Ramadan Reminder #2

Bismillah Rahim al hamdu Lillahi Rabbil alameen wa salatu wa sallam Allah sherfield MBA will mousseline Muhammad Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa aalihi wa sahbihi wa seldom at the Sleeman Catherine casilla.

Some of my brothers and sisters, as you mentioned yesterday,

Allah subhanho wa Taala sent Ramadan al Karim to us as a crash course as a refresher of our taqwa la lecanto tahune quotevalet camassia mukamal kuchibhotla Dena min acaba de comida aliquam. Dr. Cohn? Why must we develop taqwa so that we become eligible for the promises of Allah subhanho wa Taala. So that we become Motoki Allah subhanaw taala sent us

to worship Him. And Allah subhanho wa Taala sent us to be Mata Ki. And Allah sent Ramadan as the way of reiterating and reinforcing that. Who's a Mata Ki Jai Mata Ki is the one who

is concerned about pleasing Allah subhanaw taala.

He is the one who has a single one point of reference for everything in his or her life. And that single one point references does it please Allah, whatever it is, If it pleases Allah subhanho wa Taala. The hotaki will do it if it does not be Allah, He will not do it.

Now Ramadan came to help us to become Mata Ki, by reinforcing this point by saying that we will even stop doing what we normally used to do. And we used to normally do things which were halal, but for the sake of reinforcement of our taqwa, we will stop doing that because Allah said so. So what are we reinforcing? We are reinforcing this will of Allah, we are reinforcing our

orientation towards pleasing Allah subhanaw taala alone.

Now, how do we develop that? How do I develop taqwa in my life?

taqwa is as I mentioned yesterday, it's a combination of two things. It is a combination of the all and glory and majesty of Allah subhana wa Tada, which is also a kind of fear, but it's not a fear, which produces hatred. It's not a fear of something that you want to run away from or avoid.

But it's a if I can call it a positive fear which inculcates in me the desire to please that one. So it is this glory or majesty of online my heart and I want to please Allah subhanho wa Taala and that is the kind of situation of which is called Akasha in Arabic which are we this is what produces in the heart. And the other thing which is combined with that is the hope of Allah it is the love of Allah subhanaw taala

taqwa is a combination of these two things. Let us see. Therefore, if you ask the question and say how can I develop taqwa, then I need to increase these two things. The more Suchet of Allah I have,

the more love of Allah I have, the more I will want to please Allah subhanho wa Taala. In everything that I say or do my brothers sisters, remember that this life of ours is,

is a passing moment. It's a it's a, it's an instant, in terms of time, even it's an instant, even in terms of the time that we know. For example, if we take recorded history, we can see that record history is roughly about 3000 years old, right? Something things big, beyond 3000 years, we have no records for them, we have legends and so on and so forth. But how authentic they are? What is the basis of that? We have no idea. But if you you can say with reasonable certainty that history has been recorded for what 3000 years, in 3000 years, take one lifespan of 70 years, what what percentage of it of that is? What percentage of 3000 years is that? 70 years, right? 70 years on

average lifespan that I'm

working with? So even in the time that we have, our lifespan is literally you know, it's almost

negligible. If I want to, I'm talking about 3000 years of human history. If I take this and say how long has this earth been in existence? Now we are talking millions of years, right? We're talking billions of years. So even in the existence of this earth, which is

is less than one grain of sand on a beach as far as the glory and majesty of Allah is concerned.

In the context of this earth,

our lifespan now becomes almost impossible to measure.

But this lifespan of ours from our personal perspective is the most critical and important thing that can ever happen.

The outcome is lifespan, right?

of the 70 years,

think about how it normally on an average how it goes.

So, in the beginning, from the time you are born to the time you attend puberty, it is not counted. So 12 years, 14 years, not counting. Right, the rest of it, Allah subhanaw taala has given us a chance to use our our free will or limited Free Will which he gave us to please Him. And then May Allah give all of you good health, right to the last moment of your life, whatever that period is, and to take you in a state of strong Eman and your key and to take you in a state where you are in obedience to Allah subhanaw taala to take you in a state of suzu in Salah in sha Allah.

But for a lot of people towards the tail end of their lives, few years, you know, memory goes various things happen. So effectively we are looking at a period out of our entire lifetime that is given to us where we can exercise our free will in order to do whatever we like. And in that process of exercising our limited freewill. Allah subhanaw taala also gave us a measurement criteria. Allah gave us a criterion Allah subhanaw taala didn't leave us. Without guidance Allah subhanaw taala gave us guidance to say what works, what doesn't work, what is beneficial, what is not beneficial, what will help you what will not help you all of this Allah subhanho wa Taala guided us and showed us by

means of his column, Al Quran Al Karim, which is sent with his hubby Mohammed Mustafa sallallahu alayhi wa he was he was alum

who

showed it to us who taught it to us and who demonstrated it for us.

taqwa, therefore,

as I said, is to understand this and to live our lives according to this basic fundamental principle to say that I will do everything in my life asking only one question which is does it please Allah?

Islam is very simple. It is very simple. So when I asked myself this question about anything, does it please Allah subhanho wa Taala. I can logically speaking, I can get one of three answers. first answer, yes, it pleases a lot.

So I do it. Second answer. No, it does not praise Allah. So I leave it. Third answer. I don't know whether it pleases Allah or it does not praise Allah. In that case, I leave it I go find out and when I have found out with certainty, then I do it If it pleases Allah and I do not do it, if it does not resolve this question of doubt fullness is the test of taqwa. That is why I mentioned here

to duck was not just to live Haram, because to live Haram is is is clear, right? What is haram is Allah Allah subhanaw taala said this is wrong, don't do it. And if somebody if a Muslim is deliberately doing that, then he is by his action is coming and go for rebuys action is denying Allah subhanaw taala has power and glory and majesty and right to prohibit something right. So this is a horrible thing to do. So please never do that. If something is right or handle I will do it. Between these two are the doubtful areas. taqwa is to leave that which is doubtful for that which is not doubtful. This is the definition that also Lhasa gave he said, I'll Halla Albion Mahara obion,

verbena, Houma. Mousavi had, he said the halaal is clear the Haram is clear between the two are the doubtful things he said leave that which is doubtful for that which is not doubtful.

Right. So how do I develop taqwa? Before I go to that, let me

let me give you

A tool which is how do I monitor the quality and that is by checking this How much do I leave doubtful things? For example, I want to a restaurant to eat and I'm hungry and there is chicken

there is meat there is vegetarian stuff

as far as the chicken and the meat is concerned I'm not sure whether it is factory slaughtered whether it is and slaughtered it I'm not eating pork or eating chicken or mutton, but I'm not sure whether this thing is factory slaughter or hand machine slaughtered or and slaughtered.

Vegetarian I know fish I know eggs I know. What do I choose?

By all means try to ask and say is it ham slaughtered? Don't say is it halal? Because they will say it is Allah because it is harder in the sense of it is a the thing by itself is hella it's not a prohibited prohibited item. But remember, our halaal as far as meats are concerned is dependent on two things. It should intrinsically be halal, the substance itself should be permissible and the way it is prepared should be according to what Rasulullah sallallahu prescribes.

There are many, many opinions on this

the strongest opinion which on which everybody is agreed, there is no difference of opinion on that is that any meat or any animal of bird which is by itself halal if it is slaughtered by a Muslim hand slaughtered by a Muslim who says Bismillah Allahu Akbar, then this is inshallah completely and totally held there is no problem or that when the slaughter is done, the two carotid arteries and the jugular vein must be severed in one stroke, the head must not be separated from the body, if this is fulfilled, then that thing is completely hollow. As I told you, there are other opinions, but all of those other opinions, there is a difference of opinion. Somebody says yes, you can do

that. Somebody says no, you can't do that. But in this one, which I mentioned into this opinion, there is no doubt it's a completely agreed upon opinion, to say that if you get meat like this, absolutely no problem. Please eat. So now you go to the restaurant

and you find out that you can't really find out is it really slaughtered like this or not. So there is a doubt. What do you do?

Do you say well, you know, after all these that or do you say No, I am not going to eat this because I have a doubt. I'm not saying magazine. I'm not saying you know, create a conflict. Don't Please don't do any of that. Just say I'm sorry, I do I do not eat this. I would like to eat fish. I would like to eat eggs. I would like to eat vegetarian. There are people who are vegans who eat only vegetarian, this they have no shame about that they are perfectly fine with that. They eat it. There are people who are vegetarian for religious reasons, and they're vegetarian all their lives.

Now why must you as a Muslim act like you will lose your life if you don't eat that one chicken?

Right? This is where I'm giving you this example because this is one of the most common on common examples right but there may be many more.

The principle is if I'm faced with something which is doubtful What do I do?

Do I still do it? Or do I choose the path of safety which is I do only that which I am sure about that it pleases Allah Subhana hota This is the measure of taqwa. This is the

the meter by which I can measure my own taqwa. So, my submission is that right now we are at the beginning of Ramadan, sit down with a notebook.

Reflect on your life, reflect on all the different decisions that you make in your life, from the smallest to the to the most significant,

and judge yourself on this standard and say, Do I leave the doubtful for that which is not doubtful? Or do I indulge in the doubtful? I hope you are not directly doing something which is Hara. If you are doing something, please leave it if you are drinking alcohol, if you're dealing with interest, if you are finally getting a lot of work, watching pornography.

I should not even be saying these things but you know perfectly well. That what I'm saying is things that Muslims are doing today. So that's the reason I'm saying it I'm not running away from that. But my point is that cursing you know bad language, filthy language, right? Making fun of Allah subhanaw taala making fun of the promises of Allah subhanaw taala joking about Allah subhanho wa Taala and Rasulullah Surah Surah all of these things. If you're doing please wash your hands, you know, like COVID-19

20 seconds, wash your hands clean of all of these major sins.

But we're not talking about that we're talking about doubtful things. So, if you find that you are indulging in things which are doubtful, please leave them

completely and totally reject them, leave them do that, as I said nicely, you have a right to make a choice, make the choice and say I will not do this because I'm not sure about this matter.

I can assure you that if you follow this rule, inshallah, Allah subhanaw taala will keep you safe.

I always remember the opening the Mahatma, the introduction, the opening the preface of the absolve him wherever

he described the near the first Hadees of Bukhari and Muslim and also in the arbaeen NaVi, the 40 Hadith.

Also in razali,

is the addition of a solemn, narrated by Omar Delano, where he said in the middle of Albania, where he said that the reward of the deed is based on its intention. Now,

you have experienced this so very beautifully. I've never seen such a beautiful explanation. He said Al Azhar or Nia frequently acquire or frequently Amal were frequently our L bar is a coffee, he said it is the awareness of the near it is the awareness of the near in everything we say in everything we do in all the conditions that we find ourselves in whether this is hidden or whether whether it is visible or whether it is hidden. Right.

Now see this beautiful definition of this Nia and this is such a beautiful dixmond definition of taqwa who is a Moto G, A Moto G is one who lives his life like this a life of total awareness, a Moto G is not a Kawasaki is not a sheep just you know, it's anywhere walks anywhere sits anywhere is not concerned the life of of thoughtlessness know that is a human being a motor is a very highly intelligent human being who understands the basic fundamental principle of why he or she was created, who is concerned with his Rob gela gelato who beyond which there is no other concern that is superior to that and he is the one who spends his or her life in pleasing Allah subhanaw taala by

having this complete and total consciousness about every single thing they speak every single every single action they do and every single condition they find themselves in whether it is internal to them or whether it is external to them that brings it which also deals with thoughts because what is the speech which is internal IT IS OUR my self talk what I speak to myself what I say to myself, it is my thoughts even this the most okay is the one who is concerned that this must please Allah subhanho wa Taala So, imagine if we are if we live our lives like this and this is what I am recommending to you, this is what is what I am recommending to myself and you let us try to do that.

If we live our lives like this, imagine it is it will become impossible for you to commit a sin. How beautiful is that? Right? This is the biggest safety against sin because I'm conscious of myself 24 seven, every waking moment I'm conscious of myself, before I say anything, there is a there is a tape there is a is like the like the oils on which all software runs right it's the operating system on which everything else runs. If the operating system is is faulty, if it is corrupted, then no software will work on that operating system if they are on that operating system. If the operating system is sound, then even if there is a software problem, it is easy to solve. You can fix it you

can you can uninstall and reinstall the software, but the operating system itself should be sound and fundamentally correct. What is our operating system. Our operating system is called taqwa our operating system is does it please Allah subhanho wa Taala so if every before even my thought, if I'm thinking something, right, whoever it is even thinking a thought, right? And I know this thought, does not please Allah, and remember with Allah subhanaw taala it's not a question of saying, If Allah because Allah knows. Allah subhanaw taala knows even your thought. So I say how can I beat

Thinking this when I know that my rub is he's aware

how can I be thinking this when I know that my Rob is aware

so i i you know reject that thought right Perish the thought

before I speak anything

I may want to say something I may be very angry for example and I want to curse somebody God I want to use some some bad language. But does it please Allah subhanaw taala dumb question of course it doesn't so what do i do i do not use bad language.

I want to exaggerate what I'm selling something

I want to boast

I want to show off

right? I want to be sarcastic and hurt somebody and not talking about humor humor that doesn't hurt anybody right? I'm talking about being sarcastic in a nasty way which hurts people

in my actions, I want to do something I want to enter into a transaction which Allah has prohibited

I want to eat something or drink something about which I am doubtful.

I want to drink a drink which has a secret formula in it

How can a Muslim drink something when he does not know what it contains? Right What What more

clarity Do you want on this matter? To say people say you know Can I drink this or that Can I drink Coke and Pepsi? My point is if you know what the ingredients are, and if all of those ingredients are halal, then you can drink it even though even then to drink it is stupid because something which has 15 teaspoons of sugar in it for every can is very it is physically harmful but I mean if you want to still drink it as a different issue but even there is something which were the contents are hidden they are unknown. How can you drink that?

Why'd Why do you even need to ask this question? So similarly when i when i when i every action of mind, right? I'm giving you just some very very examples. I'm driving my car, how do I drive? Am I being a nuisance or a potential danger to other people on the road?

Am I jumping signals or something? Am I going beyond the speed limit? There is a reason why there is a speed limit I'm busting the speed limit and I consider that to be a matter of I have great honor that I bust the speed limit.

Right, I'm fudging my taxes. I have a covenant with the government to pay the taxes but I'm finding the taxes and I'm giving some you know convoluted explanation for this

people are working for me I don't pay them on time I curse them i i exploit them.

You don't think about this my actions, then the conditions I'm in right now we are sitting in the in our homes because of this COVID virus. So what do I do? I curse the virus. I curse time I curse. Now. Allah Rhonda said do not curse time because I am time

was oh my god, you know what, how unfortunate we are and how miserable is this and so on and so on. And shatta and gives on twisting, twisting here, you're stuck at home. I'm stuck at home. Al hamdu Lillahi Rabbil aalameen. I'm stuck at home because I am now able to find time to spend with my family. I'm able to find time for reflection, unable to find time to do something productive and and useful. Unable to find time now to read all the stuff that I have been planning to read. I never had the time to read that.

list of things. Everything can be seen this way or that.

So

taqwa is to avoid doubtful things. And you do that by living with awareness and thoughtfulness.

Can you find myself where you let us use this as a way of checking our own taqwa and see in Raja Alessandra to increase my taqwa. So let me see from the beginning of Ramadan to the NRR how much has my taco increased, how many how thoughtful I become, how conscious Have I become, how obedient I become.

I ask Allah to help you to reward you to give you in keeping with his majesty and grace to give you all that you asked him for with higher and Baraka, and then to give you more from his grace and His generosity, masala Alana will carry while he was away.