The Blessed Month of Ramadhan – Marhaban ya Ramadhan!

Assalamu’alaikum wrh wbkt dear brothers, sisters and respected elders.

We are now at the Door of the month of gifts, Shahrul Ramadhan al Kareem…

  • Expressing joy at the approach of Ramadhan is a sign of faith, so be happy and thank Allah that He has brought us to meet Ramadhan, insyaAllah, again.
  • Fasting is the only worship, that cannot be done with ego, says Maulana. Fasting is a Spiritual endeavour to reduce emphasis on bodily pleasures and needs, whilst enhancing the Spiritual Power within us, to seek a more powerful connection to heavenly beings, culminating in attaining a nearness to Allah.
  • Fasting is not only to avoid all that is forbidden to the body (food, drink, marital relations), it is to also avoid all that is forbidden to every organ in the body ie eyes, ears, mouth etc. Maulana says that shaitan will try to steal away our fasting, by encouraging us to indulge in forbidden activities like getting angry, lying, back-biting and frivolous talk, so that in the end, we only acquire hunger, thirst and sleepiness from our fruitless endeavours. So guard your fasting well from the clutches of shaitan! It is very precious, you are only given a certain number of Ramadhans in your life, so use it well.
  • True fasting in Tariqah, is the fast of the heart and Soul. We must strive to clean the heart of every known dirtiness, by reflecting on our past sins, and seeking forgiveness in abundance. Forgive everyone who has hurt or offended you, and seek their forgiveness too. Beg Allah to open the hearts of those you have sinned against to forgive you.
  • Discard every jealousy, anger, pride and hatred from your heart. Why be jealous, when each is receiving his allotment from the Most Wise and Most Fair? Why be angry, when anger is a sign that you are not in harmony with His Will? Why hate, when we too have sinned against others and are hoping for forgiveness? Why judge others, when it is we who will be judged by Allah, so why not judge ourselves? Why be arrogant, when we were born naked, penniless and devoid of knowledge, how is it that the gifts of Allah of fine clothes, wealth and knowledge has made us proud and defiant? Why feel superior, when all are equal in Divine eyes, and only taqwa differentiates humans in Spiritual Rank? By reasoning and reflecting, you can, in this Holy month, empty your heart of all that is dirty and which veils you from what you seek.
  • When your heart is emptied of all these darkness, beseech Allah to fill it with the Divine Light of guidance. Make your life’s intention to please Him in every act you do, of every moment of your existence in dunia. You must want to make your Lord happy with you, that is the sign of true servanthood.
  • When you have emptied your heart of those two huge dark veils – pre-occupation with bodily pleasures, and persisting in sinful acts/attributes – only then will the Soul be able to taste something that it has been veiled from all this while, the Thirst for Divine Love.When this yearning becomes known to you, you will find intense happiness and pleasure in ibadah and solitude, you will be with Him in remembrance, even though you appear to be mixing amongst people around you. It is a special state that you must seek during this coming month.
  • Maulana Shaykh Nazim says that our hearts contain an unopened rose. This rose must be watered by water from the hearts of Saints, and with the whisper of the Divine Secret that is contained within the Golden Chain, this Rose will blossom, and you will experience the sweet taste and smell of servanthood. Such are the Saints, whose bodies never rot in their graves, and from whose bodies and graves emanate the fragrance of Rose, the flower that symbolises Rasulullah (saw). But in any heart that does not seek Divine Love, it remains unwatered and untouched by that everlasting Love, and it will wither and die; such a person would have wasted his worldly existence seeking temporary Love, and will return empty handed.
  • So in a nutshell, true fasting is to be cleansed of all that Veils us from this thirst for the Divine, until at every instant, we are present only with Him, and absent from everything else.
  • The journey to be in the Divine presence, begins with being with our Shaykh. Though we cannot be with him physically, we can be with him Spiritually, at all times. What bonds us to him, is our love and loyalty, towards him. Regular Rabitah, done nightly at tahajjud time, is something every one of us must start to do.

Blessings and fadhilat of Ramadhan

1) Hadees: “For every good deed practised by the Son of Adam, the merit will be multiplied at least ten times, and up to 700 times in some cases. The sole exception is the fast (sawm), for Allah has told us:

‘The fast belongs to Me, and I provide its recompense. When some keeps the fast, he is abstaining from his carnal desire, his eating and drinking, for My sake. The fast is a suit of armour. Moreover, two occasions of joy are in store for those who keep the fast: joy at the moment of breaking his fast, and joy at the moment of meeting his Lord.’”

2) On the last day of Sha’aban Rasulullah (Sallallaho Alaihi Wasallam) addressed us and said,

“O people there comes over you now a great month, a most blessed month in which lies a night more greater in virtue than a thousand months.

It is a month in which Allah has made fasting compulsory by day and has made sunnah the Taraweeh by night.

Whosoever intends drawing near to Allah by performing any virtuous deed, for such person shall be the reward like the one who had performed a Fard in any other time and whoever performs a Fard, shall be blessed with the reward of seventy faraaidh in any other time.

This is indeed the month of patience and the reward for true patience is Jannah (Paradise).

  • It is the month of sympathy with one’s fellowmen.
  • It is the month wherein a true believer’s rizq is increased.
  • Whosoever feeds another who fasted, in order to break the fast (as sunset), for the feeder there shall be forgiveness of sins and emancipation from the fire of Jahannam (hell) and for such feeder shall be the some reward as the one who fasted (who he fed) without that persons reward being decreased in the least.
  • Thereupon we said, ‘O messenger of Allah, not all of us possess the means whereby we can give a fasting person to break his fast.’ Rasulullah (Sallallaho Alaihi Wasallam) replied Allah grants the same reward to the one who gives a fasting person to break the fast a mere date or a drink of water or a sip of milk.
  • This is a month, the first of which brings Allah’s mercy, the middle of which brings His forgiveness and the last of which brings emancipation from the fire of Jahannam.
  • Whosoever lessens the burden of his servants (bondsmen) in this month, Allah will forgive him and free him from the fire of Jahannam.
  • And in this month four things you should continue to perform in great number, two of which shall be to please your Lord, while the other two shall be those without which you cannot do. Those which shall be to please your Lord, are that you should in great quantity bear witness that there is no deity to worship except Allah (i.e. recite the Kalimah Tayibbah Laa Ilaaha illallah) and make much Istighfaar (beg Allah’s forgiveness with Astaghfirullah) and as for those without which you cannot do, you should beg of Allah entrance into Paradise and ask refuge in Him from Jahannam.
  • And whoever gave a person who fasted water to drink, Allah shall grant that giver to drink from My fountain, such a drink where after that person shall never again feel thirsty until he enters Jannah.”

3) Hadees: Rasulullah (Sallallaho Alaihi wasallam) said, “My Ummah has been given five special things that were not given to anyone before them.

  • The smell from the mouth of a fasting Muslim is sweeter for Allah than the pleasant smell of musk.
  • The Fish in the sea seek forgiveness on their behalf until they break their fast.
  • Allah prepares and decorates His special Jannah every day and then says (to it): “The time is near when My fruitful servants shall put away the load (of the world) and come to you.”
  • In this month, the rebellious shayateen are chained, so as not to cause those evils which they normally do during months other than Ramadhaan.
  • On the last night of Ramadhan, the fasting Muslims are forgiven. The Sahabah there upon inquired O Rasulullah (Sallallaho Alaihi Wasallam), is that night “Laylat ul Qadr?” Rasulullah (Sallallaho Alaihi wasallam) replied, “No, But it is only right that a servant should be given his reward on having completed his duty.”

4) Hadees: Only a very unfortunate person would remain deprived of forgiveness in Ramadhan.

Rasulullah (Sallallaho Alaihi Wassallam) said, “Come near to the mimbar and we came near the mimbar. When the Prophet climbed the first step of the mimbar, he said “Aameen”. When he ascended the second step, he said “Aameen”, When he climbed the third step, he said “Aameen” again. When he came down, we asked “O Rasool of Allah, we have heard from you today something which we never heard before.”

He said,

  • “When I climbed the first step, the angel Jibrael (A.S.) appeared before me and said “Destruction to him who found the blessed month of Ramdhan and let it pass by without gaining forgiveness” upon that I said ‘Aameen’.
  • When I climbed the second step, he said, “Destruction to him before whom thy name is taken and then he does not make Dua for Allah’s blessing on me (by saying, for example Sallallaho Alaihi wasallam).” I replied ‘Aameen’.
  • When I climbed the third step, he said “Destruction unto him in whose lifetime his parents or either one of them reaches old age, and (through failure to serve them) he is not allowed to enter Jannah”. I said ‘Aameen’.

5) Hadees: Rasulullah (Sallallaho Alaihi Wassallam) said one day when Ramadhan had come near,

The month of Ramadhan, the blessings has come upon you, wherein

  • Allah turns towards you and
  • sends down to you His special blessing,
  • forgives your faults,
  • accepts Doa,
  • appreciates your competing for the greatest good and
  • boasts to the angels about you.

So show to Allah (Subhanahu wa Taala) your righteousness; for truly, the most pitiable and unfortunate one is he who is deprived of Allah’s mercy in this month.

Guide to fasting

The intention for fasting must be made before azan subuh. Make this intention just before terawih prayers every night of Ramadhan. He says:

“I am intending to fast in Ramadhan tomorrow, Wednesday, for the sake of Allah, and upon the intention of GrandShaykh and Maulana Shaykh Nazim, and I am intending its reward to be given to Rasulullah (saw) as a gift to him to be kept in his ‘bank’, till the Day of Yaumul Qiyamah.”

Then make intention to perform 20 raka’ats of terawih and 3 raka’at of witir with the same niyyat above. Prays the witir prayer as a 3 raka’at prayer with one salam, with doa qunut being read in every witir in Ramadhan, following Maulana Shaykh Nazim.

What nullifies fasting

  • Intentionally inserting any object into any openings in the body (mouth, nose, ears, privates), hence pease be careful during cleaning your privates that you do not insert water or your fingers into the openings. Please also be careful when taking wudhu that you do not accidentally swallow or breathe in water.
  • Hence eating, drinking, smoking, and inserting things into the ears and nose, break the fast.
  • To vomit on purpose.
  • Naidh and nifas (women).
  • Sexual intercourse in the day
  • Ejaculation due to any reason except while sleeping
  • Fainting all day.

 Makruh of fasting

  • Gargling excessively.
  • Tasting food at the tip of the tongue.
  • Cupping.
  • To brush teeth after azan zuhur (use of siwak is allowed)
  • To engage in any sort of sexually arousing action with one’s spouse, even suggestive speech, is makruh.

Acts that are allowed during fasting

  • To swallow your saliva.
  • To use perfume.
  • To take injections.

Those who can break their fast

(Remember, the Prophet (saw) said even if you fasted your whole lives, you cannot get the same reward as fasting one day of Ramadhan, that you missed on purpose)

  • Musafir (Traveller)
  • Sick
  • Old age
  • Pregnant woman
  • Breastfeeding woman
  • Excessively hard work.

How to approach Ramadhan

Before Ramadhan

When you hear that Ramadhan is approaching, express happiness that you will be in a month of great blessings and that you have a chance for forgiveness and getting close to Allah. That is a sign of a Muslim. Many start to prepare in the months of Rejab and Sya’aban already. Do not feel depressed – “Aiyah, cannot eat le!” – that is a sign of a Munafiq.

Finish off worldly tasks before Ramadhan starts eg house painting, making of kuih, business deals, so that the very precious time of Ramadhan is not spent on these unimportant things.

Doa as follows: “Allahumma sal-limni li-ramadhaana wa-sal-lim ramadhaana li wa-sal-limhu li muta-qab-bala” “O Allah! Protect me (from such sicknesses, diseases, etc. that will prevent me from observing the fast of Ramadaan, make the month of Ramadhaan clear for and save me from sins in the month of Ramadaan so that my acts of worship are accepted and not nullified.”

If you have missed fasting in the past years, and you have not repaid it yet, you must pay a fidyah for each day that you owe. (Please email me if you need help to calculate the amount you have to give to the poor for this.)

Daily

  • Go to sleep with wudhu’ (ablution) and with the intention to wake up for tahajjud and sahur. Do tasbih Fatimah (ra) before sleeping.
  • Awaken for tahajjud – we must help each other to wake up by calling each other.
  • You should try to spend as many hours in prayer as you are capable of, so try to wake up at 4am or earlier or do what you are capable of – remember, there are no Syaitans in this month, so it is very much easier to wake up.
  • Awaken your family for tahajjud too. Sprinkle some water on your spouse’s face to awaken him/her, that is a Sunnah.
  • Make intention to please Allah and to perform all 500 acts of worship, according to the niat (intention) of GrandShaykh and Maulana Shaykh. Then make intention to keep all this worship in the safekeeping of Rasulullah (saw), and our Golden Chain Shaykhs, till Day of Judgement.

Sahur (pre-dawn meal)

  • Do take sahur, 45 minutes before subuh. At about 5am is ideal. Any earlier and that’s not sahur, its supper!
  • Do not skip sahur – the Prophet said, “Allah and His Malaikats send blessings on those who take sahur. The difference between our fasting and that of the Ahle Kitaab (Jews and Christians) lies in our eating Sahoor, which they do not. Eat Sahoor, because in it lie great blessings. Eat Sahoor and strengthen yourself for the fast. And sleep in the afternoon (siesta), so as to get assistance in waking up in the later portion of the night (for worship of Allah), This is a thing full of Barakah, which Allah has granted you. Do not give it up. If there is nothing to eat, at least eat a date or drink some water.”
  • This is an important Sunnah of Rasulullah, and it is a time when doas are not rejected.
  • The best sahur is the one closest to subuh.

What to eat?

  • Take fruits, vegetables and lots of water.
  • If you are pregnant or you are the type that gets very hungry quickly, try oats which help you feel less hungry. Also take fruit juices and kurma.
  • Avoid coffee and tea, as they lead to much urination, and you will feel more dehydrated later in the day.
  • Do not stuff yourself at sahur. Be moderate.

After sahur

  • Brush your teeth before the azan.
  • Solat subuh jemaah with your family. Do the full Naqshbandi wazifa.
  • After subuh, read Qur’an, as Qur’an reading in the morning is witnessed by Malaikats.
  • 15 minutes after sunrise (syuruk), pray 2 rakaat sunnat ishrak.
  • You may rest a little before going to work.
  • If you have a chance to, say your Dhuha prayers, in the morning, before Zuhur. Maulana does three sets of 4 raka’ats each morning. ideal time is at 10am.

Protect your fast

The Holy Prophet (saw) said, “Many who fast attain nothing but hunger and thirst.” Why?

Here are two hadeeth to highlight why:

During the time of our Nabi (Sallallaho Alaihi Wassallam), two women were fasting and suffered extreme hunger to such an extent that the fast became unbearable and both were on the point of death. The Sahabah brought this to the notice of our Nabi (Sallallaho Alaihi Wassallam) who sent a bowl commanding them to vomit into it.

When they both vomited in the bowl. pieces of meat and fresh blood were found in it. The Sahabah were greatly surprised, upon which our Nabi (Sallallaho Alaihi Wassallam) said: “They fasted with pure food from Allah (Subhanahu wa Taala) , but ate food not permitted by Allah by backbiting other people.”

From the above, it also becomes clear that, by backbiting during fasting, the fast becomes much more hard. For this reason both women were near to death. Similar is the case with other sinful acts and experience shows that for the faithful, God-fearing persons, fasting is no hardship , whereas the sinful find it too hard to bear.

Once Rasulullah (Sallallaho Alaihi Wassallam), on seeing some people, asked them to pick their teeth. They said that they had not tasted any meat that day on which Rasulullah (Sallallaho Alaihi Wassallam) said, “So and So’s flesh is sticking to your teeth.” It was found that they had been backbiting.

True fasting

So, fasting is divided into the physical (zahir) and the spiritual (bathin), fasting of the body and soul.

  • The body is not allowed food and marital relations. The body is to be devoted to sincere deeds of devotion to Allah.
  • The soul is not allowed sin and dunia. The soul is to be purified and lives in a world of constant remembrance of Allah.

This is the true fasting in Islam.

The eyes

  • Do not look at members of the opposite sex (also on TV or print ads).
  • Do not look at others with envy.
  • Admire Allah’s creation – look at all that is around you, and Praise Allah. Whatever you see must remind you of Allah. That is the true fasting of the eyes.
  • The Prophet said, “Sight is the poisoned arrow of Iblis, that is cursed by Allah. Whoever protects his gaze, Allah will give him Iman, and he will taste its sweetness in his heart.”

The mouth/tongue

  • The Prophet said, “5 things nullify the fast (batalkan puasa). Lying, back-biting, spreading fitnah, swearing falsely and looking at something with desire.”
  • You must fight/struggle this Ramadhan to stop lying, back-biting, vulgarities, hurtful words that break ties, spreading fitnah, swearing falsely, complaining and speaking proud words.
  • Keep quiet as much as possible – speak only when necessary, saying the truth and in a polite manner.
  • Keep the tongue busy in zikir and Qur’an reading. This is the true fasting of the mouth and tongue.

Ears

  • Do not listen to music. Qaseedahs are allowed.
  • Do not listen to vain talk, empty talk and back-biting. The Prophet said that one who listens to back-biting is as sinful as the one speaking.

Stomach

  • Do not eat haram food ie food from which you cannot be certain it is truly halal eg shops with the ‘No Pork, No Lard’ sign.
  • Do not eat too much at sahur or buka puasa!

The rest of the body

  • Do not go to places that are of no real benefit eg eating out, shopping, cinema etc. You may go to work, to the mosque or Zawiyah, to buy necessities, to funerals and to visit the sick.
  • Do not touch members of the opposite sex (Even husband and wife must not engage in any suggestive talk or foreplay whilst fasting. After maghrib, there are no such restrictions.)

 

The Special Fasting

The deepest and most spiritual fast involves the mind and the heart.

Mind

  • Do not think of dunia, money, worldly problems. These are not important when you die, and all the thinking cannot solve these problems.
  • Do not think about people, and plan revenge for their acts.
  • Think about Allah – His Names, Attributes, Actions..
  • Think about your approaching death – are you prepared?
  • Think about Judgement Day – have you done all you can for safety? Have you sent your ‘savings’ there? Have you advised all the loved ones around you to prepare for this terrible day? Have you purified your Iman and your deeds? Because the Judgement is eternal and the suffering is unbearable. Think about it.

Heart

  • The desire in the heart is to be close to Allah, to love Him, to serve Him, to see Him.
  • You are a creation of His – you exist because of Him – no one else.
  • No one else created you, feeds you, cares for you – only Allah.
  • Will you repay goodness with evil? “Truly, man is ungrateful!” Allah says in the Quran.
  • Remove all the emotional dirtiness from your hearts! About people, status, racism, wealth etc, and fill the heart with only ONE intention all your life – I do this for Allah, my Lord, and for Him only. You will be safe in this world and the hereafter. “All acts depend on the intention,” Rasululllah said.

Summary of fasting as taught by Rasulullah

  • The avoidance of all food and marital relations during the day.
  • The avoidance of all sin and desire for dunia, day and night.
  • The constant remembrance and adoration of Allah, filling all the time of Ramadhan with ibadah.
  • And the performance of all worship, only for Allah’s pleasure (sincerity – ikhlas).
  • Finally, to carry on all these acts AFTER Ramadhan, so that you are actually always in ‘Ramadhan”.

 

Breaking of fast

  • Do not delay till very long after azan maghrib. The best breaking of fast is one that is immediately after azan Maghrib. There is no virtue in extending your fast.
  • Make doa at this point as prayers are accepted as you break your fast.
  • Invite people to break fast as you will be rewarded equal to the reward of those who fasted.

Rasulullah (Sallallaho Alaihi Wasallam) mentioned the virtue of feeding a fasting person at the time of breaking the fast. In one Hadith it is reported that upon him who feeds a person to break the fast out of his Halaal earnings, even a sip of water, gets the same reward as the fasting man, and angels pray for blessings on him, and Jibrail (as) shakes his hand on the night of Lailatul Qadr. The signs of this is that his heart becomes soft while tears flow from his eyes.

Advice to Hosts

  • Do not prepare elaborate dishes! Do not spend extra on kuih and exotic dishes. Ramadhan is not the time to layan nafsu and spend more! We should spend less money on food, and less time cooking!
  • By eating more food, and more variety, it defeats the purpose of Ramadhan, when we are supposed to undergo hunger and thirst and experience how poor people feel and draw closer to Allah!
  • Ramadhan is supposed to train us to eat less and spend less and spend more time and money for akherat.

What to serve?

  • Serve kurma, fruits, milk or water for breaking fast.
  • Odd number of dates to be eaten – seed disposed into left hand. Eat one date at a time.
  • Avoid serving cold drinks.
  • Avoid serving coffee. Warm tea with mint is good.
  • Avoid fried foods unless no choice.
  • Simple kuih, and some red/green bean soups are ok.
After breaking fast
  • After a quick meal, brush teeth, and pray maghrib. Do not delay Maghrib.
  • Then solat Awwabin, and tadarrus Quran, followed by isyak, terawih and witir. You may have a light meal after finishing. Remember, a heavy meal makes it difficult to wake up later for tahajjud!

Advice for mureeds about breaking fast

  • Try NOT to break fast outside at MacDonald’s etc. Usually the food is not healthy, and Maghrib is missed.
  • If you must break fast outside, bring along dates and water, and rush to the nearest mosque for Maghrib.
When invited to break fast at someone’s home
  • When you are invited to break fast at someone’s house, and if you wish to bring fruits or some dish for breaking of fast, co-ordinate with the host.
  • Come on time, and if possible, with wudhu.
  • Bring your toothbrush/siwak.
  • Use perfume whenever you are in jemaah. Women must be careful not to use strong perfume.
  • Do not come with the ‘EAT’ mindset when accepting invitations to break fast. You came to ibadah, not to indulge.
  • When breaking fast, start with doa and Bismillah and read. “Allahumma laka somtu, wa bika amantu, wa ‘ala rizqika aftartu, birahmatika, ya arhamarrahimeen.”

How to eat?

  • Eat dates first. Do not eat more than one date at a time. eat with your right hand and spit out the seed of the date into your left hand.
  • if dates aren’t available, drink plain water.
  • Eat food slowly, Chew for some time. Do not gobble. The food will expand in the stomach and you will feel full in a short while.
  • Train yourself to eat less, Allah dislikes a full stomach, and one third of the stomach is for food, the other third for water and the final third for air. If you stuff yourself at breaking fast time, you have lost the essence of fasting!

Other important worship in Ramadhan

  • Seek Lailatul Qadr, especially in the last 10 days of the month.
  • Read Quran as much as possible (all Holy books were revealed in Ramadhan)
  • Do lots of charity (The best charity is in Ramadhan).
  • Pay Zakat fitrah before solat Hari Raya.

The aims of fasting – attaining SpirituaPurity

  • Man is from Paradise, and will only return to it, when he is purified. Dunia is for us to purify ourselves.
  • Fasting purifies heart and soul. That’s why the end of fasting is called Idil Fitri (return to purity).
  • Allah says, “All ibadah can be done with ego/nafsu, except fasting. Fasting is for Me alone, and I will reward him.”
  • Fasting is the only invisible ibadah! It is an ibadah, not of performing actions pleasing to Him, but of leaving out all actions displeasing to Him. So it can only be seen by Allah – that’s why it is especially for Allah alone.

Why hunger and thirst is necessary?

The real benefit of fasting comes as a result of actual hunger in the true sense. The Prophet said “Shaitan lives in the body of man like blood, so, close up his path by remaining hungry,” i.e. when the body is hungry, the spirit receives strength.

Imam al-Ghazali asks the same question: “When the object of fasting is to conquer our bodily desires in opposition to Shaitan, how can this possible be done by eating excessively when breaking the fast?”

When much food and drink is consumed, syaitan in our bodies are strenghtened. They then encourage our nafsu and desires for dunia.

Fasting is actually really about reducing the amount of food you eat and drink. When this happens, you limit Syaitan’s influence in you, and your desire, nafsu weakens.

Look at angels – they do not eat, drink or have sex – so fasting is helping us be like them – so that our mind (akal) is strengthened and our desire (nafsu) is weakened.

Then you will have less interest, thoughts, and motivation to look for dunia. And you start spending more time building Iman and doing amal soleh, like the angels!

When you fast, your mind strengthens….

  • You realize your faults and taubat always.
  • You realize His gifts and you thank Him always.
  • You realize you will die and meet Him, and you prepare always.
  • You realize He is the only source of rizqi, and you depend ONLY on Him, and fear no one else.
  • You realize He is the only one who can help you, in this dunia and akherat, and you beg Him always.
  • You realize that He is the one who can save you from Jahannam and put you in Jannah, and you doa to Him day and night to save you.
  • You realize that He is so Good and Merciful to you, and you feel Love for Him, and want to be close to He who created you.
  • And you realize to be close to Him, you must be Pure and clean, for Allah is Pure and loves those who Purify themselves constantly.

So you can see that real Islamic fasting taught by Rasulullah is very difficult – it is a real jihad/ struggle to achieve the real amal of fasting. That’s why the Prophet said, “fasting is half of patience. And patience is half of faith.” So, one quarter of the WHOLE of IMAN is just from fasting alone!

Additional Suhbahs in Ramadhan

You should also read these three Suhbahs given during Ramadhan from this link below. Do read them, Maulana’s teachings are so very beautiful!

http://sufihub.com/?page_id=1286

Conclusion

Every day that Ramadhan passes, your heart must be in sorrow as the blessed month slips away, and you must intensify your worship!

InsyaAllah in the next post, we will include notes on the performance of terawih prayer, the Signs of Lailatul Qadr, the Special Solat on the Last Friday of Ramadhan, and the Solat of Litigation (Khusama), taught by Shaykh Abdul Qadir Jilani (q), that is to be performed on the last Friday night of Ramadhan, and the Day of Eidul Fitri itself.

Pray for us! Have a blessed Ramadhan!

 


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