A Unique Ramadan - Khutbah by Mufti Menk

A Unique Ramadan - Khutbah by Mufti Menk

Opening Greeting

"Peace, mercy, and blessings of Allah be upon you."

Opening Khutbah

"In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. All praise is due to Allah, and blessings and peace be upon the Messenger of Allah, his family, and all his companions."

We always praise Allah subhanahu wa-ta'ala. We always send blessings and salutations upon Muhammad (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam), his companions, his household, every one of you, every one of us, humanity at large. May Allah bless us all and guide us to the straight path and keep us on it steadfast right up to the end and grant us all Jannatul Firdaus.

A Unique Ramadan

This is a conference with a difference. It is an online conference and thousands of people are participating from across the globe or have already participated. My brothers, my sisters, this will definitely be a unique Ramadan.

One to be remembered. There is a lot of hope. We do know on one hand that we have the coronavirus, we have people who are being affected on a daily basis and infected as well.

And we have people who are losing their lives, people who are struggling to cope because of loss, loss of all sorts of things, whether it is a job or finances or relationships or health or whatever it may be, even the loss of the lives of loved ones. We do know that Allah is the most merciful, the most kind, the most generous, the most compassionate, the most forgiving, the most beneficent. Allah is the healer.

He is the curer. He is the sustainer. He is the provider. He is the protector. He is the curer. May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala grant us all cure. May He sustain us, protect us, provide for us. And may Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala never forsake us. Ameen.

Signs of Allah's Mercy

My brothers and sisters, that having been said, there is a lot of hope. Many of us have started praying when we didn't used to pray. Many of us have changed the way we dress when that was not the case.

Many of us have started reading the Quran when that was not the case. Many of us have taken our religion seriously when that was not the case before this particular situation. So isn't that a blessing in disguise? Every time there is something that happens that brings us closer to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, it is indeed a blessing of Allah.

It is indeed a sign of the mercy of Allah and His love for us. May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala love us. May He have mercy on us.

My brothers and sisters, a unique Ramadan, a one wherein we will not be able to do what we've been used to doing every Ramadan in the past. Inshallah, things will return to normal by the will of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. But something unique will be happening.

We will be restricted when it comes to participation in the masjid. I'm sure we've heard speaker after speaker remind us of some of these challenges. However, my brothers and sisters, that does not mean ibadah is going to stop.

It does not mean that tilawah is going to stop, meaning the recitation of the Quran or the worship of Allah. Nothing is going to stop. We will be reaching out to our loved ones, checking up on them, but this time via the phone, via the technology that Allah has provided us.

Divine Wisdom in Technology

I was sitting and thinking, imagine if this was to have happened in 1980 or 1990, when we did not have the mobile devices, we did not have the internet and technology was not as advanced. What would we have done? Subhanallah. Perhaps we would not be able to listen or participate in an online conference such as this one, the light upon light conference, a unique Ramadan.

However, this time Allah has blessed us by holding back this coronavirus to a time where we now have technology and we have the internet. We have advanced technologically. So let's advance spiritually, religiously and in our relationship with Allah.

We should be at a very advanced stage. I promise you my brothers and sisters, access to knowledge has become easier than ever before, but unfortunately access to falsehood is also very easy. Ways to do good and reach out to the rest of the world have now become so close to our fingertips.

In fact, on our fingertips. However, ways to deviate have become equally close. So my brothers and sisters, it's up to us what we'd like to make of the coming month.

The Call to Hope and Trust

We have to have hope. We have to instill hope. We have to believe in the mercy of Allah. We have to teach others about the mercy of Allah. Subhanahu wa ta'ala. We have to understand that we will take every precaution that we can given the capacity that Allah has blessed us with.

But with that, once we've done all of that, we lay full trust in Allah and we keep going. We keep doing what we have to. It's not all doom and gloom, my beloved brothers and sisters.

It's a unique Ramadan. A Ramadan wherein we will be able to participate online more than ever before. So start selecting what you'd like to do in the month of Ramadan.

Start setting your timetable, the lessons that you will engage in, the online correction of your recitation, the online learning, expanding of your knowledge of the Quran, the tafsir, the rulings, the regulations, that of the sunnah, the hadith of the Prophet (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam) the rules and regulations of your religion. And let's not waste our time engaging in that which is futile and at times even destructive. My brothers and sisters, a unique Ramadan.

Fasting in Unique Circumstances

We may not be able to gather with the extended family for the beautiful iftar tables that are laid, but we will be with our nuclear family, a smaller number. We will still enjoy iftar. Allah is still there for us and Allah still has the blessed month of fasting for us.

We will fast as best as we can unless we have an excuse, obviously. Those who are unable to fast, like Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says to us:

"And whoever is ill or on a journey, then [they should fast] a number of other days. [Quran 2:185]"

Allah says, and the one who is unwell, unable for some reason or another, sickly or traveling and has an excuse. There are a few other excuses that have been expanded in the hadith of the Prophet (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam) and in the explanation of the scholars of this particular verse and several narrations of the Prophet (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam). So if you fall in one of those categories, yes, you will be given a leeway.

You may fast after Ramadan to make that up. And if you really cannot do that as well because of your age or because of some reason, your health, etc., you can give what is known as a fidya, which is a type of a charity in order to compensate for the fasts that you would have missed. But my brothers and sisters, the month of Ramadan is still the most blessed month.

It is coming to us with every blessing that it has always come with by the will of Allah. Nothing is going to be short. We will be praying in congregation, even if there are just two of us in the house.

Let the husbands learn how to lead. Let the people learn how to lead. Let those in the homes learn how to follow.

Making the Most of Family Time

And let them learn how to be spending their time in the wisest possible way. Will we be gathering our family members and reading something, a good reminder, a good book, a book of hadith, a book of inspiration, something written by the scholars for us to have mentioned a little bit of guidance, perhaps motivation? Will we do that? If the plan is that we are going to be doing that, good news to you. You will be spending your day in a very productive way.

How much of the Quran have we decided to read? I think, and I definitely do think this year, we will have much more time to read the Quran. So don't waste your time on social media. Don't waste your time on applications that may be, subhanAllah, in the transgression of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.

Imagine sitting, engaging in one of the biggest sins that you can while in the month of Ramadan, the month of mercy, the month of forgiveness, the month of freedom from hellfire. It is a unique Ramadan, but it is still Ramadan, subhanAllah. So let's not engage in that which is sinful or futile.

Warning Against Destructive Behavior

For example, those who lose track of the fact that they are within the month of blessings and do things that they're not even supposed to be doing outside that month, such as nude phone calls, perhaps on video, perhaps wasting time with pornography or something that is futile, chats that are x-rated and so on. Brothers and sisters, that's not the way of a believer. Not in the month of Ramadan and not outside the month of Ramadan.

So let's seize this opportunity to cut out those bad habits, even if they're just online. In fact, I want to invite you to spend not just this unique month of Ramadan, but a lifetime within the obedience of Allah. There is a lot of time wasting that is happening on some of the applications on our phones.

And the reason why I concentrate on the mobile phone is because all of us have the device and we're all using it either constructively or destructively or a bit of both. And sometimes there is more constructive use than destructive use. Sometimes there is more destructive use than constructive use.

So how are you using your device? Now, how do you plan to change that?

The Divine Principle of Ease

Imagine I was sitting this evening and reading a beautiful verse of the Quran and I was thinking to myself in Surah Al-Layl Allah subhanahu wa'ta'ala says:

"As for the one who gives and fears Allah and believes in the best [reward], We will ease him toward ease. [Quran 92:5-7]"

What do you give? Do you give your neighbors? Do you give the poor? Do you reach out? Do you give charities? Just like we are giving unique charities where it's happening online, subhanAllah. Buttons and mashallah, swipe of a screen, etc, etc.

The next thing, we've donated a few pounds, a few dollars, a few rands, whatever it may be, a few riyals. We've donated. In the same way, ask yourself, am I participating in goodness? Am I giving? Character, conduct, a smile, good word, all that is part of giving.

You're giving. So whoever gives and whoever is conscious of Allah, you need to do two things, give and develop your relationship with Allah. You give and you develop your relationship with Allah.

And you believe in the goodness, believe in heaven, believe in that which Allah has prepared, believe in the mercy of Allah, the acceptance of Allah, the acceptance from Allah of your good deeds and the forgiveness of Allah. So Allah says if you are giving and you're a generous person and you have a good relationship with Allah and you believe in the hereafter, in the goodness, etc, then you know what Allah says? We will make it easy for you to do good deeds. La ilaha illallah.

You won't waste your time. You won't do that which is futile. You won't spend your time, money, effort, energy and expertise just shaking your body in front of a phone and getting excitement out of the number of likes you have when you know it's the month of Ramadan and what have I gained from that? Imagine the dedication in learning the words when we're lip-syncing something that is at times dirty.

La ilaha illallah. So I'm just reminding you it is going to be a unique Ramadan. Don't let it be unique in a negative way.

It must be unique in a positive way. My brothers and sisters, we cannot afford to spend the resources given to us by Allah, be it our health, our wealth, our intellect, our time, our effort, our energy just to do things that will displease Allah or that are just a waste of time when there is a month of mercy, a month of forgiveness, a month of freedom from hellfire. So rather use that effort, that energy, that intellect, that dedication to learn the Quran, to learn a good nasheed, to come up with beautiful poetry that is inspiring, to give a few good talks, to learn how to speak to others and reach out to them in the most beautiful, loving, kind, generous way possible.

Smile at the people you talk to and you will find how they feel the warmth in your eyes. They feel the warmth in your expressions and they will love you. They will know you care for them.

The Test of Character

Brothers and sisters, in this virus and this problem we have, the winners are those who have a relationship with Allah and they care deeply for the rest of the creatures of Allah. Subhanahu wa ta'ala, Almighty He is. So if you are to care for the creatures, show that you want to save lives, prove it that you want to reach out to them, you have reached out to them, you love them, you are kind to them, you are generous.

You know, I was speaking to a businessman and he was saying that the one who is ripping people off during these times does not believe, is not a believer. And I tend to agree. If we're ripping people off at a time like this and trying to make a killing out of that which is necessary, can you call yourself a believer? When people are losing their lives, when people desperately need something and you've pushed the price up simply because you think, you know what, that's it, it's a time to make money.

This is a time to give money, to, yes, you may make a profit and you have to live and so on, but don't rip people off in the same way that you would love to earn the pleasure of Allah. You need to know that the pleasure of Allah also lies in serving the other creatures that the same Allah has made. La ilaha illallah.

The Divine Response to Our Actions

My brothers, my sisters. So Allah says, if you are generous and you develop your relationship with Allah and you believe in the goodness, we will make it easy for you to do good things. So I was thinking to myself, well, if people are still doing bad things, what has gone wrong? Well, then you've got to go to the next verse.

"But as for he who withholds and considers himself free of need and denies the best [reward], We will ease him toward difficulty. [Quran 92:8-10]"

A scary verse, but a fact. Those who are stingy, miserly, those who feel that they are something, you know, they themselves, those who are, who think that they need nothing to do with Allah or with anyone else, subhanAllah, they don't have a relationship with Allah. Allah is not in the equation.

They don't think of Allah when they do whatever they want to do. Allah says, you know what? Those who belie the goodness and who don't believe in the goodness, be it Jannatul Firdaws or be it so much more, Allah says, we make easy for them to do bad things. Allahu Akbar, why? Because they were never interested in doing good things.

So Allah says, well, we made it easy for them to do bad things. And that's why people sometimes just don't think about Allah when they're doing things that are absurd sometimes. May Allah subhanahu wa'ta'ala grant us goodness.

The Digital Reality

My brothers and sisters, my beloved youth, my dear children, remember one thing. How you use your device and I want to speak about this a little bit because it's important. It goes down, the angels write it, it stays, people forward it, people actually use it, people might even, you know, replicate it, forward it, etc, etc.

Make sure it is responsible. The amount of effort that we spend on some things, we couldn't we spend that effort in the good cause to please Allah subhanahu wa'ta'ala? May Allah grant us ease and goodness. I'm only saying this because our days are numbered.

Our days are definitely numbered. No one knows when they're going to go. I mean, there are so many we've known personally who have gone within the span of a few weeks, a few days at times.

We've just heard so-and-so tested positive, three days later, unfortunately, they've passed away. It has happened to others. What makes you think it's not going to happen to you and I subhanAllah? Just be prepared for the day.

I've tried my best to please Allah. He will forgive my shortcomings and He will forgive yours. So try to please Allah, seek the forgiveness of Allah, do your best.

The Reality of Our Past and Future

Don't let shaytan make you think that Allah is merciless. Don't let shaytan make you think that Allah has not forgiven your sin or will not forgive your sin. Don't let your past haunt you because your past is your past.

It's not your present and it's definitely not your future. But make sure that you have a unique Ramadan, earning the pleasure of Allah. Let that uniqueness be positive.

So I was saying these verses show us that if you do good, you have a good heart, you are generous and you want to develop the closeness to Allah, Allah will make it easy for you to do good things. And if it's the opposite, Allah says we make it easy for you to do the bad things. And that's why sometimes we are so energetic when it comes to doing evil, wasting time, watching porn, sitting on a futile call, video calls of a nude nature.

And I'm just mentioning this because I've come across it recently where someone unfortunately, very unfortunately, happened to see their own spouse participating in something unacceptable, not only from a moral perspective, but in the eyes of Allah. And unfortunately, it was a big deal. It ended in a divorce.

Shaytan's Influence in a Unique Ramadan

But unfortunately, unfortunately, Shaytan is still coming to us and he comes to us. One might say, well, you know what? In the month of Ramadan, Shaytan is tied. Well, isn't this a unique Ramadan? Someone was actually saying it's the first Ramadan that the lockdown has locked us down who are at times the real shayateen.

I don't know if I actually agree with that, but what I definitely know is my brothers and sisters, sometimes even if Shaytan is locked up, we are little shayateen ourselves. We do things that are embarrassing at times. We turn to the devil.

May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala never let that happen to us. Turn to Allah. My brothers and sisters, a unique gift, a great opportunity.

I believe a lot of goodness has come out of this coronavirus. Look at the generosity. Look at the millions of dollars and pounds and rands and riyals and rupees and whatever else is happening being spent in charities on people, Muslim, non-Muslim, white and black and green and yellow.

Everyone from around the world and brown, subhanAllah. Look at people helping out their family members. My brothers and sisters, it's time to solve our matters and problems.

Have a big heart. Be generous. Develop your character.

Making This Ramadan Truly Unique

It's a unique month of Ramadan. We may never ever witness another month of Ramadan in our lives as unique as this one. Who knows? I don't know the future, but perhaps.

So make the most of this Ramadan. Imagine, you're going to be mostly in many countries restricted to your home. You're going to be in a closed place.

Are you going to help at home? Are you going to reach out to others? Are you going to fulfill the Quran? Are you going to do your taraweeh? Are you going to learn the short surahs and at least lead your family in taraweeh? Are you going to read the Quran together? Are you going to do the adhkar at least within yourself and the remembrance of Allah, the sunnah? Are you going to, subhanAllah, the list is endless. May Allah subhanahu wa'ta'ala bless every one of us.

My brothers, my sisters, like I said at the beginning of this talk, I am definitely humbled to be a part of this most blessed conference, light upon light, an online conference entitled A Unique Ramadan.

Closing Prayers

May Allah bless every one of you. I pray that we enter the month of Ramadan and we can still benefit one another in many different ways. I am planning a lot and I'm sure everyone is planning a lot.

May Allah help us execute those plans that are in his obedience, filled with goodness. And may Allah subhanahu wa'