Ramadan

Thursday 20th August 2009

Zikr lesson for the week

رمضان
The Blessed Month of Ramadan ___________________________________________________________________________________

The blessed month of Ramadan is upon us, and Allah says that Ramadan is His month. One reason why Ramadan is special is because Prophet Muhammad is reported to have said that Shaitan is chained in this month;

In this month (for them) evil-minded Shaytaan is chained so as not to reach unto those evils to which they normally reach during other months besides Ramadan.

This is a very special blessing for those who keep the fast. Why can’t Satan ‘attack’ us? Firstly, in Ramadan we tend to be more God conscious. We don’t pay importance to a few things that engage our time and energy. We therefore have more time to think about Allah and because of this we get closer to Allah and Satan can’t get between.

Satan uses a few things to distract us. He engages our lust, desires for food/drink, and a person’s arrogance. All of these are the handiwork of Satan and we are commanded to stay away from them. We are advised to engage in more Ibadaat and to show more compassion to others. Fasting is meant to bring you closer to Allah and to keep you away from those things that are not beneficial for us, in this life and the next. There are no avenues for Satan to attack you.

Ramadan helps you become a ‘VIP’ in the hereafter. There is a gate in Paradise called Ryyaan and those who fast shall enter into Paradise through this gate. Look at the status and benefits you could achieve in this blessed month.

Remember if Allah loves you He will try you. If you are aspiring to get closer to Allah He will love you more, and He would also try you more. Even in Ramadan you may get some trials. However you should try to bear them with patience and keep on persevering. Even if someone abuses you in Ramadan we are taught to say “I am fasting”.

Try your best to make full usage of Ramadan. Engage in recitation of Qur’an, plenty of Astagfirullah and send lots of Darood on our Beloved . Make dua to Allah for whatever you desire because He has shown us that He is capable of doing things outside our realm of understanding.

May Allah make this Ramadan peaceful and tranquil for all the believers’. May He make the trials easy and bearable for us and may He remove most of it in this most special month. Let us benefit from it, and whatever you do, do it solely for the sake of Allah .

ABOUT RAMADAN

By Maulana Dr. Waffie Mohammed


Anxiously I looked out for the moon,
Hoping that it was not too soon;
May it be visible I pray
On the western horizon today.

Welcome, O Ramadan, I cried,
As I saw the crescent in the sky,
The month destined to make me be
In the Hereafter, a VIP.

Restraint, submission and devotion,
Extra worship and Recitation.
I tried to please the Lord each day
Through fasting and the way I pray.

A little thirst, a bit of hunger,
Sometimes I wonder how much longer,
For the time when I shall break the fast,
Patiently I waited to the last.

I enjoyed the numerous preparations
At the many aftari invitations,
Curry being the main menu
Interchanged at times with tasty stew.

I waited anxiously for the Night of Power
Hoping to be awake at the Special Hour.
When the climax of worship was to be
The feeling of peace and tranquility.

The Sermon of Eid I'll never forget,
As it makes me feel a bit of regret
It says: As you gather today to celebrate Eid
One day you shall gather to know your deeds

O Ramadan, when you are gone,
A lot of people shall mourn
They did not fast, pray or give charity
Making them not fit to be a VIP.

Thursday 13th August 2009

Zikr lesson for the week

فِطْرَةَ الله
The Nature of Allah (swt) ___________________________________________________________________________________

Prophet Muhammad is Aahraful Mukhluqaat – the best of everything Allah (swt) created. Khatamun Nabieen -The Seal of the Prophets and many other beautiful descriptions Allah (swt) has given him. In spite of all these wonderful qualities Prophet Muhammad has said;

                         
Say: "I am but a man like yourselves, (but) the inspiration has come to me, that your God is one God. Whoever expects to meet His Lord, let Him work righteousness, And, in the worship of His Lord, admit no one As partner.
(Chapter 18, verse 110)

In another ayat it is recorded that Hazrat Abraham (as) said “I am the first Muslim”, and Allah gave that verse to the Prophet (pboh). These verses show us that all the commands that the Messenger of Allah (swt) gave to the people to do, he also did them. It was not a case of ‘do as I say and not as I do’.

The coming of Prophet Muhammad (pboh) as the expected one, and the way he lived and worshipped was not what the people expected. They were acustomed to seeing unusual things associated with Messengers of God. For example, Prophet Jesus (as) had a virgin birth and he also spoke in the cradle. The people expected a Messenger to be different from them. Allah (swt) records their reaction to Prophet (pboh) in the Holy Quran in Surah Furqan;

                • 
And They say: "What sort of an apostle is this, who eats food, and walks through the streets? Why has not an angel been sent down to Him to give admonition with Him?
(Chapter 25, verse 7)

What is the wisdom behind the simplicity of Prophet Muhammad (pboh)? There is a verse in the Holy Quran which is difficult to explain.

         ••             ••   
So set Thou Thy face steadily and truly to the faith: (establish) Allah’s handiwork according to the pattern on which He has made mankind: no change (let there be). In the work (wrought) by Allah. that is the standard religion: but Most among Mankind understand not.
(Chapter 30, verse 30)

‘Fitra’ literally means ‘nature’, what is a person’s nature or what is inherent to someone. So what this ayat is telling us is that ‘Fitratallah’ – the nature or the attributes of Allah (swt) can be manifested and cultivated by man. For example Allah (swt) is ‘The Embodiment of Love’ and man can also cultivate and exhibit love.

Why is this important? If you can cultivate some of the attributes of Allah (swt) it becomes easy for you to get close to Him. And who of you would not like to get close to your Lord and Master. You don’t need any special, mysterious qualities in order to get close to Him. Prophet Muhammad (pboh) was human and he was able to go back to and greet Allah (swt) on the blessed night of the Miraj.

That is the implication of the ayat mentioned above. Allah (swt) has given man the capacity to get close to Him. Only in Islam can you find this blessed opportunity. Our belove Messenger had the capacity to develop these qualities in his personality and he says that “I am but a man like yourselves”. It sounds simple but it takes a life long mission to develop. Remember this Hadith Qudsi – “And if he draws near to Me an arm's length, I draw near to him a fathom's length. And if he comes to Me walking, I go to him at speed”.

May Allah (swt) make it easy for us all to cultivate some of His attributes in our personalities and, through His Grace and Mercy, may we all get close to Him.

The Final Messenger

Thursday 30th July 2009

Zikr lesson for the week

The Status of Rasullah

وَرَفَعْنَا لَكَ ذِكْرَكَ
(And raised high the esteem in which thou art held)
___________________________________________________________________________________

Respected brothers and sisters next week will be the 15th of Shabaan and it is advisable to make some extra ibaadat on this night. According to some traditions Allah (swt);
 Allocates the sustenance of man for the year
 Decides who will die
 Comes down to the lowest heaven in order to accept the supplication of the believers and offer His forgiveness

Try your best to benefit from this most blessed night.

  

Long before all the Messengers were physically created Allah (swt) took a covenant from them that Prophet Muhammd will be ‘The Messenger. All the previous Messengers are really ‘supporters of Prophet Muhammd and part of their mission was to tell the people of his coming.

One of his titles is Muhammadur Rasullah, The Messenger of Allah (swt). This was higlighted and confirmed on the night of the Mir’aj when Prophet Muhammd lead all the Messengers in Salaat at Masjid Al Aqsa. People like Mirza Ghulam Ahmad and Bahaullah who claimed to be Prophets did not pray behind Prophet Muhammd so they cannot be Messengers of Allah (swt).

Allah (swt) says Rasullah is Khatamun Nabi, The Seal of the Prophets. It is a fact that he also had a physical seal between his shoulder blades. This was the Seal of Prophethood. So he had a divine and physical sign that he was the final Messenger.

Allah (swt) says in Surah Ahzab;

•      
“The prophet is closer to the believers than their own selves, and his wives are their mothers”
(Chapter 33, verse 6)

No one could be closer to the believers than Prophet Muhammd . No one, no matter what their status is could come between Prophet Muhammd and his followers. It is reported that Prophet once said “none of you will be a true believer until I am more beloved to him than his own self.” There is a special bond.

Allah (swt) says that Prophet is the best example. We cannot have anything that is better that The Best. Who could come today and improve on his way? All believers follow his example. He has perfected the way for mankind and Allah (swt) has given us a complete and perfect way of life which is Islam. So if our religion is perfected and our beloved Messenger is the best, what else do we need from anyone?

Peophet Muhammad is the one who went very close to Allah (sw) and got the relection of Allah's (swt) light in his heart. Something which he transmits to the true believers when they aspire to get close to him. Who else can do this? His heart is like a mirror, reflecting the light of Allah (swt) to the world at large.

If you have all this do you really need someone to interfere with your faith and your relation with your Lord? It is good to be aware of Prophet’s status because, unfortunately today, there are many arguments concerning his status and mission. Remember Allah (swt) says in Surah Hujurat;

        •              
O ye who believe! Raise not your voices above the voice of the Prophet, nor speak aloud to Him In talk, As ye may speak aloud to one another, Lest your deeds become vain and ye perceive not
(Chapter 49, verse 2)

What a beautiful ayat pertaining to respect that Prophet Muhammad commands. One possible reason why Allah (swt) reveald Surah Lahab is to show man the danger of being disrespectful to Rasullah . Abu Lahab and his wife demonstrated extreme hatred to Prophet Muhammad (saw). They tried to make his life as difficult as they could. Allah (swt) made Abu Lahab an example for those with that kind of attitude to take notice.

Lets us try to understand the true status that Prophet Muhammad has and insha Allah, Allah (swt) will reward us and take care of our affairs.