Part 1
الله أكبر الله أكبر الله أكبر لا إله إلا الله الله أكبر الله أكبر ولله الحمد
الله اكبر كبيرا، والحمد لله كثيرا، وسبحان الله بكرةً وأصيلا
إِنَّ الْحَمْدَ لِلَّهِ ,نَحْمَدُهُ وَنَسْتَعِينُهُ ونستغفره ونومنه ونتوكل عليه ,ونعوذ بالله من شرور أنفسنا ,ومن سيئات أعمالنا ,مَنْ يَهْدِهِ اللَّهُ فَلَا مُضِلَّ لَهُ ,وَمَنْ يُضْلِلْ فَلَا هَادِيَ لَهُ ,وَأَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ , وَأَشْهَدُ وَأَنَّ سيدنا وحبيبنا ومولانا مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُه ﷺ
ٱلۡحَمۡدُ لِلَّهِ ٱلَّذِی هَدَىٰنَا لِهَـٰذَا وَمَا كُنَّا لِنَهۡتَدِیَ لَوۡلَاۤ أَنۡ هَدَىٰنَا ٱللَّهُۖ لَقَدۡ جَاۤءَتۡ رُسُلُ رَبِّنَا بِٱلۡحَقِّۖ
اللهم لك الحمد
عما بعد
فقال الله تعلى في كتابه العزيز
بعد أعوذ بالله من الشيطان الرجيم
یَـٰۤأَیُّهَا ٱلَّذِینَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ حَقَّ تُقَاتِهِۦ وَلَا تَمُوتُنَّ إِلَّا وَأَنتُم مُّسۡلِمُونَ
Allah says in His Generous Book:
You who believe, have taqwa of Allah with the taqwa due to Him and do not die except as Muslims.
We thank Allah for the gift of allowing us to reach the end of yet another Ramadan and for the gift of fasting, which He made a pillar of His Deen so that we have another avenue by which we can have taqwa of Him. He, subhanahu wa ta’ala, says:
یَـٰۤأَیُّهَا ٱلَّذِینَ ءَامَنُوا۟ كُتِبَ عَلَیۡكُمُ ٱلصِّیَامُ كَمَا كُتِبَ عَلَى ٱلَّذِینَ مِن قَبۡلِكُمۡ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تَتَّقُونَ
You who have iman! fasting is prescribed for you, as it was prescribed for those before you – so that hopefully you will have taqwa.
An important element of taqwa is that the slave is able to resist what he or she wants for Allah's sake. During that blessed month, which seems to have passed by quicker than a blink of the eye, we have been engaged in fasting and additional acts of devotion, such as increased recitation of, and reflection on, Allah’s book, the Quran. Sawm, fasting, linguistically means ‘to abstain’ and in Sharia it means to abstain from food, drink and sexual relations from dawn until sunset. Abstaining for His sake from things that we would otherwise indulge in without thought is a source of great benefit and a means by which the behavioural patterns that we have accumulated throughout our lives can be broken. In doing this, we have been challenging some of our most basic human impulses and preventing ourselves, in a controlled way, from indulging in our appetites.
الله أكبر الله أكبر الله أكبر لا إله إلا الله الله أكبر الله أكبر ولله الحمد
Allah says, after
أعوذ بالله من الشيطان الرجيم
فَإِذَا جَاۤءَتِ ٱلطَّاۤمَّةُ ٱلۡكُبۡرَىٰ (34) یَوۡمَ یَتَذَكَّرُ ٱلۡإِنسَـٰنُ مَا سَعَىٰ (35) وَبُرِّزَتِ ٱلۡجَحِیمُ لِمَن یَرَىٰ (36) فَأَمَّا مَن طَغَىٰ (37) وَءَاثَرَ ٱلۡحَیَوٰةَ ٱلدُّنۡیَا (38) فَإِنَّ ٱلۡجَحِیمَ هِیَ ٱلۡمَأۡوَىٰ (39) وَأَمَّا مَنۡ خَافَ مَقَامَ رَبِّهِۦ وَنَهَى ٱلنَّفۡسَ عَنِ ٱلۡهَوَىٰ (40) فَإِنَّ ٱلۡجَنَّةَ هِیَ ٱلۡمَأۡوَىٰ (41
When the Great Calamity comes: that Day man will remember what he has striven for and the Blazing Fire will be displayed for all who can see. As for him who overstepped the bounds and preferred the life of this world, the Blazing Fire will be his refuge. But as for him who feared the Station of his Lord and forbade the lower self its appetites, the Garden will be his refuge.
If left unchecked, the appetites of our lower self are likely to have an overwhelmingly negative impact on us, as they are one of the main reasons that humans fall into error. The practice of fasting during Ramadan is a training ground in which we can strengthen our ability to perceive and overcome the impulses of the self so that we can better protect ourselves from acting in a way that might lead us to our own downfall. Our beloved Prophet ﷺ is reported by Abu Ya’la, Shaddad bin Aus (May Allah be pleased with him) to have said:
الكَيِّس مَنْ دَانَ نَفْسَهُ، وَعَمِلَ لِما بَعْدَ الْموْتِ،
وَالْعَاجِزُ مَنْ أَتْبَعَ نَفْسَه هَواهَا، وتمَنَّى عَلَى اللَّهِ
The intelligent one is the one who subdues his nafs/self and works for that which is after death. The feebleminded one is the one who places himself under the command of his appetites while having wishful thinking towards Allah.
الله أكبر الله أكبر الله أكبر لا إله إلا الله الله أكبر الله أكبر ولله الحمد
Returning to the ayats about fasting in Ramadan in Surat al-Baqara, Allah says:
أَیَّاماً مَّعۡدُودَ ٰت ج فَمَن كَانَ مِنكُم مَّرِیضًا أَوۡ عَلَىٰ سَفَرٍ فَعِدَّةٌ مِّنۡ أَیَّامٍ أُخَرَۚ وَعَلَى ٱلَّذِینَ یُطِیقُونَهُۥ فِدۡیَةٌ طَعَامُ مِسۡكِینج فَمَن تَطَوَّعَ خَیۡرًا فَهُوَ خَیۡرٌ لَّهُۥۚ وَأَن تَصُومُوا۟ خَیۡرٌ لَّكُمۡ إِن كُنتُمۡ تَعۡلَمُونَ
A specified number of days. But any of you who are ill or on a journey should fast a number of other days. For those who are able to fast, their fidya is to feed the poor. And if someone does good of his own accord, it is better for him. But that you should fast is better for you, if you only knew.
Thus, those who have not been able to complete a fast in Ramadan, or who were permitted to not fast because they were travelling should make up the days they owe. If someone is incapable of fasting due to old age it is recommended to pay the fidya, which is a mudd of food for every missed day. If someone was unable to fast certain days because of an illness, pregnancy or menstruation, then the days must be made up but the is no fidya due. Fidya is obligatory for those who missed fasts because of breastfeeding and for the one who failed to make up a fast from a previous year before the commencement of Ramadan the following year. In both cases the missing fasts must also be made up. If someone has missed days of fasting with no valid excuse then they must do kaffara, which can be done in one of three ways; by fasting two lunar months consecutively, by freeing a Muslim slave or by feeding sixty free poor Muslims a mudd of a staple food, such as rice. The latter option is preferable.
أكبر الله أكبر الله أكبر لا إله إلا الله الله أكبر الله أكبر ولله الحمد
The passage from Surat al-Baqara continues:
شَهۡرُ رَمَضَانَ ٱلَّذِیۤ أُنزِلَ فِیهِ ٱلۡقُرۡءَانُ هُدىً لِّلنَّاسِ وَبَیِّنَـٰتٍ مِّنَ ٱلۡهُدَىٰ وَٱلۡفُرۡقَانِۚ
The month of Ramadan is the one in which the Qur’an was sent down as guidance for mankind, with Clear Signs containing guidance and discrimination.
This signifies the real importance of the month. It is the month in which Allah revealed the Qur’an which is why we focus our efforts on recitation of the Qur’an in Ramadan. It is the time in which the beyond-time revealed His communication with us in a way that we are able to comprehend it as in-time creatures. The Book of Allah is guidance from the first page to the last and contains advice on how to live and the best ways to worship Allah, shows us how to discern between truth and falsehood, it tells us of the experiences of previous generations and their prophets so we can learn lessons from them, and it tells us of Allah’s purity and singularity as well as his presence in the creational process.
The ayats continue:
فَمَن شَهِدَ مِنكُمُ ٱلشَّهۡرَ فَلۡیَصُمۡهُۖ وَمَن كَانَ مَرِیضًا أَوۡ عَلَىٰ سَفَرٍ فَعِدَّةٌ مِّنۡ أَیَّامٍ أُخَرَۗ یُرِیدُ ٱللَّهُ بِكُمُ ٱلۡیُسۡرَ وَلَا یُرِیدُ بِكُمُ ٱلۡعُسۡرَ وَلِتُكۡمِلُوا۟ ٱلۡعِدَّةَ وَلِتُكَبِّرُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ عَلَىٰ مَا هَدَىٰكُمۡ وَلَعَلَّكُمۡ تَشۡكُرُونَ
Any of you who are resident for the month should fast it. But any of you who are ill or on a journey should fast a number of other days. Allah desires ease for you; He does not desire difficulty for you. You should complete the number of days and proclaim Allah’s greatness for the guidance He has given you so that hopefully you will be thankful.
The words “and proclaim Allah’s greatness for the guidance He has given you so that hopefully you will be thankful” indicate the day of Eid al-Fitr and the takbirat that we have all been doing.
أكبر الله أكبر الله أكبر لا إله إلا الله الله أكبر الله أكبر ولله الحمد
Thus, this blessed day is a day of gratitude for the month of Ramadan and its array of blessings, the most excellent of which is Allah’s guidance.
Shukr/gratitude has degrees, the gratitude that is expressed on the tongue, the gratitude that is expressed on one’s limbs, and the gratitude of the heart. Therefore, gratitude is not simply a matter of saying ‘thank you’ and carrying on with your day. It is active, and it imbues the life of the believer with sweetness and certainty.
Lastly, it is important to remember to pay the Zakat al-Fitr if you have not already done so. Zakat al-Fitr is obligatory for all Muslims and is given in a staple food such as rice, dates, barley or wheat. It is obligatory to pay it for yourself and any of your dependants. It should already have been paid before the Eid prayer, but if for some reason it was not, it remains a debt until it is paid.
أقول قولي هذا واستغفر الله لي ولكم ولسائر المسلمين
واستغفرواه ، إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعًا ۚ إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ
الله أكبر الله أكبر الله أكبر لا إله إلا الله الله أكبر الله أكبر ولله الحمد
الحمد لله رب العالمين والصلاة والسلام على خير المرسلين وعلى آله وصحبهِ أجمعين
عما بعد
قال الله تعلى في كتابه العزيز بعد أعوذ بالله من الشيطان الرجيم
یَـٰۤأَیُّهَا ٱلَّذِینَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَءَامِنُوا۟ بِرَسُولِهِۦ یُوتِكُمۡ كِفۡلَیۡنِ مِن رَّحۡمَتِهِۦ وَیَجۡعَل لَّكُمۡ نُورًا تَمۡشُونَ بِهِۦ وَیَغۡفِرۡ لَكُمۡۚ وَٱللَّهُ غَفُورٌ رَّحِیمٌ
You who have iman! Have taqwa of Allah and iman in His Messenger. He will give you a double portion of His mercy and grant you a Light by which to walk and forgive you. Allah is Ever-Forgiving, Most Merciful.
The fruit of taqwa, which in an activated sense of the presence of Allah and His majesty, and which is expressed in our obedience to the Divine commands and prohibitions, is that we will be given a light that will illuminate our path. This light will stream out from the believers on the day when they will be given the good news of the Garden.
الله أكبر الله أكبر الله أكبر لا إله إلا الله الله أكبر الله أكبر ولله الحمد
There is no gift greater than the gift of Islam, and it is a sign of Allah’s care and love to the slave. He says:
فَمَن یُرِدِ ٱللَّهُ أَن یَهۡدِیَهُۥ یَشۡرَحۡ صَدۡرَهُۥ لِلۡإِسۡلَـٰمِۖ
When Allah desires to guide someone, He expands his breast to Islam.
Let us, then, be thankful to Allah with our whole being, and enjoy this most precious of days. After a month of doing without food and drink in the daytime, let us enjoy each other’s company and be truly grateful for the innumerable blessings we have been given.
قُلْ بِفَضْلِ ٱللَّهِ وَبِرَحْمَتِهِ فَبِذَلِكَ فَلْيَفْرَحُواْ
Say: ‘It is the favour of Allah and His mercy that should be the cause of their rejoicing. That is better than anything they accumulate.’
الله أكبر الله أكبر الله أكبر لا إله إلا الله الله أكبر الله أكبر ولله الحمد
True gratitude is expressed in action, and after a month of devotion, let us bring something of this month with us into the coming months and years. Our mushafs have been kept busy and, although reading Qur’an is much easier in Ramadan, let’s try to maintain our connection with the Book of Allah, even if it is only a page every day – or even half a page. Qatada tells us in a Sahih narration:
قُلْتُ لعائشة: يَا أُمَّ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَنْبِئِينِي عَنْ خُلُقِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ, قَالَتْ أَلَسْتَ تَقْرَأُ الْقُرْآنَ, قُلْتُ بَلَى, قَالَتْ فَإِنَّ خُلُقَ نَبِيِّ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ كَانَ الْقُرْآنَ
I said to Aisha, “O mother of the believers, tell me about the character of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him.” Aisha said, “Have you not read the Quran?” I said, “O course.” Aisha said, “Verily, the character of the Prophet of Allah was the Quran.”
Abu Huraira, may Allah be pleased with him reported that the Prophet ﷺ said:
إِنَّمَا بُعِثْتُ لِأُتَمِّمَ صَالِحَ الأَخْلاقِ
I was only sent to perfect good character
Thus, in interacting with Allah’s book on a daily basis through reading it and reflecting on its ayats, we allow ourselves to take from its light and connect more and more with the Messenger’s exalted noble character ﷺ.
الله أكبر الله أكبر الله أكبر لا إله إلا الله الله أكبر الله أكبر ولله الحمد
Finally, the secret of Ramadan is that it opens up an understanding in the heart of the believers, that Allah is not some distant entity who controls things from afar. He, subhanahu wa ta’ala is near, He is close, He is present in every moment, and we therefore always have access to Him. Allah says, in the middle of the ayats about Ramadan:
وَإِذَا سَأَلَكَ عِبَادِی عَنِّی فَإِنِّی قَرِیبٌۖ أُجِیبُ دَعۡوَةَ ٱلدَّاعِ إِذَا دَعَانِۖ فَلۡیَسۡتَجِیبُوا۟ لِی وَلۡیُؤۡمِنُوا۟ بِی لَعَلَّهُمۡ یَرۡشُدُونَ
If My slaves ask you about Me, I am near. I answer the call of the caller when he calls on Me. They should therefore respond to Me and believe in Me so that hopefully they will be rightly guided.
As the years pass and Ramadans come and go, and as all of the other practices of Allah’s Deen purify the heart of the believer, he or she becomes increasingly imbued with this knowledge. This knowledge of Allah’s presence brings tranquillity and love to the heart and illuminates the slave’s very being. Thus, the month has departed from us, but has left in its wake its illumination which we can take with us into the coming year.
ٱلۡحَمۡدُ لِلَّهِ ٱلَّذِی هَدَىٰنَا لِهَـٰذَا وَمَا كُنَّا لِنَهۡتَدِیَ لَوۡلَاۤ أَنۡ هَدَىٰنَا ٱللَّهُۖ لَقَدۡ جَاۤءَتۡ رُسُلُ رَبِّنَا بِٱلۡحَقِّۖ
‘Praise be to Allah who has guided us to this! We would not have been guided, had Allah not guided us. The Messengers of our Lord came with the Truth.’
الله أكبر الله أكبر الله أكبر لا إله إلا الله الله أكبر الله أكبر ولله الحمد
We ask Allah to accept our fasts and all of the devotional acts we have done throughout this blessed month. We ask Allah to help us to be truly grateful for the gifts we have been given in Ramadan. We ask Allah to help us to overcome the difficulties we face that come about as a result of our own selves. We ask Allah give victory by this to the Muslims. We ask Allah that we may truly be able to absorb and understand Allah’s book in such a way that we become a source of illumination for the people of this land. We ask Allah to establish the Deen here and protect it through people of noble character. We ask Allah to protect and guide our children.
رَبَّنَآ ءَاتِنَا فِى ٱلدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَفِى ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَقِنَا عَذَابَ ٱلنَّارِ
رَبَّنَا لَا تُزِغْ قُلُوبَنَا بَعْدَ إِذْ هَدَيْتَنَا وَهَبْ لَنَا مِن لَّدُنكَ رَحْمَةً ۚ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ ٱلْوَهَّاب
اللهم أرنا الحق حقا وارزقنا إتباعه وأرنا الباطل باطلا وارزقنا إجتنابه
إنَّ اللهَ ومَلائِكَتَهُ يُصلُّونَ على النَّبِي يَا أَيُها الذينَ آمنوا صَلُّوا عَلَيْهِ وسَلِّمُواتَسْليماً. اللهمَّ صَلِّ وسَلِّم وبارِك على سيدنا محمد وعلى آلِهِ وصَحْبِهِأجمعين.
وارضَ اللهم عن الخلفاء الراشدين أبي بكرٍ وعمرَ وعثمانَ وعلي ، وعنسائر الصحابة أجمعين، خصوصا الأنصارَ منهم والمهاجرين، وعنالتابعين وتابعي التابعين ومن تبعهم بإحسان إلى يوم الدين.
إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ یَامُرُ بِٱلۡعَدۡلِ وَٱلۡإِحۡسَـٰنِ وَإِیتَاۤىِٕ ذِی ٱلۡقُرۡبَىٰ وَیَنۡهَىٰ عَنِ ٱلۡفَحۡشَاۤءِ وَٱلۡمُنكَرِ وَٱلۡبَغۡیِۚ یَعِظُكُمۡ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تَذَكَّرُونَ
اذكروا الله يذكركم ولذكر الله اكبر والله يعلم ما تصنعون
Eidukum Saeed!
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