Mufti Menk – Dealing with Difficulty #04 Fasting

			Salam Alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh Welcome to a new episode of dealing with difficulty.
Today's episode, we want to talk about dealing with difficulty regarding fasting, since we are in
the month of Ramadan. So this is the month of fasting, you know, it's a pillar of Islam. And just
like there are other pillars of Islam, people sometimes don't even think that it's important to fast
they're excited about Ramadan coming in, oh, Ramadan is coming in Ramadan is coming in, they quit
sinning, and they plan to sell once Ramadan is over. Many people do that. They do the right things,
because it's Ramadan. And immediately after Ramadan, they already planned that we are going to stop
		

			doing the right thing.
		

			So what you need to know, that's a difficulty, that's a hardship in the sense that we need to do
better, I need to do better, you need to do better. Fasting, if I were to tell you that it has
health benefits such that it improves your heart. It improves your gut, it improves your mind, it
improves your sleep, it improves your general well being. If I can prove that to you medically,
everybody will fast because they know there is a benefit that I can physically feel. Allah says I
know what benefits they are. But I don't want to tell you, I just want you to follow my instruction.
And you need to know there are sophisticated things that you will benefit both in this world and
		

			things you may never realize you will benefit in the hereafter that you get from fasting. Look at
how people do intermittent fasting is on earth today because medicines arrived at the point where
it's told us that intermittent fasting is extremely healthy for you as a whole.
		

			But when Allah tells you to fast from dawn to dusk for a month of Ramadan, people sometimes don't
even take it seriously. By right we should be fasting every Monday and Thursday because those are
the Sunnah days to fast every week taught by the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him but not made an
obligation. Or we can also add to that, or we can fast the 13th 14th and 15th of every lunar month
another teaching of the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him but it's not made compulsory the month of
Ramadan compulsory, you have no option you have to fast. So we need to start off from a young age,
trying to fast I normally tell the children you know what, those before the age of maturity and
		

			puberty under the age of 15, who have not yet reached maturity. We tell them, why don't you try
fasting half a fast today and another half tomorrow. And then you join the two by the end you'll
have made 15 I know you know that's not a valid fast. But it's a means of encouraging children so
that they can actually look forward to it. I know many children who fast and they're excited about
the Iftar Allah gives people a point where you're opening the fast of joy. That's in the Hadith, the
Prophet sallallaahu Salam says, Allah gives you two points of joy, the point where you are opening
your fast or the point of Eid.
		

			And when you meet your Lord, you'll be happy, very happy Why? Allah says I want you to abstain from
something that you do. Usually that's generally permissible for my sake, I want you to stay away
from it, why it will polish you up in a different way altogether. It will give you discipline, you
know, for me, if I've got money and I walk into the store, I can pay whatever I want. Allah says
control. What do you need? Don't be extravagant. Don't waste Don't be wasteful. Allah says being
wasteful and extravagant is equivalent to being a brother or brethren of the devil. May Allah
forgive us. So I shouldn't, how am I going to get that restraint? Well, if you fast properly in
		

			Ramadan, you will automatically be restrained because what it does, you see we have biceps and
triceps, many people, they flex their muscles and they, they actually do weights in order to build
their biceps. But there is a different type of exercise to build your triceps. If you don't have a
proper back, and front muscles that are developed, you will have back aches, you will have different
pains, but you building your muscle, because you're not doing it properly. You've built one but not
the other. Allah wants you to build yourself holistically. He instructs you to do certain things you
do them that builds the spiritual biceps, if I can call it that way. When he tells you not to do
		

			certain things. It's the opposite. You're building your spiritual triceps. I'm just giving you an
example. Right? So now that you have both you are you are strong in a holistic way. So if you did
not know or did not train yourself to be able to abstain from things that are displeasing to Allah,
anything and everything that comes in front of you, you think, well, I've got the money. I've got
this. I've got that I've got the power, the energy, the ability, let me go do it. So you commit
every sin there is in the market and you don't bat an eyelid. The reason is, you don't fast. Anyone
who can't control themselves. This
		

			The problem with their fasting, Allah tells you I want you to abstain from certain things because I
want to train you for the rest of your life. So Allah says fasting has been prescribed upon you
let's read the first.
		

			Yeah, are you * levena No cootie Bala in Como sia mokameh cootie Bala levena mu COVID Kabini
comme la
		

			tekun Uh, yeah, man, dude. Allah says, Oh, you who believe fasting has been prescribed upon you like
it was upon those before you, in order that you achieve piety, God consciousness, closeness to
Allah, proper connection with Allah. Allah says it's just a prescribed time. It's a fixed time one
month.
		

			So Allah knows, I always say if Ramadan was longer, we wouldn't enjoy it. If it was shorter. We
wouldn't enjoy it. But it's exactly the right time. Allah wants to train you. So habit building,
what am I doing building habits, and building a habit, it's an honor to fast, you have to make sure
you understand and when you are fasting, please ensure that you eat what is healthy, get up in the
morning for Soho, enjoy it, have a little bit, have some liquid, balance your diet don't eat too
much, because the enzymes will actually make you even more hungry at the point where maybe it's just
midday, but when you eat less, you enjoy the whole fast. You're you're energetic, you have the
		

			energy. And when you open your fast at the end of the day, don't glut yourself. You need to make
sure that you eat a date, have a bit of water, you pray, you come back you have something healthy.
I'd like to be campaigning against fries, and all the other unhealthy food maybe a little might be
okay. But try and do away with anything that's oily, unhealthy and so on. I know in some cultures,
that's what if that is all about fair enough. But control yourself. Have a little don't overdo
things. When you overdo things you won't enjoy the fast. But if you're having difficulty fasting,
the hardship where you're feeling lazy, you need to do something about it yourself. Make sure from a
		

			young age your dedicated.
		

			Use your energy in the correct way through the day, be focused upon the fact that there is a great
reward for the ones who fast. The Prophet salallahu Salam says there is a door of paradise
especially for those who are fast it's dedicatedly it's known as Rayyan
		

			especially for those who foster dedicatedly if you can abstain from what is generally permissible,
surely it becomes easier to abstain from that which is prohibited. What a beautiful habit building
month builds a habit. In fact, I can quickly let you in on a few other habits that are built in the
month of Ramadan, your prayer, your Quran, your receipt, your your car, your you know daily
supplications and the remembrance of Allah, your charities, so many other things you get used to it
in the month of Ramadan, it's habit building, habit building, so this is the best month of the whole
year. It polishes you it makes you a better person. It gives you an opportunity to rehabilitate and
		

			to build the correct habits. That is why when you come out of Ramadan, the Hadith says Ophir Allah
Who Mata cardamom and then be a person who was serious about Ramadan, the fasting and the standing
in prayer.
		

			They are forgiven every sin that they've committed in the past. totally quiet. Because it's a
beautiful habit building month like a correctional services. You know, one Hadith says that the
devil is tied up. Yes, there is difference of opinion as to exactly how and who and what. But, in
general, the devil is tied up in Ramadan, unfortunately, do you know what he misses with us, even
from wherever he is tied up? We need to realize that Allah wants to emancipate us. Allah wants to
release us from the shackles of the devil by giving us an opportunity to build ourselves. It's like,
I know I've got a massive
		

			heavyweight title and I'm practicing. I'm practicing. I practice for the whole month and I'm
building myself and energizing and using and learning and training and training for the day. I'm
going to meet with my lord Subhanallah as soon as Ramadan is over, my reward is plugged in. The
devil comes in I'm gonna bash him completely shaytan I'm not going to obey him. Look at this. May
Allah subhanho wa Taala make it beautiful for us to fast or colloquially Hara or sal Allahu wa salam
ala Nabina Muhammad