Ramadan Go the Extra Mile

[Ramadan] Go the Extra Mile

By Shaykh Abdul Nasir Jangda - Quran Weekly

Opening Greetings

As-salamu alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu, Quran Weekly.

الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ Alhamdulillah, it's really a pleasure to be speaking to everyone about a blessed and very beneficial topic as the month of Ramadan.

Introduction: The Call to Excellence

The topic I wanted to discuss with you today is kind of making a push for a little bit more, striving for excellence, making that extra little push, pushing your limits and pushing your boundaries just a little bit, pushing yourself a little bit further and a little bit harder in order to achieve a little bit more.

Historical Example: The Ansar at Badr

The reference that I have and where I'd like to connect this to is actually somewhat interesting. It might not be a very obvious connection, but I think when the discussion is over, I think everyone will, inshallah, hopefully benefit from this.

The Migration Agreement

The Prophet of Allah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) when he left the city of Mecca and migrated to the blessed city of Medina, there were the people of the Ansar who had first come to Mecca a couple of years in a row and accepted Islam and eventually wanted to take the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) back to Medina and base the da'wah and the message out of the city of Medina.

So there was actually an agreement in place, and part of that agreement was that because they knew the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) had some, the Quraysh basically had some beef with the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) that those issues were pre-existing, that part of the agreement was:

• If somebody attacks the city of Medina, then we'll defend it, we'll fight along their side, because we live in Medina as well, it's our home as well
• But if you, Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم)‚or the Muslims who have migrated to the city of Medina, if you go outside of Medina to engage in a battle or to basically engage in a confrontation, then we're not obligated, we're not compelled to have to join you and support you in that fight and in that confrontation

And that was part of the agreement.

The Battle of Badr: Going Beyond Obligation

When the Battle of Badr, the first major confrontation when it occurred, and Badr is actually quite far outside of the city of Medina, when the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) was going for the Battle of Badr, that same issue came up, and the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) told everybody, alright, we're going to take care of this situation, and he didn't really ask the Ansar, the Muslims of Medina, to join them or not.

And they in fact spoke up when their leader spoke up, and he said that, oh Messenger of Allah, if you're waiting for our response, then understand that we will not say what Bani Israel said to Musa (عليه السلام):

"You and your Lord can go and fight, we're going to sit right here, rather we will come and also fight by your side and help you in this cause."

The Demographics of Victory

It goes on to say, and this is something everybody knows, the Battle of Badr was, how many Sahaba participated in the Battle of Badr? 313. What's really really remarkable is that the Muhajirun, whose fight it primarily was, there was only about 70 some odd Muhajirun in the Battle of Badr.

The vast majority, two thirds of the 313 were the Ansar of Medina. People who weren't obligated to go, but they still went, and took place in one of the greatest victories in Islamic history, one of the most glorious moments in the history of our Ummah, because they were willing to go the extra mile. They said, yeah we're not obligated to go, but we want to take part, we want to do whatever it is that we can do.

The Prophet's Love for the Ansar

And it was that same reason that they became so beloved to the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) that the Prophet of Allah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) would make dua for them.

The Prophet's Beautiful Words About the Ansar

One time he was sitting and he saw some women and children of the Ansar passing by, and he stood up and he said:

O Allah, forgive the Ansar, and the children of the Ansar, and the grandchildren of the Ansar. So much love for them.

One time he saw a group of the Ansar and he said, I swear to Allah, you are some of the most beloved people in the world to me.

The Famous Declaration of Loyalty

The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said that:

If all people would go in one direction, and if the Ansar went in a different direction, I would go the way of the Ansar.

And so attachment the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) had to the Ansar.

The Reason for This Special Status

They were blessed by Allah, they were loved by his Messenger. Why? Because they were people who were willing to go the extra mile. People who were willing to push themselves a little bit harder, a little bit further.

Application to Ramadan: Your Opportunity to Excel

And that's the opportunity we have here in the month of Ramadan. You've probably done, you know, quite a bit. And I know there's always room for improvement.

But let's say some of you have even really pushed yourself. Use this as an opportunity to push yourself harder.

Practical Examples of Going the Extra Mile

In Charity:

• If you've given charity, give a little bit more
• Don't just give that which is comfortable and convenient
• Give that which pinches and hurts just a little bit. Like working out.

In Exercise Analogy:

If you run 30 minutes and you've been running 30 minutes three times a week for three years, there's a point in time where running for 30 minutes three times a week doesn't even require any effort on your part. It's natural. So anybody who's a fitness expert will tell you, you've got to push yourself a little bit harder.

You've got to run 35 minutes a day. And that extra five minutes is what will do the job.

In Prayer:

• So if you've prayed, mashallah, taraweeh every night, tonight pray a little bit of extra qiyam

In Quran Recitation:

• If you've been reciting half a juz of Quran every day, today recite three quarters of a juz
• If you've been reading two pages of translation every day, today read four pages

In Learning:

• If you haven't been sitting in the halaqa every day after the taraweeh prayers, sit in the dars today after the taraweeh prayers

The Path to Success

Push yourself a little bit harder and make this Ramadan count. Those are the people that succeed. Those are the people that benefit. Those are the people that increase.

And inshallah, this will make this the best Ramadan, inshallah, that all of us have experienced to date. May Allah accept from all of us.

Closing Dua

Again, may Allah accept this Ramadan from all of us and make this a very beneficial month of Ramadan.

Jazakumullah khairan. As-salamu alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh. Quran Weekly.

Call to Action: Sharing the Good

الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ Alhamdulillah, if you just benefited from this video, the best thing you can do is share it with somebody else. You know, the Quran tells us about a responsibility we have. The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) has also taught us about this responsibility.

To enjoy the good and to prevent or to forbid that which is wrong or that which is bad.

Well, what's one way we can do that is even sharing beneficial information like this because many of these videos talk about what we should do and some of these videos remind us about things we shouldn't do. So inshallah, like the video, share it on Facebook, tweet it out, share it with others inshallah, and spread the khair inshallah.

Jazakumullah khair.