Muhammad ibn Adam al-Kawthari – The Inner aspects of Ramadan
AI: Summary ©
The importance of "monarch" in Islam is discussed, including the "ham component" and the " Volkswagen" sign. The speakers emphasize the importance of balancing personal and spiritual life, including achieving sexual desire and finding a way to enjoy life. They also discuss various ways to connect to Islam, including reciting the Quran, using body language, and praying with concentration. The speakers stress the importance of practice and personal growth in achieving these goals.
AI: Summary ©
hamdu Lillah wa Salatu was Salam ala rasulillah
along I live in an iron foreigner when
I was in early ma Suhana kolomela
Hakim
especially brothers and sisters, Salaam Alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh
It looks like everybody's first said don't worry camara de la hirakata
I would like to once again thank
the Rodale Institute for inviting me on all of you and arranging this program and after that if thought
we have some very important issues that I wanted to discuss. And I pray a lot of data grant me the ability and the energy to save properly in Sharla data and give you the energy to listen in Sharma you just have to listen to 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 this some very important things I want to talk about 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 Ramadan, it's not it's with a photo of the meme. Ramadan, Mubarak.
You know, literally and this is not even my topic, but literally, you know what Ramadan, it's from the word Rama. Rama actually means heat excessive heat.
Why was this month called Ramadan?
Because when some scholar 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 Rama 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 it wasn't a Madonna? Did that building look pink different? Or does it look still the same?
Still the same? Does this loop 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 a little harder 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 a lump sum handle data 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 OB gene and they used to see the name of a lot everybody used to get excited a last name written on it. I used to give talks our Deen is not based on an origin.
We don't need a sign written Allah in the cloud or in the Oba gene to believe in Allah the Quran.
tells us our Eman increases by tilava of the Quran we believe in Allah because today Allah may be written in Oba gene 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 are 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 email 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 is better this week, this Saturday.
But it's exactly it's 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 the mistake far and we recite the Quran and we think we are getting so much rewards. The only reason is because Allah subhanho wa 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 saw so many buildings on this street, you know, look at the buildings, they look so beautiful. Externally, what is it is 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. But Allah, Allah attributed to him.
So externally, there's nothing in it. It's the attribution towards Allah. Ramadan, Allah 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 subhanho wa Taala the question might come that why did Allah do that? 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 subhana wa Tada. 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 will finish as soon as Ramadan finishes after a while the Hajj season will start a little hedger will arrived. There's so much blessings every other after so certain period blessing nights have come now do everybody in there. And now this night has come this day has come not just days or nights, even five times a day fudger the hora after Maghrib Isha.
You know that 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't 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 wa bernita Nibiru ha This is monotheism we didn't prescribe upon it.
upon them, they made it themselves. And there's a hadith that says la Surah tefillah Islam tsunami Tao, which means that there is no leaving of marriage.
In Islam marriage is 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, kill any animal, eat any animal. However you want to eat, you want to eat, just fully fulfill, you just fill your stomach, how you earn whatever, no problem.
On the other hand, you have these people can enjoy food, you can't marry, you have to detach divorce the world, you have to completely get out of this world. moosejaw struggle connecting with God is you can't really live in this world and enjoy the luxuries of this world. You can't work. Islam came with a middle message. And the message was that look, you will live in this world of law 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, you get reward for marrying. Yes, extreme, fulfilling 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 one of our sellner rasuna Minh public as virgin Maria our says every prophet I sent I made wives for them and children, only two prophets did not marry anyone wish to prophets.
He said listen, and he shall marry when he returns. And yeah, peace be upon him.
But all the other prophets married and it's a Sunnah it's actually a bother.
And sexual * is a bada. There's a hadith of Bokhari that says what the Buddha had become sadhaka one of you engaging in sexual relations with your wife or husband that sadaqa charity at Isa al Bukhari, it's not a bad thing. It's not a dirty field within a man and a woman husband wife sleeping together in bed, having intimate relationship, they are involved engaged in the act of charity. According to the Sahaja Bahar, wolfy. Buddha, he has a kmsauto pattern. So Islam acknowledges that earning a livelihood
Yes, does the extreme on the left.
earn a livelihood however, you want to cheat, fraud, cheating, deceiving us usurping the wealth of others, you know, getting involved in all sorts of, you know, the rebar 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't earn money. Islam comes in the middle. Look, we understand your human being ally saying, guess what the Hadith says cuspal Harare, for you that are vital for either earning a livelihood, earning money is a fourth 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 deep.
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, the balance between Dean and dunia. And they wanted me to come and give them a talk to explain to them. How can we balance our university life dounia
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 tour. 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 Dean and dunia. 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 a law. studying medicine becomes an act of Dean. This understanding that the dean is only in the mosque, and, you know, if you are the workplace or the job that's dunia
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 vasudha. 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 you have to raise children,
we have to earn
So, because this is the understanding, when we get involved in that
in that what although all those worldly activities, so called worldly but Dean, like I said activities
there's a like I was saying there's a difference between that type of Deen 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 a bada Matsuda fasting, the god Hajj making the recitation of the Quran, they are Malaya, tarawih, tahajjud, stefarr, Vicar, all of this. These are direct forms of Deen worshiping Allah and the 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 a Baba, but they are secondary
indirect. This is why the messenger sallallahu Sallam said gospel Hilary for you the battle for either earning a livelihood is a secondary form after the main form. 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 beep t
reminder, these reminders everyday five times
larger morning reminder then we go to a car we have a shower now we're on the phone and we are the office and five hours we forgotten a lot straightaway the whole time dude come back to me. Concrete Okay, back to Allah will do connect to him after go back lunch, working, taking going to the shop shops family here the school children you just forgotten a lot, no problem. Because it's very difficult to always be connected to them. But don't forget a lot too much as the time comes. Dude reminder
mograph time reminder, a shutter 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 two hours
you know the prophetic supplications do are that we are 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 do are 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 you 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 that.
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
Alhamdulilah D. ohana. bioderma bergama tener la Hindu, sure 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 allow you to often enforce freedom Odia will let you limit fumina Mia for
the ones who Allah has decided that they won't be alive anymore. He keeps the souls he doesn't send them back. Will you receive aloha? All of us have lost ourselves back in the morning. So every morning eyes open
Alhamdulillah all peaceful law was giving me another day to change myself. I Yana bioderma tena, he gave me life. Am I really alive? Yes, I am.
Martin after I was dead at night, when he lay in new shoes, but one day I will definitely go to him and I won't be waking up in this world.
Remember a loss straightaway. And then straightaway.
We do. remembering Allah pleasure remembering Allah, maybe 10 out of the Quran or Vicar, whatever this is all remember. So this is early morning, we are remembering. As I was saying all these dos 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 where
after waking up to the bathroom. Before we'll do you're going to the toilet into the bathroom.
When we enter, we say Alhamdulillah the door Allahumma inni. communal hobos will have eyes, make our children memorize these and the translation.
told my son he's run away now. But when he was about four, five years, I would have asked him his translation of the doors in his words.
And even my daughter I told her, she's learned so when she goes she will read a lot how many hours of becoming a hotel Hawaii all are pleased there's a lot of boys girls shatat 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 once we're inside, then we exit withdrawn. 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 doors are 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 meetings, like half an hour on each there are so many deep hidden meanings.
This door is saying that we're thanking Allah that you know what if I couldn't go to the toilet,
to the bathroom and you know Subhan Allah 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. I 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 a loss 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 virgin. That's it. But for seven hours won't disturb us. There's a massive night shift taking place in your stomach. But you won't disturb us. 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 your stomach and things are happening and whatever is 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 neuroma. This just one narrow mouth a lot go be able to go to the bathroom is such a narrow image that we could do sudo to allow for 200 years. That's how great this is. But we don't think these do ours are to make us think that we come back Go fraud Alhamdulillah Hillary
and other
you know the translation again, the childish translate
Is all our 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 day before, what to do when you sit in the car, there's a dude with the Dr. SubhanAllah de let me just give me a gun. Larry
Fisher
then
just finish it we're in.
We're in a lot of Pinellas County, Boone,
even that with meanings, okay, so the point I was making that throughout our lives, because a lot 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, when you come out do when you entering the masjid, to address application when you exit the message 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 a lot. 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 URI reminder and then the you know the door hygiene reminder, hygiene 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 service in your email is a reminder and this is why
Ramadan is basically like I said in Islam we don't have this robinia with 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 us like flavor taste of that, Rania. Still not for a Bernier. 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 early scholars you know what they used to do this take the whole days to prepare Ramadan from before they say okay, one whole month I'm not working. Just going to this is what our take off is. And from the full month last 10 days is the full taste
and error take off you know, the last 10 nights and 10 days people observe at the Golf 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 ebtekar fire attack evil means I am gone. That's it. I've attached myself to God in the masjid. No, not talking only if there is needed not eating too much. It's it's a bit of taste of that. mysticism that Hibernia that the monks and the nuns had and you know the Catholics had. So this is what this is the Hadith the messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam when last 10 nights used
to enter shed the limits are what I call the Allah who used to stay away from his wife from his wives he never used to engage in intimate relations even at night. This is 10 nights of completely devoted to God connecting to Allah. So in Ramadan, we have a bit of taste. Normally staying away from your husband or wife sexual relations is wrong. And if you're not fulfilling their right, sinful dishearten whether it's your wife, or your husband, 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 at night with your spouse was not allowed in the beginning of Islam then Allah allowed it later for an anniversary dinner.
But someone who's observing etica off they can't even in the night. Normally I just said it's a bad idea to say Buhari said sexual relations in South Africa, but in Africa now No, because yes, normally is Avada but this is it's a secondary type of ibadah Ramadan, you're connecting with the
The first type of you know a bother, 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.
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 an 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 a lot.
So
how do these various
worships, connect us to God?
The different things we do in Ramadan are for example, 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 a lot?
Because this is 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, of course, it 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 in this context, one of the reasons we fast is submission.
What a submission, Islam means submission. I talked about this till 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 have 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 have 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. See, every man and woman is seeking attention through different ways. So this is this is with research and medical evidence on this as well that the the seeking of attention problem has become massive in the world. Now, the first one was what we did I 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, the I just using this, but there was a English white man, once, like I knew him as a friend, non Muslim. He was talking to me, he said, You know what, today, if you're a white English man that say you have to be so careful. You can't, you have to be careful. 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 we need to go
a bit of 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. He was like, he was part and parcel of language like now. You know, so sensitive someone sometimes jokes to me, sorry, Did I offend you? Like I know this. So what kind of food do you eat? You know, Asians eat, or 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 stopped being obedient to teachers. The respect towards elders in our community has really gone. The whole generation has changed respect towards parents.
Towards elders towards teachers, towards people of community, elder people, younger generation don't have that. And the reason is this obedience thing that submission and sub being submissive, submissive. It's like everyone has an 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. Well, who are you to tell me?
Now there's rules of course, but even marriages are breaking down. I'm not saying anyone should control anyone, but sometimes small things like some wives in my husband told me but is he controlling me? Like why is why is he telling me this? Like relax? Is this okay? Just don't worry. Or 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 towards 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 Abdi amin or Buddha, the
messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam was Abdullah Subhana Lidia sarabi Abdi before he was at a school 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 into the coil do this go do that. This is what we are. Our Salah has to be a blessing. bada bada Bowden stand up something regarding Mohammedan going sujood Okay, Allah, like you are controlling us. Until we don't have that connection with God. We can't be close to 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 Waka darbuka
Allah Allah Allah, Allah Allah Dania, Sunnah. 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 then No, because we are obedient ultimately to only God. And then if God tells us listen to this person, respect that person. Okay? You're saying then yes, if you're saying no, then I would
say our ultimate slave food is the law. The whole of Islam Deen is based on a Buddha.
Oh Buddha means whether I like to do something or I don't like to do something. Because God my Creator, my Holic, my Malik. Amanda Rahimi, he has told me what 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. It's 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 Buddha. This is like, you know, if I was like a boss, and you know how to people, I won't say but two people working for me. And I had some guests coming. I had one person if 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 with I'm half. I'm fasting and I'm 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 if 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's coming. 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 understand
And great if we don't understand problem is in our brain.
The Wisdom hikma there is a wisdom hikma behind everything of deed. So all of Islam is about a Buddha. submission. Islam means submission. So one of the things with fasting is to teach us this submission. You know, a lot of these a bar that hatch is full of submission.
Do you know this? It does make no sense for someone to go around around the garba. Seven times.
Do you need exercise? I don't need exercise. Do you need exercise? You do. Okay. Maybe makes sense to you? Maybe not. I don't need to go seven times round around the garba. 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 round around and then go suffer Mottola. 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 tell stones like what's what's that going to do?
Take stones and throw it at the wall tech, what benefit is that doing to the dounia 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 is just doesn't make sense. is to teach submission.
For the Baha, you know, the slaughtering This is why because Ibrahim alayhis salam, when he was ordered to slaughter his son is married. It didn't make sense. He never asked. Hola, are you okay? What are you 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 or not, oh, 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 were prophets. But Muslim 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, hedges submission, fasting is also this is the way to connect to Allah. And like I was thinking afternoon is like we it doesn't really make sense when he 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, those if you find the 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. So what 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. Makes sense. Does that 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 surah and we should take the whole meal, right, we should take the slower meal, and the later the surah meal is done, the better
Yeah, roll mill you know that it's there's a lot of Baraka and there's another Hadith ma
laziness be higher, marginal fitter, we are always in good as long as we hastin with Fedora, so you know, if star we should do it straightaway, it's actually mcru you will probably know that to delay if thought is mukou. If someone says you know what?
Today's 910 915 925 is the start time but you know what? fasted 12 for a lot of 920 Well, another one more hour I'll give you until 1015
it's actually my crew you you're you 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, it's like we're talking to Allah, Allah you're allowing me to eat Okay, eat two more minutes left, okay? I'm eating stop, okay, I stopped.
I'm not eating now. Not eating McGriff tamela says eat straightaway eat.
This is why eating last minute before start first fast starts and eating as soon as if power comes is to make ourselves a slave when Allah says stop eating, stop. We're robots before God. 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
The original mean,
to take us out from the worship of slaves from human beings to the worship of God.
Human beings can't control us like this.
But a lot of controllers 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, right, 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 we 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 a line 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 uh, so mu Li
Zi v. Allah says in Hades rootsy 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 you do in Ramadan, like, secondary by the time you know that Eva
tarawih
Pm Alain tarawih
that's also
Salah in itself is the greatest way of connecting before la Mirage Minh is the ascension of the believer. Ne Sala 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 but we have to pray with that. Like you know, when we pray Salah, we need to have that horseshoe unconstraint 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 as well.
But we just we just thinking like we just sat on another chair, and we're just going this way
because we do it regularly. I know it's difficult. You know if you ask some non Muslim who's never prayed Salau and never seen anyone praise Allah, you tell him come here. Okay, can you just go down and put your head on the ground? What's happening? Am I doing okay 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 ashore in Salah means, you know praying with concentration like you are dabbled Allah gunda Katara lm to counteroffer you know iraq you worship Allah as though you are seeing him so when we say Allah Akbar, we're standing basically whether you know hands here or here, whichever way photo from the Sunnah. But you know, standing before a law
or sometimes even the Maliki way is this way there's headings for that as well. It's not a problem anyway. But before standing before a law you're standing like this, you know if God hands fold
like this, you know if we stand before someone's Okay, we tell him
that's the way of standing before a law
that's for sure facade, thinking I am before Locky and then knowing the meanings of hamdulillah here, let me try to understand the meanings of these short sutras Roku Subhana or be allowed me think, what why are we saying so Hannah or bill Avi? And sujood? So Hanna, Robbie, Allah Allah, what's the difference between him and Allah, Allah?
Allah, we say Subhana Allah, Allah, Allah and sujood because that's the most original state, the lowest status earner. So we talked about a loss or who was you know, loftiness his greatness, His Majesty. So and then every position of Salah so so you know, with this four word 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% constraint it 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 an amazing, unique way of connecting to Allah. And that's why this has been increased in Ramadan. There's more 20 or whatever. 24 hour at rush hour, four to eight or whatever. Pray but pray with concentration. don't pray and argue about it. That
nakaji decree
is better that you just pray, how much you want to pray with concentration, rather than praying so much without concentration and arguing about it.
So, this is Pamela What else do we do?
Quran Yeah, recitation of the Quran has a rest Koran 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 you know, connected to Allah, you're reading his words, Colombo law.
This is an amazing way of connecting to a law.
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 the email and the paragraph, or did you use this word and sometimes you know, someone you know, it 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, and whenever he sends me a message or something, I listen to it three times, like did he use that word? Was he using that word?
If it's a voice note, I listen to it 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, I go through it 234 times.
So with that sort of connection reciting the book of Allah, and you know, this is why how this Quran connects you to Allah. Again, just like Salah, this horseshoe, etc. This horseshoe, also in Quran recitation.
And books have been written on how to recite the book of Allah.
Mr. manoli Rahim Allah the man who created him and we mentioned him many times today is a unique scholar, one of my favorite favorite all time top scholars of the Muslim Omar
Imam. And now I'm sure many of you have heard of just unique, amazing, you know, scholar of Islam, a great scholar of Hadith Mohammed did for key the jurist of the shell of a mother but he, 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 has written many, many, many books. We talked about his alibi, I know he excetera etc, the other side, but he has a really good book. He wrote a special book on how to recite the Quran, a Debian feodor B homiletical. Quran it's actually been translated into English and saw by somebody called Shamu Sahaba. You heard of him? Okay? He's a friend of mine used to study together in Syria. He translated this a long time ago, I think new additions come out as well etiquettes of reciting the Quran.
When to read what are the best times to read when make will do in the direction of the Qibla try to read in the
morning time of the future in a foreigner, French economist Buddha
and then also thinking and reflecting etc. You know, the way that some of the early Muslims used to read was they used to ponder when Allah said yeah, he says, Yeah, you have Latina M and O you who believe they think okay, all law 100 I am of the believers telling me what you're telling me. You're talking to me. Then they
go to law decurrent kathira. Remember, Allah accessibly make the Corolla and nothing Okay, Allah I need to do this. They might do on the car. Let's say if they're doing something that Allah has commanded them, they will thank Allah. If they're not doing it, then the system will allow lawmaker promise I'm going to do this now. If there's Ayat of Jenna and paradise, they will thank Allah and McDowell to enter Paradise. If there's punishments, I out of punishment verses of punishment, the secret protection and refuge for law that shed tears on certain verses that will show in happiness on certain verses with concentration, recite recite in 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 in Ramadan
Yes, and I've already explained that how Ramadan connects sorry, how
Africa 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 tarawih termales, Allah, Quran, Quran, do as well do eyes like you asking Allah you know, this is a very strong way to connect to Allah. Because the eyes You know, do it doesn't require much explanation because we make do our we need it ourselves. So normally, people always have kosher endo, because you're saying to Allah, Allah, please, I want this I want this and you know, so we want it so we are human beings, you know?
So we will be connected. And errata cough is also in Ramadan where we are detaching the world, completely separating from the world even from the family everybody we are going into the house of Allah in the masjid. Also, the sisters can also make a take off in the masjid but also at home. The brothers can't do that they have to only do it in the machine it's not allowed at home. The sooner take off the last 10 maybe 11 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 prefetcher in the bathroom and you know the hot in the corridor and acid in the kitchen and mother even you know in the bedroom and I shine you know the attic
you know and
taraweeh next to the stove and you know mulgrave is definitely next to the
all the pastries
so it's good to appoint 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 is a prayer mat there there's some must have Quran there, things like that. Anyone, son, daughter, anyone wants to go Okay, I'm going to pray myself out 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, there's just a small place. Whoever wants to you know from the family wants to go and recite some Koran or read some Salah go there I'm going to the masala in the in the house. So that would be the designated Arctic off place for the sisters.
And then she will 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 I'd do so far
out of the Koran, 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 Attica 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 to 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 Sunni until we are used to the party of which it is the most virtuous he said Salah kataifi Ramadan charity in Ramadan, in the hadith of Sahara Buhari kokanee ajua de Maria Koofi, Ramadan, he was the most generous, you the most generous he was in Ramadan.
He was more generous than meaner. He held more Salah than a blowing wind. He was very generous in Ramadan. So being generous, not just a card, but like providing iftaar the Hadith says man Fatah. Amen. Can Allahu Giroux, kind of mythological saw me, whoever provides a star for someone he or she will receive the reward of the fast imperson mean radio are you into us? Me Nigeria, hey Shay, without the fasting persons rewards being decreased. So if I gave you something for a star, 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 afar 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. A lot 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 way of us giving us a 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
As to God.
Do you know how charity can access to God?
The reason why charity can exist to God. There's a Hadith of the messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam where he says, Allah Allahu Allah.
For Hubble Hello came and asked aksana 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 you 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're being nice to your children. Something you love, someone comes and gives a gift to your children or to your young ones. be as 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 realizing if you are good to me, then you will have love for me and I will have love for
you directly. So charity is 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 everyone's heard of mage noon and Laila. Yes Let's make him a light No no, he's 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 heard of
these were by By the way, they were not names.
Layla wasn't really a name Layla in Arabic is used now people keep late as a name. But classically lailah
was a term to describe something that people love, or like, or divorce or lust after. So dunia was called the Layla
dounia was called the Layla is because people love the dunya so people something that someone lusts for was called Layla.
So that story, Majnoon that wasn't his name. His name was Mr. Heiss. His name was in Majnoon. mazoon means he was mad. He was crazy. For the love of this girl, whatever her name was. So she became Layla. He became much noon. 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 new Laila. So this much noon guy, he was mad. He used to go around and touch the house of laila Laila never used to. She was very playing hard to get like they say,
you know, she was like, No, no, 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 this, or I don't want to do he 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 off to dunya, the dunya runs away from you. The one The more you run away from the dunya is like a shadow will run after
you running after your shadow, You'll never catch it.
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 Layla, he used to go around the house of Laila 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 headset as well makes you blind and your army will use some
blind love.
So he used to just go on his to kiss the walls and the windows of her house. Somebody said to this moon 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 amuru Allah diari de Laila. Woke up lol g da da da da da da Maha boo Dr. Shiva, Nepal Viva La King album and seconded Dr. pretty famous lines of poetry. I roam around muru Allah Dr. Dr. Dr. House, Dr. Laila, I go around the house of Layla bluzelle Gita whether GDR I kissed this wall and against that wall. Wha hoo. Boo, Dr. Schaffner kalbi, it's not the house that's overcome my heart. It's not the love of the house. That's coming my heart
While working woman second idea, it's the love 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 kista houses 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 love annoys creation, sorry, you're deceived and you cheating and you know, you deluded, impossible.
Part of having love for Allah is loving his creation, because he loves his creation. And this creation, animals included.
When you 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, or not even animals really, 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 do this is why, why is it part of Dean because it's the creation of Allah. No, islamically it's actually wrong to, if there's not need, look, we 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 I shuffle Baku cart, the most noble have 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 use about half us and eat us. We make a number of animals and we chicken doesn't eat. There's no iftaar of chicken having a thought today all the humans have been cooked.
Today humans are doing iftaar with chicken being cooked fish being cooked, the fishes are not having us enough time. So we have to remember this. Sometimes people go wrong in they're the people who animal right 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 sharpen a knife in front of the head it says gettable, yes and Allah cliche, even if you slaughter slaughter with a Hassan
so one extremely someone says, Oh, you can't eat any animals eating any animal is bad, you're 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 as well, they 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 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 say I don't want to eat any animal because the way they've been slaughtered everywhere in the world slaughterhouses. It's 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 went too 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, the animal will still be halal, but it won't be like, the pure type of type of food, unless
it's an organic type of chicken that you've looked after. And then after that, with all the etickets you've slaughtered yourself Bismillah Allahu Akbar in 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 a law, compassion for the creation of a law means animals and human beings and plants and all of this. So this is why in Ramadan, the last ibadah 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 subhana wa Tada.
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 a better one worship. We said praying Quran reciting Quran offering tarawih prayer, malades surah, recession, Quran Attica 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 Sahib, no 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 and just before Ramadan, he gave a sermon a hotel.
This hotel, many moms on last Friday's they actually recited in the mysteries as well. And it's a long one, but I'm not going to go through it. But he gave a quote about and he mentioned he was preparing the companions about this month. Okay. And
he was
preparing them and mentioning a few things like he must have he said yeah, oh people that great month has
come on to you, Sharon are the Mubarak 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 foreigner outside Ramadan, whoever performs a foreign act, you get the reward of 70 X for the x outside Ramadan, so long as you take cetera, et cetera, in there, his mention about fasting and providing iftaar 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 Sallam said, Who shahara sobor
was sub Ruth awaba, who agenda was shahrul Masak.
He identified the month of Ramadan with two words.
He mentioned a lot of things. You know, the messenger sallallahu Sallam he never introduced, who 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 shahara song No. Shadow taraweeh No. Shadow, no shadow Koran, no shadow etica all those things I've just mentioned.
None of them
he said two things shahara sobor
and number two shahara masa. masa is a charity partner I'm coming I'll just come to that in a bit. But the first which is really important shahara 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, Ramadan Ramadan is the month of summer. 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, this is looking at Ramadan from a different way. Rama bar 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 through 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 shahara Saba This is a month of Sabah 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 costs? Do you guys drive cars? 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 one hour a month less than 30 days I am giving you training period after Ramadan finishes you have to build this quality of submarine you
this is what Amazon is for what is subpar
many of us think we have a very restricted limited understanding of someone someone passes away someone dies, something went wrong in Allah when it Roger we think that somebody that is about but that's not the only one that's actually a one third of
the automa have explained summaries of three types sobre la la
universidad Aspies sub or basically the meaning of symbolic linguistically means to tie something if I took this phone and tied it against this suburb
so you're tying your soul is to control something. So sobre 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 skinned summer. So first type of summer is sobre la, which means that there are certain things in life we have to do every day we have to pray
five times a day we have to pray
it's difficult it's not easy. You know waking up for yourself is easy. You wake up alarm goes so hard. I'm doing summer, summer in waking up and praying sober 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 to agenda but just doing suburb building willpower controlling the nuts and the soul and doing it that's called summer. That's sobre la the opposite the second one is
sobor annual maaseiah that's the opposite sobor in staying away from sin so someone really wants to commit Zina like that that guy or that girl you know she's like 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 is easy. She really wants me she's giving me all the messages and all you know, flirty chatting is taking place on WhatsApp or wherever where that guy is outside marriage. It's so desire you want to do it but Yusuf Ali Salam zuleikha ran after him. You know, story of use of ran after him. He ran to the doors are locked Captain opening the doors. And he actually the Quran says hum v wahama beha he was a human that not to have a desire, that that's no big deal.
Feel the angels don't even feel like doing Xena or stealing or robbery or killing or murder or or eating Haram. No big deal. 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 dama de 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 Zinner could be stealing could be backbiting. backbiting is a massive sin. You know, one of the easiest sins 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 cellulitis and and pus and flesh came on backbiting meaning talking in the non presence of other people something that they dislike, so only certain times when talking about them maybe halaal 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 iftaar Mashallah fasting, but while it's cooking that backbiting which is worse than Xena kind of sin?
Do you know that sister she's like this and she's like she's stupid and she's like this, but you know she doesn't.
Now it feels good to the hard to talk bad about someone or you think No, no, no.
I want to talk I'm not gonna talk suffer 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 someone I feel like doing this sin Subbu
This is called sovereign mercy and the third type of sovereign is what we know when someone passes away or you know something bad goes or calamity and we say in an inner Lila Raja you know we exercise patience. That's a third type of server.
So now going back to Ramadan fast Ramadan is the month of
summer now how does Ramadan How is Ramadan a training course for fasting therefore sorry. That's the question. The messenger sallallahu lism introduced Ramadan as what Ramadan is the month of sobor
Ramadan is the month of Sadat. So what is the question?
asked me the question.
Yes, how does Ramadan train us to become people of silver. This is why we fast during the day right now on to doing whatever we really want to eat this. Like if it wasn't allowed and told us you can't eat I would have finished it or 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's not there your wife's not there. Nobody on planet earth will know that you've watched it so it doesn't fester together we're not talking about them but someone who's a practicing who has started the fast is 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 put 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 a VA said no I can't do it
this is the training was over. So a lie saying the way in Ramadan every day you want to eat you want to drink you want to engage in relations this 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 make a forfeiture that's why you're doing it if you think that I'm just doing it Ramadan he did and then I'm going back to my life then there's no point doing it in Ramadan anyway like okay, that doesn't mean don't do no one as well. But it's like that, like you're doing it. It's like somebody's
learning how to drive a car for 30 days and then after that just says okay, I'm just going to crash my car everywhere.
It's like that be 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 halaal things in Ramadan so that after Ramadan, we save ourselves from her. That's another way of looking at it. Isn't water halaal right now, right now. No, right now Salah, but in the 20 minutes what will be Helen, Allah has said you can't eat and drink halaal 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 fasts stays away from food, from chicken from water from tea from milk, these things are halal before Ramadan they are halaal after Ramadan they are halal after star, but during the day is fasting which is fasting but doesn't stay away from backbiting, from swearing from slandering from this in that sense. It just doesn't make sense to use you staying away from water which is halal generally. But something which has never been halal haram before Ramadan after ramadan ramadan, 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
didn't so 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 them they just go and just drive however just crashed a car. That's bad as it is. But even worse than that is you've got your instructor instead. 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 scenes, that's even worse. And also bad is after Ramadan, the sin so the whole month of Ramadan is basically a month of summer. This is why Allah messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam
call this month, the month of sonar. And the second thing he said on to three minutes on this. He said the second way how he introduced this month he said who are shithole move 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. Mu Assad
Masada in Arabic, there's actually two three meanings behind it. But most of this one level of Mossad is that.
It's, it refers to having sadness in the heart upon the sadness of others.
This is the the word more certain or is from the word a car. 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 and 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, it's not wrong. That one of the reasons why Muslims fast is that because we want to feel how people feel somebody was a
part of this was this Hadeeth part of it, we tried to feel how they feel. But we don't stop there. The second level of wasa 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 another place where I was giving a talk. I gave an example I said one of the ways in Ramadan masa, masa is showing empathy, compassion. You could just go to your friend and say, You know what, I'll wash your coffee.
You know, Madonna's month of massage.
You can go to your neighbor. Give me a list of groceries. I'm going to Tesco as the would you call here?
Cooper, 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 Mossad 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 sallam therefore definitely not retaliate or not fight or not argue in Ramadan because it goes completely opposite arm wasn't so if someone were to enter this if some non Muslim asks why does Why does a 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 we don't eat when he says eat we'll eat. That's one reason why Muslim is fast. Number two.
That's there all of that reward is there.
Second reason is 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 someone means you
You will say we Muslims fast so that we go against our urges and our desires our new natural human needs and you know our urges to do things which are wrong and bad. So we can practice that after Ramadan we don't do that.
Third reason
Yeah, that's part of that second one will power strong character internal and, you know, support all of that second one's done. Third reason rather than I mentioned,
feel how the poor people feel and you know, experience their poverty and because that's when those were sad.
Okay, that's and there's another one.
Yeah, but that's part of the fourth one as well. But anyway, so to summarize,
Now is your time to summarize what did I say in the beginning?
right in the beginning,
right in the beginning, I mentioned this is a month that is the month because we need to take away things with us it's not just the lecture for the sake of lecture and enjoying this is a month Ramadan. Allah gave us this month Why?
Yeah, every Remember I said there are two extremes. You have some people who just divorced the world and detached from the world and completely you can't be godly you can't be close to God unless you just don't eat and don't drink and don't marry don't have children don't have family don't work don't nothing. So Islam says no live in this world. But will be when you go too far away every so often when you're going far away from a lot come back to Allah. So we have daily reminders in the form of five temporaries and do as we have weekly reminders like Joomla and we have monthly reminders. Like you know, the three days fasting or and a yearly main reminder is Ramadan, to
connect to Allah. Then I explained, how do you connect to a lot through Ramadan, explained through fasting how we connect to Allah through Quran recitation, how you connect to Allah, submission, fasting was submission with submission Quran with horseshoe Salah with horseshoe, Attica, completely connecting to Allah. And lastly, charity because it's the creation of Allah that Allah loves and we love the creation so Allah loves us. So that's how you connect. And then at the end, I mentioned that the messenger sallallahu Sallam mentioned this month introduced it as a month of cyber patience. Saba is creating a willpower to be able to control ourselves to do things which we don't
want to do, such as pray, etc, and stay away from sins. And he also called this the month of Masada, which is compassion, empathy, feeling like the poor people and feeling sadness, and then trying to alleviate their sadness and helping assistant the job
will end with this Salaam Alaikum