Ismail Kamdar – Spiritually Preparing for Ramadan 1445

			This is what Ramadan is all about. You see, as humans, our iman, our faith goes up and down. We have
days where we feel closer to Allah and these will be further away. We have days where we engage in
more acts of Ibadan, and we have days where our sins are high.
		

			And the purpose of praying five times a day is to give us some stability to give us some constant
connection with Allah so you can keep coming back to him, and we can make up for our sins on a daily
basis.
		

			Fasting and Ramadan play the same role while on an annual basis. So if Salah keeps us grounded on a
daily basis,
		

			Ramadan gives us that high of Imam that we can try and write out for the entire year even if you
don't reach the same height within the each passing month. So Ramadan serves as a annual reminder of
our potential and annual reminder of the spiritual benefits and blessings that we get out of
worshiping Allah subhanho wa taala.
		

			From the other benefits of fasting of Ramadan, the other important one that we tend to overlook and
perhaps this is one of the most important ones, it is emphasized repeatedly many Hadees is that
Ramadan is a month of earning the forgiveness of Allah subhanho wa taala.
		

			Again, going back to the concept that we sin, and we sin all the time,
		

			Allah created us to be weak, Allah created us and we creatures to constantly fall into sin. And
Allah out of his Rama has created many ways to have our sins forgiven. So the Prophet sallallahu
alayhi wa sallam he told us that from one Salah to the next every salah is the means of forgiveness
for our sins. And he said from one Ramadan to the next is a means of forgiveness of everything in
between. And for one Omar to the next is a means of forgiveness for everything in between. and So
Ramadan is meant to be a means of forgiveness for our previous sins, and the many other Hadees to
back this up. Call Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam Muslim or Ramadan or Eman or what the Saba
		

			who fear Allah who might have got the means or maybe the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam said
whoever fast the month of Ramadan would sincere faith and hoping for Allah reward all of the persons
are forgiven. Bacala Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam one
		

			Ramadan you might know what the Saba who might not be whoever spends the night of Ramadan in Salah
in prayer in the late night prayers. Would EMA and seeking Allah's reward their passions are
forgiven when karma Leah to cause an Imam and what is our view that we might have got them? I mean
somebody whoever spends the night of father in worship of Allah would Iman and sincere hope in
Allah's Mercy did all of the persons are forgiven. And when it comes to the do ours that we are
supposed to make in Ramadan, the most famous dua Allahumma Inaka phone to people who are wondering
Oh Allah, you are forgiving. You love to forgive so forgive me this is why we meet in the last night
		

			right? Put all of this together the Hadith scene from one Ramadan to another in the means of
forgiveness, the Hadith saying we have a faster month of Ramadan, it's a means of forgiveness, that
hadith that says Whoever prays taraweeh in the month of Ramadan is a means of forgiveness that He
says says whoever spends later on in worship, it's a means of forgiveness. There are these seeing
the DUA you should make in the last few nights. Oh ALLAH forgive me. What are all of these Hadees
telling us what is the common theme across all of these Hadees Ramadan is about earning Allah's
forgiveness. That's the common theme. We sell all year round. We said, Allah gives us his 29 days to
		

			earn his forgiveness. But how do you earn the forgiveness of Allah in the month of Ramadan? A
mistake some of us do is that we focus only on the ritual side of Ramadan. So we fast but while we
are fasting, we are still looking at haram. We are still backbiting we are still slandering, we are
still gossiping, we are not controlling our tongues without controlling our eyes, you know
controlling our hearts.
		

			And then we wonder why Ramadan didn't make a different solver. So. So the Prophet sallallahu alayhi
wasallam warned us that there are people who get nothing out of the fasting, besides hunger and
thirst. Right. The promise was simply there are some people who get nothing out of the fasting
besides hunger does mean they don't get any reward for the Boston. Why? Another narration explains
and he said that while they are fasting, the backbiting someone they may slandering someone didn't
control the dumps.
		

			Think about this. Ramadan is about earning Allah's forgiveness. There are certain sins that ALLAH
does not forgive unless the person who keeps backbiting someone slandering someone gossiping someone
these are sins you have to ask that person for forgiveness. So if you are spending the bulk of
Ramadan committing such sins
		

			With the forgiveness of those things are dependent on people forgiving you.
		

			Then what are the chances of leaving Ramadan with our sins forgiven?
		

			And so we need to start looking at Ramadan holistically. It's not just about fasting. It's not only
about the Salah. These are important parts of Ramadan, but it's also about our hearts. It's also
about our tongues. It's also about being better in every way that we can to be earn the forgiveness
of Allah subhanho wa taala.
		

			And this means improving the quality of our Ibadat in the month of Ramadan. So focusing on fasting,
how do you improve the quality of your past, you improve the quality of your past by not just
staying away from food and drink, but from staying away from the sins of the tongue. And I'm staying
away from the sins of the ice. Which means why you are fasting. You do not look at anything that is
displeasing to Allah subhanho wa Taala you do not say anything that is hurtful to anyone that is
pleasing to Allah subhanho wa Taala that you're fasting is not just a fast food and drink. It is a
fast from sin. This is how you improve the quality of your fast that you stay away from sins while
		

			you are fasting.
		

			What about the quality of our night prayer?
		

			The famous Hadith and the problem with how we integrate this hadith we tend to get caught up on the
wrong side of it right the very famous Hadith about Aisha Rajon ha when she was asked about the
prophets Allah isms night prayers, and we spend so much time having heated debates over the number
of records he mentioned his Hadith that we forget the actual point that she's trying to make with
his head he's right about the quality of the prophets Allah is something like prayer. So this hadith
which is found in most of the major books of Hadith, including the room what type of magic It is
narrated the Aisha Rajon How was US
		

			game for Ghana?
		

			The amo pursued the loss of vision Ramadan. How was the prayer at night of the Prophet sallallahu
alayhi wa sallam in the month of Ramadan?
		

			What didn't look at the question
		

			I show is not asked how many records did you bring?
		

			She wasn't asked about how many records should we pray. She was asked How was his prayer? mean? What
was the title? What's the quality of the day what stood out about his prayer? And she answers in two
parts. And we can only focus on the first part. The first part she says she said that the Prophet
sallallahu alayhi wasallam never prayed more than 11 rockets in and out of Ramadan. He never prayed
more than 11 rockets in our Ramadan she broke it down for four and three. That is you know the eight
of of the night prayer the three of the winter. That's how she got to 11 He never breathed more than
that.
		

			Now, what happens with us is we stop there. We stick to that and we turn into a heated discussion.
Right? The one group is saying that there are all these delivered robots the other signals 20
records and we fight with each other over this.
		

			Understand that you live in regards was the Sunnah of the Prophet saw you Islam 20 rakaats was the
Sunnah of many of the sahaba. Both sides are following the Sunnah of the first generation, the
fighting over nothing, you're fighting over something where both opinions can be found in the
tradition. That's not the point of the Hadees. That at least is not about how many rakaats is the
night prayer. What's the point of the Hadith game for Ghana? Dr. Maura flows and how was the quality
of the prayer of the prophets law yourself? So you go to the second half of the Hadees. What does
Aisha say? She said he never played more than you live with regards. But I cannot explain to you how
		

			long was his era? And how long was he such?
		

			Right? I cannot explain to you how long was the piano and how long was disaster? Meaning Rasulullah
saw some sometimes you bring only two records of gambling. But these two records will take up the
entire night. Sometimes even three, four, but he will spend so long in such a way I showed him to
touch his legs to see if he's still alive. That's how long he would spend in such them.
		

			It was never a set number of records. It was about the quality. He was about spending the night
connecting to Allah talking to Allah engaging with Allah be close to ALLAH asking ALLAH that's what
the night prayer was about. It was about connecting with Allah. Sometimes I wouldn't be to rock out
sometimes we will be for record sometimes we we never records right later on some of the Sahaba
settle on 20 Because it was easier for the people. It was easier for the people to pray 20 records
over 11 Because 20 Records means more breaks. Right if you ever been to a masjid with a pre
delivered or catch Dharavi, the sometimes you're taking three Jews into later parts. Right? So it's
		

			actually much other than paying 20 regard so you have more breaks. So that's why they increased it
to 20 to make it easier for the people.
		

			But yes, something interesting that people don't realize, Oh my regular one who, who initially
		

			aged around in the masjid of 20 rakaats, behind the Imam, he actually do pray by himself the 100th
time instead. And you never pray a specific set number of records, he focused on the quality of the
prayer. And one more point, the depth on the fifth perspective, you actually won't find in the books
of Hadith, a chapter on tarawih. It's simply the chapter of praying at night in the month of
Ramadan. The word rally was invented 200 or 300 years later, actually, I think longer than that,
because the books of Hadith were written 300 years after the time of the Prophet sloggy Islam, and
they still never use the word alarming. So we'll probably invented 400 or 500 years after the
		

			Prophet sign, because by the time of embargo funny, this word didn't exist yet. That's 300 years
after the prophets time. But if you open Sahih Bukhari he has a chapter of praying at night in the
month of Ramadan, praying at night in the month of Ramadan.
		

			More interestingly, on the fifth perspective, when you open Imam Mohammed II, but hasn't achieved
Barney's narration of the motto of Imam Malik Imam Mohammed was one of the main Hanafi scholars, the
student of Imam Abu Hanifa. But he also was a student like Malik. So in his version of the moon
dichromatic, he always takes the Hanafi opinion. So in his version of the mod that we have this
hadith of 11 records, and then we have a statement from Iran, Abu Hanifa student saying, This is
what we follow that it's okay to pray at night in Ramadan, voluntarily.
		

			He doesn't mention a specific number of records, and he said it's a voluntary prayer.
		

			Again, very different from how we understand it today. Perhaps we'll have a separate football on the
fifth of the night prayer. But the main point here is the quality of the prayer.
		

			The quality of your Salah, I'm sorry, the quality of your fasting depends on the controlling of the
tongue and the heart in the eyes. The quality of your Salah depends on your show your connection
with Allah subhanho wa Taala
		

			and I would say that for some people, they may have more reward in bringing two or four records of
night prayer in Ramadan weather is crucial that is concentration is connection with Allah there is
long such does is long, cara de is crying, they will get more reward for that drink 20 records but
you need dreaming and just waiting to get over with it.
		

			For each person is different for some people, it's better to pray the 20 Because otherwise you're
not going to play anything at all right? But
		

			if you are focused on improving the quality of your Ibadat if we have to start looking at the night
prayer the way Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and the Sahaba looked at it and that was an
opportunity to connect with Allah in the last 1/3 of the night in the month of Ramadan. That's what
the night prayer is meant to be. So let us focus this Ramadan on improving the quality of our
worship. We have five weeks, five weeks to prepare our hearts and minds for Ramadan. Let us spend
his five weeks thinking of how am I going to be better how am I going to improve the quality of my
fasting? How am I going to improve the quality of my night prayers? What extra evaluate am I going
		

			to do what sins am I going to try and give up? So when Ramadan comes it doesn't hit us suddenly but
we are ready to welcome the month of Ramadan walking dawanda in the desert
		

			I'm the lucky one that was Salatu was Salam ala manana inner circle ADC tabula rasa yo have you
heard the Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam morning to have a coulomb audacity Vida COVID-19 De
La La Jolla tintina
		

			is a narration attributed to Abdullah even Masuda Rajala one when Allah knows best treats
authenticity, authenticity, but generations meaning is definitely in line with our tradition. And
this generation says that the students of Abdullah even Massoud asked him they asked him how the de
Sahaba prepare for Ramadan. How did the Sahaba prepare for Ramadan? So you may think that the answer
would be they started fasting before Ramadan they start doing the calculation before Ramadan. He
gets a very interesting answer.
		

			He said we would not like to enter the month of Ramadan with a atoms word of hatred for anyone in
our hearts.
		

			This was the answer of Abdullah even Massoud How did you prepare for Ramadan? By removing from our
hearts any hatred towards any Muslim?
		

			I want us to think about this. Sometimes
		

			we end up breaking ties with our family members or friends over trivial worldly issues. Somebody
lost their temper. Somebody said something they shouldn't have said somebody made a mistake and we
ended up breaking ties with them. And we spent the month of Ramadan praying our Salah fasting, but
we never tried to reconcile with them. Understand that breaking ties is a major sin,
		

			the fasting and the salah of Ramadan
		

			Is it forgiveness for minuses? major sins, especially when they breaking family ties to. To make up
for this major sin you have to do Toba and you have to patch up with that person, you have to make
an attempt to patch up with that person.
		

			And it may be harder for many of us in Ramadan, to give the person a call and ask them for
forgiveness than to pray or are we. But that's actually the good deed you need to focus on. If you
really want to have pure hearts, this Ramadan, it's time that we reach out to anyone who we may have
cut off ties with, whether it's a friend or a family member, or any member of this ummah.
		

			And maybe they were wrong. Maybe they said something he shouldn't have said maybe they had a very
sharp tongue. Maybe they hurt your feelings.
		

			Maybe he did, he did something stupid, that you am still angry with about him with him about you
slept with him about it. But for the sake of Allah, and for the sake of your soul, and for the sake
of their soul, you forgive them.
		

			And this was the methodology of the sahaba. We have many narrations showing us that the Sahaba would
worry more about this issue about their hearts being free from hatred towards other people than many
of the other things that we take as more important.
		

			And they will go out of their way to forgive people when they want them.
		

			I'll give one example. And we'll close off with this example. hasn't even sabbat radula one who the
great poet of Rasulullah sallallahu I think he was sort of what the leading forward of the answer.
The one who when he spoke Jabra it was
		

			during the slander against Aisha radiAllahu anha. He was one of those people who slept it
		

			was one of the people who slandered Ayesha Rajaratnam. And of course, he slandered not just Ayesha,
but when you slander slander to people, right? So when I share the man, we both slander, and that
man actually waited in the bush for her son to go pass on his way to the masjid and beat him up
right for slandering him. It was a very intense time
		

			that we have narrations. 20 3040 years later, when I Sheridan is teaching her glasses, and one of
the students say something bad about herself. Aisha would correct me say don't speak bad about if he
was the poet of Rasulullah.
		

			Those big valuable contributor he used to take aside during his poems. Imagine that this man
slandered our mother Aisha, with what we will consider the worst possible slander. Right.
		

			But he paid the price in this world he was received the lashing in this world.
		

			She forgave him and moved on. And she wouldn't let people bad mouthing, she wouldn't let people bad
mouthing we haven't relations 20 years later and even 30 years later, when people tried to badmouth
him in the presence of Aisha and she would correct them. So you don't love it compatible.
		

			This is the attitude we need to have. If I shall Rajala one How could forgive Hassan even sabe for
such a terrible slander against them,
		

			then we can forgive our family and friends for whatever mistakes they have made.
		

			So let us enter the month of Ramadan with pure hearts. And that means spending the next five weeks
patching things up.
		

			Give somebody a call who you haven't spoken to for a long time.
		

			Ask people for forgiveness, which has been something boiling between your for a long time.
		

			rebuild those relationships, not just with your family, but with your former friends and with other
members of the ummah. Because at the end of the day, whatever happened between you and another
Muslim, you are still Brothers and Sisters in Islam and they still have the right to be Muslim upon
you.
		

			And so we want to enter Ramadan with clean hearts and and the forgiveness of Allah. It starts with
us, forgiving others. Allah subhanho wa Taala again going back to the incident of Aisha Raju and one
of the other people who slandered her with her own cousin, and a father Abu Bakr wanted to cut her
cousin off for that. And then Allah revealed the verse saying forgive him, don't you want Allah to
forgive you? Forgive him? Don't you want Allah to forgive you? Let us take this approach to dealing
with our family. Robina Artina dunya Hasina what will after the husband are walking out Governor
Robina habla Dominguez watching them? We're gonna get to the hotel tequila in Baba Aloha. them to
		

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