Muhammad West – Ramadaan 2020 – A Once in a Lifetime Opportunity

			We live in Michigan with resumes from a lot of male or female community local anime ostinato, Samana
shopping was an inside now Mohammed Ali he also created mine, my beloved brothers and sisters in
Islam Somali Kumara la he obrigado opens into Allah Subhana Allah Masha Allah in Allah with the
witness that none has the right of worship besides Allah subhanaw taala we received him in this the
day of Juma for his mercy, his kindness, his prediction His forgiveness from Allah subhanaw taala
healed his alma heal the world of this disease, the move from us this calamity and grant us goodness
my last panel data bless us to reach the month of Ramadan and achieve all the benefits need to send
		

			our greetings and love and salutations. So beloved humans that allows them to spice up your family
to his Sahaba and all those followers for now until the end of time. May Allah subhanaw taala grant
us to be amongst them amin well hamdulillah Al Hamdulillah, it is the 17th of April. We are one day
into the extended period of the lockdown yet in South Africa and it's another jumar another fifth
point now where we are unable to be together in the masjid my last part of the grant is to be there.
And this Ramadan now would be a very unique Ramadan. So Pamela was on the phone with my grandmother,
Allah grant long life and she's seen many, many years mala Grantham anymore. And she said that she
		

			has never experienced Ramadan that would be like this with a mosasaur close as well. And while this
is a once in a lifetime occurrence, and it's a very sad thing for all of us, none of us here are the
world we call it imagine having a Ramadan with ease, no parolees in the masjid, we cannot socialize
and how we started together, but at the same time, as we've seen during this period of lockdown, the
awesome benefits in it and this is in some ways, once in a lifetime opportunity this Ramadan 2020
and we try inshallah to make the best out of it. And perhaps Allah subhanho wa Taala has brought us
this Ramadan so that we can do something different and achieve something more from it. So this is a
		

			golden opportunity. And we know every single Ramadan is a very special moment. It is one of the
pillars of Islam and therefore it carries more reward than any other deeds. The Pillars of Islam
have the the most powerful and the most holiest of acts of worship, which makes you an intercessor
intergender evening and there's so many benefits. We spoke about some of the benefits of Ramadan in
last week's lecture. Just some of them that we really highlight you know in the results from them.
You know, a few days before the Ramadan arrived he told the Sahaba and I mean this hobby really,
really motivated to achieve agenda and he said to them that upon them is a month in which the doors
		

			of Jan now open and the doors of jahannam are closed and it is a night that is worth more than 1000
months. I just one thing is that as the move I seen was the scholars tried to explain. I mean the
doors of agenda is open. For us in our modern times to think about if it was said to us the doors of
the banks are open that anyone who wants to go in the vault and can take as much as they want of
money gold, whatever it is, it is there for them to take whoever has a debt or a loan or anything
that needs to be paid off. Everything will be scrapped. All you need to do is go and get it there is
no limitations. There's no space no restrictions for these 30 days. It is a free for all and that is
		

			exactly what Ramadan is. It is a free for all everyone wants to enter Jannah This is the opportunity
to achieve it who ever wants to be saved from Jana, whoever has a son to be removed. It is an open
amnesty for all of us. There is no restrictions on it. There are so many opportunities The one who
false this month the one who stands in sought out the one who stands on a little further, all his
sins are forgiven. There is one night one night that is coming up in these 30 days, we only allow
one of these that the evenings is the night that is worth 80 plus years of reward 80 plus years of a
lifetime of good deeds. So it is an opportunity to for every single person to square the account
		

			with Allah subhanho wa Taala and really secure the place secure our place in Ghana. At the same time
while all these benefits and all these opportunities are they it is also a scary prospect because
the professor solemn also says whoever is then deprived of the goodness of this month is really
someone that has is a loser someone that has lost out big time and someone really, really terrible
is is a person who cannot achieve the benefits of this month. And we need to ask ourselves if this
is our last Ramadan. Do we feel secure that we've done enough to get to Allah subhanaw taala. And we
should always ask ourselves, we've been through 30 4060 Rama bonds how many Rama bonds have we been
		

			through? year in year out we fasted and we've made we've made our items. Has it really been has it
been accepted? And that is what many of the highest people in the past. They would worry you know
doing the act of worship there are many who do the act of Nevada there are many of us the month of
Ramadan, but how many of them have actually been accepted by Allah subhanaw taala this is this is
where Allah spawn says I will appreciate all of you while lilina tuna
		

			or kulu was unknown in Arabi Mirage Oh
		

			Almost finances, and they are those who give what they give they give of the charity, while their
hearts are fearful because they will be returning to the Lord. So when they give the charity, they
doing so out of fear. So I shut up the alarm how often I'm so sorry about this is you asked for the
Tafseer. She says these people that are giving the charity, are they? Are they scared because they
drink alcohol and they steal? Is that why they escaped? And that's why they're giving charity. And
the problem was who said no, our daughter was the daughter of a worker. Rather, they are the ones
who forced and they pray and they give charity, but they fear that they will not be exempted from
		

			them that the deeds will not be accepted from them. And so they are the ones so they do extra
goodies trying to get Allah subhanaw taala acceptance to Subhan Allah, a scary prospect that we've
done all the fasting for so many years from the Ramadan have come and gone, how many of them have
actually been accepted. And there are a few litmus tests we don't want to know what is accepted only
on the deaf camel we come to realize with our deeds were accepted by Allah, we presented to him and
it is up to him to accept or to reject mama forgive us and have mercy upon us. The scholars
mentioned of the things we find in the sooner an indication of our needs, and he accepted or not
		

			being accepted is that after Ramadan has left us have we changed have we kept some of the good deeds
and persisted so if Ramadan came and we all increased in doing fasting, doing more in our field,
giving more charity as some some not all of it if some of the good deeds have stayed with us, it's a
good indication that Ramadan has brushed off any changed us. Or if we left a bad habit, some sinful
thing that we stopped doing in Ramadan, we were not dressing appropriately. And so now we dress
correctly after Ramadan if we continue, you know, to dress appropriately that Alhamdulillah
neglection that Ramadan has had an effect. But if we go directly backwards in the same way that we
		

			were pre Ramadan, this is a bad, you know, sign that perhaps we have not achieved the full benefits
of normal. And that's a scary thought that we have gone 3040 years of Ramadan, and none of them has
really brushed off. And so it is maybe perhaps this year, you know, we sit down and we think Yeah, a
lot. What am I doing wrong? I've been through this many many times before. I have given up my sinful
ways during the month of Ramadan. I have fasted sincerely, I have made an effort to perform my
borrowing as much as I could. I wish to recite my heart terms I've given my charity, but stole at
the end of Ramadan, I tend to go back to the way I used to be, what am I doing wrong? How can I
		

			change the output of this Ramadan, Ramadan 2020 is the one that you accept the one that will give me
all those rewards the one in which I can get later the other and we should believe we can get these
things. But perhaps our approach towards Ramadan has not been perhapses have been corrected Allah
subhanho wa Taala has given us this very unique was very strange kind of Ramadan, this one, we were
not going to be able to be in the massage part of it or maybe all of it, we were going to have to
spend a lot of time individually, perhaps this is the opportunity Allah subhanaw taala has given us
to perform our Ramadan in a different way so that we can get that full benefit. Remember, you know,
		

			something for us to think about as sad as it is that you know we only have congregational authority
is that this is the way it was in the time of the Beatles and the Sahaba only started performing a
Jama are kind of far away in the time of say normally became formalized. We all know this, but
before that, in the time going to be so solemn It was very much a personal thing. Some you know
people that would come of course the Sahaba were in the masjid for a shy time and they performed the
show within a resource or lump sum nights the props on them lead them in taraweeh. And other nights
he he went to his house that we saw and he made his own individual per week, and also how they would
		

			make their own individual Tara was either at home or in two or three jobs in the masjid. But that's
how it was you were benchmarking yourself against yourself. It was between you and Allah subhanaw
taala how you how much Salah you made how much eight connections you made you you do as your upcard
was just between you and Allah subhanaw taala. And even if you look at this harder, you know, for
us, our mindset tells us that if I'm going to be successful in a snowball, maybe I need to make that
extra Hotham. Maybe I need to give a little bit more in charity, maybe I need to make a few more
Docker eyes, and that's what's missing. There's a harbor by and large, most of them were not half of
		

			the Quran. And they did not even have a moose half, Musharraf only came after the abyssal Salah. So
they weren't even sitting at home making meaningful items. This is something which only happens
later on, that you find many items are being made. So however, we're not very wealthy people, so
they didn't give, you know, large amounts in charity, but yet they are mobile, of course counted
much more than our mobile. So perhaps these are ways in which we are not fully appreciating or not
fully approaching Ramadan correctly. And that's why I speak to myself first and foremost, that we
are not getting the full benefits. So during shala this talk last week we spoke about the thick
		

			aspects of preparing for mamani, we need to know what the rules and regulations how to force what to
		

			Do what not to do, what breaks your fast we've done that last week and he spoke about some of the
rewards and Hadeeth and the virtues of Ramadan. And you can you know, get those lectures in sha
Allah. If you want a refresher today inshallah we want to talk about a plan of action, how am I
going to get to achieve this Ramadan? What do the scholars say? What do you know we have 1400 years
of Muslims, what can we do to ensure we don't make mistakes in this Ramadan hopefully, so that we
can attain it? There are seven points inshallah we want to make note of in this in this talk in sha
Allah. So point number one, and this is a point that we know what it is going to be so salamina will
		

			be near the first building block or the first step. If you want to make your your Ebola successful.
It begins with that near and we have, we saved this we've mentioned this many, many times, we have
ritualized a Nia which was not meant to be ritualized. The Nia was not something to be sit behind an
Imam the night before you fast that's not the purpose of the NEA. The purpose of the NEA is to have
an objective it's to have a clear understanding what am I doing? What is my purpose? What is the
purpose? And there's many of us if we were to ask one another, why if you're if you're a non Muslim
thing we're to ask you, why are you fasting meaning what is the ultimate goal at the end of Ramadan?
		

			So some of us most of us will just say, well we force because Allah told us to fast is the fasting
the end objective? No, the fasting is a means to achieve something higher than that and what is the
purpose? We know Allah subhanaw taala speaks about in Surah Baqarah from verse 183. To 187 is about
five six is that speaks about Ramadan and fasting and at the end of those ayat Allah mentions that
Allah competitor con la Comtesse Quran that so that you may achieve taqwa number one, and as you may
be grateful and appreciative at the end of the month. So Allah subhanho wa Taala is putting us
through 30 days of abstinence. And at the end of the abstinence, we should achieve taqwa and we
		

			should be grateful. And these two things we can have a whole lecture on each and every one of them.
taqwa is of course, a relationship with Allah, we need to be closer to Allah at the end of the
month, we need to wherever we are now before Ramadan, when we get to the end of Ramadan, every
single person should have one at least one step closer to Allah. It doesn't mean you have to have
maximum taqwa. You can never have maximum taqwa. It's a lifelong, objective. But so long as we've
taken one step closer to Allah, then Ramadan has been successful. At the same time, Allah says, that
we may be appreciative of what Allah has given us. And so if we come out of Ramadan, more grateful
		

			individuals, then we have achieved Ramadan. So the beginning point of of the first step into making
an Amazon 2020 success is for us to understand very clearly our objective, I need to get back home
at the end of the day, I need to get a you know, gratitude thankfulness to Allah either at the end
of the month, how do I achieve the core, there are many, many ways you can achieve quality you it's
a relationship backwards, the relationship between you and Allah subhanaw taala. So how do we build
a relationship with Allah, Allah, Allah, Allah, we don't give Allah analogies to the loving to the
people on earth. But similarly, the way you want to build the relationship, you know, with with
		

			someone in the dunya, you do so by doing the things which that person loves. And you do by spending
time with that person, and putting effort in that. And it's not about the quantity, it's about the
quality of the time. And so many of us we've spent many years of Ramadan in lots of acts of worship,
fasting, and Ivana and tarawih, for example, or reciting Quran, but it was mechanical, our bodies
were fasting, our bodies were performing the thoroughly, you know, we would just say citing IR to
the Quran, which we weren't understanding, and there was no spiritual connection to Allah subhanaw
taala perhaps now in this isolation, we don't have an Imam that we get to follow, we don't have an
		

			email mix to it, we just say I mean, now we are forced to sit in spin that quiet time and speak to
Allah subhanho wa Taala. This might be that ingredient we were missing, to get the duck walk, where
we can contemplate and reflect and meditate with Allah subhanaw taala. So, at the end of Ramadan, we
need to achieve this level of taqwa and for different people to achieve that closest to Allah, it
might be through spending more time on the masala it might be spending more time on reciting Quran
it might be that you need to be a better person with your family, whatever it might be, each of us
we need to do different ways to get closer to Allah and there are many ways many acts of worship
		

			that we could do. And it might be the one that we are not you know, being mindful of that is the one
that gets us closer to Allah subhanho wa Taala it might not be that you need to make a second and
further hartham perhaps it's something very different, that is needed for you to get that for me and
you to be closer to Allah. But definitely, one of the clearest ways that Allah has prescribed in
this month is to read the Quran with understanding, so to maybe to read the Tafseer and reflect on
that and to have a dialogue and a discussion with Allah to have a sincere
		

			Have to our daily where we speak to Allah subhanho wa Taala in our own language and our own words,
this might be that month when we get to do that.
		

			Number two. So getting on to that to both taqwa you need to make more Ebola Ebola is the are the
steps we do to get closer to Allah, the more Ebola you do, the closer you get to Allah in terms of
luck, we should have a strategic plan in how we're going to do Ebola. It's not just about doing as
much Salah as you can or to recite 10 items, and that's what's going to do you throw as much time in
Ebola and you're going to achieve the duck walk, there has to be strategic plan in the way you're
going to approach this because we only have 30 days. And we only have a limited amount of time to
achieve this. So when it comes to eba, remember the opera Islam has priorities, there are things
		

			some acts of worship are more important than other acts of worship, some acts of worship are
priorities. And for example, we might focus a lot on an act of worship, that is not a compulsory act
of worship, it might not be the most important act of worship. So we might neglect a an important
aspect and focus on something which is not as important. So for example, when we are now during this
lockdown period, to prioritize our compulsory saunas more than our now I feel a lot of Ramadan, the
focus is on thoroughly and it's unclear malayo of course, that's wonderful. That's amazing. That's
what we should be doing. But before that even happens, we have to perfect our five they Salas we
		

			cannot achieve that closest to Allah, if we are missing our normal oakheart alpha jirisan
oversleeping Vijay, for example, or you know, submit performing any follow that discover or even you
know, sleep better than that, if we are performing our works on time, to perfect it meaning to make
it as the earliest possible time there's a hadith with the Sahaba asked me so salam, what is the
best thing I can do
		

			to perform the salah and its earliest possible time. So maybe the focus should not be to perform an
extra, an extra 10 Raka as whatever it might be, maybe the focus should be now especially that we
are at home, and we can you know manage our own schedules is about we're going to perform that work
immediately when it comes in. In fact, before the work comes in, I will do is really we are on the
muscle now we are waiting for the walk to come in, that might be the thing that we need that gets us
over the line. It might also be that there are other obligations that we are neglecting, for
example, obligations towards our family, towards our neighbors towards our work. Remember that we
		

			are also in during the month of Ramadan. Many of us are not taking if you're not taking leave, then
you have an obligation to do your job. And to neglect your job, which is a compulsory thing which is
an Amana you have a contract with your company, especially in these difficult times. And that is a
sinful action. So you might be sitting, but it's I think many many hot items are not focusing on
your work. We as we are being paid for that work and at Hotham is no appeal. So remember, it is in
Islam, we do not neglect a priority for something which is nephal. So these are the priority eBuy
that also when we talk about doing divided, we have to make sure we are fasting and we're praying
		

			correctly, a number of people actually messaged me and said, Can we do a quick refresher on the laws
of fasting for example, and even the laws of Uppsala What do I say in you know, in the sujood? What
do I say that the here what is the correct postures, sometimes we take for granted that what we
learned, you know, as kids, we slowly remember it or it was taught correctly. It's an opportunity
for us to perfect those basics. You don't want to know that you've been forming your Salah
incorrectly for the last 50 years, and something so basic and elementary, but it happens. And so it
is about getting the fic aspects before we can even get into the month we need to make sure we know
		

			all the rules and regulations about forcing and Salah get that in order and if is a need for it. And
feel free to request it to ask anyone is what you know will be available to assist. There's another
beautiful Hadith to remind us that in Ramadan we become so focused on the ritual I want to do as
much of ritualistic worship in me and Allah subhanaw taala and we forget that this other side of of
evader which is to the the creation and this hadith which we've mentioned so many times, then
abyssal Solomon says Should I not tell you what is something better in status then extra fasting
sooner fasting now and sooner pray and sooner charity mean what is better than chemo light and
		

			better than scaricato Giardia and better in a you know sooner fasting and the opposite of what is
within the net? And he's wholesome said it is about reconciling in the case of discord between
people. So when two groups of people are not happy this with her and that auntie and this one are
not, you know, speaking What about each other and you mediate between them and you bring families
together. This is greater in terms of a reward, the extra fasting external waffle. So perhaps the
focus is not about spending more time on the muscle lap. Perhaps the focus we will meet where we are
lacking is our focus in terms of community in terms of our family. That is
		

			He's not that we should be spending more time reciting no hot items, we're neglecting a more
important priority in terms of relationship building and very something for us to for us to think
about when we speak just about the ritualistic era as well. People ask how much rockers must I do or
how long must how much is enough Should I spend an hour on the masala two hours in the masala what
is it that Allah subhanaw taala wants from us remember when the promises are limited whoever stands
the month of Ramadan with Iman. And with hopefully he would he did not give a number He did not say
who stands 100 Raka as who stands 10 hours on the masala it is who stands a moment with sincerity,
		

			it's just one moment that is done beautifully that will get us there and that is what Allah subhanaw
taala and the problem teaches us it is about doing our ibadah properly quickly meaning the way we do
it the rules must be fulfilled it must be consistently insincerely done so to do a little but it's
about quality over quantity that is really the formula and in Ramadan in particular whatever you do
at the beginning we should be increasing so towards the end we end off on a high so even if you
start off slow but every single day you are increasing increasing, that's the formula in which we we
get paid and we don't leave a single evening without improving on the night before. So that is that
		

			is the objective we try to we try to do now in particular Tara we will be as we said we will not be
able to attend the budget for Tara. So what do we do? How do we now perform salata Tara with Tara we
of course doesn't have to be done in the masjid In fact, it is the proposal number for most of these
chiamo ladies nights alone in his house with his family and this is a soon enough for us to revive
to to bring the house make it a Masjid on its own. So the fathers can now be the Imams of the
household you know or the or an eldest son whoever it might be and for them to leave the family
inshallah so you'd make a shy as as normal and then off the shower you would now and and perform or
		

			we sorta for those of us who are were able to decide fluently you may pick up the masafumi pick up
the Quran and you may recite the Quran, you know as you would do to eat from the Quran and you'd be
the Imam that that is fine. If you can, of course you would try to do your use, you know, you make
the 20 Records and you recite one Jews and second Jews if you're unable to do that. So you're not
fluent in reciting the Quran. Then recite those sutras that you know maybe you know some long Surah
Surah Yaseen for example, so that the Barak every means you need to decide every night that same is
what I asked him to rock and choose ama Alhamdulillah. You keep doing that every single evening.
		

			Again, Allah subhanaw taala is not looking at, you know, you have to finish your heart and you have
to decide everything. It's about how are you know your consistency, and how much mileage you do on
that. musala how much time you spend. What about the person that is final? I can't even read from
the Quran. I don't even I haven't I don't know. Should I ask you all I know is a few surahs Yeah,
and they could have been the coolest that's all I know cool, lower head cool all the way Robin
that's all I know. No problems panel. At site, make you make your Torah we recite that surah and
then prolong your request to Judas Subhan Allah Alhamdulillah Allah Allah Allah Allah, spend more
		

			time on the masala then making Vicar more time making dua, Allah subhana wa Taala has allowed, you
know, any format for us to get to to him in any way we can connect to your data, whether it is
through recitation, whether it is through to whether it is through Vicar, whatever it might be, just
spin that time designate a specific time. You know, an hour of the ishai of this time is he by the
time if it means I'm sitting you know saying Subhan Allah of 1000 times, then that might be it. So
basically the time and be consistent insha Allah and don't worry the prophets of Allah
		

			tells us again, it is not the quantity of our deeds that will get it it has to Jenna it is the
consistency and the sincerity in those deeds that will get us Gemma it might be the person who
struggles the most and you know struggles to to even make the work as properly to Allah Spanner, but
they do it and they consistent on it, it might be more beautiful and more loving to Allah and the
personality sites available fluently or from the lab. Now the third area that we spoke about the
first area is the need to understand your objective is a goal is a priority. Number two is be
strategic with your ibadah number three is about sin. Now the other side of the coin to the one side
		

			is if the vida right, the other side is sin and ivsa. Some tells us we're ever fasts but he doesn't
give up evil speech or bad actions, when it's no benefit that he gave up his food and his drink.
Meaning that if you sense of our sinful habits continue, then this will nullify our our good deeds.
So this is something which we know we all know that everybody knows when you enter a mobile, we need
to give up certain sinful habits. You see Alhamdulillah people receiving more modestly, people
becoming more punctual on a missile as people stop going to certain places Alhamdulillah this
Ramadan in a way it is a blessing that Allah has closed many of those places. And there are many
		

			things so many places which would have distracted us, we people we
		

			Through and we're not ideal and there was sinful things happening in the month of Ramadan, those
places are all closed down now. So you stuck in your house and Alhamdulillah if there is goodness,
there are still certain sins that we neglect, and they are sensitive or major sins that we are doing
without even consciously understanding it. And that could be the thing with making our You better
not being accepted. So if we ask Allah, why after 3040 years, have I not seen any change in me
through Ramadan? When I've done that, when I've done the fasting, I've done the hard times, why
don't I see the change? Sometimes it could be a sin that is blocking our way. For example, the
		

			prophets of Salaam says that on every Monday and Thursday, the gates of Jannah open, and everyone
who does not come a cheek with Allah will get forgiveness for every believer, every Muslim, they
will receive the forgiveness of Allah, except a person, we had animosity with his brother, the two
people that are talking to each other, to you know, siblings to relatives, friends, they are awkward
cut each other off. And then if you said that Allah says, Wait with these two until they reconcile,
wait for these two until we reconcile wait for this to reconcile many, the forgiveness and the
acceptance of the deeds is put on hold until they fix the quarrels between them. So as you enter the
		

			month of Ramadan, now, it might be that it doesn't matter how much more thoroughly you're doing,
what is blocking you is that the some bad blood you have with a relative that you have not fixed.
And so it requires of you to pick up that phone and to ask for math. It requires for you even if you
are the right one to say let us into the month of Ramadan without these issues on our backs. And
that might be the thing that is will take you forward and other scary how do you feel which speaks
about Ebola not being accepted? Is the man who comes the Hadith is the is a man who has journeyed
for me perhaps is even a person who comes all the way on Alma or hedge, disheveled and dusty. He's
		

			traveled long and far and he comes in off the long journey and he spreads his hands to the sky. You
know he's easy, sincere, he's in a desperate situation and he puts his hands to the sky and he says,
My Lord My lord is begging Allah is pleading to licencia but unless he is his food is haram his
drink is haram his clothing is haram. He has been nourished with Haram. So how can he is to be
answered his money is haram. So yeah, one of the things we need to fix before we enter the month of
Ramadan, make sure our financial affairs are sorted out people that we owe money.
		

			Interest goes without saying we shouldn't be involved in any interest kind of transactions paying or
receiving. Fix as much as we can of our financial mistakes. We owe people money, squeeze those dates
up, if it's something that is old enough to do people that we have wrong in terms of money, these
things prevent us from getting closer to Allah subhanaw taala. So if we want to achieve the benefits
of Ramadan, these kind of stuff need to we need to be sorted out. And while you know Alhamdulillah
Allah has caused that many of the, of the places of evil are closed down on hamdulillah. We see the
sheer means being closed that as we said in our last lecture, the only country in the world, which
		

			has stopped the sale of alcohol during this lockdown period. And we pray in the case, we see our
numbers in this Coronavirus is a lot lower than expected. Perhaps it is through the grace of Allah
that we stopped, you know, the spirit of alcohol and Allah subhanaw taala has caused us not to be so
badly affected Allah knows best. But as certain sons of has stopped, other sons I've taken off and
one of the areas which we see is really getting out of control is our online sins, the sins that we
do online. And during Ramadan. It's not just about fasting, of course, as we know, fasting from food
we need to fast in the way we speak. And now we speak more online and we actually do face to face.
		

			So perhaps it's important for us to take a parser or CRM from from actually on our phones and our
social media and the things of course watching things we don't have time even to watch things many
other times the things that are on TV or Netflix is not appropriate is haram. Ramadan is a time
which we don't have, we don't have time to indulge in these things. So looking at haram listening to
Haram, you know Subhan Allah, people are wasting the time bashing one another name calling even in
the name of Islam. This is not the time and place to do that. It's a crisis and more so in the month
of Ramadan, these things should be avoided. So perhaps way the pitfall is, is in that social media
		

			The phone is your dangerous thing. And so you should know we should all know where our weakness our
weak spots lie so that we can be inserted and avoided number four, so we move on to the first one we
said was the Nia number two was approaching our ibadah more systematically being smart about the
Vita number three was being aware of certain sins which we were not conscious of those sins. Number
four, we see that one of the objectives of Ramadan is about gratitude. Almost pantallas is that I'll
accomplish Quran the end of Ramadan, we should be to come there Allah we should make that be of
Allah Allahu Akbar. thank Allah for
		

			He has given us and then we become appreciative at the end of Ramadan, we should feel a sense of
appreciation. Now how does this work? How do I get appreciation by fasting, and there's a lot of
psychology around gratitude. There are some excellent videos on happiness and gratitude, we live in
a time where we have the most in terms of comfort and worldly pleasures than any other generation
before us. But we are also the most medicated the most miserable generation in the history of time.
Why is it like that, because we live in a time where if we don't have a certain standard of living,
if we don't live our dream lives, we don't travel, you know, annually, we don't drive a certain
		

			vehicle, we don't look a certain way we don't we don't, we don't have that beauty as is put on TV on
the adverts. We don't have a lot of friends on Facebook and likes and we don't have, we don't have
the perfect marriage, the Facebook marriage that we see, you know, on social media, when our life is
not loved to its full potential. And we constantly searching for that thing. You know, we're always
on a journey trying to get to chasing after the goal, you know, if we just couldn't get this
promotion, if we can just get this raise, then everything is gonna be alright, so we're always
chasing. Whereas on the other side, Allah subhanaw taala wants us to appreciate what we have met,
		

			what we have, is what should bring us happiness, the job that we have the money that we have the
house that we live in, it should be good enough to give us that happiness. And people that display
you know, the psychology now, it is known that people that have the sense of internal gratitude,
they tend to be happier, they tend to be less depressed, they are able to deal with trauma, they are
healthier, they have better relationships, they are generally in a much better space. So Allah
subhanaw taala is actually giving us a gift through Ramadan at the end of Ramadan. If you're able to
achieve some form of gratitude, you will actually be happier. It will make everything in your life
		

			better, it will shift your focus on what the things that you have rather things that you don't have.
So how can you achieve gratitude? How is Allah subhanho wa Taala gonna give you the attitude. So
scientifically, we know as I said, there's a lot of studies done, what makes people happy. A big
component of that is having the sense of internal gratitude. Some people are born with it, they are
naturally predisposed. It's called trait in gratitude. Some people they acquire it unique to
condition yourself to me to being thankful and appreciative. For example, they will say you keep a
gratitude journal, you have to make a note every you know, every day for 10 minutes, what am I
		

			thankful for, and you write it down. And with time, your mind will become trained to appreciating
the things that you have, you have to practice being thankful to achieve it. Allah gives us
something even better than that. We know that we only appreciate something when we don't have it.
Subhan Allah, the person that has gone through a life threatening disease, a person that went
through a really, really difficult time in their lives. And now Subhanallah in this period of time,
we are going through an isolation, we appreciate all of us, if we were to go to the masjid now,
we'll be so appreciative of the masjid like we've never been before. If we get to just go spend some
		

			time on the beach, we'd be so appreciative for something which we never even, you know, we drove
pause every day and never took note of it now we'll be so appreciative, even going to the shops,
Pamela, our health. So Allah subhanaw taala it is just the psychology of insight that when something
is taken from us, we appreciate it more. And it couldn't be then that in this in this moment that
we're in, when Allah has taken so much in Ramadan, Allah has put our food, our drink on pause our
relationship with our wives, we have to hold it back on that, on top of it, we have this lockdown,
we can maybe achieve a level of gratitude at the end of Ramadan when things go back to normal that
		

			Alhamdulillah while we were chasing of the of the things that we don't have, we never ever took a
moment stop and think about the things that we do have to think of the relationships that we do have
just been able to visit each other What a great niyama and a blessing it is. And so abstinence is a
secret in which we can achieve gratitude which will lead to happiness. So let us use this
opportunity to really make the most of the episodes that if you are hot, you know in the month of
Ramadan is one way we avoid eating and drinking but we've cheated the system and that we stuffed
ourselves for us the whole time and stuff ourselves if our time that we don't even feel hungry
		

			during the day, perhaps an opportunity for us to to not to feel to force ourselves to feel hungry in
our objective is not to punish the body. But it is also to live well within our means to limit
ourselves. So maybe this Ramadan is the month where we say we're not getting to overindulge in the
Ramadan treats. Perhaps you should tell our wives and our moms and our system and husbands because
their husbands also in the kitchen, Lila. Let's try not to overindulge not just from a health
perspective, but rather from a perspective of I don't want to give into my desires. Maybe this month
of Ramadan 30 days I'm not going to enjoy myself to the to the fullest. I'm going to make it easier.
		

			I'm going to try and learn from the loss that when I go a bit hungry so I can feel what it feels to
be hungry that I
		

			Don't have to give in to every desire that I want. And this Subhan Allah is one of the big reminders
of Ramadan, one of the important lessons and the messages of Ramadan. And at the end of it, it could
be something that makes us more appreciative of our girls to be more appreciative. That's number
four, number five, then abyssal Salam already began speaking about later the other before the month
began and he said of the Easter special might that's going to come up in it is better than 1000
months, this night that you just need to get one little corner of all the days that we love, if we
have 70 years times 365 just one of those evenings. If we can keep level quality in one of them. It
		

			be even the law is the thing that we need to get our skills into Jenna is going to be such a major
bonus, we know that of level. No other nation before got this opportunity a level other only this
nation, it is this maximum bonus that is very big, no deed that we know of that is equal to little
color. And so it is about searching it out. It's about preparing ourselves now. Why we speak one
little column now we noticed in the last 10 nights, it's going to be in the last third matter the
last thing nights. But to get the the profits from seek it out through eat decaf, and through
chiamo. The only time in his life where he would spend the entire night in solar, or the last 10
		

			nights of Ramadan, trying to achieve little other not wasting a single moment. But it's going to be
very, very difficult for someone to spend from a shy to failure insular or in Nevada or invigor if
we did not prepare ourselves for that. And so the near full April quarter was to begin now. And the
preparation that look, I should be able to spend 234 hours on the masala when I get to the last 10
nights that preparation begins now. And SubhanAllah. If this lockdown continues, or if we're still
working from home, it is really the first time in my life for the first time in your life, that you
can actually perhaps spend the whole night up in ibadah and sleep a little later. And then start
		

			your day, maybe 10 o'clock 11 o'clock while hamdulillah and you know then spend the entire evening
when we were living. You know, last year, we had to be in work, we had to be at work eight o'clock,
which means that after Pfizer, we don't go back to bed. And so you couldn't spend the whole evening
in Iraq, now's an opportunity to do that. And so it's important for us to really begin thinking
about level quarter because as I said, if we just get one little corner, it's enough with the law to
really get our skills in order to put us in Jannah with the law. Number six, there are certain hacks
and pitfalls, certain things, shortcuts that can get us make our mobile very easy, and certain
		

			mistakes that people overlook. One of them, for example is as we say, this is a unique Ramadan. And
this is an opportunity to set your own timetable up. So because you are at home now, and you dictate
your timetable, and especially the fathers and the mothers, you dictate the timetable for your kids
as well. It's important now to structure your day briefly around the art and to designate certain
times for certain types of ubaidah. So it might be time for call on leaving, there might be time for
a car, it might be time for your morning do as your evening to us time for learning the Quran. The
prophets, Allah says that, you know, and even the kids, they should also recite, and even if they
		

			don't recite correctly remember the levee system says the one who decides beautifully, they get the
reward equal to that only angels were close and obedient to Allah made the site beautifully. And the
one who recites with difficulty, he gets a double reward. So you shouldn't feel shy that you stay in
taraweeh you maybe eat the sons, they take turns and they struggle they need to me, you know, the
the stemmer that is fine, you actually get rewarded for trying and struggling through it. So plan
with the family that evisa sunlamp in the last 10 nights in particular, he woke his family up and so
he made it a family thing. So keep the trauma alive in your house through your family. It's
		

			something that we've neglected, taking control of our own ibadah we've deferred to the mom, the mom
leaves us, the mama decides to do and we just say I mean, now's your opportunity for everyone to
have a personal relationship with a lot. So schedule your time and do different types of Obeida. You
know work out to ensure that you don't have unproductive time. It's when we are unproductive that we
miss that opportunity every moment and second and I'm upon is a chance for forgiveness is a chance
that we don't know which one is with a bonus comes in and so we should maximize our our
opportunities. Remember that many of us we come to the masjid and part of coming to the masjid is to
		

			learn and I'm Oman is a month where we continue to learn in particular about the Quran. So make
perhaps, you know our kids are smarter than we think we should tell them each one maybe thinks we
saw and reads up on the translation that he listens to a lecture on that I've seen and we discuss it
as a family. That's the opportunity for us for the younger kids maybe to opportunity to introduce
them to the stories of the Gambia. It's about everyone becoming closer to the Quran. In this month.
Also even though we're not at the masjid. Remember, we can still be charitable, this is a month of
giving and so continue to do the good deeds that
		

			You would have done outside of Ramadan and then of course you're certain mistakes that we do have
the mistakes that we see we actually spend more time in the kitchen especially our sisters so much
of time is done in the kitchen preparing preparing, now is the month inshallah we don't have big if
third parties Alhamdulillah we don't have to entertain so much, it's not in our hands anymore
Alhamdulillah it's a good thing. So now we can use that time for for Ebola many a time, we find that
the middle part of Ramadan gets gets neglected. And so so this is an opportunity to ensure that you
know, it starts off with a bang and it ends or for the bank, make sure that that middle part remains
		

			good. So we tend to miss the middle parts of the Ramadan, which that could be that that special time
that we get our since we went. And of course, we tend to miss that the last few days of Ramadan,
between segments we sort of go on on our kind of a holiday. And remember the on the 28th, the 29th
sit here feels a whole unites those could be the nights of laser color. And so we should be
consistent from the beginning to the end. And that is really the crucial difference of how we should
focus on a mobile not to binge at you know, the beginning of the end. It's about being consistent
throughout. And to avoid those things that have the weight of the things that keep us from not
		

			getting the full benefits of our mobile, social media, fatwa fighting moon fighting, these things
just take away from our times of really benefiting from it over over indulging during a thought and
support those kinds of things tend to tend to take away the full benefit of the man so be be aware
of those kind of kind of pitfalls. And the last thing number seven yes even though this is far we
haven't even gotten to Ramadan. It's important to keep posts Ramadan into in our minds that the real
test is when the day of eat comes in sha Allah if we've lived through the month of Ramadan, you know
all we different people and that is the knee of it we do and we can make that Nia now we don't have
		

			to make that near the night before I'm about to make that knee analogy Allah let this be the best
Ramadan and if this Ramadan be the one that you love, and that you accept, and that you make us you
know perfect and our worship, it will never be that we worship enough that will get you forgiveness,
but there always is your mercy that gets us be so let this be a lifelong change that this these days
will do. And that when we the people that we all get into that are mobile is different people that
comes out of India Ramadan, and we always put our faith and our hope in Allah and His mercy. Allah
Subhana Allah says that you will never live the good deeds of those who do the Allah will never
		

			allow to be lost the reward of those people who do good deeds are every single person who does good.
Allah subhana wa tada will never show changes and that's the hope that we have that Allah subhanaw
taala Will you will Allah bless us Allah grant this Ramadan to be the best Mr. Robot and Allah
subhanaw taala except from all of us in the inner circle of hydrocephalus and I'm humbled while
you're sitting in front of me