Exploring the Inner Dimensions of Ramadan and Fasting
Date:
Channel: Muhammad ibn Adam al-Kawthari
File Size: 85.28MB
AI Generated Summary ©
The speakers emphasize the importance of fasting and praying for success in achieving spiritual well-being, balancing deen and d union, and the use of words like "has been rewarded by Microsoft" and "we" to connect with God and share experiences of it. They stress the importance of regular practice and the masala as a means of rewarding others. The conversation also touches on the negative impact of fasting on health and relationships, including the importance of keeping a close eye on the body's condition, and the need for compassion and a focus on one's own health during the season.AI Generated Transcript ©
hamdulillah Salatu was Salam ala Rasulillah
Allahu Allah alumina and iron foreigner when I lived in I was in early months of Hanukkah Allahu Allah Allah Allah Allah marlington in Antalya Lima Hakim,
about respect your brothers and sisters and salam Wa alaykum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh
it looks like everybody is fasting. Mr. Lang welcome rahmatullahi wa barakaatuh
I would like to once again thank the Rodale Institute for inviting me and all of you and arranging this program and after that if
we have some very important issues that I wanted to discuss. And I pray Allah subhanaw taala grant me the ability or the energy to save property in sha Allah Who to add and give you the energy to listen in sha Allah you just have to listen with that with the fasting energy
and apologize I can't speak Swedish if I could I would have spoken in Swedish
but Hamdulillah you all understand English?
Allah subhanho wa Taala has granted us this great month Ramadan
What is this month called?
Ramadan sees because I saw that I don't go to sleep I'm going to keep on asking you questions. Okay, so I need some interaction, and some sort of discussion type but at least interaction with your, you know, gestures and your faces and your responsive answers. And then I'm going to test at the end as well this is there's some very important things I want to talk about and understand
this month from a deeper and maybe like a very important perspective. Some things you may have heard but some things at least one thing you may not have heard I think so. But it's to understand what this whole month and everything relating to this month is about.
Allah has given us this amazing month
called Ramadan. The correct pronunciation of this month is Ramadan. Some people say that um, but it's not it's with the Fatah of the meme. Ramadan, Mubarak.
You know, literally and this is not even my topic, but literally, you know what Ramadan is from the word Ramadan. Ramadan actually means heat excessive heat.
Why was this month called Ramadan?
Because when some scholars said that when
this name this month was being named, it was very, very hot, so they just called it it's the time of Ramadan type time of excessive heat.
And other commentators and scholars of Hadith from the classical times. They've also added to it that it also refers to the burning Mercy of Allah in this month. Allah's Mercy burns away the sins of the believers. And this is why it was called Ramadan Rama because it's excessive heat.
Now this month that Allah has granted us is a NEMA it's a gift it's a great gift by Why Why does Allah give us this month?
If you look at this month look out of the window
does he say Ramadan on the
clouds on the sky?
Does that building to last week when he was on Ramadan? Did that building look pink different or does it look still the same?
Still the same does this look still look the same? It's the same everything around you is still still the same.
Sun rises and sets outside Ramadan and in Ramadan.
The day comes in Ramadan outside Ramadan, the night enters outside Ramadan inside Ramadan nothing's changed. The sky doesn't become pink or blue or green.
The buildings don't change the ground doesn't become a bit hot.
Nothing like that. I know people try to look for those kinds of signs out tonight is later other because I saw a shining light in the sky that was probably an aeroplane light.
Maybe another light who knows but that's not the our basis. This is another topic that Allah subhanaw taala sometimes gives us some signs here and there but our deen is not based on those things.
You know some people get excited. The in England they used to open an aubergine and they used to see the name of Allah and everybody used to get excited Allah's name written on it. I used to give talks our deen is not based on an aubergine
we don't need a sign written Allah in the cloud or in the aubergine to believe in Allah the Quran
tells us our iman increases by Tila of the Quran we believe in Allah because today Allah may be written in aubergine tomorrow.
Rom which is the Hindu God may be written in orange. They will say it looks like ROM. So our deen is not based on these type of superficial things happens happens but people our dean is based you mean Hoonah believe.
We believe in Allah through the messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. It doesn't require these type of things. If it happens, great. If it doesn't happen, our Eman is still strong. So this month, some people look for signs here and there.
If it's there, there, whatever but the point is Ramadan
is a month, that externally if you look, it looks exactly the same as any other month.
Today we are fasting.
Today is Saturday, right? Last week Saturday. We were not fasting. It wasn't
Ramadan. Maybe the weather was better this week, this Saturday.
But it's exactly it's just everything's the same. Nothing's changed. We've just in our mind we're thinking is Ramadan.
Why has this month become so blessed that we fast and we pray and we make dua and we make a step far I will recite the Quran and we think we are getting so much rewards. The only reason is because Allah subhanaw taala has said so and he said this month is my month is attributed to him. That's it. There's nothing else that's changed. It's the same example if you take the house of Allah GABA.
GABA is a square building built of bricks. There are many better externally looking buildings in Sweden. We so so many buildings on this street, you know, look at the buildings, it looks so beautiful. Externally, what is it it's just walls. There's nothing super extra externally. But why it has become so blessed and our hearts are attached to it. And people are coming from all around the globe. To just look at the Kaaba and just to touch it. Only because Allah said it's my house, by to Allah, Allah attributed to him.
So externally, there's nothing in it. It's the attribution towards Allah. Ramadan, Allah has said it's a blessed month. And I there's a lot of mercy of mine in this month, there's Rama, there's mercy, there's forgiveness.
This is the only reason why the month has become very, very sacred.
And we should also remember that Allah subhanaw taala, the question might come then Why did Allah do that? Or why does Allah do that? Like once? One month in 12 months, Allah says, This is my month. This is a blessing month.
There's a reason for this. And this is the concept of Ramadan. The reason is that not just the month of Ramadan
throughout the year, Allah subhanaw taala he knows he knows us better than ourselves throughout the year. Allah subhanaw taala fixes and appoints certain times, days, months nights for a reason.
Remember, it's not only Ramadan Ramadan is finish. As soon as Ramadan finishes after a while the Hajj season was started and hedger will arrived. There's so much blessings every other after so certain period blessing night have come now do your brother in there. And now this night has come this day has come not just days and nights, even five times a day Fajr the horror SR Nagar in Asia.
You know the what's the reason behind this? The reason is that in Islam,
the understanding of the Quran and Sunnah the the message that the messenger sallallahu alayhi salam came with is that Islam is a practical religion. Islam understands, acknowledges the human need, and the human need to live in this world. So we had some other faiths
and still do like the Catholics who had the understanding or who have the understanding, in order for you to connect with God. You have to divorce the world. You have to separate from the world. You can't marry. You can't. Monks can marry nuns don't marry, you can't buy and sell or you can't enjoy food. You can't enjoy life. You can't work. You have to completely detach yourself monetarism, you have to go into the jungle. This is called urbania in the Quran. Allah says worra Bernita new Buddha that Oh ha This is monasticism. We didn't prescribe upon it.
upon them, they made it themselves. And there's a hadith that says La Surah tefillah Islam sunnah widowed which means that there is no leaving of marriage
in Islam marriages, a sunnah
they felt and think that you in order to get close to God, you have to just, you know, sexual desire,
according to Catholics is wrong altogether. There's no right way of sexual desire fulfilling sexual desire is wrong book of sins, greed, lust, sexual desire, even in marriage, it's wrong.
Whereas Islam has a very balanced and balanced understanding. Islam says look, you don't go to the left sexual desire that you fulfill your sexual desire in any way shape or form. However inside marriage outside marriage with whoever and whatever whatever nowadays it could be male, female, whatever it is, whatever format that's the liberal way of fulfilling your sexual desire the desire to eat food, there's no unlimited permission given in Islam the liberal way is eat whatever however in whatever way you can any animal eat any animal however you want to eat you want to eat just fill it fulfill your just fill your stomach, how you earn whatever no problem.
On the other hand, you have these people are you can't enjoy food you can't marry you have to detach divorce the world. You have to completely get out of this world Mujahidin struggle connecting with God is you can't really live in this world and enjoy the luxuries of this what you can't work. Islam came with a middle message. And the message was that look, you we live in this world Allah understands us the message that the messenger sallallahu alayhi salam came with was that this is a world you live in this world. In this world you have to marry you marry, you get reward for marrying. Yes extreme fulfill your desire in a haram way that's wrong, but in a halal way. Marry
every prophet that came had a wife
if marriage was a bad thing then prophets wouldn't marry whether or sell now Rasul Allah min public ledger Allah whom as version will do RIA Allah says every prophet I sent I made wives for them and children only two prophets did not marry anyone wish to prophets.
Isa listen and he shall marry when he returns. And yeah, peace be upon him does Kamala Hi. But all the other prophets married and it's a sunnah it's actually a bother
and sexual intercourse is a bada. There's a hadith of Bokhari that says wolfy Buddha had come sadaqa one of you engaging in sexual relations with your wife or husband that sadaqa charity. Hadith sahih al Bukhari is not a bad thing is not a dirty, filthy thing. A man and a woman husband wife sleeping together in bed, having intimate relationships, they are involved engaged in the act of charity. According to the sahih, Hadith Buhari, wolfy, Buddha, a hadith comes out of cotton. So Islam acknowledges that earning a livelihood
Yes, does extreme on the left.
earn a livelihood however you want cheat, fraud, cheating, deceiving us usurping the wealth of others, you know, getting involved in all sorts of you know, the robber industry and just you know, all of this, the monopolies and all of that, that's all wrong. On the other hand, there were these monks and some people, some faith communities, oh, you can earn money. Islam comes to the middle. Look, we understand your human being Allah is saying, guess what the Hadith says cuspal hala, referring to abandon fareeda earning a livelihood earning money is a foreign after other for our obligations, you are rewarded.
earning a livelihood every day going to one's job. And earning money is not an act of dunya. It's an act of Dean.
But the intention has to be correct. And it has to be in the correct way. And I remember once I was at a university in America, New York, I think last year, so we had a talk that the students they arranged the talk and the talk was the poster, they made the flyer balance between Dean and dunya. And they wanted me to come and give them a talk to explain to them, how can we balance our university life dunya
against our dean, you know, it's a struggle balancing. So I saw the poster fly, I mean, they made it to two weeks before I let them carry on, because I wanted to make that as a point that that hold. The title was wrong. So I went and I gave the two I still remember St. John's University in New York. I I went and I gave the talk and I said before we start this poster, this type today's event is balanced between deen and duniya. Who said to you that this is dunya and mustard is Dean.
In the university is Dean, being a doctor is Dean.
If you do it with the right intention that I'm going to serve the creation of Allah. studying medicine becomes an act of Dean. This understanding that the dean is only in the mosque, and, you know, if you're at the workplace or the job, that's dunya
Oh, that's a wrong understanding. So, I said to them, that this banner balance between Dean and Dean and dunya dunya means worldly activities is a wrong title. I said to them, you should have changed it to the following title. Balance between one aspect of deen and another aspect of the
because there are different aspects of the praying Salah is another type of Deen. But working and being in your surgery, as a doctor, like I will explain right now is a slightly different type of Deen that there is a difference. They're both not exactly the same, but they're both aspects of religion. But there's a difference. But I'll come to that how there's a difference, different types of a bada Matsuda and Red Rock Sudha. But the point here I'm making is that our religion?
What is the understanding in our religion, Islam, that
living in the world is needed. So in order to be a good Muslim, you don't have to detach from the world. You don't have to divorce the world. You don't have to stop eating and drinking and working and marrying and live, living a livelihood, etc, etc. We have to engage and be involved in the world. We have to live a life we have to raise children,
we have to earn
so, because this is the understanding, when we get involved in that
in that what are all those worldly activities, so called worldly badeen Like I said, activities
there's a like I was saying there's a difference between that type of Dean and now the Salah and you know direct that's why a bada is of two types. You know, worshiping Allah is of two types. One is one or those types of worships, which have a direct connection to God, like Salah. So Salah is a direct type of EVA Matsuda fasting, the god Hajj, making the recitation of the Quran to emulate tarawih tahajjud is still far vicar, all of this. These are direct forms of Deen worshiping Allah and other things like going to your job and opening up your office or being a doctor all worldly so called worldly activities, these are also acts of riba but they are secondary indirect. This is why
the messenger sallallahu alayhi salam said gospel hallelujah for you the two that are ideal for either earning a livelihood is a secondary first after the main farm. So salon all these things are the main things, but this is also Dean but secondary. Now, Ramadan is why all these months are given all these times is because Allah knows that we as believers, when we get busy with our worldly activities, we become distant from Allah.
Even though that's supposed to be Dean, but we, throughout our life, we are so engrossed in our indirect you can say Dounia or indirect acts of worship, like working, earning a livelihood, spending time with a family sitting with a wife, sitting with a husband, raising children, going for a holiday taking your children out to the zoo, all of this is Dean but these are indirect forms of deen and we become distant from the direct forms of connecting to Allah. So Allah subhanho wa Taala every so often wants to give us a small reminder like a tea
reminder. These reminders everyday five times
Fajr morning reminder then we go to a call we have a shower now we're on the phone and we are the office and five hours we forgotten Allah straight to a dark time. Come back to me concrete Okay, back to Allah will do. Connect to Allah after the how to go back, lunch, working, taking go into the shop shops, family here the school children you just forgotten Allah no problem. Because it's very difficult to always be connected to Allah. But don't forget Allah too much as the time comes. Dude reminder
Maghrib time reminder, a chateau reminder, every day five times reminder to come back to Allah and connect him directly. This is why these times are given. Likewise, these are daily reminders, also daily reminders, these do hours.
You know, the prophetic supplications do are that we have given and it's a very, very, very important sunnah to recite these prophetic supplications
we should make a habit of learning them memorizing them and their meanings.
The real real benefit is when you know the meanings of these prophetic DUA and supplications. As soon as we wake up,
Allah is telling us as soon as you wake up, don't pick up your iPhone. As soon as they woke up, wake up. Don't go on WhatsApp. As soon as you wake up. Don't you know think about your work or job or anything like
like that, as soon as your eyes open
think about me. What? As soon as our eyes open, what happens? What do we read?
We should do our
yeah Alhamdulillah Hillary? Uh huh Jana Verma tena Wailea Hindu should you know what the translation of that is? All Praise to Allah who gave us life after death. In other words, this is a new day and a new life I was dead at night.
Sleep is a sister of death. The Quran says Allah takes away the souls Allah Who yet often unforeseen mot ha, well let Helium 10 With few Minami ha for us equality cada Allah hell mode. The ones who Allah has decided that they won't be alive anymore. He really he keeps the souls he doesn't send them back. Well, uracil Aloha, all of us Allah sent ourselves back in the morning. So every morning eyes open
Alhamdulillah all peaceful VA was giving me another day to change myself. Jana Bardem tena, he gave me life. Am I really alive? Yes, I am. By them. After I was dead at night, what he knew sure but one day I will definitely go to him and I won't be waking up in this world.
Remember Allah straightaway and then straightaway
will do. remembering Allah, pleasure remembering Allah, maybe tele of the Quran or dhikr whatever this is all remember. So this is early morning, we are remembering Allah, I was saying all these dua applications. And you know, all this application they are all at times when there's a change, like when you're entering when you're exiting. So like for example, after that, most people go
after waking up to the bathroom. Before we'll do we'll go into the toilet into the bathroom.
When we enter, we say Alhamdulillah the DUA Allahumma inni will become in a hobo will hubba is make our children memorize these and the translation.
You know, I told my son he's run away now. But when he was barred for five years, I would have asked him his translation of the doors in his words.
And even my daughter I've told her, she's learned so when she goes she will read Allah Khomeini I will become an auditor why Allah please there's a lot of boys girls shattered in this toilet, please save me from them.
That's the meaning. But that's the childish translation. After we come back out,
we exit again. So whilst we're inside then we exit off run and Alhamdulillah Hilah the other herba Anil other What are funny, all Praise to Allah, who removed all the, you know, filth from my stomach, gave me well being you know, this these prophetic dewasa so amazing, unique scholars have written books. And actually I want to do a course on this go through each one we need at least 25 minutes to understand. Each one has oceans of meanings, like half an hour on each to add so many deep hidden meanings.
This dua is saying that you were thanking Allah that you know what if I couldn't go to the toilet,
to the bathroom and you know Subhanallah this you know, the thought is that we at night we ate everything. All the kebabs and burgers and the chicken and you know the meat and everything and just ate the bones as well and who can everything and went to sleep
snoring away for seven hours. But we don't realize for seven hours Allah's machine is working in our stomach.
We're just relaxing. Allah says you don't worry my slaves. You just go to sleep just wake up version. That's it. But for seven hours won't disturb us. There's a massive night shift taking place in your stomach. But it won't disturb you don't worry, you can just relax. Just do anything. Just wake up
for seven hours. Don't worry, no one will disturb you but as people in your stomach, there's protein being made from the food that you ate at night. Blood is being produced from the food that was made. All sorts of things are happening in the stomach and things are happening. And whatever's bad for your stomach, the residue that's all being you know, sifted to one side. As soon as you wake up in the morning, go and just empty that out.
If that doesn't come out, you will die.
That's why some people who can't then they have to have a bag
is a near ama this just one name of allah gonna be able to go to the bathroom is such a Nirma that we could do sudo to Allah for 200 years. That's how great namah This is. But we don't think these do ours are to make us think that we come back go fraud Alhamdulillah Hillary as the hubba and other
you know the transmission again the childish trans to
Question is Oh ALLAH thank you for you know taking everything out 30 things from my stomach otherwise my dad would have to take me to hospital
because if you can't you can you end up in hospital. So and then when you sit in the car when you come out when you when you you know before sleep, so Allah subhanho wa Taala is
has given us throughout during the day, all these different two hours
the DUA before what's the DUA when you sit in the car doesn't do as well with the DUA Subhanallah the enemy's asking me a gun. So parallelly
finish
then
just finish it We're in.
We're in a la Rabina, the Monica lagoon,
even that with meanings. Okay, so the point I was making that throughout our lives because Allah has allowed us to engage in the world to buy, to sell, to work, to earn a livelihood, to marry to, to have children and to have a family to do everything in life. But every so often, five times a day reminder, don't go too far away from me connect with me. Also during the every single day, when you go into the toilet do are when you come out do when you entering the masjid do RS application when you exit the masjid application when you're traveling application before going to sleep all these times, these are all reminders. So these are daily reminders. And then we have weekly reminders,
weekly reminders Friday, every Friday, connect to Allah that's a weekly reminder. And then we have this Ramadan as a yearly reminder, maybe monthly reminders as well three times fasting 13th 14th 15th of every month, that's like a monthly reminder. And then the yearly reminder and then the you know the hygiene reminder Hydra reminder. So these throughout the year, Allah has given us all these reminders to connect with him.
And the greatest reminder is a yearly service once a year, one full month of servicing your iman is a reminder and this is why
Ramadan is basically like I said In Islam we don't have this robinia we don't have this monastery system you know the monks and the Catholics had but in Islam this Ramadan is a one month taste a slight flavor taste of that robinia still not full Robin Yeah, we can still work. We can still we should still work and we can still do all of this. But it's like a taster. This is why some of the earliest callers you know what they used to do this to take the whole days to prepare Ramadan from before. They used to say okay, one whole month I'm not working. Just kidding. This is what I took office and from the full month last 10 days is the full taste
and irritate cough you know, the last 10 nights and 10 days people observed in the Gulf is basically completely detaching yourself from the dunya from even your family. This is why only talk to your family only this if there's a need in article. You can't do article with an iPhone. That's defeating the purpose. airtanker fire attack evil means I am gone. That said I've attached myself to God in the masjid. No, not talking only if there's needed not eating too much. It's it's a bit of taster of that. Monetarism, that Hibernia that the monks and nuns had and you know the Catholics had. So this is what this is the Hadith the messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam when the last 10 Nights is to
enter, shut the Tsar Why call the Allahu he used to stay away from his wife from his wives he never has to engage in intimate relations even at nights. This is 10 nights of completely devoted to God connecting to Allah. So in Ramadan, we have a bit of taster normally staying away from your husband or wife sexual relations is wrong and if you're not fulfilling their right sinful this haram whether it's your wife's right or your husband's right, generally without an excuse.
So if that's normally wrong, but in Ramadan during the day fast we can't and during the night it's permissible in the beginning of Islam even during the nights he wasn't allowed, you know to be intimate night with your spouse was not allowed in the beginning of Islam then Allah allowed it later for an anniversary overnight.
But someone who's observing aitikaf they can't even in the night. Normally I just said it's a bother the Hadith al Bukhari said sexual relations is sadaqa but in Attica now no because yes normally is a murder but this is it's a secondary type of Ibadah Ramadan, you're connecting with the
the first type of you know a brother like completely go connect yourself with Allah. So this is the whole like kind of concept to connect with Allah. Allah is giving us daily, weekly, monthly yearly reminders.
To come back to him, but the rest of the time allowing us to no problem just live in the world and enjoy the world in a halal way.
Now the question is that how do we connect to Allah in Ramadan?
So we have so many different types of worship worships that Allah has given us in this month.
Have you understood this part so much as so far this much? Okay, this kind of this is just like the intro to the concept. Okay, I want all of these things in your mind and I'm going to do a test at the end written test Yes. Just joking.
How do these various acts of worship in Ramadan because we've understood now Ramadan is a month to connect to Allah?
But it's a month to connect to Allah?
So
how do these various
worships, connect us to God?
The different things we do in Ramadan, for example, the what's the main thing we are doing?
Fasting? Okay.
Fasting, the question is, okay, Allah has given us a month reminder connect to him fast. How does fast there's actually many other reasons for fasting, which I will mention just later on. But the point here is that how does fasting connect to Allah?
Because here's the question, how does fasting connect a person to Allah subhanho wa taala.
Because we
ascertained, and we understood that the objective is to connect to Allah. How fasting connects to Allah is in this way, that fasting is totally based on submission. This is one of them, because I'm going to talk about four or five, for other reasons of fasting, but that will come later on under another context. But here, just the first, because it's in this context, one of the reasons we fast is submission.
What a submission, Islam means submission. I talked about this in afternoon today. Islam means submission. So one of the reasons are one of the meanings behind fasting is that we fast we stop eating because Allah has told us to stop eating. We are building a connection with Allah through slave hood. We are slaves. This is really really important. You know, brother and sister we live in a time when nobody wants to listen to anyone these days. I no problem. But we're, you know, we are the way that we are created. I mean, I've also been born in the west and you know, we, the way humans are big beings have become with number one, one problem is we've become very sensitive, very
attention seekers, social media has made us big time attention to every man and woman is seeking attention through different ways. So this is a I mean, this is with research and medical evidence on this as well that the seeking of attention problem has become massive in the world. Now, the first one was what we really say.
seeking attention. Sorry. Yeah, very sensitive, very sensitive. You know, just and the media and our culture around us has made us You can't say like, there was once there was a
soak, you know, just using this, but there was a English white man, once, like, I knew him as a non Muslim. He was talking to me, he said, You know what, today, if you're a white English man, I'd say you have to be so careful. You can't, you have to be careful that you might use a word that women might take sensitive, you might say something that the black people will take sensitive, you might say something else, Asians will take sensitive, you just he was saying that, but maybe even there, everyone's sensitive, you can't just say anything, anything is like something sexist, something, you know, this or that everyone's offended very easily. You know, sometimes you need to go over your
skin, you know, it's okay. It's so I'm not saying people should abuse and swear and slander, but some things in the olden times were just like normal. It was like, it was part and parcel of language like now. You know, so sensitive, someone sometimes talks to me, sorry, did I offend you? Like, I know this. So what kind of food do you know Asians eat? Oh, is that a racist? No, it's not racist. Don't worry.
It's okay. So, anyway, that's not my topic. But one of the things is that
what's happened is that a lot of people have stopped being obedient. Like children have stopped being obedient to parents.
Still students have been stopped being obedient to teachers, the respect towards elders in our community has really gone the whole generation has changed respect towards pay
arrogance towards elders towards teachers, towards people of community elder people. younger generation don't have the and the reason is this obedience thing that submission and sub being submissive, submissive. It's like everyone has ego Now who are you to tell me?
Like I can't be controlled? Who are you to tell me? I have hundreds of emails on a weekly basis of problems between parents and children and husband and wife Who are you telling me
now there's rules of course, but even marriages are breaking down. I'm not saying anyone should control anyone. But sometimes most small things like some wives in my husband told me is he controlling me? Like why is why is he telling me this? Right? Relax this this okay? Just don't worry. Oh, sometimes even husbands do that. It's like everyone has this ego thing. Islam. I'm not saying Islam is saying that you should be submissive to it. But the whole meaning of the religion of Islam is submission. submit to God. We are slaves of Allah. Allah is our Malik our Holic our Creator. We are basically abdomens we are His slaves. We are a slave. This is what our DM or Gu dia,
the messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam was Abdullah Subhanallah the SRB Abdi he before he was at a soon controlled we are controlled by God. We are subject to what he says
it's like you know if there's a master and he has a slave, go and do this, go and do that. Go and do this go and do that. This is what we are our Salah has to be Allah saying Bowden Kabbalah down, stand up so I mean a lot even Hamidah going sujood Okay, Allah, like you are controlling us. Until we don't have that connection with God. We can't be close to Allah Spanner god. I'm talking about Allah. I'm not talking about slavery to human beings. But then if Allah tells us that certain human beings not slave would, but there needs to be some respect to obedience, then because God has said, so with parents. You have we have to respect and obey our parents. Because why? The one who controls
us has told us what darbuka Allah Abdullah or Bidwell, Edenia Asana, look after your parents be nice to your parents obey your parents treat them with respect is because he has said, If he hadn't said that, no. Because we are obedient ultimately to only God and then if God tells us listen to this person and respect that person, okay, you're saying it then yes, if you're saying no, then I won't.
So, ultimate slave who deserves Allah, the whole of Islam deen is based on OBU D.
or Buddha means whether I like to do something or I don't like to do something because God my Creator, my Holic, my Malik the Rahmani Raheem, he has told me whether I feel like doing it, whether it's difficult, whether it's hard, whether it's tasty, whether it's pleasurable, whether it's enjoyable, I will still do it. Whether I also whether I understand the wisdom behind it or not, I will still do it.
This is another problem today. Until I don't understand the rationale, the wisdom of why God has said this why is this in Islam? Yeah, first find out if it's definitely in Islam, people can find that out is really from Quran and Hadith and authentic and this and that's no problem. But we know that it's in Islam until I don't get it in my brain, I will not accept it. This is not a rudia This is like, you know, if I was like a boss, and you know, had two people, I won't say but two people working for me. And I had some guests coming. I had one person who you're working for me, right? And I had three guests that come to see me. I'm the boss and you're you're working for me. Okay? Like in
olden times, they should be slaves. But now just a worker. Okay, and I'm paying you or whatever. But
you're my worker. I have three guests coming. And I make them sit and we're talking. And then I call you come here. Okay?
You drink tea, coffee, tea. I'll have some. Can you get 12 cups of tea please? How many cups of tea? 12.
You might ask?
Are you okay? There's three people here. Like are you really 12 you might ask me two three times when I'm half. I'm fasting and I'm half sleepy. You will ask no problem. I say yeah, I know there's three people here but I want you to get 12 cups of tea. You say to me, tell me the wisdom. Why do you want 12 cups of tea unless you explain to me 1234 Maybe you want me to have one five? Why seven more cups. Give me the rationale behind seven extra cups otherwise I'm not going
that's basically we when we talk to Allah
we don't you don't understand you don't know I want to send someone home to my wife because she's got you know some people at home that come with Who are you to ask? You don't need to understand you might get it you might not get it.
This is the relationship we have with Allah.
All the rules of Sharia. If we invest
Stand great if we don't understand problem is in our brain.
The wisdom hikma there is a wisdom ACMA behind everything of deed. So all of Islam is about OBEDIA. Submission. Islam means submission. So one of the things with fasting is to teach us this submission, you know, a lot of these Ibadat which is full of submission.
Do you know this? It does make no sense for someone to go around around the Kaaba seven times.
Do you need exercise? I don't need exercise. Do you need exercise? You do. Okay, maybe make sense to you? Maybe not. I don't need to go seven times around around the Kaabah. I can go run around Daria, why do you have to pay for 5000 pounds, take a flight and then go all the way around and just go run around and then go suffer Marois sorry, like why do I have to do that? I can just go on this street down here up and down. It's like burn calories here. Why do I need to PAL stones? Like what's what's that going to do?
Take stones and throw it on the wall? Like what benefit is that doing to the dunya to the world? Like what kind of change Am I creating in the world? Millions of people are going for hedge because hedge is a bar that that is just doesn't make sense. Is to teach submission
further about who you know the slaughtering? This is why because Ibrahim Ali Salam when he was ordered to slaughter in Salinas Merrell did it make sense? In Avast. Oh, Allah, are you okay, what? You're telling me to start on my own son?
No question. If and then the son as well set to the Father. Yeah. But if I met all my father, do whatever you've been told, Don't question. If Allah has said it is no questioning. When Allah mentioned this, he called them both. He said, for them as Lama when they both became Muslims, they will prophets, but mostly means submissive. When they both didn't even question, my command to slaughter the father destroyed his own son.
That's when you become a Muslim. So how do you submission? Fasting is also this is the way to connect to Allah. And like I was saying the afternoon is like, we it doesn't really make sense whether it makes you know, people like to want to know the benefits of fasting and the medical benefits, there are benefits. But the main point behind fasting is, even if the doctor said is harmful for you, okay, God said it, whether it's harmful or beneficial, no problem, then those if you find other extra benefits hamdulillah it's the benefits are lucky that those benefits have been supported by fast not the fast is fortunate that he's got some benefits.
Not the other way around during summer. I'm saying these benefits of fasting benefits. Look, God has also said too fast. So you get the benefits are supported. Not that fast. Look, there's so many benefits. So the whole idea is when Allah says Eat, eat, don't eat, don't eat. Make sense? Does it make sense? Whatever. This is the way to connect to Allah. And I mentioned in the afternoon that there's Hadith one Hadith mentions
that, Saru, there's a lot of Baraka blessings in Sahara and we should take the Sahara meal. Right, we should take the solar meal and the later the solar meal is done, the better
Yeah, so meal you know, it's there's a lot of baraka and there's another Hadith ma
liaison nurse Behera marginal fitter, we are always in good as long as we hasted with Fedora, so you know, if star we should do it straightaway, it's actually my crew, you will probably know that to delay if that is my crew. You know, if someone says you know what?
Today's 910 915 925 is Iftar time but you know, I've fasted for Allah to 920 Wallah another one more hour give you until 1015
It's actually my crew, yo, yo, yo, we are what? destroying our whole fast it's sinful, it's wrong.
Why? The wisdom is that when Allah says eat, then we eat all the way to the end, and that's why it's good to eat till the last minute when fasting time starts. So eating, eating, eating and slowly talking to Allah, Allah you're allowing me to eat Okay, two more minutes left. Okay, meeting stop, okay, I stopped.
I'm not eating now. Not eating Maghrib time Allah says eat straightaway eat.
This is why eating last minute like before, start first fast starts and eating as soon as Iftar comes is to make ourselves a slave when Allah says stop eating stop. We're robots before God. It's like someone's controlling like, stop walk. Right? Left.
Look ahead.
before Allah only with Allah, nobody else, no human beings. This is Islam is takes us out from the worship people do that we human beings. This is why many companions said that this messenger came
You Regina, I mean,
to take us out from the worship of slaves from human beings to the worship of God.
Human beings can't control this like this.
But Allah controlled us this is Islam that we come out from slave hood and slavery from human beings to slavery and submission to God. This is what Islam is about. So, fasting, the question was, how does fasting connect us to Allah? It connects us through submission. Are you remembering what I said in the beginning, the whole concept, this is the order I'll need the list at the end.
I mentioned the beginning that Allah gives us these certain occasions to connect to him because he allows us to live in the world and not be like the Catholics and the monks and the monasteries, and not also the liberal way. And we need these reminders to connect him then the question is, how do you connect with Allah in Ramadan? So number one, I mentioned fasting, fasting is through submission, eat, eat, don't eat, don't eat
despite us wanting to eat because Allah has said that's the only reason we don't eat. What else do we do in Ramadan?
Outside fasting
that's why the Hadith about fasting finishing with fasting or somo li
what an HCV Allah says in Hadith Bootsy fasting is for me and I shall reward the fasting
because we have left all our desires.
Food drink for the sake of Allah. Okay, fasting what else would we do in Ramadan like, secondary by the time you know that Eva
tarawih
pm will lay tarawih
that's also
Salah in itself is the greatest way of connecting before Allah. mirages movement is the ascension of the believer, any Salah so this Salah has been increased, because Salah itself is the main method of connecting to Allah. The greatest the Hadith says that the posture the position through which a slave is closest to his God
is in the state of sujood because that's what we have to pray with that like you know, when we pray Salah, we need to have that horseshoe unconstrained like when you're in sujood we need to feel and think we're on the ground. Because it's become so common. It's become robotic, so we don't realize what we're doing. Hola. Hola. Hola. Hola. But we just we just thinking like we just sat on another chair. And we've just gone this way
because we do it regularly. I know it's difficult. You know, if you ask some non Muslim who's never prayed Salah never seen anyone praise Allah. You tell him come here. Okay, can you just go down and put your head on the ground? Who's what's happening Okay, when we're doing look you're putting on the head.
Okay, just go there, close your eyes and think about the majesty of this something that's in front of you. You know, the whole thought comes because we do it regularly. The thought doesn't come who show in Salah means, you know, praying with concentration like you are and dabbled Allah Gunda Katara fell into control for you know, Iraqi worship Allah as though you are seeing him. So when we say Allahu Akbar, we're standing basically whether you know, hands here or here, whichever way both are from the Sunnah. But, you know, standing before Allah,
or sometimes even the Maliki way is this way, there's Hadith for that as well. It's not a problem anyway. But before standing before Allah, Yahweh standing like this, you know, we've got our hands full.
Like this, you know, before we stand before someone's okay, we tell him
that's the way of standing before Allah.
That's for sure if it's a law, thinking that I am before lucky, and then knowing the meanings that handle the law here. Let me try to understand the meanings of these short tours. Roku Subhana rugby Alladhi me think what why are we saying Subhanallah or Bill Aldi and sujood Subhana? Allah, what's the difference between allow them and Allah?
Allah, we say Subhana Allah, Allah in sujood, because that's the most original state. The lowest state is Erdenet. So we talk about Allah's or Lu Allah has, you know, loftiness his greatness, His Majesty. So and then every position of Salah so suju you know, with this thought concentration, it's difficult it's probably the most difficult thing it's very, very difficult but it takes time. Maybe you get 10% concentrated it might take another two three years 20% concentrated it might take another four or five years 30% concentrated might take 50 years and you might get 80 to 90% even that's great, but we have to try to say okay, I want to get this concentration and connection Salah
is amazing, unique way of connecting to Allah. And that's why this has been increased in Ramadan. There's more 20 raka or whatever a girl 24 A coward 18 raka our four to eight or whatever. Pray but pray with concentration. Don't pray and argue about it that
How many records you do pray.
It's better that you just pray with how much you want to pray with concentration, rather than praying so much without concentration and arguing about it.
So, this is me, Leila, what else do we do?
read Quran Quran.
recitation of the Quran, has a recce Quran recitation has a strong connection with the month of Ramadan and has a strong connection with connecting with Allah. Imagine we are reciting the words of Allah. How else can you get connected to Allah? You're reading His words, Kola Mala.
This is an amazing way of connecting to Allah.
You know, you're reading someone's email that you like, you know, so you're reading it three, four times, someone you really like and the email and the paragraph or did you use this word and you sometimes you know, someone happens to a lot of people sometimes in relationships or marriage, but sometimes someone you adore and respect. Like, there's someone you really love and respect. There's one of my teachers that I really look up to, whenever he sends me a message or something I listen to three times like, did he use that word? Or is he using that word?
If it's a voice note, I listened to at least three times, sometimes four or five times if it's a message, I'll just really read it because you know, I love him as a teacher. So I go through it 234 times.
So with that sort of connection reciting the book of Allah, and you know, this is why how does Quran connect you to Allah? Again, just like solid is crucial, etc. This crucial also in Quran recitation.
And books have been written on how to recite the book of Allah.
Imam unknowingly, Rahim Allah Allah DIA and who create Imam we mentioned in many times today, he's a unique scholar, one of my favorite favorite all time top scholars of the Muslim ummah.
Imam, and no of you, I'm sure many of you have heard of, it's just unique, amazing, you know, scholar of Islam, a great scholar of Hadith, Mohammed did fapy, a jurist of the Shafi mother but his his teachings are so balanced and so deep and so comprehensive and so gentle. And so,
you know, overwhelming. One of the great scholars, he's written many, many, many books, we talked about his autobiography, etc, etc, the other side of him but he has a really good book. He wrote a special book on how to recite the Quran, a TBN. Fi Adobe homiletical Quran it's actually been translated into English as well by somebody called Shia Musa Phurba. You heard of him? Okay. He's a friend of mine we study together in Syria. He translated this a long time ago. I think the new additions come out as well etiquettes of reciting the Quran.
When to read what are the best times to read when make wudu in the direction of the Qibla try to read in the masjid morning time after Fajr in the Quran and veggie cannabis Gouda
and then also thinking and reflecting etc. You know, the weight that some of the early Muslims used to read was they used to ponder when Allah said yeah, you says, Yeah, you have ladina Amanu Oh, you will believe anything okay? Oh Allah Alhamdulillah I am of the believers telling me what you're telling me. You're talking to me? Then they
was good Allah Declan cathedra. Remember Allah accessibly make the kind of Allah and nothing okay Allah I need to do this. They might do on the car, and then see if they're doing something that Allah has commanded them they will thank Allah, if they're not doing it. Then the stock for Allah Allah make a promise I'm going to do this. Now. If this is out of Jannah and Paradise, they will thank Allah and make dua to enter paradise if this punishment is out of punishment, verses of punishment, the secret protection and refuge of Allah that shed tears on certain verses that will show in happiness on certain verses with concentration, recite reciting the book of Allah increases
demand and increases connection with Allah.
So even in Quran recitation, it has to be with the heart with the connection and then I also said What else do we do is I took off the Ramadan
Yes, and I've already explained that how Ramadan connects sorry, how
Attica connects us to God because the point I'm making here, how all these different forms of worship connect us to God so fasting I've mentioned that are we to emulate Salah Quran, Quran, do as well do eyes like you asking Allah you know, this is a very strong way to connect to Allah. Because do eyes you know, do I doesn't require much explanation because we make dua we need it ourselves. So normally, people always have kosher and dua because you're saying to Allah, Oh Allah, please I want this I want this and you know, so we want it so we are human beings, you know,
slaves so we will be connected. And Erica cough is also in Ramadan where we are detaching the world completely separating from the world even from the family everybody we are going in to the house of Allah and the Masjid. Also, the sisters can also make our take off in the masjid but also at home the brothers can't do that they have to only do it in the masjid it's not allowed at home the sooner I take off the last time maybe nothing one maybe but sisters can also designate a place at home so if you have like a place a masala at home and you should have a masala inside the home every home should have a masala doesn't have to be a big masala you can have a designated place it's actually
recommended you know the way we live is like we prefer in the bathroom and you know her in the corridor and acid in the kitchen and mothering you know in the bedroom and Asia in you know the attic
you know and
taraweeh next to the stove and you know Maghrib is definitely next to the
all the pastries
so it's good to a point a certain place at the home where anyone who wants to offer praise Allah they go there so if you have in the room like a small corner place there's a masala there there's a prayer match there there's some must have Quran there, things like that. Anyone, son, daughter, anyone wants to go okay, I'm going to pray my salah there is if you have a full room, it's great if you've got a big house if you don't have a big house and it's just a small place. Whoever wants to you know from the family wants to go and recite some Quran or read some Salah go there, I'm going to the masala in the in the house. So that would be the designated article off place for the sisters
and then should detach herself from the family. Connect herself to Allah. And that's it she'll eat there she will just not talk too much with people just completely all day and night. Do so far. The tiller of the Quran, just connecting to Allah, maybe even just meditation thinking about Allah. So this is Attica, another way of connecting to Allah subhanaw taala
Okay, so we've done fasting and we've done what Quran and tarawih formulate salah and the article and there's one last one
what's another act that we do?
Because part of you know, recitation of Quran etc do out of that
charity circuit and charity, not just the god the charity.
Okay.
And this will take me to the second part, which I want to talk about and that part is also very important, like I need a half an hour on that. It's very important another way of understanding Ramadan
but let me just finish is the cutoff
or charity. The messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam was asked in a hadith of sunnah integrity, are you sadaqa to have done with charity is the most virtuous he said Salah kataifi Ramadan charity in Ramadan, in the hadith of Sahara Bukhari, Gokarna ajua Dima Yaku, Luffy Ramadan, he was the most generous, you the most generous he was in Ramadan.
He was more generous than meaner rial more Salah than a blowing wind. He was very generous in Ramadan. So being generous, not just a card, but like providing Iftar the Hadith says manfaat Surah saw Iman cannula who urged you to kind of the whole mythological saw me, whoever provides Iftar for someone he or she will receive the reward of the fasting person when ready, are you in tacos, manager he che without the fasting person's reward being decreased. So if I gave you something for Iftar, I get your reward as well imagine if every day if we provide something and doesn't have to be a lot. It can be something could be one day. If we gave something and provided something for Iftar
for someone, after 30 days, we have received the rewards of 60 fasts
because we get their reward as well. And if they give us they get 60 as well.
So there's a lot of reward in charity. And everyone knows that.
But the question is, how does that connect you to Allah? That's what I'm trying to explain. We all know charity is what we're talking about. Allah is giving us reminders every day of weekly daily, weekly, monthly yearly reminder for what?
Going back to him connecting to him connecting with him. Yes.
Are you with me everybody? These are Wait, Allah is giving us a he this Ramadan is a yearly reminder to connect so we I've explained how fasting connects us to Allah and praying Quran and erotica and recitation of the Quran
charity, how does that connect
to us to God
Do you know how charity can access to God?
The reason why charity connects us to God. There's a hadith of the messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam where he says I'll Hello Who are ya Allah?
For a Hubble Hello team and Santa Isla de. The creation is the family of Allah. Allah loves His creation.
So the most beloved to Allah is the One who is good to his creation.
The creation of Allah, Allah loves them it is the creation is the belonging of Allah. I'll give you an example. If I own something, or you know, like, sometimes we have, like, I've got my son, or my daughter, I have children, you have children, someone's nice to children. Wouldn't you love that person because they'd be nice to your children. Something you love. Someone comes and gives a gift to your children or to your young ones. Be nice to your family, to your people beloved to you, you will love that person. So the whole of creation is the family of Allah. Allah loves His creation Allah is saying if you are good to me, then you will have love for me and I will have love for you
directly. So charity is with the reason why charity connects us to Allah is because we are being kind and nice and generous and charitable to something that Allah really adores
you know there's a there's a story in the olden times you everyone's heard of mage noon and Leila
yes let's make it a light NO NO is getting a bit hot and you know we need to eat and this is a bit deep conversation you know all these concepts everything.
Heard of much sooner or later. Everyone's had emotional Nayla. These will by by the way, they will not names
Leila wasn't really a name Leila in Arabic is used. Now people keep later as a name. But classically, Leila
was a term to describe something that people love, or like, or divorce or lust after. So Dunia was called the Leila
duniya was called the Layla is because people love the dunya so people something that someone last fall was called Leila.
So, that story much noon that wasn't his name. His name was emerald case. His name wasn't much noon. Much didn't mean he was mad. He was crazy. For the love of this girl, whatever her name was. So she became Leila and he became much nude. So every romantic couple, Romeo and Juliet. Yes, like in English as well. We say Romeo and Juliet. So in Arabic, every room in Judah is much do Leila. So this much noon guy. He was mad. He used to go around and touch the house of Leila Leila never used to hear she was very playing hard to get like they say,
you know, she was like, you know, no, you can't have me I'm too good for you. And he was a bit mad for her. And the more she ran away, he ran after her. That's, you know, again, another procedure of the dunya. If you if he just left us or I don't want you that you might have come back. This is how human beings human beings play a game.
The more you run after someone, they run away from you, the more you run after dunya dunya runs away from you. The one the more you run away from the dunya is like a shadow we run after you.
You running after your shadow, you'll never catch it.
But if you run away from your shadow, it will just keep on running behind you. So therefore this is the normal policy of the world.
Anyway, that's another topic. So this merge noon and Leila. He used to go around the house of Leila and go and touch the window and kiss the stone and like kiss the walls of her house because he was in love.
Love makes you do crazy things like the Hadith says as well makes you blind and your army what is some blind love?
So he used to just go and he's to kiss the walls and the windows of her house. So somebody said to this maroon guy, like, what's the benefit? Why you like touching and kissing and you know, feeling and touching this building this house? That's not Laila.
So then he responded and then a few lines of poetry. A more row Allah Dre, Dre Leila woke up bill with LG dari with LG Daraa or Maha boo Dr. Schaffner Appleby. Wallach, in our booth, and second at the era, very famous lines of poetry. I roam around amuru Allah Dr. Dr. Dr. House, Dr. Laila, I go around the house of Layla, who called Blue the LG dar whether Judah I kissed this wall and I guess that hole wha hoo. Dr. Schaffner Appleby is not the house that's overcome my heart. It's not the love of the house. That's coming my heart
Well I can help boomin seconded Dr. It's the level of the one who lives in the house, not the house. I don't love the house. But I love the one who lives in the house. This house belongs to someone I love. So now I will kiss the house as well. I fell in love with the house because the house belongs to the one I love. So I love the creation of Allah because it belongs to Allah.
I am kind towards the creation of Allah I am charitable, I am hospitable, I am considerate, compassionate. Towards the mahalo the creation of Allah because it belongs to Allah. I have love for Allah and part of my love for Allah, it is impossible for a human being, to love Allah and not love his creation. If anyone says I love Allah benois creation, sorry. You're deceived and you cheating and you know, you're deluded, impossible.
Part of having love for Allah is loving his creation, because He loves His creation. And this creation, animals included.
When we say creation, not just talking about human beings, not just talking about Muslims, not just talking about Muslim, non Muslim human beings, not just animals are not even animals really do you know, it includes every creation of Allah even includes the
mountain down there,
even includes the trees, even includes the ground, even includes grass, even includes vegetation, includes the air, so we have to love all of this and be gentle towards everything.
Being gentle to the atmosphere, is also part of loving the creation of Allah.
And then that's another topic, you know, this whole, you know, some people have talks on that and you must have heard of that, you know, being kind to the environment is part of the this is why, why is it part of the in because it's the creation of Allah, no, Islamically it's actually wrong to, if there's not a need, look, we are kind to all of the creation of Allah, but Allah has made us the best.
This is the balance. Listen to this carefully. We have to be kind towards all the creation of Allah but Allah has made us meaning human beings are shuffle bucklew caught the most noble of the creation. So yes, we are before the animals. We love the animals, we are compassionate. But we have to also understand that we are above the animals, we are not equal to the animals, we are not animals, animals, Allah has made them secondary to human beings.
So animals don't do Java for us and eat us. We make a number of animals and we chicken doesn't eat, there's no Iftar of chicken having a thought today all the humans have been cooked.
Today, humans are doing Iftar with chicken being cooked fish being cooked, the fishes are not having us in Iftar. So we have to remember this. Sometimes people go wrong in they're the people who animal rights activists who like to who are vegetarians and vegans, you know, vegans, whatever, whatever. They say, Oh, no, no, you can't kill animals and this and that, because they've misunderstood. Yes, there has to be a balance. Islam allows us to eat animals. But at the same time, Allah says, Remember, you have to have compassion on the creatures. They're not lifeless objects. You can't kill animals like you want. You have to slaughter them in a particular way, in a humane way. You have to
cut the veins you can't sharpen a knife in front of the Hadith says cuttable as an ally coalition, even if you slaughter slaughter with their son.
So one extreme is someone says, oh, you can't eat any animals eating any animal is bad, you being oppressive. That's one extreme. The other extreme that we find today even on mostly in Muslim communities, is it doesn't matter these animals you know, ride a donkey and slap it and kick it and you know, ride a horse and just kill an animal and kill a chicken and however you want and these no compassion towards the creation of Allah. That's a wrong way of eating animals. And today, somebody asked this question is, well, there Look, I am a vegetarian or a vegan, I don't want to eat animals, not because I think it's wrong as a concept, because that's, if you think like that, and that's an
Islamic. So I think Islamically Allah has allowed us so I'd have no problem. But the way that animals are treated and slaughtered today are wrong. It's a wrong way and that's why I don't eat. That's perfectly fine. Someone can definitely be a vegetarian, so I don't want to eat any animal because the way they've been slaughtered. Everywhere in the world slaughterhouses is not done. It can't be done.
The Sharia ruling is one animal should not be slaughtered in the presence of another. How can that possibly be possible unless you do it at home?
The slaughterhouses want to slow to 17,000 chicken in a few hours. Because the business that's what happens students
One animal in front of another animal not slaughter, how is that even possible?
Don't sharpen the knife, there's so many rules of animal slaughter that they are virtually impossible to act upon in this day and age that it will still be halal. But it still won't be like, the pure type of type type of food, unless
it's an organic type of chicken that you've looked after. And then after that, with all the etiquettes you've slaughtered yourself Bismillah Allahu Akbar in an Islamic way with all the etiquettes and then cooked in a proper way then it becomes a pure wholesome food, but anyway, so we have to realize that animals are sorry the humans are above the animals. So I was saying compassion for the creation of Allah, compassion for the creation of Allah means animals and human beings and plants and all of that. So this is why in Ramadan, the last I bother Are you with me connecting to Allah? Through charity is why?
Because we are being kind to his
creation, and this is why we connect to Allah through that way.
Okay.
Is that clear?
Now, how long is left, the last part I just want to mention and then we'll end inshallah in about 1520 minutes.
The last part, so long, long issue, long topic, but connecting to this charity or this being
charitable, being compassionate towards the animals to the creation of Allah subhanaw taala.
This takes us to the next part,
this month in the Hadith
has been called this is a very important part of this month.
You know, this last Ibadah because we said, fasting connects us to Allah, that's one Ariba the one worship we said praying Quran reciting Quran offering Tarawih prayer, malades Surah, recession, Quran Artica and charity but charity is such an important part of this month. You know why it says very important?
There's a famous Hadith many of you have heard this hadith. This is a Hadith in Sahih al Hoceima and some other books of Hadith. You know, the messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, on the last Friday of Shaban.
The last Friday of Shabbat just before Ramadan, he gave a sermon, a hot lava.
This hot word many Imams on last Friday is actually recited in the masjid as well. And it's a long one, but I'm not going to go through it. But he gave a hot bath. And he mentioned he was preparing the Companions about this month. Okay. And
he was
preparing them and mentioning few things like he must have he said, Yeah, you owe people the great month has
come on to you, Sharon, or the modern mobile era is a blessing man. in it. There's a night better than 1000 months, whoever offers optional act, good act of deed you get to reward a fart outside Ramadan, whoever performs a foreign act, you get the reward of 70x for the x outside Ramadan, it's a long Hadith, etc, etc. In there has mentioned about fasting and providing Iftar all these things, but in there, there's one sentence.
This is so unique, so amazing. Not even a full sentence. It's like three four words.
The messenger sallallahu alayhi. Salam said, who are shareholders Sobor
was sub Ruth Alaba. Who agenda will who shall rule mu Assad.
He identified the month of Ramadan with two words.
He mentioned a lot of things. You know the messenger sallallahu alayhi salam he never introduced or identified this month with any other Ibadah he never said this is a month of fasting.
It is a month of fasting but he never said that. Imagine when you want to introduce something? Yes, you use like the most important thing, right? This something that has a lot of things but you say this is a business. They do business with a lot of things but this is a gold business even though they do some other business. So when he was identifying, introducing Ramadan, he never said this is a month of fasting, shadows solved No. Shadow taraweeh No. Shadow, no shadow, Quran, no shadow layer, take off all those things I've just mentioned
None of them
he said two things, shareholders Sobor and number two shareholder move aside was that is a charity program coming? I'll just come to that in a bit. But the first which is really important shareholders Sobor
this month if we want to identify and explain and introduce you know, brother just introduced me if I stood up here brothers, brothers and sisters, I want to introduce to the month of Ramadan, the Ramadan Ramadan is the month of Sabah that's the introduction if you want to introduce Ramadan to non Muslims, what is Ramadan about brother or Mr. Muslim? What is Ramadan about Ramadan is a month of patience
what does that mean is a month of patience
this is what we have to understand and this tells us another two three reasons why you fasting
Ramadan I said One reason was that Allah wanted so this is like a second part. So if you want to connect in this way, the first part of the talk was I was saying that Allah gives us once a year a month to connect to him. Yes. Now this is looking at Ramadan from a different way. Ramadan is a month that Allah is giving us a whole month sentence carefully is very important. Giving us a whole month for us to practice for us to exercise for us to train for us to go to a training of summer
I'll tell you what summer is but first point is this Ramadan is a month
the first thing I mentioned was to connect to Allah. This hadith is telling us shareholders Sabra This is a month of summer which means ALLAH says all Muslims I'm giving you 30 days 30 days learn you know if you're trying to drive a car learn take some lessons how many lessons do you need to pass your cars? Do you guys drive close? How many lessons did you take first test second test I passed on my second test I took about 27 lessons no you know you have driving lessons. Allah is giving us 30 days 101 month lesson 30 days I'm giving you training period after Ramadan finishes you have to build this quality of submarine you
this is what I'm about is for what is summer
many of us think we have a very restricted limited understanding of summer someone passes away someone dies something went wrong in alila he went nowhere Roger and we think that summer there is about but that's not the only one that's actually 1/3 of server
the owner might have explained server is of three types. Server Aletheia
you know summarize server basically the meaning of server lists linguistically means to tie something if I took this phone and tied it against this server
so you're tying your soul is to control something. So southern linguistically means doing something that you don't want to do and just building willpower.
This is about building a thick skin you know people are very sensitive I said so this Ramadan is to build a thick skin summer. So first type of summer is summer Allah which means that there are certain things in life we have to do every day we have to pray Fajr
five times a day we have to pray
it's difficult it's not easy. You know waking up professional Salah is easy. You wake up alarm goes so hard. I'm doing summer, summer in waking up and praying Saba like going against your desire an urge not to prefer John, you don't want to give in charity. You don't want to recite Quran. You don't want to do all these things which are difficult that takes two agenda. But just doing summer building willpower controlling those knifes and the soul and doing it that's called Summer that's Sebata the opposite the second one is
summer annual Marcia, that's the opposite summer in staying away from sin so someone really wants to commit Zina right that that guy or that girl you know she's like she's been flirting, so
I just have to just flirt a bit more and that said the kissing will happen and then the boyfriend girlfriend it will happen it's easy. She really wants me she's giving me all the messages and all the you know flirty chatting is taking place on WhatsApp or whatever. Well that guy is outside marriage. It's so desire you want to do it but use of Allah salaam Zeliha ran after him. You know, story of use of ran after him. He ran to the doors Allah Captain opening the doors. And he actually the Quran says hum be wahama Bihar he was a human that not to have a desire. That's no big
Deal. The angels don't even feel like doings in our own stealing or robbery or killing or murder or or eating haram. They don't believe that's what we're this creation human despite the desire willpower because God has said I'm not going to do it.
Even the Prophets had the desire. The Quran says use of peace be upon him had this desire to engage
Welaka Muhammad Biggie wahama Bihar but his Eman was too strong like his willpower was too strong, nothing could move him.
So this is a southern means will power thick skin. Being able to control yourself against the urge to commit sin. Anything could be Zina could be stealing could be backbiting. Backbiting is a massive sin. You know one of the easiest things that people commit is backbiting and regarding backbiting there's a hadith that your sin your fast actually breaks. People vomited in the time of the messenger SallAllahu Sallam pus and flesh came out backbiting meaning talking in the non presence of other people something that they dislike, so only certain times when talking about them maybe Halal when there's a need but Backbiting is a massive sin. Now that desire you and your friend and you
know you're on the phone on WhatsApp and you're there cooking food for Iftar Masha Allah fasting, but while it's cooking that backbiting which is worse than Xena kind of sin. Oh, do you know that sister she's like this and she's like, she's stupid and she's like this, and you know she doesn't.
Now it feels good to the heart to talk bad about that someone. Oh, no, no, no.
I want to talk I'm not going to talk subpar because my God has said can't talk about someone.
I feel like being jealous. No, I'm not going to talk I'm not going to be jealous. I feel like doing bad to someone I feel like doing this sin sub.
This is called server annual mafia and the third type of server is what we know when someone passes away or you know something bad goes or calamity and we say no. You learn in the Lilla who in Rajon you know we exercise patience. That's the third type of server
So now going back to Ramadan fast Ramadan is a month of
Sabah now how does Ramadan? How is Ramadan a training course for fasting therefore sorry Saba, that's the question. The messenger SallAllahu lism introduced Ramadan as what Ramadan is the month of Sobor Ramadan is the month of Salah so what is the question?
asked me the question
Yes, how does Ramadan train us to become people of server? This is why we fast during the day right now on to doing server we really want to eat this. If it wasn't Allah hadn't told us you can't eat I would have finished it off before you would have come.
We want to drink we want to eat. You go in you've started a fast during the day you go inside your house and it's so hot in the fridge there is a cold bottle of water there's no one at home your husband is not there. Your wife's not there. Nobody on planet Earth will know that you've What if someone doesn't first altogether, we're not talking about them. But someone who's practicing who has started the fast it's 3pm 4pm is so hot, your throat is dry, your mouth is dry, there's a cold bottle of water in the fridge. You just have to open it and just take a few sips and pour it back and just fill it up within from the tap. Nobody will know and you can just pretend to be fasting but
none of that will make you open that fridge because you've got that summer willpower. Allah said no I can't do it
this is the training was over. So Allah is saying the way in Ramadan every day you want to eat you want to drink you want to engage in relations the summer and you're controlling you're building willpower Why are you doing that you're not doing it for a joke you're doing that because after Ramadan finishes for the next 11 months you need that same willpower to stay away from sins and wake up
that's why you're doing it if you think that I'm just doing Ramadan you did and then I'm going back to my life then there's no point doing Ramadan anyway like okay, that doesn't mean don't do anything about it as well. But it's like that, like you're doing it. It's like somebody learning how to drive a car for 30 days and then after that just says okay, I'm just going to crash my car everyone.
It's like that you're learning how to drive a car sober. Fasting teaches summer
because we're building willpower against things we want to do. Allah is not allowing us Halal things in Ramadan so that after Ramadan, we save ourselves from haram. That's another way of looking at it. Is in water Halal right now. Right now? No. Right now it's halal but in 20 minutes what will be halal? Allah has said you can't eat and drink Halal things during fast so that after Ramadan
you
have willpower to stay away from things which are haram and the worst part is that if someone does the Haram things in Ramadan, that's like crazy.
If someone fast stays away from food, from chicken from water from tea from milk, these things that Halal before Ramadan they are halal after Ramadan they are halal after Iftar but during the day, his fasting which is fasting but doesn't stay away from backbiting, from swearing from slandering from this sin that's it. It just doesn't make sense that you you staying away from water which is halal generally. But something which has never been Halal haram before Ramadan after Ramadan day of Ramadan, nitro Ramadan, I'm gonna stay away from that. So it just defeats the whole purpose of fasting.
It's like, why someone's taking a driving, you know, training lessons to drive crashes the car.
You know what I'm saying?
One,
the first situation was somebody whilst they're taking a driving lesson, they're very careful because they got the instructor, very, very careful. But as soon as they pass, then they just go and just drive however, I just crashed a car. That's bad as it is. But even worse than that is you've got your infrastructure and you said, Okay, take a left, take a left do you go just bang into a ward?
While you're taking the test, even driving lessons, you just drive however, so that's in Ramadan during the sins, that's even worse. And also bad is after Ramadan, the sins so the whole month of Ramadan is basically a month of summer. This is why Allah's Messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam
called this month, the month of solar. And the second thing he said, and two, three minutes on this. He said the second way how he introduced this month, he said who are shareholders remove Assad?
This is a month of it's very difficult word to translate in any language in one word, we can say sympathy, compassion, empathy, kindness, charity, all of this. more solid,
more solid in Arabic, there's actually two three meanings behind it. But Mufasa this one level of wasat is that
it's, it refers to having sadness in the heart upon the sadness of others.
This is the word more certain or is from the word acea. Yes, sir. Someone is saddened because of the sadness of others. So you see a poor person you think like he doesn't have food, you feel sad as well. This is a level of masa. So this is why one of the reasons we fast you know, when people say that some people say that it's wrong to say this is not wrong, that one of the reasons why Muslims fast is that because we want to feel how poor people feel. Somebody was in all the ways that Islam is part of this was this hadith. Part of it, we tried to feel how they feel, but we don't stop there. The second level of masa is then we go and alleviate the hardship and help and assist and be
kind and generous and do something that's the second level. So you know, this month, wasa could be anything.
Being in assistance and help of others in any way, shape, or form. Like I said, last week, I was in in another place where I was giving a talk, I gave an example I said, one of the ways in Ramadan Mufasa Mufasa is showing empathy, compassion, you could just go to your friend and say you know what, I'll wash your car for you.
You Ramadan is meant of more that you can go to your neighbor. Give me your list of groceries I'm going to Tesco Is that what you call here?
coupe or whatever? Yeah, I'm going to the superstore give me a list. I'm going to buy everything just give me in Ramadan
it's a month of more salad, it doesn't have to be monetary charity any way showing empathy compassion kindness towards other people. So this is a month of move Assad mentioned by the messenger sallallahu alayhi wa salam and therefore definitely not retaliate or not fight or not argue in Ramadan because it goes completely opposite on Watson so if someone were to enter this if some non Muslim asks Why does Why does the Muslim fast
how would you in all of this How would you answer give me like four Why do Muslims fast? Reason number one
yes, submission we fast because connect to Allah and we be submissive is because of submission. Because he told us not to eat so we don't eat when he says eat we'll eat. That's one reason why Muslims fast number two.
That's there all of that reward. Is there.
A second reason based on what I've just explained everything.
Yes, practice about but how do you say that to a non Muslim? Because they will know us our means