens when you get used to something is that you forget why you are doing it. And the intention behind or the motivation behind doing something difficult, seems to then fade away and you forget about that. So the first thing I wanted to speak about

is why do we fast? What is the wisdom behind it? And what is it that we're supposed to achieve through our fasting? In order to answer this question, we go to one verse in the Quran in surah Al Baqarah, verse number 183, where Allah says, Yeah, you are lady in ermine or cootie. Body Colossian. Ghana Cote d'Ivoire Adelina Republican La La contenta Hoon believers fasting has been ordained, prescribed upon you like it was on those before you so that perhaps you would attain duckula mindfulness of Allah cautiousness of Allah, the fear of Allah, all of these words can use to translate duckula.

Now one of the first things we take from this verse

is that fasting is not something only Muslims do today. It is something Allah says that was given to people before you and Imam and I want to be said, one of the first people to fast in the month of Ramadan was the prophet Muhammad who said

that when the flood came, and after it subsided, and the people would know, disembark from the ark, they fasted in the month of Ramadan.

And therefore, what we aren't doing today is a tradition passed down hundreds, if not 1000s of years, going back to the light of no hallucinogen. And that should make us feel very privileged that we are doing something that was done by incredible people, even before our Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.

But the second and more obvious point is that fasting is an obligation, obligation upon those who are of the right age and have the health to do it. And it is very strange that today, I have come across people, I think for the first time

that are considering not fasting for an invalid reason.

For example,

recently somebody asked me about their son, it's grown man, young man who plays tennis. And he said, It's okay if my son doesn't fast because he has a tennis tournament. Allah would not want him to harm himself.

I thought Subhan Allah,

for the sake of playing a sport, this person feels that you know what Islam doesn't obliges, my son.

And I fought about Subhan Allah, the hadith of Alma and Berhane,

which shares on the Bernie said is to say, in which the province and one would have said and said, I was sleeping.

When two angels came to me, are you going to dream? And they took me my arm to a steep mountain.

And then they said to me climb up. And I said, I cannot and they said,

Okay, we will make it easy for you. And so they took him to another location. And they are the Prophet sallallahu Sallam heard the voices of people in pain and suffering.

And he asked angels who are these people? The angel said, these are the screams of anguish, from people being thrown into the hellfire, may Allah protect us. And then the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said, he was moved to another location.

And there he saw people being hung upside down from their thighs. And the sides of their mouths had been torn open, and blood was gushing out. And then he asked, Who are these people, and the angel said, these are the people who used to break the fast earlier than they knew they were supposed to Subhan Allah. Now look at this. This is a punishment of people who start with day fasting. But because they couldn't be bothered, they decided to break it early. What then about people who say you know what, I can't even be bothered to fast in the first place.

And they don't even make the effort to begin the day fasting.

You see, some of us have gone so far away from the message of Islam, which is to submit ourselves to Allah and His will, that we start to think about what we want first, and then what Allah wants Second, and this is the problem. It is not the case that Islam obliges, fasting on people that are unable to, because their health does not permit if you feel that you are unable to fast because of a health reason that it is simple. You go to a Muslim doctor and ask them I have such and such condition. Do you think in your professional opinion, that I am free from the obligation of fasting, in which case, you will make up the fast later on when you recover? Or you will pay the failure? If

you are unable to do that even in the future. But we're not talking about those people. We're talking about people that may Allah give you understanding, just feel like you know what, I just can't be bothered to fast mail log onto understanding. Moving on in the verse, Allah subhanaw taala at the end says, We gave fasting to you so that perhaps he would attain Taqwa.

And this is the real objective behind fasting, that we fast not just to become hungry and thirsty and tired, but we fast for a higher purpose. And that is to acquire something called Docker. What is Docker?

It is the ability to shut down desire for the sake of Allah. That as human beings, we give in to our desires to see things that haram listen to things that are haram and to do things that are haram.

But what stops us sometimes what helps us say no, to this haram thing is the whole

and Allah is saying that fasting will help you to acquire the spiritual fruit. And that is why our rasta, Bobby asked his companion, obey your niqab. What is the Quran? And he said, Armand, have you ever walked down a thorny path meaning a path where they are bushes, with foreigners on either side and almost said yes, is a dummy. How did you walk down that path? He said, Well, I would clean onto my clothes and hold them up so that I would not be caught by any of those thorns or obey said exactly. That is what Taqwa is meaning, when you walk through life, mindful of the things that Allah said, Don't do this, and make sure you do this. How does fasting help you do that? Well think about

this for 30 days, we will be saying no, to Hello. When our stomach say we are hungry, when our throat say we are thirsty. In response, we will say no, we will shut down this desire for the sake of Allah and say, when Muslim comes, then we will enjoy these things. And that voice is the voice of taqwa, the heart to speaking. And then when that moment comes up Muslim when you sit down, and you hear the amount of Muslim and then you eat, the date,

the taste

and the feeling of doing something great knowing that Allah is pleased with you

is developing that tequila and so after 30 days you've said no to halal. You can now say no to haram

not more easily. Because before this, I will say no to Hello now I see haram but I hear haram, when I see people doing harm. I can say no, I don't want to be a part of this. Because this is something that goes against that feeling of taco. May Allah give us his fruit from fasting. But the verse says that Allah Khan, that upon Allah, Allah can mean perhaps, as interesting, some people will fast, but they will not. I think Dakhla and this is what I wanted to bring to your attention.

Is some the prophets Allah said, he said, a rope Basa me.

Rob Bassam, there may be a personal fast for insula moments, so yummy, il joueur. But all he gets all she gets from her fasting is hunger. What does that mean? It means that this person, even though he stayed away from food and drink, he's on eyes and ears and tongue were not fasting. They were doing the same sins as they were before they were fasting. And so they do not achieve anything to their fasting except for hunger. And what, what a foolish person this is, when you have been placed in a situation to get something so valuable that you squander it. And that is why Javelin Abdullah, the companion, he said, either summed up if you were to fast fail your soul, some ACCA What bosasa

What he said again, annual cavalry will Mahara if you if you're going too fast, then make sure your eyes and your ears and your tongue are fasting as well, from things like lying, and other haram activities. So think about this. Now that you are fasting, make sure your eyes are fasting as well, by not looking at indecent things. And this often happens when you are on social media scrolling through pages, and then all of a sudden you see something haram something that provokes your desire, spoiling your fast, but it was your phone because you allow your eyes to look at those things on your phone.

So at least once you are fasting, say you know what, I'm not going to go on social media or go on these websites because it's going to corrupt my fast.

Make sure your ears are fasting from things like music, and listening to gossip.

I know some people are addicted to music. But you know what this month of Ramadan could be the thing that sets you free from this bad habit.

Especially those who listen to music with explicit content. where the person has a lyric speaking about

content, which you know is haram. And is it filthy and is indecent, it is corrupting your heart.

Stay away from these things.

And also make sure that your tongue is fasting.

Did you know that a minority of scholars such as Ibrahim and Nassari believe that lying and backbiting breaks the fast? Yes, as if you were guilty of the sins you will have to repeat your fast.

Now even though the majority of scholars say this is not the case, lying and backbiting, reduces the reward of fasting. It is still very important that we do not

we do not lie and backbite whilst we are faster and it can happen very easily. Sometimes it happens because you are in the company of somebody who you are used to backbiting with who you are used to lying with you are used to gossiping with and so in Ramadan, especially while fasting say I will keep away from this person. May Allah subhana wa Allah allow us to fastest Ramadan with our stomachs but also with our tongues and our ears and our eyes alarm I mean Buddha Buddha was suffering body what I call money circus mean for still for all enamel worn before Rahim.

Smuggler mother Rahim Al hamdu Lillahi Rabbil Alameen wa Salatu was Salam ala should have been a beard with saline abena Muhammad in wider at USA heavy rain bearing. One of the reasons Ramadan is such a sacred and special time

is because it is the month in which the Quran was revealed, as Allah says, Shall Ramadan Allah the Uzi Rafeal Quran the month of Ramadan is the month in which the Quran was revealed. It is where the mission of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam began because he was inside

cave of Hira. On that night with Gibreel Alison visited him and revealed to him the first five verses of surah Allah Allah in Quran, this smear of beggar lady Salam. And that night is the night or later to the night of honor the Night of Power. And it's because the Quran began to be revealed to humanity, that the month of Ramadan is the best month of the year. And the best night of the year is data to the other because that is when the Quran was revealed. Therefore my brothers and sisters, Ramadan is supposed to be a time that we are not just fasting, but we are interacting with the Quran much more than we do outside of Ramadan.

One of the reasons we do this is because the Prophet sallallahu REO said he told his daughter Fatima about the Allahu anha that every Ramadan G breed added some visits me and we revise the Quran together.

But this year he said Gibreel has visited me twice. And I see this as a sign that my end is near.

So the fact that you breed will visit the Prophet sallallahu in the month of Ramadan to revise the Quran is a reason why we also read and interact with the Quran more.

In fact, some of the scholars of the past they would read the entire Quran not just once Ramadan, but multiple times. In fact, it is reported from Ivana Schefren and Ilan Abu Hanifa.

Through multiple chains, that they would complete the reading of 64 arms in the month of Ramadan. Imagine that 64 arms in the month of Ramadan, Imam Buhari is reported to have recited one Quran every three nights and then in the last 10 Nights, one every single night. And you might think How is that even possible?

And to be honest, when I used to read this, I think how is this possible to read this much more on until recently?

I went to a conference in Luton and there was a small mystery that I prayed bothered and the Imam came up to me and he said, You know this is our mercy. We have a an Allen Kosair we have some profanity as well. And recently he said a 14 year old half boy,

he led me and the other who stands in priamo, late one night, and he recited the entire Quran in seven hours and 48 minutes Allahu Akbar.

They started directly after arratia Salaam, and they finished half an hour before further along. When I heard that, I thought what 100% This is possible.

But only those who Allah subhanho wa Taala blesses May Allah make us amongst those people along I mean, my point here is not to put you down. My point here is to teach you that you should be ambitious when it comes to reading the Quran. In fact, in the month of Ramadan is not just about reading Quran, you can interact with the Quran in at least five different ways. And each way you should have some goals that you want to achieve. So the first is the reading of the Quran, the reading of the Arabic Quran.

And when it comes to this, you could set yourself a target to read one Quran in the month of Ramadan, which would mean reading 20 pages every day. And you could break that down even further to reciting four pages before each Salam or after each Salah because if you read for after failure, and for after login and acid a Muslim Ganesha, you will 20 and that will be one Jews, which means you will finish one Quran in Ramadan. You could even go further and say I would refer to Gorons which means you read eight pages before or after every Salah ending outbreeding to Quran and I want you to think about the rewards here.

One letter of Quran will give you 10 Good deeds when you read Alif Lam Meem the Prophet sallallahu sallam said you get the T hasn't on one line of Quran they are approximately on average 20 lettuce

so you're thinking 2200 200 has another Ramadan increases even more minimum 200 Hassan for each line and then they are 15 lines and then you think of the numbers are really one juice and you are in the 1000s of Hassanal. And on top of that Allah's policy regarding Hassan is

In Al Hasan, you better say, the good deeds, they delete evil deeds. So if you have amassed 1000s of Hassan ads reading Quran and you have 1000s of sins on your scale, what will happen? They will become deleted Allahu Akbar, and you will still have more.

You still have left over to help you in the grave on your multi AMA, may Allah grant us understanding. But besides reciting Quran,

there is something else you can do. And that is to memorize some Quran. Many people here, all they have memorized is Corolla had pulled an old barrel Bill Phillips and pull out or bananas. And these are the only sources they read maybe in Napa in agriculture as well. And years have gone by and this is the only Quran they know. This is embarrassing, very embarrassing, that Allah has given you a mind and intellect. And you have memorized so many things in your life. The names of famous footballers and celebrities and only Allah knows. And yet you cannot push yourself to memorize one more Surah Yes, you can. Of course you can. So this Ramadan, set yourself a target. I'm going to

memorize one more Surah who knows? Maybe Allah will give you 50 More Ramadan's in your life. And by the end of it, you may have memorized at least three Jews of Quran Subhanallah it's not worth it. Of course, small steps. Today's that you also have a goal I'm going to memorize one new Surah of the Quran May Allah subhana Ronda is the vehicle. More than this reciting and memorizing you can do a third thing

which is to listen to the Quran. When you have free time, when you are commuting to work, when you are in the kitchen doing something it is permissible to have some full on playing so long. As you are not talking over the Quran. You are not ignoring the Quran, you can hear it.

Allow your heart to feel the recitation of the Quran, you will find it has many benefits. One of them is that the recitation of the Quran will bring you a sense of calmness in your life, strength in your life, but also the Quran fi Schiefer there is cure in the Quran, diseases that you have in your heart, in your mind in your body. They can be cured through the Quran. And how easy is it is to switch it on. Find the rest attack recited that you love to listen to. And you are playing in Subhan Allah. Not too long ago, my two year old girl she started to recite from Surah Al Baqarah. From the first three, four verses and I was shocked I said to myself, I've never I have no total sort of

Batra asked my wife. Have you taught us about the background? She said no. I said, Well, how did she know? She said every night before she goes to bed on my phone, I put on the recitation of Surah Al Baqarah. And just barely hit hearing it every night. She was reciting Alif Lam Meem then you can get them all out. Allahu Akbar. So listening to the recitation of the Quran

is also a way to interact with it a fourth way to interact with the Quran. So now I have mentioned reciting,

I have mentioned memorizing, and I've mentioned listening A fourth way

which is to use the Quran for Rukia.

As a spiritual cure, next time you feel a headache coming on, or your stomach is upset, or you feel some problem in your body, instead of going on to Google and researching your symptoms,

recites Surah Al Fatiha over yourself. How many of us neglect to use the Quran for Rukia even though one of the names of SoTL Fatiha is Surah, two shifa Surah two Rukia so easy, we all know it. And yet we neglect to use the Quran like this. You hear somebody your household saying, you know, I'm not feeling well. So you know what, let me recite some Quran over you with the intention that Allah will cure them. This is a fourth way to interact with the Quran find an opportunity to do this in Ramadan. But the fifth, maybe the most important, more important that reciting Yes, even more important than reciting and that is to reflect over the Quran. How are you going to reflect on your

plan? You're going to find a translation of the Quran, that when you read, you understand what you are reading, and you read and then you ask yourself, What is Allah teaching me through these verses? What am I supposed to take of guidance from these verses?

This is called to dumper.

And Allah Subhana Allah says in the Quran a fella rune and

Amala Paulo been a proforma, do they not reflect over the Quran? Or is it the case that they are locks tying up their hearts, depriving them of the guidance of the Quran?

Many people here have not read the message of the Quran, though they may have even memorized it. Hi, remember a few years ago, I was sitting with a half of the Quran, a grown man who told me he had led that are we more than 28 times in his life? Allahu Akbar 28 times.

And he started to cry. And he said, You know what, I am ashamed that I have memorized the whole Quran. And yet, I do not know what it is talking about.

How sad.

But this is a situation that many of us have.

We need to change that. And Ramadan is the perfect time. So what I would recommend is that when you recite the Quran, let's say you are reciting one juice a day so you reciting 20 pages you say, You know what, from the 20 pages, I'm going to take one page, I'm just going to read the English translation, verse by verse, let it sit in my mind and reflect Allah what is the guidance in this verse? What am I supposed to learn in this was and you will find

that Allah is talking to you.

That you will find that the questions that you had about life are being answered in the Quran. Why? Because the Quran is a letter from Allah to humanity, teaching us how to live our lives and to find happiness in this life and the hereafter something that every human being once but it is right there in between our hands and yet we neglected May Allah Subhana Allah LeBron is understanding may Allah allow us to make this month of Ramadan the month of the Quran belong men have been vana and fusina fildena water have done a coup Nanda middle ha serene, have been Allah to zero followed by other Hadith and our humble and availa Dong Rama in again the law firm of Bernard Tina, if you've done

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