Making the most of our Ramadan Opportunities – Light Upon Light

Salam Alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh Bismillah al Rahman al Rahim al hamdu Lillah wa Salatu was Salam ala rasulillah Ali, he was happy here Jermaine. We always praise Allah subhanho wa Taala. upon all conditions, we send blessings and salutations upon Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, his household, his companions, we ask Allah subhanho wa Taala, to bless them, to bless every one of us, and to grant us every goodness, I mean,

my beloved brothers and sisters, every year, Allah subhanho wa Taala gives us the gift of Ramadan. If Allah wanted, he could have made all the months of the year exactly the same, he could have kept all time exactly the same in terms of spiritual value, or in terms of the merit of the moment.

But you and I know that Allah subhanho wa Taala chose not to do that. Allah subhanho wa Taala instead has chosen to separate the hours and the minutes in such a way that we would need to search for, or make an effort to witness some of these most blessed moments and seasons. So one of these moments is the last third of the night, every single night, we're taught to make an effort to call out to Allah subhanho wa Taala. And in fact, Allah creates a need within us very often, so that we look for ways and times of when to call out to Allah and how to call out to Allah subhanho wa Taala. And he loves it when we call out to Him. One of the things that is very different between man and

creator, meaning the created and the Creator. Obviously, they're very different. But one of the things that is different is that man gets irritated when you repeat something, when you want something and you say it again and again, man gets irritated. But with Allah Almighty, it's the opposite. It's not the same. Allah subhanho wa Taala in fact loves it when you repeat something in a nagging way, because you're actually acknowledging that Allah is the Creator and nourisher, the provider, the protector, the owner of everything. And so when you repeat it, Allah loves it. So like I said, different times have different value. Even different places have different value to be in

the masjid, is very different from being outside the masjid to be in the position of sujood, which is the prostration is very different in value than to be in other positions. So when you want to call out to Allah and when you need something, then you need to make sure that you make maximum use of these times and places. But that doesn't mean that it's only when you're in need that you should become acquainted with Allah. In fact, the prophets are seldom tells us to have in Allah if he Yeah, if cafe should dead, are usually quote this hadith because it's a big reminder for all of us, where he says, get acquainted with Allah during your days of ease and Allah will get acquainted with you

during your time of difficulty. Now, my brothers and sisters, every year Allah allows us or has given us the gift of Ramadan, and he allows us to witness it or we have witnessed it. Those who are chosen shall witness the month of Ramadan.

And those who are chosen differently shall be taken back to Allah subhanho wa Taala. What this means is, if you are chosen to die, when you return to Allah, and Allah will grant you Jana, if you're a believer, and you've tried your best, and if you've been chosen to witness the month of Ramadan, then it's your moment to achieve forgiveness. What am I meant to be achieving from the month of Ramadan? So basically two things many times people say Allah contacta con there is only one thing mentioned in the Quran. But there is another thing mentioned in the Hadith of the Prophet salam, which is an extension of what's mentioned in the Quran. So let's look at the verse.

Firstly in Surah Al Baqarah, Allah subhanho wa Taala says,

Yeah, Are you

a man or Cody cootie

mahkamah

Levine cubberly

Come

on.

You who believe fasting has been prescribed upon you just like it was prescribed upon those before you, in order that you may achieve God consciousness. Taka, Taka has an encyclopedia full of meaning so pan Allah, but in a nutshell it's developing the correct relationship with Allah, fulfilling your duties and obligations unto Allah, his instructions in a beautiful way, and staying away from his prohibitions, after knowing him and after

understanding them, staying away from them for his pleasure and to be protected from his anger and punishment. So that is taqwa. So Allah says, it has been prescribed upon you in order for you to become conscious of Allah. Now, notice when you are fasting, the first thing you become conscious of is your food you're not supposed to be eating and drinking. That's what the masses, the bulk of us the first thing, when we talk about fasting, the first thing that crosses the mind is or we're gonna have to be staying away from food and drink Alhamdulillah. So you become conscious of food and drink, did you know that you could earn the pleasure of Allah through food and drink if you were to

eat that which is halal and pure and clean and the pipe meaning it's been nurtured in the correct way and so on. And you could earn the anger of Allah through your food and drink if it is haram if it is in toxic and if it is something that displeases Allah that He has prohibited. So when you become conscious of your food and drink, not only does it help you with your health and so on, but it would actually primarily serve as you becoming more

conscious of what goes into your mouth. Subhan Allah. Similarly, Allah asks our subhanho wa Taala, to become conscious of what comes out of our mouths, even during the month of Ramadan. So you hear the Hadith where the prophet SAW Selim says that, you know, if you haven't abstain from bad words and foul language, then you wasted your time fasting. That's what he says, Subhan Allah, if you're going to lie and bear false witness and use your tongue in a bad way, then why did you bother fasting? Allahu Akbar, Allah subhanho wa Taala protect us. But my brothers and sisters,

primarily we should be achieving the consciousness of Allah subhanho wa Taala. An extension of that is way lumen other aka Ravana follow me for Allah. That's the Hadith of the prophets of Salaam, where he spoke about the destruction upon a person who witnessed the month of Ramadan and did not achieve forgiveness. So the second thing is to achieve forgiveness. you achieve taqwa and you achieve morphia or you achieve God consciousness and you achieve forgiveness. That's what Allah wants from you and I Subhanallah so you enter the month of Ramadan, the idea is to become conscious of my duties unto Allah to become conscious of the prohibitions in a way that I have the pleasure of

Allah and I abstain from

earning the anger of Allah subhanho wa Taala and at the same time, I want to earn the forgiveness of Allah, I want to be forgiven. And that's why there is another Hadith many a hadith one of them says, Muslim Ravana Eamon and yT serban woofie Allahu Mata at the moment MB and another narration says man karma Ravana, Eman and YT seven ofuro Allah who Mata Cardamom even be whoever fasts correctly in the month of Ramadan, expecting a reward from Allah subhanho wa Taala. With full conviction, that person will achieve forgiveness for all the previous sins they've committed. And the other narration speaks about standing at night in prayer. Whoever stands at night at prayer with full conviction of earning

the pleasure of Allah subhanho wa Taala and at the same time, with accountability, then they will definitely achieve forgiveness of all their previous sense Subhan Allah now.

Allah gives us this beautiful month of Ramadan, we're still not in the month of Ramadan. We're speaking a few days before I'm Yvonne this beautiful conference has occurred a few days prior to Ramadan. So I want to teach you something or remind you of something that will be very beneficial. We are fortunate because in Islam we are taught that your actions are judged by the underlying intentions. So when you do something, it's all about your intention. If your intention was pure and within what was taught by Allah and His Messenger May peace be upon him, then you are definitely safe and you're doing the right thing. You're earning good rewards. And if your intention was bad

and evil and contaminated, then no matter what you've done, you

could do better. May Allah subhanho wa Taala protect us. Now, if I plan to do something, it's either a good thing or a bad thing. Did you know that the Hadith says, when you plan to do a good thing, you get a reward just by the planning. So panela when you intend to do a good deed, you get a reward. Okay? When you intend to do the good deed, before you did it, or without doing it, you already got a reward.

That's amazing. I'm going to come back to that. When you intended to do something and you did it your reward is multiplied.

When you intended to do a bad thing, and you did not do it, you get a reward. And when you intended to do a bad thing, and you did it, you get one sin Subhana Allah, look at Allah justice. So a reward is just by planning to do good. When you do it, it's multiplied. Notice a sin is never multiplied. Subhan Allah Subhana Allah, that's the justice of Allah. He won't, he can reward you more than what you did, but he won't punish you more than what you deserve. Allahu Akbar, the mercy of Allah, the blessing of Allah subhanho wa Taala. So

let's start planning arm avant from now. And let's start doing a few things in order for us to be welcoming this beautiful month. When you have a guest you normally welcome the guest. And the bigger the guest, the greater the welcome, usually. So my brothers and sisters, let's welcome Rama man by from today. Let's say this from today, let's read a portion of the Quran even if it means half a page or a verse.

And you can do better than that. inshallah. Let's start

thinking about how we're going to dress especially for those who found it difficult to be, you know, on the straight and narrow regarding your dress code. So if you want to make your dress code even more modest, and there's always room for improvement, start thinking and planning from now, perhaps start buying things that you would wear in Amazon. It's a good enough excuse. Someone spoke to me recently and told me I'm not strong enough to actually put on a scarf on my head although I believe that it is my duty, but I'm still weak. So I told her my beloved sister Amman is around the corner. Why don't you wear it in the month of Ramadan Subhan Allah and at least take it from there. Allah

will strengthen you keep calling to Allah for strength. Allah strengthen me to do the right thing. And Allah weaken me when it comes to the wrong thing. Make me detest that which is wrong that which is in your displeasure, and make me love that which is in your obedience? Allah homehub Elena Eamon was the Yin houfy lubaina Oh Allah

make beloved to me, belief and a man and beautify it in our hearts. Amazing draw of the professor Salah was the name of your good work cannery, Elaine akufo will also coalesce and make detested to me disbelief and make detested to me. Sin corruption and that which is displeasing to you, sinful Subhan Allah transgression. So transgression and sin and disbelief make it detested to us. And when it comes to Eman and obedience, make it beautiful for us easy for us to do. So if you start intending from now to actually read the or on a small portion and dressing would improve, perhaps even the males obviously, we need to improve in many ways our dress code as well. When we speak

about dress code. Some people think it's only about the females, but rather it is also about the males. We need to improve on our dress code insha Allah azza wa jal in a way that

we have covered ourselves with something that is slightly loose, it's not too tight, and the material is not too thin that is see through the same rule applies to the men and the women. So Pamela, now, we also need to become conscious of our tongues, like I said earlier,

that needs to start from before a man from now start making a plan and say, I'm going to become conscious of my tongue, I occupy it with the remembrance of Allah rather than with the remembrance of shavon so what is the remembrance of shavon

when you swear, you deceive you lie, you're vulgar, you're hurtful. That is the remembrance of shaper because shave button has actually just taken over. Imagine being abusive with your tongue no matter who it is. Starting with your wife, your children, your

Mother, your sisters, your in laws, whoever they may be. Watch your tongue. There is no need to say a bad word or an evil word. A true believer does not uttered dirty words or bad words or hurtful words. Are you really a true believer? You want to welcome Ramadan make this promise of Allah, I'm not going to swear. No more swear words no matter what. Today we have a trend of these F's and B's and you know, m word and whatever else it is. It's really terrible people, young people say that, like salt and pepper as they're talking, especially in the first world countries and even elsewhere, actually. It's become a trend where people have become so

you know, forget not forgetful, but it's just

so Subhanallah I don't even want to use a disrespectful word, but they've just changed and to them, it means nothing that I'm just speaking Come on, how can you say that? It is terrible. It's written against you rather say a good word. What does it cost you to speak upright? To speak beautifully? What does it cost you to abstain from a vulgar word? What does it cost you to express your disagreement in a respectful way? Even the scholars are beginning to be disrespectful when they express their disagreement. And that's how you distinguish between the one who's actually wise and the one who's not. Because the wise person doesn't ever do that type of thing. A wise person doesn't

stoop so low. But a person who's not wise, would actually just come and vent their frustrations and say what they want and think about it later. So Pamela, let's not do that. Let's not be people who don't think before we speak and before we do things, inshallah, we would earn the pleasure of Allah if we thought about what we did. Because once you do it, it's already written for you or against you. If you hurt someone, you're going to need their forgiveness. But something very, very disturbing. When you've heard someone, you need their forgiveness before Allah forgives you. That's something that we are taught by the prophet SAW center. Now, with all this planning Mashallah of

welcoming the month of Ramadan, and we've spoken about the Quran, the dress code, we've spoken about the vicar of Allah and how to abstain from the the words of shade man. And we've spoken about how we need to better ourselves and become more conscious of things that go in and out of our mouths. Similarly, start cutting down on your food a little bit. So panela. Think about the poor from now. Start planning, what are you going to do? You know,

I was speaking to someone who was telling me,

one of the sisters was actually telling me, I haven't yet prepared for an oven and I said, What are you going to prepare? She said, I haven't made a single pie, a single samosa, I haven't made any savories and I'm thinking on Gosh, Subhan Allah, Allah, Allah, Allah, Allah Allah.

So I thought, you know what? Oh, no, look at this.

I'm thinking of the Quran perhaps and thinking preparation might be. So each one thinks of different types of preparation for the month of abstaining from food, our preparation is cooking food, making food, the savories and by the way, those savories are not healthy at all, nor are they a part of the sooner I'm not saying that they are. They are prohibited No, they are unhealthy because of the fries and all the the whatever is unhealthy in it and to break your fast will it is one of the most unhealthiest things returned to the sun. Why don't we make a plan this Ramadan? To fulfill asuna of opening your fast with dates and water? Or one of the two or both? And perhaps you want to add a bit

of yogurt and bread? How's that? Subhan Allah here of blood? I mean, and how about keeping it healthy this Ramadan? And how about

cutting down on the portions that we have from now so that in Ramadan, we don't think that we have to do kebab and I've said this so many times people when they fast and at the end of the day when they open their fast or some people call it when they break their fast both are correct actually, when you break your fast is more correct.

You break your fast on something that is very unhealthy and after that you eat more than you've ever eaten, outside of Rama Rama mon Subhan Allah that's not fair. That's not a Muslim. Meaning that's not the way a Muslim should be. We should be conscious of our food from now. Let's cut down a little bit let's learn to drink a few more glasses of water so that we can get accustomed to it in Ramadan inshallah, and learn to reach out to others with your tongue, meaning speak good words to others, make them feel reassured. give them hope and encourage give them

Hope about forgiveness because this is the month of hope and mercy. It is definitely the month of forgiveness, hope and mercy. And we must ask Allah subhanho wa Taala to free us from hellfire. So my brothers and sisters These are a few tips of how to enter the month of Ramadan.

Similarly start planning

Where will I make tarawih?

Which Masjid will I go to? How will I go to the masjid? If I'm going to go?

How much Quran Am I going to read? How am I going to improve it? Am I going to, for example, join any lessons Am I going to listen to beneficial lectures every day say set aside 30 minutes or an hour? Who will I listen to? A lot of the times people have a series during Ramadan, some of the scholars have a series choose two or three scholars if you want to just one. Anyone who actually perhaps moves you and motivates you to do a lot of good

and Subhanallah you can follow a particular series at least one

and planted from now by the will of Allah subhanho wa Taala This is my free time, this is what I'm going to do. And then your children if you have any or your family members definitely, if you have them living with you, all those who are living around you if you don't have family members, how are you going to solve your matters and your problems with those you have issues with? Very interesting, you need to forgive in order to attain forgiveness. And people mix forgiveness at times by thinking that by forgiving I need to go back to how I was before this person wronged me. And that's not a condition of forgiveness. I forgave them. I don't hold a grudge against them. But I don't want to

have much to do with them because I've been bitten quite badly. And I haven't forgotten it. So in Islam, we were encouraged to forgive. Never does it say forget about it. We can't forget where human beings we've been hurt. The gash is like an open wound that we're going to see for the rest of our lives sometimes. So I may not hold a grudge and I may have forgiven completely but I don't want to have anything to do with such people. Nothing wrong with that statement. May Allah bless you. And perhaps if you were to see them a Santa Maria Kamala Khan Santa Rosa duty.

That's it more than that is not your duty if you're if you feel safe and secure and you feel like okay, we want to try and make things work again. You want to try but the Hadith says lol devil McMenamin johannine, why hidden merata in a true believers never bitten from the same hole twice. Remember that. So if you feel that perhaps things haven't changed, although I forgiven this person, or these people, and I don't hold a grudge against them, but I don't want to mix with them because I don't think anything has changed in reality. You're justified in that type of thinking. May Allah Subhana Allah, Allah grant us forgiveness and help us to forgive others. And then when we get to

Rome, Milan, if we're able to execute all that we've planned, alone, we'll double, triple, quadruple and up to 700 times, you know, multiply that reward sub panel and even beyond the charities we're going to give in Ramadan, the other good deeds we're going to do in Ramadan. And guess what if a lockdown comes or is extended, and we're unable to fulfill some of what we have planned to fulfill, you're still going to get a full reward for having gone to the masjid to Panama or having fulfilled it the way you had planned it. Amazing. That's the gift of Allah. So these are beautiful words I thought I would remind myself and yourselves with on this beautiful occasion of the light upon light

conference and insha Allah, I ask Allah subhanho wa Taala to grant us the most beneficial Ramadan, I pray that Allah allow us to fulfill our plans and even more in terms of goodness, and the worst thing one could do is to plan evil in the month of Ramadan.

My brothers and sisters if you cannot do a lot of good in Ramadan, at least don't do bad. If you cannot do a lot of a bad and acts of worship minimum is don't sin in Oman. And it's not like we should be sending outside of Amazon but be more conscious of Ramadan with the gift of that Allah will protect you from sin even outside Ramadan. So if you are to respect the sanctity of the month of Ramadan, Allah will grant you a different level. So if you've planned to do good executed don't even plan to commit a sin in Ramadan don't and if for some reason human nature and you have canceled it, it's not worth it. It's not worth sinning during the month of Ramadan. May Allah

protect all of us and strengthen us in the best possible way. barakallahu li Kumar colo kolyada also Allahu wa salam o Baraka al and Amina Muhammad was Salam aleikum wa rahmatullah wa barakato.