Mufti Menk – Ramadan 2015 – Soul Searching in Ramadan

			salaam aleikum wa rahmatullah wa barakato.
		

			smilla rahmanir rahim al hamdu Lillahi Rabbil alameen wa Salatu was Salam ala shuffle MBA, he will
mousseline Nabina Muhammad wa ala alihi wa sahbihi wa Bina woman Toby ami son in Isla Yomi Dini,
whereby we praise Allah subhanho wa Taala. We thank him for everything that he has blessed us with.
We asked him to bless us during this beautiful month of Ramadan. We asked him to send blessings and
salutations upon Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, his entire household, all his companions, we
ask Allah Subhana Allah to Allah, to bless them all. And to bless every single one of us. I mean,
		

			my brothers and sisters, Allah subhanho wa Taala created us, He knows everything we go through, and
he knows what we need. And it is Allah subhanho wa Taala, who has said in the Quran, or made mention
of the purpose that he has created us.
		

			He says, Alma fall upon
		

			our
		

			motto,
		

			I have not created mankind, no gene kind, except for them to worship me.
		

			If we take a careful look at this verse, it seems like Allah subhanho wa Taala once to keep us in
constant acts of worship up to the point of death. The reality is that is true. But what is meant by
act of worship is understood differently by those who have knowledge, as compared to those who do
not have knowledge. So those who do not have knowledge would probably think that this means you need
to remain in Salah throughout the day, perhaps fast every single day, perhaps be engaged in some
form of recitation of the Quran or the remembrance of Allah subhanho wa Taala.
		

			But those who have knowledge, are quite aware of the fact that everything you and I need in this
world, we can convert it into an act of worship, if the intention is right. And if we are doing it
with the correct purpose, obviously, going back to the intention, if you have a man you believe in
Allah, you follow Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, and your intention is correct. No matter
what you do, in terms of goodness, you will always achieve a reward for it. In fact, even to abstain
from prohibition is an act of worship, when a sin is very easily available or is facilitated for us.
And then we find ourselves abstaining from that sin, it becomes an act of worship. abstention from
		

			prohibition is an act of worship. It pleases Allah subhanho wa Taala. So if I were to stay away from
adultery, from gambling, from smoking, from drugs, from various other sins, it would automatically
be an act of worship and closeness to Allah subhanho wa Taala. And the further I engage in these
items, the more distant I become, from Allah Subhana Allah to Allah.
		

			So Allah made us and Allah knows that we will be living in environments that may not be Islamic, we
will be living in an environment perhaps where sin will be so easy to commit, we will be living in
an environment where perhaps it will not be so simple to come to the masjid unless you have a lot of
willpower and a lot of Eman. Allah subhanho wa Taala knows that to abstain from haram will be a
challenge. Allah knows that we will be living across the entire globe, Muslim lands, non Muslim
lands and so on he knows that you and I will exist and our existing and he knows who he is to come
after us. So he has set a plan. And that plan is in order to help us pull through in a way that we
		

			earn Jenna May Allah grant us Jenna I mean, what is this beautiful plan? Part of it is to give us a
gift known as Ramadan. Amazing. And this Ramadan is such that one law he the timing of it is
absolutely perfect, absolutely perfect. Imagine if throughout the globe, everyone had to have
Ramadan at exactly the same time in the Gregorian year. Which means Say for example, now we have
June and July, throughout the life of an individual where you are living it's always in June and
July, it won't be fair, because sometimes you will have a cold fast sometimes a fast in the heat,
sometimes a long one sometimes a short one. The people in the UK are literally struggling at the
		

			moment achieving a greater reward for their dedication for fasting 18 to 20 hours right now, but
they will be smiling all the way when they're fast is only about six to eight hours, sometime 30
years down the line perhaps
		

			Allah grant us an understanding look at how fair Allah is.
		

			Look at how balanced he is. So you will taste a long faster short, fast one in summer one in winter,
and it keeps on moving 10 days up every single year. That is the disparity between the lunar and the
solar calendars. May Allah subhanho wa Taala help us understand His justice.
		

			Similarly, can you imagine a Ramadan that happened to have been less than 30 days, 29 days, let's
say Ramadan was one week, just as we are rolling in and warming up, it's over. We would not achieve
the proper spirituality Allah knows that you need one whole month out of the 12 months, you need the
entire month. Imagine if Ramadan was longer than a month perhaps we would lose focus because you
know it climaxes round the end amazingly 2123 2527 and we are climax right at the top. It's at the
end of the massage it gets even more packed. Do you agree? So panela That's the power of a lot. But
if we had two months, one wonders, perhaps a month later people would start losing focus. And one
		

			wonders whether that dedication to the plan would actually be there amazing. You have 30 Jews of the
Quran and you have 29 to 30 days of Ramadan amazing how Allah has married all this matched it in
such a beautiful way for us who are his worshipers and his creatures. He knows that through the year
you might be engaged in sin you might be swearing backbiting, although you know that that is wrong.
You might have a little bit of hatred and jealousy in your heart that begins to develop and the rust
begins to develop in your heart. Allah says we give you a month of softness, the first thing that
happens as the month is declared, immediately you feel the spirituality of Ramadan. But like it is
		

			something every believer knows you have to be be be a believer. In fact, some of the disbelievers
who might be living in the midst of the Muslim meme would also be able to feel that something has
changed. So Panama with us, no matter what the moment Ramadan starts, there is a difference in the
light that is around us. There is a difference in the faces. Immediately the heart supposed to
soften even the hardest hearts are softened in the month of Ramadan. You need to notice people who
are stingy nakedly miserly, they become charitable in the month of Ramadan, you would be shocked to
see them giving handsome amounts May Allah subhanho wa Taala help us give me he helped us become
		

			compassionate. May Allah subhanho wa Taala soften our hearts. This is why the one who does not seize
the opportunity of Ramadan is such a big loser that Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam claiming
the member you you and I met you may know that he said I mean thrice in one of the two hours that he
was saying I mean to as he explained later on why elimine andraka Ravana salami formula will be on
destruction be upon the one who has witnessed from Yvonne and still has not achieved forgiveness,
the course of their life has not changed in a positive manner. You have Ravana it's a powerful gift.
It's not going to last so long. And guess what Ravana is an auspicious month.
		

			Friday is an auspicious day. The moment that we are speaking right now is the auspicious moment
within the Friday and the place we are in is the house of your own maker. Subhana Allah
auspiciousness upon auspiciousness upon auspiciousness if you are still not feeling softened, and
you are still not feeling that I need to quit my bad ways and habits, then you are the only one to
lose. May Allah not do that to us. My brothers and sisters, take a look at the beauty of this month,
we look at one another with a lot of love. We try to resolve matters because we are taught by
Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam that in this beautiful month, an act of worship is multiplied
		

			literally on sale. These are the acts of worship on sale. Imagine if you were planning a holiday,
and suddenly the airline that you'd like to fly with, they announced a huge holiday, you will have
to plan it now and make sure you buy your tickets because you know that I'm going to get it at one
10th of the price. And I'm going to fly in conflict. So Panama. Well, we have a sale right now what
is on sale, good deeds are on sale. abstention from prohibition is on sale. Go and resolve your
dispute with your brothers, your sisters, your family members, go and say I'm sorry, go and solve
it. And you find the mercy of Allah rushing in your direction. Man, Attorney MC, Allah, Allah says
		

			whoever comes to me walking, I will rush to him to Panama, you want a lot to rush to you. You need
to make an effort. It's not easy to walk towards Allah. So this is the month of softening the hearts
we find it difficult to read Salah through the year. It's true.
		

			Because the environment we live in there might not be a Masjid near our area, we are not living in a
Muslim land. And at the same time, it might be quite difficult because of the weather and the
timings depending on where you're living because of the the people who live around you who may not
be showing such a great interest. May Allah grant us good company and companionship that can
actually bring us to the masjid. But Allah knows that we find it difficult through the year. So what
he does, he adds for us an extra
		

			voluntary prayer in the evening. That is such that combined it is more than the entire prayer of the
whole day which is compulsory put together. So Pamela, if you are ready to fulfill taraweeh in the
proper sense, you will achieve so much of raha raha meaning the peace and the comfort that you are
meant to be achieving through this beautiful month that you will find it so easy to fulfill your
Salah throughout the rest of the year. Imagine the dose This is why you and I know when you go to a
doctor, what does he write for you if you are unwell something known as a prescription, why do they
call it a prescription? You cannot change it you cannot alter it It starts at this time it ends at
		

			that time and the doctor will tell you you better make sure you finish the course. The same words
are used by Allah subhanho wa Taala when it comes to fasting in Ramadan yeah levena man oh you who
believe? Do you consider yourself a believer? If the answer is yes. Listen carefully. The one who
made you is talking to you. He is addressing you yes you he's saying oh you who believe quotevalet
como si
		

			kuchibhotla leadin me popularly called fasting has been written prescribed. Notice the wording
katiba fasting has been prescribed upon you just like it was prescribed upon those before you they
had different prescriptions their antibiotic was slightly different. Yours is slightly different but
it is also fasting fasting meaning to abstain from certain things that you like a lot. What do you
love? You love your food? Wow, Masha Allah, Allah says, stay away from it for a while. We'll help
you. We'll help you dedicate you. What else do you love your spouse, Allah says stay away from her
or from him for a little while. We'll give you something you love. So panela you'll appreciate what
		

			you have amazing. Look at the prescription. When the doctor tells you stay away from that which is
high in cholesterol we make sure like gospel, we follow it because we don't want to have a blood
test showing us that the cholesterol is a little bit high. Similarly, you have spiritual cholesterol
that affects you and Allah has given a spiritual remedy for that. May Allah subhanho wa Taala help
us it is a prescription prescribed. And guess what he says about the course. He says make sure you
finish the course Do you want to hear the verse?
		

			While he took me lowline Allahu Akbar. Allah says make sure you finish in order that you may finish
the exam. What isn't it that it is a prescribed time the course if you have less, you may not
achieve May Allah Subhana Allah Allah protect us and may grant us goodness. But even outside the
month of Ramadan, there is the beauty Do you know what that beauty is? A lot of us tend to forget
it. But I call on you to adopt it after Ramadan. You could fast for one whole month for the sake of
Allah compulsory fast. What about voluntary let's try it out as well. So Panama. In every act of
worship, we have compulsory and voluntary take a look at Hajj you have the pilgrimage that is the
		

			major one known as Hajj and then you have the voluntary which is known as Ramadan, which is the
minor pilgrimage many of us are so keen on going for Amara that Subhana Allah if we were able to go
at any given time, especially now in the beautiful month of Ramadan, we would
		

			then you have Salah, you have the facade of your prayer and you have the voluntary many of us
fulfill voluntary, we are actually required to do that in the sense that it would be something
meritorious something really good for you. This is amazing. It's Allah subhanho wa Taala gift for
you How many of us are ready to increase our voluntary prayer in the month of Ramadan the reward is
multiplied Allah says we are multiplying it so that you get used to it so that after Ramadan, you
don't just say okay, follow alone. Add a little bit of voluntary prayer even after Ramadan Come on
Allahu Akbar, Allah make it easy for us.
		

			Then you have for example xhaka when it comes to Sokka, and charity, what do you have, you have that
which is compulsory, and then you have voluntary, so the cat that which is in some places of the
world, termed milah, which means for the sake of Allah, I'm just giving it's over and above my
charity, two and a half percent I worked out, but I'm embarrassed because the Christians are giving
10% of their salary, I'm only giving two and a half percent of my annual saving. I'd rather give a
little bit more for the sake of Allah to please Allah, I'm going to give another 10% ready to do
that.
		

			While the Christians are doing it, may Allah subhanho wa Taala help us become givers, those who can
give and those who can do it in a beautiful way for the sake of Allah, not because others are doing
it or not. That is besides the point it's only an example we draw, but we have a great encouragement
straight from Allah subhanho wa Taala
		

			What about fasting? Why do we falter there? Let's be honest. The bulk of us, myself included, we are
guilty of making sure Ramadan we fast but
		

			after Ramadan How often do we fast how much of the voluntary fasting comes into effect? When when
the research on BBC tells you that it's healthy to fast twice a week we start thinking about it. But
when Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said it 14 136 years back, we haven't yet given it a
second thought Monday and Thursday, I encourage you to fast one law it will improve your health and
it will increase your concentration it will do a lot for the toxins and the removal of them from
your system. And by the will of Allah it will act as a beautiful antioxidant. May Allah subhana wa
Taala help us achieve good help. Amazing. Look at this. So Allah is telling us you know what, we
		

			will give you a multiplied reward. What a beautiful multiplied reward. Let's take a look at it.
		

			The Hadith says mon sama Ravana bajo Sita Misha well Cana Casa minha Ballykelly anisotropy actually
I'm Sally ha, whoever fast the month of Ramadan and then adds another six days of chawan voluntary
they will have the reward of having fasted the entire year.
		

			Wow.
		

			Imagine you work for one month and then they tell you just add another six days and we give you a
salary for the whole year. Look at the smiles Mashallah salary for the whole year when it comes to
the rent and the dollar we are fast, we are quick when it comes to the currency of the euro shavon
makes us lag behind. Don't let that happen. Let's make an intention. Now. This year, I'm going to
fast the six months of your well, When shall I make that intention? And I hope you'll join me in it
as well. May Allah make it easy for us to fulfill it. I mean, we save every year do we do it? We
watch others doing it. Do we do it? Let's be honest, Subhana Allah, so by the will of Allah subhanho
		

			wa Taala we have the month of Ramadan, Allah multiplies it by 10 it becomes worth 10 months, there
is a shortfall of two months because the year has 12 months. How do we get that? Well, three days
would multiply by 10 giving you 30 days which means a month approximately and another 30 days, which
is another month. So that would be six days. So six days of chawan multiplied by 10 you have your
two months. Amazing. Look at the calculation look at the mercy of Allah and guess what, every month
Allah says you fast three days the 13th 14th and 15th of the lunar calendar and guess what, we will
multiply it for you by 10 you get the reward of the whole month once again. So Panama ready to do
		

			it. Think about it, write it down as your resolutions I tell you why I say write it down my brothers
and sisters I am a human being just like you we plan things when we are in a soft spiritual moment.
And then when we become hardened because of what we see outside we tend to lose focus and we forget
what we promised a lot. We say inshallah and fast the sixth then suddenly you see the pizzas and the
chicken and everything else and the roast and Al Hamdulillah and you watch all the beautiful salads
and everything and the aroma of the beautiful bread that is being baked and you say no, no, no
inshallah next year, I will do it. And that next year keeps on coming and coming until some final
		

			Ah, we lose our lives. Come on, make a plan, tell your spouse, tell your family members, listen,
this year, we're going to have the deal eat and after that inshallah we'll all collectively try and
do this for the sake of Allah. It does not have to be all together. It can be staggered, but it has
to be in the month of show. Well.
		

			I think we can do this. So my brothers and sisters, let's go back and take a look at the
prescription of Allah. Don't you agree with me? It is the month of mercy. It is the month of
forgiveness. It is the month of solving your disputes sadly shape man as much as he's tied in this
month. He made his plan before Ramadan, just like our sisters and our women. What do they do for the
month of Ramadan, they happen to plan for it in advance so they don't have to make all the savories
just before the month of Ramadan. The freezers are full, completely packed so that all those savings
can last. We've actually labeled them day one, day two, day three, day four, up to day 30. In case
		

			we don't see the moon shavon has a similar plan, but of a different nature, different nature,
meaning he knows I'm going to be locked up for 30 days. Let me plan how I want this guy to be 30
days day one, day two, day three is going to fight about the fan in the masjid before he's made a
fight about the sound Dave, day six is going to fight about the window. day seven is going to really
sway someone in the afternoon when he's hungry and angry. And we're lucky that's what happens.
People ask when a man is tired. How then do we get so angry in the month of Ramadan? I tell you we
become little shayateen ourselves. May Allah subhanho wa Taala forgive us. Really? It's a month of
		

			softening. Allah says yes, you will be hungry. Yes, anger might try to overtake you but you know you
have a greater reward to abstain from anger. That is why it comes towards you in a greater force.
		

			Why does anger come to us and Allah it happens to a lot of us. Why do we get so upset short wire as
they call it short fuse. Why?
		

			In the month of Ramadan, it's worse. The reason is one of the reasons because to abstain from
prohibition is a great act of worship in the month of Ramadan, it's multiplied, the greater the
force, the greater the reward. Imagine if I was really going to get so angry and I come down imagine
the reward whereas if it was something minor, and I was just by the way, minor issue, the reward
would be smaller. So Hannah law that's the will of Allah. And this is why you tend to fast outside
Ramadan. Sometimes you feel hungry. When it comes to in the month of Ramadan. Sometimes your belly
starts rumbling. May Allah subhanho wa Taala help us through these fast. Well law. What keeps me
		

			going, is the thought of what the people in Europe are going through right now. Panama. They have
two or three hours to pack in the Maghreb. There Isha. There, should I say it's far, then the
tarawih then the Soho and they back? May Allah subhanho wa Taala make it easy for them. This having
been said, my brothers and sisters, it's important for us to pray for the oma.
		

			It's not just about yourself.
		

			There are people who cannot afford food and drink there are people across the world who are
muslimeen, who've been driven out of their homes solely because they utter the Shahada. There are
people who are struggling, homeless, they were wealthier than you and I it took five minutes for all
that to go away. It can happen to me, May Allah not do it to any of us. Think about them, reach out
to them, reach deep not only into your pockets, but even in your prayers. The Muslims of Burma, the
Muslims of Nepal, the Muslims of Pakistan, the Muslims of India, the Muslims of Bangladesh, the
Muslims of Syria, the Muslims of Palestine, the Muslims of Afghanistan, the Muslims of Somalia, the
		

			Muslims of Sudan, and the list goes on. Endless, completely endless. We're adding more and more
names as the days pass, we ask Allah to bless them to have mercy on them. On this particular Friday
in this beautiful month of Juma from this pulpit in the house of Allah subhanho wa Taala. At this
moment, we say yeah, Allah help them in every single way of the term help. I mean, reach out to
them. Brothers and sisters, we are not true believers until we feel what they're feeling and try to
reach out to them in whatever way possible. May Allah subhanho wa Taala help us be compassionate in
this beautiful month of compassion. Allah will have mercy on you for as long as you continue to have
		

			mercy on others.
		

			Can Allah houfy only labadi mckernon Abu fionna he, Allah continues to be in the assistance of his
worshiper, for as long as that worshipper continues to be in the assistance of others.
		

			May Allah subhanho wa Taala help us by the will of Allah. I hope to be in this beautiful Masjid for
the next four Jamal's or at least three depending on how many we will be having. And we ask Allah
Subhana Allah to Allah to make it easy for us. By the end of this prescribed time we are transformed
human beings cut out the swear words, cut out the vulgar cut out the lies cut out the deception, cut
out the adultery, cut out the gambling, cut out the drugs, cut out the drinking, cut out all the bad
habits, the * whatever else it may be the harem relations that you have cut them out
completely. This is what the fasting is all about. Brothers and sisters if you do not feel the
		

			softness of the heart in this moment in this month, at this beautiful place. When would you like
your heart to be softened? Come on? Isn't it time enough? Isn't it time enough that you have had for
Allah to soften your heart and for you to turn towards Allah? May Allah subhanho wa Taala bless us
all. May He forgive our shortcomings. Wa Salatu was Salam ala nabina Muhammad