Fajr Reminders - Mahmood Habib Masjid and Islamic Center

There are two ways to lead our lives. The way we want and the way Allahﷻ wants for us. Whichever way we choose, we will be held accountable for it when we die. The issue with living the way we want is that our knowledge is limited, and our desires rule us. The benefit of living the way Allahﷻ wants us to live is that He knows what is best for us and guides us to that and since the accounting is with Him, if we live by His way, that day will be a day of rejoicing. I remind you and myself that to live is not merely to draw breath. That is the way animals live. They are the slaves of their drives, they follow their desires, and one day they die, and the story is over. Humans on the other hand have the option of living like animals, fulfilling every desire. Or of living a life of purpose and leaving behind a legacy of honor. That is the choice which we must make. To underline this and set the standard, Allahﷻ said: كُلُّ نَفْسٍ ذَآئِقَةُ ٱلْمَوْتِ وَإِنَّمَا تُوَفَّوْنَ أُجُورَكُمْ يَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ فَمَن زُحْزِحَ عَنِ ٱلنَّارِ وَأُدْخِلَ ٱلْجَنَّةَ فَقَدْ فَازَ وَمَا ٱلْحَيَوٰةُ ٱلدُّنْيَآ إِلَّا مَتَـٰعُ ٱلْغُرُورِ Aal Imraan 3: 185 Every soul will taste death. And you will only receive your full reward on the Day of Judgment. Whoever is spared from the Fire and is admitted into Jannah will ˹indeed˺ triumph, whereas the life of this world is no more than the delusion of enjoyment. Let’s give this some thought and ask how our lives compare to this standard. Success and failure in life are products of the choices we make. The Qur’an and Sunnah guide us to the best of them, the path of those who Allahﷻ rewarded and not those who angered Him. In this Ayat-ul-Kareema, Allahﷻ mentioned four critical things that we must always keep in mind. They are: We will die We will be called to account and be rewarded or punished Freedom from the Fire and entry into Jannah is final success The life of this world is deception There is a saying in English, ‘Forewarned is forearmed.’ This means that if you have early warning about a forthcoming event, especially a danger, then you can be prepared to face it and succeed. That is the reason Rasoolullahﷺ said: أبو سعيد الخدري رضي الله عنه ، فجاء فتى من الأنصار فسلم على رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ثم جلس ، فقال : يا رسول الله أي المؤمنين أفضل ؟ قال : أحسنهم خلقا قال : فأي المؤمنين أكيس ؟ قال : أكثرهم للموت ذكرا وأحسنهم له استعدادا قبل أن ينزل بهم أولئك من الأكياس ثم سكت الفتى Abu Saeed Al-Khudri (R) narrated, “Then a youth from the Ansar came and greeted Rasoolullahﷺ then he sat down and said: Ya Rasoolullahﷺ which of the believers is best? He (Rasoolullahﷺ) said: The best of them in character. The boy asked: Which of the believers is wisest? He (Rasoolullahﷺ) said: The ones who remember death the most and are the best prepared for it before those people take them down from the bags. We see from this Hadith that it is a sign of intelligence to be prepared for death. There are numerous Ayaat where Allahﷻ mentioned death and the need to be prepared for it. Allahﷻ said about those who continue to live a life of heedlessness, denying the meeting with Allahﷻ on the Day of Judgement: وَقَالُوٓا۟ أَءِذَا ضَلَلْنَا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ أَءِنَّا لَفِى خَلْقٍ جَدِيدٍۭ بَلْ هُم بِلِقَآءِ رَبِّهِمْ كَـٰفِرُونَ قُلْ يَتَوَفَّىٰكُم مَّلَكُ ٱلْمَوْتِ ٱلَّذِى وُكِّلَ بِكُمْ ثُمَّ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكُمْ تُرْجَعُونَ وَلَوْ تَرَىٰٓ إِذِ ٱلْمُجْرِمُونَ نَاكِسُوا۟ رُءُوسِهِمْ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ رَبَّنَآ أَبْصَرْنَا وَسَمِعْنَا فَٱرْجِعْنَا نَعْمَلْ صَـٰلِحًا إِنَّا مُوقِنُونَ Sajda 32: 10-12 ˹Still˺ they ask ˹mockingly˺, “When we are disintegrated into the earth, will we really be raised as a new creation?” In fact, they are in denial of the meeting with their Rabb. Say, ˹O Prophet,˺ “Your soul will be taken by the Angel of Death, who is in charge of you. Then to your Rabb you will ˹all˺ be returned.” If only you could see the wicked hanging their heads ˹in shame˺ before their Lord, ˹crying:˺ “Our Rabb! We have now seen and heard, so send us back and we will do good. We truly have sure faith ˹now˺!” This preparation for death has numerous values. The best of them in this world is a life without stress. The one who is preparing for death is never disappointed about not getting any worldly success because he knows that if he had got it, he would have had to leave it behind. He makes all the effort he needs to succeed in his legitimate goals but is saved from disappointment and sadness. The second matter is to always be conscious of our accountability before Allahﷻ. The cause of confusion in life is that Shaytaan and his agents constantly try to deceive us into believing that there can be benefit in disobeying Allahﷻ. It seems such an oxymoronic thing to believe but I have come to the conclusion that the more oxymoronic and stupid something is, the more easily people believe it. I don’t think I need to give you any examples because we are surrounded by such beliefs. Sadly, we Muslims, who believe in Allahﷻ and the Last

Jabir ibn 'Abdullah reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, went up the minbar. When he reached the first step, he said, "Amen". When he ascended to the second step, he said, "Amen," and when he stepped onto the third step, he said, "Amen." They said, "Messenger of Allah, we heard you say 'Amen' three times." He said, "When I went up the first step, Jibril, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, came to me and said, 'Wretched is the slave to whom Ramadan comes and when it passes from him is not forgiven.' I said, 'Amen.' Then he said, 'Wretched is the slave who has one or both of his parents alive and they do not let him enter the Garden.' I said, 'Amen.' Then he said, 'Wretched is a slave who does not bless you when you are mentioned in his presence,' and I said, 'Amen.'" حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ شَيْبَةَ قَالَ‏:‏ أَخْبَرَنِي عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ نَافِعٍ الصَّائِغُ، عَنْ عِصَامِ بْنِ زَيْدٍ، وَأَثْنَى عَلَيْهِ ابْنُ شَيْبَةَ خَيْرًا، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ الْمُنْكَدِرِ، عَنْ جَابِرِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللهِ، أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم رَقَى الْمِنْبَرَ، فَلَمَّا رَقَى الدَّرَجَةَ الأُولَى قَالَ‏:‏ آمِينَ، ثُمَّ رَقَى الثَّانِيَةَ فَقَالَ‏:‏ آمِينَ، ثُمَّ رَقَى الثَّالِثَةَ فَقَالَ‏:‏ آمِينَ، فَقَالُوا‏:‏ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ، سَمِعْنَاكَ تَقُولُ‏:‏ آمِينَ ثَلاَثَ مَرَّاتٍ‏؟‏ قَالَ‏:‏ لَمَّا رَقِيتُ الدَّرَجَةَ الأُولَى جَاءَنِي جِبْرِيلُ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ‏:‏ شَقِيَ عَبْدٌ أَدْرَكَ رَمَضَانَ، فَانْسَلَخَ مِنْهُ وَلَمْ يُغْفَرْ لَهُ، فَقُلْتُ‏:‏ آمِينَ‏.‏ ثُمَّ قَالَ‏:‏ شَقِيَ عَبْدٌ أَدْرَكَ وَالِدَيْهِ أَوْ أَحَدَهُمَا فَلَمْ يُدْخِلاَهُ الْجَنَّةَ، فَقُلْتُ‏:‏ آمِينَ‏.‏ ثُمَّ قَالَ‏:‏ شَقِيَ عَبْدٌ ذُكِرْتَ عِنْدَهُ وَلَمْ يُصَلِّ عَلَيْكَ، فَقُلْتُ‏:‏ آمِينَ‏.‏ https://sunnah.com/adab:644

Rasoolullahﷺ taught Sayyida Ayesha (RA) the dua: اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّكَ عَفُوٌ تُحِبُّ الْعَفْوَ فَاعْفُ عَنِّي Allahumma innaka Afuwwun TuHibbulAfwa FafuAnnii. 'O Allah, you are the Forgiver, You love to forgive, so forgive me.' •⁠ ⁠Musnad Ahmad, Sunan ibn Majah and at-Tirmidhi.

Every relationship in the world has two things associated with it; a benefit that we derive from it and a responsibility that we owe to it. Any relationship that does not benefit ceases to exist even if it began and carried on for a while. Very soon any intelligent person will realize that they are gaining nothing from the relationship and will move away from it. On the contrary, a relationship that is beneficial will attract you to itself, will be constantly strengthened and you happily invest in it continuously because you realize how you are gaining from it. Needless to say the benefit or gain can be material (money, friends, fame, happiness) or non-material (spiritual peace, enlightenment, commitment to a cause or ideology, converts). Let us see some examples from our lives. Parents – Children: Parents gain from the love of their children; both being loved by them and being able to love them. They believe that they gain so much in fact that they are able to make little of all kinds of sacrifices for their children to bring them up. Sadly many grown up children don’t see the same level of benefit from continuing the relationship so they need to be motivated either by the promise of reward or the fear of punishment, to do even a fraction of what their parents did for them as they were growing up. There is of course a biological explanation for this relating to the continuation of the species and the discarding of those who have reached their productive end. But I remind myself that to transcend biology is the meaning of being civilized. To act for reasons other than species survival is to prove the existence of reason itself. For it is reason that distinguishes us from animals. To pay for this gain, there are responsibilities that each must fulfill. Parents, the responsibility of Tarbiyya (proper upbringing) and children the responsibility of Khidmat (service to the parents). Employer – Employee: This is a very easy one to understand where the employer gains from our work and we get paid. We continue to work happily as long as we feel the equation to be in our favor or at least fair. The employer will continue to employ us for the same reason, as long as he feels that the equation is in his favor or fair to both parties. As soon as this equation is seen as one sided, the relationship ends. To pay for the benefit of employment, the employee has to fulfill his responsibility of being productive and loyal. The employer, to pay for the gain of having the employee work must fulfill his responsibility of paying him and taking care of him and providing him with an environment in which he can be productive. Husband – Wife: Once again this relationship is formed on the basis of mutual benefit and breaks when one or both see that they are not gaining from it. For the benefit of having a home which is a place of mutual love, respect, harmony and pleasure, the husband must fulfill the responsibility of proving for it materially. In order to be free from the problem of earning a living and to benefit from being cared for the wife must fulfill her responsibility of creating a home that is a joy for the husband to return to. Both must fulfill the responsibility of mutual good treatment. Citizen – Country: The country provides the benefits of affiliation, opportunity, safety and guarantees certain rights. The citizen pays taxes, follows the law and is obliged to fight if necessary to protect his country against outsiders. Failure to fulfill his responsibility to his country can be very costly for the citizen. I am sure you can think of many other relationships that we form and break all through our lives and you will see how this model applies to all of them. Interestingly the model applies also to our relationships with non-human and inanimate things; pets, plants, associations and clubs, gadgets and holidays. Each has a benefit for us and for that reason we fulfill a responsibility towards it. When the responsibility is not fulfilled, the benefit ends. Where the benefit disappears, we stop fulfilling the responsibility. This mutuality exists in all relationships of this life. However there is one truth about all relationships of this life – they all end before or with our death. Some end before we die for a variety of reasons which I am sure I don’t have to elaborate here. But every one of them; no matter how deep and strong, no matter how powerful and beneficial, no matter how much you love it or hate it; ends with death. Death frees us from all worldly relationships. Except two. There are two relationships that we have – all of us, Muslim or not – that we enter this world with and which go with us when we leave this life. These two relationships are not of our making though we have been given the choice to accept our responsibility towards them or to reject the responsibility. But the choice is not free. It comes with consequences. If we accept and fulfill our responsibility, we earn reward. If we don’t, the responsi

"Be kind, for whenever kindness becomes part of something, it beautifies it" is attributed to the Prophet Muhammad. Another hadith states, "Verily, gentleness is not in anything but that it beautifies it, and it is not removed from anything but that it disgraces it".

Ramadan comes to help us to become Muttaqoon and become eligible for all the promises of Allahﷻ. That process begins with Istighfaar and Tawba. فَٱسْتَغْفِرُوهُ ثُمَّ تُوبُوٓا۟ إِلَيْهِ إِنَّ رَبِّى قَرِيبٌ مُّجِيبٌ Hud 11: 61 So seek His forgiveness and turn to Him in repentance. Surely my Rabb is Ever Near, All-Responsive ˹to prayers˺.” Seeking forgiveness must be followed up with turning away from sin. We must change the basis of our choices keeping the Ridha (Pleasure) of Allahﷻ as the criterion of decisions. If it pleases Allahﷻ, we do it. If not, we don’t. Al-Qur’an Al-Kareem begins with a reminder about Taqwa. Sura Al-Fatiha reminds us about the Glory and Majesty of Allahﷻ, our Rabb, Creator, Sustainer, Maintainer, Protector and defines our connection with Him. It reminds all humankind that we have a Creator, who is interested enough to teach us a way of life, which if we lead it, will result in a society based on justice and compassion. And reminds us that one day we will all return to Him. Just as we had no choice about coming into this world, so also, we will not have a choice about leaving it and meeting Allahﷻ. But Allahﷻ gave us the choice to make that meeting the best meeting of our existence because unlike this life, what will come after that meeting is forever. That way is called Al-Islam. Al-Fatiha is the Sura of Khashiya (Awe) of Allahﷻ. It is the Sura of Shukr (thankfulness) and the Sura of Tawba (return) to Allahﷻ. Al-Fatiha is the Sura of dua for guidance to the path of the prophets that leads to Jannah. The people to whom this will be granted are the Muttaqoon – those whose single criterion for all decisions is – does it please Allahﷻ? Taqwa is the fear of displeasing the One we love the most. Only for such people, Allahﷻ promised guidance. ذَٰلِكَ ٱلْكِتَـٰبُ لَا رَيْبَ فِيهِ هُدًى لِّلْمُتَّقِينَ Baqara 2: 2 This is the Book! In which there is no doubt. A guide for the Muttaqoon To help us to become Muttaqoon – People of Taqwa – Allahﷻ prescribed fasting and sends Ramadan. يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ ٱلصِّيَامُ كَمَا كُتِبَ عَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ Baqara 2: 183 O believers! Fasting is prescribed for you—as it was for those before you—so perhaps you will become mindful ˹of Allah˺. Fasting helps us to inculcate Taqwa by emphasizing the fact that when in this month we could stay away from even the Halaal, only because Allahﷻ commanded us, how much more important it is to continue to obey Allahﷻ’s commands about His prohibitions throughout our lives. The reason Muslims fast is because Allahﷻ commanded it. Therefore, everything a Muslim does in his/her life must also be for the same reason; because Allahﷻ commanded it. We know Allahﷻ, we love Allahﷻ and we know that to Him is our return. So, we do only what pleases Him. This is the basis of our existence as Muslims. This is the basis of all virtue and leads to Jannah. Taqwa is critical because it is the first right of Allahﷻ. It is His right that His creatures recognize Him, obey Him, and worship Him alone. He declared: يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ حَقَّ تُقَاتِهِۦ وَلَا تَمُوتُنَّ إِلَّا وَأَنتُم مُّسْلِمُونَ A’al Imraan 3: 102 O believers! Have Taqwa of Allah in the way He deserves, and do not die except in ˹a state of full˺ submission ˹to Him˺. What therefore are the signs of Taqwa? How do I know if I have it and how strong it is? Allahﷻ gave us a gauge to measure Taqwa which is the sign of a living heart. إِنَّمَا ٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ ٱلَّذِينَ إِذَا ذُكِرَ ٱللَّهُ وَجِلَتْ قُلُوبُهُمْ وَإِذَا تُلِيَتْ عَلَيْهِمْ ءَايَـٰتُهُۥ زَادَتْهُمْ إِيمَـٰنًا وَعَلَىٰ رَبِّهِمْ يَتَوَكَّلُونَ ٱلَّذِينَ يُقِيمُونَ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَمِمَّا رَزَقْنَـٰهُمْ يُنفِقُونَ Anfaal 8:2-3 The ˹true˺ believers are only those whose hearts tremble at the remembrance of Allah, whose faith increases when His revelations are recited to them, and who put their trust in their Rabb. ˹They are˺ those who establish prayer and donate from what We have provided for them. Let us ask ourselves what happens to our hearts when Allahﷻ is mentioned. How many times a day do we think of Allahﷻ? What happens to us when we listen to the Qur’an? What happens to us when we read the Qur’an? With what attitude do we read and listen to the Qur'an? What is the state of our heart with respect to the world and its tests? Are we afraid or are we content that the One who can do anything and who owns everything, the One without whose Will not a leaf can fall, controls our affairs, and has decreed for us that which is beneficial for us, even if we don’t see it ourselves. When there is a command of Allahﷻ to be obeyed, do we try to obey it in the best possible way, or do we look for excuses to disobey? Are our hearts content and filled with the light of Khashiyatullah or with the darkness of fear, depression, and despair? What is our attitude towards Salah? Do we see it as an honor, a time to connect with Allahﷻ and to a

The purpose of fasting is not to fast but to transform our lives and put ourselves on the path of success in this world and the next. Ramadan comes to reset our standard, the criterion of what has value and what doesn’t. When we stay away from even the Halaal during the hours of daylight we are emphasizing for ourselves that what makes something good and valuable is not the thing itself but whether it pleases Allahﷻ or not. That is the meaning of Uboodiyah. The slave has no will of his own. His will is the Will of his Creator, Allahﷻ. He wants whatever Allahﷻ wants for him and not only accepts it but is pleased with it. This is the essence of Ridha bil Qadha – to be pleased with the destiny that Allahﷻ wrote for us. That is the first lesson. Obedience is the essence of Islam. When Allahﷻ revealed: لِّلَّهِ مَا فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَمَا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ وَإِن تُبْدُوا۟ مَا فِىٓ أَنفُسِكُمْ أَوْ تُخْفُوهُ يُحَاسِبْكُم بِهِ ٱللَّهُ فَيَغْفِرُ لِمَن يَشَآءُ وَيُعَذِّبُ مَن يَشَآءُ وَٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ قَدِيرٌ Baqara 2: 284 To Allah ˹alone˺ belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. Whether you reveal what is in your hearts or conceal it, Allah will call you to account for it. He forgives whoever He wills and punishes whoever He wills. And Allah is Most Capable of everything. When this Ayah was revealed, the Sahaba went to Rasoolullahﷺ and knelt before him and said, ‘Ya Rasoolullahﷺ, Allahﷻ has said that He will hold us accountable for our thoughts, desires, and emotions. We have control over our speech and actions. But we have no control over our thoughts and desires. If Allahﷻ punishes us for that, we will be destroyed.’ Ask yourself if this doesn’t sound like a reasonable plea. But see the response of Rasoolullahﷺ to this. His blessed face became red with anger. He asked them, ‘Will you be like those who when they received a command of Allahﷻ would say, ‘We hear but we will not obey.’ Say, ‘We hear and we obey. Forgive us, Our Rabb. To You is our return.’ The Sahaba didn’t argue. They didn’t make excuses. They didn’t even hesitate. They obeyed him instantly. Ask what happened then? Nothing happened. Nothing happened for one year. For 12 months, the Muslims lived with the knowledge and belief that Allahﷻ would hold them accountable even for their thoughts and desires. That was the toughest training imaginable to inculcate the fundamental and greatest of all virtues, obedience to Allahﷻ in the way of Rasoolullahﷺ. Then after 12 months, Allahﷻ revealed: ءَامَنَ ٱلرَّسُولُ بِمَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْهِ مِن رَّبِّهِۦ وَٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ كُلٌّ ءَامَنَ بِٱللَّهِ وَمَلَـٰٓئِكَتِهِۦ وَكُتُبِهِۦ وَرُسُلِهِۦ لَا نُفَرِّقُ بَيْنَ أَحَدٍ مِّن رُّسُلِهِۦ وَقَالُوا۟ سَمِعْنَا وَأَطَعْنَا غُفْرَانَكَ رَبَّنَا وَإِلَيْكَ ٱلْمَصِيرُ Baqara 2: 285 The Messenger ˹firmly˺ believes in what has been revealed to him from his Rabb, and so do the believers. They ˹all˺ believe in Allah, His Angels, His Books, and His Messengers. ˹They proclaim,˺ “We make no distinction between any of His messengers.” And they say, “We hear and obey. ˹We seek˺ Your forgiveness, our Rabb! And to you ˹alone˺ is the final return.” The reward of obedience is sweet and honorable. When they obeyed Him, Allahﷻ honored them by repeating the words of Rasoolullahﷺ and the Sahaba as His Word, to be recited in Salah until the end of time. Allahﷻ gave the Sahaba relief and honored them by teaching them this beautiful dua. Let’s reflect on the value of dua that is taught by the One who will accept it. لَا يُكَلِّفُ ٱللَّهُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا وُسْعَهَا لَهَا مَا كَسَبَتْ وَعَلَيْهَا مَا ٱكْتَسَبَتْ رَبَّنَا لَا تُؤَاخِذْنَآ إِن نَّسِينَآ أَوْ أَخْطَأْنَا رَبَّنَا وَلَا تَحْمِلْ عَلَيْنَآ إِصْرًا كَمَا حَمَلْتَهُۥ عَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِنَا رَبَّنَا وَلَا تُحَمِّلْنَا مَا لَا طَاقَةَ لَنَا بِهِۦ وَٱعْفُ عَنَّا وَٱغْفِرْ لَنَا وَٱرْحَمْنَآ أَنتَ مَوْلَىٰنَا فَٱنصُرْنَا عَلَى ٱلْقَوْمِ ٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَ Baqara 2: 286 Allah does not require of any soul more than what it can afford. All good will be for its own benefit, and all evil will be to its own loss. ˹The believers pray,˺ “Our Rabb! Do not punish us if we forget or make a mistake. Our Rabb! Do not place a burden on us like the one you placed on those before us. Our Rabb! Do not burden us with what we cannot bear. Pardon us, forgive us, and have mercy on us. You are our ˹only˺ Guardian. So grant us victory over the disbelieving people.” Fasting comes to reinforce this primordial and foundational message, that all virtue, blessing, and success starts with obeying Allahﷻ and making His Will be the guiding light in our lives. I ask Allahﷻ to illuminate our hearts with His Light and to drive out the darkness of fear, depression, and despair. As we face a hostile world, it must be clear that the only source of support and protection we can rely on is Allahﷻ. So, let’s repair our bridge to Him. The first ten days of Ramadan are over, and we have entered the second Ashara. It is important to take stock of where

Video of the reminder: https://youtu.be/BO8KGj6C5U8

Ramadan is the month of self-reflection and introspection with the intention of getting our lives back on track. Our life is a journey which we hope will end in Jannah. Our parents Adam (AS) and Hawwa (AS) came from Jannah and when Allahﷻ sent them to the earth, He gave them the key to return home - Istighfaar. They said to Allahﷻ: قَالَا رَبَّنَا ظَلَمْنَآ أَنفُسَنَا وَإِن لَّمْ تَغْفِرْ لَنَا وَتَرْحَمْنَا لَنَكُونَنَّ مِنَ ٱلْخَـٰسِرِينَ A’araf 7: 23 They said, “Our Rabb! We have wronged ourselves. If You do not forgive us and have mercy on us, we will certainly be losers.” To make Istighfaar and Tawba is to acknowledge that we have a Creator, our Rabb and to accept that we need Him to be pleased with us in all matters and therefore to humble ourselves before Him and seek his pardon. This is the key to Jannah because Istighfaar and Tawba is the first step to develop Taqwa. The mistake that our parents Adam (AS) and Hawwa (AS) made was to give precedence to their desire over the Will of Allahﷻ. They didn’t deny Allahﷻ but in that one instance they denied the superiority of Allahﷻ’s Will over their own desire. To give Allahﷻ’s Will its due place as being superior to anything and everything that we may wish for, is the essence of Taqwa. A single instance of neglect caused our parents to lose Jannah. But Allahﷻ gave them the key to return, which is Istighfaar. I begin with this primordial and fundamental incident because it is such a powerful message for us about where we need to start, to return to Allahﷻ. It is never too soon or too late. I remind myself and you to identify the things in our lives that must change and to change them and turn to Allahﷻ and seek His Forgiveness. Change precedes and is evidence of the sincerity of seeking forgiveness. قُلْ يَـٰعِبَادِىَ ٱلَّذِينَ أَسْرَفُوا۟ عَلَىٰٓ أَنفُسِهِمْ لَا تَقْنَطُوا۟ مِن رَّحْمَةِ ٱللَّهِ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَغْفِرُ ٱلذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعًا إِنَّهُۥ هُوَ ٱلْغَفُورُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ Zumar 39: 53 Say, ˹O Prophet, that Allah says,˺ “O My slaves who have transgressed against their souls! Do not lose hope in Allah’s mercy, for Allah certainly forgives all sins. He is indeed the All-Forgiving, Most Merciful. Anas bin Malik (R) reported that Rasoolullahﷺ said, ‘Allahﷻ said: 'O son of Adam, I forgive you if you worship Me (alone) and hope for My forgiveness, whatever sins you have committed. O son of Adam, I do not care if your sins reach the height of the heavens, then you ask for my forgiveness, I will forgive you. O son of Adam, if you come to Me with an earth load of sins, and meet Me associating nothing to Me, I will match it with an earth load of forgiveness.' [Tirmidhi] Alhamdulillah, we have a Merciful and Forgiving Rabb. Let us return to Him. The blessing of Ramadan is to help us to develop Taqwa which is the secret to solve all our worldly problems and becoming deserving of Allahﷻ’s forgiveness. Allahﷻ declared the benefit of Taqwa and said: وَمَن يَتَّقِ ٱللَّهَ يَجْعَل لَّهُۥ مَخْرَجًا وَيَرْزُقْهُ مِنْ حَيْثُ لَا يَحْتَسِبُ Talaq 65: 2-3 And whoever is mindful of Allah, He will make a way out for them, and provide for them from sources they could never imagine. Not only did Allahﷻ promise to help the Muttaqi but said that He would help him in ways that he couldn’t imagine. Imagine Ibrahim (AS) sitting in the cup of the trebuchet, trussed up in ropes, about to be flung into a huge fire. Ask why he showed no signs of fear or worry? That is the meaning of Taqwa. When a person has Taqwa, he has no will of his own. His will is the Will of Allahﷻ. He wants whatever his Rabb wants for him. In the case of Ibrahim (AS), when he demonstrated his Tawakkul, Allahﷻ directly ordered the fire to become a means of safety for him. Allahﷻ didn’t put the fire out. The fire continued to burn. The people who threw him into the fire thought that they had won. But when he walked out of it safely, they knew that they had failed and that Allahﷻ had protected His Khaleel. وَمَن يَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ فَهُوَ حَسْبُهُۥٓ And whoever puts their trust in Allah, then He ˹alone˺ is sufficient for them. The reward of Taqwa is Tawakkul. When the slave is concerned about the pleasure of Allahﷻ and makes effort to gain it, Allahﷻ grants him peace of mind and freedom from all anxiety and stress. Tawakkul is to have total trust in Allahﷻ and the reward for it is that Allahﷻ will help us to feel His sufficiency for us. I remind myself and you that this sufficiency is not only for this life but much more importantly for the Hereafter where we will need it the most. What can you say about the one who Allahﷻ assured that He would be sufficient? I ask Allahﷻ for this for us all. To make us Muttaqoon, solve our problems and extract us from our difficulties, to keep us in the ranks of the Mutawakkiloon and to fill our hearts with His Noor and Grace and Love and to be sufficient for us in this world and the next. I ask Allahﷻ to make this Ramadan the best in our lives and enable us to maximize

Moon sighting is Sunnah: https://youtu.be/E9DHieJ61LE

Narrated Abdullah binUmar:Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) mentioned Ramadan and said, "Do not fast unless you see the crescent (of Ramadan), and do not give up fasting till you see the crescent (of Shawwal), but if the sky is overcast (if you cannot see it), then act on estimation (i.e. count Sha'ban as 30 days).حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مَسْلَمَةَ، عَنْ مَالِكٍ، عَنْ نَافِعٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عُمَرَ ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ذَكَرَ رَمَضَانَ فَقَالَ ‏ "‏ لاَ تَصُومُوا حَتَّى تَرَوُا الْهِلاَلَ، وَلاَ تُفْطِرُوا حَتَّى تَرَوْهُ، فَإِنْ غُمَّ عَلَيْكُمْ فَاقْدُرُوا لَهُ ‏"‏‏.‏Reference : Sahih al-Bukhari 1906In-book reference : Book 30, Hadith 16 Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying:Observe fast on sighting it (the new moon) and break (fast) on sighting it (the new moon), but if the sky is cloudy for you, then complete the number (of thirty).حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ سَلاَّمٍ الْجُمَحِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا الرَّبِيعُ، - يَعْنِي ابْنَ مُسْلِمٍ - عَنْ مُحَمَّدٍ، - وَهُوَ ابْنُ زِيَادٍ - عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، - رضى الله عنه - أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏ "‏ صُومُوا لِرُؤْيَتِهِ وَأَفْطِرُوا لِرُؤْيَتِهِ فَإِنْ غُمِّيَ عَلَيْكُمْ فَأَكْمِلُوا الْعَدَدَ ‏"‏ ‏.‏Reference : Sahih Muslim 1081bIn-book reference : Book 13, Hadith 21 `Ammaar ibn Yaasir (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “Whoever fasts the day concerning which there is doubt has disobeyed Abu’l-Qaasim (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).” (Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 686; al-Nasaa’i, 2188; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi, 553)

My brothers and sisters, in another day or two we will enter Ramadan. The question I ask myself and you is, will we enter Ramadan or will we allow Ramadan to enter us? If we enter Ramadan then on the 1st of Shawwal, we will exit Ramadan. But if we allow the spirit of Ramadan, the spirit of absolute obedience to Allahﷻ in the way of Rasoolullahﷺ and concern for the Pleasure of Allahﷻ in all matters to enter our hearts and lives, then we can hope that this will transform us and make us true Muttaqoon for whom Allahﷻ promised Jannah. Abu Hurairah (R) reported from Rasoolullahﷺ: قَدْ جَاءَكُمْ رَمَضَانُ شَهْرٌ مُبَارَكٌ افْتَرَضَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْكُمْ صِيَامَهُ تُفْتَحُ فِيهِ أَبْوَابُ الْجَنَّةِ وَيُغْلَقُ فِيهِ أَبْوَابُ الْجَحِيمِ وَتُغَلُّ فِيهِ الشَّيَاطِينُ فِيهِ لَيْلَةٌ خَيْرٌ مِنْ أَلْفِ شَهْرٍ مَنْ حُرِمَ خَيْرَهَا قَدْ حُرِمَ “There has come to you Ramadan, a blessed month, in which Allahﷻ has enjoined you to fast. In it the gates of Jannah are opened, and the gates of Jahannam are shut, and every devil is chained up. In it Allahﷻ has a night which is better than a thousand months; whoever is deprived of its goodness is indeed deprived”. [Nasa’i] I ask Allahﷻ to grant us all, Ramadan with strong Iman, good health and free time and the guidance (Tawfeeq) to do our utmost to earn His Pleasure. My brothers and sisters, I remind myself and you that all the promises of Allahﷻ in the Qur’an are for the Muttaqoon – people of Taqwa. Not for the Muslimoon. Becoming Muslim is only the entry point, a boundary condition. Without that you are not even in the fold. But to attain levels with Allahﷻ we must make effort; to enter that blessed group of people who will be honored and granted entry into Jannah. Allahﷻ ordered us to have His Taqwa – to fear His displeasure and be aware of His presence – and said: يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ اتَّقُواْ اللّهَ حَقَّ تُقَاتِهِ وَلاَ تَمُوتُنَّ إِلاَّ وَأَنتُم مُّسْلِمُونَ A’al Imraan 3:102. O you who believe! Have Taqwa of Allah as it is His right that you should have Taqwa. And do not die except in a state of Islâm (as Muslims) Allahﷻ ordered the Muslims to develop a state of mind and heart where they fear to displease Him as it is His right that people should fear to displease Him. And He told the Muslims to make sure that they don’t die except in a state of complete submission to Him. Then Allahﷻ showed us how to develop Taqwa and gave us the means to do it. He made fasting Fardh (compulsory) upon us so that we could develop Taqwa. He said: يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الصِّيَامُ كَمَا كُتِبَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ Al Baqarah 2:83. O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, so that you may become Al-Muttaqoon Islam means submission. To obey without question. It is not obedience without understanding but because we understand who Allahﷻ is. Allahﷻ gave us the example of Ibrahim (AS) and his willing submission to Him. إِذْ قَالَ لَهُۥ رَبُّهُۥٓ أَسْلِمْ قَالَ أَسْلَمْتُ لِرَبِّ ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ Baqara 2: 131 When his Rabb ordered him, “Submit ˹to My Will˺,” he responded, “I submit to the Rabb of all worlds.” Ramadan comes to emphasize the fact that the Muslim obeys because Allahﷻ commanded it; and that makes ‘sense’ to him, even if he doesn’t always understand why Allahﷻ commanded it. This is an indication of his trust in Allahﷻ which comes from his love for Allahﷻ and his experience of the Glory and Magnificense of Allahﷻ. When I know that the One who can do anything, loves me and is in control of my life, what else can I ask for? Allahﷻ made some things Halaal and some things Haraam. But in Ramadan during the hours of daylight, He made even the things which are ordinarily Halaal, Haraam. Allahﷻ made Halaal whatever is good and beneficial for the slave and Haraam whatever is evil and harmful for the slave. We forget that Allahﷻ neither benefits nor is harmed by anything and so He has nothing to gain or lose. It is His Mercy which drives the decision to show us what is harmful and beneficial for us. But in Ramadan Allahﷻ makes Haraam what is normally Halaal. Which emphasizes the fact that real benefit is in obeying Allahﷻ and real harm is to disobey Allahﷻ and not in the thing itself. When the Muslim obeys Allahﷻ and fasts he is essentially doing something which makes sense only when one understands whose command it is. It is emphasized for the Muslim that if he obeyed Allahﷻ during Ramadan and stayed away even from Halaal then how much more important is it for him to stay away from what Allahﷻ prohibited and made Haraam throughout his life? That is why it is so critical to know Allahﷻ, to be connected to Allahﷻ, to be conscious of Allah and to be concerned about His pleasure and approval for all that we say or do because to Him is our return. Ramadan comes to emphasize this for us every year; that we are the slaves of Allahﷻ and in being true to that is our salvation. Ramada