Bilal Philips – Are you ready for Ramadan

			Come the last and our Eco Morocco, our cattle welcome. And we hope that this coming Ramadan will be
a different Ramadan for you, you know a new approach to Ramadan, we each year we should try to find
a better way to do our Ramadan. So we benefit from each and every one a lot as we progress in life.
But today we just wanted to discuss a point which a lot of people complain about that in the
beginning of Ramadan,
		

			we start so strong and vital and God of energy we get into Ramadan. And then you know, by the time
we hit the midpoint, you know, we've we're sort of going downwards, you know, and then the latter
part of our long we're worn out, we're not really getting struggling to get there for my little
brother, you know, the last 10. But we've lost the drive and the enthusiasm. So what do you normally
advise people in order to be able to maintain that consistency. Normally, I would like to remind all
the good brother and sister, the first thing that we have to remember that whatever we do in the act
of worship and Nevada, make sure that our intention is purely for the sake of Allah sincerely for
		

			yourself. We've sincerity and consistency will come. So they need to basically renew their intention
on a regular basis, I should say. That is probably why Prophet Mohammed Salah mad said that whoever
doesn't, you know, make the intention for the fast every day by so Horeb you know, before the fast
starts, that they don't have a fast, you know, because this was an issue, isn't it that some people
talk about? You know, you can can you make the intention at the beginning, and that's enough for the
whole of Ramadan? They said, well, the people are saying yes, it's okay. But actually Prophet
Muhammad said you should do it every day. So this, this renewal of the intention fits exactly into
		

			what you care about. And just to make sure that I've been human, we know our feeling, keep on
changing, and also our understanding towards the MME, deeper from one to another majority of the
people today to our experience,
		

			when we talk to them, I think Ramadan become is like a tradition like a culture. Now, I don't want
that past tension. And that's why they don't really understand what to Ramadan want from us, is not
just from staying from food, abstaining from food and her laundry, and hello footnote is really an
exercise that we have to go through to make sure that we become a better person than I did. And that
is the point that was the short reminder, renewing our intention that we shouldn't just go on
automatic pilot, right to switch to automatic pilot and under you you're sailing because sailing
won't be smooth, sailing down. That's what happens to everybody. So we do need to renew that
		

			intention, you know, be reflecting on what Allah wants from us, for
		

			me, because it's not just the ritual, the ritual acts that we do, there is something in terms of our
spirit, our character, etc, which is supposed to be improved through Ramadan. So we need to keep
that in focus that look at Ramadan as a means and not as an end.
		

			Just let what Allah make it very clear that Allah said, gay or lesbian,
		

			pretty valid, who seems to be violent as either mean completely lacking.
		

			The reason that Allah was so fast is not to torture us. But to make sure at the end of the day, our
pipe via our platform will increase by Inshallah, if the intention is correct. With the right
environment. Again, environment is important. Right Jama will help each other to make sure that our
model will be the best.
		

			Another issue that commonly comes up is the issue of the reading of the Quran. You know, since Allah
called the month of Ramadan, Ramadan Oh, this was the month chosen for fasting connected to the
court, the Quran, right? Because, you know, a lot said that the month on Zillow field Quran. So this
was this was the connection. So this thing from that we understood that we tried to read the Quran
as much as possible. In Oman, people tried to finish the whole goal on Ramadan, but the focus is on
again, the latter, you know, that people are trying to read finish as quickly as possible. So they
just read, read, read, read, read, they don't know what is in the meeting. They are not
		

			understanding it.
		

			So it's very important that whatever we do with the Quran in this month, it should be done in such a
way that we are absorbing the meanings of the Quran. Because that is where the benefit is the
benefit is not in simply uttering the words parroting the letters and the sounds, etc. This is not
where the benefit is. So, you know, this is one I think points which people do need to keep in mind,
you know that the goal of the readings you always think goal, you know, reading is a means it's not
a goal. So what has happened is we've made the reading a goal. So as long as you've done the
reading, you've done it. But what was supposed to be the goal which was to understand the word and
		

			commandments of Allah, and implement those commandments in our lives, we missed out. That's why our
prophets of salaam always remind us of crow crow Anwar, Mr. Looby.
		

			When you recite the Quran, we hope all the good brother and sister for this kind of Ramadan when you
recite the Quran, your intention also must be right, that you are not just reciting the Quran for
the sake of his acting, and the finish the whole Quran in one of them. But you should make sure that
insha Allah this year, you improve by having the intention that after reciting the Quran, you want
to understand what the Quran want you to do. And
		

			that is how you benefit from the recitation of the Quran. So I would say that they should really do
it with along with translation, you know, you read a page in Arabic text, and you read, what can
just finish the meaning of it in the local language your own, it will be easier, it'll be easy. Make
it easy, because Islam is easy. It's not here to make it difficult for us. We know that a lot of
people is part of the tradition, their culture, their culture, more than ever, they would have
finished the whole Quran in one month. You can do it Alhamdulillah. But we have been doing this
almost every year. But there's no improvement in us because we don't understand everything. Just one
		

			simple example, in the sort of fathia that we'll be reciting almost every day. You know, prayer, we
asked Allah a heaviness, Serato snapping, and then now, we don't know what is a Serato Casati
they're so confused. We follow so many ways. But when we are praying to Allah give us another one
with it is your earth, the way the right way, the right path, but we are not falling at all. This is
one of the sign that we don't really understand what we are asking from Allah, even while we are
reciting the Quran. So we pray me Allah make it easy for us that our intention there for this year,
in this camera Ramadan, not just to finish the recitation of Quran, but we have the intention, I
		

			want to understand, and I want to act upon the so better, better that we
		

			have read even if it's only Swan Baqarah
		

			you have read that much, and have understood what are the meanings in through a Nakara and how we
can try to implement it rather than to read the whole Quran. Because the Prophet SAW Salem did not
prescribe the whole Quran we read. And for sure, in the early years, when the Quran was not
completed his revelation, it wasn't, wasn't read, right, you know. So, it the goal really is, as you
said, to apply the meanings to understand what the law is saying, and apply those meanings in real
life. So make that the goal even if you only get halfway through because you're going to read along
with it the tafsir with Nicosia, for example. You want to get the enemies because that's how the
		

			Sahaba that's how they read the crime. That's when they learned the Quran right 10 verses at a time,
they wouldn't go beyond those 10 until they understood and applied or tried to apply whatever they
learned. We hope Allah make it easy for all of us in this community.
		

			And
		

			I've seen a lot of people who have done that, reading the Quran, one page and then go to the
meaning. It really makes a lot of big gifts, big difference.
		

			So May Allah help those who help themselves
		

			so don't go for the quantity just focus on the quality and so we hope that in sha Allah, this
Ramadan coming will be the best Ramadan inshallah that we've had up to this point in our lives
inshallah. So we pray me, ALLAH SubhanA give us help, so that all of us prepare to go through this
whole month of Ramadan smoothly, and may Allah accept all of this and forgive all our students said
I want to come back to lie about