Nahela Morales – Ramadan Making Sense Of It All
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Salam Alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh welcome back to
another episode.
I'm gonna give it a couple seconds just so folks start connecting in
sha Allah and I'm able to share this out as well. So we'll start
in a couple seconds Bismillah
today we're going to be talking about Ramadan making sense of it
all. So hang tight and we will be starting in sha Allah
Salaam Alaikum everyone. We'll be starting in a few seconds.
I just want to make sure that we share this out with Nila and
All righty.
Okay, folks are connecting from the left.
All righty. So sit on a good water for the lucky Warahmatullahi
Wabarakatuh. Welcome back. My name is Nikhil Morales. And today we
will be talking about Ramadan making sense of it all.
For those of you that may not know, I'm actually a convert to
Islam, I'm Mexican American, and I live in Dallas, Texas.
Subhanallah
we are in the last days of Ramadan. And so first and
foremost, I want to say congratulations, my Brooke
felicidad is for making it here to the last days. And it's truly an
honor. It's a blessing from Allah subhanaw taala. Out of His mercy
He allowed us to reach another Ramadan and hopefully enjoyed it
and benefited. And so today we're going to talk about that
specifically, Ramadan and making sense of it. Where are we some of
us are, you know, more broken than others. Some of us are healing.
Some of us are in a quest, some of us are curious about this
religion. So today we're gonna touch on some of those issues or
topics. As far as what do we make of this month?
Are we leaving the same way we came in? Are we leaving empty
handed? Or are we leaving with more than what we came? And so
I want us to take a couple steps back and just reflect for a
second. How much did you benefit but don't be so hard on yourself
because I have heard that I actually work with reverts. And
oftentimes we are looking for perfection when perfection is an
attribute that belongs only and solely to Allah Subhana Allah. So
Allah is not looking for perfection from us. He is looking
for excellency. And so what did you make out of this Ramadan, we
still have nine days to go we are actually on the 21st day, which is
an odd day tonight will be the 22nd night. And so how are you
making the best out of these last days? So recently I heard
a lecture and the Sheikh was saying you know, sometimes we
start very strong at the beginning and then fizzle out or start
getting overwhelmed or tired, as the days are still long in some
areas, and so by the end of the race, we are exhausted. And so
that's what we want to focus on today in sha Allah that in these
last few days of Ramadan, we make the most of it the best of it for
us individually. So each and every one of us has different goals. You
know we are in different stages of our spiritual journey. We are in
different stages of our Islam, some of us or new into the faith
and are just learning or are celebrating our first Ramadan and
what did that look like for us so I know that most of us make a lot
of goals prior to Ramadan.
On the beginning of Ramadan in the middle of Ramadan, but are these
goals?
attainable? Are these goals really realistic? Are they realistic for
us. And so we need to make sure that as we are ending this month,
we don't leave empty handed, we don't leave with nothing at all.
And so one of the best ways to do that is inshallah to focus on four
things. And these four things, hopefully, and I pray to Allah
subhanaw taala, that we're able to carry them outside of Ramadan. So
whatever we are acquiring in this month, we should be able to take
it outside of Ramadan. And why is that? Well, because, you know,
normally, they say that it takes anywhere from 20 to 27 days to
gain a new habit. And so Allah has blessed us with 29 to 30 days. So
let's just pray that we're able to take something with us, before the
month is over in sha Allah.
I see there's a couple questions coming in. So I'll try to address
those towards the end. Inshallah, if that's okay with everyone.
And I don't see them here. Okay. So number one.
To be generous, you know, we're not generous, not only with the
people outside, but to be generous with ourselves. Sometimes we're so
hard on ourselves. And so we got to give ourselves a break, we got
to be merciful with ourselves, you know, the same mercy that we're
looking for from Allah subhanaw taala. That's the same mercy that
we should have,
you know, for ourselves Bismillah. And why is that? Well, simply
because
I hear this very often, well, you know, I'm not a good person,
because I didn't do A, B and C, or I'm not donating enough. Like,
today I got a message Well, I don't even have a job. And so
we'll talk a little bit about what that means when it comes to
charity. But for now, generosity is something that we should be
working on ourselves. You know, for those of you that are not
aware, Ramadan is broken down in through into three sections,
right, so the first 10 days of Ramadan, they're the days of
mercy, they're known as the days of mercy, the next 10 days are
known
as the days
of forgiveness.
And then finally, we are in the last 10 days, which are the days
where we are looking for Laila to gather, right? And so
let's be generous, let's be generous and generosity doesn't
always mean that you have to give money. Sometimes generosity means
that you are kind simply kind with yourselves, and forgive yourself.
So the same forgiveness that you're looking from, or you're
seeking to obtain from Allah subhanho wa taala. It's the same
type of mercy and the same type of forgiveness that you want to work
on yourself. So like I mentioned earlier, some of us came into
Ramadan, a little bit more broken than others. And so let's work on
that healing. And the best way to work on that healing is to work on
forgiving oneself.
And to be merciful and kind and nice to to one oneself. So number
two would be giving charity and so charity doesn't always come in a
form of finances or monetary charity comes in many forms.
Charity comes in your time, your time, we've heard the phrase Time
is money. And it is because our time is very valuable. And we will
be questioned about our time. You know, on the Day of Judgment, how
did we utilize this time did we make the best of this time did we
waste time. And so in these last 10 days, now nine, we want to make
sure that we're utilizing our time in the best manner.
And we're giving up this time in charity if we're not able to give
monetarily but if we are blessed with resources, if we are blessed
with a love giving us a wealth, we are also responsible to utilize
that wealth in the best manner. And I want to highly encourage
everyone whether you're going to watch it now or you want to watch
it later. Please share this video in sha Allah that giving charity
or sadaqa is a way to purify your wealth and we want to purify our
wealth as often as possible. Allah will
test us, even with our wealth and the Prophet says on said that
every nation is has a test right and is tested with something in
our nation his nation Rasul allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam this
nation is wealth, we will have wealth and we will not know how to
spend it or where to allocate it properly. And so it's very
important for us to get into a habit not only during Ramadan, but
even beyond Ramadan to Inshallah, make it a consistent
to give in whatever manner and capacity we're able to. So we want
to make sure that we give and Hamdulillah I mean, this page does
a lot there's so many beneficial articles and there's so many talks
and so it takes funds to
carry different operations and so we want to highly encourage you
during these nine days left inshallah nine, nine nights
laughter that you digging into your pockets and donate whatever
it is just make it consistent.
Inshallah, and may Allah subhana, Allah, you know, allow us to
always be of those who give for his sake, I mean,
so again, number one, we want to be generous. Number two, give for
the sake of Allah charity. And we understand that the Prophet
salallahu Alaihe Salam also taught us that charity comes in another
form, which is smiling, right, this is another form of charity.
So when we think of wealth, we only think of what we have in the
bank, or if we have a huge house, or if we have a car, the latest
car, the latest clothes, the latest purse, but your smile is
charity. And so, you know, I actually have a neighbor who's
very grumpy. And I always tend to smile, because you never know how
you're going to reach someone's heart. How are you going to, you
know, reach that individual, and you're not only giving charity
with your smile, but it's also a form of Dawa, right for them to
see, the way we carry and conduct ourselves as Muslims inshallah.
And so one of the things I always mentioned on here is that, whether
we like it or not, we are all ambassadors of this faith. We are
all ambassadors of Islam. And so the way we behave, our manners,
our character, they see us and they put us all in a basket. And
if we are not in the best behavior, then they don't say in a
halal they say these Muslims and so we want to be in our best
behaviors at all times. First and foremost, because Allah subhanaw
taala is watching us but also because everybody has eyes on us
as Muslims, especially, you know, if your attire is visible, that
you are a practicing Muslim, such as the hijab or for the brothers,
the poofy or a big beard or what have you. So let's never forget
that that we are a representation we are ambassadors of this faith.
And so we want to make the the best appearance when it comes to
dealing with our fellow brothers and sisters in humanity.
So in sha Allah
Okay, so Ramadan, to worship more and to compromise more.
Absolutely. I think that's very important. So number three, I will
highly recommend to set aside some time we call it the calf, some
people are not able to go to the mosque, but you don't necessarily
need to go to the mosque to be able to experience this, you can
do it in the comfort of your home. And you want to focus on that
relationship with your Creator, you want to focus on getting
closer to Allah subhanaw taala. spending quality time with Allah.
And during this time, in this place of comfort in a place where
it brings you Sakina tranquility, a quiet space, a space where you
can focus. You want to make sure that you focus on that one on one
connection. And the best way to do that is by speaking to Allah
subhanaw taala. After praising him and calling him by his beautiful
names and attributes, you want to go ahead and pour your heart out,
right and the best way to do that is by supplication do us. So make
your list of duas in these next few days and ask ALLAH SubhanA wa
Taala for them. Remember that he is closer to us than our jugular
vein. And so he is there just waiting for his servants to ask.
You know, there's been times where I've asked and it doesn't happen
immediately, but it happens at the time that he knows I'm ready to
receive. And so I was asked this the other day, Sister, why isn't a
law answering my doors? And, you know, I keep asking, asking and
not answering my duas. And I reflected, you know, sometimes we
are always asking, but are we in true submission? And what I mean
by that is, have we ever reflected on how is our salon? Are we
praying on time? Are we praying at all? Are we
praying extra prayers? Are we getting up in the middle of the
night to pray? And so when we ask Allah, we also have to reflect on
what are we giving? Are we being obedient servants? Are we?
Are we exercising the faith the way it has been prescribed to us?
Or are we tailoring it to whatever we wanted. And that's, I mean, I
want to keep it real today, because these are the last days of
Ramadan. And we don't know if we're going to make it to the next
Ramadan. And that's a fact because we have seen so many loved ones
leave, you know, and did not make it to this Ramadan. So you and I
are not promised tomorrow you and I are not promise, if we are going
to make it to next Ramadan. And may Allah subhanaw taala grant us
the ability to get there. I mean, but for the time being, we need to
focus on what matters and what matters is today today, what
matters is that we are being obedient servants and that we are
in full submission to our Creator. And that we try to practice the
Sunnah as best as possible. And so the question is, you know, when
you question Allah, why isn't he answering my duas? Are you? Are
you praying on time? Are you praying at all? Are you giving,
you know, if Allah is blessing you with wealth, or if you know, I
remember my grandmother, you know, she had a loaf of bread, and she
knew her neighbor didn't have anything, she would literally cut
the loaf of bread in half and send it to that other home. And so how
are we with our neighbors? Do we know our neighbors? Do we check up
on our neighbors?
There's an ayah in the Quran. And I forgot to bring my Quran but
it's in Surah Nisa, it's
Ayah 36, where Allah specifically tells us so it's chapter four, I
had 36, where Allah specifically tells us
ever, every one that we're supposed to be taking care of, and
our neighbors are mentioned there. So we're supposed to be kind and
generous and everything that I have mentioned, first and
foremost, to ourselves, because if we are empty, if our glass is
empty, how can we give out to anyone, right? So we have to make
sure that we are okay in order to then take care of our families and
then work towards our community and to organizations or
institutions, or a projects like such as about Islam, and we
contribute in the best possible manner. So do we know our
neighbors? Are we getting to know our neighbors? Are we give them?
Are we giving them the message of Islam? Not necessarily with a
pamphlet or with a Koran? But with our manners? Are we perfecting our
manners? Our character? Is it intact? Subhan Allah
the other day, I
Hamdulillah. Thank you. So the idea that I was mentioning it's on
the on the, on the comments. The other day, I went to pick up my
Iftar at this local restaurant. And there was a gentleman there,
and he was arguing because there it was late, right, His food was
late.
And so Subhanallah
he was arguing, and it really made me very sad. It made me sad,
because the first thing that came to mind was he's fasting. How can
he be treating this employee this way? Secondly, I said it's
Ramadan, we're supposed to be generous and kind to one another.
And so his food was not ready, you know, color of Allah, you are
supposed to exercise beautiful patience. And so it really it
really broke my heart to see this type of behavior in public. And,
you know, during this blessed month, and to one another, it was
a Muslim establishment holiday place. And so I felt really bad
and I apologized on his behalf even though I had nothing to do
with that argument. But I really felt bad for the cashier and so we
have to make sure that we treat one another also with respect, and
we're counting to one another
I'm Bethany law. So it's extremely important that we are always
checking on ourselves, you know, check yourself at all times. And I
always tell my son, I have a 16 year old I said, ask yourself two
questions before you make any type of decision. Or if you're upset,
you know, ask yourself first and foremost, would Allah be happy if
I did this, what I obtained the pleasure of Allah. And the second
question is, what our beloved Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam do this? Or do that or act this way? And if your answer is
no, he wouldn't, then there is your answer. You shouldn't be
engaging in things that are displeasing to our Creator. And
obviously, he sent the best man
to this earth and he is an example to all of us. So we want to walk
in His footsteps through his sunnah. And So may we be of those
that follow the Sunnah of Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi
salam. And finally, you know, we are now in the last days and we
are seeking for Leila together, you know, which is worth 83.4
years or 1000 months. And so
let's focus on, you know, bringing out the best in us in everything
that I mentioned. Whether it's through generosity, through
charity, through your connection and your relationship with Allah.
Finding that space turning off social media for a while, picking
up the Koran, even if it's one idea that you're reading, you
know, Allah, again, is not looking for perfection from us, he is
looking for excellence, try to work on that excellence within
yourself.
It's not always easy, but it's not impossible. It's not impossible
because we were created to worship our Creator, Allah subhanho wa
Taala and so I want to leave you with those four things inshallah.
And let's, let's always remember that you know, if we're going
through hardships if we're going through any type of storms, if
we're going through any type of trials, look at them as blessings
as lessons as what am I going to get or what is a lot trying to
tell me with this in my away from Allah and so he wants me to come
close to him. And so if any calamity brings you close to
Allah, you are of the successful right you have succeeded, but if
you astray and you go far, far away, then really we need to check
we need to check ourselves so let's try to revive the Sunnah
I mentioned this before don't try to implement something you're not
doing without doing what is
a call acquire from you obligatory such as your salon. You don't want
to pray you know, Santa if you're not praying fun, so you want to
make sure that you you remember all of this and so
is there an easy Ramadan? I'm gonna try to read some of these
Let me see.
Here please, I don't understand that question.
Is Ramadan to worship more and to compromise more? Ramadan is the
month of the Quran Ramadan is the month of
rejuvenate our Eman. Ramadan is the month of charity. Ramadan aid
encompasses so many things, everything that I talked about
today, Ramadan, we should we shouldn't walk away empty handed
during Ramadan.
You know, one of the things that I always I always tell the river
community is even if it's $1, even if it's whatever amount just make
sure that you're banking on your head out because that's
essentially what we're doing when we're doing any good deeds here.
We're really banking on on our hereafter. We're working towards
that. And so we will we don't want to leave empty handed during
Ramadan and we don't want to leave empty handed.
You know when our books are closed and when we leave this dunya don't
ever get too comfortable here my beloved brothers and sisters,
every single one of us has an expiration date, every single one
of us will taste death. And so let's strive focusing on our
hereafter
and live this life as travelers as our beloved Prophet sallallahu
alayhi wa sallam has recommended us to do so with that. I ask Allah
Subhana Allah to bless each and every one of you to accept
you're fasting to accept your Ibadah your worship to accept your
good deeds.
I ask Allah subhanaw taala to give you good health and to take any
calamity away. I ask Allah Subhana Allah for patience and hikma
wisdom, and anything that you're asking for, this is the time to
ask our Creator Subhanallah he will be handy Why should Allah
Allah take care of yourselves until next time, Salaam Alaikum
Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh