Day 14: Be Reminded Again

Last year, I wrote an article titled Maryam of Leicester. I used the opportunity to remember those personally known to me who die in Ramadan or just before it over the years. This year again, we witnessed another death. Although a grandmother, this Muslima and mother of a Judge and a Legislator passed away in Ikorodu (Lagos, Nigeria) on the first day of Ramadan. She died while in iba’dah (act of worship).

Many Muslims have passed on this Ramadan either while fasting or while preparing to fast or after breaking their fast. May Allah forgive them and accept their Iba’dah. Similarly, loads of People have died in Ramadan, neither faithful to Ramadan and Allah, nor distanced from sins. Death is always an opportunity to rethink our directions in life and to appreciate the vulnerability and lack of control of our existence.

During the funeral event for Grandma, we were reminded of the following verses of the Qur'an:

“And it is He (Allah) who created the night and the day, (He also created) the Sun and the Moon, each floating in its orbit (according to fixed laws). Indeed, Allah has not permitted any of you to live forever (eternally), and if any of you should die, would (the rest of) you live forever? Every one of you will definitely (certainly and assuredly) taste death. Allah will test you with things you perceive as bad and with things you perceive as good, and at the end of it all, you will all return to Allah.” Qur'an 21 verses 33-35

Perhaps you don’t live or act as if you will live forever, but how do you react to the tests and trials of life, with faith or with faithlessness? What if you lose the dearest person to you, would you query Allah or praise Him?

- Contributed by Shamsideen AbuSuad

Day 11: The Story Of The Ka’bah

The first lady to use a girdle was Hajar, the mother of Ishmael. She used a girdle so that she might hide her tracks from Sarah. (She used the girdle to hide the pregnancy from Sarah who at that time had no child. Later, after she had her baby, Sarah could no longer tolerate the presence of Hajar and her son.) Abraham brought Hajar and Ishmael while she was suckling him, to a place near the Ka’bah under a tree on the spot of Zam-zam, at the highest place in the mosque.

During those days there was nobody in Mecca, nor was there any water. So he made them sit over there and placed near them a leather bag containing some dates, and a small water-skin containing some water, and set out homeward. Ishmael's mother followed him saying, "O Abraham! Where are you going, leaving us in this valley where there is no person whose company we may enjoy, nor is there anything (to enjoy)?" She repeated that to him many times, but he did not look back at her. Then she asked him, "Has Allah ordered you to do so?" He said, "Yes." She said, "Then He will not neglect us," and returned while Abraham proceeded onwards. When he reached the point where they could not see him, he supplicated to Allah facing the Ka’bah, and raising both hands, “O our Lord! I have made some of my offspring dwell in a valley without cultivation, by Your Sacred House (Ka’bah at Mecca) in order, O our Lord, that they may offer prayer perfectly. So fill some hearts among men with love towards them, and (O Allah) provide them with fruits, so that they may give thanks.” (Qur'an 14:37)

Ishmael's mother went on suckling Ishmael and drinking from the little water she had in the water-skin. When this ran out, she became thirsty and her child also became thirsty. She started looking at him who was tossing in agony; she left him, for she could not endure looking at him, and found that the mountain of Safa was the nearest mountain to her on that land. She stood on it and started looking at the valley keenly so that she might see somebody, but she could not see anybody. Then she descended from Safa and when she reached the valley, she tucked up her robe and ran in the valley like a person in distress and trouble, till she crossed the valley and reached the Marwa mountain where she stood and started looking, expecting to see somebody, but she could not see anybody. She repeated that (running between Safa and Marwa) seven times.

When she reached the Marwa (for the last time) she heard a voice and she asked herself to be quiet and listened attentively. She heard the voice again and she said, “O, whoever you may be! You have made me hear your voice; have you got something to help me?" And behold! She saw an angel at the spot where she left her son, digging the earth with his heel, till water flowed from that place. She ran there and started to make something like a basin around it, using her hand. Then she started filling her water-skin with water with her hands.

The Prophet added, “May Allah bestow Mercy on Ishmael's mother! Had she let the Zam-zam (flow without trying to control it) (or had she not scooped from that water) (to fill her water-skin), Zam-zam would have been a stream flowing on the surface of the earth.”

Then she drank (water) and suckled her child. The angel said to her, 'Don't be afraid of being neglected, for this is the House of Allah which will be built by this boy and his father, and Allah never neglects His people.' The House (i.e. Ka’bah) at that time was on a high place resembling a hillock.

She lived in that way till some people from the tribe of Jurhum passed by. The Jurhum people were coming through the way of Kada'. They landed in the lower part of Mecca where they saw a bird that had the habit of flying around water and not leaving it. They said, 'This bird must be flying around water, though we know that there is no water in this valley.' They sent one or two messengers who discovered the source of water, and returned to inform them of the water. So, they all came (towards the water). Hajar was sitting near the water. They asked her, 'Do you allow us to stay with you?’ She replied, 'Yes, but you will have no right to possess the water.' They agreed to that. Ishmael's mother was pleased with the whole situation as she used to love to enjoy the company of the people. So, they settled there, and later on they sent for their families who came and settled with them so that some families became permanent residents there. The child (i.e. Ishmael) grew up and learnt Arabic from them and (his virtues) caused them to love and admire him as he grew up, and when he reached the age of puberty they made him marry a woman from amongst them.

After Ishmael's mother had died, Abraham came after Ishmael's marriage in order to see his family that he had left before, but he did not find Ishmael there. When he asked Ishmael's wife about him, she replied, 'He has gone in search of our livelihood.' Then he asked her about their way of living and their condition, and she replied, 'We are living in misery; we are living in hardship and destitution,' complaining to him. He said, 'When your husband returns, convey my salutation to him and tell him to change the threshold of the gate (of his house).’ When Ishmael came, he seemed to have felt something unusual, so he asked his wife, 'Has anyone visited you?' She replied, 'Yes, an old man of so-and-so description came and asked me about you and I informed him, and he asked about our state of living, and I told him that we were living in a hardship and poverty.' On that Ishmael said, 'Did he advise you anything?' She replied, 'Yes, he told me to convey his salutation to you and to tell you to change the threshold of your gate.' Ishmael said, 'It was my father, and he has ordered me to divorce you. Go back to your family.' So, Ishmael divorced her and married another woman from amongst them (i.e. Jurhum).

Then Abraham stayed away from them for a period as long as Allah wished and called on them again but did not find Ishmael. So he came to Ishmael's wife and asked her about Ishmael. She said, 'He has gone in search of our livelihood.' Abraham asked her, 'How are you getting on?' asking her about their sustenance and living. She replied, 'We are prosperous and well-off (i.e. we have everything in abundance).' Then she thanked Allah. Abraham said, 'What kind of food do you eat?' She said. 'Meat.' He said, 'What do you drink?' She said, 'Water.’ He said, ‘O Allah! Bless their meat and water.’ At that time they did not have grain, and if they had grain, he would have also invoked Allah to bless it. Then Abraham said to Ishmael's wife, ‘When your husband comes, give my regards to him and tell him that he should keep firm the threshold of his gate.’ When Ishmael came back, he asked his wife, 'Did anyone call on you?' She replied, 'Yes, a good-looking old man came to me,' so she praised him and added. 'He asked about you, and I informed him, and he asked about our livelihood and I told him that we were in a good condition.' Ishmael asked her, 'Did he give you any piece of advice?' She said, 'Yes, he told me to give his regards to you and ordered that you should keep firm the threshold of your gate.' On that Ishmael said, 'It was my father, and you are the threshold (of the gate). He has ordered me to keep you with me.'

Then Abraham stayed away from them for a period as long as Allah wished, and called on them afterwards. He saw Ishmael under a tree near Zamzam, sharpening his arrows. When he saw Abraham, he rose up to welcome him (and they greeted each other as a father does with his son or a son does with his father). Abraham said, 'O Ishmael! Allah has given me an order.' Ishmael said, 'Do what your Lord has ordered you to do.' Abraham asked, 'Will you help me?' Ishmael said, 'I will help you.' Abraham said, ‘Allah has ordered me to build a house here,' pointing to a hillock higher than the land surrounding it. Then they raised the foundations of the House (i.e. the Ka’bah). Ishmael brought the stones and Abraham was building, and when the walls became high, Ishmael brought this stone and put it for Abraham who stood over it and carried on building, while Ishmael was handing him the stones, and both of them were saying, 'O our Lord! Accept (this service) from us, Verily, You are the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing.' Then both of them went on building and going round the Ka’bah saying: “O our Lord! Accept (this service) from us, Verily, You are the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing." (Qur'an 2:127)

- From Sahih Bukhari (Extracted & Edited By Muslim Message Team)

Day 10: Tafsir: Everyone Sins (Q16:61)

“If Allah were to take mankind to task for their wrong doing,

he would not leave here on a living creature,

but He reprieveth them to an appointed term, and

when their term cometh they cannot put (it) off an hour nor (yet) advance (it).” Qur'an 16 v 61

If Allah were to judge Humans by their sins, Allah would not leave any of his creation -humans & animals- on earth. We are usually very arrogant and very treacherous. But our greatest sin is the sin of ingratitude to Allah. Human is weak (Qur’an 4 verse 28). The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “All humans are sinners.” In essence, there is no perfect human being, there is no one without any imperfection; if you scrutinise the life of anyone, you will always discover a limitation.

However, this should not be used as a premise by people with weak faith or those with ulterior motives as a justification to continue to live in sins. Some may ask about the infallibility of the Prophets. Are they also weak and living in sin or are they perfect human beings? Allah has protected his prophets from major sins, but being human they may exercise poor human judgement or obvious preferences. Sure they may have their weak points, but they would never be found with shameful or disgraceful acts.

They are perfect with respect to their divine responsibilities; they were custom made because of the task ahead of them. The burden of major sins and shameful deeds are removed from them deliberately by Allah who says to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), “Have We not purified for you your breast? And removed from you your burden, which weighed down your back, and raised high the esteem (in which) you are held?” (Qur’an 94 verses 1-4). This is in reference to the surgical purification operation which Angel Jubril carried out on the little Muhammad when he was still a toddler. So even before Muhammad became a prophet, he was already known as the Trustworthy. All the Prophets went through some sort of purification. This is why they would always stand out from their mates.

What then should a Muslim make of allegations against the Prophets of God in the Bible? For instance, it is alleged that Prophet Ibrahim (or Abraham) lied about the status of his wife because of material needs he wanted from the King who had an interest in her. Prophet Dawud (or David) was accused of deliberately sending one of his subject to the war front to be killed so that he can covet the subject’s wife in addition to his 700 wives and 300 concubines. Prophet Nuh (or Noah) was accused of being drunk, exposing himself and committing incest. Prophet Sulaiman (or Solomon) was accused of worshipping his pagan wife’s false gods. Even Prophet Issa (or Jesus) was said to have stolen a donkey and of cursing a tree which had no fruit as it was not yet its season. These allegations are false as prophets are protected and well mannered. Such reports are falsified and un-divine. The Jews fabricated these stories, the Christians accepted them. Even some Muslim scholars quote such stories because they could not imagine that the Jews and Christians could concoct such lies against their ancestors, their prophets and leaders.

Humans are generally weak and our weakness could cause the disaster for all living creatures. In essence, the consequences of our actions will not be limited to ourselves, but the entire Earth. However, Allah Who is As-Sabur (the Ever-Patient) will not look at the extent of our sins, He will preserve us till our appointed terms perhaps we would change for the better or learn from our experiences fraught with our weaknesses. And Allah loves that we recognise our weakness, accept our sin and live a life of transformation and struggle-to-sustain our strength until our appointed terms, our Judgement Day, which is when death occurs for each of us.

We will never be able to delay our appointed term no matter how much we enjoy life and desire for it to continue, even if we have the wherewithal to fund longevity of life. When the appointed term is not yet near, we cannot hasten it no matter how much we hate life or suffer therein. We can only leave this Earth at the time allocated and only Allah knows when that will be. As thet say, "Be Prepared."

Day 9: Another Level of Understanding (The Story of Moses & Khidhr)

All we know and experience are peculiar to life on earth and we are in cognisance of laws and principles only applicable to our physical world. But that is not all knowledge. Our current knowledge is not sufficient to understand the intricacies of human life and the events in after life. Musa (or Moses) represent human knowledge and God wanted him to realise that knowledge of the unseen is superior knowledge and unavailable to human. Yet, knowledge of the Unseen can amply explain and justify human experiences. Eventually, Musa met the man who would offer him a glimpse of the Unseen Knowledge. The man according to prophetic traditions is called Khidhir (literarily ‘Green’).

The story found in Qur'an 18 verses 65 to 82 goes thus: Musa “...found one of Our servants on whom We had bestowed Mercy from Ourselves and whom We had taught knowledge from Our own presence. Moses said to him: ‘May I follow you so that you can teach me something of the (Higher) Truth which you have been taught?’ The other (Khidhir) said: ‘Verily you will not be able to have patience with me! And how can you have patience on issues about which your understanding is not complete?’ Moses said: ‘You will find me (truly) patient, if Allah so will: and I will not disobey you in anyway.’ The other (Khidhir) said: ‘If then you would follow me ask me no questions about anything until I myself speak to you concerning it.’

“So they both proceeded. They went on a boat and (when they neared their destination, (Khidhir) damaged the boat. Musa said: ‘Did you damaged (the boat) to drown us? Truly a strange thing you have done!" He answered: "Did I not tell you that you can’t have patience with me?" Musa said: "Do not rebuke me for forgetting nor grieve me by raising difficulties in my case." Then they continued their journey until when they met a young man. He (Khidhir) killed him. Musa said: "Have you killed an innocent person who is not guilty of any murder? This is truly a foul (unheard-of) thing you have done!" He answered: "Did I not tell you that you can’t have patience with me?" (Musa) said: "If ever I ask you about anything after this keep me not in your company. Then you would have all the excuse you needed to get rid of me." Thereafter, they continued their journey until when they came to the inhabitants of a town they asked them for food but the people (of this town) refused them hospitality. They found there a wall on the point of falling down but he (Khidhir) mended the wall and made it firm and straight. Musa said: "(How could you do this for a people who were hostile to us.) If you had wished, surely you could have exacted some wages for your effort!" He (Khidhir) answered: "This is where we go our different ways (because of your impatience). I will now tell you the interpretation of those things which you were unable to hold patience.

“As for the boat it belonged to certain poor men who plied on the water: I (did them a favour so I) rendered it (temporarily) unserviceable because coming behind them is a certain king who seized on every (nice) boat by force. As for the youth, his parents have firm faith in God and we feared that he would grieve them by obstinate rebellion and ingratitude (to Allah and the people and he would cause them to lose their faith). So we desired that their Lord would give them in exchange another son who is better in purity (of conduct) and closer in affection. As for the wall, it belonged to two orphan youths in the town. Beneath the wall is a buried treasure to which they were entitled (and if the treasure is exposed the evil people of the town will take it away from the orphans). Their father had been a righteous man: so thy Lord desired that they should attain their age of full strength and get out their treasure - a mercy (and favor) from their Lord. I did it not of my own accord. Such is the interpretation of (those things) over which you were unable to hold patience.

“The lesson contained in this story is this: You should have full faith in the wisdom of what is happening in the Divine Factory in accordance with the will of Allah. As the reality is hidden from you, you are at a loss to understand the wisdom of what is happening, and sometimes if it appears that things are going against you, you cry out, "How and why has this happened?" The fact is that if the curtain be removed from the "unseen", you would yourselves come to know that what is happening here is for the best. Even if sometimes it appears that something is going against you, you will see that in the end it also produces some good results for you.” (Maududi’s Surah Introduction to Surah Khaf - Qur'an 18).

Yusuf Ali in his commentaries on the story noted that: “(1) Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians. Even so that wisdom did not comprehend everything, even as the whole stock of the knowledge of the present day, in the sciences and the arts, and in literature, (if it could be supposed to be gathered in one individual), does not include all knowledge. Divine knowledge, as far as man is concerned, is unlimited. Even after Moses received his divine mission, his knowledge was not so perfect that it could not receive further additions. (2) Constant effort is necessary to keep our knowledge square with the march of time, and such effort Moses is shown to be making. (3) The mysterious man he meets... is the type of that knowledge which is ever in contact with life as it is actually lived. (4) There are paradoxes in life; apparent loss may be real gain; apparent cruelty may be real mercy; returning good for evil may really be justice and not generosity. Allah's wisdom transcends all human calculation.”

Day 8: ‘...And That is Better for Him’

One of the most admirable Muslim characteristics is patience. Allah (Exalted is He) has made patience fruitful for whoever practices it. Patience is mentioned in the Qur’an more than seventy times. Along with salaat, it is a means of seeking help of Allah: “And seek help with patience and prayer....” (Qur’an 2 Verse 40) He has also attached great importance, goodness and reward to it. In Qur’an 16 Verse 96 Allah (The Exalted) says “…and surely we shall reward those who were patient according to the best of their deeds”. In addition, “these shall be given their reward twice, for that they endured patiently…” (Qur’an 28 Verse 54) and they will not be short-changed, “… surely the patient shall be rewarded in full without reckoning.” (Qur’an 39 Verse 10)

Although patience is a human disposition, but it is given religious colouring because of its value. The Prophet (peace be upon him) describe the virtues of patience stating that, “Patience is half of faith”. It is one thing to be patient in pleasurable situations, but it is extremely difficult to show patience in adversity, thus the Prophet admonished, “having patience in what you dislike is abundant goodness”.

It is narrated by Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Fasting is a paradise so there should be no obscene or offensive talk or behaviour. If a person fights him or insults him, let him say, ‘I am fasting,’ twice. By the One in Whose hand is my soul, the smell coming from the mouth of the fasting person is better before Allah then the fragrance of musk. [Allah says:] ‘He gives up his food, drink and desire for My sake. Fasting is for Me and I will reward for it, and a good deed receives the reward of ten like it’.” (Bukhari and Muslim)

Some of the elements of patience:

Endurance: Allah says in Surah 31 Verse 17 “Endure patiently whatever may afflict you, for that shows determination in (handling) matters.”

Steadfastness: Allah says in Qur'an 7 Verse 128 “Seek help from Allah and be patient; the earth belongs to Allah. Anyone he wishes from among his servants shall inherit it.”

In Qur'an 10 Verse 109 we find that Allah says “Follow what has been revealed to you and be patient until Allah judges, for he is the best Judge.”

Further, in Qur'an 2 verse 250 we find the dua “Our lord, fill us full of patience and make our feet firm. Support us against disbelieving folk.”

Controlling Desire: Allah says in Qur'an 18 Verse 28: “Restrict yourself to those who appeal to their Lord in the morning and evening, desiring his countenance; do not let your eyes wander too far away from them, desiring the attraction of worldly life.”

We should be grateful to Allah (The Exalted) in whatever situation we find ourselves in life. The prophet (peace be upon him) said “How wonderful is the case of a believer; verily, everything is good for him, and this is not the case with anyone except a believer. If prosperity attends him, he expresses gratitude to Allah and that is good for him; and if adversity befalls him, he endures it patiently and that is better for him.” So the Muslim is in a win-win situation. Do not forget to give gratitude to Allah when things are good and note that it is unbecoming of Muslim to misbehave, or excessively grieve or weep against the will of Allah.

Abu Sa`id and Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with them) reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Never a believer is stricken with a discomfort, an illness, an anxiety, a grief or mental worry or even the pricking of a thorn but Allah will expiate his sins on account of his patience". [Bukhari and Muslim].

This hadith mentions the special Grace and Mercy of Allah for the Muslims. It relates how Allah turns the hardships and troubles suffered by a Muslim into a means of expiation for his sins. But this is only possible if the believer exercises patience. However, if he starts wailing instead of showing patience, then besides suffering hardships, he would be deprived of the reward which lies in bearing them patiently. Thus, he shall have to take the burden of additional sins also.

Let us practise patience during this Ramadan and beyond insha'Allah.

- Contributed by Nasrudeen O. Aminu, UK.

Day 7: Divinely Sent, Divinely Blessed!

In a recent article titled ‘Insults are better taken lying down, claim scientist’ as headlined by UK’s Daily Telegraph, it surmised that while we may experience the same anger reaction regardless of our physical posture, we are highly less-likely to react violently or retaliate if we are lying down. The article states:

Research showed that those who took personal insults while upright exhibited brain activity linked to attacking but this urge disappeared when they took the same insults lying down.


Eddie Harmon-Jones, a cognitive scientist who led the study at Texas A&M University, said: "In the upright or leaning forward state one might be more likely to attack.


"Maybe in the reclining state you're more likely to brood."


Those who took part in the study were not warned that they were participating in an anger exercise. The researchers asked them to pick something which made them cross, such as abortion or public smoking, and write a brief essay on their stance.


They were then hooked up to a machine which measures brain activity and told that a person in an adjacent room would evaluate the essay.


Then the students chosen for the study heard a voice recording of someone disparaging the intelligence, likeability and logical skills of the essays.


Volunteers who heard these insults while on their backs felt as angry as volunteers who were upright. However, measurements showed that in upright volunteers, a reaction in the brain that has been linked to anger and the likelihood of retaliating.


Those who received their insults while lying down, however, did not experience the same angry brain reaction.


The scientists now think that lying down could affect how the brain handles other emotions, such as desire and happiness.


Peter Bandettini, a brain imager at the National Institute of Mental Health in Bethesda, Maryland, said: "It never occurred to me that body position might influence behavioural or neuronal activity in the context of aggression - but it makes sense.


(Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/science-news/6016087/Insults-are-better-taken-lying-down-claim-scientists.html)

Abu Darr narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "When one of you becomes angry while standing, he should sit down. If the anger leaves him, well and good; otherwise he should lie down." (Tirmidhi, Ahmad and Abu Dawud) We must learn to leave issues to be determined by Allah and not be moved to angry retaliation regardless of the issues of contention. One day, while the Prophet was with his companions, a man came and said things to insult Abu Bakr, but Abu Bakr, ignored him. But the man continued and even said more annoying things, yet, Abu Bakr was patient. When the man continued his lies again, Abu Bakr, angrily responded and the Prophet (peace be upon him) just got up and left. Abu Bakr later asked the Prophet if he was angry with him. The Prophet (peace be upon him) replied, “An angel came down from Heaven and he was rejecting what he had said to you. When you took revenge, a devil came down. I was not going to sit when the devil came down.” (Abu Dawud)

Also, in another hadith, he recommended the use of water to drink and in another narration to use as ablution when in a state of anger: “Anger comes from the devil, the devil was created of fire, and fire is extinguished only with water; so when one of you becomes angry, he should perform ablution.” (Abu Dawud)
Could the devil be the agent of anger in our brain? Is the devil physical or potentially a brain wave? Instead of our lackadaisical armchair response "Your research is 1430 years late," we should be in the forefront of such researches. Muslim Social Scientists and undergraduates could investigate various similar advices from the Prophet. This venture could provide scientific explanations for divine guidance. This perhaps is the challenge of this generation. Muslims would therefore have reasons to be even more convinced of the value and certainty of our affiliation to the Prophet’s guidance; and not ‘archaic advice’ or ‘cave mentality’ as some would have us believe.

Further, this is a validation of the Qur'an claim that the Prophet does not say things out of personal desires or without guidance. “Your Companion (the Prophet Muhammad) is neither astray nor being misled nor does he say (aught) of (his own) Desire. It is no less than inspiration sent down to him: He was taught by one mighty in Power.” (Qur'an 53 verse 3-5) Indeed, he is a divine messenger and his guidance is the only sure guidance. He continued in the path of the previous prophets like Ibrahim/ Abraham, Musa/Moses, Dawud/David, Issa/Jesus etc.

- Contributed by Shamsideen AbuSuad, UK.

Special Supplication:

“O Allah, by Thy knowledge of the unseen and Thy power to create,

grant me life as long as You know life will be best for me,

and take me (in death) when You know death to be best for me.

O Allah, I ask You for Taqwah (God Consciousness) both within my secret heart and openly.

I ask You for the word of truth in pleasure and anger;

I ask You for moderation both in poverty and riches;

I ask You for felicity which does not pass away.

I ask You for comfort which is not cut off.

I ask You for satisfaction with what is decreed/destiny.

I ask You for a pleasant life after death.

I ask You for the pleasure of looking at Your Face,

and longing to meet You in a state in which distress does not cause harm or testing lead astray.

O Allah, beautify us with the adornment of faith,

and make us guides who are rightly guided.”

(Tirmidhi, Hadith 2486)

Day 6: Ramadan Described

“It is He who sent down Tranquillity into the hearts

of the Believers that they may add Faith to their Faith;

for to Allah belong the Forces of the heavens and the earth;

and Allah is full of Knowledge and Wisdom…” (Qur'an 48 verse 4)

How did the Prophet present Ramadan to his companions? The following is just one of the ways he described Ramadan to those early Muslims and which made them extremely dedicated to Ramadan. They would prepare their family and friends for Ramadan. They would make all plans and resolves, which would see them through it without missing anything from it. They make their commitment to it TOTAL. The description of the Rasul (peace be upon him) is also presented to us today, what does it stir in us?

"Oh Believers the month of Ramadan is close to you, when it enters it is the best month in the eyes of Allah, it is the month of Allah, it is the month Allah favours.

"Its days are the best days its night is the best of all nights each day is the best day in this month and one night is better than a thousand months.

"It is the month of Iradah (claiming back your free will and killing your habits) it is the month of Jihad (struggling for the sake of Allah to make Islam dominant in the individual and in the community).

"It is the month of Barakah (reward), it is the month of Ibadah (worship) it is the month of Qur’an, it is the month of Fatah (conquering), it is the month of Sawm (fasting).

"A month in which Allah has invited you as a guest to visit him and you are the honour of Allah and this is the best month.

"Your sleeping in this month is Ibadah and your breathing in this month is Tasbeeh (act of worship) so is the breathing of the birds, animals, trees and mountains.

"Your deeds (good) are accepted and your dua (supplication) is also accepted. Ask Allah with full awareness and certainty and conviction.

"When you are thirsty and hungry remember the thirst and hunger on the day of judgement and donate to the needy people and be kind to your youngest, treat them nicely and benefit from the elders and learn from them and respect them.

"Do not do what Allah forbids and do not say (or hear) what Allah forbids, help the orphans treat them good, hold up your hands and do good acts and do Da'wah (invite people to Islam)."

[Sunan Nisai, Sahih Bukhari, Sahih Muslim (on the authority of Abdullah Ibn Umar), and Mu'jamal Kabir Tabarani].

ALLAHU AKBAR! ALLAHU AKBAR!! ALLAHU AKBAR!!! Who can afford to miss this month? Indeed, whoever meets Ramadan and it comes and goes and s/he did not get Paradise from Ramadan, s/he is a sure loser.

The Rasul noted, “Allah said,

'All the deeds of Adam's sons (people) are for them,

except fasting which is for Me, and I will give the reward for it.'

Fasting is a shield or protection from the fire and from committing sins.

If one of you is fasting, he should avoid sexual relation with his wife and quarrelling,

and if somebody should fight or quarrel with him, he should say, 'I am fasting.'

By Him in Whose Hands my soul is, the unpleasant smell coming out from the mouth of a fasting person

is better in the sight of Allah than the smell of musk.

There are two pleasures for the fasting person, one at the time of breaking his fast,

and the other at the time when he will meet his Lord; then he will be pleased because of his fasting.” (Bukhari)