Preparing for Ramadan 2024
By Nouman Ali Khan | 2026-01-08T20:25:22.531435+00:00 | Topic: Ramadan
Preparing for Ramadan 2024 - Nouman Ali Khan
Opening Quranic Verse
The month of Ramadan is the one in which the Quran was revealed as guidance for mankind and clear proofs of guidance and distinction. So whoever of you bears witness to the month, let him fast, and whoever is sick or on a journey, let him fast for a number of other days. Allah desires ease for you, and does not desire hardship for you, and that you may complete the count, and that you may glorify Allah for what He has guided you, and that you may be grateful.
Opening Supplications
O Allah, make us among those who are grateful. My Lord, expand for me my breast and ease for me my task and untie the knot from my tongue that they may understand my speech. All praise is due to Allah, Lord of all the worlds, and prayers and peace be upon the master of the prophets and messengers, and upon his family and companions all together.
Reference: Quran 20:25-28 (portion of Musa's supplication)
Introduction and Greeting
أَمَّا بَعْدُ everyone, (assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi ta'ala wa barakatuh). It feels like I was here just yesterday, but a year goes by quick, huh? MashaAllah. I pray that all of you are doing well, and that your families are in the best of health and best of Iman.
The Purpose of Tonight's Talk
And I also pray that we make the most of this Ramadan, and it's the best Ramadan of our lives. Typically, before Ramadan, we have these welcome Ramadan type programs, and we give almost identical kinds of reminders about how we need to mentally prepare ourselves and make the most of this month. This is not going to be one of those talks.
Understanding Tazkiyah - Two Types of Purification
So, what I decided to do, when it comes to the concept of tazkiyah, I have a certain view on the concept of tazkiyah. Tazkiyah in Arabic, the simple English meaning would be purification. And of course, the month of Ramadan is an attempt for us to purify our hearts and purify our connection with Allah, right?
But there are two kinds of purification:
- Spiritual purification - the purification of the heart (tazkiyatul qulub)
- Intellectual purification - the purification of our understanding, the purification of the mind (tazkiyatul aqool)
The Divine Order of the Quran
So I pray Allah gives me clarity in speech, and you're able to take something meaningful with you, that you can keep for yourselves and also share with family and friends. Okay, having said all of that, it is my absolute conviction that the Quran, from Fatiha to Nas, like Fatiha is surah number 1, Baqarah is surah number 2, Al-Imran is surah number 3, we all know that it was not revealed in this order, right? So the question then is, why is it in this order?
What I believe about that is, this is Allah's design. This is not a human design, this is Allah's design. Allah decided, in the end, that Fatiha will be 1, Baqarah will be 2, Al-Imran will be 3, An-Nisa would be 4, Ma'idah would be 5, and the Sahaba only agreed to this order because they understood this to be ordered unanimously from the Prophet ﷺ.
Just like (الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ) goes first and (الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ) goes second. Just like the ayat go in a certain order, the surahs go in a certain order.
Reference: Quran 1:2-3
Allah's Perfect Placement
He put the sun exactly where it belongs, the moon exactly where it belongs. He put my eyes and my face exactly where they belong. He put every cell in my body exactly where it belongs. The same way He put the ayat of His final revelation exactly where they belong. And so He put the ayat of Ramadan exactly where they belong, which is where? In Surah Al-Baqarah.
The Revelation Process vs. The Final Design
Surah Al-Isra says, we broke it up so you can keep reading it to the people at the right occasion, at the perfect moment.
Reference: Quran 17:106
But at the end of that mission, the mission accomplished. Now, we are an ummah, now we are a civilization.
So now you're going to have generations of people, from now until the end, born Muslim.
National History and Identity
The Quran was playing the role for guiding a mission when it was being revealed. And the Quran is then playing a role, among other things, guiding a nation. It's now guiding a nation. Things have changed, now we're a nation. And it's as if Allah sees fit in His wisdom, that from the end of the mission onwards, anybody who will ever pick up a copy of the Quran, a Muslim especially, will pick up a copy of the Quran, recite. He'll ask Allah for guidance in the Fatiha. And the first guidance Allah will give him is Surah Al- Baqarah. That's Allah's design.
The Islamic Calendar and Ramadan as Our National Celebration
I thought it's our history. Wait. I thought it was supposed to be Islamic history. We're supposed to be the ones that are becoming loyal citizens of the ummah. Loyal citizens to Allah and His Messenger. Why is He giving us Jewish history in the beginning? And then after that, He will talk to us about Ibrahim ﷺ.
We made you an ummah wasata (a balanced/middle nation).
By the way, and I've said this in other lectures, but you guys know, nations celebrate their independence. So they have an Independence Day. Nations celebrate the day on which their constitution was signed. Right? So they have a Constitution Day, an Independence Day, you know, Freedom Day, whatever day, right? Our constitution is the Quran, is it not? And it was revealed when? In Ramadan. So we don't have an Independence Day. We have a Revelation Month.
The Three Groups of People in Surah Al-Baqarah
But now let's go back. I said there are three groups of people Allah mentions before the stories begin. What three groups did He mention?
- Believers - the sahaba around you
- Disbelievers - the people you left behind in Mecca, the kuffar
- Hypocrites - the most detail went into hypocrites because they're this weird mix between believer and disbeliever
The Four Stories in Surah Al-Baqarah
What are the four stories in Baqarah?
- Adam - was tested, and he failed, but he repented
- The Israelites - were tested, and they also failed, and not only did they fail, they refused to repent
- Ibrahim - is tested harder than the first two, and he passes all of them
- Us - the current Muslim ummah
Adam received words from his Lord, so He turned to him (in forgiveness).
We don't want to ask for apology. We're not sorry. They weren't sorry.
And when Ibrahim was tested by his Lord with words, and he fulfilled them.
And We will surely test you with something of fear and hunger.
Parallel Between Hypocrites and Israelites
Ayah 8 - False Claims of Faith
Among people are those who say we believe in Allah, we believe in the last day, but they are not believers at all in reality.
Israelites' response (Ayah 91-92):
When the Israelites are told, believe in what Allah sent down, they said, we already believe what was given to us. And the fact is, they don't even believe in what they have.
Allah's Response:
So, why did you kill so many Israelite prophets if you're actually believers?
And by the way, forget about other prophets. Your own, your savior. Musa came to you with clear evidences and you ended up worshipping a golden calf.
When Allah Himself raised a mountain above you and told you Himself, hold on to the revelation I've given you with all your might. And you said, we hear and we disobey.
Wow, some pretty horrible things your faith tells you to do if in fact you're faithful.
Ayah 9 - Self-Deception
They're trying to deceive Allah and those who believe. And they're only successful at deceiving who? Themselves.
Parallel with Israelites (Ayah 57):
They weren't doing any harm to us, any wrong to us. They were only harming and wronging themselves.
(Reference: Quran 2:57)
Ayah 10 - Disease in Hearts
In the hearts of the hypocrites, there's a disease. And then Allah says, Allah made the disease increase.
(Reference: Quran 2:10)
Parallel with Israelites:
Your hearts became hard like stone, talking to the Israelites. They became like stone or even harder than stone.
(Reference: Quran 2:74)
Ayah 11-12 - Causing Corruption
When they're told, don't cause fasad, don't cause corruption in the region, in the land. Don't do that. They're the ones causing corruption.
(Reference: Quran 2:11-12)
Parallel with Israelites:
They used to kill the Prophets of Allah. They used to deny the revelations of Allah. And they used to disobey Allah and cross all kinds, make all kinds of haram, halal for themselves.
(Reference: Quran 2:61)
Ayah 13 - Rejecting Good Examples
When hypocrites are told, why don't you believe the way other people believe? They say, no, you want us to be like these fools?
(Reference: Quran 2:13)
Parallel with Israelites:
Why don't you make ruku' the way all the others are making ruku'?
(Reference: Quran 2:43)
The fools who said, what turned them away from their Qibla?
(Reference: Quran 2:142)
Ayah 14 - Double Standards and Secret Meetings
But when they have their own secret meetings, they say, we were just kidding. We're just joking around. We're not really with them.
(Reference: Quran 2:14)
Parallel with Israelites:
When they meet them, they say, we believe just like you. But then they'd go back to their own group and they'd say, don't give up internal secrets.
(Reference: Quran 2:76)
The Lesson About Artificial Relationships with Scripture
The vast majority of them are uneducated people, uneducated in the religion, they don't know the book, except their own assumptions, their own wishful thoughts, they only make assumptions.
(Reference: Quran 2:78)
Adam's Original Guidance
I'm sending you on the earth, if and when any guidance comes from me, whoever follows it will have no fear and they shall not be the ones in depression and in grief.
(Reference: Quran 2:38)
Sajda to Adam - The Special Creation
Every single angel in existence, all of them across the seven skies have to perform an act of sajda to acknowledge that Allah has made the most remarkable creation of all. And who's that? Adam.
(Reference: Quran 2:34)
The Connection Between Fasting and Previous Nations
O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, so that you may become righteous.
(Reference: Quran 2:183)
Ibrahim's Dua and the Coming of Muhammad ﷺ
He passes all his tests. And then he's got the special status with Allah because he passed all these tests. And then he makes a dua. And he makes the dua that, Ya Allah, with my son Ismail, from his descendants, there should be one messenger that comes who reads your revelations, who teaches them the book, who teaches them wisdom, and he purifies them.
Our Lord, and send among them a messenger from themselves who will recite to them Your verses and teach them the Book and wisdom and purify them.
(Reference: Quran 2:129)
The Completion Theme - Ibrahim and Ramadan
Allah tested him, and he perfected, completed all the tests.
(Reference: Quran 2:124)
And guess where Atamma comes again? Allah's talking about Ramadan, He says:
Complete the count of the months. Complete the counts.
(Reference: Quran 2:185)
The Takbeer Connection
And Ibrahim declared, you know, in his story, if you know the story of Ibrahim, he was showing people how dumb it is to worship the sun and the moon, and he would say, hatha rabbi, hatha akbar. And what do we do at the end of Ramadan? Now you do takbeer. You do takbeer.
The Mission Legacy
We are celebrating something that started with Adam. We are being warned not to turn the celebration into what the Israelites did. And we are being reminded to keep the spirit of Ibrahim alive in the month of Ramadan. The only way we can do that is we develop a genuine relationship with this book.
Ibrahim's Loyalty and Our Loyalty to the Quran
Ibrahim followed the truth no matter who didn't like it. When he was a young man, his dad didn't like it. When he was a little bit older, his society didn't like it. And he stood by the truth no matter if everybody in the world hated him and were okay with throwing him into a fire.
What is the loyalty to Allah look like today? The loyalty to Allah, now that the Quran came, is loyalty to the book of Allah. Why? Allah himself describes it.
You've all heard the phrase, hold on to Allah's rope. What's the rope of Allah? The Quran.
(Reference: Quran 3:103)
Practical Examples of Partial Loyalty
Allah says, right after the ayat of Ramadan, Allah says, don't consume each other's money using lies. Don't use a lawyer to win a case which you know you stole the money but you got a good lawyer and got away with it. Don't do that.
And do not consume one another's wealth unjustly.
(Reference: Quran 2:188)
Eat whatever is on the earth, halal and tayyiba.
(Reference: Quran 2:168)
Examples of Neglecting Quranic Commands
Divorce Laws
In Surah Al-Talaq, Allah says, when you divorce a woman, do not kick her out of her house. For three months or three cycles, you cannot expel her from the house.
Do not turn them out of their houses, nor should they leave unless they are guilty of some open lewdness.
(Reference: Quran 65:1)
Care for Orphans
Allah will talk about taking care of the orphans. For example, the only orphans we take care of are the ones that show up on a brochure. The only orphans we take care of is in a crisis video somewhere far away.
The Call to Genuine Relationship with the Quran
How are you going to be loyal to this book? You don't even know what it talks about. How are you going to do that? There's no excuse. It doesn't matter if you weren't raised learning it. It doesn't matter that you just didn't have a chance.
Your ruh, your qalb needs nourishment. How can you say you're too busy? How can I say I'm too busy? Ramadan is a time to remind ourselves that the body can wait. It can wait. It's time to reconnect with the word of Allah. Reconnect.
Practical Ramadan Goals
Every one of you should have a goal that you're going to read the Quran mindfully. I don't care which translation. Read the Quran. Ask questions about the Quran. What does Allah mean here? What's he
talking about here? I don't get this. Have a whole notebook about your conversation with God and what is he saying?
Develop that thirst. Develop that thirst. I want to redevelop that thirst for myself this Ramadan. I want you to have that thirst this Ramadan.
The Core Message
Yes, it's a month of fasting. Yes, it's a month of ibadah. Yes, it's a month of tahajjud. Yes, it's a month of dua. But all of that stuff is actually there to reinforce the core, the heart of the matter. And the heart of the matter is this book came as a guidance in this month. So seek guidance in this book all over again.
Gradual Approach to Study
And even if you tell yourself this year, this Ramadan, Baqarah. This Ramadan Baqarah. And even if you got through 20 ayat of Baqarah in all of Ramadan, no problem. I got until next Ramadan to finish.
Take your time. Take your time with Baqarah. Take a whole year, no problem. This time well spent. Time spent with the word of Allah is time well spent. And then next year, take on Surah Al-Imran. And then the year after that, let's get started with An-Nisa. Why follow this order? Because this is Allah's order. This is Allah's design.
There's a curricular design. So let him coach you through the whole thing. Let him coach you through his guidance. Let him coach you through his speech.
Final Message and Promise
So this is just the message that I wanted to share with you and put things in perspective. And with this background in mind, I tell you, I can promise you, if you spend the next couple of weeks even just reading Surah Al-Baqarah with some of the background pointers that I've shared with you, you'll see things I didn't even mention. You'll notice things that I didn't talk about. And they'll pop out at you. And they'll give you insight and appreciation into what Allah Azzawajal is saying.
Closing Duas
May Allah Azzawajal make this month a month in which we are reconnected to his words like we've never been before in our entire lives. May Allah Azzawajal make this a month that he turns our hearts and our minds towards him in sincerity and clarifies our understanding of this deen and gives us the courage to stand up against our own selves, stand up against our cultural practices, stand up against anything that is not loyal to the word of Allah.
May Allah make us truly loyal to his word like he told the Israelites:
"Fulfill the promise I'm taking from you, I'll make my promise to you complete too."
Do your part, I'll do my part. That's what Allah told the Israelites, it's through them Allah is telling us that. So may Allah Azzawajal make us of those who fulfill our part of the agreement and Allah fulfills his promise and gives us the victory that we so badly want.
Closing Remarks
Hey, so instead of a, here's my philosophy on QA sessions. They're so deflating. You end on a high note and then you have a QA session, I have a question, what do you think about nail polish? Like, come on! Come on! So I don't like the QA sessions like that.
So what I'm going to do is I'm just going to hang around here for about 20-30 minutes. I'll think about, because the ladies are in the back so I'll just be in the middle and I'll just have as many conversations as I can with as many of you before I go. I got to check on the status of my baby too because he was in here and it was pretty sweaty so I got to check on that too.
But thank you so very much for attending. I'll just be right here in the middle. We'll have some conversations.
Jazakum Allah Khayran. Jazakum Allah Khayran. Ustaz Nouman Ali Khan, Barakallah Fiik. May Allah reward you immensely. Sponsored again by Africa Relief. Check out the booth on the side.