Mufti Menk – Ramadan 2023 – Reviving the Spirit 17

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			Assalamu alaykum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh Bismillahi Rahmani Raheem Alhamdulillah wa Salatu was
Salam ala Rasulillah. While he was happy at mine, my brothers and sisters, this beautiful mantra
from Amman, Allah Almighty wants us to do as much as we can and to push ourselves. How much of Quran
did you read today?
		

			That's a question. How much extra prayer Did you fulfill today?
		

			What did you do in terms of altcar? And the remembrance of Allah today? What extra acts of worship?
Have you done? Did you give a charity today? Even if it means a little bit? Did you visit a sick
person or pray for them or call them or message them to find out how they're doing and to try and
boost the way they felt? Did you call someone who might have lost a loved one and express your
condolences and sympathies and perhaps say a dua for them. All of these are acts of worship that are
taken seriously in Islam. And the month of Ramadan comes by in order for us to get closer to Allah
in the form of Taqwa. Toccoa, meaning the consciousness of Allah subhanho wa taala. Now part of it
		

			is to polish ourselves by engaging in as much extra acts of worship as we can. So it's not just the
five daily prayers may Allah strengthen myself and all of you. It's not just the abstaining from
food and drink. Together with that we all know that when you have engaged in backbiting, or abusing
someone with your mouth or swearing them while you're fasting, the reward of that fast is minimized
and even nullified in some cases. That would never be the case unless there is a great importance
attached to developing yourself and correcting your tongue. And this is why let's cut out bad words.
Let's cut down swear words, many young people and even the old at our workplaces, when our friends
		

			we swear and we don't even realize nowadays people say it's no longer a swear word. Come on, that
word will remain a swear word. Even if society does not consider it a swear word. You can take it
out of your vocabulary. And you can use another word perhaps, even if it's just for laughter or
banter. It's not necessary to utter words that are displeasing to Allah or that are no, they are not
befitting a believer who's going to meet with Allah. Because the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him
says Whoever believes in Allah and the day of reckoning the last day, they believe they're going to
go back and give accounts to Allah Almighty should only utter that which is good, or remain silent.
		

			So my brothers and sisters, if you and I are not going to be bothered about how we say things in
what we say. And we're not going to be conscious of the words that come out of our mouths, and
		

			how could we be different from anyone else in terms of being believers? Let's try and make an
effort. This Ramadan will be Ramadan with a difference. They are a few days remaining. And even if
we were to listen to this after Ramadan, still, we should develop ourselves now because we don't
know if we're going to witness another mother.
		

			What is it that requires development? While I tell you number one, we need to ask ourselves
regarding our connection with the Quran, regarding learning the meanings of the words of the Quran,
regarding learning about the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him, we need to respond to
those who are coming up with things against Islam against the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him
that are not true or taken out of context or fabricated completely. Many people don't know because
they haven't taken the time through the years to study to look into and to check. I've had people
who tell me, Well, you know, I'm doubting this element. There was no need to doubt it if you had
		

			knowledge, because doubts are only created with ignorance with knowledge you won't doubt. So
therefore, have you made an effort to learn? Have you joined an online class? Have you tried, be it
online or even if it is in person, have you made an effort
		

			Do something of that nature. If not, here is the time. Similarly the other car take a moment to
repeat words of praise of your Lord Subhan Allah and handling. Now in Allah Allahu Akbar, these are
words of praise of Allah Almighty. Glory be to You praise be to You, You are the greatest, there is
no mic, no power, except that of yours. And so on. Lovely words, read, learn to repeat them, they
will help polish you, they will make you conscious of what you say, become a person who says lovely
words, beautiful, empowering words to others. As you meet someone, you smile, you greet them, and so
on. This is the teaching of Islam. Like I said, Islam teaches us to worship Allah alone. And then it
		

			tells us to develop ourselves in a way that we fulfill the rights of others. One of them is for me
		

			to develop and improve my character, my conduct, and to become a person who's much better than I
was.
		

			So my brothers and sisters,
		

			Allah Almighty is favor upon us is tremendous. He has given us something beautiful, holistic deem
the month of Ramadan comes. And Allah expects us to have improved. Allah expects us to enjoy the
prayer after Ramadan, because in Ramadan, we took it seriously. And we increased so much in the
month of Ramadan. Now, after Ramadan, I'm finding it so easy to fulfill these five prayers. I'm
finding it so easy to control my temper, because in Ramadan, I control it so well. I was hungry, it
was hot. There were so many things going wrong, but I kept myself and I controlled my temper. Here I
am out of Ramadan, beautifully I can manage. And that's why the Hadith says when in Ramadan, someone
		

			swears you, you look back at them and say in Nisa, I am fasting. That's it, I'm fasting, which means
don't come and try this with me. At the moment, I'm fasting. And even when I'm not fasting, the fact
that now I learned how to deal with this type of behavior will make it much easier for me to deal
with it, even outside of Ramadan. So you look at the benefits of this beautiful month, it's
tremendous. We become people who are connected to the right things. When we have certain things in
our lives, we know we have to get done for the sake of Allah, perhaps in my dress code, I need to
improve XYZ, I need to make sure I get to this level, let's be strong. Ramadan is a season where
		

			good things begin started now and don't give it up. You know what you need to do. Today, we make a
decision and we say Oh Allah, I have not been doing this, like I gave an example of a dress code,
perhaps male and female, I've been dressing in this particular way, I'm supposed to be doing this
from today, I'm going to do this and I'm not going to give it up. There we go. And I'm doing it for
your sake, I'm going to make my clothing in a way that is modest and acceptable in your eyes. So
when I meet you, I know that you will be pleased with me. If Allah subhanho wa Taala knew that this
was so simple to do, he would not have kept such a great reward in adopting his instruction. And
		

			that's why whenever you find something really difficult to do that you have to do and you do it,
you're rewarded more than a person who found it relatively easy. Because of your situation. Say for
example, you're living in an environment where it is very difficult to do certain things that you
need to do. Very difficult to do certain things that you need to do because of the environment. And
you do those things against all odds, you will be rewarded more than a person who lives in an
environment where that particular thing is very easy to be done. Because number one, you're rewarded
for what you've done. Number two, you're rewarded for the patience that you bought. And you're
		

			rewarded for the strength that you developed in order to do the right thing that was not easy,
against all odds. So there's a double, triple, quadruple reward for you. So therefore, take these in
your stride. Allah Almighty knows what's best for us. Really, he wants us to develop ourselves. He
wants us to be strong. He wants us to carry ourselves on in the best possible way. Think good of
others. That is something that is lacking in today's society. The minute we see a negative thing
from someone immediately shaytan comes to us and makes us think
		

			A negative and only negative, not realizing the term giving them the benefit of the doubt is
actually something Islam teaches. If there is a doubt, give them the benefit of it. If you want to
address the matter, address it in a beautiful manner, but you don't have to accuse people based on a
doubt being good of others and inshallah you find the world will be a much better place, give others
a chance, help them and see them develop. Even if someone has a weakness don't we all have
weaknesses. Imagine if all of our weaknesses had to be exposed, it would be embarrassing to even
communicate with one another. But this is the favor of Allah when he has hidden a lot of our
		

			weaknesses from others, because he wants us to develop and to correct them. So we will be judged by
Allah subhanho wa Taala based on how we were at the end of our lives, we still have some time in sha
Allah, although we don't know how long but the fact that we are awake right now were alive right now
we're alert right now. We can make an intention by his world, to change for the sake of Allah, to
develop for the sake of Allah. And the way we look at others, like I say, means to be positive in a
positive light. There is a narration where the prophet peace be upon him says a true believer should
never be bitten from the same source twice. Once you've been bitten, Take heed, but that doesn't
		

			mean that you need to write off the person completely, perhaps that particular item, watch out that
you're not bitten. Second time. If you can offer help to people offer it. If you can help develop
them, help develop them and see what Allah subhanho wa Taala does for you, in your own deeds in your
own lives. And in the lives of those whom you love. Allah will help develop all of those by His will
His favor and His mercy. May Allah grant us ease in this world and the next Akuto Leha Salama who
was a nama albaraka Ananda Bina Muhammad Laila to call the
		

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