Bittersweet

It’s a bittersweet moment: bidding farewell to Ramadan. On one hand, there is the sorrow of parting with the most pious time of the year, the late night prayers, constant dhikr, Qur'an recitations... And on the other hand, there is the joy of Eid-ul-Fitr, meeting friends and family at the Eidgah (though this year rain has spoiled that joy), the love, greetings and celebrations... Here's a wish that the virtues we have acquired this Ramadan stay with us for the rest of our lives. May we fall among the people Ramadan speaks in favour of on the Day of Judgment!

Eid Mubarak everyone!

A few Lessons from Islam

1. Be kind:

           Narrated Jarir bin ‘Abdullah: Allah’s Messenger said, “Allah will not show mercy to him who does not show mercy to others.” (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)

2. Be patient:

          "Seek help in patience and As-Salat (the prayer). Truly, Allah is with As-Sabirun (the patient).'' (The Holy Qur'an, 2:153)

         Abu Sa`id and Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (PBUH) 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".

(Al-Bukhari and Muslim)

3. Stay clean:

       "Allah loves those who turn to Him constantly and He loves those who keep themselves pure and clean." (The Holy Qur'an, 2: 22)

       "Keep your clothes clean." (The Holy Qur'an, 74:4)

      

       Abu Malik at-Ash'ari reported: The Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) said: "Cleanliness is half of faith."(Al Bukhari)

4. Be modest:

      Narrated Abu Hurairah: The Prophet said, "Faith (Belief) consists of more than sixty branches (i.e. parts). And haya (This term "haya" covers a large number of concepts which are to be taken together; among them are self respect, modesty, bashfulness, and scruple, etc.) is a part of faith."  (Al Bukhari)

     The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'Every deen(religion) has an innate character. The character of Islam is modesty.'  Al Muwatta 47.9

5. Learn:

       "And say: can you put on equal footing those who are learned with those who are not learned?" (The Holy Qur'an, Surah  39:  Ayah  9)

   

       Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said: "The person who goes forth in search of knowledge is striving hard in the way of God until he returns." (Tirmidhi)

       Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said: "There is no wealth greater than the power of reason, no poverty like ignorance and no heritage better than noble manners."

6. Always help others:

      Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said: "Removing any harm from the road is charity (that will be rewarded by Allah)." (Bukhari)

      Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said: "Verily every good deed is charity, and it is a good deed if you meet your brother (in Islam) with a cheerful look."(Mus'nad Ahmad) 


   Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said:  "Whosoever relieves from a believer some grief pertaining to this world, Allah will relieve from him some grief pertaining to the Hereafter. Whosoever alleviates the difficulties of a needy person who cannot pay his debt, Allah will alleviate his difficulties in both this world and the Hereafter. Whosoever conceals the faults of a Muslim, Allah will conceal his faults in this world and the Hereafter. Allah will aid a servant (of His) so long as the servant aids his brother. Whosoever follows a path to seek knowledge therein, Allah will make easy for him a path to Paradise. No people gather together in one of the houses of Allah, reciting the Book of Allah and studying it among themselves, except that tranquility descends upon them, mercy covers them, the angels surround them, and Allah makes mention of them among those who are in His presence. Whosoever is slowed down by his deeds will not be hastened forward by his lineage." (Muslim)

    

Ramadan Kareem

I had actually decided not to write anything during Ramadan because I thought it would be best to utilize all free time in prayers or dhikr. But then, I happened to come across a few people with misunderstandings about Ramadan. So I thought it better to set things right. If reading this helps anyone to correct their misconceptions about Ramadan, then I will be really happy.

First of all, Ramadan is NOT about food. Certain people seem to think that the amount of food that is avoided from dawn to dusk has to be compensated for by eating more than necessary during the remaining time. Let me tell you, Ramadan is NOT about food. Allah Subhanahu wa tha’ala asked Muslims to observe Sowm or fasting during Ramadan so that they will understand the woes of those deprived of food; so that they will spend more time in Ibadat or worshipping Allah; so that they will try to purify their selves by reflecting on their actions- in short so that they will do others, and themselves, more good than they do at other times.

The Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) has said, “Whoever does not abandon false speech and acting falsely, then Allah has no need of his abandoning food and drink.” (Sahih al-Bukhari (1903))

Second, Ramadan is the month when The Holy Qur’an was sent down to the Prophet P.B.U.H. So Muslims should try to spend more time with the Qur’an- not just reciting but also understanding its message and living accordingly. Sadly, The Holy Qur’an is the only book on earth that is read widely by people who do NOT understand it. It is true that the Prophet P.B.U.H has said that reading every single letter in the Qur’an has its reward. But that does not mean that we can forget the objective with which the Qur’an was sent. The Qur’an is primarily a guide for life. It tells us how we should live if we want to be in Allah’s good books. Not just how we should worship, but how we should LIVE. 
“This is a Book We have sent down to you so that you can bring mankind from the darkness to the light, by the permission of their Lord, to the Path of the Almighty, the Praiseworthy..” (Surah Ibrahim, 1)
So dear sisters and brothers in Islam, utilize this Ramadan to learn The Holy Qur’an- by 'learn', I mean not learning the Suras by heart, but rather learning the meaning of the verses. Start with the help of a teacher or scholar in the neighbourhood who has the RIGHT knowledge in The Qur’an and Arabic language in general. If that is not possible, then refer to a Tafseer. If you have none at home and can’t buy one, then try online. Qur’an translations are available for free on many sites like Qur'an Explorer, Harun Yahya, ahadees, etc. Also try to learn a little of Arabic language, just the basics. It will also help you a lot in understanding the Qur’an. Don’t think that you can’t do it. At least try your best. Don’t wait until it is too late. You will have to answer to Allah when He asks you why you never even TRIED to understand His Holy Book. So try to learn The Qur’an along with its meaning and Tajveed. May Allah bless us all with success in all our good endeavors, and may He include us among those blessed to be united with His Prophets in Heaven.