Ramadan 2015 – Soul Searching in Ramadan

salaam aleikum wa rahmatullah wa barakato.

smilla rahmanir rahim al hamdu Lillahi Rabbil alameen wa Salatu was Salam ala shuffle MBA, he will mousseline Nabina Muhammad wa ala alihi wa sahbihi wa Bina woman Toby ami son in Isla Yomi Dini, whereby we praise Allah subhanho wa Taala. We thank him for everything that he has blessed us with. We asked him to bless us during this beautiful month of Ramadan. We asked him to send blessings and salutations upon Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, his entire household, all his companions, we ask Allah Subhana Allah to Allah, to bless them all. And to bless every single one of us. I mean,

my brothers and sisters, Allah subhanho wa Taala created us, He knows everything we go through, and he knows what we need. And it is Allah subhanho wa Taala, who has said in the Quran, or made mention of the purpose that he has created us.

He says, Alma fall upon

our

motto,

I have not created mankind, no gene kind, except for them to worship me.

If we take a careful look at this verse, it seems like Allah subhanho wa Taala once to keep us in constant acts of worship up to the point of death. The reality is that is true. But what is meant by act of worship is understood differently by those who have knowledge, as compared to those who do not have knowledge. So those who do not have knowledge would probably think that this means you need to remain in Salah throughout the day, perhaps fast every single day, perhaps be engaged in some form of recitation of the Quran or the remembrance of Allah subhanho wa Taala.

But those who have knowledge, are quite aware of the fact that everything you and I need in this world, we can convert it into an act of worship, if the intention is right. And if we are doing it with the correct purpose, obviously, going back to the intention, if you have a man you believe in Allah, you follow Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, and your intention is correct. No matter what you do, in terms of goodness, you will always achieve a reward for it. In fact, even to abstain from prohibition is an act of worship, when a sin is very easily available or is facilitated for us. And then we find ourselves abstaining from that sin, it becomes an act of worship. abstention from

prohibition is an act of worship. It pleases Allah subhanho wa Taala. So if I were to stay away from adultery, from gambling, from smoking, from drugs, from various other sins, it would automatically be an act of worship and closeness to Allah subhanho wa Taala. And the further I engage in these items, the more distant I become, from Allah Subhana Allah to Allah.

So Allah made us and Allah knows that we will be living in environments that may not be Islamic, we will be living in an environment perhaps where sin will be so easy to commit, we will be living in an environment where perhaps it will not be so simple to come to the masjid unless you have a lot of willpower and a lot of Eman. Allah subhanho wa Taala knows that to abstain from haram will be a challenge. Allah knows that we will be living across the entire globe, Muslim lands, non Muslim lands and so on he knows that you and I will exist and our existing and he knows who he is to come after us. So he has set a plan. And that plan is in order to help us pull through in a way that we

earn Jenna May Allah grant us Jenna I mean, what is this beautiful plan? Part of it is to give us a gift known as Ramadan. Amazing. And this Ramadan is such that one law he the timing of it is absolutely perfect, absolutely perfect. Imagine if throughout the globe, everyone had to have Ramadan at exactly the same time in the Gregorian year. Which means Say for example, now we have June and July, throughout the life of an individual where you are living it's always in June and July, it won't be fair, because sometimes you will have a cold fast sometimes a fast in the heat, sometimes a long one sometimes a short one. The people in the UK are literally struggling at the

moment achieving a greater reward for their dedication for fasting 18 to 20 hours right now, but they will be smiling all the way when they're fast is only about six to eight hours, sometime 30 years down the line perhaps

Allah grant us an understanding look at how fair Allah is.

Look at how balanced he is. So you will taste a long faster short, fast one in summer one in winter, and it keeps on moving 10 days up every single year. That is the disparity between the lunar and the solar calendars. May Allah subhanho wa Taala help us understand His justice.

Similarly, can you imagine a Ramadan that happened to have been less than 30 days, 29 days, let's say Ramadan was one week, just as we are rolling in and warming up, it's over. We would not achieve the proper spirituality Allah knows that you need one whole month out of the 12 months, you need the entire month. Imagine if Ramadan was longer than a month perhaps we would lose focus because you know it climaxes round the end amazingly 2123 2527 and we are climax right at the top. It's at the end of the massage it gets even more packed. Do you agree? So panela That's the power of a lot. But if we had two months, one wonders, perhaps a month later people would start losing focus. And one

wonders whether that dedication to the plan would actually be there amazing. You have 30 Jews of the Quran and you have 29 to 30 days of Ramadan amazing how Allah has married all this matched it in such a beautiful way for us who are his worshipers and his creatures. He knows that through the year you might be engaged in sin you might be swearing backbiting, although you know that that is wrong. You might have a little bit of hatred and jealousy in your heart that begins to develop and the rust begins to develop in your heart. Allah says we give you a month of softness, the first thing that happens as the month is declared, immediately you feel the spirituality of Ramadan. But like it is

something every believer knows you have to be be be a believer. In fact, some of the disbelievers who might be living in the midst of the Muslim meme would also be able to feel that something has changed. So Panama with us, no matter what the moment Ramadan starts, there is a difference in the light that is around us. There is a difference in the faces. Immediately the heart supposed to soften even the hardest hearts are softened in the month of Ramadan. You need to notice people who are stingy nakedly miserly, they become charitable in the month of Ramadan, you would be shocked to see them giving handsome amounts May Allah subhanho wa Taala help us give me he helped us become

compassionate. May Allah subhanho wa Taala soften our hearts. This is why the one who does not seize the opportunity of Ramadan is such a big loser that Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam claiming the member you you and I met you may know that he said I mean thrice in one of the two hours that he was saying I mean to as he explained later on why elimine andraka Ravana salami formula will be on destruction be upon the one who has witnessed from Yvonne and still has not achieved forgiveness, the course of their life has not changed in a positive manner. You have Ravana it's a powerful gift. It's not going to last so long. And guess what Ravana is an auspicious month.

Friday is an auspicious day. The moment that we are speaking right now is the auspicious moment within the Friday and the place we are in is the house of your own maker. Subhana Allah auspiciousness upon auspiciousness upon auspiciousness if you are still not feeling softened, and you are still not feeling that I need to quit my bad ways and habits, then you are the only one to lose. May Allah not do that to us. My brothers and sisters, take a look at the beauty of this month, we look at one another with a lot of love. We try to resolve matters because we are taught by Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam that in this beautiful month, an act of worship is multiplied

literally on sale. These are the acts of worship on sale. Imagine if you were planning a holiday, and suddenly the airline that you'd like to fly with, they announced a huge holiday, you will have to plan it now and make sure you buy your tickets because you know that I'm going to get it at one 10th of the price. And I'm going to fly in conflict. So Panama. Well, we have a sale right now what is on sale, good deeds are on sale. abstention from prohibition is on sale. Go and resolve your dispute with your brothers, your sisters, your family members, go and say I'm sorry, go and solve it. And you find the mercy of Allah rushing in your direction. Man, Attorney MC, Allah, Allah says

whoever comes to me walking, I will rush to him to Panama, you want a lot to rush to you. You need to make an effort. It's not easy to walk towards Allah. So this is the month of softening the hearts we find it difficult to read Salah through the year. It's true.

Because the environment we live in there might not be a Masjid near our area, we are not living in a Muslim land. And at the same time, it might be quite difficult because of the weather and the timings depending on where you're living because of the the people who live around you who may not be showing such a great interest. May Allah grant us good company and companionship that can actually bring us to the masjid. But Allah knows that we find it difficult through the year. So what he does, he adds for us an extra

voluntary prayer in the evening. That is such that combined it is more than the entire prayer of the whole day which is compulsory put together. So Pamela, if you are ready to fulfill taraweeh in the proper sense, you will achieve so much of raha raha meaning the peace and the comfort that you are meant to be achieving through this beautiful month that you will find it so easy to fulfill your Salah throughout the rest of the year. Imagine the dose This is why you and I know when you go to a doctor, what does he write for you if you are unwell something known as a prescription, why do they call it a prescription? You cannot change it you cannot alter it It starts at this time it ends at

that time and the doctor will tell you you better make sure you finish the course. The same words are used by Allah subhanho wa Taala when it comes to fasting in Ramadan yeah levena man oh you who believe? Do you consider yourself a believer? If the answer is yes. Listen carefully. The one who made you is talking to you. He is addressing you yes you he's saying oh you who believe quotevalet como si

kuchibhotla leadin me popularly called fasting has been written prescribed. Notice the wording katiba fasting has been prescribed upon you just like it was prescribed upon those before you they had different prescriptions their antibiotic was slightly different. Yours is slightly different but it is also fasting fasting meaning to abstain from certain things that you like a lot. What do you love? You love your food? Wow, Masha Allah, Allah says, stay away from it for a while. We'll help you. We'll help you dedicate you. What else do you love your spouse, Allah says stay away from her or from him for a little while. We'll give you something you love. So panela you'll appreciate what

you have amazing. Look at the prescription. When the doctor tells you stay away from that which is high in cholesterol we make sure like gospel, we follow it because we don't want to have a blood test showing us that the cholesterol is a little bit high. Similarly, you have spiritual cholesterol that affects you and Allah has given a spiritual remedy for that. May Allah subhanho wa Taala help us it is a prescription prescribed. And guess what he says about the course. He says make sure you finish the course Do you want to hear the verse?

While he took me lowline Allahu Akbar. Allah says make sure you finish in order that you may finish the exam. What isn't it that it is a prescribed time the course if you have less, you may not achieve May Allah Subhana Allah Allah protect us and may grant us goodness. But even outside the month of Ramadan, there is the beauty Do you know what that beauty is? A lot of us tend to forget it. But I call on you to adopt it after Ramadan. You could fast for one whole month for the sake of Allah compulsory fast. What about voluntary let's try it out as well. So Panama. In every act of worship, we have compulsory and voluntary take a look at Hajj you have the pilgrimage that is the

major one known as Hajj and then you have the voluntary which is known as Ramadan, which is the minor pilgrimage many of us are so keen on going for Amara that Subhana Allah if we were able to go at any given time, especially now in the beautiful month of Ramadan, we would

then you have Salah, you have the facade of your prayer and you have the voluntary many of us fulfill voluntary, we are actually required to do that in the sense that it would be something meritorious something really good for you. This is amazing. It's Allah subhanho wa Taala gift for you How many of us are ready to increase our voluntary prayer in the month of Ramadan the reward is multiplied Allah says we are multiplying it so that you get used to it so that after Ramadan, you don't just say okay, follow alone. Add a little bit of voluntary prayer even after Ramadan Come on Allahu Akbar, Allah make it easy for us.

Then you have for example xhaka when it comes to Sokka, and charity, what do you have, you have that which is compulsory, and then you have voluntary, so the cat that which is in some places of the world, termed milah, which means for the sake of Allah, I'm just giving it's over and above my charity, two and a half percent I worked out, but I'm embarrassed because the Christians are giving 10% of their salary, I'm only giving two and a half percent of my annual saving. I'd rather give a little bit more for the sake of Allah to please Allah, I'm going to give another 10% ready to do that.

While the Christians are doing it, may Allah subhanho wa Taala help us become givers, those who can give and those who can do it in a beautiful way for the sake of Allah, not because others are doing it or not. That is besides the point it's only an example we draw, but we have a great encouragement straight from Allah subhanho wa Taala

What about fasting? Why do we falter there? Let's be honest. The bulk of us, myself included, we are guilty of making sure Ramadan we fast but

after Ramadan How often do we fast how much of the voluntary fasting comes into effect? When when the research on BBC tells you that it's healthy to fast twice a week we start thinking about it. But when Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said it 14 136 years back, we haven't yet given it a second thought Monday and Thursday, I encourage you to fast one law it will improve your health and it will increase your concentration it will do a lot for the toxins and the removal of them from your system. And by the will of Allah it will act as a beautiful antioxidant. May Allah subhana wa Taala help us achieve good help. Amazing. Look at this. So Allah is telling us you know what, we

will give you a multiplied reward. What a beautiful multiplied reward. Let's take a look at it.

The Hadith says mon sama Ravana bajo Sita Misha well Cana Casa minha Ballykelly anisotropy actually I'm Sally ha, whoever fast the month of Ramadan and then adds another six days of chawan voluntary they will have the reward of having fasted the entire year.

Wow.

Imagine you work for one month and then they tell you just add another six days and we give you a salary for the whole year. Look at the smiles Mashallah salary for the whole year when it comes to the rent and the dollar we are fast, we are quick when it comes to the currency of the euro shavon makes us lag behind. Don't let that happen. Let's make an intention. Now. This year, I'm going to fast the six months of your well, When shall I make that intention? And I hope you'll join me in it as well. May Allah make it easy for us to fulfill it. I mean, we save every year do we do it? We watch others doing it. Do we do it? Let's be honest, Subhana Allah, so by the will of Allah subhanho

wa Taala we have the month of Ramadan, Allah multiplies it by 10 it becomes worth 10 months, there is a shortfall of two months because the year has 12 months. How do we get that? Well, three days would multiply by 10 giving you 30 days which means a month approximately and another 30 days, which is another month. So that would be six days. So six days of chawan multiplied by 10 you have your two months. Amazing. Look at the calculation look at the mercy of Allah and guess what, every month Allah says you fast three days the 13th 14th and 15th of the lunar calendar and guess what, we will multiply it for you by 10 you get the reward of the whole month once again. So Panama ready to do

it. Think about it, write it down as your resolutions I tell you why I say write it down my brothers and sisters I am a human being just like you we plan things when we are in a soft spiritual moment. And then when we become hardened because of what we see outside we tend to lose focus and we forget what we promised a lot. We say inshallah and fast the sixth then suddenly you see the pizzas and the chicken and everything else and the roast and Al Hamdulillah and you watch all the beautiful salads and everything and the aroma of the beautiful bread that is being baked and you say no, no, no inshallah next year, I will do it. And that next year keeps on coming and coming until some final

Ah, we lose our lives. Come on, make a plan, tell your spouse, tell your family members, listen, this year, we're going to have the deal eat and after that inshallah we'll all collectively try and do this for the sake of Allah. It does not have to be all together. It can be staggered, but it has to be in the month of show. Well.

I think we can do this. So my brothers and sisters, let's go back and take a look at the prescription of Allah. Don't you agree with me? It is the month of mercy. It is the month of forgiveness. It is the month of solving your disputes sadly shape man as much as he's tied in this month. He made his plan before Ramadan, just like our sisters and our women. What do they do for the month of Ramadan, they happen to plan for it in advance so they don't have to make all the savories just before the month of Ramadan. The freezers are full, completely packed so that all those savings can last. We've actually labeled them day one, day two, day three, day four, up to day 30. In case

we don't see the moon shavon has a similar plan, but of a different nature, different nature, meaning he knows I'm going to be locked up for 30 days. Let me plan how I want this guy to be 30 days day one, day two, day three is going to fight about the fan in the masjid before he's made a fight about the sound Dave, day six is going to fight about the window. day seven is going to really sway someone in the afternoon when he's hungry and angry. And we're lucky that's what happens. People ask when a man is tired. How then do we get so angry in the month of Ramadan? I tell you we become little shayateen ourselves. May Allah subhanho wa Taala forgive us. Really? It's a month of

softening. Allah says yes, you will be hungry. Yes, anger might try to overtake you but you know you have a greater reward to abstain from anger. That is why it comes towards you in a greater force.

Why does anger come to us and Allah it happens to a lot of us. Why do we get so upset short wire as they call it short fuse. Why?

In the month of Ramadan, it's worse. The reason is one of the reasons because to abstain from prohibition is a great act of worship in the month of Ramadan, it's multiplied, the greater the force, the greater the reward. Imagine if I was really going to get so angry and I come down imagine the reward whereas if it was something minor, and I was just by the way, minor issue, the reward would be smaller. So Hannah law that's the will of Allah. And this is why you tend to fast outside Ramadan. Sometimes you feel hungry. When it comes to in the month of Ramadan. Sometimes your belly starts rumbling. May Allah subhanho wa Taala help us through these fast. Well law. What keeps me

going, is the thought of what the people in Europe are going through right now. Panama. They have two or three hours to pack in the Maghreb. There Isha. There, should I say it's far, then the tarawih then the Soho and they back? May Allah subhanho wa Taala make it easy for them. This having been said, my brothers and sisters, it's important for us to pray for the oma.

It's not just about yourself.

There are people who cannot afford food and drink there are people across the world who are muslimeen, who've been driven out of their homes solely because they utter the Shahada. There are people who are struggling, homeless, they were wealthier than you and I it took five minutes for all that to go away. It can happen to me, May Allah not do it to any of us. Think about them, reach out to them, reach deep not only into your pockets, but even in your prayers. The Muslims of Burma, the Muslims of Nepal, the Muslims of Pakistan, the Muslims of India, the Muslims of Bangladesh, the Muslims of Syria, the Muslims of Palestine, the Muslims of Afghanistan, the Muslims of Somalia, the

Muslims of Sudan, and the list goes on. Endless, completely endless. We're adding more and more names as the days pass, we ask Allah to bless them to have mercy on them. On this particular Friday in this beautiful month of Juma from this pulpit in the house of Allah subhanho wa Taala. At this moment, we say yeah, Allah help them in every single way of the term help. I mean, reach out to them. Brothers and sisters, we are not true believers until we feel what they're feeling and try to reach out to them in whatever way possible. May Allah subhanho wa Taala help us be compassionate in this beautiful month of compassion. Allah will have mercy on you for as long as you continue to have

mercy on others.

Can Allah houfy only labadi mckernon Abu fionna he, Allah continues to be in the assistance of his worshiper, for as long as that worshipper continues to be in the assistance of others.

May Allah subhanho wa Taala help us by the will of Allah. I hope to be in this beautiful Masjid for the next four Jamal's or at least three depending on how many we will be having. And we ask Allah Subhana Allah to Allah to make it easy for us. By the end of this prescribed time we are transformed human beings cut out the swear words, cut out the vulgar cut out the lies cut out the deception, cut out the adultery, cut out the gambling, cut out the drugs, cut out the drinking, cut out all the bad habits, the pornography whatever else it may be the harem relations that you have cut them out completely. This is what the fasting is all about. Brothers and sisters if you do not feel the

softness of the heart in this moment in this month, at this beautiful place. When would you like your heart to be softened? Come on? Isn't it time enough? Isn't it time enough that you have had for Allah to soften your heart and for you to turn towards Allah? May Allah subhanho wa Taala bless us all. May He forgive our shortcomings. Wa Salatu was Salam ala nabina Muhammad