No It’s Not Feasting, It’s Fasting
HOW often have we seen it? A beautiful table laid with all the exotic foods you can think of. Dates of a thousand kind, drinks that have been concocted from fruits you’ve never heard of. Well, this is all too common when people are invited to open their fast in the holy month of Ramadan.
I clearly remember attending one such occasion and was amazed by the plethora of foods visible on the table. I thought to myself “how many people have they invited?” The dates alone would have been enough to feed an army. As I sat and observed the people, I just couldn’t understand how this food would be finished. As the call to prayer was announced, we opened our fast. The concentration was intense – ‘Try this one’, ‘what about that one’, were the reoccurring words as plates were placed in front of me. As we ate I looked up at the clock and thought we should go to the mosque, but the food kept on coming. We were like overstuffed balloons on the verge of bursting when we went for prayer after opening the fast. Upon returning, it was really amazing that I was even expected to eat dinner.
It’s these kind of situations that we need to take care of because fasting is all about abstaining from food and not indulging in it. Some people eat so much food at dawn they are not at all hungry during the day. This defeats the whole objective of fasting, as we should experience the hunger felt by so many around the world and be thankful to Allah for what we have.
Feeding people is a virtuous act that leads to reward, but how many times have we invited the poor to come and eat with us? They too fast and we should spare a thought for the poor and needy as they are rarely invited to open their fasts with people. They shouldn’t be forgotten in this great month. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Whoever gives iftaar to one who is fasting will have a reward like the fasting person, without detracting from the fasting person’s reward in the slightest.” – Tirmidhi and Ibn Maajah – classed as saheeh by Al-Albani
If we look at the life of our noble Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) we see that he would break his fast with fresh dates. If none were available, he would have old dates. If no dates were available then he would just drink some mouthfuls of water. We should keep this in mind and try our level best to follow the example of the Prophet (peace be upon him).
Fear Allah And Be Not Divided
Allah holds the nation responsible for fighting all kinds of corruption (political, economic, social… etc that the nation encounter : And from among you there should be a party who invite to good and enjoin what is right and forbid the wrong, and these it is that shall be successful Be not like those who are divided amongst themselves and fall into disputations after receiving Clear Signs: For them is a dreadful penalty .On the Day when some faces will be (lit up with) white, and some faces will be (in the gloom of) black: To those whose faces will be black, (will be said): “Did ye reject Faith after accepting it? Taste then the penalty for rejecting Faith.
In the light of this, Muslims have to cement Islamic unity to stand in one unified rank against unbelief arrogance, oppression and all wronging. And if they differ about the understanding of certain associates that are related to the doctrine and the juristic rulings or issues of a political and social nature, they have to refer then to Allah and His Messenger.|
The meaning of believing in the two testimonies of believing in the oneness of Allah and in His Messenger is to obey Allah’s commands and in what the Messenger conveys or teaches . We should not accuse each other of unbelief and being led astray, but rather go back to the Book of Allah and the Messenger(pbh)’s Sunna to see what they say.
Allah wants us to establish our relations on the basis of unity and love. We should unify our positions and stands, because the enemies of Allah, His Messenger and the believers have unified to destroy Islam and the Muslims.
And this is what we notice in all the American European and Israeli plots.
The Muslims are no longer in control of their own affairs, rather the arrogant and the unbelievers are the ones who tell them what to do. And, as a result, the Muslims have become fragmented and started killing each other and accusing one another of unbelief. The responsibility therefore is huge, because Allah wants us to be strong and dignified. Imam As-Sadiq says:
“Allah has given the believer the right to run all his affairs, but he did not give him the right to be humiliated”.
Ramadan In History – The Battle Of Badr
In these blessed days, the month of Ramadan, we remember the battle of Badr, which took place in the seventeenth of Ramadan, the second year of Hijrah. The battle plays a great role in the Islamic history as it was to determine the destiny of worshiping Allah on earth, and it was the first of a series of battles later. Muslims were not ready for such a war, they were only three hundreds and thirteen fighters, armed with a few weapons, seventy camels and two horses whereas the disbelievers were nine hundreds and fifty, armed with many weapons, seven hundreds camels, and hundred horses. Yet, Muslims decided to go for the battle with great persistence.
One could wonder how did those Muslims were encouraged to battle in such a critical situation and without hesitation?
It is sincere faith, relying on Allah and entrusting matters to Him. They turned to Allah for aid, implored Him with deep trust that He would never disappoint them. Allah who never break His promise, sent them angels to fight alongside them and it was a great victory.
Achieving victory in war needs preparation, well training and providing weapons, such causes of victory have to be well regarded by Muslims with complete reliance on Allah ,Lord of the Universe. Yet there are other causes that man can not interfere in, but are only caused by the Divine Decree, like weather conditions, rain, snow wind, and cloud; all this has great effect on the warfare Besides, men’s hearts are in the hands of their Creator; that’s faith is an essential key to victory, but it is controlled by Allah [swt]. Faith is the only factor lacked by the West. Muslims have to fill their hearts with faith, turn back to the path of Allah Almighty, and apply His law on earth.
Umar Bhar Kay Rozay
Ramadan In History – The Prophet Married Sawdah
Sawdah Bint Zam`ah Ibn Qays was a noble Qurayshiete woman. She was the first woman to whom the Prophet, peace and blessing be upon him, got married after the death of Khadijah, may Allah be pleased with her. She was a noble, respectful woman. She was married first to As-Sakran Ibn `Amr, brother of Suhayl Ibn `Amr Al-`Amiri. When they came back from Abyssinia, her husband died and then the Prophet, peace and blessing be upon him, proposed to her.
The Prophet, peace and blessing be upon him, got married to her in Ramadan, 10 years after his mission. He migrated with her from Makkah to Madinah where she died in Shawwal, 54 A.H. Some scholars say that she died during the Caliphate of `Umar Ibn Al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with them all.
It is worth stressing here that she was the one who when attained old age, donated her own night with the Prophet, peace and blessing be upon him, to `A’ishah, may Allah be pleased with them all, as a sign of love and kindness.
5 things About The Last Ten Days Of Ramadan
The Night of Power marks the night on which the Qur’an was first revealed to Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him. Muslims regard this as the most important event in history, and the Qur’an says this night is better than a thousand months (Quran, 97:3).
1 The Night of Power marks the night on which the Qur’an was first revealed to Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him. Muslims regard this as the most important event in history, and the Qur’an says this night is better than a thousand months (Quran, 97:3).
2 Muslims believe that the exact date of the Night of Power was concealed so that people would increase their acts of worship. Prophet Muhammad said, “Seek it (the Night of Power) on the odd nights of the last ten days of Ramadan.” (Reported by Al-Bukhari)
3 Muslims are encouraged to seek this night by performing voluntary prayers, reciting the Qur’an, and supplicating.
4 The Night of Power is a good time to seek forgiveness, as Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, said, “He who spends the night in prayers on the Night of Power as a sign of his devotion and seeking rewards from Allah, his previous sins will be forgiven.” (Reported by Al-Bukhari)
5 Muslims believe that on this night some angels descend, with their Lord’s permission, saluting those who are engaged in worship and bestowing safety and peace.
This Ramadan, Make Good Health A Priority
The changes that occur in the body in response to fasting depend on the length of the continuous fast. Technically the body enters into a fasting state eight hours or so after the last meal, when the gut finishes absorption of nutrients from the food. In the normal state, body glucose, which is stored in the liver and muscles, is the body’s main source of energy. During a fast, this store of glucose is used up first to provide energy. Later in the fast, once the stores of glucose run out, fat becomes the next store source of energy for the body.
As the Ramadan fast only extends from dawn till dusk, there is ample opportunity to replenish energy stores at pre-dawn and dusk meals. This provides a progressive gentle transition from using glucose to fat as the main source of energy, and prevents the breakdown of muscle for protein. The use of fat for energy aids weight loss, preserving the muscles, and in the long run reduces your cholesterol levels. In addition weight loss results in better control of diabetes and reduces blood pressure. A detoxification process also seems to occur, as any toxins stored in the body’s fat are dissolved and removed from the body. After a few days of the fast, higher levels of certain hormones appear in the blood (endorphins), resulting in a better level of alertness and an overall feeling of general mental well-being.
The kidney is very efficient at maintaining the body’s water and salts, such as sodium and potassium. However, these can be lost through sweating, to prevent muscle break down, meals must contain adequate levels of ‘energy food’ such as carbohydrates and some fat. Hence, a balanced diet with adequate quantities of nutrients, salts and water is vital.
Masjid Quba Ka Qayam
Ramadan – A month Of Mercy And Forgiveness
Look at the mercy a mother has for her baby she feeds. Can we imagine her ever harming the child? Look at the the elephant, a creature that weighs more than a ton, has so much mercy for its offspring.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Allah divided Mercy into one-hundred parts and He kept its ninety-nine parts with Him and sent down its one part on the earth, and because of that, its one single part, His creations are Merciful to each other, so that even the mare lifts up its hoofs away from its baby animal, lest it should trample on it.” (Bukhari)
We should have maximum mercy on each other in this month. This is the month of forgiveness so let us forgive and take maximum benefit from what Allah has promised us.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “A Muslim is the one who avoids harming Muslims with his tongue and hands.” (Bukhari)