A Look Back at Ramadan 2020

said Mr. De Kumara to lucky wabarakatuhu Mr. Level recommended Rahim al hamdu Lillah wa Salatu was Salam ala rasulillah, that this is an opportunity now that Ramadan is over, it is over, that we can look back and sort of reflect together just with Ramadan 2020 has been like. And the first thing that I wanted to share with all of you is just how Ramadan began. It began with a lot of fear and anxiety there, it was stressful, a lot of us were hungry. And in the sense that we missed our massages, we missed our communities, it was pretty obvious that we were not going to be together. This one I'm all done. And so it was stressful in that regard. It was upsetting even to some extent.

And it caused some worry for a lot of these massages and institutes that who fundraise and depend on income in the month of Ramadan to sustain themselves for the rest of the year. They were scared and a lot of them went and really paid the price. There were quite a few massages just here in Toronto that really suffered in the month of Ramadan, we're not even able to get half of the income and fundraising that they usually get in the Ramadan to sustain themselves for the rest of the year. So it was very difficult for a lot of people in different ways. And then in addition to that, not being able to have if thought is one thing, but there are families out there that actually depend on the

iftaar at the masjid, just for survival sake, like they don't just go to the masjid, because they're going to get free food. And you know, you don't have to cook or prepare anything at home, that they actually go there because they don't have enough food for themselves to prepare it if for each and every day. So they depend on those thoughts. And for these families, some panela other arrangements on what he had to be made, like we had drive throughs, there were organizations that were preparing meals and handing them out giving out

food supplies and things like that. So an effort was still made at the end of the day. But the point is, is that the first thing is when we think back how it all been began. All of us including me, we were worried What's this Ramadan going to be like? It was upsetting to an extent. But then that leads us to the second thing that Ramadan really taught us. And the reason why I'm doing this for Ramadan 2020 is obviously because of the exceptional scenario that we're in right now with lockdown isolation, you know, a worldwide pandemic. Considering all of those factors. This is why I wanted I think it's really important that we all either we do this individually or as a family, or at least

online together, sort of think back and reflect and not lose out on some of the lessons that we should have learned. And we should have gotten in the month of Ramadan. So the first thing is, think about how you felt how optimistic or pessimistic you might have felt, and it's okay to feel either or sometimes it's okay to feel pessimistic, you're not you're uncertain. It's a confusing time, no one really had answers of where we were going to go and what we were going to do and how it all done would have felt like nobody really had those answers. So it was okay to feel a bit pessimistic from time to time. But then that leads us to the second point, as Ramadan began, and it continued. Few

days go by a week go by, then the comments and the reaction from Muslims across the globe started to change. And people started to realize that, wait a minute, this is not so bad. I can actually enjoy this and get through this just fine. Then people started motivating themselves. They started doing extremely bad debt and worship at home. They started praying total, we as a family, you know, spoke to some families who had either their sons and daughters leaving Todd All right. And somehow, there was one family in particular, where the mother said it was the first time that she had ever heard her son recite, pour and insula because he was too young or he wasn't able to lead in the

congregation, but her son had memorized for me, she's never heard him recite in her life. And she ended up hearing her son recite most of the horror in thought all we during this normal bond. So it opened up this new level of love, gratitude and appreciation for her son to Allah subhanho wa Taala for the blessing that he had she respected him and she realized panela What an incredible effort to be able to hear my son recital or and from his mind, and even I talked to other families whose daughters were leading total total weight. In other words, they were leading other women and so on. And same thing, they were just like, she has such a beautiful voice. I never thought I would listen

to my daughter recite, you know, sort of sorta to room all of these sutras in the middle of the poor and that usually a lot of people don't end up memory.

writing. And it was just really refreshing to be able to hear that. So all of these sparks of light started to unfold and unravel, as the Ramadan progressed. And then that leads us to the third and last point which is the most important.

Every time we doubt our trust with Allah, we always get put in our place. Always. This is why Allah says, You trust me for who I hesper it's enough. And then incident happened with musala he said that he pleaded with his people to trust their Creator. And they did it they doubted him at first, then miracles, after miracles, split the seed, pull out this from your pocket, your staff turns into a snake, so many different miracles, Allah sends to musante Center to prove that not only is he a prophet, but Allah is real. They still like our not so sure, you know what we still don't we still don't believe you. And then eventually, the group split, his followers split. And then there were

those who believed in Him, who kept their faith in Him who understood and kept their faith with Allah Jalla wa ala. And then they said to him, for Colorado or Idaho law, he taught Kona in salt universe, they eventually said to musala, he said, and they responded and said, it is upon Allah that we have true tawakkol and reliance, this all happened when they realized that they started seeing the altercation between most scientists that I'm in fit around, that at the end of the day, although around had magicians, it was nothing in comparison to the power and ability that Allah subhanho wa Taala had. And so with musala his center, and so the people eventually realized then

they split and they say, you know, we believe now we understand we're committed to human society, he said, it kind of feels like we're the same to an extent, we start off that Ramadan, not so sure we need to see we need to be convinced and as time progressed, okay, this is not so bad. This is a love putting us in our place. Brothers and sisters, all of you who have gone through an experience this month. This is how Allah teaches us and re teaches us. You just got to trust me, you trust me, and you will never complain, you will never feel the stress. And even if you feel the stress, you'll overcome that just fine. And that led us to the third and final point. You know, what amazes me

about the story of musante sedum, is how it began, especially when he was taught to confront your own, the only thing Allah gave him the only thing that Allah gave musante salaam and his brother Houghton is that they're gonna have to go and confront the most powerful human being at that time, who not only had all the wealth, political power, influence, but at the same time, he also claimed that he was allied himself according to an order book, and we earlier you said to his people, I'm above Allah, I am more divine than Allah, you should worship Me, devote yourself to me, etc. Right? So when all of this was said and done, Musa alayhis salaam now has no army, no resources, no money,

no support, no wealth, what does the Allah give him? Allah only says in any smell, what are all I'm going to listen, and I'm going to watch, I'll monitor your situation, don't worry about it. And you're thinking to yourself, that's it, all you're going to do is just listen and observe, you're not going to send like an army of angels or something to help me out. Once it is them doesn't do any of that. That was enough for him. And that should have been and should always be enough for us. In the end, to the extent where we take every precaution, we do everything that we need to do in life, to make our lives a little bit easier to find clarity, to find some sense of understanding direction

in life, but at the same time, in the back of our minds, we never lose sight that at the end of the day, Oh Allah, you promise that you will always look you will always watch you will always monitor and listen. Oh Allah, I trust you. That was the prime lesson of this month of Ramadan is so that we can engage and set and refocus our energy back on subpanel love when we just keep that connection with him. everything turns out to be just fine. And this leads me to what the end of Ramadan was like. Let me ask all of you, what was the Ramadan like for you? Almost every single Muslim I asked this question to you know what they say to me? Almost everyone, I'm talking about 99. I think the

exception was just one or two individuals that said, yeah, it was good, but and then they gave the reasons and that's fine. But 99% of the people said this was the best Ramadan of their life. This

alone time that they had. And for us speakers, we didn't have to drive around the entire city to fundraise and to do pm and to do talks and so on. For the first time for me, I was able to stay at home and pray total we every night, which is something I have never done. For as long as I can remember, I think since I was like a young teenager or something, it was the last time I can remember I actually prayed all of my total weight from beginning to end. But this month, it was completely different. Just we didn't have that pressure of moving around all over the city, getting all exhausted and dehydrated. And then you have to give like six more talks. And then you have to

have the floor and we'll give the event and lead the solo and then come back. You know, just shove that if far down your throat. Sometimes there were years where actually this happens almost every year, whilst I finished my McRib, I have to get in the car with my father in my in my car and try to eat it as I'm driving. In some heinola it was just a 99% of the time I just leave half of it there and eat it when I'm done three hours later. And that's how it's been. But some handle led this when I'm all done, everybody I talked to it's been the best. What does that tell us? Brothers and brothers and sisters that tells us that when we trust Allah, everything will be okay. Allah is Allah

xizor hacky.

He is the most powerful in the most ways. He knows what he's doing. And so this is what I think this Ramadan was all about. Who knows what the future will be like? Who knows what post COVID-19 The world will be like, who knows what life would will be like? But one thing that we do know is that we need or Ramadan's like this, every single year, it no matter how we experienced that, whether we experienced it at home with our families, or we experienced that as a community. We need these kinds of rumble bonds where it's pure, it's just between us and our Creator. And remember brothers and sisters, the prophet Ali's little services, title company a the best of you are the ones who are

best to their family. Ramadan was all about family, we had no one else to to depend on and to be with except our families. So if you survived Ramadan, and you did it well, you supported each other and you spend time and enjoyed that with your family. then guess what you fulfilled another Hadeeth and you've tasted the sweetness of are the words of our messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam that brings you closer to Allah, that brings you closer to him sallallahu alayhi wa sallam on the day of judgment that brings you closer to being in his company in gender, that brings you closer to being able to drink from the the, the the special fountain that's going to be there on the Day of Judgment

where people can only go and drink from that to quench their thirst from the heat and the chaos and the profit on a subtle sand will be there as well awaiting the subpanel like these, all of these things are one step closer to that. So I think it's important brothers and sisters take some time to really think back and reflect on the lessons that we all should have learned in the month of Ramadan. And you'll see that as you do that, this Ramadan would probably be the best Ramadan of your life. And so with that being said, nevertheless, I still pray that that shot low Tara, we get back to our communities. I'm sure we miss each each other I miss my students, I miss my community. I miss

being in the classrooms, I miss just seeing people I think about my Masjid every single day the Islamic Institute of throne I think about it every day, and just yearn for that moment where we can be back together I think it's going to be one of the most emotional moments of my life but we'll have to just wait and see in sha Allah hotelera so with that being said, Guys, please if you have any additional reflections, something of benefit that we can all relate to, we can all learn from them, please just put it in the comments section we would love to hear from you what your Ramadan has been like hasn't been good. Well, even if it hasn't, what would you want to see or improve on

inshallah, so that we can all improve and do the same as well. So by all means, let's keep this engagement going. And last but not least, my brand new series, how Allah subhanho wa Taala tells us to behave in the quarter and I'm going to go through a set of verses when a lot tells you what to say, or what to do in the poor end. And it's going to be you know, endless amount of scenarios and how will lead to help helps us to navigate and get through all of that in shot low Tara. So stay tuned for that tomorrow will be episode one. I'm not really sure how many episodes I want to do yet, but I'll try to concise that Bismillahi Tyler so please just support that Bismillah and you'll look

out for that tomorrow will be episode one. how Allah when Allah subhanho wa Taala tells us how to behave

So with that being said, just like when low height and thank you all who are watching, may Allah subhanho wa Taala Bless you. And for what it's worth I know it's over but for what it's worth in sha Allah, April bought up to all of you I hope that you had a wonderful celebration lots of gifts and joy and happiness. And may Allah subhanho wa Taala keep you all healthy and say safe, ain't American, wherever you may be. Just come along later guys take care of cinema alikum warahmatu Allahi wa barakato