Mohammad Elshinawy – Reactivate Your Purpose This Ramadan

			As a resident scholar in Brooklyn, New York and he is a fellow and contributor to European
Institute, disciple of airship Hamza cinelli
		

			Bismillah Alhamdulillah wa salatu salam ala rasulillah. A drain we begin the name of Allah Hall
praise and glory be to Allah means finest listening to me if one person from calmness Allah Mohan,
he is alone.
		

			And his family and his companions and all those who tried his path may Allah grant us and deal with
life upon his path, and a death upon his religion and allow us to be reunited with him as we rise
from our graves in the hereafter allow us to drink from his hand at that delta, allow us to be
shaded by their award of what we've memorized what we've implemented. What we've recited for an
		

			MI allows those that allow us to be among those who wait for the doors of gender to open behind our
prophets, Allah Maha to hear silence, and those who stroll into those gardens. And somehow know as
the prophet SAW, Selim said, exactly which palaces belong to them. Allah allow us to recognize our
good deeds, and then Allah allow us to misplace and no longer have to face the consequences of our
evil deeds.
		

			So the the topic that was asked of me, by the way, I'm not a graduate of Medina, I attended for a
short period, I'm actually a graduate of Michigan University's University of North America, and I'm
currently an instructor there, viola is grace.
		

			And I say that so many of you in Charlotte can make use of the downtime to lock down and virtually
rise or rise in actuality, in your knowledge of these sacred sciences, through these many online
platforms,
		

			through these virtual options that Allah has blessed our generation with.
		

			Okay, I was asked to talk about reactivating our purpose in Ramadan. You know, this is a topic that
can never be addressed enough, especially in our times when the discussion on purpose is almost non
existent. You know, like, if you were to ask any Muslim, what is the purpose of life, they'll give
you the proper answer that they know that she wants to hear.
		

			My purpose of life in life is to please a lot my purpose in life is to get to Jenna, my purpose in
life
		

			is as Allah said, in the Koran, many of them can even cite the verse and have not created the human
to the jinn except to worship me. But but that to reality
		

			has so many things working against it, it's like a light bowl that is crisp, that is, you know, so
radiant with so many layers of dust continue to smother it.
		

			By just our society, being socialized, being socially conditioned, nothing is about the senate
agenda points. It's all about like credit card points. That's what all the advertisements are about.
That's what all the discussion is about. Nothing is about why I'm here the purpose of life. Because
in you know, the the western experience, the past few centuries, they've kind of grown very
distrusting of religion. And the only religion they were familiar with, they they lost hope in and
so they don't believe anything can give them the questions to the big the big issues, the
existential issues, that the thing the elements of their existence, the definition, the meaning of
		

			existence, the question of purpose, basically. And so they shifted gears, their mindset went from,
from God pleasing God, and you know, living up to your purpose, because they couldn't identify where
God was clearly wasn't in this religion, this is their experience. And clearly not this book is
worthy of telling me with my purposes, so they shifted from God and purpose to focusing on just
themselves they had, that's what they had their hands on, that's all they could really engage with
was their physical reality.
		

			And so they went from focusing on God focusing on themselves, they went from focusing on their
purpose, the purpose of their lives, to focusing on the quality of life. And so we're so busy with
the quality of our current life, that dunya life, that we're not really focused anymore at all.
Because we are a product of our environment, on the purpose of life. And that's really unfortunate,
because this is a side point, or maybe we'll have time to come back to it. The, you know, the
purpose of your life is far more important than the quality of your life. Because the people that
have the most options, money wise, materialistically speaking, they are still the people that
		

			struggle the most emotionally and psychologically.
		

			Whereas the people that may not be as well off in terms of just the material luxuries, but they have
a sense of purpose in their life. Statistically speaking, they have better emotional experiences,
better life satisfaction, better mental well being, all of that, why because Allah created us like
that, you know, when Allah tells you, I'm not enough to generate insight, really, I would do and I
didn't create the humans or the jinn except to worship me. Don't see that as just some plain
directive. It's not just instructions. Allah is telling you about your nature. I created you with a
purpose. I'm a you're a purposeful creature. And then he tells you a very specific purpose, which is
		

			to serve him. But the point is, you are purposeful, and so you need that.
		

			More than you need, the comfort and the luxuries, the comfort and the luxuries without a sense of
purpose is going to make you feel like your life is not worth living. Your life may be better off
just taking. And so going from there
		

			to now what actually is the purpose so we can remove some of that dust. So we can allow the light
bulb of what we're sure about to radiate into more aspects of our life. There's a big difference
between like knowing factually what my purpose is, and actually experiencing a purposeful, lifetime.
Huge difference. That's why so pantalon has said mostly it comes to mind. Now he used to say
something very profound. He says, If you ask people
		

			about death, you'll get two different answers. If you ask their their mouth, they will give you one
answer. But if you ask their actions, they'll give you another answer. He said, literally, this is
these are his words. He said, I've never seen people more certain about something the way they're
certain about death, like everybody agrees we're going to die even atheists, right? We agree.
		

			Even those that are hopeful that somehow you're going to reverse the aging process one day, with
some advancements in science or technology, we all agree as the vote, we're all gonna die. He says,
but if you he says people don't agree on anything, they're not certain about anything the way
they're certain about death. He said, but the way they behave, they behave in a way that seems to
express that death is so uncertain, so doubtful. You see, there's a big difference between someone
living the experience of really recognizing its radiant than their life, why I was sent to this
earth. How unpredictable unpredictable life is why we're here. Because there's a big difference
		

			between why we're here, and what we do while we're here. Like, what is the primary purpose of us
being here, and what we're allowed to do secondarily, while we're here, like if my parents send the
kid to a college campus, you know, dorming away from them. And they're sending him for a very
specific purpose, which is to get a college education.
		

			And they're sacrificing a lot for that. Is he allowed to read magazines while he's there on campus?
Probably? Is he allowed to have lunch and dinner and sleep? Yeah, of course he is. But what if he
spends his time eating, drinking and magazine and doesn't go to college? No, that's not why you're
here. That can never happen at the expense of the purpose. You know, likewise, when Allah tells you,
you weren't created for anything, but to serve me, that means that is your purpose. If you don't do
this, your life was an utter waste. That's like you know, a car for example, can I use Can I
purchase a car use it to store extra clothing in there when my closet fills up? Yeah, you can do
		

			that. But that would be an utter waste of the car because the car was paid for something far more
valuable significant than that to spend $40,000 on a closet on wheels. This is just ridiculous.
Likewise, no matter what we've done of college education, of becoming geniuses, becoming
billionaires becoming scholars, even in the religion, but we haven't served Allah primarily in our
life than our life was a waste. And we will realize that these accolades are in fact nothing to be
proud of that we will find out that they were a reason for our humiliation May Allah forbid, did not
bus with Hannah horadada say
		

			that even Ibrahim alayhis salam said well at Zinio, mobifone don't humiliate me all along the day
that you pull people out of their graves, yo Malayan Pharaoh Madden Allah by noon, the day that all
the riches all the fortunes and all biggest size family, all the descendants will not benefit in any
way eliminates Allah we have been studying except someone who comes to Allah with a sound heart.
		

			And so serving Allah getting a sound heart, recognizing him soprano horchata This is the purpose of
it all. Ramadan comes year in and year out as this priceless treasure to allow us to restore that
realization in practice. In practice, that is the power of Ramadan. You know,
		

			there's so many traders that have moved on, but my time is short. How does one help us do that? So
our most primary needs as we see them, right food and drink that is put on hold for a second,
relatively speaking. Some people they think we fast for a whole month. I don't know if you've ever
had a colleague that thought you fasted for a whole month they do? said no, no, no.
		

			We don't fast for a whole month we fast during the daytime in the month. They say Oh, man, I thought
you guys are crazy. I've gotten that a lot. And I've heard people have had similar experiences. But
they're like, but some of them will still be like but still though.
		

			Why do you do that to yourself? Why do you starve yourself? We say no, actually, we're not starving
ourselves. In fact, if someone's sick or unable they don't have to fast they can make
		

			Get up on shorter days or just pay like an atonement video for it.
		

			So human being can go to three weeks without food, by the way stuff I tell them they say no, no
still you guys cannot be like this Ramadan think why would you put yourself through that?
		

			And so they see it as just like self self
		

			with self harm. That's the term that they see it as just pure self harm with no benefit whatsoever
we say no, no, we do get a little bit hungry. But that's the whole point there is a treasure in that
moment when I deprived myself for a little bit, so many treasures. I can't list the benefits of them
up on here in this short talk. But one of the greatest benefits is restoring our sense of purpose.
		

			Restoring who is number one, it's a kind of God, you know, we may not even realize it. But the most
important aspect of Ramadan is the fast it is that that's why it's the only obligatory aspect of
Ramadan, like not only technically is not mandatory, right. But the most important part of Ramadan
is the fasting. Because there's a treasure there are a lot obligates the most important things, the
things we need most on our journey to arrive at him safely. And so one of the treasures of Ramadan
is Allah come to the home for you to become more conscious of Allah, which is your purpose.
		

			The more you become conscious of him, the better you serve Him, the better you serve Him, the more
conscious you become just as virtuous cycle. But something like fasting does it in an amazing way.
Because you may not realize it but there are so many like split seconds in the first few days of
Ramadan, especially
		

			that
		

			you say I'm gonna eat lunch. Oh, wait, I'm fasting. It probably happens faster than you can notice.
But that does something it kind of like recalibrates you reprograms you so your sense of purpose
like Oh, yes, I'm the servant. He's the king. Allah said so so panda who was the Allah, if you just
reflect on it, there's a really a treasure there restoring a law, the sensuality of Allah, the
primacy of Allah and His pleasure over our pleasure in our life. We do that in practice, we
reprogram ourselves to do that. Ramadan is great with that.
		

			And so even currently thinking about sahul, and sodas harder to explain because of the difference of
opinion on how early before, you need to stop eating. But let's just do a thought if thought is an
easier example. Because if thought, according to all the scholars essentially needs to happen on a
dime, like you should never delay if thought there should be no buffer between an event. And your
thought once you're certain that event time has arrived. You're supposed to break your fast.
		

			But think about that, that glass of water that date
		

			it is perfectly halen
		

			and then you're fasting, so it's absolutely wrong. And then one minute later, that same cup of
water, that same exact date becomes hella elegant, like what's the difference? Same cup of water,
there's a big difference. The big difference is a law permitted now Allah didn't permit then I am
the servant, he is the master. So kinda horchata. That is what we were created to realize more and
more, the more we do that, we have fulfilled our purpose, which is what to please Allah and to be in
his company forever in general. And as we said in the beginning of the lecture, because I'm wrapping
up now, it's an all or none. It's not like I'm going to sacrifice in this world, so that I can get
		

			gender No, we already saw that without this sense of purpose. Without panela mechanisms like
fasting, all of the teachings of Islam reality, we're just focused on fasting, because Ramadan is on
the horizon. These all allow us to live a purposeful life here so that we enjoy it.
		

			Right so that we feel fulfilled, our life is meaningful, but ultimately, so that our enjoyments
never get interrupted. Like imagine that imagine people that didn't have the sense of purpose
present in their life, actually lives good lives. I already told you in the beginning of the
lecture, they don't, they don't because it is agonizing to not have purpose to not have meaning to
not have direction, to not have definitive guidance. Let's imagine they did. What is the point of
enjoying yourself for a few moments on your way to destruction, like Who would ever do that a year
or 100 years in exchange for infinity? That's what a waste that's nothing insignificant, only an
		

			insane person who would accept that exchange. But with our Dean, you get both you get here and
there. It's an all or none. And the last thing I want to say also so our purposes serve Allah to get
to spend time with Him forever and eternity and his company to see his face his pleasure, some kind
of hook to Allah.
		

			And secondarily because it is Allah's greatest gift for us, besides getting to see him besides his
company, which is Jenna. Ramadan is great with that as well. I'll share with you one Hadith that
reminds us that we should reflect on that concept.
		

			Throughout Ramadan, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said they saw me from Patagonia for
Oklahoma.
		

			The fasting person has two moments of joy that he gets to enjoy. He says either start off fairly
happy
		

			Today we're either left to Allah Allah para bajo very happy zone that the fasting person has two
joys that he gets to enjoy. When he breaks his fast. He enjoys having broken his fast. The scholars
say that could happen every night. That's another tip and it can also happen meaning after you
fasted the whole month, your joy is that you're celebrating he then you've accomplished the month
that was guided you to fast it to the end of it. But the point is, there's a joy to fasting here.
		

			And then he says when you meet Allah, you get to enjoy not the breaking of the fast, but you get to
enjoy the fast itself. You're so happy that you had fasted. And so notice the connection in this
hadith between our fasting in this world and our ultimate destination and our purpose and our
objective there. And that some of the scholars said, be that person who
		

			understands that I'm all done for what it is and turns their life into Ramadan so that they're here
after maybe because it is a microcosm of your Islam. That is why it's one of the pillars of Islam
that Islam is built on psychologically and everyone was Allah loves and a lot of kind of being a
Mohammed Adios.