Khutbah: Taqwa and Fasting Ramadan

Indeed, all praises and thanks are due to Allah. We praise Him, we seek His Help and and we seek His Forgiveness. And we take refuge in Allah from the evils of ourselves and from the bad of our actions. Whomever Allah guides, none can misguide. And whomever Allah misguides, none can guide. And I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah. And I testify that Muḥammad is His slave and messenger. May Allah send blessings upon him and upon his family and companions, and may He send much peace upon them.

O Slaves of Allah! Have taqwā of Allah, for taqwā is the means by which one attains the good of this life and the Hereafter. Taqwā is having fear of the Majestic One, acting upon the Revelation (i.e. the Qur’ān), being content with little and preparing for the day of departure [from this world], as was stated by Sayyidunā ‘Alī (Allah be pleased with him and ennoble his face). And taqwā was defined by Imam al-Ghazālī as guarding oneself from the ghadab of Allah and His punishment by fulfilling His commandments and abstaining from what He has prohibited. Indeed, your life is a journey and the best provision for that journey is taqwā.

Among the ways Allah facilitated for His slaves to achieve this lofty goal is by fasting. He says:

يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ ٱلصِّيَامُ كَمَا كُتِبَ عَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ

“O you who have believed, prescribed upon you is fasting as it was prescribed upon those before you, so that you may attain taqwā.” (Qur’ān 2:183)

And indeed, the month of fasting has dawned upon us, for come next weekend we shall, in shā’ Allāh, be commencing the blessed month of Ramaḍān.

Respected believers! Know that fasting the month of Ramaḍān is an exercise in attaining taqwā. There's only one way to attain taqwā: mujāhadah (struggle). Taqwā needs to be struggled for and striven for. And fasting is supposed to help you strive to attain it. Know that fasting is a means by which you overcome, subdue and cause grief to your greatest enemy: Shayṭān. Shayṭān attacks you via your desires – the desires of your stomach, tongue, eyes, etc. – and by fasting you suppress your desires, thereby fighting your enemy.

Honourable believers! Know that taqwā resides in the heart. The heart is like a city which has several entry points, these being the tongue, the eyes, the ears, the stomach, the genitals, the hands and the feet. To guard the city, its entry points must also be guarded. Likewise with the heart – we need to guard the heart by guarding its entry points. And this is where fasting comes in. Fasting is not just about suppressing the desires of our stomachs. Fasting is about suppressing all our desires. Fasting is about guarding all of the entry points of the heart, the seat of taqwā. When fasting we must guard our tongues, our eyes, our ears, our hormones, our hands and our feet, not just our stomachs. As for the one who does not guard all these and only chooses to abstain from food and drink, know that this person is not on his way to attaining the objective of fasting, i.e. taqwā.

Fasting the month of Ramaḍān is an exercise in attaining taqwā and becoming from amongst the righteous. To fast like the righteous, we need to prevent our other organs from sin in addition to preventing ourselves from eating and drinking. And this is accomplished with six things, as mentioned by Imam al-Ghazālī:
1. Lowering the gaze and preventing the eyesight from viewing anything blameworthy and sinful, as well as everything that distracts the heart and diverts it from the remembrance of Allah, Mighty and Majestic is He.
2. Preventing the tongue from useless speech, lying, backbiting, talebearing, indecent speech, rudeness, arguing and useless disputation, and instead making it observe silence and occupying it in the remembrance of Allah.
3. Refraining from listening to everything that is sinful; everything prohibited to say is likewise prohibited to listen to.
4. Keeping all other limbs and organs away from sin and blameworthy acts, particularly the stomach from consuming questionable food when breaking the fast. After all, why refrain from halal food during the day when fasting and then break the fast with ḥarām food?
5. Avoid overeating halal food (yes, halal) at the time of breaking the fast to the point of stuffing one's belly. Fasting is supposed to make you suppress your desires and thereby conquer your enemy – i.e. Shayṭān – and increase your heart in taqwā. Why then give your stomach what it craves for and fulfil its desires – nay, fill it with more than it can hold – when breaking the fast? Doesn't this defeat the purpose of fasting?
6. After breaking the fast, having the heart constantly swing like a pendulum between fear and hope as to the acceptance of one's fast by Allah. And this should be the case with all of our acts of worship.

So I remind myself and you: fasting Ramaḍān is essentially an exercise in attaining taqwā. Attaining taqwā does not just involve keeping away from food and drink. It further involves keeping away all our organs and limbs from sin. And this is the essence of taqwā: avoiding the prohibitions of Allah and fulfilling His commandments. I end with the following ayah:

وَمَن يُطِعِ ٱللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُۥ وَيَخْشَ ٱللَّهَ وَيَتَّقْهِ فَأُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْفَآئِزُونَ

“And whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger and fears Allah and has taqwā of Him – it is those who are the attainers of success.” (Qur’ān 24:52)

Ripping Away the Veil...

Bismi llāh, wa l-ḥamdu lillāh, wa ṣ-ṣalātu wa s-salāmu ‘alā rasūli llāh, wa ‘alā ālihī wa ṣaḥbihī wa man wālāh

Imagine yourself in the shoes of a Muslim brother at the mall wearing a jubbah and kufi. Now imagine someone walking up to you and ripping off your jubbah, then snatching your kufi from your head. How would you feel?

Imagine yourself in the shoes of a Muslim sister wearing hijab. Now imagine someone walking up to you and tearing your hijab off your body, leaving the precious hair and skin you had been veiling from public eyes all this time bare and exposed for all to see. How would you feel?

At times, the people we interact with may seek to veil certain things about themselves, be it a detail about themselves, an act they did or so on. Sometimes, the things these people seek to veil may seem silly to us. You might think that your friend who doesn't want to reveal his/her date of birth to others is a bit of a weirdo. You might think that your buddy not wanting to tell you his/her exam marks is a bit silly. You might think that your classmate/colleague who doesn't want you to share his/her contact details with others is too much of a private person who needs to open up a bit.

But we need to remember something: not everyone is the same. Some people won't mind narrating their entire life story to an audience of 7 billion people. Others may be too shy to even mention how many siblings they have to an audience of one person. Which might seem a bit silly to you, but think about it: don't you think many non-Muslims think of women covering their entire bodies – especially the hair (and the face for niqab-wearing women) – as something silly? Don't you think many non-Muslims think of wearing "Arab nightgowns" at a shopping mall during the daytime as something that's just too weird – too alien – in a modern, Western society?

If a person wants to veil a certain thing, we should respect the person's decision to veil it. Don't go about ripping their veil away. This especially applies to private people, people who prefer keeping more aspects of their lives under wraps than we do.

Ripping away such veils is a form of namīmah, the general principle surrounding which is "unveiling what one would not like to be unveiled". Namīmah is more than just talebearing, as some of us might misconceive. The reality of namīmah lies in "divulging a secret, in revealing something confidential whose disclosure is resented," as quoted by Imām al-Nawawī in his book al-Adhkār from Imām al-Ghazālī (Allah have mercy upon them both).

If a person doesn't want to reveal something to you, respect that person's decision. If a person doesn't want you to tell others something about them, respect that person's request. Don't rip away their veil. It doesn't feel nice. Think of your Muslim sisters who have had their physical veils ripped from them and the embarrassment, shame and insult they had to endure.

May Allah conceal our faults and assuage our fears. And may He make us from those who guard their tongues from vain talk. Āmīn.

And Allah knows best.

Khutbah: Reliance Upon Allah

Indeed, all praises and thanks are due to Allāh. We praise Him, we seek His Help and and we seek His Forgiveness. And we take refuge in Allāh from the evils of ourselves and from the bad of our actions. Whomever Allāh guides, none can misguide. And whomever Allāh misguides, none can guide. And I testify that there is no one worthy of worship except Allāh. And I testify that Muḥammad is His slave and messenger. May blessings and peace be upon him and upon his family and companions.

Allāh says:

وَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى الْحَيِّ الَّذِي لَا يَمُوتُ

"Rely upon The Ever-Living who does not die." (Qur’ān 25:58)

And He says:

 ۚ وَمَن يَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى اللَّهِ فَهُوَ حَسْبُهُ

“And whoever relies upon Allāh, then He will suffice him.” (Qur’ān 65:3)

And He says:

إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُتَوَكِّلِينَ

“Indeed, Allāh loves those who rely upon Him.” (Qur’ān 3:159)

Thus, I advise you – dear brothers and sisters in Islām – to place your ultimate reliance – to have tawakkul – upon Allāh in all your matters. Place your reliance upon the one with whom rests all Power and Ability. Indeed, tawakkul is a light for the heart and a means to get closer to Allāh.

Now, tawakkul does not contradict that you take the means to achieve your aim. When you're thirsty, you won't just say, "Well, I'm gonna wait here and place my trust in Allāh and He'll quench my thirst for me." When you want to cross the road, you don't just say, “I rely upon Allāh,” and then walk onto the road as if cars just suddenly ceased to exist. When you fall ill, you don't just go out and say, “I place my trust in Allāh,” and wait for the cure to drop from the sky. When you have an upcoming exam, you don't just slouch on your couch and say, “No need to study or pay attention in class. I'll just make du‘ā’ and place my trust in Allāh.” Know, dear intelligent human beings, that Allāh has placed means by which matters are fulfilled. So with quenching thirst, Allāh has made drinking water the means by which this is fulfilled. With crossing a road, Allāh has made taking due care and caution as the means of  doing so safely. With curing illness, Allāh has placed seeking medical care, taking medicine, etc. as the means by which it is achieved. With passing an exam, Allāh has made studying, attentiveness in class, revision, etc. as the means to achieve this. The one who does not take the appropriate means to achieve something is indeed having bad etiquette with Allāh, for such means were placed by the Creator (subḥānahu wa ta‘ālā) Himself as the way by which the ends are fulfilled. Same goes with the one who places his ultimate trust in other than Allāh, such as in his actions, actions that cannot lead to anything except if Allāh permits. After all, don't you see the many cases where medicine fails to do its job?

Dear honourable believers! When seeking to do something, we take the means Allāh has provided for us to fulfil that something, keeping in mind that the end result is with Allāh. And this serves as an answer to those who say, "Well what's the point of me doing anything if Allāh has already decreed my fate?" For we don't know what Allāh has decreed for us; we just concern ourselves with doing the actions which lead us to our desired result, whilst placing our trust in Allāh that our actions achieve that desired result. Plan what you need to plan. Relieve yourself of worry after you have planned; do not concern yourself with what Allāh has willed for you, as was stated by Imām Ibn ‘Aṭā’i llāh.

It was reported that a man said, “O Messenger of Allāh, should I tie my camel and trust in Allāh, or should I untie her and trust in Allāh?” The Messenger of Allāh ﷺ said, “Tie her and trust in Allāh.”

So I remind you, dear believers in Allāh, to place your ultimate reliance on Allāh – have tawakkul upon Him. Do what you need to do but at the same time – and more importantly – place your trust in Allāh, asking Him to aid you in your affairs. And if things don't turn out in your favour, then remember that, as per the Prophetic teaching, the situation of a true believer is always one of goodness: if good times come his way, he is grateful to Allāh and is thus rewarded, and if hardship comes his way, he endures it patiently and is thus rewarded. Your life may not be going the way you willed it to go, but it's going exactly the way Allāh willed it to go. So place your ultimate reliance upon Him, al-Wakīl, the best of those who can be relied upon. Ḥasbuna Llāhu wa ni‘ma l-Wakīl!

Khutbah: Sha‘ban and Preparing for Ramadan

All praise be to Allāh. He returns to His servants the seasons of goodness. And He prepares for them that which cleanses the souls and raises the ranks. And He eases for them that which nears them to the Lord of mankind. So from them are those who draw near to their Lord and are therefore elevated. And from them are those who are disgraced and deviated, and others whose desires degrade them to the lowest of positions. I praise Him – Exalted is He – and I thank Him. And I testify that there is no god but Allāh alone, having no partner. And I testify that Muḥammad is His slave, messenger and chosen one. Successful is the one who is guided with his guidance and misguided is the one whose desires cause him to dislike him. May Allāh send benedictions and much peace upon him and upon his family and companions.

Let me start by posing you a question: if you were to receive news that someone from the top-class of society was going to visit your home in a few moments time, what would you do? Would you just leave your home as untidy as it is? Would you just remain sitting on your couch in your sleeping clothes, not bothering to look presentable or prepare food and drink for the high-profile guest you're about to host? I'm sure you wouldn't. You'd be hurrying to prepare the home and yourself in anticipation for the honourable guest you're about to receive, right?

Dear brothers and sisters! In less than one month's time, a noble guest shall be knocking at our door. A dignified, honourable guest, none other than the month of Ramaḍān – and what an excellent guest it is! Now is the time to step-up our preparations in receiving this noble guest before it arrives at our door, especially those who haven't begun preparing yet.

We all know that Ramaḍān is a time when the rewards of good deeds are multiplied. That's why we increase in our good deeds during Ramaḍān. However, don't wait until Ramaḍān to engage in all the acts of worship you think of doing. If you ask someone who's quit an addiction or a bad habit, or someone who developed a good habit, they'll tell you that they didn't just stop it at once; they did it gradually. Similarly with Ramaḍān: prepare yourself beforehand for the increased worships you plan on doing. If you don't, you risk burning out and being unable to cope with the load, and Ramaḍān is a month too great for risks. If you plan on reading the Qur’ān more but are not reading it regularly at the moment, start getting into that practice now. If you plan on quitting listening to ḥarām music, start now. Begin at a level you know you can maintain, then go further after a week, then again a week later. By the time Ramaḍān comes, you'll already be in stride, and you'll be able to gain more out of it than if you hadn't done this. And it'll become easier for you to maintain this good deed, or refrain from this bad habit, throughout the whole blessed month, something which will carry on into the rest of the year and perhaps even your life. And this is what we all should seek from a Ramaḍān: something that changes our lives forever.

There are many ways to prepare in advance. Waking up earlier before Fajr. Reading more Qur’ān. Praying all the sunnah prayers before and after the farḍ prayers. Giving more in charity and service to others. But perhaps the best way to prepare is by fasting, especially given that this is currently the month of Sha‘bān. Imām al-Nasā’ī and Imām Abū Dāwūd narrate that Usāmah ibn Zayd (raḍiya Llāhu ‘anhu) said: “I said, ‘O Messenger of Allāh (ﷺ), I do not see you fasting in any month more than in Sha‘bān.’ He said, ‘That is a month concerning which many people are heedless, between Rajab and Ramaḍān. It is the month in which people's deeds are taken up to the Lord of the Worlds, and I would like my deeds to be taken up whilst I am fasting.’”

Pay particular importance to the 15th of Sha‘bān. Ensure that you spend it in worship, most ideally by offering extra prayers during its night, even if a little, and by fasting its day.

Dear believers! I remind you once again to prepare for the arrival of your noble guest. Ramaḍān is like a spiritual spring, a season of harvest, when the rains of Divine Mercy, Forgiveness and Favour shower in abundance, resulting in the crops and fruits to grow and bloom. Though the ones who enjoy the best crops and fruits are few. They are those who planted their seeds prior to this spring. Be from amongst those few. Start planting your seeds now.

Sawm in Sha‘ban

Bismi llāh, wa l-ḥamdu lillāh, wa ṣ-ṣalātu wa s-salāmu ‘alā rasuli llāh, wa ‘alā ālihī wa ṣaḥbihī wa man wālāh

The month of Sha‘bān is a month during which fasting (ṣawm) is recommended. The Prophet ﷺ was reported to have fasted most of this month.

Imām al-Nasā’ī and Imām Abū Dāwūd narrate that Usāmah ibn Zayd (raḍiya llāhu ‘anhu) said: “I said, ‘O Messenger of Allāh, I do not see you fasting in any month more than in Sha‘bān.’ He said, ‘That is a month concerning which many people are heedless, between Rajab and Ramaḍān. It is the month in which people's deeds are taken up to the Lord of the Worlds, and I would like my deeds to be taken up whilst I am fasting.’”

Imām Muslim narrates that ‘Ā’ishah (raḍiya llāhu ‘anhā) said: “He ﷺ used to fast all of Sha‘bān; he used to fast Sha‘bān except a few days.”

Imām al-Nawawī said regarding this ḥadīth: “In the words, 'He used to fast all of Sha‘bān; he used to fast Sha‘bān except a few days', the second phrase explains the first, and indicates that the word 'all' means 'most of'.”

If one cannot fast most of the month, one should fast at least three days of the month, preferably the 13th, 14th and 15th days of the month. This applies to every lunar month.

‘Abdu llāh ibn ‘Amr ibn al-‘Āṣ (raḍiya llāhu ‘anhu) said: “The Messenger of Allāh ﷺ said to me: ‘It is sufficient for you to fast three days every month, because for every good deed you will have [the reward of] ten like it, so that will be like fasting for a lifetime.‘” (Narrated by al-Bukhārī and Muslim)

This is as fasting three days is equivalent in reward to fasting 30 days, so if one were to fast three days of each month and do so for every month, it would be like fasting for a lifetime.

The scholars mention that fasting in Sha‘bān before Ramaḍān resembles praying the supererogatory prayers before the obligatory prayer, while fasting in Shawwāl after Ramaḍān resembles praying the supererogatory prayers after the obligatory prayer. Performing supererogatory actions makes up for any deficiencies in the obligatory actions that we have performed.

And Allāh Knows Best. And With Him is Ultimate Success.