28th
Sha'ban 1429H
29th
August
2008AC
In the
name of Allah Most Gracious Most Merciful
Thanks be to Allah,
the Merciful, the Almighty, the One the Only. He knows all what is in
heavens and what is in earth. He knows what we say and He knows what is in
our minds.
Allah has favoured
this nation with this month every year. Ramadan approaches like a graceful
visitor. Some people become good hosts and honor the month of Ramadan.
While, some people, Ramadan departs with the worst effects and worst
memories.
Good tiding to this
for which Ramadan shall testify positively, and Good tidings to this for
which the Koran will testify positively. On the day of resurrection and the
day of reckoning, the fasting and the Koran will testify for the slave.
Fasting shall say: "O' Lord, I kept him off his food and his lust, allow me
to mediate and put in a good word for him". And the Koran shall say: "I came
between him and his sleep at night. Allow me to mediate for him". And their
mediation is accepted.
Ramadan is a season
of goodness and riches; provided by Allah to mankind. It is the season for
the devout, and a shop or a market for the righteous. Each commodity in any
market has its season. Those business people keep a watch for that season.
During such a season they increase their business activities, and increase
their efforts many fold in order to maximize their profit. They put in so
much effort in order that they may make profit. But like in any business
they may make profit or may not. And if they do make profit; they may
benefit from it and they may not. And if they benefit from such profit for
one day, they may not be round for long to keep on benefiting from it.
Indeed they may die and leave it behind.
This worldly life has
it own business people, and the next life has its business people. Business
men and women of this worldly life keep a watch on its business seasons in
order to maximize their profits. Business people of the next life also keep
a watch for the its seasons in order to maximize their profits too. But,
their profit is different; it is in the form of forgiveness and mercies from
their Lord and paradise.
Ramadan comes every
year as an opportunity to the Muslim to increase the goodness and reduce
sins. Doors to goodness are open, just like the doors to paradise, while
doors to hellfire are closed and Satans are chained or cuffed. This is an
indication to the increased numbers of doors and paths leading to goodness,
and the reduced and limited tracks for evil.
What a happy ending
for those who take advantage of this opportunity. The messenger (PPBU) said:
{When Ramadan approaches, the doors to paradise are opened, and the doors to
hell are closed, and Satans are cuffed and chained. A caller calls: "You who
seek goodness go ahead, and you who seek evil confine yourself."}. This
reminds those who have been forgetful about Allah for the past eleven
months. Put your hand in the hand of Allah. Approach Allah with good
fasting, good night prayers and plenty of deed of obedience.
Good fasting means
that your fasting is not mere fasting of the stomach and lust; while your
tongue is not fasting, your eyes are not fasting; your ears and all your
other senses are not fasting.
The messenger (PPBU)
said: {This who does not give up speaking falsely (or lying) and acting (or
living) by it; as far as Allah is concerned; there is no point for him/her
in giving up the food and drink}. And he also said: {Fasting is a shield and
protection. When one of you fast, let them not argue or do evil. And if
someone curses him; or fight him; let him say: "I'm fasting"}. Meaning let
this who is fating not respond to evil with evil; rather he/she should
respond to evil with good. Let him remember that he is in the process of an
act of worship which should not be broken or bruised. Let him say with his
heart and his tongue to himself and others that he is fasting. Some ignorant
Muslims hurt and abuse others verbally and then say: "excuse me; I am
fasting!!" As if Allah through fasting has given permission to destroy the
morals and behaviour of people. A fasting Muslim ought to control himself,
control his tongue, control his ears and eyes and all his/her senses. A many
a person gains nothing from his fasting except hunger and thirst. Yes, there
are those who suffer the hunger and thirst in fasting; but do not give
fasting what it deserves. Indeed, many scholars go as far as saying that
backbiting, tattling, lying and other evil acts spoil the fasting. And any
who does one of those acts during fasting will need to fast another day as a
replacement. Some other scholars said those acts do not spoil fasting but it
takes away its rewards. And even this is not a simple matter. Imagine
fasting; feeling the hunger the thirst; your mouth going dry; for a full
day; and finally you find no reward for it with Allah. You come out empty
handed. Watch yourself and control what you do and say; purify your self
this month.
Fasting is an
opportunity to elevate your self to the horizon of angels. The messenger
(PPBU) said: {Whoever goes through Ramadan (or do nightly prayers in
Ramadan) in faith and expectations; all his previous sins are forgiven}. And
he also said: {the five daily prayers; and the Friday to Friday; and Ramadan
to Ramadan are cleansers of sins which happens between one and the next; as
long as major sins are avoided}.
Dear brothers let us
prepare for the night prayers as we prepare for fasting. Encourage your
spouse to attend taraweeh prayers at the mosque in order to share the
reward.
Well done to this who
spends the night in prayers; kneeling and prostrating; contemplating the
life after; and in expectation of Allah's mercy; tearful eyes and revering
heart, and a tongue busy praising Allah and reciting His words. Allah says:
{No soul knows what Allah Has hidden for them to their eyes contentment; as
a reward for what they used to do}. You who seek good come on up, and you
who seek evil refrain. And Allah each and every night in Ramadan proclaims
some Muslims to be set free from ever being touched by Hellfire. Be one of
those.
One of the successful
paths during Ramadan is the night of Qadr. And what do you know about
the night of Qadr. The night of Qadr is better than a thousand months. The
messenger (PPBU) said: {Whoever stays up the night of Qadr in faith and
expectations, then all his/her previous sins are forgiven}.
Another path is the
reciting of Koran. Try to recite the Koran a plenty during this month. Try
to get the lessons in its verses. Listen to it being recited, follow its
guidance. The messenger used to recite the complete Koran during the month
of Ramadan. Gabriel used to revise the Koran with the messenger (PPBU) once
every Ramadan. The year the messenger (PPBU) died; Gabriel revised it twice
in that Ramadan.
Dear Muslims, one of
the most important characteristics of Ramadan is to adopt perfection in
words and deed. Generosity is one of the characteristics the messenger
(PPBU) used to have, and he used to be most generous during the month of
Ramadan. Slaves of Allah: Be good and be perfect. Allah likes those who are
good and who are seeking perfection in obedience of Allah. Be generous by
giving in donation part of what you value. And avoid stinginess; skimpiness
and greed and do not listen to Satan.
Another deed of
Ramadan is E-tikaf or taking seclusion in a mosque for the last ten days of
Ramada; as the messenger (PPBU) used to do. E-tikaf is for an individual to
limit himself to the boundaries of the mosque in obedience of Allah, and
seeking the life after.
Allah says: {You
faithful, fasting has been written upon you as it was written upon those
before you.}
Dear Muslims, one of
the most direct paths leading to Allah during this month of Ramadan and
right through the Muslim's life is duaa or supplication. By asking Allah of
your needs. Indeed {supplication is a worship}. Allah says: {call me (or
make supplications to me) I will answer. Those who are proud to worship me;
they shall be entered into hell with disgrace}. The messenger (PPBU) said:
{Who does not ask Allah, Allah will be annoyed with.} Dear Muslims, do
aplenty of asking to Allah, in sick and in health; in rich and in poor. Ask
for the best in this life and next. Allah says: {Dear God, give us in this
life goodness, and the next life goodness, and protect us from the torment
of fire}
Dear Muslim, seek the
points or times of sure answer. One who is fasting has an answered prayer.
Most likely it is at the time when he or she break their fasting. And every
night of Ramadan has an hour during which if a Muslim asks for anything, he
or she will be answered by Allah. Allah says: {and if my slaves ask you
about me; let them know that I am close by; I answer the call of a caller if
he/she call me. Let them respond to Me; and believe in Me so they may be
religiously true}. Pray and ask Allah with succumbed, broken and insistent
hearts. Ask Allah for anything and everything. Ask Him for the little and
great things. For nothing or nobody can stop what He gives; and nothing or
nobody can give what He withholds.
God, make it easy for
us and make us avoid the hardships,
God, make us in this
month amongst those who receive your acceptance.
God, bring us out of
this month being forgiven.
God, make us lucky
with mercies, forgiveness and set free from fire.
God, help us to fast
its day (days of Ramadan) in faith and expectation, and stay up in prayers
its nights also in faith and expectation.
God, make our day be
better than our yesterday, and our tomorrow be better than today. And make
our end be good in all matter. And guard us from shame in this life and from
torment in the next.
God, make the word of
Islam to be the upper word, and the word of the enemies be the lower.
God, make us
victorious over your enemies; the enemies of Islam.
God, hold back off us
their cheats and conspiracies; and take them as an able noble.
{Our Lord, forgive
our sins, and forgive our excessiveness in our matters, and hold fasten our
feet, and make us victorious over the infidel}.
{Our Lord, forgive us
and our brothers in faith ahead of us. And let no enmity to those who
entered into faith. Our Lord thy are the clement, kind and merciful}
God, make us and our
offspring be of those who do prayers. Lord, answer our prayers.
God, forgive us and
our parents; and forgive all the faithful on the day of Judgment.
Slaves of Allah,
Allah says: {Allah and His angels pray for the messenger; All you believers;
pray for him and greet him in peace and submission}. Dear God give prayers,
peace and blessings for your slave and messenger Muhammad, and his family,
companions and those who followed him.
Dear Allah, help us
to achieve perfection in our obedience and our deeds. Guide us to what leads
to your acceptance and contentment in words and deeds. Amen.
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