Sadullah Khan – Developing a Qur’anic Personality To be and What not be. #21
AI: Summary ©
The speaker discusses the importance of fasting in enhancing self discipline and balancing physicality and spirituality. They emphasize the need to ask oneself a personal question and reflect on the benefits of fasting, including personal growth and expansion in one's life. The speaker also emphasizes the importance of spiritualization and empathy in achieving the goal of attainment of taqwa.
AI: Summary ©
We continue our theme
developing the Quranic personality,
how to be and what not to be.
Fasting in the month of Ramadan
is a way of enhancing
self discipline.
It's an opportunity for us to regulate our
attitudes,
opportunity for us to improve our conduct.
In fact, an opportunity for us to develop
a better self.
And the activities of Ramadan
should make us contemplate
on the higher purpose of our lives
and the deeper value
of our existence.
It should motivate us to try and live
meaningfully,
responsibly.
Balancing our siyam with our qiyam,
balancing our physicality with our spirituality.
As Ramadan unfolds and here we are tonight
on one of the nights of Qadr, on
the 21st night, and may Allah accept from
all of us.
As Ramadan unfolds
each fasting person
should ask himself or herself
a personal question or a series of personal
questions.
On the basis of muhasaba, of critical self
evaluation.
And important for each one to reflect on
what is being achieved through this month of
Ramadan.
As we know how many were here last
Ramadan
and are not here?
Indeed how many of us are here? And
may Allah give us long life, but may
not be here next year.
So ask the question and reflect.
I've been fasting for 21 days.
What benefits
have been derived?
What behavior
have I adjusted?
Which good practices
have I adopted and implemented?
Which bad habits have I relinquished or left
off?
Ask the question,
how does the prayer and the fasting of
Ramadan
influence my attitude and my behavior and my
actions?
Ask,
how is it improving my relationship
with my family, with my friends, with my
loved ones, with those near and dear to
me, with my coworkers, with my neighbors?
How much has it increased consciousness on my
part of my responsibility
towards the increasing amount of poor in the
world and the increasing amount of oppressed people
in the world.
How has my fasting and my qiyam, and
my siyam, and my Quran which I've read,
How much has it impacted on my body,
my heart, my mind, and my soul?
You see, we are very familiar with the
verse where Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala in Surah
Tawbah
gives glad tidings to a group of people.
He says,
glad tidings to the believers.
And Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala categorizes some of
the people or some of the actions.
Dawba and those who are in servitude to
Allah, obedient to Him.
And then those who bow and prostrate, but
also those who are on a spiritual journey,
spiritual journey,
spiritual travelers,
spiritual wayfarers
through the through the act of fasting.
So if we are truly on a spiritual
journey, if we are truly
then on as wayfarers on that transcendental journey
towards attaining taqwa, which is the height of
human achievement.
Where is that journey currently taking me?
Where is that journey currently taking us? Are
we becoming better human beings?
Are we more considerate?
Have we become more compassionate,
more caring?
Are we journeying from self centeredness?
I, I, me, me. Have we moved from
self centeredness to social consciousness?
From self righteousness towards righteousness?
Where did we start?
And how have we moved? How far have
we journeyed towards the fulfillment of excellence on
the pathway to Taqwa?
Are we journeying at all? Or are we
exactly where we were at the beginning of
Ramadan? You see,
if there is a genuine effort
towards
spiritualization of our being, spiritualization
of our being,
demoralization
of our consciousness.
We all have conscious.
But are we more conscious? Have we moralized
our conscious or justify what we do
and make excuses for the wrong that we
continue doing? So if there is a genuine
effort for the spiritualization
of our being, the moralization
of our consciousness,
empathy, increased empathy in our attitude,
and increased goodness in our conduct,
then perchance
we are on the pathway,
treading the pathway
towards the attainment of taqwa. Allah subhanahu wa
ta'ala is
in the Quran.
Indeed, Allah is aware of those who keep
their bond with Him, who are true to
their word with Him. We say, laila, ilallah.
We say, we do siyam. We aiming for
taqwa. Allah knows those who truly keep their
bond with him. Allah loves those who are
conscious of what they do for him and
in his path and in his name. And
Allah loves those who are conscious. Allah loves
those who are righteous. For in Allah, you're
able muttaqeen.
Allah loves those who