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بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
Friday Sermon
Hazrat Amir’ul Momeneen Muhyi-Ud-Din Al Khalifatullah
Munir Ahmad Azim
28 August 2009
RAMADHAN MUBARAK
(Summary of Friday Sermon)
After having greeted everybody with the Salutations of Peace, the Khalifatullah read the Tashahhud, Taouz and Surah Al Fatiha and then he read the following verse of the Holy Quran:
“Yaaa’-ayyu-hallaziina ‘aamanuu kutiba ‘alay-kumus-siyaamu kamaa kutiba ‘alallaziina min-qablikum la-‘alla-kum tatta-quun”
O you who believe, fasting is decreed for you, as it was decreed for those before you, that you may attain salvation. (Chapter 2 Verse 184)
Hadith: Hazrat Muhammad (peace be upon him) has said: "Fasting is a protection and a powerful fortress." (Ahmad).
The month of Ramadan like I mentioned last week is a month filled with sacrifice which a believer accomplishes. The sacrifices which he must do are that he must wake up early in the morning for the Tahajjud prayers and to take the pre-dawn breakfast (Sehri). I also cited in my last week sermon the Hadith about the importance of Sehri. I also indicated how Fasting is good for health. Hazrat Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) has said: “Observe Fasting and you will stay in good health.” (Tibrani)
There is also a great blessing also in breaking the fast in the evening (Iftaar). The one who loves Allah loves to break his fast only to be able to rush to His Lord in prayer. Prayer is a source of blessing for us Muslims and for whole mankind. Prayer prevents people from committing wrongs.
In periods of Fasting, it is advised for the believer to perform lots of additional prayers and remembrance of Allah so as to become closer to Allah. There is no better way to become closer to Allah than through prayer and meditation. Remembrance of Allah enables a person to spiritually approach himself to Allah and marvels at the beauty of Allah the Almighty.
Allah loves those of His servants who make efforts in His path and thus He established fasting as a means to enable the believer to gain access to his Lord with a purified heart. The mundane world has the tendency to corrupt the heart of people. So the benefits of Ramadan are that during this month, a believer is commanded to observe fasting for the purification of the heart from all mundane attachments.
Allah says in the Quran, Chapter 2 Verse 186:
“Shahru Ramazaa-nallaziii ‘unzila fiihil-Qur’aanu hudal-linnaasi wa bayyinaatim-minal hudaa wal furqaan.”
Ramadan is the month during which the Quran was revealed, providing guidance for the people, clear teachings, and the statute book.
Thus, the heart and conscience will benefit from all these blessings if we make it a duty to read the Holy Quran in this blessed month. Moreover, we must ponder on each verse which Allah the Almighty has revealed. Allah loves those who are sincere in their faith and who makes their best efforts to understand the messages found in His Noble Quran.
Abdullah bin Umar (May Allah be pleased with him) has reported that the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) has said: “Fasting and Quran will intercede in your favour on the Day of Judgement. Fasting will say: “O Allah! I have restricted him from food to his fill. Thus for my sake, accept my intercession in his favour.” Quran will say: “O Allah! I have prevented him from sleep. Thus accepts my intercession in his favour.” The intercession of both will be accepted.” (Ahmad, Tibrani, Hakim)
The Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) has said: “O Abu Zarr (a companion), if you go anywhere to recite a verse of the Quran, it will be better for you than a hundred prayer cycle; if you go anywhere to obtain a religious knowledge, it will be better for you than performing a thousand prayer cycle, whether you put into practice this knowledge or not.” (Ibn Majah)
The Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) has said: “On the Day of Judgement, a crown made of a powerful light will be placed on the heads of the parents of those who learn the Quran and who put into practice its laws. That light will be so powerful that it will be brighter than sunlight penetrating their houses. Thus, what do you think of the status of the one who learns the Quran and puts it into practice?” (Ahmad, Abu Dawud)
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) has said: “Nobody gives his children a better gift than good manners (in matters of the religion).” (Tirmidhi)
These Hadiths shows the value of learning the Quran and reading it. Moreover we must make it a duty to put into practice the sayings of our beloved Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). The fact that the month of Ramadan is here, we must maximize the benefits of this month and attract the blessings and pleasure of Allah the Almighty upon us. Who does not want to be the recipient of such favours which are mentioned in the Quran and Hadiths, especially concerning the benefits of learning the Quran and putting it into practice? Moreover there are other Hadiths which mentions the fact that there is a reward also for those who teach the Quran to others. Now we come to know what kind of value parents should give the Quran and thus teach it to their children. Through the above-mentioned Hadith we come to know the reward of those parents who dedicate their children in that path which brings light in one’s heart and in those of the whole humanity.
Allah has also stresses a lot in several verses of the Quran on the importance of Zakat. Zakat must be given based on the capital which we possess.
There is also a Hadith which is reported by Abu Hurairah which says that the Messenger of Allah has said: “Each person has a Zakat (to pay) and the Zakat of the body is fasting.” (Ibn Majah)
Zakat is more important than the paying the Chanda; we must never therefore miss paying it. But this does not mean that we must not pay the Chanda contribution. Allah loves that the Muslim accomplish first his established duties and one of these duties is the Zakat. The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him), despite poverty used to do a lot of charity during the month of Ramadan.
Allah says in the Quran Chapter 2 Verse 111:
“Wa ‘aqiimus-Salaata wa aatuz-Zakaah...” And keep up prayer and pay the Zakat.
In Chapter 9, Verse 61, Allah says:
Zakat is only for the poor and the needy, and those employed to administer it, and those whose hearts are made to incline (to truth), and (to free) the captives, and those in debt, and in the way of Allah and for the wayfarer – an ordinance from Allah. And Allah is Knowing, Wise.
The Messenger of Allah Muhammad (peace be upon him) has said: “Blessed is the one who spend out of his money which he earned without committing sins.” (Ibn Adi, Bazzar)
The Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) has said: “The best charity is when the Muslim obtains a knowledge and share it with his Muslim brother.” (Ibn Majah)
There is the mention of a Hadith in (Bukhari) where Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) has said that on the Day of Judgement, he will be amongst the poor. He advised his community not to attach themselves with the luxuries of this world. Therefore, the month of Ramadan enables the believer to detach himself from temporal attractions of this world.
Hadith: The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) has said: “Nothing except supplications can change the decree (of Allah), and nothing except righteousness increase life.” (Tirmidhi)
Thus, let us pray that Allah help each of us and enable us to maximize our efforts to come nearest to Him (Allah) and to obtain His love. Let us teach our children the importance of the teachings of Islam so that Allah may be satisfied with us as parents and as those who preach His message correctly. There is no definite age to learn. Let all of us, old and young join hands together to teach the religion of Islam to others, be them Muslims or from other faiths. Let us work as true messengers of Islam and spread Islam everywhere. It is for Allah alone to give faith to whomsoever He likes. As for us, our duty is to give the message of Islam, be it to our children and also to humanity. May Allah brighten our soul with His light and enrich our mind with His knowledge in this blessed month of Ramadan. Each of us must make it a must to maximize the benefits of these exceptional moments. The month of Ramadan of last year was different from that of this year, and we do not know what kind of Ramadan we will live next year.
Jazakallah. If Allah wills. Ameen. |
