Welcoming Ramadan – Part 1 of 4
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Channel: Riyadul Haqq
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Episode Notes
Welcoming Ramadan Part 1/4
Delivered by Shaykh Riyadh ul Haq at Al Kawthar Academy (Leicester)
AI Generated Transcript ©
Bismillah R Rahman r Rahim
Salam Alaikum
when I will be learning shortly I'm cinnamon see the Nina mia philomel dilemma
when you
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Allahumma salli
ala Muhammad
Ibrahim
Ibrahim Majeed, la him about a gallon muddy water.
Dr. Anna Ibrahim
Ibrahim Ibrahima in
respect to listeners,
we are now approaching the end of the month of origin.
And
we are about to see the beginning of Shabbat.
And then a mere four weeks later, the arrival of Ramadan.
Sula, some of the love it was synonyms, own practice
was to prepare himself for a bar
and prepare the companions of the LA one for the upcoming month.
And we should,
as part of that summer,
observe the same
and prepare ourselves mentally,
spiritually,
physically and practically, for the
month of Ramadan, so that we can spend the month
in the best way possible
to maximize its benefits, its virtues and rewards.
And so that's not a moment that goes to waste.
If we consider the month of Ramadan, and the life of sort of laughs and the love and equal sentiments personal practice,
it can be seen as follows that with the arrival of the month of Shabbat,
the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam increased his personal
worship of fasting.
And
so, Siobhan in terms of fasting and deeds, was more intense for a suitable last in the law legal system than the rest of the year.
Then with the coming of Rama bomb, the province the law high legal systems own a bother increased for the first part of it.
And then,
as Rama voms days past, coming towards the end of
Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam would increase his personal activity and worship even more somewhat so that with the arrival of the final, the final 10 days, for sort of last in the love, it was somewhat commits himself to Attica,
the retreat, the seclusion,
focus and the concentration,
devotion to allows worship, and this would mean secluding himself in the masjid
and focusing on a bada all the time. So these were the final 10 days. And in these days, he would even ensure that his family remained awake at night, engaging in the worship of Allah subhanho wa Taala, not just during the day, but optional worship.
And this culminated with the search related to other
and actigraph in the final 10 days, in itself is an activity for the search of labor to
the Knights of God.
So if
We see a gradual progression, beginning with the month of Shabbat, leading all the way up till the end of the month of Ramadan. And that's just in the Prophet salallahu alayhi wasallam his personal practice, as far as his encouragement
of the companions of the alarm is concerned, then with the
towards the end of Shaban Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam is known to have
addressed the Sahaba of the Allahu anglim, specifically, preparing them for the upcoming month with the mention of its virtues. Its exclusivity, its speciality, and various other features and facts of the month of Ramadan, sort of sort of learned, he said that was the lamb actually devoted
parts of his sermon
and his preaching to this particular topic, not in Ramadan, not just in Ramadan, but before Ramadan, preparing these harbottle, the Allahu anhu just as he prepared himself and his family.
So we should observe the same sun and prepare ourselves in every way, mentally, spiritually, physically. And practically, what I mean by
mentally is obvious, we
familiarize ourselves with the virtues of Ramadan, the virtues and the blessings have its various activities fasting, recitation of the
remaining awake at night and engaging in worship to the best of our ability during the hours of the night.
So that charity in Ramadan and various other deeds, to familiarize ourselves and to make ourselves Cognizant and aware of the virtues and the rewards of these activities, as well as its rulings, the rulings of Ramadan, the beginning of Ramadan fasting, or if they are the laws of do's and don'ts, etc.
This is just mental preparation, and spiritually,
we gave up we gave ourselves up for the upcoming month because, like with any activity, it's impossible to just plunge into the deep end right at the beginning of Ramadan. In fact, even Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam would physically prepare himself, although he had no need to, but he sets an example for the Ummah for his followers. That's why
meaning I shall the law one relates that the inheritance later by number hardly any man Muslim in this he and by others, when we enact shadow, the Allah and her sayings, that I never saw the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam first for any whole month, except for the month of Ramadan.
But other than the month of Ramadan, I never saw him fast in any month, as much as I saw him fast in the month of Shabbat. And in one narration, she says that he would fast for the whole month name, and then she corrects herself, he would fast I would see him fasting for the whole month name, sorry, I would see him fasting for most of the month, may the whole month. So in fact, the prophets of Allah and Islam did not fast for all 30 days. But he fast for most of the month,
missing very little summit. So that morning, actually out of the 11 houses that I saw him fast for the whole month, except very little, named the whole month. So it's an exaggeration to emphasize the fact that He fasted for the whole month, and almost cinema hold the alarm on her, one of the otherwise of the prophets of Allah I'd even send them she relates and headings recorded by Mum, or Buddha or demand feeding me the amount mercy that I never saw the profits of the law highly who was selling them fast for any two consecutive months, except for the month of Shabbat on Amazon. In fact, in the previous studies, of moving in and out of the Allaha, I can just relate them to you
again. In the narration of Hardy and Muslim she actually says that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam would fast until it seemed as though he is not going to break his fast.
The meaning of this is that he would fast for one day and then the second day, not consecutively, but he'd fast for one day, second day, third day, fourth day, and his days and period of fasting would be so long
His family in the companions of the alarm, they would assume that now the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam is on a continuous cycle of fasting, it seems that he's not going to stop.
So no one would know for how long he would fast. So the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, she says, Would fast until it seemed as though he is not going to stop fasting. And then at times, he would not fast at all, for one day, two days, three days, so you'd have a period and a cycle of not fasting. And this would be so long, that the opening shot of the alarm on her says that he would stop fasting somewhat so that it would seem as though he's not going to begin fasting again. And this is described even more beautifully by another companion with the Allahu says, never did you want to see the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam in the state of fasting, except that you'd see
him fasting, and never would you want to see him in a state of not fasting as far
except that you would see him in the state of his bar in Arabic, if bar is the opposite of fasting, although we refer to it as the evening meal.
Again, it's one of those many words of Arabic which, through excessive usage, and wide application
can be misunderstood at times, and he has lost some of its original meaning, just like her arm, we call her arm the two pieces of cloth in the bottom hedge, but in reality, that her arm is not the two pieces of cloth. As I've explained repeatedly in the commentary of global hedge, and get over
the hurdle, Haram is a state. It's a sacred sacrosanct state, in which many things are forbidden. So harm refers to the state and one of the many prohibitions of that state, along with clipping nails and trimming hair, and removing dirt and grime from the body.
And applying perfume along along with these and other prohibitions, one of the prohibitions is that one can not wear normal stitched song clouds, again, stitching is
there is an exception to that as well, the real prohibition is to wear normal clothes, in which limbs can be inserted. So like a leg for the lag of the trousers for the leg, or a sleeve for the arm. So in any case,
this is one of the prohibitions. And in order to avoid these prohibitions, people put on two simple pieces of cloth. And that is a similar to simple pieces of cloth, but they weren't referred to as her arm. her arm is a state the overall states not the two pieces of cloth through common usage. Now we think that her arm means the pieces of cloth similar with if bar if bar originally means a state, just like a state of not fasting.
But through various through common usage, we now consider it to be merely the evening meal that breaks the fast. So that's how the it'll be Allahu says never would you want to see the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, in
a state of fasting, except that you would see him and never would you want to see him in a far meaning in the state of not not fasting, except that you would see him that was the miraculous condition of Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam,
Chateau de la saison. This had eatable Hardy and Muslim that he would fast until it seemed that he's not going to stop fasting and then he would continue not fasting. So much so that it seemed as though he is not going to begin fasting. And then she says I have never seen him fast for a whole month except for the month of Ramadan. And I have never seen him fasting more in any month other than Ramadan except for the month of Siobhan and then wonder ation she says that he would fast for the whole month except very little Nay, he will fast for the whole month. And then all of a sudden out of the law hiring her another wife of a sort of law. Some of the law Heidi who was some she
narrates in this have these recorded by a will that will give me the analyse that the prophets that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam I never saw him fasting for two consecutive months continues continuously, except for the month of Siobhan and the month of Ramadan. He would fast for both of them consecutively. So much so that he would fast for them.
Sherman, and then join it with the month of Ramadan. So, both of these studies from the closest members of the prophets family sallallahu, alayhi wasallam. The two wives show that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam would use a month
in order to fast and in fact in one very beautiful, heavy
well somewhat of moseyed of the law. One, the, some of the one time adopted son of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam has even had a third of the Allah home, who was most beloved to the province and the law it was, he said, since he was very close to him, he says that I asked the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, that or messenger of Allah, I do not see you fasting at any of the time, as much as I see you fasting in the month of Shabbat. Why? So the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said that the Sharon youthfulness, this is a month in which people are negligent of the month, for deeds are presented and raised to ally in this month, and I wished for my deeds to be
raised to Allah, whilst I am in the state of fasting. And that was the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi Salaam. So I was saying about preparing ourselves mentally. and physically. This is the physical preparation, the physical and the spiritual. But even the messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam would build up his fasting for the whole month of Siobhan and then begin Ramadan in that manner. Because for any activity, even spiritual activity, it's very difficult to plunge into the deep end, one has to gradually build it up. Physically, we may be able to do it, all of a sudden, at the beginning of Ramadan, we start fasting, and physically we may be able to complete the fast, but
spiritually,
it's quite possible that when we begin the fast, we're more concerned about the hunger and the heat and the thirst, and especially considering the long hours summer hours of Ramadan, this year and for the next few years. So physically we might manage, but spiritually,
will we be focused on the fast as we should be? If we are constantly thinking about and moaning and complaining, or if not loudly, voicing our complaints, and then grieving within, and being concerned within and constantly thinking about just the heat and the thirst, and the fatigue, and the long hours, then
spiritually, is that a good fast? Or is it just a question of remaining hungry and thirsty, so we need to build ourselves up spiritually and physically, and also practically, practically, in the sense that we need to plan our time, we need to ensure that we conclude our
personal tasks our work and try and finish as much as we can before the month and postpone what we can till after the month. So that in the month of Ramadan, along with the essentials of work, and living, and family, life and
personal needs, along with all of that the essentials, we can devote as much time and energy as possible to the bother of Allah subhanho wa Taala to the worship of Allah to prayer and supplication and ultimately self reform, because this is not
Allah subhanho data is a no need. Rather, it's ultimately for ourselves.
So it was part of that something that
we should begin our preparation and
in always spiritually, practically, physically, mentally, and inshallah as part of that for the next four weeks for the next few weeks till the beginning of the month, I will be speaking about Ramadan in various ways.
You may not follow a particular pattern, but I will try to cover as many topics as possible, such as
the virtues of Ramadan, its blessings, the virtues of various deeds in Ramadan fasting, the recitation of the charity, the relationship of the Quran, with the month of Ramadan, and with fasting,
practical examples from the life of Rasulullah sallallahu wasallam in the lives of the noble companions, and some of the great and noble saints and scholars of this from the past etc.
In the hope that we may be able to draw an example from them and apply that example and learn.
I may also inshallah today as well. I will also comment on some of the verses of the Quran in relation to the month of Ramadan because before any Hadees ultimately our fundamental and primary source is the Holy Koran itself.
Allah subhana wa tada only mentions Ramadan once in the entire Torah and that's in sort of the Bukhara where he say Shabbat Ramadan lesbians in a female or an orderliness urbinati
I'll speak about that in a short while.
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all believers, fasting has been
ordained for you,
as it was ordained for those who preceded you.
Perhaps you may attain the
this is the
first verse which
speaks about the obligation of fasting.
last panel horadada made fasting obligatory.
And this was
after the hitch
not during the time of McDermott carvana. But after the Prophet sallallahu wasallam arrived in Medina
fasting became an obligatory pillar of Islam
something as important as prayer
and the to
go hand in hand
the obligation of fasting and the obligation of prayer.
There is no concept of acting on one and discarding the other.
co.
in Arabic is very is the same as song, one can say song also young
and originally both mean abstention,
withholding, refraining abstaining.
So, anyone who refrains from something withholds
keeps away from something refrains from it, that is a form of Cr.
But in the religious context, in this context, CRM specifically came to me
first thing,
meaning abstaining from food, drink and carnal desires,
in that state,
for a specified period,
from dawn till dusk,
or Dawn from the crack of dawn till sunset. Now,
one cannot eat when cannot drink when cannot indulge or
in carnal desires or fulfill one's needs.
That's a pet. That's the meaning of CRM. That's the meaning of fasting. Of course, it has its many rules and laws, which This is not the time for
the purpose of fasting.
Many fold, but the one single purpose mentioned in the Quran is the is the attainment of the and I'll speak about that in a moment. But what this verse tells us that the obligation of fasting is not exclusive to this matter this nation. But
fasting has been the practice of many nations before as a religious deity.
It was a prescribed thing, because fasting has many benefits. And all of these benefits are known to the people he has health benefits, mental benefits. It's the perfect detox
and spiritually, it has immense benefits, in fact, his purpose ultimately spiritual, although these are secondary, tertiary benefits which are available for the mind and the heart for the mind, and the body.
And because of these benefits, virtually all cultures all
religions have a history, as well as the current practice of some form of fasting.
Made the details may not be the same. Sometimes people abstain from solid foods and only consumed liquids. Others abstain from cooked foods, and eat only raw food, raw fruits and vegetables, but nothing cooked. Others abstain from all foods, including fruits and vegetables, but they still consume water, just water. But the fast are Islam and the fast practice Bible sort Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, remarkably in the deserts of Arabia, in that heat, is to abstain from all food and drink, including water. Nothing at all.
And, of course, it's difficult, but it's difficult for those who aren't accustomed. But Allah himself has said, you read a lot a bit more useful whether you need to become a nurse, as he says dating this set of verses that allow wishes ease for you a lot, it's not wish difficult.
So we have the ability,
we have the potential, it's in us, we can do it.
And for the Sahaba of the Allahu
Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.
They were able to manage it
very well. And they would do it optionally and voluntarily, a lot of the time. So this is a practice to be found in virtually all cultures and religions. And he has immense benefits. And I'm sure many of you have read articles about
the health benefits of abstaining from food for two days a week, knowing that the fastest the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, his son knows too fast on Mondays and Thursdays. So fasting for two days a week, according to others, fasting for two consecutive days, has immense benefits. In fact, fasting for one day, has immense benefits. But
all of these studies show that the fast has to be a proper fast. So one doesn't just change the time of eating. If one's going to indulge at the beginning of the fast and indulge at the end of the fast, many of the benefits are negated. So even these modern contemporary studies show that the fast has to be a genuine fast, with a period of deprivation for the body.
And you can't just indulge in feast at the beginning and feast at the end. Otherwise, most of the benefits are
negated. And indeed this is the facet of Islam to the festival I saw the loss of the lighting or send them the first office How about the love, what's the whole was minimal, if star or photo or the evening meal was minimal. In fact, sometimes a prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam would do so on
a single date. And he do fr e the evening with the breakers fast on a single date sometimes a sip of water, sometimes a sip of milk. And as we learned from the heavy,
one of the practices he had was so weak, so we is a mush of barley,
barley flakes or similar wheat flakes etc, mainly would be barley. So he would take barley flakes or barley, small bits of barley, and that would be mixed with water or milk. And that would be known as a weed. It was a it was a barley porridge quite simply. And this is the barley is very beneficial at the end of the fast I've spoken about this before. This is why if you look in virtually all cultures, there is
food which has barley which is consumed at the end of the fast, but many people don't know the origin. So you have things like Forgive me forgive the names but Aleem, you have kitchen. You have
dishes all the way from Morocco, in the West, to the Far East. And all of these dishes are consumed specifically in Ramadan. At the end of the fast, they are speciality of Ramadan, and all of them have one common feature they all have barley.
And I believe this all goes back to the practice of Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wasallam in this hobby
The alarm where they would consume sweet at the end of the fast and sweet is barley mush or barley porridge. So, that was minimal this this was the start of Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wasallam. And his whole would be water dates or minimal food if if he ever consumed it. So, that is the proper fast. This is what leads to the main health benefits for both the body and the mind, and the spirits most importantly the spirits. And this is this leads me to this next point which is I said about deprivation, that you deprive the body of various foods or foods and drink. The reason is
islamically
This is one of the goals and the purposes of fasting.
last panel with the other forces into a state of fasting.
As I mentioned before last week, this is the period of training.
And
as humans, we share characteristics with the animals, we share characteristics with the angels,
angelic qualities of goodness of aspiration of loftiness, of enlightenment, of
higher intelligence, of the worship of Allah of his speech.
On the other hand, unfortunately, we share many characteristics with the animal kingdom
and alone and like the birds and the bees and unlike the angels, who are both in a constant state, they are as they are, they do not rise or fall. They are as they are, their nature does not change. Human beings in between sharing both characteristics or the characteristics of both human beings have the potential to change, to sink or to rise to be as low or even worse, in animalistic and industrial behavior than the beast themselves, or to actually rise to such heights that Allah boasts of them to the angels.
But the thing which keeps us which prevents us from rising to those Heights is those bestie or characteristics and qualities which we share with the animals which is eating, drinking,
recreation and procreation.
The animals engage in these behaviors and in these needs, and we do exactly the same. So in order to curb and control these animalistic desires, these best the old behaviors
and to ensure that we are able to rise above that lowly station
and become what Allah wants us to become.
If we don't do it voluntarily, Allah subhanho wa Taala places an obligation upon us in the month of Ramadan, to do it so that we have no choice. We have to
in the hope of attaining the
period of purification, fasting purifies the mind the body, the controls one's desires, he actually purifies the physical body, most importantly the heart, the soul and the spirit. Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam says and have these later, but I am delighted to be alive and recorded by Mahatma Muslim and many others. Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam says and this is the wording of a Muslim minister Foreign Minister Yama*a Shadow Minister farm in combat affiliate is a wedge for in olive oil in Bassano del
mundo, Mr. valet, he was sown in a hula hoop,
the old assembly of young men.
Whoever amongst you has the ability to marry,
then he should marry.
For this is more Lovering for the gays and more protecting
for one's chastity
and whoever is unable to marry
then lets him not let him buffer for Allah He was sown, then he should fast he should adhere to fasting that in the hula hula jar for it is normally we euphemistically translate this as protection.
But we jar the students of Arabic simply means emasculation.
It means that a meaning of a man it means emasculation.
Which is a very direct term to describe how powerful fasting is, as an antidote to one's desires, and as a cure for one's best reality. prophets the law it was some calls it which are, which means not protection. That's a euphemistic translation, which aren't means emasculation.
nuturing it needs his man, fasting mutism.
And
therefore it purifies one's body. And I also mentioned that, and this is something to be noted that many people complain or express their concern, that at the beginning of the period of fasting, rather than seeing their desires suppressed, of course, this applies to men,
most often, are invariably just a man. But they complain that at the beginning of a period of fasting, rather than their desires being suppressed, they feel invigorated energy, they feel more vigor and a greater desire.
So they often approach will a man complain that you know, what do you do, but it's not helping fasting actually, rather than suppressing their desire, it increases it. And many arts are lost to explain this. And some of them some people just simplicity explain that. You the problem.
But that's not the case. The the words of Rasulullah sallallahu, Alayhi. Salaam are very true. Fasting is a cure and protection and emasculation, what happens because fasting, along with the mind and the soul and the heart and the spirit, it purifies the body, detoxifies it, it creates energy, vigor, and health. And he actually
cleanses the body from within increases a person's natural health and well being. Because of that, a person experiences or feels that rising desire, but this is only during, in a transitional period, once the body balances itself and the person continues to fast, and the body finds its natural balance, then the desire will be suppressed. And the words of a soldier laughs and the law hiding, some of them will prove to be very true.
It was true for the Sahaba of the alarm from the very beginning, because they were very healthy. But for us, or some of us, we are unhealthy. So fasting brings about greater physical health. And then it does its job after the physical health, once the body has found its balance. But fasting is a form of purification. And Allah has made it obligatory upon us, in order to raise us from that lower level of animal behavior and best reality.
And so that we can rise to the rise to greater heights. This is only possible with distraction, you take your mind away from your physical eating and drinking and needs, and focus on the root on the spirits, because that's what my barn is all about. Ultimately, it's about the spirits fasting, may cleanse the body and purify the mind as a secondary tertiary benefits, but it's focused and its primary objective is to feed and nourish the soul. In fact, all we are doing is diverting our energy from the body to the spirits, because that is the essence of life. Both the spirits and the body need food. The body is from the dust of this earth. So it's food and energy will come from the same
source.
The body is from the dust of the earth, the food will come from the earth.
The room, the spirits, is celestial. It's heaven. It's not Earth. So its energy, its food, its nourishment will also come from the heavens.
And that is a thing. Both of them have to survive, the body has to survive. But the main life the essence of life is a spirit in that body, body is just the cage.
It can be replaced, limbs can be replaced.
most parts of the body can now be replaced.
And in fact, they are talking about entire bodily transplants.
But the rule that is the essence of life that existed before the body will continue to exist after the body. Without focus on the body. We starve ourselves.
If we starve our water, which is actually the core of our life, in Ramadan, Allah forces us to vote divert our attention from the body, forget the food and the drink of the body, and its needs and focus on the needs of the spirits. We give that life.
And
that's how we do that does gear and the therapy of the spirits. We're always talking about, I won't speak about this gear, but it's similar to therapy. We're always speaking about therapy.
We speak about the therapy of children.
And we normally refer to therapy as simply upbringing. If you were to ask anyone, what's the meaning of therapy, they say, assigning upbringing. And so where that's enter virtually all languages, so we have in African languages, Asian languages, it's a common word that'll be
and what do we mean by there'll be a we just mean upbringing, Islamic upbringing, there'll be actually means cultivation. There'll be a means cultivation. And the word is derived from horticulture.
And agriculture, mainly horticulture, where you have a plant,
and you allow you take care of the plant, you cultivate it.
You're a bitter Vietnam, and you allow it to grow and flourish. It's related to the rubber your blue ribbon, which means to grow and to flourish, to have life. So just as a plant flourishes, but even a plant requires attention. It requires the right amount of lights, heat, energy, water, nutrients, care.
It's like a planet is like a child,
you will read that if you buy a plant from a garden center, and you move it to a new you move into your home,
you want to look after it, you've paid money for it, you want to feed it, you want to do everything. And this is just a simple plant. But they actually say that once you bring it into a new environment, give it a few days before you provide them with water and nutrients, why to allow the plant to settle in and to overcome the shock.
So a parent actually undergoes trauma, if you remove it from its original location, and place it in a new environment. And that's just a plant.
So imagine, and we, of course, we apply the word therapy to children.
But the one child which is more in need of therapy and attention than any other child
is
that is the deprived child.
So in Ramadan, we focus our attention from the body to the rule.
And that's what the whole of Ramadan and fasting that's what the whole of fasting is about. And the wisdom and the purpose, what will you achieve and looking at the own perhaps Allah says at the end of the verse, that fasting has been prescribed for you as it was for those who came before you. One wisdom, learn.
Perhaps it may you may attain that while people speak about many wisdoms of fasting, many of them are true, some of them are.
So when people are interviewed or in articles and speeches and in books, people speak about the purpose and the wisdom of fasting, it creates sympathy and empathy for those who are poor. Yeah, allows you to share their hunger and their deprivation.
All of that is true, but it's not the primary goal or objective of fasting. Some people actually just say that fasting is good for dieting, and that's the only purpose far from
Allah subhanho wa Taala mentions only one wisdom in this verse.
Kuhn in the hope that you may attain.
Fasting has been prescribed for us so that we may attain the
Aqua.
Aqua.
Aqua is to guard oneself, from the pleasure of Allah.
By guarding oneself from the disobedience of
a means to God, that means a god.
The word is a noun,
as well as the devil now
it's a it's a verbal noun a gerund as well as a noun for those students of Arabic
Daca isn't,
as well as the Muslim,
the means to God, the act of guarding his DACA. But as a noun as an essence, the word that means a god.
Any item which you use as a guard to protect oneself is also called taqwa.
So shield is dukkha.
So Allah subhanho wa Taala has made the fast, which is,
taqwa in itself, it's a god.
In order to create the client in a purse,
first thing is a shield. It's a protection in order to create a guard and a protection and a shield for one. So if you fast properly in the month of Ramadan,
Allah subhanho wa Taala will create a guard for you a protection for your shield around you for the rest of the year.
And it's Ramadan is a training period.
And what happens in a training period, everything's changed. But that change cannot be permanent. It's only for a limited period. After that.
You have to move on. Ramadan is our nest.
It's our childhood, for the rest of the year, compared to the rest of the year. Ramadan is our period and hospital.
It's our training period. In our training period, Allah makes everything easy for us.
Just as in training, you are told this is it. You change your clothes you put on your uniform, you avoid everything else, you you have to focus your attention. There are no distractions, there are no other responsibilities, you don't do anything else you focus only on this training. Training is intense. It's very intensive. But there are special provisions that are guidelines, special provisions, facilitators things are made easy. Then once the training period is over, and the trainer feels that you are now ready, then you go out and you apply your training in normal everyday conditions, circumstances and life without the protection and without the cushioning of
the training period. And that's exactly like Ramadan. last panel with Allah makes it a training period for us. Look at all the incentives and the facilitators. last panel data ships of doors of gentlemen. in Ramadan, Allah opens the doors of
a large chains, the shell theme and the rebellious Jin Allah increases the reward of deeds. A large changes people's behavior himself. Allah
increases the presence of angels throughout the day and man,
the angels call out every now
they are all of these
facilitators in the month of Ramadan,
Ramadan ends all of this ends. If our fasting our our training in the month of Ramadan has been good.
And we have passed, then once we end the month of Ramadan and we go out into normal everyday life with the presence of the shale.
without all the facilities of Ramadan, then we will be able to survive and we will have the Aqua with us.
The Aqua or is it people we normally translate it as a fear of Allah, which is correct. It's not incorrect, but it's only a partial meaning of the word
means to guard oneself.
From the displeasure of Allah, through guarding oneself from the disobedience of Allah, we guard everything. We protect everything, we guard our eyes. This is the meaning of taqwa, we got our eyes from anything. We got our tongue from anything. We got our ears from anything. We got our body from anything.
We even got our mind from her own thoughts and our hearts from her own feelings and emotions and sentiments. That's the meaning of dakhla. This is why I was asked that, what is dakhla and he described a beautiful piece of taqwa is that you take a plate a tray, and you empty the thoughts of your mind and the feelings of your heart onto that tray. And then you go out, walking around in the marketplace, with your minds thoughts and your hearts, emotions and full view of the public and you're not the least bit impacted.
Restore shame.
That's how pure your thoughts are, how pure your emotions are. That's the
that's very difficult to achieve.
But we can work some way towards it. And since this is a meaning of taqwa, if you notice, this is exactly what fasting is, CRM I mentioned earlier is abstention. So your app is not just about abstaining from food and drink. And this is probably one of the most important lessons that we can take away to improve our fast. Fasting is not about remaining hungry and thirsty. I'm going to explain more about this when when I comment on a few Hadeeth in the next few weeks, so I'll defer discussion of this topic till then. But I'll just mention in summary, that fasting doesn't just mean remain, the throat and the mouth and the stomach abstaining, and refraining from food and drink.
That's just part of it. It means every limb of the body, abstaining from that, which is why it's not only food that's forbidden to the
tongue, the mouth and the stomach, and drink, but it's anything
that's forbidden to every limb of the body. The eyes must be protected from the ears, the mouth, the tongue.
In fact, the greatest destroyer of fasting is the tongue.
We we say things, we utter a mess of things, sometimes in our impatience in our anger in our hunger, and that one word alone can destroy our entire fast. And that's why the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam says in a heavy Muslim year that Allah zuri will Amma be Felisa de la hija Dunphy any other yada, yada, whoever does not abandon false it in speech and indeed, then Allah has no need of his remaining hungry and thirsty, ie, he can remain hungry and thirsty all day long, in a fast
believing that he's doing it for the sake of Allah. But if he along with abandoning food and drink, if he does not abandon false speech and false deeds, meaning sinful speech and sinful deeds, then Allah has no interest, no need whatsoever of his fast and his remaining and hungry and thirsty. And at the end of the fast all he will achieve as the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam says, in a hidey hole beside him and Lisa hueman Sammy, he joins just part of the heady. But there are many fasting people who get nothing from their fast acceptor.
So imagine if we were to spend the next month in this heat with such difficulty and go to work and undergo so much. But we were to destroy that fast with careless talk
or with careless gaze or with careless crossing.
So, if the fast is a shield, and a guard, it will act as a shield and a guard for the rest of the air and create the Aqua. If the fast lacks adequate you cannot create.
And that is the biggest object of greatest wisdom of fasting. This brings us to the end of this verse, Allah subhanho wa Taala says all believers, fasting has been ordained for you as it was ordained for those who came before you. Why learn from the whom perhaps you may attain. That last panel data speaks about some of the laws of fasting.
A Yama modeled from an gurnam income or even suffering fade the two main aim and aka widen the D o. t Punahou video
to the end of this from the
local minimum.
This verse mentioned something important about the
obligation of fasting. And
someone asked me last week as well that will you be commenting on some of the laws of fasting.
inshallah, it depends on the time but because
the laws of fasting are very detailed, it's a vast topic, we won't even be able to cover just the full value of Ramadan, let alone the Messiah. So but I mentioned this because as part of the commentary of the verse
last panel data says in the second verse in this topic of fasting, a Yang model that fasting for a few prescribed number of days. Then he says, Whoever of you whoever amongst It is always on a journey.
for it, that to me, I am and then the completion
should be made from other days.
While under the new to Punahou fidget on drama scheme for those who are able.
That is the fifth year
the compensation
of the feeding of a poor person.
Now, let me explain this because it's relevant and it concerns us.
Here are some of the laws of fasting are mentioned.
First of all, from an ganim income reason, our answer for whoever amongst you is on a journey is ill on a journey, then they should complete the count of fasting from other days.
So
even though fasting is obligatory, someone's traveling,
then on the journey, they are not required to fast
or if they are ill, they are not required to fast and I'd like to mention something about this.
In fact, if I mentioned the background to the verse, you might help us understand the obligation of fasting and compensation even better. Allah subhanho wa Taala. Allah sees Weiland Medina, you'll do Punahou affiliate on diamond scheme. And for those who are able that is a compensation of
feeding a poor purse. Now,
apparently that doesn't make sense. For those who are evil, there is a compensation of feeding a poor person.
The reason this doesn't make sense to us now in this context is because this verse is actually not related to the fast of Ramadan.
The Fast of Ramadan comes up in the next verse where Allah says, Shadow Ramadan and love the ones that have healed.
This verse refers to the first obligation of fasting in Islam fasting underwent a certain history.
There was optional fasting in muckety muck around before the hedger after the Hydra after the emigration.
last panel with Allah made
the fasting of Ashura the 10th of harem, obligatory along with according some narrations, the three
Brian bright nights of the month, meaning the three bright days of the month, 13th 14th and 15th, which remain a summer. Originally, these three days, along with the 10th of Hara
were days of obligatory fasting
may come as a surprise to them.
These were the obligatory times. So for 13th 14th and 15th of every lunar month, everyone was required to fast it was an obligation,
along with the 10th.
However, and that's what that verse is about. However, a lot also told them, that there is an obligation of fasting.
However, those of you
who are able to fast,
but don't wish
it's still obligatory, but the obligation can be waived by fit by compensation.
For those who are unable to fast, there was nothing.
They didn't have to fast they didn't have to give compensation.
So, although fasting was an obligation, even those were able and capable. They had a choice of fasting or giving sadaqa
of feeding a poor person.
Then, later, not too long after Allah Subhana Allah Allah revealed the obligation of fasting in Ramadan. So the fasting of the 10th of heroin, and the three days of each month,
were no longer felt an obligation they became a sin.
And the 30 days of fasting Ramadan became an obligation, and that's mentioned in the next verse. However, the law of failure also changed. So now for the obligation of Ramadan and fasting in Ramadan. There was no longer a choice that if you were able, you have to fast now
Before if you were able, you could faster give fifth year. Now, even if you are, if you are able, you have to fast you cannot give fifth year compensation.
So what's a new ruling for Amazon? It's very simple. And this is quite relevant. And I'll mention this because a lot of people ask about this. If you are,
if you are resident in the month of Ramadan,
and you're not a traveler, your maximal surfer,
then
obligation that fasting is obligatory upon the man or woman.
You must fast
if you are traveling,
or you are ill, in the month of Ramadan,
and your illness is temporary, from which you hope to recover, that's important. Your illness is temporary from which you hope to recover.
Or you are traveling, then the law is for it the two main aim and then a completion from other days, the obligation is merely postponed.
It's not waived, you still don't have to pay anything, you don't have the option of paying anything, you must fast. So the obligation of fasting is merely postponed.
You can't waive the obligation by paying money or giving video or feeding poor people you can't. That's if you are traveling.
Or you are ill with a temporary illness from which you hope to recover.
Even if you are ill for all 30 days, it doesn't matter. You fast 30 days later whenever you can whenever you recover. And you can plan ahead when you hope to recover. And what I mean by a temporary illness is it's not a terminal condition.
So let's say somebody is broken a bone.
And as a result, they even undergo surgery.
But they know the prognosis is good. They know that within a few months, they will recover completely their bone will have corrected itself. Everything will have healed and they will be able to resume normal life and normal eating drinking.
At the moment, the broken bone along with the surgery and along with the medication and fixed times for eating, taking medicine, etc. This prevents them from fasting.
But even though it's serious, they may even have had surgery. Is it a permanent condition? Or is it a temporary condition? It's temporary, and from which they hope to recover. So they do not get a lot. Many people misunderstand this and they actually say fine, you just configure and you're okay. You don't get fit. Do you can't waive this obligation by feeding a poor person giving Vidya.
Vidya is different from kuffaar.
glyfada, has expiation.
And that's when you do something wrong. And then you have to pay in order to correct that. This is fifth yet which is an alternative
to fasting you give up the paupers. But as I said only if you are traveling and if you are ill with the 10. Or if you are ill with a temporary condition, you can't get fiducia and weigh the obligation, the obligation of fasting is merely postponed. So who is Vidia for them?
Who is compensation for as an alternative to fasting, where instead of fasting, you pay money to or you feed a poor person, this is only for those people who are old.
And they no longer have the ability to fast.
And, obviously, for them, it's a permanent condition because of old age, their inability to fast now will remain the case till they pass away. So they have no hope of ever gaining sufficient strength too fast. So for them, it's a permanent condition. Therefore they pay failure. Or if someone is ill with a terminal condition.
Allah protects all of us. But if anyone is suffering from an illness, which is a lifelong condition, by terminal I don't mean fatal. By terminal, I mean, it's a consistent lifelong condition. So if someone is suffering from any lifelong condition, from which there is no hope of recovery, and the most you can do with that condition is manage it and control it through medication. And that condition prevents you from fasting. Then since there is
no hope of recovery and it's not temporary. Then for them again, even if they are young, they can pay, because there's no hope of them ever postponing their fast till other days as a last sentence. So this is a general ruling, the specifics, I would advise you to refer to the rollover.
Now,
one final thing I'd like to say here in relation to the Swiss law also says later you read the law becoming use. When are you ready to become a nurse in the third verse in relation to Ramadan? Allah, which is easy for you, Allah does not wish difficulty for you.
There are two lessons to learn from that phrase, that part of the verse one, fasting is possible.
It's not too difficult. It's achievable. It's attainable.
That's how about the alumni who managed and that's because their lifestyle was healthy was extremely healthy. They wouldn't eat much.
And it's quite strange.
If you notice, the during the time of this habit of the alarm, profits alarm, it was some of this habit of the law.
They would eat a lot of meat,
a lot of red meat. That was their main that was a staple diet,
a lot of meat,
but one because it was consumed in moderation.
And with a very active lifestyle.
And
they wouldn't indulge despite eating a lot of red meats. How about the law,
and people in general, extremely healthy
men, many of them would live up to his arm or the alarm. Once a happy, happy with his arm or the alarm. He lived till the age of 120.
And he embraced Islam at the age of 60. So they say he spent 60 years in jail. And 60 years in the slump,
a smile or the alarm,
the sister of moving shadow the alarm on her. She lived
for a very long time, again,
according some iterations over 100 years of age, and she was fit and healthy till the end.
So
this was true for many of the Arabs. But despite their consumption of a lot of red meat,
and that's all they would eat on most occasions.
They were very healthy because of other factors. They lived an active they had an active lifestyle, and they would consume food in moderation. So for them because of their health and their moderation. Fasting wasn't that difficult. Even in the heat of Arabia,
we're able to fast Unfortunately, because of our poor health in general, our sedentary lifestyles, and our indulgence and overconsumption of food and lack of moderation in consumption.
When it comes to fasting, all of a sudden, it's like starvation.
It's like a famine, forced famine. And therefore we do experience difficulty and we complain about the weather and about the thirst and the heat and the long hours. But how about all the Aloha children fast and arrive in Medina, Medina munawwara, even in the heat of summer,
Ramadan, the children would fast and it would be easy for them.
And even now, all over the world,
people in hot climates, they fast it's so it's attainable. it's achievable. It's possible. And one of the reasons I mentioned this is because one of the
some people now ridicule
and mock the very concept of fasting.
And some of the comments made are Why does Allah want people to starve themselves? What good is there for allowing people starving themselves. It's not one last panel with our intention sincere for the sake of Allah. But what's the purpose alarm engines look with the moon perhaps you may attain. It's a form of purification. It's a perfect detoxification for the body, the mind, the spirit, the soul, the heart for everything, the immense benefits. But of course, if we just suddenly live a life, if we live a life of indulgence and luxury, and then suddenly plunge into the deep end of fasting, we may find we will find it difficult but
As a wholesome thing as a holistic approach, if we have a good moderate lifestyle as the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam practiced law, but he was in tune with nature, he was in tune with nature. And if someone was to observe the sun,
one of the I met one early, and he mentioned about one of the older man
who passed away some time ago. And may Allah have mercy on him. He lived till the age of 101. until approximately until the age of 101, he was teaching all the way to the
law.
And in fact, I told my students I teach students will hurt him. And I told them, because, uh,
if I ever told them that, I'd like you to come in on the weekend, or extra hours.
Then you see the sudden change
in their facial expressions. I can even sense the tenseness in the atmosphere. That's why I tell them to come in out of normal class hours. So I was sharing a story with them. It's not a story. It's a fact of one of the orlimar of the recent past. We're not talking about this out of the law, who was a teacher who was one of the it was a teacher.
He This was in the last century, when people would travel to Hajj and Umrah by ship not by plane
and trains were available.
So, and he was a teacher in the Indian subcontinent.
He travelled for one of the pilgrimages I believe it was for Hajj, so he traveled to hatch. After the whole journey. He
traveled back along with his entourage of students. He traveled from Jeddah have a subject the port buying ship
down the Red Sea,
pass the Strait of Aden, and then across the Indian Ocean,
all the way to Karachi,
which was a famous seaports for the whole of India, and dividing India at the time, it was undivided.
He disembarked at garage, and it was a it was a journey quite long.
disembarking at Karachi, he immediately caught the train within a few hours,
and train in those days of the Internet of continents. And he traveled on the train it wasn't first class or second class or just a normal third class carriage. He traveled on the train within a few hours of disembarking from the boat.
He traveled on the train from Karachi for 24 hours to Delhi
and arriving at Delhi again within a few hours not stepping out of the station. He within a few hours, he caught along with his students and entourage and caught the next train for a couple of hours to northern India.
And there when he arrived at his hometown,
he arrived just before at dawn. He went home, left his luggage, prepared himself, went to the masjid, prayed for the solo with Gemma in congregation. And immediately after fudger Allahu Akbar, he sat down to teach while
that was the love and the passion of Hades and the ability Allahu Akbar.
Without any rest or food, just
skimping on food, eating very little food on the journey. No rest. We when we take a holiday, we need another holiday just to recover from the holiday.
And this was our love of this was a love of cinema. And that's in the recent past.
So that those who follow the suit though anyone who follows a cinema Sula, sallAllahu, alayhi wasallam, they are able to achieve much and I was speaking about this one other Adam. He, he passed away at the age of 101. He taught all the way till the end. He was teaching and preaching all the way till the end.
And, and that's one of the students who was a scholar and I said I asked him about it. And he said that our shake, he would observe the son of a soldier last in the law it was sent him in almost everything, including food. He acts in moderation, and he followed the timings of a suit of law.
lilavati So anyway, anyone who follows us somehow the Messenger of Allah insha Allah they will be in tune with nature to and what was a beautiful seminar the messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, he did it himself he advised us. No talking after Isha.
He forbade summer, no talking after Isha, you will pray, Allah, the wives mentioned in the Hadith that he would pray, Risha, Salah, he would come home completely, he would come home, then, if he needed to speak to his family about anything, he would speak to them briefly. Otherwise he would retire. And he would sleep
immediately after ish.
And then he will rise early in the morning.
Then he would spend a good portion of the night, weeping, praying, frustrating bowing,
then he would rest again for a short while, then he would rise for flexion.
So he was very much in tune with nature. So those who leave that lifestyle for them, of course, it's fasting is I wouldn't say it's
extremely easy, but it's relatively easy, it's attainable, it's achievable, it's something that's doable, of course we with our lifestyle, we are going to find it difficult. So when Allah says Allah wishes ease for you, a lot does not wish difficult for you. This is one of the meanings
we can do it.
We have to have a holistic approach. Number two,
fasting is easy for you allow wishes is for you, not difficult for you. We should not make fasting difficult for ourselves. And I'll end with this point. Allah has granted as a concession. Those who are in need of that concession should make use of that concession.
And others should not make it difficult for them either.
One should never fast out of a sense of obligation to the creation. They should do it out of a sense of obligation to the Creator, but not to the creation. So if someone is ill, we need to do this for ourselves and our families and colleagues and friends. If someone is ill, and they are unable to fast
then they should not force themselves.
Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam was traveling and one of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam saw someone had collapsed in this habit of the alarm. I was standing over them, trying to assist them. So the messenger alayhi salaatu wa Salaam asked him what's happened to them. So they reply the Messenger of Allah He was fasting so because of the fasting, the heater collapse. So the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said in the lesson they'll literally suffer.
It's not piety, it's not virtue too fast, what's on a journey?
Because if the person is incapable, or they know that they are exposing themselves to danger, or it's going to be a risk, then the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said, it's not an act of virtue, it's not good.
It's more virtuous for them not too fast.
So then we have an S.
Zayn have been taught one day the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam came out, and he saw a string attached from one pillar to the other.
So he said, What's this? So he was told that one of the ladies from his household one of the wives,
was able to gesture the alarm on her, she had
strung up that string, so that she would stand in prayer.
And if, once praying, this is optional, the 100 prayer at night, if she felt fatigued,
or drowsy and sleepy, then she wouldn't fall but she just fall back slightly on the string. So the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said remove it. Then he said one of you should only stand in prayer for as long as you are able.
And if they feel sleepiness or drowsiness, then they should leave they should stop and go and rest. Because they do not know they do not know what they will be saying. In their fatigue in their sleepiness. They may become delirious and not realize and rather than he says in one of these rather than praying for himself, one may end up curse.
So moderation, even in a bother even in Salah even in Seon fasting. That means especially in Ramadan, considering the heat etc. If someone is ill,
then they should not force themselves to fast. If a last granted them a concession. They should make use of that concession.
That's actually better
if fasting exposed
Isn't to risk. And I say this because many people suffer from serious conditions, lifelong conditions, things such as diabetes,
other lifelong conditions, and yet, people insist on fasting, it depends on their level of health. If despite having a lifelong condition, they are able to do it, then I'll handle it. But if they, if they find it difficult and exposes them to greater risk, it actually increases their illness, then,
or exposes them to other risks than they should not fast. And they should actually make use of the concession. If they want, they can fast maybe in winter, or if they feel that they are unable to manage and they can just get fit. So they shouldn't force themselves, they should. And most importantly, and I end with this, as I said earlier, no one should fast out of a sense of obligation to the creation.
And we should ensure that not only do we not force ourselves too fast if we are unable to, but we shouldn't force others, and force meaning even out of obligation. So we should be careful about what we say to us. If we start passing snidey comments that he's not fasting, she's not fasting. And if we begin to judge others, then others
in their fear of being labeled or condemned,
even though they find it difficult to fast, they want fat, they will fast.
Even though it's problematic for them, they will fast, and then they will be doing it out of a sense of obligation to others, not to the last panel, even though it's risky.
If Allah has given to this concession, and himself says, Allah wishes ease for you, not difficult for you, and we shouldn't make it difficult for ourselves, nor should we make it difficult for us. Of course, this has to be in balance as well. So it's not a question of we are able to Allah says Allah wishes ease for you. That means I just want fast. Now it's for those who are enabled find it difficult. I'll end with this. I pray that last panel data enables us to understand, may Allah Rama Siobhan is about to begin May Allah give us the strength, the inspiration, the ability, the resolve and willpower to begin fasting and to begin preparing for the upcoming month. May Allah make the
upcoming month of Ramadan a source of blessing guidance, forgiveness, for as well some of the law or some of them Allah after he was sworn in Nabina Muhammad while he was in Chronicle logging or becoming the commissioner, alert healer, healer and as the fellow who wanted to be like