Ramadan 1437 ~ Musjid e Noor ~ Asherville ~ Durban ~ South Africa
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Embracing Ramadaan ~ The Ladder to Taqwa
by ~ Moulana Naeem Motala DB
Right now each one of us who are the reciters of the Kalimah ~ La ilaha illallah, should be experiencing some type of enjoyment and ecstasy knowing that this great important guest, this Mehmaan, is at our doorstep!
We should be earnestly awaiting the arrival of the month of Ramadaan and embrace this golden opportunity to become a ‘True Friend’ of Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala.
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In this sacred month, Allah’s Barakah (blessings) and Rahmah (Mercy) pours down in torrents. We should treasure and value Ramadaan and not spend a second incorrectly … Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala has created us for the purpose of Ibaadat, and one should observe one’s fast (roza), recite the Qur’aan in abundance, read one’s Salaah timeously, abstain from all types of evil and not indulge in any Haraam to reap the full benefit of this auspicious visitor …
For eleven months we know what our condition is … but come the month of Ramadaan, Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala commands us to refrain from things that are ‘Halaal” and permissible (eating, drinking, sexual intercourse with ones spouse) … so it becomes so much more important to refrain from that which is ‘Haraam’ (lies, deceit, cheating, backbiting, fighting, anger, pride) …
The first ten days of Ramadaan is a time when Allah’s Mercy is descending … In the second ten days, Allah forgives, and the last ten days, Allah emancipates souls from the fire of Jahannum … Allah loves us! Therefore, Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala has given us the month of Ramadaan as a chance to come closer and closer to Him and forgives us over and over again … With so many opportunities awarded to us, we should be determined and make sincere attempts to treat this Ramadaan with a different mindset and climb this ladder to Taqwa!
We feel that Ramadaan is only about fasting and reading Taraweeh … but beyond that, the real purpose (asal maqsad-original objective) of Ramdaan is to gain ‘Taqwa’… One has to obey what Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala has commanded, abide by those laws, execute those injunctions and refrain from all those things that Allah has made Haraam upon us … These practices in conjunction with each other, gives us Taqwa … Otherwise, we accumulate this Noor (light) in ourselves, but the moment we turn to Sin and Haraam whilst we are fasting, this Noor will disappear …
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The Hadith of Rasulullah Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam explains : If a person does any good deed (Salaah, Zakaat, Sadaqa, Hajj, Umrah etc), then you will attain Sawaab (reward) and it is multiplied accordingly … but, Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala does not stipulate an amount of Sawaab for fasting … We don’t know how much Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala in His ‘Immeasurable Mercy’ will give us for this act of Ibaadat (worship) … Why? … When a person is performing various good deeds (Salaah, Zakaat, Sadaqa, Hajj, Umrah etc) the physical action of performing those deeds are apparent …however, fasting is ‘concealed and hidden!’ … Therefore in Roza (fasting) there is this extra Ikhlaas (sincerity) in the person … He is doing it for the sake of Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala, and is enduring this hardship on his Nafs …
Allah says : وانا اجزي به
‘Wa ana ajzee bihi’
I Myself, will reward the fasting person …
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Ramadaan Reminder ~ A Fasting Person Should Constantly Be Aware of the Object of Fasting ~ Benefits of Taqwa*
O you who have believed, decreed upon you is fasting as it was decreed
upon those before you that you may become righteous
~ Surah Al-Baqarah 2:183
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The purpose and aim of fasting, is acquiring Taqwa. Unfortunately, very many of us fast in the month of Ramadaan without conscientising ourselves with the aim and object of fasting. The objective of fasting is “La ‘allakum tattaqoon” … so that you may gain Taqwa.
RAMADAAN REMINDER ~ DOWNLOAD CLIP HERE ~ 4 MINUTES
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When a person has Taqwa, then:
1) He is most honoured in the sight of Allah.
إِنَّ أَكْرَمَكُمْ عِندَ اللَّهِ أَتْقَاكُمْ ۚ
Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you ~ Surah Hujuraat 49:13
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2) He becomes the Friend of Allah
وَاللَّهُ وَلِيُّ الْمُتَّقِينَ
And Allah is the friend of the righteous ~ Surah Al- Jaathiyah 45:19
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3) He gets the Ma’iyyat of Allah (proximity and closeness to Allah)
إِنَّ اللَّهَ مَعَ الَّذِينَ اتَّقَوْا
Indeed, Allah is with those who fear Him and those who are doers of good ~ Surah An Nahl 16:128
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4) Allah Ta’ala wipes out his sins
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5) Allah Ta’ala increases his rewards
وَمَن يَتَّقِ اللَّهَ يُكَفِّرْ عَنْهُ سَيِّئَاتِهِ وَيُعْظِمْ لَهُ أَجْرًا
And whoever fears Allah – He will wipe out his sins and make great for him his reward ~ Surat At-Talaq 65:5
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6) Allah makes his matters easy for him
وَمَن يَتَّقِ اللَّهَ يَجْعَل لَّهُ مِنْ أَمْرِهِ يُسْرًا
And whoever fears Allah – He will make for him of his matter ease ~ Surah At-Talaaq 65:4
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7) Allah will make perfect his deeds.
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَقُولُوا قَوْلًا سَدِيدًا
O you who have believed, fear Allah and speak words of appropriate justice
يُصْلِحْ لَكُمْ أَعْمَالَكُمْ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ
He will [then] amend for you your deeds and forgive you your sins ~ Surah Al Ahzaab 33:71
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8) Allah will make an opening for him from all difficulties
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9) Allah will provide sustenance for him from unseen sources
وَمَن يَتَّقِ اللَّهَ يَجْعَل لَّهُ مَخْرَجًا
And whoever fears Allah – He will make for him a way out ~ Surah At Talaq 65:2
وَيَرْزُقْهُ مِنْ حَيْثُ لَا يَحْتَسِبُ
And will provide for him from (unseen sources) where he does not expect ~ Surah At Talaq 65:3
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10) Allah will give him the ability to distinguish between Truth and Falsehood.
إِن تَتَّقُوا اللَّهَ يَجْعَل لَّكُمْ فُرْقَانًا
If you fear Allah, He will grant you a criterion (to distinguish between right and wrong) ~ Surah Al Anfal 8:29
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11) Allah Ta’ala will protect him from the fire of Jahannum
وَإِن مِّنكُمْ إِلَّا وَارِدُهَا ۚ كَانَ عَلَىٰ رَبِّكَ حَتْمًا مَّقْضِيًّا
And there is none of you except he will come to it. This is upon your Lord an inevitability decreed
ثُمَّ نُنَجِّي الَّذِينَ اتَّقَوا وَّنَذَرُ الظَّالِمِينَ فِيهَا جِثِيًّا
Then We will save those who feared us and leave the wrongdoers within it, on their knees ~ Surah Maryam 19:72
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12) Allah will grant him Jannah
تِلْكَ الْجَنَّةُ الَّتِي نُورِثُ مِنْ عِبَادِنَا مَن كَانَ تَقِيًّا
That is Paradise, which We give as inheritance to those of Our servants who had Taqwa ~ Surah Maryam 19:63
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13) Allah will grant him success
وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ
And fear Allah that you may succeed ~ Surah Al Baqarah 2:189
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Ramadaan Reminder ~ The Three ‘Ashra’s of Ramadaan
Rasulullah Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam said :
“This is a month, the first part of which brings Allah’s Rahmah (Mercy), the middle of which brings Allah’s Maghfirah (Forgiveness), and the last part of which brings Najaat / ‘Itqun minannaar (Emancipation from the Hellfire).” ~ Bukhari