afterramadanmaintainspiritoframadan-130912225902-phpapp01.pptx

afterramadanm

1. AFTER RAMADAN MAINTAIN SPIRIT OF RAMADAN

2. What is the spirit of Ramadan? “O ye who believe, fasting has been prescribed upon you as it was prescribed upon those before you, so that ye may learn self-restraint”. (Chapter:2, Verse:183)

3. Ramadan is an annual Tazkeyah or training program for the believers Ramadan is meant for our moral and spiritual training and for the purification of our bodies, minds and souls . It is a special time to get closer to Allah and to seek His blessings and bounties. It is a time to learn Taqwah (God-fearing), piety, self-discipline and patience. It teaches us to give more charity and become more generous. It is a time to seek Allah’s forgiveness and to forgive each other. It is a time to be thankful to Allah for His gifts and bounties and especially His gift of iman .

4. Ramadan left two types of Muslims 1- Those who achieved nothing: " Whoever does not give up lying speech (false statements) and acting on those lies and evil actions etc., Allah is not in need of his leaving his food and drink (i.e. Allah will not accept his Saum (fasting)". (See Fath Al-Bari, Vol.5, page 18] (3:127-OB) Abu Huraira related that Rasulullah said: Many people get nothing from their fast except hunger and thirst, and many people who pray at night get nothing from it except wakefulness ( Darimi ).

5. 2- Those who gathered unlimited rewards

6. Are we the fortunate Muslims? The fortunate are the ones who used their time in Ramadan to work for the Hereafter and neither worldly commitment nor its desires distracted them from fulfilling the rights of Allah. Did we utilize the opportunity of Ramadan and tried to change the situation of the Muslim Ummah which starts with me and you changing ourselves ? Indeed Allah shall not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves …” [Quran 13: 11

7. Ramadan may have departed but the spirit of Ramadan must continue Blessed Ramadan has left us with some beautiful gifts of spiritual and moral excellence . We need to continue to maintain and build upon those precious gifts till next Ramadan and beyond Ramadan has left us some milestones on the path to Jannah. We need to continue to move forward in achieving those milestone and struggle to reach our goal ,i.e., Jannatul Firdos.

8. Some components of spirit of Ramadan

9. 1- Taqwah Taqwah is a state of heart, which keeps one conscious of Allah's presence and His Knowledge, and it motivates him to perform righteous deeds and avoid those, which are forbidden Allah says: "O you who believe! Have Taqwa of Allah, as you should have of Him and do not die except as Muslims." [Al-Imran (3): 102]

10. Essence of Taqwah The essence of Taqwah is: To make a shield (which guards) Against Allah's anger and punishment . That shield is to obey His commandments and abstain from His punishment. [ Ibn Rajab in Jami al- Uloom wal Ahkam )

11. Dua for Taqwah O’ Allah! I beg you for guidance, piety, chastity and wealth O’ Allah! Grant my Nafs its Taqwah . Purify it and you are the best who can purify it. You are its Wali and Guardian.

12. 2- Ikhlas or sincerity "And they have not been commanded, except that they should sincerely and exclusively worship Allah alone." [ 98:5].

13. Religion is sincerity and sincere advice The prophet of Allah (SAW) said: "The Deen is naseehah (sincerity and sincere advice)." We asked: To whom? He replied: "To Allah, His Book, His Messenger and to the leaders of the Muslims and the general people."

14. Dua for Ikhlas Ya Allah! Remove from my heart (desire for) show off, reputation and make all my actions purely for your blessed approval. Ya Allah! Cleanse my heart from hypocrisy, my actions from show off, my tongue from falsehood, my eyes from dishonesty. Indeed you are aware of dishonest eyes and whatever is hidden in hearts

15. 3-Excellence in Ibadah and race to get more rewards from Allah (SWT) “I did not create the Jinn and the humans but to ya'bodoon (submit to me)” Zariat,50:56 The meaning of "ibadah" in the Arabic language is obedience, submission, and humility It means to submit our life totally to Allah (S.W.T.) alone. This includes the belief, the prescribed forms of worship and all activities, in individual and collective life.

16. We must continue eagerness for : Recitation, memorization and understanding of Quran Salah with congregation Tahajjad Optional Salah or nawafil Optional fasting Spending in the way of Allah to help needy Learn and teach Al Islam Seek company of righteous Dawah to Al Islam

17. OBLIGATIONS TO QUR’AAN To believe that Qur’aan is an oration of Allah ( swt ) To regularly recite Qur’aan (with slow thoughtful & correct pronunciation) To understand the Qur’aan To act upon the Guidance of Qur’aan To convey the Message of Qur’aan

18. There are two aspects of belief: Verbal Affirmation: This is a word of God, descended on the last of the prophets (saw) through Hazrat Jibraeel (as).  Heart felt Testification: Testification with the heart that Qur’aan is an oration of Allah ( swt ), (the King of the kings) and he brought it down on the Prophet (saw). Instead of taking Qur’aan as a sacred book or an ancestral dogma, we should have firm conviction that Qur’aan is a divine book of guidance which relates to all spheres of daily life. The Practical portrayal of Heart felt belief: The Prophet (saw) and his companions had deep love with Qur’aan . The Holy Prophet (saw) used to recite lengthy Surahs of Qur’aan during the midnight prayers. His companions would try to complete the recitation of whole Qur’aan within three days, so that Prophet (saw) had to stop them from doing so. He (saw) advised them to complete the recitation of Qur’aan in a week. 1 st Obligation: To believe that Qur’aan is an oration of Allah ( swt )

19. 2nd Obligation: To regularly recite Qur’aan When heartfelt conviction permeates deeply, one starts valuing the Qur’aan in its utmost. Now the process of regular reading and recitation is initiated; about which Qur’aan says: “Those to whom we have delivered the book, recite it as it ought to be recited. They are those who believe in the Book.” ( Albaqarah : 121) For reciting the holy book term ‘ Tilaawat ’ is used. Tilaawat refers to, following something out of reverence; hence it means to read with the same intention. A regular ‘ tilaawat ’ of Qur’aan is necessary because: It nurtures our ‘ Eemaan ’ (heartfelt conviction) It satisfies the need of our soul. Our soul needs nourishment just like our earthly body. All the needs of earthly body are fulfilled from earth. Soul is the spirit of Allah and satisfaction of its need comes from Allah i.e., Qur’aan . Tilaawat of Qur’aan leans on during hard times and is effective for the contentment of heart. “Be notified! Hearts attain contentment only through the remembrance of Allah ( swt )” ( ArRaad : 13: 28) The biggest mode of remembrance of Allah is Qur’aan .

20. Some important considerations for ‘ Tilaawat ’ of Qur’aan : 1. Correct Pronunciation ( Tajweed ): It means knowing the Arabic words with their actual phonetic sounds, uttering them properly and to be aware of the basic rules of recitation. 2. Apparent Etiquettes: A prior ablution, dressed in clean & ‘Pak’ clothes, sitting at a clean spot, facing towards Qibla , and to initiate recitation with: Ta’awwuz : “I seek refuge of Allah ( swt ) from the Satan, the rejected and stoned one.” Tasmea : “In the name of Allah, the most benevolent and merciful.” 3. Implied Etiquettes: Realization of supremacy of Allah ( swt ) and of His Divine revelation, fear of his accountability, his reverence, intent to seek his guidance, and intention of acting on the requisites of the Qur’aan . 4. Daily Routine : We should include recitation of Qur’aan in our daily routine. 5. Harmonic Accent : Recite Qur’aan in an attractive accent; which is pleasing to the ear. A saying of Prophet (saw) is: “Ornate Qur’aan with your beautiful voices” (Abu Dawood) 6. Memorization (Hifz) : All of us should try to memorize most of the Qur’aan so that we could recite most of it during discretionary (‘ Nafil ’) prayers. 7. Slow & Thoughtful Reading ( Tarteel ): In prayers Qur’aan should be read with thoughtfulness, stopping at each ayah, in order to comprehend the meanings, and feel its effects on heart and soul.

21. 3rd Obligation: To Understand the Qur’aan Qur’aan is a guiding manual for humans; guidance will take effect when the manual is understood properly. Qur’aan is read the most but is understood the little. There is no other book, which is read without understanding. This injustice is done only with the Book of Allah. As far as we do not learn Arabic, we should recite Qur’aan with translation. We should try to learn Arabic so that we can directly understand the Qur’aan . Direct understanding of Qur’aan creates more impact on the hearts as compared to reading translations. For those of us who have acquired fluency in foreign languages, mastery in high-tech worldly skills, will have no excuse in front of Almighty Allah on the Day of Judgment, for not learning Arabic language to directly understand the Qur’aan .

22. Two levels of understanding Qur’aan Tazakkur Tazakkur is to know the central idea of guidance from a section of Qur’aan through a quick overview. Regarding Tazakkur Allah ( swt ) has made Qur’aan a clear book which is very easy to understand. Allah says: “Hence we have made Qur’aan an easy to understand book: Is there some one who gets admonished?” ( Alqamar : 17, 22, 32, 40) For ‘ Tazakkur ’ all we need is, just a little effort to learn only that much of Arabic so that we can get the meanings of Qur’aan without looking at its translation.   Tadabbur Tadabbur refers to deeply pondering over a section of Qur’aan to understand the underlying wisdom or philosophy of the subject. Regarding Tadabbur , Qur’aan is very vast and profound. A whole lifespan and very high scholastic aptitude is required of a person to be indulging in such an activity. In spite of this Qur’aan emphasizes on Tadabbur by saying: “So why don’t they ponder over the Qur’aan or if their hearts are sealed” (Mohammad: 47: 24) The real essence of Tadabbur is: To dig out pearls of knowledge and wisdom of Qur’aan Through this process one acquires such a conviction that the greatness of Qur’aan gets deeply embedded in his heart. To deduce the solutions of various problems from Qur’aan One can easily sort out right from wrong when faced with the modern doctrines.  

23. 4th Obligation: To act upon the Guidance of Qur’aan Reading and understanding Qur’aan can only be of some use and its benefits of a guiding manual can only be reaped when the objective is to act upon the guidance of Qur’aan . A faith without practice of Qur’aanic principles is not trustworthy, “Whosoever makes legal what is forbidden in Qur’aan does not believe in Qur’aan .” (Tirmizi)   Acting upon Qur’aan in Individual Affairs: Certain Qur’aanic commandments such as observing prayers, giving regular charity, performing Hajj, speaking the truth, and fulfilling what has been committed; pertain to the individual affairs of a person, they have to be observed regardlessly . “O you who believe! Why must you say, that does not relate to your actions? This is of great annoyance to Allah ( swt ) that you say something and do not act upon.” ( As’Saff : 2-3) Acting upon Qur’aan in Collective Affairs: Commandments which are mainly for the affairs of the public or society as a whole; for instance, chopping off limbs of a thief, beheading a killer, recovery of the regular charity, instituting Baitul Maal to provide a just social system, and making sure that interest, usury, gambling are not in practice. These commandments can only be enforced when Deen of Allah is empowered by a government established on Islamic principles. Hence it is incumbent upon Muslims to strive for empowerment of Allah’s Deen and establish an Islamic government. Otherwise observing all of the commandments of Qur’aan will remain an illusion.   “And whoever does not make decisions by (the book) what Allah has revealed then surely those are non-believers” (Al- Maidah : 44) Practicing a division in Qur’aanic commandments regarding the affairs of life will result in condemnation in this world and severe punishment in hereafter. (Al-Baqarah:85)

24. 5 th Obligation: To Convey the Message to Others  Mohammad (saw) is the last of the prophets, institution of prophethood ended with him and he has brought the Message in its entirety. Carrying the message of Allah ( swt ) to the rest of the mankind is obligatory on all Muslims. “You are the best of peoples ever raised up for mankind, you enjoin what is right and forbid the wrong and believe in Allah.” (Ale-Imran: 110) Over a continuous period of 23 years Mohammed (saw) carried out the task of calling towards and spreading the message of same Qur’aan . In his last sermon during Hajjatul Widda he asked Sahaba and all who were present at the time to be witness of the fact that he has conveyed the Message of Allah and he (saw) said: “Now for those of you, who are present here should carry the message to those, who are not here.” ( Musnad Ahmad) The individuals of Muslim Ummah are duty bound to this responsibility according to their respective skills. Mohammad (saw) at the time had included every individual of his Ummah in this assignment. He (saw) said: “Convey from me even if it be a single Ayah” (Bukhari)

25. 4- Punctuality and Order Ramadan teaches us to be very punctual in sahoor and iftar. Punctuality is safeguarding the time which is Amanah (trust). أمانة . When we talk about Amanah, it will actually lead to other etiquettes in Islam such as keeping promises or being a leader/having any kind of post One of the signs of munafiq (hypocrites) are those who always break their promises. نعوذ بالله من ذلك. Ramadan teaches us to bring order and proper organization in our daily life by time management

26. Protect Prophet (SAW) said,”If you have 4 things in you, then even if you loose the whole material world, you are not a looser: 1-Protection of Amanah 2-Truthfulness 3-Beautiful morals 4-Sustenance earned through Halal means.” (Ahmad) “He has no Iman who has no Amanah and he has no Deen who does not keep promises.” ( Tabrani )

27. If you love Allah and His Prophet (SAW) Man sarrahû an yuhibballàha wa rasûlahû , wa yuhibbuhullàhu wa rasûluhû , falyasduq fî hadîthihî idhâ haddath , walyuaddi amânatahû idha'tumin , walyuhsin jiwâra man jâwarahû If a person enjoys loving Allah and His Prophet and being loved by Allah and His Prophet, and wishes for this, he must do the following: 1. He must be truthful when he speaks. "2. When he is entrusted with something, he must keep the trust and return it when it is due." 3. He must be a good neighbor and observe the rights of his neighbors."

28. 5- Reminding purpose of creation Say, "Indeed, my prayer, my rites of sacrifice, my living and my dying are for Allah, Lord of the worlds. (6:162) In the midst of the pleasures of this life, man forgets the purpose of his existence and the reason for his life It may lead man to worship his whims and desires Ramadan helps us to control the desires of the body and not to worship them and remember purpose of our life ,i.e., Ibadah of Allah and preparation for Akhirah.

29. 6-Opportunity to change for better And those who strive for Us - We will surely guide them to Our ways. And indeed, Allah is with the doers of good. (29:69) In Ramadan, Masjids are filled with Muslims bowing and prostrating to Allah More Muslims are keen to join the first row in congregation in the Masajid When Ramadan comes, smokers patiently refrain from it most of the day Look at our morals before and during Ramadan Most of us recite and listen to complete Quran in Ramadan

30. We need to continue these righteous deeds

31. 7- Patience and strong will O my son, establish prayer, enjoin what is right, forbid what is wrong, and be patient over what befalls you. Indeed, [all] that is of the matters [requiring] determination. (31:17)

32. Good News for Sabirin

33. Fasting teaches three kinds of Sabr

34. Dua for excellent morals Ya Allah! Forgive all my sins and mistakes. Ya Alah! Recuperate me (from illnesses), bestow your kindness to me. Ya Allah! Guide me to righteous deeds and morals. Indeed no one can guide to righteousness except you and no one can overlook sins except you.

35. 9- Shukar or thankfulness to Allah “And perhaps you will be grateful.” [ 2:185] Ramadan comes to remind us of Allah’s blessings We taste the pain of poor’s hunger and thirst. We extend to them the hand of mercy, wipe the pain of misery from them Mutual hatred and envy disappear, and mercy prevail among people. True thankfulness entails proper utilization of one's blessings by using them in obedience to Allah

36. Shukr Ramadan brings awareness of the blessings we have Blessing of faith and guidance to Islam Ibadah specially in Ramadan Health and well being Food and drinks Houses Means of transportation Spouses and children “ If you (try to count) the blessings of Allah, you will not be able to.”

37. Expression of Shukr must continue Ya Allah! Whatever you made mine out of your blessings or for anyone from your creation, it is from you alone. You have no partner. All praises and thanks are due to you.

38. Dua for Shukr Ya Allah! Help me upon your remembrance, thankfulness and your beautiful worship . O my Lord! grant me that I may be grateful for your favor which you have bestowed upon me and upon both my parents and that I may work righteousness such as you may approve; and be gracious to me in my issue. Truly have I turned to you and truly do I bow (to you) in Islam Ahqaf , 46:15

39. 10- Forgiveness from Allah and forgiving people

40. Best of Istighfar (asking forgiveness) Prophet (SAW) said,” Best of Istighfar (asking forgiveness from Allah) is that you say: Whoever said that in the daytime with conviction and he died before the night, he joined people of Jannah. Whoever said that in the night with conviction and he died before the day ,He joined the people of Jannah. (Bukhari)

41. 11-Healthy lifestyle Fasting guarantees the preservation of physical energy and distributes it appropriately according to the body's needs Fasting helps the body break down excess fat and different precipitates in bodily tissues Fasting improves the function of digestion, facilitates absorption, and balances body weight Fasting opens the mind and strengthens perception. An old adage goes, "Gluttony decreases acumen.“ We need to continue healthy lifestyle after Ramadan

42. Dua for continuous good health Ya Allah! Grant health in my body Ya Allah! Grant health in my hearing Ya Allah! Grant health in my sight There is no Ilah (worthy of worship) except you

43. 12-

44. Eat Less for Zikr and soft heart Prophet (SAW) said, "No man fills a container worse than his stomach. A few morsels that keep his back upright are sufficient for him. If he has to, then he should keep one-third for food, one-third for drink and one-third for his breath.” (Ahmad, Tirmidhi) “Beware of gluttony; it hardens the heart.“ Amar Ibn Qais (RA) Luqman advised his son, "O my son! If the stomach is full, meditation stops, wisdom is withheld, and the organs become lazy in worship We must continue to eat less in the spirit of Ramadan We must do more Zikr of Allah for rest of the year

45. Zikr or remembrance of Allah Zikr polishes the heart It is the source of the Divine breath that revives the dead souls by filling them with the blessings of Allah It brings them out from the state of heedlessness to the states of complete wakefulness If we keep busy with zikr, happiness and true peace will be granted to us. Zikr is the key to happiness, joy and Divine love

46. ‘s ZIKR

47. Let us not ever forget Zikr of Allah

48. Zikr with great rewards

49. Zikr with great rewards Abu Huraira (R) reported that the Prophet (SAW) said,” Whoever said ‘There is No God But Allah Alone, who has no partner, His is the dominion and His is the praise, and He has power over all things’ Whoever said the above one Hundred times in a day, received reward equal to: Freeing ten slaves Hundred good deeds are recorded for him Hundred bad deeds wiped away He gained refuge from the devil that day until evening. None shall come with anything better except someone who has done more. ” Bukhari

50. 13- Self Discipline Prophet (SAW) said, "O’ young people! Whoever among you can afford marriage, let him marry. And whoever cannot afford it, let him fast, for fasting is a shield for him.“ (Bukhari) “Satan runs inside the son of Adam like blood“ (Bukhari) Fasting extinguishes Satan’s whisperings and breaks the urges of lust and anger We need to continue being in control of our carnal desires and fulfill only in permitted way

51. Dua for protection against Shatan

52. 14- Concern for Akhirah In Ramadan we relinquish some of the worldly matters in hope of the reward that Allah has prepared in the Hereafter This teaches us an important lesson in belief , priority and attachment to the Hereafter. It also teaches us to control the immediate pleasures of this life within Allah’s commands After Ramadan, we must continue to keep our focus upon our Akhirah. Let not the attractions of this material world take us into sins which may ruin our Akhirah

53. Dua for concern of Akhirah

54. 15-Compassion and Empathy There are many throughout the globe who still struggle with hunger, poverty, lack and scarcity In Ramadan, we feel the hunger that many experience daily as a normal consequence of their circumstances By fasting in Ramadan, we develop the qualities of empathy and compassion Fasting brings awareness of our intrinsic connection and oneness with all human beings regardless of borders or labels

55. Fasting creates all three qualities for the global human family

56. 16-Charity (Zakah and Sadaqat) are promoted in Ramadan

57. Charity

58. Helping orphans Soft Merciful Hearts Abu Darda (R) reported that a person came to the Prophet (SAW) and complained about hardness of his heart. Prophet (SAW) said,” Do you like that your heart be soft and your need is fulfilled? Then show mercy to orphan, wipe his head, feed him from your food. Your heart will be softened and your need will be fulfilled. Leads To

59. Dua to continue charity

60. 17-Strengthening family ties And serve Allah. Ascribe nothing as partner unto Him. (Show) kindness unto parents, and unto near kindred.. Nisa,5:36 Anas b. Malik reported that Allah’s Messenger (SAW) said: He who likes that his sustenance should be expanded and his age may be lengthened should join the tie of kinship (Muslim) Fasting strengthens family ties. Family gets together for Iftar and sahur , for Salah, for Tarawih and for Eid. We must continue our efforts to maintain and strengthen our family ties.

61. 18-DU’AS / AD’IYAH (SUPPLICATIONS)

62. Let us continue dua of Lailatul Qadar

63. Seek protection of Allah

64. Perpetuate Spirit of Ramadan by observing these Ramadan Codes

65. May Allah (SWT) accept all our and your righteous deeds. Ameen