We need to reach Ramadan with strong faith. It is what we need to help us fast and pray and perform all the acts of worship. Any act of worship which Allah has enjoined upon us requires faith. The more faith you have the more your deeds will be accepted.
The matter of belief is something important. It is something that we need to work on our entire lives.
The place of faith is our hearts. We need to purify our heart in order that we can fill it with faith. You can't put faith in a heart full of sicknesses. It doesn't go together.
We have to focus on our hearts.
How?
1) Learn about Allah's names, attributes, actions, etc.
We have to know the detailed meaning of every one of the names of Allah. We have to know what it implies of an attribute, and the impact of that attribute on us and the entire world. We need to worship Allah by every name. This is a duty.
HADITH: Allah has 99 names, whoever أحصاها will enter Paradise
Every name of Allah requires a servitude which we need to fulfil. We need to worship Allah by his names in every situation we go through. We need to recall the appropriate name of Allah depending on the situation we are in.
Every time you learn something about Allah's name, you have to practice it.
Ex. السلام - Allah is the One who is free from every imperfection. His actions are all free from injustice, oppression, mistakes, etc.
If you are asking Allah for a certain matter, and you don't see the response, and you may despair. This despairing indicates that you are thinking bad of Allah, and not worshipping Him by this name. This name is missing from our lives. Bad thinking about Allah is one of the major sins.
سبحان الله = Allah is free from imperfections and defects
2) Seeing the impact of the attributes of Allah in our lives
Eg. الرحمن، الرحيم. The attribute is رحمة. We need to look for the impacts of this attribute in our entire lives, in the universe, decrees, etc.
The Qur'an, the Prophet, etc. are all impacts of Allah's mercy.
Open the Qur'an and you will see Allah's actions. They indicate His mercy, ability, wisdom, etc.
Eg. You went through a distressful situation. Your heart feels constricted. Here you should think good about Allah and show patience. Remind yourself that there is relief after distress. Don't think things are impossible. You don't know how, or where, but you will be sure that Allah will relieve you, because He promised relief. And Allah is المؤمن, truthful in His promises.
Eg. There are people who are constantly afraid. Allah is المؤمن who gives security, and removes fear.
Eg. You have a sick person in the house, and the doctor says there is no cure. The healing is not in their hands, it is in Allah's hand, because He is Ash-Shafi. He will bring the means of healing for you. If you show that belief, Allah will cure that person.
Eg. Allah is القيوم. He is self subsisting and He is in charge of every creation.
You are told that if you have a pain it means blood is not flowing well in that area of your body. You have a pain. Allah is قيوم and in charge of the flowing of your blood. If you ask him, it will be removed by Allah's permission.
You have to reach the degree of certainty in your belief.
Allah الرب العالمين is nurturing us with every calamity we go through. All the duas of the Prophets and Messengers included the name الرب. They knew Allah was nurturing them in every situation they went through.
(9:118)
حتى
Allah is describing how the three companions who stayed behind from the battle felt. They were so sad and in distress that they felt constricted.
But when they reached that state they worshipped Allah and believed that there is no refuge except in Allah. This is Tawheed.
They didn't think of anything or anyone except Allah. Then Allah relieved them and accepted their repentance.
This is what we need to do in any distressful situation. Believe that no one can relieve you except Allah.
3) Focus on your heart
Everyone should look into their hearts and see what sicknesses they have. Why do you feel the feelings you're feeling?
When she goes to the market her eyes go to the gold shop. This indicates love of the Dunya in your heart. It's not Haraam, but how much do you think about it? It indicates that that matter prevails in your heart.
Love of this world is serious. One of the main things that made the hypocrites hypocrites is the love of this world. Hypocrisy is the umbrella under which all sicknesses lie.
We have to struggle hard against the sicknesses which are in our hearts.
Eg. الحكيم
When you believe in this name, you will be able to remove all the envy, jealousy, self-conceit, in your heart. You will not envy people for what Allah has given them, because you know Allah is All-Wise.
(46:15)
After he reached that age, he sees the impact of Allah's wisdom in decreeing events his entire life. He comes to know the wisdom behind it, and that it is good for him. The more situations you go through and you look behind, you will see that everything you went through was good for you.
Look into the fine details of your life. You will see and witness the wisdom of Allah. You will be pleased at Allah's decrees.
You will reach the state where you will be happy regardless what Allah writes for you. Even the calamities. There is good behind what happened to me, even if I don't see it now.
Think good of Allah in every situation you go through. You will say الحمد لله. Contentment comes to the person who knows Allah.
She will be content with the husband she has, the children she has, the neighbours, etc. You will see them with a heart full of gratitude. You won't look towards what other people have. But you will never reach that state until you look into the impact of Allah's wisdom.
Eg. Allah tells us about His قيوميه, doing everything for us. It's shameful that your heart should turn to the praise of the people. Ask yourself why your heart turned to the people, for the sake of the people. They are in need, just like us.
You will overcome رياء، سوء ظن، عجب, etc.
Allah is the one who put us in the rank we are in, and He is able to bring us down.
We need to prepare our hearts to receive Ramadan with faith.
-----------
القيوم
Some of the actions of Allah in the Sunnah :-
Continuation of the Hadith:
"من يستعفف يعفه الله
و من يتصبر يصبره الله
و من يستغني يغنه الله"
The scholars said, "If the human self is not occupied with something good, it will occupy him with something evil"
Keep yourself busy 24/7 with doing good.
Imam anNawawi died without getting married. When he was asked why he said he never thought of it. It was to that extent that kept themselves busy,
و من يتصبر يصبره الله
Eg. You are busy one day, and the Shaytan and your self will try to discourage you from praying voluntary prayers that day. Here you can show patience and repel these whispers and perform the prayer.
Eg. After Fajr many people run back to sleep, although this is a very important time during the day.
Ibn AlQayyim said, "The Barakah for that day descends on the person on that Day. This is my breakfast, if I don't take it, I won't have strength for worship the entire day"
This time was so important for the Salaf. Here you show patience and truthfulness. Remind yourself of the reward of patience.
ان الله مع الصابرين
اجر بغير حساب
As-Sa'di was sitting after Fajr and had a pot full of water. He would wash his face with it whenever he felt sleepy.
Allah will strengthen his faith, will help him overcome the distress he is going through, and make him strong enough to control his self.
The self is always inclined towards laziness. When you show patience and persevere, Allah will make you strong enough and you will get abundant reward from him. You will be a strong person who can control your self, not the other way around.
Eg. Doing evil. In this Hadith the Ansar came to the Prophet asking him. If they showed patience and refrained from begging, Allah would've sent patience upon them.
Eg. When the self is pushing a person to commit the sin, and the person detains himself from not doing it, etc.
We are in a constant battle against ourselves and Shaytan. If you show patience and don't listen to them, Allah will grant you patience.
و من يستغني يغنه الله
Whoever is satisfied, Allah will make him self-sufficient.
How can I practice this?
1) By enumerating the blessings and the enrichment of Allah on you.
2) Belittle that worldly need that your self is constantly looking to get.
You can live without it. You won't die if you don't get it. It's not important.
Allah will make you self sufficient by removing the desire for that thing in your heart. You won't want it anymore. Allah will enrich you.
Whatever Allah has granted you of worldly things is what you need in your life. And you have no need for whatever Allah didn't grant you or it may be harmful for you. If in the future, Allah gives it to you, then take benefit of it.
Don't feel sufficiency towards religious things. This is about worldly things. Don't covet for things you don't have.
If someone gives you a gift don't say, "I don't need it, I wish she'd given me something else". Who made that person give you that particular thing? Allah knows and is wise. He didn't decree that gift to reach you except for a wisdom.
At the end of the Hadith the Prophet said, "There is no gift better than Patience"
You cannot practice any act of worship without patience. This is why if you are given patience, it is the greatest blessing of Allah on you. Ask Allah to shower patience on you.
الحي القيوم is mentioned in three Surah's in the Qur'an: Baqarah, Aal-Imran, and Ta-Ha.
HADITH: The magician cannot bear Surah's Baqarah
HADITH: Baqarah and Aal-Imran will come and be a shade for the person on the Day of Judgement.
If you memorise and understand Surah Baqarah it will be a Barakah for you.
It is mentioned in Ayat-alKursi, the greatest verse in the entire Qur'an. And if you study a verse, a story, parable, etc. in a Surah you can't just pull out that verse and study it. You have to study the context, and why Allah mentioned the name in that particular part of the Surah, and what it has to do with the Baqarah, etc.
We have to study the Surah in general first.
سورة البقرة
It is preceded by AlFatihah where we say اهدنا صراط المستقيم
In Surah Baqarah: ذالك الكتاب لا ريب فيه هدى للمتقين
Allah is answering us. If you want guidance, you'll find it in the Qur'an. But it isn't a guidance for everyone, just the Muttaqeen.
Whoever acts upon the command of the Qur'an, Allah will honour him. Whoever forsakes the Qur'an, He will be a loser.
The Qur'an guides to belief in the unseen. The greatest unseen is Allah.
Allah mentioned 5 stories in Surah Baqarah which indicate Allah's ability of resurrection. The Qur'an guides us to believe in the pillars of Eeman. Whoever believes in the unseen will be successful.
Theme of the Surah: خلافه Succession in the land and the description of the successors.
Division 1
Verse 1-20
The three categories of mankind.
Everyone on earth is either a disbeliever, believer, or hypocrite.
-> Read verse 243-260 <-
Comments
Post a Comment