Ramadan: A Way of Life - Dr. Bilal Philips

Big time. It's incredible. These people had photographed much of this in the night because they had cameras with lights and stuff.

And again, people think, oh, it's the poor people, poor people in the ghetto. No, they were showing, there were people driving down with their Mercedes-Benz coming from the suburbs. Everybody was there.

Of course, the people in the Mercedes, they weren't going to the supermarket, because that's where the common people are hitting supermarkets, grabbing goods and things like that. People in the Mercedes, they were going to the fur stores, grabbing minks and these expensive furs and jewelry, this is what they were going for. The whole city was involved in mass looting.

This is the most civilized country on the earth here, right? So-called, right? Democracy, civilization. And they went mad for three nights. Why? Why? Because this was the time when people felt, you can do evil and get away with it.

No policeman is going to stop you or catch you or whatever. So once that opportunity came, the little girl up there, whoever she belongs to, once the opportunity came for people to get away with bad, then there was no point in being good. No point in being good.

That's the reality. This is because there is no fear of God there. No fear of God.

Experience in Medina: The Role of Taqwa

And I know personally, when I went to study in Medina, in Medina University, I spent six years there in Medina. And when I first got there, and I used to see these policemen in Medina, and you know in Medina, when the time for prayer comes, they would close up all the stores, and people would have jewelry stores and that. You'd see gold and silver, and people would just put a piece of cloth over it and go and pray.

Something of course, which you try to do that in any western city, your store is finished in a minute. You'd see people walking out of the bank with plastic bags filled with money. I mean, you try to do that in New York City or Chicago or Toronto, you get a few steps out of the door and somebody has knocked you down and got your money already, right?

And I was shocked to see the policemen there, they looked like cubs, cub scouts. Not even boy scouts, but cub scouts. Little guys. Big guns, you know.

And the gun, you'd see they had paper stuffed in the barrel of the gun to make sure dust didn't come in, right? They would catch somebody, something happened, they had to take away the criminal. The criminal was a big guy, you'd see him, like a little boy walking away with him, and he would just go.

And the sense of security, security that I experienced there, and many westerners that I've known who've lived there have expressed that. They felt a sense of security there which they never feel in the West.

During the Gulf War, same thing. I was involved in those who were giving da'wah to the American troops after the Gulf War for five and a half months before they were all processed out of the country.

Alhamdulillah, more than 3,000 of them accepted Islam. In Dammam, in the one area where I was. This is documented, not just rumors spreading.

I put their names on computer and sent it to the states to help to follow up for them. The point is many of them have told me that this is what they experienced because they would come in from maneuvers, they'd come in late at night. 11 o'clock, 12 o'clock at night, 1 o'clock, 2 o'clock, 3 o'clock, they would be walking the streets.

And the stores stayed open knowing that so many of these people were there. And they would be walking the streets at 2 o'clock, 3 o'clock in the morning, and they didn't feel scared. Because there were men among them, and men, and there was a number of female troops there too.

And they expressed to me this sense of security. I mean, normally you go into the middle of the city, any of the big cities in America, past 10 o'clock, 11 o'clock, you're walking the streets by yourself. You'd be walking and always checking your back all the time.

You don't feel, there's no sense of security there. But they experienced it. It's one of the things which caused them to really question, you know, what is it that has made the society this way?

So, it is that sense, that sense of taqwa, even though, and it's not to say, Saudi Arabia was the example, the perfect example of Islam and practicing, but Islam is being implemented there more so than in many other places, and it had that effect on the society.

And don't think that, oh, that's just the way things are in Arabia and how it was. No. You go and read the stories of the travelers in Arabia in the early days, people used to come for Hajj, and they had to be, you know, gunmen with their caravans to make sure that raiders wouldn't come and catch them and put them into slavery.

And yeah, it was dangerous. It was dangerous. It was like the Wild West.

There, you know, in times past. But with the changeover, with the establishment of Sharia as the law of the country, you know, applying the law, etc. across the world, and, you know, promotion of Islam in the society, education of the society towards Islam, etc.

It had this, you know, major impact on the society. And again, as I said, it is ultimately in the Taqwa which is at the core of it.

Prohibition of Alcohol: The Need for Taqwa

And when you look, for example, at the prohibition of alcohol, this is something which all of the major societies recognize as harmful.

And America, for 13 years, between 1920 and 1933, they prohibited alcohol. The government, prohibition, they instituted law prohibiting the production and the sale of alcohol. For 13 years.

But, it didn't work. It didn't work. Because the fear of God was not behind it.

The consciousness of God was not behind it. So, though many people, the masses of the people, were prevented from being able to consume alcohol, a criminal element developed. This is where Al Capone, you know, and the famous gangsters of that era, Al Capone was, you know, he was making like 60 odd million a year from selling illegal alcohol.

That was his business. And people, you know, who had money in the upper segments of the society, they still have access to alcohol. So, it didn't work.

Whereas, Muslims internationally, not to say that it's the case of all Muslims, because there are Muslims who drink and these things too, but, as a whole, without the pressure of law, etc., etc., you do find that the mass of Muslims don't drink. They don't drink. Why? Because of this consciousness of God.

It has to do with the consciousness of God. And this is what the fast focuses on. Developing that consciousness.

We have it to different levels, you know, having been raised, or having come into Islam, having been raised as Muslim, whatever, there is a degree of it. I mean, but, unfortunately, in the mass of Muslim countries, that degree is very, very small. And this is what I wanted us to reflect on this evening.

Self-Reflection: Are We Growing?

To what degree are we really working on this, in our fasts? When we look back at last Ramadan, and the Ramadan before that, can we see any kind of progression? Or is it just the same thing every year? We did it last year, we did it the year before, and before, and before. It's just an occurrence that happens in our lives every year. This is the thing that we need to reflect on.

Because if, if the issues of taqwa were being developed, were being focused on, then we should be growing from Ramadan to Ramadan. There should be a progressive growth in our spirituality, in our character, etc. But if we look at ourselves, and ask ourselves seriously, has there been a growth? Do we feel a change? Then we have to admit, that really, it's just the same old, same old, as they say.

It's the same thing we're doing each year. So, we need to, again, reflect on the goals, and the purposes of Ramadan. And find out, what is missing? Well, we know it is something to do with the taqwa, but what is

missing, which is not allowing taqwa to take its rightful place in our fast? That our taqwa, our fear of Allah, our consciousness of Allah, is not increasing.

We are not growing with each Ramadan. What is missing?

The Answer: Returning to the Sunnah

What I think, from my observance, in looking at the mode, and the method of fasting, I feel, that to a large degree, we are far away from the sunnah of the Messenger of Allah. This is the answer. Whenever, Muslims go astray, it will be because, they have left the sunnah of the Messenger of Allah.

Because his sunnah, is the way. If we are holding on firmly to that sunnah, then we will be on the right path. We will be getting from the fast, what Allah has prescribed for us.

Now, if we look, at the sunnah, of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), in his fast, we find that, he used to begin the fast, suhoor, and he emphasized suhoor, don't miss it. Even if he is only drinking a glass of water, don't miss it. He used to, begin the fast, with some olives, some bread, you know, barley bread or whatever.

Something very light. And when he broke the fast, he broke the fast, with three dates, drank some water, he went to pray, and following that, he would have a moderate meal. A moderate meal.

You can't gain weight in Ramadan doing that. So, for us to be gaining weight, then it means we are not doing that.

Our Modern Fasting Practices

What we find, is that the tradition, is when we begin the fast, because we know we are going to be fasting for the next so many hours, we don't want to feel hungry.

So, we prepare three course meals. You know, we are going into the fast, eating, you know, half a chicken, and, you know, some, you know, a leg of goat and rice, and, you know, biryani, or whatever, you know, kabsha, whatever, we are just, we just tank up going in.

And what happens, of course, is that our systems, you know, overloaded, and I notice, in the Emirates where I am, you will always see before Ramadan comes, warnings from the doctors, right? To the population, you know, to control their eating.

Don't overeat, because so many people are coming in to the hospitals with problems from overeating, Ramadan. So, the point is that people, you know, tank up, they go into the fast, what is happening is that the system is just, you know, is taking time to digest this, you find that it is working all the way through the day, maybe only about

an hour before sunset, it finally finishes work, then you have sunset coming, ah, mashallah, time to break the fast.

And then when the time comes to break the fast, instead of three dates, you know, some water, you know, or some juice, whatever, and going to pray, we pile up in front of ourselves, you know, all these foods, you know, the stuff, very rich stuff, with all the sugar, and, you know, calories, and, you know, we pile up, and we eat, and eat, and eat, and we eat, and we eat, until, you know, you reach the point, you say, you feel something stuck in your throat, you eat it, you can't put any more down, right?

That's when you finally have to stop, stop when you reach that point. And of course, when we go to stand for taraweeh, you know, in this state, right, when your stomach is open like this, you know, you're tired, you get sleepy, you know, you can hardly stay up with your naam, and you're looking at your watch, hurry up and finish, you know, and of course, in this way, we gain weight. This is how we gain weight in Ramadan. Because we're not following the sunnah.

We're not following the sunnah.

Control Over Eating: The Real Test

So, the fast, which on one hand, is to develop a sense of control over our eating habits, eating, drinking habits. The sense of control isn't there.

Yes, we're not fasting during the daylight hours, but the real test of control is at the time of the breaking of the fast. This is the time that we're being tested. Have we gained control? Have we learned control? Are we in control? The reality is we're not.

Because as soon as that adhan goes, we just let all the reins loose, and we're just going for it. There's no control there. There is no control.

And when you consider that Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) had said, that the believer eats as if he has one stomach, and the disbeliever as if he has seven, based on that criteria, if we were to judge the Muslims today, in their fasting, their breaking of the fast, we would have to say, the Muslims are disbelievers. We're not eating as if we had one stomach.

And he said, that we should eat a third, drink a third, and leave a third for breathing. Leave a third for breathing, meaning, that you never fill your stomach. Ameen Evans can say, that we have gone a day, without filling our stomachs.

Every time we eat, we eat to our fill. This is the norm. This is the way that we eat. But this is not from the sunnah.

The Stomach: Source of Most Illnesses

And the Prophet (peace be upon him) had said, that the worst vessel, the worst container, that a person can fill, is his or her stomach. It's the worst container to fill.

And he had identified the stomach, as the source of most illnesses. And this is what is medically been shown.

Most of the sicknesses and illnesses, that people suffer today, can be traced back, to their eating habits.

Back to the stomach. And when he spoke of the signs, of the last day, he spoke of things to come, that would happen amongst Muslims. Whether it is, that they will drink alcohol, calling it by other than its name, take interest, and call it a different name. He's talking about different things.

In Sahih Bukhari, you find him saying:

"There will appear, among them, among the Muslims, big fat people, patties, sores, fat people."

Not people who have glandular problems, who normally, you know, doesn't matter, he eats a little bit, he's still getting fat anyway. Nobody is held to blame for that.

But, that Muslims would be known, to be fat. They would appear amongst the many. Meaning that you go back in time, you know, the early Muslims of that, you will not see that.

It was not the norm. It was not the norm. Today, it's the norm.

You know. And unfortunately, you will find amongst, you know, the religious leaders, the shiur, khans, you see that, it's normal. You see the chef, chef means big, fat guy.

He comes to get you. This is the norm. But this was not the way.

This was not the way of the Muslims. The early Muslims is not known. Because, this overeating is, indicative of something.

It's indicative, of a lifestyle, which is not in keeping, with the Sunnah. The way of the Prophet Muhammad, you know. Where we eat enough, to keep your back straight, as he would say.

You know. Well, to keep your back straight. You're not bent over from hunger.

Experiencing Hunger: Developing Empathy

This was the way. By, maintaining, this, light meal coming into the fast, moderate meal coming out of the fast. A person then, experiences hunger.

Meaning that, in each day of fasting, he or she, will feel hungry. Unfortunately, today for us, we don't want to feel hungry. This is why we're eating so much.

We don't want to feel hungry. And I remember that. People used to tell me, when I first came into Islam, first year of fasting, they'd ask, how's the fast going, you know, you're a new Muslim, how's the fast going? Difficult, you know.

There's hunger, I'm not really used to it. They said, you don't feel hungry. It's because you're a new Muslim.

Eventually, you'll learn. We Muslims, we don't feel hungry right now. The whole issue of hunger is lost.

People don't want to feel hungry. But the thing is that, feeling hungry, is a part of fasting. We should feel hungry every day.

We should feel pans of hunger. Why? Because, in that hunger, feeling that hunger, it reminds us of those, who are hungry, not because they've chosen to fast, but because they have no food to eat. And this should then motivate us, to be generous, to seek out those who are needy, and to help them.

And this is why, we have Eid al-Fitr. The celebration for breaking the fast, is one of feeding the poor. This is what is supposed to be generated.

This is part of, what is generated from the fast. And empathy or sympathy for those people, who are needy, and generosity. This characteristic, should be developed, in the course of fasting.

Overeating: A Reflection of Attachment to Dunya

But unfortunately, we have missed it. And, we're not considering that, the fast, somebody may say to us, So what if I eat, you know, extra? You know, how does that really affect my faith? And okay, maybe I'm not complying with the, letter of the law for the fast, but you know, my faith, I'm still okay.

The reality, is that, this, attitude of overeating, is indicative, of an attitude towards the dunya.

You know, when you really get down to it, this desire to eat, the way we're eating, is an expression of our, general desire towards the dunya. We want to grab as much of it as we can. Because really, you know, this habit, when you look at our habits, they're all interrelated.

You're not going to be uncontrolled, in your eating habits, and uncontrolled in your other habits. No. It means, that we're uncontrolled in general.

"The mutual rivalry for piling up (the good things of this world) diverts you."

We've forgotten this verse. That, this desire to want to grab, as much of the dunya as possible, has caused them, to be unaware, of the purpose of this life. That this is, what is happening in our lives.

That our love for the dunya, our desire to want to get, as much of the dunya as possible, this is overwhelming our lives. And naturally, how can one, be spiritual in the midst of all that? Where's the role of spirituality in that? Spirituality only develops, what is called, Zuhud. Zuhud, is abstinence.

Control. Taking from the dunya, what we need. Not trying to get all of it.

The Loss of Jihad and Sacrifice

But this is what has happened to Muslims. And so, Muslims will suffer in different parts of the world, whether it's in Chechnya, or it's in Bosnia, or it's in Burma, or in Kashmir, or Somalia, or whatever. Wherever Muslims suffer, we don't find the rest of the Muslim world, rising to their aid.

Sacrificing, putting aside the dunya, and coming to their aid, to fight alongside them, in defense of Muslim lives, and Muslim property. Jihad is lost amongst us. The only jihad we heard, was when Saddam, when the Americans were coming for Saddam, and all of a sudden, he was talking about jihad.

It's a joke, in the Muslim world. Jihad is seen as a political statement, that leaders will say to promote their cause. It doesn't have the meaning that it had, in the times past, when Muslims were practicing in the ummah strong.

Fasting: A Way of Life

So we have to look at this fast, and its implications, because when we speak of taqwa, when we speak of generosity, control, moderation, this is not something unique to Ramadan. This is something which should be throughout our lives. This is why I entitled this presentation, Fasting, A Way of Life.

And we can see that, from Prophet Muhammad's instructions to us, after Ramadan, to fast 6 days of shawwal, that it has the reward, as long as Ramadan is fasting the whole year. He used to fast Mondays and Thursdays, 3 days of the lunar month, 13th, 14th, 15th, certain days in the year, Arafah, Ashura, etc., throughout the year, then different days he fasted also. So that encouragement is fasting, continues throughout the year.

Reminding us that fasting, as I said, is a way of life, and it should be helping us to grow.

Inner Aspect of Fasting: Controlling Speech

But there is an aspect of the fast, that we should also reflect on. And that is the inner aspect, with regards to how

we communicate, how we interact with other people.

Because we live in societies, and as such, what you find is that, it's the norm, that people discuss other people, their business, and I mean, we sit down with conversations, much of our conversation is involved in talking about other people. Did you hear what so-and-so did? Did you see what so-and-so was doing?

So, a lot of talking about people. And we find, from the Prophet's (peace be upon him) statements, with regards to fasting, that he said, a person, who doesn't abandon lies and acting on them, during Ramadan, Allah will not reward his leaving food and drink.

Allah has no need for this. There is no reward for it.

"Whoever does not abandon falsehood in speech and action, Allah has no need that he should leave his food and drink." (Sahih al-Bukhari)

Reference: Sahih al-Bukhari

That, in Ramadan, we are not supposed to be talking about people, spreading rumors about people, gossiping, backbiting, all of these kind of things. It destroys the value of the fast.

So we end up, as the Prophet (peace be upon him) had said:

"Perhaps a fasting person will gain nothing from his fast, but hunger. And perhaps the one who stands up at night for prayer will get nothing but tiredness."

And without this control, this psychological aspects of the fasting, where we gain control over what is coming out of our mouths. Because we think the fast is what is going in.

You prevent things from coming in your mouth. But actually, fasting involves preventing things from coming out of our mouths also. Very, very important part of fasting.

But this control, if it is not there, it destroys the fast. It destroys the fast, destroys the value and reward from fasting. And this is something which we need throughout the year.

The Importance of Guarding the Tongue

We need it throughout the year. As the Prophet (peace be upon him) told us, whoever fears Allah on the last day:

"Should either speak good or be silent."

Beware of what we say. Because as he said also, perhaps a person may say something, which they think it's very small, it's nothing. But to Allah it is something great. And Allah lights it against this individual, and he goes to hell because of it.

And when we consider, to some degree, there are elements amongst us, who have not restrained their tongues from speaking about others. To the point, where they have even spoken against the scholars etc. Scholars of Islam.

We can see that, the essence of the fast is missing. The spirituality which should be gained from the fast is missing. So, they become shells.

Externally, they appear to be practicing Islam, their fast and so and so. But internally, there is a vacuum there. So they don't feel any kind of ill or any kind of reservation to want to stop themselves from speaking about others.

Rumors. Spreading gossip. Considering that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:

"That the gossiper, the one who is constantly spreading gossip, would not enter paradise."

So severe. So critical. But we find Muslims very keen, very anxious, to talk about the honor of their fellow Muslim.

He is a this, he is a that. He does this, he does that. She does this, she does that.

Ramadan: An Opportunity for Change

By the fast being destroyed, our whole lives are being destroyed. Taqwa is missing. We are not gaining it.

And the fast going from Ramadan to Ramadan is not giving us any of the blessings which the Prophet (peace be upon him) spoke about. When he said that from one fast to the next, from one Ramadan to the next, erases sins in between. The kind of fast that we are doing erases no sin.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, when Ramadan comes, the doors of paradise are open. That meaning a chance to do good deeds which will take us to paradise is there. Allah has given us this chance.

But we pass Ramadan through, we have not taken anything from it. And we don't take that opportunity. So much so, that we have amongst us today, the phenomena of what they call the Ramadan Muslim.

Misconception: Jumaatul Wida'a

And I remember, being introduced to another concept, which was called, Jumaatul Wida'a. Jumaatul Wida'a. What is Jumaatul Wida'a? I had never heard about it before.

This sister from Pakistan told me about it. She said, Jumaatul Wida'a, I knew of Hajj, Hijjatul Wida'a, the farewell pilgrimage of the Prophet (peace be upon him). We have Tawaful Wida'a, the farewell Tawaf when you are making Hajj, or Umrah before you leave Mecca. But Jumaatul Wida'a, she said, well this Jumaatul Wida'a, as she had been told, was the last Juma'a in Ramadan.

That if you catch that last Juma'a in Ramadan, it makes up for the whole year of prayers. Of course I had to tell her, of course there is no such thing. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) never spoke of such a thing.

No Jumaatul Wida'a. The last Friday of Ramadan is like any Friday. It has no special blessings in that sense.

Laylatul Qadr: Not a Free Pass

Then of course, for those who weren't caught up in Jumaatul Wida'a, for them, there is Laylatul Qadr. Ok, we have Laylatul Qadr. It's worth a thousand months of worship.

But this is true. This is true, this is fact. This is in the Quran.

Laylatul Qadr is better than a thousand months. And they took out their calculators, you know, the calculators, 83.3 years of worship, if you catch Laylatul Qadr. So maybe they don't pray through Ramadan, they just wait for the 27th, this is the night, I will stay up all night in prayer to catch this Laylatul Qadr, for the life.

But of course, we don't know what night Laylatul Qadr is. The Prophet (peace be upon him) informed us, you know, you can seek it in the last ten. It's not precise.

We don't know. But it varies from year to year, it can vary from year to year. And even you think, you are on that night, the 27th, but maybe you start to be fast a day early, or a day late.

And, it's not the night you thought. So, it's not precise that one night you can catch it. And in any case, if you have not been praying all year long, what kind of prayer are you going to make that night? What kind of prayer can we make that night?

A Call to Change

So, I think, we need to stop for a minute. We are still in the beginnings of Ramadan.

We need to stop for a minute, and question ourselves. If this is the fact, if what I have been saying is the reality, we are all living it, then, we need to stop here and say, let me not make the rest of Ramadan the way it's been. Let me change it.

Because we can change. We are not locked as robots into a particular program where we can't change. We cannot, you know, do it in another way.

Alhamdulillah, we have free will. We know what is right. We've been reminded of what is right.

Then we can do it. So, I would hope, inshallah, that all of you, and myself, would make a new step. Starting tomorrow, for the rest of this month, month of fasting, that we would try to change and go back to the sunnah.

To do it in the way of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).

Ramadan and the Quran

And this month, because when we look at why it is that Allah chose this month for fasting, we find Allah tells us in the Quran, that this is the month in which the Quran was revealed. Clear guidance for people.

This is the blessed month, not the holy month. These people call this the holy month of Ramadan. Like the Holy Prophet, and the Holy Quran.

Please, this terminology is Christian terminology. We have the Holy Bible, that's their thing. We don't have any Holy Quran.

We have the Quran Al-Kareem, the Noble Quran, Al-Quran Al-Azeem, the Magnificent Quran. We have these terms. We never have, hear the Prophet (peace be upon him), or hear Allah say, Al-Quran Al-Muqaddas.

Al-Arda Al-Muqaddasa, talking about Palestine, Jerusalem. But no, Quran no. No Holy Quran, no Holy Prophet, no Holy Ramadan.

Please, let us stop this. It's something we have picked up from colonial times, when we were ruled by our colonial masters, and they were talking about their Holy Bible. We wanted to have something holy also, so we made a Holy Quran and a Holy Ramadan.

But the point is that, this month, this month of fasting, chosen by Allah, in honor of the revelation of the Quran. And this is a reminder for us, that the Quran should be the foundation of our lives. Not the book that we keep on the highest shelf, that we take down during Ramadan, we blow off the dust, and we sit to read it during Ramadan, and we put it back on the shelf for the rest of the year.

No. This book, is the book of guidance for us. That we should be reading on a regular basis.

We should be memorizing from the Quran. We should be learning Tajweed, to recite it correctly. We should be learning the meanings, reflecting on the meanings.

When we read the Quran, it should not be just ritualistically, you know, as it has become amongst us. If we were taught to read the Quran, khatm al-Quran, or whatever, as children. So now we read the Quran, we just, you know, our minds can be elsewhere, doing all kinds of other things, and you know, planning for breaking the fast, and the foods, and all the things like that.

So our lips are going through the motions of reading the Quran. This is not the reading of Quran. Allah asks us:

"Or, are our hearts sealed up?" (Quran 47:24)

Quran is recited to them, when they are taught to read the Quran. Their hearts become softened. Many of us, we have lost this. There is no softness to our hearts.

The Quran: A Cure for the Heart

The Quran is not touching us, it is not moving us. It's not moving us to tears. The only time we cry, you know, is when our team loses, you know, in a cricket game, or soccer, or something.

This is when tears come down our eyes. You know, how could the team lose? But, for the sake of Allah, how many of us experience that in our lives? Tears coming to our eyes, when we reflect on the Quran, when we reflect on Allah, when we reflect on our sins, and our position.

Where is our humility before Allah? The reading of the Quran in this month is supposed to help us to develop this.

Quran should be a foundation. Without that, then the hearts really, our hearts become hardened. This is why we don't have any difficulty in speaking about other people.

You know, defaming people, dishonoring people. We don't have a problem with it, because our hearts have become, no longer plays a major role in our lives.

So, what happens, unfortunately, you'll find people will come into Islam newly, and instead of people sitting them down, teaching them the Quran, memorize the Quran, so you can use it in your prayers, and learn Tajweed, read the Quran regularly, so on, so on, so on.

Person comes into Islam, and you find people will be drawing them aside, and telling them things. You know, either, watch out for so on, so on, so on, so on, so on. You know, he is no good.

You know, don't listen to his khutbas. Don't read his books. Don't listen to his tapes.

You know, so the person from, he's just coming to Islam, and now he's, you know, he's knowing, this sheikh is no good. That sheikh is no good. This one is no good.

He becomes an expert on defining who is good and who is not, the sheikhs and who has knowledge, but you ask him, Brother, you learned how to read Quran yet? Oh, no, no, no. In sha Allah. He's become an expert, you know what they call, al-jarah wal ta'dil.

You know, he knows now, he's a specialist, in identifying the good, the specialists. Foundation is completely missing. But, there he is talking about people.

And he will speak about, you know, people who may be among the awliya of Allah. He will say statements, and he will point fingers at people. When you go and see these people, and see them in their own practice of the deen, et cetera, et cetera.

You know, these people may very well be among the awliya of Allah. Those close friends of Allah, that Allah calls his awliya. About whom he said, that if someone harms one of my awliya, I declare war against him or her.

They're bringing upon themselves the war, unleashed by Allah on them. Instead of focusing on the foundation of the deen. Building that foundation, learning, establishing that connection with the Quran.

Which is guidance. Which has in it, as Allah says, a shifa, lima fi sudur. A cure for what is in the hearts.

What is in the chest, the feelings, the illnesses, our psychological, our spiritual illnesses. The cure is there in the Quran. But we are not taking it.

Saving Ramadan for Ourselves

Ramadan goes, and the Quran goes. We need to get back in touch with our Ramadan. We need to save Ramadan for ourselves, for our own sake.

Because Allah has no need for our fasts. Ramadan does not benefit Allah in any way. Ramadan was prescribed for our benefit.

If we want it, if we want to grow, if we want Islam to have meaning in our lives, then we must establish it in Ramadan. Because Ramadan is the mini, we can say condensed element of Islam. It's been condensed down into Ramadan, packaged in a very tight package.

Where we have a requirement, all the various things that we have to do throughout the year, it's focused here in Ramadan. If we can't make it in Ramadan, then we are not making it any other time. So we need to re-establish our connection with Ramadan.

And in that way, Ramadan becomes, fasting becomes for us, a way of life, a way of living. It will affect all of our actions, we will grow spiritually, we can feel, we will feel something. We'll come out of Ramadan feeling refreshed.

We will long for the next Ramadan, as the Sahaba were described. They used to long for Ramadan. But we don't have that longing.

If we do, it's just the longing for the sweets and whatever. But longing for Ramadan as Ramadan, we've lost it.

Closing Dua

So I pray that Allah would put in our hearts, a desire to make Ramadan real in our lives.

That we would spend some time, in the morning, in the evening, in the time when we are breaking our fast. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said that the dua which is made, at the time of the breaking of the fast, is a dua which is guaranteed an answer. That's a must, we don't need to break our fast again, let's just eat.

No dua, nothing, if we manage to get it out, you know, Allahumma lakasultu, or the more accurate one, you know, dhahab al-dhama wa abtallat al-uruq. If we manage to get this dua out, that's it, we're eating. The dua.

The dua, ask Allah. I hope and I pray that Allah would give us the tawfiq, to ask, use these opportunities, for special blessings from Allah, in Ramadan, to transform our Ramadan, into a religious duty, with consequence in our lives. Which would make us better human beings, better Muslims, and deserving of Allah's mercy, and deserving ultimately of Paradise.