2:183-187
يأيها الذين امنوا كتب عليكم الصيام كما كتب على الذين من قبلكم لعلكم تتقون
Ibn Masood said, "Whenever you hear يأيها الذين امنوا then listen attentively, because Allah is either ordering you or forbidding you with something"
Allah is ordering us to fast. This command is not something new, Allah had ordered the previous nations as well. Scholars say that it was first commanded from the time of the Prophet Nuh. They used to fast three days every month.
Allah ordained fasting in stages. First he ordered the three days from every month like the previous nations. Then he ordered them to fast the month of Ramadan voluntarily. Finally, He made it obligatory for those who aren't travelling or sick.
Allah also gradually commanded the prayer. Prayer was first ordained twice a day, morning and evening. This is out of the mercy of Allah. He nurtures us in stages in order that we will get used to the act of worship and do it out of love.
Allah knows that fasting is suitable for us and He loves fasting, this is why he ordained it on every nation.
Try to perfect your fast as much as you can, because it is an act of worship that Allah loves.
What is the wisdom behind fasting? لعلكم تتقون
This should be our aim throughout the entire month. We should ask ourselves every day during the month if we gained تقوى.
The Prophet pointed to his heart and said التقوى ههنا.
In Ramadan you are leaving the allowable for Allah. You can easily put something in your mouth but you don't do it. When you want to commit a sin you remember Allah can hear, see you, so you refrain. This is the تقوى. You are training yourself during this month.
Some people fast but the only thing they get is thirsty and hungry, because they commit sins.
If you train yourself to do something for 3 weeks, it will become habitual. Allah blessed us with an entire month to train ourselves. Don't turn back to your previous situation after this month ends; it should change you. Every day during this month you should be increasing in faith through your acts of worship.
As every day passes you will either progress or retreat.
Fasting narrows the veins, and the Shaytan flows through the veins. If your veins are narrow it will be difficult for him to whisper.
ايام معدودة
Don't think that fasting is heavy or difficult, it is a countable number of days. And the days go by fast. Ramadan is like a race for the believers, the people who think of the hereafter. They want to increase in good deeds as much as they can.
فمن كان مريض او على سفر فَعِدَّة من ايام اخر
If you are ill or travelling and are unable to fast then you can break it, and after Ramadan you can make up for these days. When Allah ordained fasting, He made it easy for us.
فمن تطوع خير فهو خير له و ان تصومه خير لكم
Why Allah particularised Ramadan with fasting:-
شهر رمضان الذي انزل فيه القرآن
Allah revealed the Qur'an in two stages:
1) From the preserved tablet to the nearest heaven.
This is what occurred during Ramadan.
2) From the nearest heaven to the Prophet.
This is one of the differences between the Qur'an and the previous books. This shows us the greatness of the Qur'an.
There is a relationship between the Qur'an and the month of Ramadan.
HADITH: Allah revealed the books of Ibrahim on the 1st night of Ramadan, the Taurat on the 6th night if Ramadan, the Injeel on the 13th, and the Qur'an on the 29th.
ليلة القدر is on a different night each day. The Qur'an was revealed on ليلة القدر.
هدى للناس و بينات من الهدى و الفرقان
The more you ponder over the Qur'an the more you will increase in guidance.
A man said until he was 27 he was dealing with drugs until he was taken to jail. He was a Muslim. One of the prisoners told him to memorise the qur'an if he wanted to leave the jail early. He said I don't pray, how can I recite. The other prisoner told him to just memorise it for the sake of leaving. As he recited it as he got enlightened, until he finished memorising it. After that he said he felt like he entered a life he didn't know before and didn't want to leave the jail.
If you want guidance, and to be able to distinguish between right and wrong, then stick to the Qur'an. There are many situations where we don't know how to react. With the Qur'an, Allah will enlighten us and guide us. Through the Qur'an you will be able to know the diseases of your heart, and rectify yourself.
Then Allah makes fasting obligatory.
يريد الله بكم اليسر و لا يريد بكم العسر
Allah wants to make things easy for us, not difficult. He wants to make it easy for us to each Paradise. If you look into the commands of Allah, you will find it is very easy. The religion in general is very very easy.
و لتكملوا العدة
This means we should fast the entire month of Ramadan. This is why if you want to fast the 6 days during Shawaal you should make up any missed fasts from Ramadan first.
و لتكبر الله على ما هداكم و لعلكم تشكرون
When we hear that it's the Eid we make Takbir to remind ourselves we didn't fast out of our own strength, but that it is Allah who enabled us to complete this month. Generally, we should be grateful that Allah helped us complete acts of worship. And this gratefulness is demonstrated through the Takbir.
و اذا سالك عبادي عني فاني قريب اجيب دعوة داعي اذا دعا فليستجيبوا لي و لئومن بي لعلهم يرشدون
Another thing we should do while fasting is to profusely make dua. One invocation that will not be rejected is the invocation of a fasting person.
Everyday during the last hour before Maghreb Allah sets people free from the hellfire. But most people are in the kitchen cooking at that time.
To set you free from hellfire means you will be forbidden from it. This is the real success. And you can gain this with one invocation before Maghreb.
Ask Allah to settle all your matters for you and create time for you.
All the verses in the Qur'an that begin with, "اذا سالك عبادي عني.." He orders the Prophet to tell it to us, except for this verse. Allah answers us directly.
HADITH: The companions asked the Prophet, "Is our Lord near so we invoke him in a low voice, or is he far so that we should call him?"
This verse was revealed as a response.
If you need anything, regardless if it is worldly or religious, ask Allah. Don't go running after people.
Why?
1) فاني قريب
In (11:61):
"انا ربي قريب مجيب"
All the Prophets asked their people to make استغفار. If Allah forgives you, then you have attained success.
القريب
This is one of the names of Allah. He is near to all of us, and this is of two kinds:
1) General Nearness
2) Special Nearness
This is exclusively for the one who worships him. Allah is near to him by supporting him, granting his requests, etc.
If you want to ask someone you ask the one who is near to you, not one who is far. And there is no one nearer to us than Allah.
2) اجيب..
He is not just near, but responsive. He responds to those who are in dire need and who have given up hope asking from Allah's creation. But don't wait till you've asked all the people and then resort to Allah. Go directly to Him, don't exhaust yourself.
Because of Allah's perfect ability and richness He is able to answer our supplication. Anything we desire is in His dominion.
HADITH: Allah said, "All my servants, if all of you, the first and last, the humans and jinn, stood and asked me what they desired, and I gave every one his request, it will not decrease what I possess except what is decreased from an ocean when a needle is dipped in it"
The needle does not decrease anything from the ocean. Ask Allah whenever you need ANYTHING. The companions would even ask Allah for salt if they didn't have it.
HADITH: O my slaves, all of you are hungry except for those whom I feed, so ask me and I will feed you. O my slaves, all of you are naked except those whom I clothe, so ask me, and I will clothe you.
We are in need of Allah in every matter of our lives.
Sometimes we want to buy something for the Eid and we look everywhere but can't find anything suitable. We look for dresses for hours and hours. Ask Allah first, and you will see the difference.
Always say لا حول و لا قوة الا بالله.
There is no Muslim that asks Allah something, except he gives him one of three things:
1) He gives him his request
If he knows it's not good for him,
2) He will grant him the reward on the Day of Judgement
3) He will use the dua to repel evil
1) Believe in Allah
2) Respond to Allah
If you want to draw nearer to Allah then remember this verse, "فسجد و اقترب"
Hadith: If my slave comes to me walking, I will go to him running.
Allah just wants us to take one step towards him. Then he will make it easy for us and help us.
Verse 187:
When Allah first ordained fasting it was forbidden for them to sleep and then eat or drink. Allah made it easier and abolished this.
In this verse as well Allah forbids the person from having sexual relations during I'tikaaf. I'tikaaf is only allowed in the Masjid, you can't do it at home.
تلك حدود الله فلا تقريرها
Allah set a limit and forbade us from things in this verse. He didn't tell us not do it, he told us not to come near it, because if we go near to the limits we will end up crossing them.
Allah started these set of verses with التقوى and ended it with التقى. This is the goal of fasting.
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Virtues of Fasting
Allah chooses certain times and places to be blessed, and out of His wisdom He favoured Ramadan over other months.
We are humans and we commit sins day and night, Allah is giving us a chance to expiate our sins this month.
Allah will expiate our minor sins from Ramadan to Ramadan. Major sins require repentance. We should begin this month with truthful, general repentance. Repent to Allah from all your sins, major and minor, the ones you remember and the ones you have forgotten.
Allah didn't limit the reward of fasting.
HADITH: ...except for fasting. It is for me and I will reward it.
Why? Because of sincerity. If you are not a sincere person you can easily break your fast. Allah loves sincerity.
HADITH: There are two joys for the fasting person. When he breaks his fast, and when he meets his Lord.
We feel joyful when we break our fast. The joy of completing our fast. We see and feel this joy in this life, ask Allah to make you experience it in the next world, when you meet Allah. Wait for that reward, when you meet Allah. This is احتساب.
The scholars said, "When a person has to pay people with his good deeds on the day of judgement due to backbiting, etc. they will take from all of his good deeds, except fasting"
Fasting is a shield from the hellfire.
HADITH: ...say I am fasting 2x
Once to remind yourself, and the second time to remind the person who is annoying you.
Fasting is a worship. We will be fasting for about 15 hours. We will be in an act of worship for this time. Sins will decrease the reward.
At the end of the month we give Zakar alFitr to purify our fasts from the sins we have committed during it.
The smell that comes out of the mouth of the fasting person is better than the fragrance of musk to Allah.
Fasting intercedes for the person on the Day of Judgement.
HADITH: Fasting and the Qur'an intercedes for the slave on the Day of Judgement. Fasting will say, 'O Allah I prevented him from food and drink during the day......"
There is a gate in Paradise called Ar-Rayyan exclusively for those who fast.
When you hear that the next day is Ramadan you should-
1) Repent from sins generally
2) Thank and praise Allah for enabling you to reach this month
The Prophet would give the glad tidings of Ramadan.
3) Be joyful
When you see someone you love after a long time, you naturally feel happy. Ramadan is a guest that has been gone for a year, and when it arrives you should feel happy. This is a worship, Allah will reward you for these feelings. Allah wants our hearts.
4) Plan
Ibn Taymiya was asked what the best worship anyone could do. He said, 'That which suits your heart'
It's a blessed month. Increase in acts of worship you enjoy doing, etc.
When a guest comes to our house we plan and organise. Similarly, we need to plan for this month.
Motivate yourself to do good deeds. If you don't increase good deeds in this month, then when will you do it? Our life is passing by fast, we don't know when we will meet Allah. The previous nations lived for hundreds or thousands of years, but for us 70, 80 is old.
The Prophet called this month the month of patience.
HADITH: Which one of the fasting people is the most rewarded? The one who remembers Allah more.
The more you remember Allah, the more you will be rewarded. We all fast but our reward differs.
Every day ask yourself if you've gained التقوى. It's not something that's just granted at the end of Ramadan, it is built up during the month.
Allah looks at our heart. Did the act of worship reach our heart, or did we merely perform it with our limbs?
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