Moutasem al-Hameedy – Deep Talks #1 An Outlook And Mindset For Ramadan

			So so Ramadan is an opportunity of a lifetime. It's like no other time in the year, this is the
height of
		

			I would say, the opportunity to earn good and score credit with Allah subhanaw taala. And just
considering Ramadan, you can see how Allah subhanaw taala as
		

			Allah has maximized the potential for every human being, to advance spiritually, to do more good
deeds and earn multiple rewards. And in a sense, as the Quran says that our relationship with Allah
subhanaw taala could be likened to a business transaction, I would say a business relationship,
rather than a single transaction. So it's a business relationship and with relationship, or with a
business long term business relationship there is there's always the potential for continuous
growth, strategic growth. And there are seasons, there are times when there's a wave, and you need
to ride that wave to maximize your benefit and achieve,
		

			I would say,
		

			growth, optimal growth.
		

			And the best actors in the market are the ones who know how to read the market, how to anticipate
and how to seize the opportunities, these are the ones who ride these waves
		

			in a timely way. The same thing applies to our relationship with Allah subhanaw taala. Ramadan is
just
		

			the
		

			it's the it's the it's the golden opportunity to
		

			improve our standing strategically with Allah subhanaw taala increasing and maximizing our chances
for saving ourselves from the hellfire. And guaranteeing I'd say guaranteeing but again maximum
maximizing your chances of entering paradise of earning more rewards with a lot of growing
spiritually of advice and financing personally.
		

			All of this
		

			should be the focus of every Muslim of everyone who wants to save the who everyone who wants to save
themselves from the Hellfire salvation.
		

			And so, missing out on Ramadan is not an option for someone who takes their relationship with Allah
seriously, someone who takes their life seriously. It's just not an option. And that's why the
Prophet SAW Selim in the authentic hadith where the Companions mentioned that the Prophet SAW Salem
		

			before claiming his minbar his pulpit to make the hook before Friday. He said three times Amin,
Amin, amin, which means Oh ALLAH answer.
		

			The Companions didn't know what the prophet ism was doing. So they asked him later on what you know,
for the first time we noticed you said, I mean three times as you were mounting, you remember? And
he said Jabril came to me and he made three pieces of Doha. And and he's he told me to say me
		

			and I said, I mean one of those three dua Gibreel made was an Andhra Cara Madonna Willem Yorke for
Lucha Libre than a person who lives to witness the month of Ramadan, and they don't get their sins
forgiven me this person be distanced from the Mercy of Allah, I mean, you can't be more deprived
than that. It like the bar is brought down so low that everyone can grab it, everyone can reach it,
everyone can get their sins forgiven, it's so easy that if you miss out on this
		

			opportunity, that means you're not motivated at all you don't know what you're doing.
		

			It's just like having again someone who gets into the into the markets and kind of new business gets
into the market and the bar is so low you can make a lot of profits you can
		

			secure a I would say a portion or a segment of the market and it might be some kind of a guaranteed
portion that if you get it now like the early you know, players in a market usually get a huge chunk
of it and if they play the game, well they can actually guarantee you know their share in the market
for a long period of time for a sustainable period of time. And this is what Ramadan really is for
everyone. The the the bar is so low that you can get your share, get get your fair share of the
market of the of the profit, and then you can sustain that and if you haven't
		

			utilize this opportunity. You're not serious, you're not a good player at all. You're not here to do
business, you're just wasting your time and someone else's time.
		

			So Ramadan is something is an opportunity just like that. And if someone fails to appreciate it then
they haven't done the homework in terms of taking their life seriously taking the relationship with
Allah subhanaw taala seriously, and
		

			trying to detect opportunities
		

			and work for them.
		

			So in a sense, Ramadan comes is one month in the year
		

			where we have a lot of opportunities and the good thing about this
		

			is that there are so many things we can do in Ramadan, there's a huge variety that there is
something for everyone there is reading the Quran. And Ramadan is called the month of the Quran
because it was revealed first in Ramadan.
		

			So you have just reading the Quran as simple as that. You have the prayers, the obligatory prayers
		

			and then you have more optional prayers, the 12 raka of sunnah that we are supposed to offer every
day. And then on top of that we have the night prayer.
		

			This is something that Allah subhanaw taala rewards immensely for Ramadan is characterized 4pm in
Lille for praying at night.
		

			And then we have random vicar open dhikr just remembering a lysing Subhan Allah hamdulillah La Ilaha
illa Allah Allahu Akbar stuck for Allah how long ago what they love Allah
		

			then we have sadaqa and Cebu Malik will be Allah who said the Prophet SAW Selim can also Allah has a
lot to do with the nurse. or can anyone Edward and I Hakuna fie Ramadan, the prophet Hassan was the
most generous of all people. And he was the most generous in Ramadan.
		

			So then you have the primary act of worship and Ramadan, that's fasting. And it's an obligation. No
one has an option as to skip fasting or the fasting of Ramadan unless they have a valid excuse. So
all of this variety of the acts of worship are available, And to your liking. Because some people
are more motivated, naturally motivated to pray, they find their heart and they find this sweetness.
Some people just enjoyed reciting the Quran more than the prayer more than dhikr. Some people find
fasting, very rewarding.
		

			Some people like the concept of focusing and harsher and the prayer. So everyone has, you know,
their share, Ramadan has something to offer for everyone. And
		

			it's actually an advisable thing for for people to recognize where is their sweet spot when it comes
to worship, and to channel their attention and their energy there primarily. Because let's say and
this is an advice that immediately Me or him Allah gave to someone because he was asked, someone
asked him and he said, I have a lot of time on my hand,
		

			especially at night,
		

			which is better for me to engage in the amillennial praying at night, or reciting Quran or just do
the open. Even Taymiyah said, there's an ideal answer because comparing these three acts of worship
in an, in a in an abstract sense,
		

			praying at night has the highest reward because it includes vicar remembering Allah and reciting
Quran. And it's an act of direct engagement with Allah subhanaw taala you're conversing with Allah.
		

			Then second comes reciting the Quran, because these are the words of ALLAH and it's also a form of
liquor, and third, comes liquor.
		

			But all of them, you know, have their own, each one of them has its own merit. But he said, then you
have to look at yourself, if you're someone who enjoys
		

			reciting Quran and thus you find it very sweet and rewarding. And this means you're going to do more
of it.
		

			Then in your case, it will be your priority. This this is what you should be, you know, channeling
your attention in.
		

			But if you are someone who enjoys more and finds
		

			remembering Allah a very sweet experience, then that shouldn't be your, the your your go to option.
Engage in open remembrance of Allah because that's going to draw you into the action and it's going
to mean that you aren't going to sustain it, do more of it. And strategically thinking
		

			you're gonna get you're going to maximize your opportunity for rewards but if you engage in
something and it's more like a chore for you, you can only do so much then you will feel bored then
you
		

			You will give up on it.
		

			So we have to be wise as to what we engage in. So And Ramadan offers this variety. And it's
important for us, again to recognize our sweet spots, and to maximize them. And there is something
very interesting that emerges out of this strategy. And that, that is, let's say you enjoy random
liquor more, you just enjoy seeing stuff that somehow it resonates with you, draws you and you're
saying stuff or law stuff, the more you engage in it, it takes you deeper, and it takes you into an
area
		

			that starts feeding into Quran itself. So all of a sudden, they will take you to the Quran through
the backdoor, then you will use, you start to, you start to grow spiritually where you will enjoy
the Quran more now.
		

			And then if you do that more, then it will open a new door for you, where you will start enjoying
the vicar more. Some people struggle with fasting. And I would say keep doing it because it's an
obligation on Ramadan. But
		

			utilize your sweet spots, whether it's reciting Quran or maybe sadaqa, you do sadaqa, the more you
do the Masada or you do with the right intention, you'll be surprised how as you spiritually grow,
		

			your spiritual presence starts to reach closer to the door of fasting to a point where you will
actually start enjoying it.
		

			So your relationship with the acts of worship is never static. It's a very dynamic organic one. And
any kind of growth is going to bleed into I would say the other areas. And it's once you start
building more momentum, it's just there's no limit to how how, how much growth you can achieve. And
every spiritual growth comes with a lot of sweetness, a lot of grounding in reality, a lot of
meaning,
		

			you know, in your life, and a lot of personal maturity.
		

			And I say Ramadan, there's no better time than Ramadan. So no one should miss out on the opportunity
of Ramadan.
		

			One advice that I think is very important for Ramadan is to focus on quality rather than quantity.
Many people it seems like they have like
		

			a checklist of things they want to do on a pre 20 rocker half dollar, we're on our fast every day on
the read the juice every day. And it becomes these these markers become an end in themselves. And
that's not a wise thing. Because these are just indicators and indicators are just indicators.
They're not the real thing. But they might be a helpful marker. The reality is when you engage with
a Quran, even if you read one page as Abdullah Muhammad Ali Allahu Anhu said if you read or even
		

			dialogue, no aminomethyl Don't be Allah.
		

			He said, if you read one page or one verse of the Quran, with so much contemplation and
understanding, it's way better than reading the whole Quran, just going through it.
		

			And that's what Allah rewards for people think a lot rewards for although Allah rewards for the
letters that you read, but Allah rewards more for the quality. So the the reward the Prophet Salam
promised for reciting the Quran, for example, is conditional on the quality of your experience. So
if you're just going through the words, without any kind of reflection, you are beating the very
purpose of the revelation of the Quran, Allah says in surah Syed Kitab Allahu La que Mobarak only at
the bow at that a book, a blessing book that we sent down unto you, O Muhammad, so that they
contemplated verses, that's why the Quran was revealed. That's how the Quran does its work
		

			on the human on human nature, this is how we, it brings it brings the seed of human nature into
growth and fruition ultimately. So if you're just limiting or reducing the experience with the Quran
to the mere verbalization of the words, to the detriment of its meanings and to the spiritual
experience,
		

			you're not getting the reward the prophets Islam promised because that's not what the prophets of
salaam said when you read the Quran, you get this and that because you're not reading the Quran as
the prophets of salaam meant to be. So quality is important the same thing with a number of records.
The same thing with the
		

			the discomfort that comes with abstaining from food and drink for all for a long day. It's it's not
the hunger and the thirst per se that gets you the reward. But it's your ability to handle them for
the sake of Allah and your ability to
		

			achieve and experience spiritual growth that come
		

			With
		

			taking attention from your physical being, and allowing it to flow more into your spiritual being.
		

			So this kind of focus on quality rather than quantity is extremely important. Because if you look at
the hypocrites, they ticked all the boxes when it came to external actions, but the quality in the
heart was not there. And that's the difference. That's the essential difference between believers
and hypocrites. And hypocrisy is worse than disbelief because it is not only disbelief, but also a
big lie where they pretend to be believers.
		

			So quality with Allah subhanaw taala Trump's quantity big time we have one of the greatest of a
tabby in abou playlab Rahim Allah. He said to some of the companions that he witnessed in his life,
he said Wallahi mas Ibaka coma boba boba couldn't be Kathy See, I mean, when our Salah were lacking
Bishi in wakad raffia Colby, he said, Abu Bakr did not come first head of all of you are companions
of the Prophet SAW Salem, because he prayed more than others, because he fasted more than others.
But because of something that was in his heart, that's the quality of the act of worship. So when we
deal with a las Panatela, we should give precedence to quality, that when you secure quality, then
		

			quantity starts to count. But before you lock in quality, you cannot depend on quantity, a becomes
meaningless.
		

			So that's a very important point to keep in mind as we are dealing with,
		

			with Ramadan.
		

			Another important,
		

			another.
		

			Another important point when it comes to Ramadan, is
		

			paying attention to the heart.
		

			The heart is where Allah looks.
		

			And Allah judges humans, primarily based on their heart.
		

			Somebody might think, but what about actions?
		

			Well, if you get your heart right, then the actions will follow.
		

			But if you focus on the actions, and you neglect the heart, you're just performing, you're not doing
the real thing.
		

			So when we talk about the heart, or when we invite people to focus on the heart,
		

			automatically and organically, the work of the heart is going to express itself through the external
actions. So we're talking about the whole context.
		

			But that separation between actions of the heart and actions of the limbs
		

			is not a natural one. It's just in the mind.
		

			So
		

			as we engage in fasting,
		

			and reciting the Quran, remembering Allah, giving sadaqa.
		

			When we engage in any act of nearness, even if it's kindness to people, even if it's forgiveness
towards the mistakes of others, even if it's a piece of advice we offer others or maybe just an act
of teaching,
		

			any act that is pleasing to Allah subhanaw taala.
		

			When we engage in it, we should be focusing on where it's coming from what is our inner experience?
That's what it means to focus on the heart. What is our inner experience?
		

			Are we doing that for the sake of Allah? Is our heart do we feel motivated that we are doing this
out of us experiencing the love of Allah? gratitude to Allah? And are we feeling drawn to Allah? And
do we see this act as a channel to express that love that we have of Allah in our hearts? That's
what sincerity really boils down to. Many people think about sincerity. As a thought.
		

			Yeah, I'm doing this for the sake of Allah. This is a thought.
		

			Muslim scholars spoke about this.
		

			I remember his early specifically, he warned against this and he said, This is heavy for neffs. It
is when you say, Well, I'm going to pray for Raka for Allah you say to yourself, he says this is a
thought Hadith on apps. This is just an inner dialogue you having intention comes from a deeper
dimension. And what intention means is that you're doing things for Allah. What does this mean? It's
not a thought you entertain.
		

			The reality of intention is that because intention and motivation in a sense of synonymous, so what
is your motivation? What is driving you to perform this action?
		

			What is the value in this action? That
		

			prompts you to engage to do and the primary motivation in human behavior is love.
		

			So sincerity boils down to you living in a state of love of Allah.
		

			And then this love naturally seeks expression
		

			through human nature, and a lost Peninsula offered us the channels the engagements through which we
can express this love. And when we express this love, through charity, through prayer, through
recitation of the words of Allah subhanaw taala,
		

			then
		

			this is the type of actions that Allah wants from us, then we are focusing on our hearts, we're
coming from our depth, we're not giving a loss of Hannah with Allah, the lowest quality of actions,
we're going, we're giving a loss panel to Allah, our totality, our essence, who we really are we
offering ourselves to Allah subhanaw taala in this sense, and I think this is what helps people
really benefit in Ramadan. With most of us, this happens unconsciously and accidentally. So it's not
the constant experience in Ramadan, but just being aware of this, I think can make, you know, a
whole difference in our experience of Ramadan.
		

			Yeah, so
		

			these are the pieces of advice I can think of when it comes to utilizing Ramadan