Ismail Kamdar – Beyond Culture – A Ramadan Of Purpose
AI: Summary ©
The importance of fasting in achieving goals is discussed, with a focus on community involvement and the goal of increasing the number of people taking up the title of Easter. The importance of healthy eating, reducing one's risk for health issues, and setting realistic goals is emphasized. The speaker emphasizes the need to engage in worship and stay away from fasting, as it is a fruitful act for everyone, but not just a habit. The importance of setting realistic goals and making small changes to one's life is emphasized, as it is not meant to be a burden.
AI: Summary ©
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Ramadan being less than two weeks away, it is important that we have a reminder about the purpose and the goals of the month of Ramadan.
And, in general, most of us, if not all of us, we know the basics of Ramadan, we know about fasting, we know what are we increasing our estimation of the Quran? All of this we know what often gets lost in our discussions, his wife, what are we trying to accomplish with the month of Ramadan? What do we hope to gain from the month of Ramadan? And this question has become more pertinent in recent times. When you look at young people, you know, we now have reached a sadly a point in time, we many young people don't want to fast.
And
this is something which I'm sad to see what's to be expected. Because the generation before that, many people refuse to pray five times a day.
So if one generation let go of one of the puzzles of Islam, what do they expect from the next generation, except to let go of another pool of Islam? Because remember, Salah is more important than fasting Ramadan. So if our practice of Islam is showing younger people that Salah is not important, then the logic that goes through their mind is that fasting is nothing.
And so now we've reached a dangerous point where many young people are saying, I don't feel like fasting, I don't want to pass, I'm not gonna pass anymore.
And there's many reasons for this, all of them not acceptable in the sight of love. But nonetheless, we have to deal with it psychologically and as a community to prevent it from happening. But one of the reasons they bring up is that they say, fasting doesn't do anything.
Innocent to this very, very important point. A lot of young people, they make this observation. You see, there are many people in my community who led
the past. We bring all the turabian they recite the Quran many times, but they are terrible people.
And they come out of Ramadan the same as him at the airport, in the mind of the youngster from my dad doesn't work fast enough.
So what went wrong?
What went wrong is not really something wrong with Farsi is not it is something wrong with Ramadan. The problem doesn't lie. In the act of divided the problem doesn't lie in the religion. The problem lies within us. It lies within our approach to Islam, our understanding of Islam and our understanding of what Ramadan is all about.
The sad reality is that for many of us, we fast culturally, Ramadan is simply a part of our culture. We just fast because everybody else fast, we go for it, and we have no idea what the what the demand is reciting. We recite the Quran two or three times without understanding a single chapter. And then we wonder, Why did my dad have no effect.
And so what I'm calling us to do today is to understand the purpose and the goals of Ramadan, and to have a different Ramadan this year, to do our ibadah in a way that meets those goals. And the goals of Ramadan are mentioned in the Quran and industrieller. You see for many of the acts of worship, if we want to understand the goals, we have to think about it, we have to figure it out in our own bottle. The Ramadan is clearly an explicitly mentioned in the verse that all of us will have property.
So as you may increase in your dock, this is the goal of Ramadan that we should leave Ramadan on a higher level of taqwa. Then when we when
related to this, we must understand that our demand, it goes through stages. It's always going up and down. And we need boosters to take it up. Otherwise we keep going down. So amongst the boosters that take our demand up on a daily basis in our by baby stroller,
but unless you have a handle that knows that that's not enough. And so once a year he sent us a super booster, something that pushes our mind to a level and the rest of the year we all think wow, I wish I could be like how I become
and that booster is Ramadan itself.
He takes our tablet to a high level, not because Allah expects us to be at that level all year round, but because that helps us to fuel the rest of the year. So even when we have our nose, our nose are still higher than the year before that we still at the middle level in the urine for them. Another goal of Ramadan linked to the Quran. Let's have a handle data doesn't usually mentioned the name of the month in the Quran. But the name Ramadan is mentioned wise. inshallah Baccarat was 185. Allah Subhana Allah says, shuffle Ramadan is
the month of Ramadan in which the Quran was revealed. And so in this verse, we see a second goal of Ramadan to connect us with the Quran, which is a time to reconnect with the water.
In the Hadees the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam stated Mansa Ramadan I even know what he said, Well,
whoever fast the month of Ramadan would firm belief and sincere intentions. Allah will forgive all of the previous says this Hadees gives us three of the goals of Ramadan number one to improve our Iran number two to improve our sincerity. And number three, if we improve our imagine sincerity, forgiveness of omniscience,
Allah Subhana Allah created us
and He created us as sinners, and sin is in our nature. And so Allah subhanho wa Taala has set ways for us to be forgiven for our sins. And one of those things that causes sins to be forgiven is the month of Ramadan.
I just mentioned the Hadees that states and whoever fast the month of Ramadan would he mind seeking unless what he wants in theory, there seems to be forgiving. Another heavy purpose for some teacher whoever prays the night before mother would emerge and seeking sincerely I was in one of their sins will be forgiven. In another edition the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam said whoever spends the night of Leo to cuddle in invalid in worshipping Allah inshallah. They seem to be for him. And another Hadees the prophets lawyers have actually said are mean to a curse once you grow yield to those who go through Ramadan without a sin being forgiven. Why? Because every single moment in
Ramadan is an opportunity for us. So if we come out of Ramadan without being forgiven, it is.
So how do we do it? Ramadan is about increasing our Ramadan is about connecting with the Quran. Ramadan is about improving our Eman and our sincerity and Ramadan is about having our sins forgiven. How do we accomplish all of this? Number one
is to do things sincerely for the sake of
all the pieces we mentioned, mentioned to condition for our sins will be forgiven. Imagine what the sound doing things with firm belief and seeking Allah is rewarded with sincerity. So what does it meant to bring us closer to Allah in that we start doing things more for Allah says,
and I want us to think about this. Well, many of us would be fast in Ramadan because everybody else passes.
Or because it's a pillar of Islam, or for any other reason. How many of us make the intention to iron fast and drink for the sake of Allah.
How many of us actively make the potential and we sit down in the morning, while we are eating our support, and we think to ourselves, I am fasting today for
I want us to do this activity to actively remind ourselves every morning of Ramadan, all the ideas for us, I'm not doing this for my ego. I'm not doing this for culture. I'm not doing this because everybody else is doing this. I'm not doing this to please somebody I'm not doing this to do pious, I'm doing this for
remind yourself reactivate your near every single day.
When you wake up to eat in the morning, remind yourself of why you are fasting. This will help us to pass seeking Allah.
And this will make the advice a more conscious act is not just something you do automatically. It's not just something you're doing because in some because we unit your whole life in something you were doing for
number two, treat it as an act of evidence. Don't just treat the first like something you got to do. Don't just treat it like it's part of your culture. Don't don't treat it like a burden especially will treat you like a burden, treated as a act of worship. Then every second you spend fasting you are worshiping Allah
and so carry yourself with the decorum of some of these worshiping Allah many of us
We are passing reusable templates. And we see well good things. And we behave irresponsibly. And we give you slap a bad name, and we give a bad name and we give on a bad name. When in reality, fasting is supposed to have the opposite effect.
And in other words, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam said that Allah is not in need of the fast of someone who can't control.
If you're staying away from food and drink, but vulgar words are coming out of your mouth, that's not a fast, that's not the fast, maybe valid.
And so we need to actively engage in
fasting shouldn't just be something that we do, because everybody else is doing it, it should be an act of worship every second, that you are fasting, you are worshiping, and you should be aware of that. And so nothing should come out of our mouth, except that
the third thing we can do to improve the quality of our Ramadan is to eat less. And this is a tough one for many of us. But it works. I guarantee you it works. I've been trying it for a few years now.
And one of the problems in our culture, we over eat for sure all the overhead for a start, be over it after dinner.
And then we have no energy for
Ramadan is meant to be a time if you purify our soul, and all of the books of purification of the soul list over eating as one of the characters of this. So how do we purify this our soul? Why do we, how does it work? When we eat too much if we can't concentrate?
When we eat too much. After all, we we can't wake up with 100. Okay, so if you wake up and you need your work for support, then we feel lethargic during the daytime, it doesn't work, it affects our ibadah it affects our mood. So we need to be more conscious, we need to go back to the sooner the sooner is to eat right.
And it does try to let us eat less food to go eat less for a start and realize that we can actually look off this. We in general, in this generation, we need to
and we exercise too little, and worship.
So let us cut down on how much we eat in a month. And let us try and choose what healthy things to eat especially this affects the environment. It definitely affects the way we worship or what we eat affects our spirituality.
The next thing that we can do to improve the quality of our Ramadan is to actively engage with the variety. Now I want everyone to be just have to actively engage with the client. Don't just recite it, engage with it in every possible way. How do you engage with the provider for most of us, Ramadan is simply decided we decided and try to recite the entire course on two or three times. We go to the masjid and beside for three Jews a night and try to finish the garden as well. What we don't understand is okay,
take a step back, recite one Jews, read the translation, listen to it.
Reflect on its meanings. That is better for you than reciting the entire Quran.
That is better for us. The Quran is not meant just for recitation of the Quran is meant for understanding is meant for guidance. It's meant with the W it's meant for quality over for reflecting on how many of us take time to reflect on the price to think about how the brand relates to me how it affects my life. So take time in Ramadan. Instead of spending one hour reciting very quickly recite slower, read the translation, listen to it.
And think about reflect on it. This way the Quran, we are engaging with it, we are having a conversation with Allah subhana wa tada and we're having strong impact on our hearts. And I know of many, many people who would like to change this way. I know of many people who are just Muslims by culture. And you know, Ramadan came when he decided they're going to understand the parameters Ramadan, and that Ramadan changed their life for
many people.
So if any of us feel that our Eman is lacking, and we don't understand the word of love, they just use this Ramadan to engage with.
Another thing we can do to improve the quality of our Ramadan is to change our perception of that.
And perhaps I'll give a separate quote about this because I think it's very controversial on this topic. But just to give some basic ideas yet the all week as we understand it is not how we practice.
This act we have today were revealed the devil
obligatory to pray a certain amount of hours every night after a sharp reciting an entire jewel of the Quran. It's not technically listening. It's permissible.
It's rewarding. It's a good deal. It's not technically listen. He traveled so long whether he was suddenly he was asked by the Sahaba why he doesn't drink at night in Ramadan congregation all the time. And his response was, I don't want it to become an obligation for you. I don't want it to be an obligation. So that means that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam did not regard it as a compensation.
How do we make it
our attitude that the army needs to change their army is not meant to be a burden. It's not meant to be something you just dandy because you have to do it. The route is meant to be a time when you connect.
Look at what the * he says. Man, Palma, Ramadan, the man ever stands at night, when he won, seeking overs reward. He seemed to be okay. Not who stands for 20 Records, not who stands when and how you feel. If not, please stand because everybody else is the one who stands in prayer, sincerely for the sake of Allah, when
it's not about how many you know God.
It's about the quality of the dog. That's what matters. And this is why the early Muslims and if you want references, I can give you references. But early Muslims did not have a set number of records for the night. Each person would pray what they were capable of. And some praise 11 summary 20 something eight, something 36 it didn't matter. The point was to engage in the worship of life
to the best of your ability. So we need to take a step back and move away from worshipping Allah in the original manner towards worshiping Allah when he might and seeking his new work. And if we do that, and the quality of our past improves the quality of our Dharavi improves the quality of our Quran recitation improves, and then we will genuinely genuinely see a difference in how we emerge on Ramadan.
So going back to the question that the young people ask, when they say that they see so many people passing the month of Ramadan, and he doesn't change him. He doesn't affect the lives. We say it's like when someone goes to the gym, and he's still getting fat. There's nothing wrong with the job. He's just not doing it properly. So there's nothing wrong with fasting and Ramadan, we just not doing
let us have to hold a scenario that has had if done, let us pass a proper fast which means the passing of the tongue as well. The passing from cinza deputies McGrew as well. Let us make sure our eyes pass as well.
Picture your eyes pass as well. Don't look at that which we're not supposed to look at. Make sure our Salah is in a way that is according to the Sunnah. And our Quran recitation is at 100. And make sure that whatever we do is in a way that is pleasing to Allah Subhana Allah. If we do that, you will see the results just like if someone works out in the joking the way you're supposed to, they will see the results or the body, a person who worships a lot but on my dad who are supposed to, we'll see the results.
So let us engage in worship on a deeper level this year. And it has been from those who truly evoke emotion on a higher level of taekwon subhana
wa Salaam
know that that was sent out.
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When it comes to fasting the month of Ramadan.
Many of us don't understand what it is. And so we don't understand what needs to increase in order. It becomes a cliche that every year, the demand stands and tells everyone that fasting is prescribed upon you.
That you can increase it.
But often this message is lost because people don't know what the point is. It's just the word. For some people it means feel for others it means consciousness for others it means it. What is that what
that word means that you are aware of when
you think about
Allah is something that is in your life. Someone who you think about.
You see, Muslims have different levels in the body. They are those who don't think about what do you believe in
the Muslims. higher than that you have the Mormon. The believer is
He's someone who is aware of lots of prisons in his life, he may pray five times a day plus the month of Ramadan, do what you needed to do, because you know, I was watching. And it higher the net you have seen the person or
the person who worship aloud, as if you can see
that he's consciousness and awareness of Allah, he's in such a level he has CPQ it's not even, it's not a deposing Allah. But as if that's how high it is. These are different levels of different levels of pipe of God consciousness, and I will go the Ramadan, if that will ever be up, we want you to emerge on the next step. We don't expect perfection from ourselves or anybody else. If perfection was was expected from us, then we wouldn't need all these means of forgiveness for our sins. And the fact that Allah Subhana Allah has made that on my dad, he needs a forgiving our sins means that Allah knows we are going to send him
he knows it's not possible for us to go and hire 11 months without committing yourself. So he put the state bar so since
so it's not about being serious. It's not about being perfect. It's about being on a higher level. If you are a better person this year, you realize that you are a better person next year.
And this is what we need to aim for. So one of the ways in which we can increase our duck walk in Ramadan. So identify small changes that we can make our life. You see, sometimes we aim too high. A lot of us say okay, this Ramadan onwards, I'm never committing a sin again for the rest of my life. And when we got a lot more than you broke that promise, if you feel like giving up, you feel like a hypocrite and you go back to your normal way of life. The problem is you set the goal too high.
You set a goal that you can't accomplish. Start realistically, you get one sin in your life that you can definitely give up. And Nico promised to give up daxing or one good deed you can add to your life and make a promise to adapt. Now you may say well, what if I passed away the next year, I will see me ALLAH forgive you.
No one's ever going to be scissors. That's the point. No one's ever going to be broken. But you do the best of your ability. If you are paying all your salary, it's a pleasure to meet the golden flower that I'm going to start playing budget on time to the rest of my life. And if you slip up along the way, try again, don't give up. It's human to slip up.
Right? If you made your goal that you're not going to look at that beautiful building anymore. And after Ramadan, you slipped up again, try again don't give up. Giving up the Washington boys slipping up is normal. If you slip up over and over again throughout your life but you're also always asking Allah for forgiveness and you're always doing the absolute divided to bring about the forgiveness of Allah insha Allah loan forgiveness advice, but when you give up on the mercy of Allah once you give up one hoping less forgiveness definitely definitely is.
So what we should do we want to increase our ductwork in the month of Ramadan is that we should seek realistic goals, we should look for things we can do that action possible. Like if you pray five times a day, make a commitment to play.
If you're playing the sooner players make a commitment to start the habit of chiamo lay of the 100 right if you don't recite Quran every day, make a commitment there for the rest of my life and decide what I'm going to do find one or two things realistic things realistic change that you can make your life and come back to if you do that insha Allah you emerge on Ramadan on a level that you can hold on to maybe not perfect
but at least on a on a realistic level you can hold on to
so when we say that our core needs to increase in Ramadan we don't mean that everybody is going to be only out by the end of our model we don't mean that every single one of us are going to be highest sinless perfect worship with a rabbi
we hope to be and although what some of us can be but realistically we aim for what
we paid for what you can see in this Ramadan let us make it the Ramadan we worship Allah Emmanuel What is up with full belief seeking isn't and this making a while my dad may be under forgiveness
and it is making it on my dad's media genuine changes. So if our children had to ask us you know, what's the purpose of Ramadan? We can tell them Ramadan makes us a better person. For example this Ramadan I started reciting for
whatever you can give genuine examples, let's not just be from those who Ramadan comes in goes from you know children or even the smallest change is a success. Even the smallest change is a victory. So let us be from those who Ramadan surely and truly children's subhana
wa Salaam 111