This talk was given at the Abu Huraira Center on May 24, 2017.
Moutasem al-Hameedy – Getting Ready For Ramadan 01
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The speakers discuss the benefits of fasting, including reducing health risks and improving mental health. They also touch on the Hadith of the Prophet sall immaterial and the use of fasting as a protection against sexual desire. The speakers emphasize the importance of fasting for personal health and well-being, including weight loss and a strong body. They stress the need for individuals to be aware of their intentions and reward the benefits of fasting.
AI: Summary ©
Amina salatu salam ala Sayyidina Muhammad wa ala alihi wa sahbihi wa Jalla we'll start by talking about the merits of fasting about
the merits of fasting. Fasting was mentioned in the Quran a few times. And Allah subhanaw taala in South Africa has AB describes the believers with a number of descriptions on number of treats. Allah subhanaw taala says in the Muslim you know what a Muslim it will mean in our mamina it will carnitine alcone that was said in our saw the court was Sabino salviati will harsh you're in our house you had when we first saw the Tina omotoso Ducati or saw in in our saw in that will have your lien off all gentlemen have you lot with vacuity in a locker theater went back a lot, and the lahoma Puritan or agilon of Lima. So Allah mentions a few descriptions of the believers and among them a
lot one of the dimensions was saw Amina was saw a max.
They are the ones that observed the fast males and females, they observed the fast. So observing the fastest one of the main descriptions of believers, because it's such a great act of worship, and we know obviously, they are so modeled on fasting Ramadan is one of the pillars of Islam. One of the pillars of Islam that our Islam stands upon, stands upon these pillars. So if someone doesn't observe the fast, this is a serious issue with the faith a serious issue with the faith. And the last one is Allah says in the verses that talk about fasting or antisoma halal Lacan in content element, and if you fast it is better for you if you know
he was talking about the people who are exempted or at the beginning fasting by the way.
When the when the first verse was revealed, you were living in a Hernando cootie Valley camassia mocha makuti Valhalla de la quinta Capone, or you who believe fasting has been prescribed upon you, just as it was prescribed upon the people who came before you.
touch upon so that you may attain taqwa you may attend to a young man I do that
you know, for a number of days. Someone can I mean Kumari Amman. Our LS f are in fed determine am in Ohio fed determined am in Ohio. So those who are ill or physically unable, or those who are traveling, so they can make up whatever they miss later on, after Ramadan afterwards, and we know obviously if someone is sick, or someone is traveling, they are exempt from fasting. They can they can choose if they can fast and they're able to do it fine, but they are exempt from fasting.
But they have to make up whatever there is they miss for a determined am and what I love and I only own 50 attune to Hammami skin now, and those who are able to do it, that's one last thing while in Medina, una and those who are able to handle fasting with difficulty.
And this was revealed about older people. If they fasted, it would be difficult for them, but it would not jeopardize or risk their life or their health. But it would be extremely difficult for them.
Or people who were sick, suffering some from some kind of disease. And if they fasted, it would be very difficult for them. But there would be no risk on the health, no serious consequences.
So at the beginning, these people were exempt from fasting, they wanted
to know videotron tamo miskeen. So they can pay a fee do expiation, which is feed one poor person, give them a full meal of for them for me. So because these people were allowed, and this is not as I said, this is a mild sickness, it just makes fasting a little bit more difficult, or old age that makes fasting a little bit difficult, but not impossible, or not extremely exhausting to the body. So last one is that at the beginning, he exempted these people allowed them but then later on Allah subhanaw taala only exempted the people who are traveling and the people who are sick, who when they fast is gonna exacerbate the medical condition or make things extremely hard for them.
So only those people were able to pay the figure or are sorry, too fast later on. But the people who are unable completely to fast like due to old age and frosting would risk their life or risk risk their health and have serious consequences. Those are the only ones who were exempt from fasting at the end. So Allah subhanaw taala said for the little
So this is one to show more how you're lucky in quantum Dynamo. So you can opt to not fasting and *, if it's a little bit difficult for you. But if you fast it is better for you. So fasting is better than the video that shows that fasting has a profound merit. And now we can move on to look at the Hadith of the Prophet sallallahu Sallam with regards to the mirto fasting. So Allah says to us, that you fast is better for you. So that shows there's a lot of goodness in fasting. The Prophet sallallahu Sallam indicated that fasting is a protection is a shield that protects us. It's an act of worship, but it's also a profound shield and protection that saves us
from falling into a lot of bad things. For example, the prophet SAW Selim says when he's addressing the younger ones among the oma, and the Hadith collected by Bihari Muslim, he says Yama, Shadow Shabaab minister amin Komal Beretta foliate as a watch for him now who
suddenly felt woman lemmya stop at Valley he was so mean for in a hula hoop with
the processor says all young people get married, get married, because it will help you lower your gaze. Allah will help you protect your private parts. So you don't commit Zina. You don't commit Zina. But as for those who are unable to marry,
then let them hold on to fasting for in the hula hoop,
which is incarceration.
That means it kills the desire, fasting kills the sexual desire. Why? Because sexual desire is usually you know, piles up or builds up within the body, when the body is, is at ease. And the body is at ease. So you having enough food, you don't have a lot of physical exertion, and so on and so forth. So you have lots of energy in the body. Now the body could, at this time, the body usually develops this kind of sexual desire.
But fasting takes away a lot of that physical energy by not providing providing so much nutrient nutrients during the day. So this is why the person does not feel the same level of sexual urge, the same level of sexual urge. And this is why they say over eating, you know, increases your sexual desire, the more you eat, you find a need to you know, sexually or to become sexually active. But when you abstain from eating and drinking for a whole day is actually lessens your sexual desire. And the process of them both. He mentioned here and some kind of a metaphor, he said, it's like incarceration, incarceration, obviously, is when you cut off the private parts of certain animals,
right? So that means they don't have any sexual desire at all.
So fasting, in a sense is similar to this, it's not to the same extent, but it lessens to a great deal, the sexual desire, so shows that's actually a protection. So the problem is giving advice to the young people who are unable to marry, to hold on to fasting because that is inshallah a guarantee to lower the levels of this sexual desire.
There is something by the way, that's a practical thing.
For people who overeat when they open the first aftermath, and they overeat during the night, and for support the the pre dawn meal,
the benefits of fasting in that sense, will not be full,
will not be full. Because imagine if you are eating two full meals, and you overeat during them,
still, your body's getting a lot of energy and you will experience the sexual desire. So in the person I'm talking about fasting, he's talking about fasting and you observe the etiquettes of fasting as well but you do not overeat the problem with that's a very general problems very common unfortunately, among the Muslims is that as if we are taking revenge when we open them up fast, like we are avenging ourselves have deprived myself of eating for 16 hours. Now I'm going to teach I don't know who a lesson so I'm gonna destroy you know, the plate in front of me or not even a plate is a platter of food.
So that's a serious issue. Because you do away with it with a lot of the benefits of fasting gives you a lot of mental clarity. gives you a lot of balance. It helps your body heal as well. These benefits of fasting when you overeat when you open your fast or when you will have a Soho
That takes away a lot of these benefits. So if you still overeat at a star, and
you're not going to get this kind of effect that fasting gives, which is lessening and lowering the, the intensity of the sexual desire, you're not going to get this. This is why sometimes people fall and they say, I don't experience, you know, any change of my sexual desire, I still feel the same urges, yes, because you still overeating is to overeating. But when you have a balanced kind of a thought on a balanced kind of soul, you're going to reap a lot of the benefits of fasting a lot.
The Prophet sallallahu Sallam and now we're going to explore a hadith that show and the indicate that fasting is a protection, such as protection from sexual desire. And when you have less sexual desire, you are less prone to give a free play to your eyes to look around at women.
Because when we gaze at women, this is usually in in accordance with the intensity of our sexual desire. And it also heightens it at the same time, it's more of a vicious cycle. So when you lessen your sexual desire, you're less prone to look at women, you're less tempted to look at women. So the professor
says and this authentic hadith also reported by a Muslim he says Ma'am, in Aberdeen, you assume your woman fee sabirah La Ilaha de la vida de Khawaja, who and in a very in a hurry. There is no servant. That fasts one day for the sake of Allah except that Allah will distance his face from the Hellfire by a distance that is counted by 70 years 70 years. So that shows that fasting is a protection from the hellfire.
It protects you from the Hellfire fasting itself, distances you from the Hellfire, so it's worth that you do it. Specifically the obligatory fast and Ramadan. But there's also an invitation to fast even outside of Ramadan.
And the prophet SAW Selim says in another authentic hadith,
a cm Audrina,
a CMO June a surgeon ob halab domina na This is reported by Muhammad and the other salon and it's authentic. So Yama, June, June means protection. Joomla is protection or a shield, or suyama. June is the ginobili abdomen and now the person or the servant protects himself from the Hellfire by means of this shield by means of fasting. So this shows that fasting really protects us from the Hellfire and the Prophet sallallahu Sallam says,
and this has been reported in a sermon as well he says masama, Yeoman feasability La Jolla la have been have been in nearly 100 k Medina sama he was the one who fasts any servant who fasts a day for the sake of Allah, a lonely place between him and the hellfire. A trench. A trench again, it's the protection and this trench or the width of this trench is like the distance between the heavens and the earth.
By fasting one day for the sake of Allah, this includes fasting in Ramadan and outside Ramadan.
So that shows when you are engaged in fasting, don't think it's just a simple act of worship you abstain from food and drink and sexual desire No, you are doing something profound an act of profound nature that surely distances you and when the purpose of this says distances you It literally does. This is not just a metaphor, it's a reality. It's a reality you are getting more distant from the Hellfire when you fast you place more protection and shields between you and the Hellfire when you fast one day. So imagine the more you fast for the sake of Allah how much you're getting from Allah subhana wa Tada. Another merit
of fasting is that fasting leads you to paradise. It takes you to paradise. The Prophet sallallahu sallam.
A companion came to him about a man that'll be alone. He came to the Prophet sallallahu wasallam and he said
Rasul Allah,
Allah and in Abu Dhabi, Jana said, O Allah's Messenger.
Tell me about an act of worship or something that I do. And by means of this act, I enter Paradise. So tell me about something that if I do, it will lead me to paradise. The prophet SAW Selim straightaway said to him, and he can be so mean lammi floella, whom he said, Hold on to fasting, then what you asking about is fasting. Learn with Lola who There is nothing like it.
There is nothing like it. So when you are fasting, you're doing something that has
no similarities with any other act of worship. Its excellence is not as unmatched by anything else. The problem is
saying he's asking the person Tell me about something that I do to enter Paradise, something that will take me to paradise, the person says fasting, hold on to fasting, there is nothing like it. There is nothing like it so nothing will get you into paradise in terms of acts of worship.
Like fasting.
Obviously, you know, you're talking about a comparatively so observes, observes the prayer. So that's a given. That's a given someone says, oh, is fasting better than the prayer, this kind of thinking is faulty. This kind of thinking is faulty. By the way, sometimes this is why we need when we approach Islam, we have to have a holistic kind of approach. It's impossible for people to communicate if I'm gonna, you know, have a clause at the end of every sentence, I see. If I say I'm good, the enemy's saying to this companion, hold them to fasting There is nothing like it. The companion didn't say even the prayer. Well, that's obvious. There's nothing like the prayer in the
first place. But things have a context, the context is understood. One need to state the context with every sentence because communication becomes impossible. So this is why when we communicate when reading when we read the Quran, when we read the Sunnah of the professor, even when we communicate with human beings, you can't take a word out of context, what's the context? Everything this person has said in their life. Everything this person believes in, it's impossible that if I tell you, for example, you know, cabana is my best friend. So someone says, Mohammed says, so I'm not your best friend. Come on. Like, it's not like this, this kind of edgy approach to communication
is very problematic. And this is where the coverage went wrong. This is where the coverage went wrong. So here because I'm saying, hold on to fasting, there is nothing like it.
There's nothing like it. So the companion understood that doesn't mean there's a competition between fasting and prayer, or know someone who's going to say, which is better fasting or prayer.
Salah awesome.
There's no place in Islam for this question. There's no place to discover this question. We know that. The Prayer is the pillar is the most important act of worship physically, the prayer.
So fasting has a special merit, but it's not a we should not start making comparisons. But the point in this hadith is that fasting takes you two gentlemen.
Again, the Prophet sallallahu Sallam said in this beautiful Hadith,
which he narrates from Allah that makes it difficult to see divine Hadith scholar long kulu Emmaline Adam, Allah who he looks
for in the holy Zb. Allah subhanaw taala says,
Every one of the actions of the son of Adam is for him or her. You do it you get the image, you get the benefit in the car, except for fasting, it's for me and I give reward for it. So that means but someone says so I'm praying for myself when I'm praying for Allah. Again, when we say don't take an edgy approach to the Koran or the sun or any kind of communication. Last month, Allah is giving a special place for fasting, a special status for fasting that's not matched by anything else.
So Allah is saying, fasting is for me and I am going to reward for it. The only meaning that we should take from this howdy is that fasting is is dear to Allah, Allah loves it so much. A lot of places a huge value on fasting, and He rewards for it exceptionally, that's the only meaning I should take from this.
Then the professor Solomon says Rusia margin and fasting is a protection. We mentioned this before. We either can or yomo sowmya had the Confederate your fourth one is hub for in Serbia who had an Alcatel avaliable in him.
And if it's a when it's the day one of you is fasting, let him not engage in any kind of lewdness, any kind of evil talk any kind of evil speech.
And let him not even speak loudly or aggressively sahab is some kind of clamor that you make some kind of noise domain that means fast and should give you this kind of serenity and calmness.
So you might say, I'm not saying anything bad, but you're just speaking for example, with Jose and you see me I say how's everything while you're right, you're good. This is the hub.
In Arabic, this is the hub the making so much cleaner and noise.
Now the person you're saying when it's the day one of you is fasting, don't engage in any evil talk any bad things. Don't say any bad things. When is hub and do not speak loudly and aggressively. Or in a vulgar fashion. Don't do this. For instance.
If one someone has a quarrel with you or not
argument or a fight with you, the prophets are sort of missing that person say,
I am a fasting person.
That means don't engage. don't engage, disengage with respect. I am fasting. Now this clothes have different should he verbalize this say I am fasting? Or should he say to himself, I'm fasting as a reminder, I'm fasting I should not engage in this. Both of them apply. Both of them apply if there's a need that you communicate this to that person on fasting today, so I'm not engaged and engaged in this or you can see it as a reminder to yourself, I'm fasting today let me not get involved in any of this I don't want to waste I don't I don't want to lose the virtues or the reward of my fasting
will not be enough Sumo. Hey Mohammedan via de la Hulu famous saw me up to more in the LA Hey, Mindy Hey misc. The promises are the same by the one in whose hand my soul is by Allah.
The smell that comes out of the mouth of the fasting person is
sweeter with a loss panatela than the than the smell of musk. And musk doesn't necessarily mean the musk that we know today. By the way, misc in the Arabic language, the word misc, it means the most beautiful fragrance, the most beautiful fragrance, but then people later on loved certain fragrances or certain perfumes and they started calling them musk.
But the mask that the Arabs knew it comes originally from one type of deer.
They extract it from a gland within you know I believe in the neck or the chest of a deal.
So that's the only specific type that is called Miskin Arabic or specific fragrance. But any beautiful smell in Arabic at the time of the problem used to be called misc which we call an English English mask. So the person saying that the smell that comes on you know when you don't eat and drink there is that some kind of smell unpleasant smell that comes out of your mouth, it doesn't come from the mouth it actually comes from from your stomach
comes from your stomach.
So, this kind of smell because people usually find it unpleasant but it is with a lot sweeter than musk Why? Because of the cause of it. Because it is such a great art you see how much a lot of * that even this unpleasant smell that comes out of your mouth. With a lot It is sweeter than than musk. Why? Because it because of it is fasting is such a great act of worship.
And basically somehow love You know, when you love someone, you start to love some of the traits even you if you originally hate such traits. There are people who have a sense of humor, or people who are sarcastic. Let's say that you don't lie. You don't like Sarah sarcasm, but if you happen to fall in love, or admire a person who was sarcastic, you'd be surprised that you will start to like sarcasm. Specifically when it comes from that person. That's how we humans we're not completely logical. We have a lot of bias. We have a lot of bias. So
there's something there's something there's a line of poetry, one, one bedwyn, he he loved, he fell in love with a woman. So what he said because he wants to express how much he loves her. She says
to him, Bonnie, when you hit bonacasa her diary, he says I love her and she loves me. And my camel loves her camel.
So that shows that we humans like obviously when we love,
we love whatever trait is associated with what we love, usually. And Allah subhanaw taala even though to us this smell is unpleasant, Allah subhanaw taala in his greatness, because because of how much he loves fasting, he even loves that smell that comes out of the mouth. Now the scholars have argued, should we
like strive to get this smell? Or should we strive to remove it since Allah Subhana Allah loves it. That's a dispute. It's a beautiful dispute among the scholars. But
from an authority or source perspective, the strongest opinion says no,
this smell comes accidental. So even though Allah loves it, he loves it because of the fasting. So the loves goes to the fasting first and foremost. So you should not strive to keep it you can eliminate it with using the miswak was you with using the prophets I send them there's nothing that came from him nothing authentic that came from him that he prohibited using the miswak during foster
So you can use the miswak. during fasting, you can use the miswak during fasting. So then what I would say according
to my personal view, the strongest opinion among the scholars is that, yes, you should use the miswak. And not kidding not necessarily keep that smell if it comes out fine, fine, but it's not intended by and itself.
Then the promises of them says the same if I had done this the same Hadeeth the same if I had any a fly on
either f Bala 30 ha, what are you there lucky.
For the first in person, there are two moments of joy. When he opens his fast,
he's happy. Because fulfillments such a great act of worship for Allah. I've done it for Allah and Allah loves it. That's a sense of achievement, fulfillment. So there's beautiful, by the way, this is a profound sense of joy. Most of us don't pay attention to it, enjoy it. Enjoy that moment and live it for the experiences, experiences. The second moment of joy, the process, Sam says, either lucky or bow fairy hypersomnia when he or she meets the Lord, they're happy and join us with the first. Why because when you meet a lot, you're going to see the consequences. That That means the moment you death of your death, the moment your soul leaves your body, you're going to feel this,
you're going to feel this joy. And the moment you meet Allah on the Day of Judgment,
you're going to feel this joy. Why? Because of the rewards that you're going to see in front of you because of fasting these days.
So that shows that fasting is a profound investment with
us. There's an emotional body
that is connected to this Hadeeth as well. It's an addition where the profit or loss hunter says when he talks about in lesson four in only one ICB, he says, each action you do is for you except for things for me, and I wrote for it. The last one is yet to call
OSHA OSHA hoomin edgerly a cmod, one at zebra who has an idea. He says My servant abstains and leaves leaves off his food and his drink and his desire for me. For me, fasting is for me and I reward for it and each good deed will be rewarded 10 times over
there is an aeration in Sahih Muslim or Allah subhanaw taala here says and the same thing divine Hadith kulu and eliminate my wife each of the actions of the son of Adam will be multiplied and we know the purpose of them said each hustler will be multiplied to 10 times and has an attribute actually m Dahlia either Sabrina to your wife
so each action that you do will be multiplied 10 times over up to 700 times over up to 700 times over
the last one Tyler says in the song except for fasting this 10 times over to 700 times over does not apply to fasting for in the holy wanna Zb it's for me and I will vote for it. What does this mean? It means it's even multiplied
it breaks the rule the rule with all the good deeds
Okay, so these are enough moves too fast inshallah. Tomorrow we will talk more about the merits of fasting this should serve to encourage us that when we fast, we fast we have what we call this Tabata Nia, we have our intention for Allah seeing all these merits and all these rewards and benefits for fasting should actually encourage us to fast in with more of our same with the present heart with the present heart. So your heart is present, when you're fasting and your intention is strong and clear that you're doing this for the sake of Allah subhana wa Tada. Let me take if there are any questions inshallah we can take any questions from
health benefits. I came across the website, but I said to myself, let me not dilute my intention.
Was that correct? Okay, that's a good question. So the question is, I was checking a website that talks about the health benefits of fasting, then I stopped myself, right. And I said to myself, no, because I don't want to pollute my intention. I want to do it for a lot regardless of the health benefits. Because obviously, it seems there is some kind of fear that if I read these benefits, that they will hijack my intention that I'll be fasting for the sake of the health benefits, either fully, or partly at least I'll be fasting for these health benefits.
I would say each person is different.
Each person is different.
But if you felt that depends on your self knowledge, if you feel that this might hijack your intention, to a certain extent, it might be a good thing. I mean, you made a good decision not to look into them. But each person is different, how you take these benefits, how you relate to them, okay defines whether it's better for you to look into them, or just ignore them. So it's different among different people. So I cannot give an answer for all
depends on how much control you have over your intention. But I would say ideally, generally speaking, they shouldn't take your intention away. They shouldn't still, I mean, that's good. They might even intensify and strengthen your intention to realize to see some Allah and Allah commands is to do something for him. It's not, it's also it helps us even on on the health or health wise, they help us to our last part that isn't hacking. So that probably something would some people this might intensify their intention and strengthen it. It depends how you relate to it. But also, there's something very important about intention. These scholars have a guide or a 50 Max and they
say elec T, sab la unifi, la de SAP, Alec desirable la unifi lsvt sub, they say getting some worldly benefit does not necessarily go against pure intention for Allah.
Pure intention form. And this is why the people who take part in jihad, proper jihad, or they take part in jihad, they get spoils of war.
Does this destroy their intention? It shouldn't. But there are people who fall into this, who start fighting for the spoils of war for the rewards.
But alas, pantalla. You know, he made that a legislation that people will take part in this battle and they defend Islam. They get share.
So ideally, it shouldn't, it shouldn't. So getting some kind of benefit from what you do for the sake of Allah should not compromise your intention. But with some people that might find it problematic. be on the safe side. Yeah, it's your call. Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yes, there is this. There is this okay. You just have an intention for for Ramadan. The thing is, intention is all about being conscious that I'm fasting till tomorrow. That's all. That's all called botany. I mean, you already have the intention. But it's the herbalist about meaning bringing it bringing it to your, to the consciousness to your awareness. It is the safest opinion to have this kind of awareness every night. It is better otherwise we might fall into habit. Can we just going through the motions? So it is the safest? That's That's why I recommended that yes. If you
have questions
we have different timetables for
okay.
If I have my iPhone 10
Yeah.
Okay, and for for a start for MakerBot seem to be agreed, like it's one or two minutes difference. So that's done. It's not a big deal.
In terms of
the timetable, there are unfortunately because there is there are interpretations of what for example, Alfa Germans would have hypermobile was the prejudice side definite phygital care that the true fragile dawn and the sort of fake or false fragile. So there is a disagreement among the scholars. As far as I know, this is not I hope this will not be taken as propaganda.
I believe we follow here is something that has been tested by a very strong student of knowledge, a person of knowledge, who sets tested these, okay? And they put them based on this and I believe sticking from the Quran and Sunnah.
So it's done according to a correct method. So what I would recommend is here you ask the Imam that you trust
but if you follow one, like one timing or one method, don't
criticize the other methods like you have two brothers at the same house. Same house, one says okay,
one of them president one, Mr. President, another method. I'm following my email. I'm here I I trust them. Fine, perfect. The other one, they bring the LD the the for them feature is a bit earlier, let's say 10 to 15 minutes earlier. He can't say oh, you have no fast for the other one. No.
We have to respect each other here. There's differences okay inshallah. So we don't make a big deal out of it.
You have to the issue is switching on what basis a person is switching. Same thing with fat one. Why one day you asked the chef the other day asked another chef, what was
any average Muslim who don't have Islamic knowledge? Practically speaking, they should have a teacher or an Imam, who they believe to be upon the sooner who strives to follow the Sunnah of the Prophet sallallahu sallam, who strives to follow the truth regardless, and they have knowledge, or at least they have a good level of knowledge and they are connected to the scholars.
And you trust their religiosity and they will they would give you something that is that they believe is true.
That's the person that you should take for to a front including was the time for fashion, or was the time format you take from them. And that's it. Until you become a student of knowledge, then there'll be more options but at this stage, you have to take because Allah says Allah, Allah decree in quantum that Allah mode. So ask the people of knowledge when you do not know if you do not know. So ask one person that you trust and you believe the strive to arrive at the truth. That's the person you asked. That's the only practical way other than that is just playing with religion, you will find it it will be impractical. Even someone who says I follow this method or follow them.
Regardless, you're not following them and have you following one scholar within him. Because even within the same will have they will find differences among the scholars. Yeah.
Why are you so ask? Ask the, as I said, the man that you trust or the scholar that you trust that you usually see for that one, and keep him as that one person? That's for the one that's for the layman, Muslim layman.
Any more questions can take one more if there is if not, okay. barakallahu fecal muscle loss in a million Amina Mohammed, Ali, your sahbihi wa sallam