Ramadan The Month of Salvation with Sh Mohammed Faaqih

Ramadan: The Month of Salvation

Speaker: Sheikh Mohammed Faqih

Opening Greetings

(السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ - as-salāmu ʿalaykum wa-raḥmatu-llāhi wa-barakātuh)

(السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ - as-salāmu ʿalaykum)

(بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ وَالصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ - bismillāhi al-ḥamdu lillāhi wa-ṣ-ṣalātu wa-s-salāmu ʿalā rasūli-llāh)

Introduction

Can we have the headset? Bismillah alhamdulillah wa salatu wa salamu ala rasulillah. I apologize for the issues that we're having with the sound system. Until we get the headset, I'm going to begin inshallah.

I'm going to divide this session into three sections. First section, I'm going to talk about what a day in Ramadan, and how you can maximize your benefits from the month of Ramadan. The idea is that the month of Ramadan has some objectives, and one of the primary objectives of the month of Ramadan is to attain or to achieve emancipation from hellfire or salvation.

At the end of the month of Ramadan, the Prophet told us that Allah Azza wa Jal frees people from hellfire. So, in the light of what we were told in the Quran of the month of Ramadan, or fasting in the month of Ramadan was the completion of the fasting of the 30 days or the 29 days, whatever the amount of days we have in a month, in a lunar month, are exactly... As-salamu alaykum. I think this is better.

So, in the light of two objectives or two values that the Quran highlights in the beginning of the verses that talk about fasting, so what a day should look like, what are the two things that we should begin our day, or the one thing that we should begin, or the two things that we should begin our day with and maintain or attain by the end of each day. So, there are two, I don't know how to refer to them, other than two beautiful elements and values that the Quran wants us to attain that are mentioned in the verses of fasting. So, number one, we're going to be talking about what a day should look like.

Number two, the second section is going to be specific advice to the believing women. And number three is going to be an open Q&A session. So, let's begin.

Section One: What a Day in Ramadan Should Look Like

The Purpose of Ramadan

The month of Ramadan for some people is time for change. And transformation. And reformation.

However you want to see. So, it's time for change. And there is some change that comes automatically with the month of Ramadan.

Immediately, as soon as the month is announced, we immediately notice that change. There's a change that takes place. Even if it's not at a deeper level, but there is some superficial change that takes place.

In the schedule, in the way we approach everything. Almost everything in the month of Ramadan. So, this is one objective that some people have.

For some people, the month of Ramadan is not about change. Or, in addition to being about change, there may be another objective for them. It may be about renewal, to rejuvenate, to recharge, to get a boost.

They feel like, Alhamdulillah, I've been doing fine. But the month of Ramadan comes and gives me a spiritual boost. Now, for some people, the month of Ramadan may be just an experience.

Something to celebrate. And something to be part of. And to live.

So, they may be much more about the celebration of the month. It's like, how do I celebrate the month of Ramadan? It's all about celebration, it's about events and activities. And filling their schedule with things to do in the month of Ramadan.

Keeping busy in the month of Ramadan. Just how you keep busy in the month of Ramadan. You may even have people who have already decided what kind of entertainment they're going to be enjoying in the month of Ramadan.

It just helps me get by. So, I'm not going to talk about that third type. As much as I'm tempted to do so.

But I'm not going to talk about that. All I'm going to say is, I don't want to say I'm guilty of it, but I've done this before. But I feel like, Subhanallah, the more you experience Ramadan, the more you realize that it's really a precious, unique opportunity and privilege.

And that you should take advantage of every moment. It's just one month. 700, how many hours? Do math for me, quickly.

I should have not even said 700. Come on. 700 what? 720 hours.

Did you calculate it? Come on, dude. 24 times 30. So, 720 hours max.

That's all you're going to have. That's not a lot, to be honest with you. So, every moment of the month of Ramadan counts.

So, I'm not going to talk about how we should. As a matter of fact, I'm going to dismiss that third option. Again, for the people who say, how do I celebrate the month of Ramadan? How can I enjoy the month of Ramadan? Because if you connect spiritually with the month of Ramadan, you're going to enjoy it.

But you're not going to enjoy it from day one. It's like a cumulative. Every time you look back at what you have accomplished, you're going to enjoy it more.

So, after a week, when you look back at how much Quran, for instance, you read. Or how many nights. The fact that you were able to pray Taraweeh or maintain your schedule for seven days.

That's when you get a sense of accomplishment. So, we're going to talk about, in the light of the other two objectives. Objective number one being, month of Ramadan is time for reform, change.

Just bringing something out of you that you didn't realize you had. And a boost. So, if you're doing something, you don't want to give it up.

Let's say you have a daily schedule that has been working for you throughout the year. Let's say when it comes to reading Quran. You don't have to change it. You just have to boost it.

The Two Primary Objectives from the Quran

So, when we look at the verses that talk about fasting. What do they say? I mean, what is the objective of fasting? Allah does not leave that up to us.

I know, again, we have our own individual, specific goals that we want to achieve in the month of Ramadan. But the primary objectives. Why did Allah, Azawajal, told us to fast? And what is the objective of fasting the entire month of Ramadan? There are two that stand out in the verses that talk about fasting.

First Objective: Taqwa

Number one, in the first verse, verse 183, Allah, Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala says:

The reason Allah, Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala told us, ordered us to fast is that we may attain taqwa. Not experience taqwa, but attain taqwa. Get it.

Get taqwa and master it. Or live it. We may not be able to master it in one Ramadan.

We may need multiple Ramadans. But get taqwa, practice it, attain taqwa, be a muttaqi. That's what Ramadan was meant for.

That's objective number one.

Second Objective: Gratitude

At the end of the verses that talk about the month of Ramadan, Allah, Azawajal, mentions another objective. The reason Allah, Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala told us to fast the month of Ramadan and make sure that we fulfill our obligation that we fast the whole month, Allah, Azawajal, says:

This in and of itself is an objective.

So two things, Allah, Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala, that we must attain in the month of Ramadan in order for us to, you know, if you don't, if you don't fulfill these two objectives, if you don't live this, then, you know, there is something wrong with the way you practice fasting in the month of Ramadan.

Two things:

1. تَتَّقُونَ - Taqwa being mindful of Allah, Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala, being mindful of Allah, Azawajal, mindfulness.

2. تَشْكُرُونَ - And expressing gratitude and realizing how fortunate, you know.

The Importance of Gratitude

You know, someone asked me not too long ago, someone asked me in a gathering that we had, what do you fear most for the ummah, for the community, for yourself, for your family? You know, the one thing that I really, really fear, in addition to being ungrateful to Allah, I mean denying Allah's existence or not believing in Allah, the one thing that I fear most is being ungrateful and taking God's blessings upon us for granted.

Right? We, our generation, our time, we are the most privileged, right? As far as I know, right? Comparing myself to what my, you know, I caught some of my grandparents, right? And my parents.

Compared to those people who would have been right now, like in their, like, you know, my grandfather would have been, you know, he would have been like 120, 130 years old. So I caught these people, and I used to love to sit with them and talk, you know. What we have, the privileges, the freedoms, the resources, the technology, what we have now, no generation before us had it.

And by the way, this is not going, you know, some of us were thinking, yeah, inshallah, one day we're going to conquer another planet. We can't even take care of our own planet. We're not going to go conquer another planet.

I'm telling you, this is going to be it. Right? And even, I'm not very optimistic when it comes to saving the planet, by the way. Right? So, you know, enjoy it while you have it.

I don't even know if our kids are going to have what we had. Maybe they will have something a little better, maybe much more better. But at some point, our children, our grandchildren, our great-grandchildren, this earth is going to run out of what resource? With the way we're going, by the way.

You know, as a matter of fact, there are many predictions that, you know, maybe in a matter of decades it's going to be, we're going to just deplete everything. So allahu a'lam, that's in the hands of Allah azza wa jal. You know, some scientists and philosophers say, no, this is just, you know, left-wing, extreme, you know, radical, socialist agendas.

But allahu ta'ala a'lam. It's not going to last. We know that it's not going to last.

We were told that there's an end to this world of ours. So my point is that we, I feel that we have, we're the most privileged. Right? So we have to be thankful to Allah subhana wa ta'ala.

Yet we complain a lot. We're not, I remember them, you know, doing things that we can't, I can't imagine doing. Let me just ask.

Can you, I'm not going to even say, can you imagine living for a whole year without a cell phone? Can you imagine not having a refrigerator? Imagine not having a refrigerator. Just imagine that. I don't.

I live this. Like I actually, you know, I've been to places where they don't have a refrigerator. Fresh food, every single meal has to be something fresh.

Every single meal. You can't save anything. That's it.

If you have any extra or any leftover, if you don't eat it by, you know, the next meal, you need to share it with your neighbors or something like that. Otherwise you have no place to store it. No running water.

No running water. Right? So we are, we are blessed. Allah Ta'ala tells us:

So if we get into the month of Ramadan and we don't experience shukr and gratitude and realize how blessed we are, then something is missing in our fasting.

Eliminating Distractions

So keep these two things in mind. Taqwa, being mindful of Allah Azza wa Jal, which requires that you get rid of all distractions because taqwa means, again, mindfulness. Mindfulness requires getting rid of distractions, not adding more distractions.

That's why I said, you know, I think we should cut down on entertainment, social media, and any of these unnecessary tools that we have that are distracting us. Some people say, well, I need to kill time because I'm fasting. No, you don't.

You want to live it. You want to experience it. So try to get rid of distractions.

This is something that I vowed I'm going to do. I know it's going to be very difficult. It's not going to be easy, especially social media, but starting tomorrow night, inshallah ta'ala, I'm going offline, inshallah azza wa jal, when it comes to social media.

Now, what is social media? Is WhatsApp part of it or not? I'm just going to keep WhatsApp just to be able to communicate with the volunteers on social media for me, not even Venmo, you know. Huh? Yeah, yeah.

Actually, that's what I'm doing.

I'm just going to have, you know, like two or three groups that I have to communicate with, and then everything else is going to be. Can you mute? You can mute things, right? Just mute it, and that's it. No more distractions.

Month of Ramadan, inshallah ta'ala, is going to be about connecting with Allah, inshallah ta'ala.

The Structure of a Day in Ramadan

So what should a day in Ramadan look like? Right? Or what can a day in Ramadan look like in order for us, you know. Remember that, and I'm sure Sheikh Mustafa covered this last week.

Today we're not going to be talking about technical fiqh aspects. We're just going to be talking about the spiritual aspects. Remember that when it comes to the month of Ramadan, it begins the night before, it's expected to be Sunday.

There's no possibility that it's going to be Saturday. So starting from Sunday evening, after sunset, your Ramadan has officially began. Right? And you should make your intention to fast on Monday, inshallah ta'ala, that night, right? You know, don't wait until like Monday morning.

You wake up Monday morning, you're like, oh yeah, it is Ramadan. Okay, inshallah, I guess I'm going to listen from the night before or at least before fajr. So make sure that, you know, that night you begin with maghrib prayer on time.

If you can do it in jama'a, whether it's at home or at the closest masjid to you. You know, some people wait until taraweeh, but begin with maghrib, inshallah, and begin with a tawbah, repentance to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala between you and Allah azawajal, you know, privately. Turn back to Allah and ask Allah for guidance and strength and inspiration in the month of Ramadan and begin reading your Quran, you know, from Sunday night, inshallah.

Begin with your Ramadan schedule. As a matter of fact, I was thinking to, you know, get a head start. Don't wait until the first day, right? You know, sometimes the first day can be overwhelming, especially if you haven't made, if you haven't fasted for a long time.

So start from the night before, inshallah ta'ala. Come to isha and taraweeh as early as you can. Pray your sunnah, pray your isha and your taraweeh if you can.

If you can't make it in the masjid, do it at home, even if you pray four rak'ahs. Taraweeh, by the way, doesn't have to be eight or twenty. You can pray, inshallah ta'ala, even if it's at home.

And then make sure that you commit to praying every prayer on time and or in jama'ah. Right? On time and or in jama'ah.

Fajr Prayer and the Reward of Umrah

Fajr prayer, you know, if you can, if you can do it, if you can, you know, one of the, one of the greatest acts of worship that are multiplied and highly recommended is umrah in the month of Ramadan.

Now how many people can or are planning to make umrah this Ramadan? Go to Mecca and perform umrah? Anyone? I don't know. It's open throughout the whole month. Anyone is planning to? No? Okay.

If you are, let me know, inshallah. There's something I would want you to pick from bin Dawood for me, inshallah. So, you know, guess what? You have an opportunity to get the reward of umrah every day in Ramadan.

Right? You pray fajr in jama'ah. Right? And the sisters who are praying at home. And stay, after you finish the salah, you stay in your place.

You don't move. So make sure that you make for yourself a comfortable musalla, you know. And by the way, I urge, especially, and even the brothers who pray their sunnah at home, and the sisters, I urge that you designate a spot for yourself at home to be your musalla.

Right? You don't have to go to the bathroom the next day you're next to the kitchen, you know, watching the food. Just designate a very nice place, decorated, even if it's just for the month of Ramadan. Right? Put whatever you need to put there.

Make sure that you spray whatever you need to spray. Have your rug there permanently. You don't even have to fold it.

Just designate a place for you to be your musalla. A place that you're going to just enjoy. Doing nothing, but reading Quran or remembering Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.

And guess what? By the time it's sunrise, you're almost there. Your umrah is about to be complete. All you have to do is just get up and pray two rak'ah.

And the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said that that will be the reward. You will get the reward of umrah. This is something that is available to us.

So if your work schedule allows it, do it. You can do this in Ramadan if it's a real umrah. But this is a spiritual umrah.

Allah kareem.

Three Forms of Remembrance

And take advantage of there are three types of three types of remembrances. Three forms of remembrance of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala that should be constantly like what we keep ourselves busy with.

First: Dhikr

Dhikr of Allah azawajal. Subhanallah. Any combination of these.

And there are some that are recommended by the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam that he himself used to do. Istighfar. Back home, they say:

They just repeat this all the time. So this is one dhikr.

Second: Quran

The other one is Qur'an. Just reading Qur'an. The month of Ramadan is the month of Qur'an. They said scholars of hadith and scholars of fiqh when the month of Ramadan begins they stop studying anything but the Qur'an.

They start sharing or even they start reviewing hadith. They just focus on the Qur'an. They say this is the month of Qur'an.

Read the Qur'an. It's all about the Qur'an. So number two, Qur'an.

Third: Dua

And number three, because Allah specifically at the end of the verses that talk about fasting Allah specifically mentions du'a. So it's du'a time. This is the month of du'a.

Don't waste it. Make sure that you have a du'a. You have a wish that you want to be fulfilled.

There is your opportunity. The month of Ramadan is the time to do that. Ask Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala and beg him every single day.

I know stories of people that that's where they had their breakthrough. Allah azawajal says, I listen to you. There is no interference.

I listen to you. So these three things. Remembrance of Allah, praising Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, subhanAllah, alhamdulillah, wa la ilaha illallah.

Keep yourself busy with that. Reading Qur'an whenever you have the opportunity. And by the way, just like I said, you have a designated area at home, have also a designated mushaf.

Like one mushaf that will be yours throughout the whole month. And then dua, supplication.

Daily Prayers

Dhuhr and Asr on time every day.

Try to, if you are not already used to this, try to pray your sunnahs. If you're someone who prays every single day but you're not consistent with your sunnah, make the month of Ramadan. To make most out of the month of Ramadan, make sure that you pray your sunnahs in the month of Ramadan.

Again, it's a season. These are multiplied. This is a blessed season.

You know, 720 hours, you know, maximum 30 days and it's going to be over. And again, you know, throughout the day, in the afternoon, you know, some people are busy planning and preparing for dinner or for iftar.

Word of Advice About Food

Word of advice.

The month of Ramadan, Wallahi, it's not about eating. It's not, you know. And for those of us who get preoccupied planning, preparing, you know, and especially, you know, something that is absolutely, you know, unfair and not right is for us to preoccupy our wives or mothers with just preparing food and everything and then cleaning.

This is not what the month of Ramadan is all about. Don't feel bad. If the month of Ramadan, what if you don't have samosa in the month of Ramadan?

Wallahi, I used to say this.

Some people say this and I used to say this. Not anymore. You know, how can I have Ramadan without samosa? It doesn't even feel like Ramadan without samosa.

Right? Again, you see, that's the difference between the mentality of those people who are looking for a season to reform and change and get a spiritual boost and connect and those who are looking for a season to celebrate. Right? Like, they want, you know, the festivities and it's all about, you know, being invited to iftar and having certain dishes that only appear in the month of Ramadan and certain drinks that only appear in the month of Ramadan. Let us not make Ramadan about it.

For a change, try a Ramadan without any of these things. If they're available, alhamdulillah. If they're not available, don't go out of your way.

Takalluf is not proper in these things. Right? If your closest grocery or halal store ran out of that particular, you know, dish or item that you're used to having, you don't need to drive like an hour or, you know, you don't need to go out of your way to obtain it. It's not fair.

I am guilty of wasting my time over nonsense. And these Ramadans I can't bring back. Khalas.

So let's take it back. For a change, let's make this Ramadan not about iftar and about the desserts and the sweets and, you know. Let this Ramadan be about the Quran, about Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, about our souls, you know, about attaining salvation, connecting with Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, praying for our ummah, feeling truly instead of just, you know, truly feeling with those who have less than us.

Right? Just, and let us not preoccupy ourselves or our spouses and our mothers with just preparing. So in some cases, you know, the person after preparing, you know, a big iftar, a meal for everyone, they don't have the energy to stand and pray anymore. Their back already hurts, not from qiyam al-layl but from qiyam al-matbah.

I mean, come on. Wallahi, it's not fair. And it's not acceptable.

The Time Before Maghrib

So, so the time of each period, like after Asr until Maghrib, again, something light, something that, you know:

And we should take advantage of that time. These are very precious hours between Asr and Maghrib, especially right before Maghrib. Right? That's very precious.

So for those who want to take advantage of that, prepare your date and your water an hour before Maghrib. Have it sit there and then the 15-20 minutes or at least half an hour before Maghrib, use that for dhikr and for dua. Right? Connect with Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.

Don't preoccupy. And then when it's time to break your fast, break your fast and then figure out what you want to have afterwards.

Maghrib, Isha, and Taraweeh

Maghrib and Isha, needless to say, we cover that.

The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم has said, again, whoever prays taraweeh in the month of Ramadan:

(Source Name)

His sins or her sins will be forgiven. Right? So make sure, make sure you pray taraweeh, if not in the masjid, on your own, every single night. Again, even if it's four rak'ahs.

It doesn't have to be eight rak'ahs. It doesn't have to be 45 minutes. Even if it's like 20 minutes.

Pray your taraweeh every night. Inshallah ta'ala. That's first section.

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Section Two: Advice for the Sisters

Second section is advice for the sisters. Sisters, whether you're fasting or not, the month of Ramadan is still a sacred month. Right? And also for those who may not be able, who may have some kind of illness or some kind of health condition where they can't fast.

It's still the month of Ramadan. It's still a sacred month. It's still a month of ibadah.

Right? So worshiping Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala and engaging in dhikr, reading Quran is not something that you only do when you're feeling hunger.

Right? You could have excuse to break your fast, but still maintain dhikr and ibadah and the Ramadan spirit. Right?

The Reward of Intention

And remember that a condition that you have that prevents you from doing something does not prevent you from earning the reward.

This is good news. Right? Just because you are not fasting that doesn't mean you can't earn the reward. Just because you're not praying, that doesn't mean that you're not getting the reward.

Right?

In the hadith, the Prophet ﷺ tells us that people will be rewarded based on their intention. And that's why it's very important to be in the habit of doing good deeds. Right? So that if one day for some reason you can't do them, but that used to be your lifestyle and that was your habit, you'll still be rewarded because that was you.

Right?

The Hadith About the Expedition of Tabuk

The Prophet ﷺ in a hadith, Anas ibn Malik says, when the Messenger of Allah ﷺ came back from Tabuk, the expedition of Tabuk:

The Prophet ﷺ has said, this is after they went to Tabuk for a whole month. It was a long journey. And they came back.

On their way back before they entered Medina, the Prophet ﷺ told his army and all these people that went with him and made a huge sacrifice. This was a huge sacrifice. And it was a huge accomplishment.

They came back and he wanted to remind them. He said, by the way, indeed in Medina there are people who stayed in Medina. They didn't join us on this expedition, on this journey.

They weren't with us. The Prophet ﷺ said that there isn't anything that we have done on this journey of ours. Right? Except that they were rewarded just like we were.

They were with us. They are. The Prophet ﷺ said the Companions said, while they were in Medina, they stayed in Medina and they ended up getting the same reward as we did, O Messenger of Allah.

He said, yes indeed. Because the only thing that prevented them was a valid excuse. Some of them were disabled, some of them were injured, some of them were sick, some of them were elderly, some of them were women.

So they were exempt from being part of this. But that doesn't mean that they are not going to get the reward. They were with us with their spirit in their hearts.

Had they not been excused, if they didn't have like if they, you know, these conditions that prevented them, they would have been, they would have been with us and they would have been rewarded just like us.

The Verse About Those Who Couldn't Join

There are people who came to the Prophet ﷺ before he went out to Tabuk, and they said, O Messenger of Allah, we would like to join. And the Prophet ﷺ said, I don't have:

Allah جل جلاله mentioned these poor companions, they didn't have anything.

They said, O Messenger of Allah, we want to be part of this. We want to volunteer. Do you have any place for us? And the Prophet ﷺ said, I don't have any place for you.

And they didn't say Okay. (خلاص خلاص - khalas khalas). They actually left and they were devastated. They were crying.

They said, they were really crying. They were heartbroken that they did not have anything to offer the Prophet ﷺ. This expedition was one of the toughest. A lot of people didn't join.

These individuals were upset, were disappointed that they were not able to participate. So likewise, those who have any condition. I have a family member that every time Ramadan comes, she feels guilty.

She's upset. She's diabetic. She's like, Oh my God, I wish I had. (خلاص - khalas)

You're going to get your reward. Allah knows what is in your heart even if you didn't fast. So remember that, Inshallah Ta'ala.

Maintaining Dhikr and Quran

And number two, maintain dhikr. Maintain reading Qur'an. Even if you are not praying, you can still do dhikr.

You can still read Qur'an from your memory or just to avoid, there's a controversy about holding the Mushaf. Read it from your iPad. You can still maintain reading Qur'an.

You can make dua to Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala. So remember that, Inshallah Ta'ala. And again, I don't want to get into the fiqh of qiratul Qur'ani.

So keep that in mind, Inshallah Ta'ala. This is just advice that I wanted to give the sisters.

Section Three: Questions and Answers

With that, Inshallah, I am ready for you, Inshallah, if you have any questions.

Is Dr. Marwa here? She's not here. We'll start from the sisters' side, Inshallah. We'll take two questions from the sisters, one from the brothers.

You know the sisters, sometimes when you put them on the spot, they don't have questions. But then afterwards, they have, mashallah, unlimited amount of questions. Yes, totally.

Question 1: About Repentance

Okay. When it comes to repentance, you have, Jazakallah khair for asking that question. When it comes to repentance, tawbah, tawbah has conditions to be accepted.

Right? One, you have to make sure that you have to be remorseful. The person has to be, they can't be like proud of themselves and like excited for having had the experience and the opportunity. The individual has to be genuinely remorseful for what they have done.

Number two, they have to quit or seize the action. Right? They can't be, number three, they have to be, they have to make, they have to be committed or they have to have determination not to go back to it. So they have, these are the three conditions.

This is regarding sins that are between the individual and Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. Something that has to do with, you know, like someone consumed something they are not supposed to be consuming. Right? Or engaged in an act that they were not supposed to engage.

Or they looked at something they were not supposed to be looking at. Right?

If the sin has to do with violating the rights of someone else, then there is a fourth condition added. If it has to do with someone else's wealth, someone else's honor, someone else's, you know, property or privacy.

Right? Then the individual has to redeem himself or herself and ask that person for apology, you know, for forgiveness or pay back that individual. So they have to redeem themselves and reach out to that individual and ask him for forgiveness.

So, um, and, you know, to repent from specific sins, the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam prescribed to Abu Bakr radiyallahu anhu, the following.

He said, make wudu. The best wudu you can make. And then offer two rakat that are not faruq.

Like nafila. Right? And then at the end of which you say:

O Allah, I have indeed wronged myself. Zulman kathiran. Wala yaghfiru dhunuba illa ant. And only you forgive sins.

Faghfir li. So, forgive me, O Allah. Fa innahu la yaghfiru dhunuba illa ant.

For no one except you forgives sins. And the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam said, for sure, the individual will be forgiven. So this is proper tawbah.

Question 2: About Praying Fajr Sunnah

So, yes. Sir Rachel, yes. Yes.

So, you get up, you know, in time to pray your fajr. You pray the sunnah for fajr. By the way, the sunnah, the two rakat before fajr are so important.

So much so that the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam prayed them. Even when he was traveling. You know, when the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam traveled, he did not pray the sunnahs.

Except two. Fajr and Witr. The two rakat before fajr and the Witr at the end of the night.

These are two that he did not stop praying, even when he was traveling. There was one incident where the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam told Bilal to wake him up for fajr. And Bilal overslept.

So did the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam in the entire camp. And they woke up, like the sun rays, right? Woke them up, the heat of the sun. So it was already, I mean, the sun had risen and everything.

So they got up, they made wudu, they called the adhan, they prayed their sunnah, they called the iqamah, and then they prayed fajr. Right? So, like, they didn't say, oh, wait a minute, it's qada, fajr time has already passed, let's just pray the fard. So inshallah in Ramadan make it a point that you pray your sunnah.

I know this is a big challenge for the brothers that come to the masjid. Because most masajids, you know, you're like, we eat and drink until the end, right? There are some sunnahs that we're very keen on, like eating and drinking until the very last moment. So what happens is that you're at home eating and drinking and then it's time for fajr and then you have to rush to the masjid.

And by the time you get to the masjid, it's almost iqamah time or it's already iqamah time for fajr. So, most of us have this dilemma, right? So, one thing that you can do is pray at home if the time comes in for fajr. Right? So pray your sunnah at home and then head to the masjid.

So if you get to the masjid, but one thing that you shouldn't do, which I see a lot of people doing, especially in the month of Ramadan, I don't know why, people arrive at the masjid and the salah begins or people are already in salah and they know that because it's fajr in the month of Ramadan and we imams have a tendency to prolong the salah, they pray their sunnah while we're praying fard. You shouldn't be doing that. You can, but that shouldn't be a daily habit that you pray the sunnah of fajr afterwards.

If it happens once or twice or occasionally, yeah, but for it to become a habit, then that means the order of the sunnah has changed. So, one of two things, either get to the masjid early at least seven minutes before the iqamah, just in case you need to renew your wudu, right? So that you can pray your sunnah at the masjid or pray it at home and then head to the masjid. So if you get there before the adhan, then alhamdulillah you pray tahiyyat al-masjid.

If not, then I mean the iqamah, sorry. If you get there before the iqamah, then you pray tahiyyat al-masjid or you stand waiting for a minute until the iqamah time comes in. Or, if you get there by the time of the iqamah or in the first rak'ah, then you can join the salah immediately, right? So, keep that in mind, inshallah ta'ala.

Yes? No. No, I'm just talking about fajr, right? Okay, the sunnah for fajr. So you pray two rak'ah of sunnah in the first rak'ah you recite every day.

In the first rak'ah you recite:

In the second rak'ah you recite:

And then you pray your fajr and then you stay that's the question you stay in your place. Again, if you don't if you don't have it's not mandatory, but this is recommended.

You stay in your spot. You don't get up and go sit on the couch. The idea is to stay that's why I said, make it very comfortable.

If you need to add two layers of, you know make it very comfortable. So you stay in your place, you know, facing the qiblah and everything, you stay in your place and you do your dhikr. You do your adhkar, you know, supplications, you read Quran until sunrise.

Right? And then at sunrise you wait for about ten minutes and then you pray two rak'ahs and then you go back to sleep or you go to work, you go about your day.

By the way, for the brothers or for those, even for the sisters who come and pray in the masjid you notice that some imams maybe you notice that I, after fajr, I don't turn around right away. Right? For about maybe 20, 30, 40 seconds, right? It's not appropriate.

Again, it's not haram. Right? It's not a sin. It's not makruh.

But it's not appropriate for someone to get up and leave before the imam turns around. People should stay in their place. And the reason we stay in our places is because the Prophet ﷺ used to do that.

And the Sahaba said that the Prophet ﷺ also said that whoever says:

Ten times after fajr while in the same position while your legs are folded in the same position without changing your position, right? It's like freeing ten of the children of Ismail. Oh, freeing one of the children of Ismail. Freeing a slave from the children of Ismail.

So there is great reward to saying that. So try to remain in your position and not change your position. Do that zikr.

Read Ayatul Kursi and then if you have to get up and leave, leave. Inshallah. Yes.

Question 3: About Reading vs Reflecting on Quran

Yes. In the month of Ramadan? Yes. Meaning? That's an awesome question.

In the month of Ramadan we hear and we read a lot. I was looking for you ten minutes ago. In the month of Ramadan we hear and we read all the time and we hear from the scholars saying that just read the Quran.

Reading as much as you can of the Quran is more important than reflecting. And that is indeed true. There is when it comes to the Quran there is reward in reading it.

There is reward in studying it. There is reward in listening to it. There is even reward in writing it.

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What is highly emphasized in the month of Ramadan is reading it. Highly emphasized. That doesn't mean that you shouldn't study it or try to understand it.

No. It's quite the opposite. Right? So as a matter of fact I'm thinking to even like quit any reading any material during the month of Ramadan.

Right? So if I don't finish the book that I'm reading by tomorrow then khalas. Right? Just quit anything. And if I want to study something or study a subject let's study it from you know based on the Quran.

See what the Quran is saying about it. Right? So if you have time to study something then make it about the Quran. But dedicate a time for reading the Quran and at least finish it once or twice or three times.

Jazakallah khair. The least recommendation that I heard was three times. I don't know if I can do that but inshallah.

Right? At least once during the month. They said Imam al-Shafi'i used to finish the Quran 60 times. Once in the evening, once in the morning.

Allahu akbar. Some people say it's an exaggeration but Allahu akbar. Allah knows best.

The most precious. Yeah. Marwa add this.

Dr. Marwa add this to your list of issues we need to address inshallah with the sisters. You know I was planning to talk about the last ten nights and we have of course a weekly halaqa for the sisters in the month of Ramadan on Sundays, Sunday after dhuhr. Sisters, you're most welcome to join inshallah.

Discussion About Eid Shopping

Wow. This just reminded me of us when we in the old days used to go and get our thawbs made in the last ten nights and fight with the tailor. You know, right? You know what I'm talking about, right? Right? And go to Eid shopping.

Oh my God. You have no idea how much I regret Eid shopping. Allah, I love it.

To look your best on the day of Eid and something has to go wrong. Right? Always. Something has to go wrong.

Something doesn't match. Something has to go wrong. You know, the tie.

Something has to go wrong. Then you have headache. You know, you can't sleep Eid night.

Yeah. Wallahi, I don't know what to say. Nothing.

Nothing. Yes, yeah. Oh, yeah.

I made more money in Ramadan. The year I had a grocery store in 2004, 2005. And month of Ramadan was phenomenal.

It's what saved the business actually. Your livelihood, yeah. Yeah, it's Ibadah now.

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Most love for the Eid is for their fiancées. Right? Yeah. Wow.

That's special. You heard it. Yeah.

But Al-Hassan, it's at the expense of her time. And they're putting her under pressure. I mean.

But, okay. Is it something? I know, I know. But is it something that they can do ahead of time? Or no? Khalas.

Refer them to Shaykh Mustafa. Shaykh Mustafa knows how to handle these kind of people. Yeah, yeah.

Sahih. Tell them that there is a Fiqh opinion that they can celebrate Eid the day after. Inshallah.

As a matter of fact, you should double the price. Double the price. The brothers.

The brothers have no idea what we're talking about. By the way, if you have any question, you know, any like technical aspect, you can ask that question as well. Yes.

Question 4: Maintaining Ramadan Spirit After Eid

Yes. How come? Internalizing what we do in the month of Ramadan. That's a tough one.

For some people, it's the day of Eid comes and that's it. That's the end of the beautiful days of Ramadan. But one of the greatest ways to get back into it is to start fasting the recommended six days of Shawwal as soon as you can.

Like day two if you can. I know my parents used to fast on day two. On the seventh day of Shawwal, they're done with their six days.

This was just their habit. Done. They take their fasting seriously.

So you jump right back into it. Your body, your system is used to it. Just jump right back.

The longer you wait, the harder it becomes. All of us who tried fasting the last six days of Shawwal, we know exactly what I'm talking about, right? You know exactly what I'm talking about. The longer you wait, the harder it becomes.

And the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) didn't say the last six days of Shawwal. And he didn't say the first six days. He said six days from Shawwal.

Any six days. So the best thing is to get back. And you don't have to fast all six days at once.

Right? If you want to develop a good habit, maybe what you can do is this year, Ramadan ends on a on a no, if it starts on a Monday, then it's gonna end on a Tuesday or a Wednesday. Right? Wednesday. Wednesday is going to be Eid.

Eid is going to be on Wednesday, right? Okay. So most likely, 99.9% Eid is on a Wednesday. Eid is Oh yeah, you're right, you're right, you're right.

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Sorry, sorry, I take it back. If it starts on a Monday, it's gonna either end on a Monday or a Tuesday. So okay, yeah, this year is gonna be So guess what?

Thursday, the Thursday after, which is the third day, right, of Shawwal, is recommended to fast.

If we all commit, starting that Thursday, we're going to develop a new habit, we're gonna fast every Thursday and Monday, or at least every Thursday, right? That's it. I'm going to fast every Thursday and the three middle days of the month. And I'm going to make that habit.

One, I get my six days of Shawwal done in a month of Shawwal. Two, I maintain track of the lunar months. Three, I maintain a prophetic sunnah.

Four, I maintain the spirit of Ramadan throughout. You know the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) recommended fasting three days. Whoever wants their sins and their spirit to be cleansed, right, maintain three days, fasting three voluntary days out of each month, right? So just getting back right into it.

Now if you connected with the Quran in the month of Ramadan, get, sign up for some sort of program. You know, studying Quran. I'm so proud.

What is the name of one of our sisters, one of our converse sisters did her Qaeda Nuraniya and finished. We had Institute of Quran recognized her last Sunday. Anyone knows who I'm talking about? I wanted to know who it was, mashallah.

That was beautiful. Right? She accepted Islam not too long ago. She now finished her Qaeda Nuraniya.

Which means, finishing Qaeda Nuraniya means that you can read any page like you can read from any part of the Quran and you will read correctly. That is a huge accomplishment, mashallah. So just sign up for a program.

If you already know how to read the Quran, maybe sign up for like a Tajweed program. If you're already done with that, maybe sign up for Hif program so you can memorize as much as you can. Right? So whatever, just pick on something that you can get back into right after Ramadan biiznillah ta'ala.

Question 5: Making Up Missed Days vs Six Days of Shawwal

Yes. Now, there are three different opinions on that. Um, okay, let me just, there are two issues here.

Issue number one is can you combine your intention? In other words, can you fast, can you fast some days from Shawwal and consider that to be of your make-up days? Right? For those of us who travel or are sick and for the sisters who don't, you know, who have make-up days, can we do that? The short answer to that is no. You can't. You can do one or the other.

Now, the other question is so what should one do? Fast six days from Shawwal and then make-up their missed days or make-up their missed days first and then fast six days from Shawwal. Right? So, Allah knows best.

What I tell people is you know yourself, you know your, you know, how much strength and how much, you know, what your capacity is.

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There are two obvious you know, this is a debated matter from the time of the Sahaba. Right? So, you know, I can't say one is better or one is correct and the other one is wrong. Both are, you can do either one.

Whatever you're comfortable with. I know there are some people who say the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said that once you finish your month of Ramadan then you fast six days of Shawwal. So I feel guilty for fasting voluntary days without making-up my days.

To me that is a bigger priority. I want to make-up my days. May Allah bless you and reward you.

Right? Inshallah you're not missing anything. Inshallah. Do your best.

Others say, no, wait a minute. I can't. I can't do it.

But we're talking about, let's say someone has seven or nine days of make-up days and then you have the six days of Shawwal. We're talking about 15 days. I don't even, you know, it's not even doable.

Mathematically you can't do it. So, how am I supposed to do that to accomplish this? No pressure. Fast your six days of Shawwal and then do your make-up days later on.

Ummahat al-mu'mineen used to do that. Right? Aisha r.a. Keep your make-up days for the shorter, for December. That's going to become a sunnah now.

So, so whatever the individual can do. So whatever you're comfortable with. Right? Yes.

Question 6: Voluntary Fasting Rules

Five minutes. Now. So, Muhammad is saying that if there's if you fast voluntary days, obviously it's a voluntary day.

Right? You can start, you can make your intention in the morning. You don't have to make it from the night before. So this is one difference.

The other difference is that the majority of scholars of Fiqh say if you feel like you can't finish or if you choose to break your fast in the middle of the day.

So let's say today is not Ramadan. It's not a make-up day.

I'm not doing a make-up day. I just wanted to fast. Voluntary fast.

And then in the middle of the day I got tempted. I wanted to eat. I was invited for lunch.

I can break my fast. Right? According to the Hanafi school you can't. You shouldn't.

And the dalil is:

لَا تُبْطِلُوا أَعْمَالَكُمْ

The rest of the scholars, the majority of the scholars is that you can. It's voluntary anyways.

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Right? However, if it's a make-up day, if I'm making up a day that I missed in Ramadan, I can't do that. There are two things that I need to maintain. Number one, I have to make my intention from before Fajr, from the night before.

I can't just wake up in the middle of the day and say, you know what? I have a day that is missed from Ramadan. I'm going to make it up today. I can't.

I have, you have to do you have to keep your niya from the night before. That's number one. Number two, once you begin your fast, you can't, you can't break it.

No. Yes. No.

No. Yeah. Unless you have, you had an excuse.

So let's say I intended to fast Monday as a voluntary, just to do a sunnah. And I began. And I was fasting.

And then I had a reason to break my fast. Then inshallah, reward is upon Allah. Yes.

You have to make it up. Well, no, if the person didn't know, if the person didn't know this, that they couldn't do that, the only thing that they owe is is just to make it up. No.

No. Yeah. Huh? Intentionally? No.

I mean, if there is a reason, yeah. There is a reason, yeah. You can break your fast if you get sick in the month of Ramadan.

Yeah.

Important Reminder About Suhur Timing

Also, one thing that we, I need to also remind everyone, please be mindful of the timing. Sometimes people, especially the first few days, people wake up, they're like, I still have time, and they eat.

You know, they're kind of negligent or like reckless, not careful. Maybe I have. You can't do maybe.

Just make sure that you try. Some of the toughest questions that I deal with is when people say, well, Shaykh, I thought Fajr comes in at 4.35, so I kept eating, but it turned out that it was 4.22. I was like, right? Also, of course, if you forgot and you ate, what can I do? One time I had someone, mashaAllah, that forgot and they had breakfast. And then, and then, subhanAllah, they remember, they kept their fast, and then they forgot and they had lunch.

We recommend that you just quit, stop eating and drinking 10 minutes before the, okay. All day? Yeah. People become bad men.

You wake up all night. One last question. We're done.

Question 7: Praying Fajr at Work

Yes, go ahead. You're very fortunate, mashaAllah. You pray and you sleep all day.

MashaAllah. SubhanAllah. So, you're talking about morning prayer? Okay.

At work? You can't pray at work? Just make sure that you pray before sunrise. Yeah. Just make sure that you pray before sunrise.

Take a quick break. If you don't have time to do the sunnah, you want to do the two rak'ah only, just do that. Anywhere.

Anywhere. Just, yeah. No.

Yeah.

Closing

May Allah accept from all of us. May Allah give us the strength and the ability to make the most out of this blessed month. May Allah free us from the hellfire and grant us entry into Jannah.

"O Allah, Amen"

"May peace, mercy, and blessings of Allah be upon you"