بِسْم الله الرحمن الرحيم
We are approaching the month of Ramadan - the month of the Qur'an, the month in which Allah elevates people in high ranks, the month in which Allah forgives people's sins, the month in which Allah redeems people from HellFire.
We have to prepare for this month with إيمان.
The Prophet ﷺ said,
"من صام رمضان إيمانا و احتسابا غفر له ما تقدم من ذنبه"
"Whoever fasts during Ramadan with faith and hoping the reward (from Allah) will have his previous sins forgiven" [Bukhari]
And he ﷺ said,
"من قام رمضان إيمانا و إحتسابا غفر له ما تقدم من ذنبه"
"Whoever stands in prayers during the night in Ramadan with faith and hoping the reward (from Allah) will have his previous sins forgiven" [Bukhari]
The conditions the Prophet ﷺ stipulated are:
1) إحتساب
2) إيمان
We have to enter the month with strong إيمان.
What's the source of increasing our faith? The Qur'an.
We have to study and recite the Quran in the correct way in order that our faith increases.
What's the correct way of reciting the Qur'an? Following the way the Prophet ﷺ and the companions recited the Qur'an.
In [32:24]:
Allah made Bani Israeel leaders when:
1) They were patient
2) When they believed with certainty in Allah's آيات (be it universal or textual signs)
السعدي said while explaining this verse:
"وصلوا في الإيمان بآيات الله إلى درجة اليقين، و هو العلم التام، الموجب للعمل...."
"They reached the degree of certainty in the signs of Allah, which is perfect knowledge which necessitates (leads one to) action"
Based on his statement; How do you know that the knowledge you have reached the degree of certainty? If it led you to act upon it.
But if you have knowledge and you don't act upon it, it means that your knowledge hasn't reached the degree of certainty.
Everyone can claim they have certainty. But it's not by mere statements; it's proven through action.
How can I attain certainty?
He continued:
1) "...لأنهم تعلموا تعلمًا صحيحًا
"...because they learned in a correct way"
You have to learn knowledge in a correct way in order to reach the degree of certainty.
When you memorize, memorize, memorize, and find that your way of thinking and behaviour isn't changing, then where's the problem? It's in the way you're learning. You may attend a Qur'an class, but leave and come the same person.
Check: Is the way you're learning the Qur'an correct? Is it following the Sunnah; the way of the Prophet ﷺ or not? Then you'll see the effect on you.
2) "...و أخذوا المسائل عن أدلتها المفيدة لليقين"
"And collected evidences for the issue"
E.g. Belief in Allah. Collect evidences from the Qur'an for that concept. The more evidences you have, the more your knowledge will be perfected, and you'll act upon it more - thus reaching the degree of certainty.
Another reason which caused Bani Israeel to be leaders was their Patience. We require certainty and patience; then Allah will elevate you with Him.
If you enter a class feeling bored, impatient, with heaviness in your heart, and you hear knowledge you already know and feel like it's repeated; you'll never reach the state of certainty. You have to be patient. Listen again and again and again to the evidences, until you memorize and act upon it. Don't say, "I already know this" or "I've heard this before". Hearing it twice or thrice isn't enough.
If someone teaches you a سورة you've already studied, don't say I already studied it. You'll never be able to comprehend an entire Surah once, it's the words of Allah.
If you have all these feelings, you'll read the Qur'an just like you read the newspaper. You may read a line, skip ten lines - because you're an impatient person who just wants a summary of what's being said. And this type of reading doesn't suit the Qur'an.
In conclusion: Studying any Surah should be in a correct way, in order to attain اليقين. And certainty will not be achieved except with patience.
Between knowledge and action is a period of thinking.
After you learn and collect evidences, you should think before you take an action. It's not healthy to suddenly change - in fact it's just an emotional reaction. The correct way to reach اليقين is to sit and reflect and think about the evidences.
You've been thinking in a certain way for a number of years, how can you expect it to change drastically in one sitting?
When you see people ahead of you in manners or faith, don't lose hope and think that they're way ahead of you and you'll never reach them. Don't help the Shaytan overcome you more and make you lag behind. As long as you see the way you're thinking starting to change, receive glad tidings. You can change. But be patient.
E.g. The Dunya.
This is the concern of most people. Allah set three parables for us in the Qur'an: in سورة يونس، سورة الحديد, سورة الكهف - the beginning, middle, and end of the Qur'an.
1) In [10:24]:
When the people believe that the earth will remain like this forever, it'll never perish, Allah will make it حصيدا.
حصيد means harvested. The harvested land looks terrible; it's just straw and nothing, as if it didn't exist yesterday.
In the next verse Allah says:
What's the connection? This Dunya is not دار السلام. It is the abode of problems, trials, sickness. It is never sound. If there is happiness, it's temporary. If there's enjoyment, it's temporary. It's full of suffering and ابتلاء.
Allah invites you to دار السلام, which is Paradise, in the hereafter.
2) In [18:45]:
In the next verse Allah says:
What's the connection? الباقيات الصالحات are better in reward, everlasting, and better in hope. So don't make your concern the Dunya; make your concerns and hopes the reward of Allah; the hereafter.
While you're here try your best to do good deeds, and hope for the reward in the next. Your hopes should revolve around the next.
3) In [57:20]:
In the next verse:
What's the connection? Don't race and compete with the people for the Dunya nor hasten to do good for it. Hasten for the hereafter, for Paradise عرضها كعرض السماء و الأرض.
The women hasten to the sales, are overly concerned with their figures, seek to remain beautiful until the end of their lives, etc.
We should hasten to مغفرة من ربكم و جنة.
So in order for knowledge to reach the degree of certainty we need to study in a correct way and collect evidences regarding the topic.
These are the evidences. We need to think and reflect over them, and come to a conclusion. If you want to explain the Dunya to someone, what will you say?
This Dunya is like a tempting plant which perishes. It's not the abode of soundness, rather Paradise is دار السلام, which Allah is calling us to go to. Therefore, I have to live in this Dunya doing righteous good deeds. Its reward will remain with Allah. So my hopes revolve around that. And it's not a matter of mere hoping, I should hasten to take action and do good deeds, in order that Allah forgives my sins and I enter Paradise.
And there are more verses discussing the Dunya; we just took out the parables.
We have to do this with every topic in the Qur'an.
E.g. You want to know about Allah's knowledge. I have to go throughout the entire Qur'an, collect every verse regarding that topic, until I come with the full picture. Accordingly my knowledge will increase to the degree of certainty.
-> Every letter and word in the Qur'an has a meaning.
You might see two verses which are exactly the same, except that one has "و" and the other doesn't. Know that this "و" has a huge effect on the meaning of the verse.
Skipping a letter may change the meaning of the Qur'an.
This is the miraculous nature of the Qur'an.
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