Is it enough to give up food? (Issue 1, 2012)

“He will pay them their wages and increase them of His grace; for He is Oft-Forgiving Most Ready to appreciate (service).” Qur'an 35 verse 30

There are lots of write ups and messages being shared during this august month of Ramadan. Ramadan Message was not going to publish because it is not our intention to repeat what is already being said, or to add to the piles of resources competing for your meagre time. However, there is a lot of focus on giving up food and drinks during the long hours of the day, as if this is precisely the goal of Ramadan. Therefore we have decided to publish Ramadan Message again and ask the important question: is it enough to give up these things to fulfilling the objectives of Ramadan?

The desired objective of Ramadan is well known by all as stated in Qur'an chapter 2 verse 183 is to “achieve taqwah”. The verse reads thus: "O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may become muttaquun (those who have taqwah or piety)."  It is obvious that becoming pious or having piety has little to do with food. Temporarily giving up something is not the end in itself, but a means to the end. If we concentrate on the long hours of not eating and drinking, do we not run the risk of focusing on the means, at the expense of pursuing the end?

Fasting in Ramadan like all other acts of worship requires that you give up what is legally right for the sake of Allah. In a free world, we sacrifice our independent freewill and free-thoughts only to entertain the codified Iman (belief) in God’s Oneness and Supremacy. We give up our precious time to pray the Salaah five times in a day. We give up our wealth to share with others through Zakaah every year. We give up ourselves to undertake the hajj pilgrimage. We also give up our desires to consume and copulate during the day time of Ramadan. We do these only for the sake of Allah.

Yet, Ramadan demand more than that. Allah demands that we give up lewd talk and evil speech to free our tongues from flaming the ambers of Hell. Allah demands that we give up vain pursuit, envious attitude and belligerent qualities to free our soul from the shackles of Shaytan. Allah has made Ramadan an ample instrument of refining our character, reforming our heart and refraining from lowly desires.

To this end, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) cautioned, “Whoever does not give up false speech and offensive speech and behaviour, Allah has no need of his giving up his food and drink.” (Bukhari) To emphasis the significance of getting the fast right, the Prophet (peace be upon him) further added, “there may be a fasting person who gets nothing more from his fast that hunger and thirst…” (Ahmad). The goal of the fast is not deprivation; it is elevation of the self from sins, from slavery to passion and from servitude to Shaytan, whose eternal purpose is to undermine our journey towards Allah and His Paradise.

The Rightly-Guided Caliph Umar echoed the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) by explaining: “Fasting does not mean abstaining from food and drink only, rather it is also abstaining from lying, falsehood and idle speech.” Similarly the Ansari Jabir ibn Abdullah explained: “When you fast, then let your hearing, sight and tongue fast from lying and sin and stop abusing servants. Be tranquil and dignified on the day of your fast, and do not let the day you do not fast and the day you fast be the same.”

As we are discouraged from following the path of sins, we are encouraged to engage in a plethora of noble deeds, including closeness to the Qur'an in our recitation and application, seeking opportunities to help the vulnerable, attaining selflessness and purifying the soul.

Therefore, far from the pains of thirst, pang of hungers and emotional paroxysm of unfulfilled passion, Allah requires that in Ramadan, we take steps to get closer to him with our deeds and in our character and we refine ourselves. Allah demands that deep in our heart, on our tongues, in our relationships and within society that we become better. Therefore the question is: are you willing to give yourself up to Allah this Ramadan? What will you do, what step will you take, what in your character will you improve and what in your attitude will you change purely and permanently for the sake of Allah this Ramadan? That is the crucial question. Once you are able to do this during Ramadan and maintain this after Ramadan, then you will have truly fasted and fasting would have truly impacted on you.

“Ramadan is the month which invites you to be the guests of Allah and invites you to be one of those near to Him.” (Baihaqi)

- Contributed by Shamsideen AbuSuad, UK. 2012  www.ramadanmessage.blogspot.com

Day 2: The Right Fast

The Right Fast

Of course, there is a right kind of fast and a wrong one. Which are you having? If the fast does not achieve the correct objective, surely it will be the wrong one. So right from the beginning, we must know and work towards the objective of the Ramadan fast. The stated goal is “attaining taqwah.” (Qur’an 2:183)

What is “taqwah”? Taqwah is not a badge of honour, nor is it in your dress or outlook. It is a state of being! Taqwah is a state of consciousness; a level of awareness of the Creator’s presence and ambience. It is a heart high in humility which motivates towards high and noble deeds and which prevents from low and sinful deeds.

Taqwah has been described as walking through a narrow path with thorny bushes on both sides. The person with taqwah navigates through this narrow path avoiding the thorns as best as he or she could. Taqwah is the torchlight (flashlight) with which one sees in the dark. Allah says: “O you who believe! Have Taqwa (consciousness) of Allah and believe in His Messenger; and He will provide you with a light by which you will walk.” (Qur'an 57:28)

But why tie taqwah to Ramadan? Ramadan helps to train the soul towards obedience and trim the desires towards moderation. Greed and selfishness are destroyed by Ramadan, while desires for selflessness, fellow-feeling, humility and patience are strengthened. These are the qualities of taqwah. These are not mere gloss-over actions, but actions sincerely from the heart. This is how Ramadan re-formats our hard-disk.

Taqwah is to obey God’s commandments and abstain from His prohibitions and treat the people with utmost justice and care. It is so important that Allah warns: "O you who believe! Have Taqwah (Consciousness of Allah), as you should have of Him and do not die except as Muslims (surrendered him/herself to God)." (Qur'an 3:102)

Taqwah is the criterion by which God judges human: “O mankind! We have created you from a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know one another. Verily, the most honorable of you with Allah is that (believer) who has Taqwa (God-consciousness, fearing Allah). Verily, Allah is All-Knowing, All-Aware.” (Qur'an 49:13) Therefore, it is not surprising that “taqwah” is the main attainment goal for Ramadan. Little wonder then that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) noted that Ramadan “is the month which invites you to be the guests of Allah and invites you to be one of those near to Him.” (Baihaqi)

People who have developed “taqwah” are ever truthful and patient and God is ever with those who are truthful and patient. They are also ever easily forgiving and ever compassionate, reliable and dependable; hence Allah forgives them, rewards them and is merciful to them. They have no problem distinguishing right from wrong, truth from lies. (Qur'an 33:70; 3:76; 65:5 and 8:29).

Taqwah is the natural texture and only outcome of a truly acceptable Ramadan fast. How much transformation will Ramadan make to your nature? If you will not become selfless, soft-hearted, humbled, detached from materialism, in control of your desires and be attuned to the frequency of one who is a permanent quest of Allah, you would not have fasted the right way. You would not have attained the sole objective of Ramadan. This beginning of Ramadan is the best time to keep the end in mind.

- Contributed by Shamsideen AbuSuad, UK.

www.ramadanmessage.blogspot.com/

Day 29: The Heart @ Peace

Fasting in Ramadan disciplines the body and the soul to acquire humane spirit of fellow feeling and a desire to attain a peace in the mind, peace in the community and peace in the world. Islam facilitates a peaceful status quo as a result of surrendering the hearts, souls and society to the obedience of God. The greeting of Islam is “peace be upon you” and the institutions within Islam strives to establishes global brotherhood of people of diverse races, language, culture and background. There are no artificial and material segregation, there is inter-marriage, because the more you interact, the more tolerant and at-home you are wherever you go.

The heart at peace is a heart that is not hateful, but humbled; not self-serving, but social solution driven. The heart which treats every God-created human being as people - not de-humanised objects. This precisely is the key to unlocking that heart at peace. Hence, the Qur'an provides guidance on human interaction to protect and every body, to show respect and have a feel for other people. God says: “O you who believe! Let not a folk deride a folk who may be better than they (are), nor let women (deride) women who may be better than they are; neither defame one another, nor insult one another by nicknames. Bad is the name of lewdness after (you have attained) faith. And whoso turns not in repentance, such are evil-doers. O you who believe! Shun much suspicion; for some suspicion is a crime. And spy not, neither backbite one another. Would one of you love to eat the flesh of his dead brother? You abhor that (so abhor the other)! And keep your duty (to Allah). Lo! Allah is Relenting, Merciful. O mankind! Lo! We have created you male and female, and have made you nations and tribes that ye may know one another. Verily, the noblest of you, in the sight of Allah, is the best in conduct. Lo! Allah is Knower, Aware.” (Qur'an 49 verses 11-13)

During conflicts, we are mandated to still see people as human deserving of respect and justice, we may hate their actions, but we can still deal with the action without dehumanising them or condemning their entirety. Remember, they may be your enemies today; they may turn out to be your friends tomorrow. Therefore, they may be holding different opinion or position from you, but they are still like you because they are driven by their experience, by their needs and aspirations. They have families and loved ones like you and just like you they may be a victim of their upbringing, their experience or their reality which they may not have any control over.

Avoid personalising the issues, particularly if the issues are nothing personal. Offences against God is not personal. God himself is aware of their misdeeds, but He let them be for a purpose. God states clearly, “… if any reject Faith let not his rejection grieve thee: to Us is their return and We shall tell them the truth of their deeds: for Allah knows well all that is in (men's) hearts.” (Qur'an 31 verse 23) Therefore, their misdeed cannot be an excuse for justifying your warring hearts including injustice to them. God says, “And let not your hatred of a folk …seduce you to transgress; but help ye one another unto righteousness and pious duty. Help not one another unto sin and transgression, but keep your duty to Allah. Lo! Allah is severe in punishment.” (Qur'an 5 verse 2)

Hatred is not always only directed at people on the other side. Many of our hearts are weighed down because of relationship with people very close to us. While warring with close relatives, we are instructed to still protect them, do our duty as usual and always keep in mind they are human. God says in Qur'an 64 verse 14: “O you who believe! Truly among your wives and your children are (some that are) enemies to yourselves: so beware of them! But if you forgive and overlook and cover up (their faults) verily God is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.”

The heart at peace cannot be reached without two key ingredients. First, anyone seeking a peaceful heart must see everyone as equals to himself or herself and also treat everyone the same way. Secondly, such a person must increase their stewardship towards all of God’s creation. When you heartily and sincerely serve people, you will feel them and see the humanity in them. 

An example of a heart at peace is the heart of Saladin Al-Ayubi. There was an interesting discussion on his gallantry and humane-ness from the chapter titled Peace in Wartime in the book, The Anatomy of Peace: How to Resolve the Heart of Conflict by the Arbinger Institute (pages 20 to 28). It made an interesting read and further beautiful exploitation of the theme “The Heart @ Peace.”

- Contributed by Shamsideen AbuSuad, UK.

Day 2: Ramadan Sms - Beautiful Wishes & Wisdom on the Wave

“Then spread abroad a Message, whether of Justification (for the righteous) or of Warning (for the wrong-doers). Assuredly what you are promised must come to pass.” 

Qur'an 77 verses 5-7

Ramadan season is well-wishing time too, not least on our mobile handsets. We seize the moment to encourage good deeds, discourage bad deeds, make dua and special wishes and spread the light of Islam. I got a few beautiful messages too. The first below is the one I composed and sent around, after that are a few of the ones I got:

From Me:

Having now met us alive alhamdulillah, may Ramadan fill our souls with submission & forgiveness, our hearts with humility & piety, our efforts with sincere intentions & good outcomes and may Ramadan leave us at the end energised, fulfilled and ever more graceful towards humanity & grateful to God. Amin. Salam & Ramadan Kareem to the entire family. -

From Friends:

May Allah accept our Ibadah, over look our errors and purify our intentions. Amin.

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Ramadhan kareem. May Allah provide you all with forgiveness, mercy + open the doors to jannah Ameen. Indeed now is the time to act + help those who are oppressed & less fortunate.

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Ramadan kareem to you, may Allah grant us the full blessing of the month.

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Ramadan mubarak. May Allah swt bless us all with a fruitful month & respite & blessings to all esp. those suffering illness, tyranny, oppression, hardship & calamity.

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"O you who believe observing the fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may become the PIOUS". May Allah reward all Muslims and all those that bear witness to His oneness and uniqueness. HAPPY RAMADAN.

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May almighty Allah swt accept our fasting and count us among the successful on account of this month. May He continue to guide us on His chosen path, and increase us in piety and faith. Amin. Ramadan Mubarak.

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My name is Shaaban, my neighbour Ramadan will be visiting you soon with his wife (Saum) & 2 kids (Suhur & Iftaar).They will be accompanied by 3 grand children (Rahmat, Maghfira & Tawba). They will leave after 30 days by Eid Airlines. Please, treasure them & you will be blessed. Also remember the sick, the disabled, the departed souls before Allah to grant them a peaceful place, and pray for the entire Muslim Ummah to give them all that they desire. Happy Ramadan In Advance.

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Salam. I've been lazy with my ramadan smss. Hope you are enjoying today's ramadan fast. I pray that Allah Almighty answers the good prayers and brings us all happiness in this life and the next ameen

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Ramadan Greetings. But there is a bit of confusion on when to stop eating the pre-dawn meal (Fajr time) - Islam Channel says 3:20am. East London Mosque says 3:50am. Which do we follow? H-E-L-P.

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The Sms came in various sizes, with various prays and messages and using a variety of greetings. The serious & humourous were all there. Did you get some interesting sms/text messages? Please feel free to share them here.

Have a successful Ramadan Fast today.

- Contributed by Shamsideen AbuSuad, UK.

Day 3: What is the Point of Ramadan?

“Not without purpose did We create the heaven and earth and all between!

That were the thought of Unbelievers!” Qur'an 38 verse 27

Everything in life has a reason for its existence. There is a specific or special role for every tool. There is a purpose for everything be it an object or action. We are creatures of God, what exactly is our purpose on earth? Allah explains: “But teach (thy Message): for teaching benefits the Believers. I have only created jinns and men that they may serve Me. No sustenance do I require of them nor do I require that they should feed Me, for Allah is He Who gives (all) Sustenance Lord of Power Steadfast (for ever).” Qur'an 51 verses 55-58

The purpose of revealing the Qur'an is 'guidance' (Qur'an 2 verse 2) and revealed ‘to make things clear’ (Qur'an 43 verse 2). The Qur'an which is full of blessings is also for ‘meditation’. (Qur'an 38 verse 29) The purpose of Salaat is to ‘restrain from shameful and sinful deeds.’ (Qur'an 29 verse 45) Further, Zakaat is designed to ‘purify and sanctify (bless) your wealth’ (Qur'an 9 verse 103) thus ‘preventing it from destruction and disaster.’ (Qur'an 2 verse 195) Finally, Hajj is a response to God’s call in order to ‘witness Allah’s benefits and blessings and celebrate Allah’s name.’ (Qur'an 22 verses 27-30)

It is therefore important to inquire about the purpose or point of the Fast in the month of Ramadan since everything has its purpose. The purpose of Ramadan is the 'acquisition of taqwa'. This is clearly stated in the verse establishing the fast: “O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you that you may (learn) taqwah (God Consciousness).” Qur'an 2 verse 183.

So what is Taqwah? Taqwah is a state of relationship. The relationship between YOU and YOUR CREATOR. Ramadan brings you closer, it removes the gulf or gap between you and your Lord. In fact it personalises that relationship to the extent that you strive harder and Allah appreciates it even more because He gives more reward than usual and He says, 'All the deeds of Adam's children (people) are for them, except fasting which is for Me, and I will give the reward for it.' (Bukhari)

Taqwah is constant consciousness of Allah in what we do, see, say, earn and spend. It influences the way we relate with opposite sex, our thoughts process and even our secret desires. Taqwah guides and instructs where we go, the company we keep and our attitude to colleagues, friends, ralatives and neighbours. Little wonder then that the reward for a successful fast in Ramadan is a special entrance to Paradise – a gate called Ar-Raiyan.

The Prophet (PBUH) said, “A great month, a blessed month, a month containing a night which is better than a thousand months has approached you people. Allah has appointed the observance of fasting during it as an obligatory duty, and the passing of its night in prayer as a voluntary practice. If someone draws near to Allah during it with some good act he will be like one who fulfils an obligatory duty in another month, and he who fulfils an obligatory duty in it will be like one who fulfils seventy obligatory duties in another month. It is the month of endurance and the reward of endurance is Paradise.” (Tirmidhi)

Insha’Allah more on taqwah soon.

Day 1: The Hard Work Starts

Now the hard work starts. It is really hard because today is not like yesterday or the day before it or even the day before that. Yesterday and as with the previous days, snacking, sipping and staring weren’t much of a problem, but from today and for the next one month, I have to consciously tell myself, ‘I’m fasting.’ Specifically today is hard work because flipping a handful of snacks into my vociferous mouth is an endemic habit which is not going to stop suddenly.

The real hard work is in keeping the intention and working towards it. What do you intend to achieve this Ramadan? In other words, where are you going? If you are on a journey without any clue of where you are going, how will you know if you have reached your destination? The journey of Ramadan starts with an intention. Generally, it is “to fast the whole month of Ramadan as commanded by Allah to achieve God Consciousness (taqwah).” Allah informs us in the Qur'an, “O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you, even as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may have taqwah (self-restraint, fear and consciousness of God).” Q2 verse 183

Specifically, what does this mean to you as a fasting Muslim in Ramadan? It means you’ve got to work hard to be transformed. Yes, taqwah transforms and you need to have that intention this Ramadan, you will become a better person by acquiring one or two better performance habits and or dumping one or two shameful or sinful habit. Now you realise that snack consciousness is not the hard work, but acquiring God consciousness is. Now you will agree that Ramadan is not a joke, a play, a passing phase. It is a serious, well thought and profitable business. It is the time for action and reform. Ramadan is a rare opportunity and we will be unfortunate if we do not undertake it diligently, and guard ourselves with military alacrity and explore it in selfishly selfless ways. The Prophet(PBUH) was angry with anyone who does not seize the opportunities in Ramadan. According to Abu Hurayrah, the Rasul said, “...let the nose of that person be smeared with dust who has the opportunity to see the month of Ramadan and it comes to an end without his securing pardon for himself....” (Tirmidhi)

It is not going to be an easy sail. Shaytan has vowed to prevent us from transforming our lives. “…‘I will mislead them and I will create in them false desires; I will order them …to change the (fair) nature created by Allah.’ Whoever forsaking Allah takes Satan for a friend has of a surety suffered a loss that is manifest.” (Qur'an 4 verse 119) But Allah has paved the path for those who intend well and work hard towards their intention. The Prophet (PBUH) said, "When the first night of Ramadan comes, the devils and the rebellious jinn are chained, the gates of Hell are locked and not one of them is opened; the gates of Paradise are opened and not one of them is locked; and a crier calls, 'You who desire what is good, come forward, and you who desire evil, refrain.' Some are freed from Hell by Allah, and that happens every night." (Al-Hakim)

So ask yourself why you are fasting and what you want to achieve by it. Make sure you are not fasting because of tradition or custom, parental pressure, social relevance, dietary or weight loss. Fast only to seek the pleasure of God through acquiring taqwah and decide quickly on what ways you want to be ‘taqwalised’ by the end of Ramadan, set your specific goals and work hard towards them. May Allah accept our intentions and efforts from us. Amin.

- Contributed by Shamsideen AbuSuad, UK.

HOW PREPARED ARE YOU FOR RAMADAN?

How can we not be filled with gratitude to God for the opportunity of yet another Ramadan which is already upon us? We should not take this opportunity for granted. Believe it or not, over 50 million people have died between last Ramadan and today. God has not counted us amongst them for a reason: another chance to be closer to and conscious of Him. And why not?

Ramadan is the month of the greatest revelation and the best opportunity to ask of God and to be close to Him. God (The Exalted) says, “Ramadan is the (month) in which was sent down the Qur'an as a guide to mankind also clear (Signs) for guidance and judgment (between right and wrong). So everyone of you who is present (at his home) during that month should spend it in fasting …. Allah intends every facility for you He does not want to put you to difficulties. (He wants you) to complete the prescribed period and to glorify Him in that He has guided you; and perchance you shall be grateful. When my servants ask thee concerning Me I am indeed close (to them); I listen to the prayer of every suppliant when he calls on Me; let them also with a will listen to My call and believe in Me; that they may walk in the right way.” (Qur'an 2 verses 185-6)

Those who walk in the right way are those who have attained nearness to God. This is the highest stage of spiritual development. The stage of those who have achieved “taqwah” (a state of righteous piety of those who have ward off evil and purified themselves of sins). These are called the friends of God (Qur'an 45 verse 19) and God loves them dearly (Qur'an 9 verses 4 & 7), and their end will be most befitting (Qur'an 28 verse 83) and an excellent resort await them -Paradise (Qur'an 38 verse 49).

It is thus important to see Ramadan as the opportunity to grow in spiritual height for it is adorned with auspicious moments for such glorious attainment. Another Ramadan is not another feather to our cap or another emblem or badge of achievement to be displayed or bragged about! "15 Ramadans, maasha'Allah!" but what have you to show for it? Have you acquired the taqwah or attained the cynosure of the angels?

Don't miss the opportunity to achieve these. Have you devised a plan yet? Remember the maxim, 'if you fail to plan, you have plan to fail.' How do we prepare for Ramadan? As with any spiritual journey the starting point for the preparation is developing probity or piety, sufficient at least to acquaint you with the consciousness of the importance of the task ahead and give you a psychologically prepared state of mind suitable to withstand the rigours of the trip. Little wonder then that God gave the recommendation before embarking on a spiritual task: "…And take a provision (with you) for the journey but the best of provisions is right conduct. So fear Me! O ye that are wise." (Qur'an 2 verse 197)

Then set for yourself and your family goals to be accomplished during the month of Ramadan. These set of goals will be better written and placed in an obvious place (like the dining area, on the mirror, computer or mobile wallpaper etc.) As usual, goals should be relevant to the spiritual task and SMART (simple, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely). You can set your goals around: Qur'an Listening, Qur'an Recitation, Salaah Punctuality, Mosque attendance, Tahajjud observation, memorisation of Qur'an and Hadith, Allah's Names & Attributes, Sadaqah/charitable contribution, communal/sponsored iftar, Laylatul Qadri, etc.

Therefore, get the tools you would need to accomplish your goals. A portable Qur'an will make reading-on-the-move (or at work) easy; MP3 or portable CD player will make listening & memorising a pleasure; a selection of books to read; alarm clock to keep you on your toes; enough food and fruits for the home and masjid; a diary list of iftar to attend and families to be invited to your home for iftars; list of charity to give sadaqah and how much you hope to spend; da'wah to conduct when, how and to who?; programmes & tafseer to attend; etc.

Remember, none of your action goes in vain, as long as you conduct them with good intentions. Keep the intention simple: to seek nearness to God. May Allah accept these from us all.