Ramadan Is:Ramadan Is:

The Month of Mercy so The Month of Mercy so set your goals!set your goals!

About Mercy:About Mercy:

It is favor from Allah which He places It is favor from Allah which He places in the hearts of whomsoever He willsin the hearts of whomsoever He wills

Allah will have mercy on His servants Allah will have mercy on His servants who are merciful.who are merciful.

Allah orders His servants to enjoin Allah orders His servants to enjoin patience and mercypatience and mercy

Some people lack mercy:Some people lack mercy:

Many lack mercy due to their sins and Many lack mercy due to their sins and disobedience. They stain their hearts so disobedience. They stain their hearts so much so that they ultimately blind them until much so that they ultimately blind them until their hearts become harder than stones.their hearts become harder than stones.Allah says of the Children of Israel: Allah says of the Children of Israel:

'And yet, after all this, your hearts 'And yet, after all this, your hearts hardened and became like rocks, or even hardened and became like rocks, or even harder'harder' (2:74). (2:74).

Allah also says about them:Allah also says about them:

'Then, for having broken their Then, for having broken their solemn pledge, We rejected solemn pledge, We rejected them and caused their hearts them and caused their hearts to harden'to harden' (5:13). (5:13).

So thus sin and disobedience is So thus sin and disobedience is the main cause of a lack of mercythe main cause of a lack of mercy

Another cause of a loss of mercy is Another cause of a loss of mercy is arrogance with wealth, pride and richesarrogance with wealth, pride and riches

Allah says: Allah says:

'Nay, verily, man becomes 'Nay, verily, man becomes grossly overweening whenever grossly overweening whenever he believes himself to be self-he believes himself to be self-sufficient'sufficient'

(96:6-7).(96:6-7).

Another cause of loss of mercy is Another cause of loss of mercy is gluttony and saturation:gluttony and saturation:

These two things lead to These two things lead to contempt and contempt and recklessness. Hence the month of recklessness. Hence the month of fasting was prescribed to crush this fasting was prescribed to crush this unruliness and ill discipline. The unruliness and ill discipline. The fasting person is naturally among the fasting person is naturally among the most merciful people. That is because most merciful people. That is because he has tasted hunger, experienced he has tasted hunger, experienced thirst and endured hardship. His soul thirst and endured hardship. His soul is, therefore, enveloped with mercy, is, therefore, enveloped with mercy, care and gentleness for Muslims.care and gentleness for Muslims.

Muslims are required to have mercy:Muslims are required to have mercy:

Prophet Muhammad sallallahu `alaihi wa sallam Prophet Muhammad sallallahu `alaihi wa sallam said: said:

'O Allah! Whoever was entrusted with 'O Allah! Whoever was entrusted with authority over any affair of the Muslims and authority over any affair of the Muslims and made it difficult for them, please make it made it difficult for them, please make it difficult for him. And whoever was entrusted difficult for him. And whoever was entrusted over any affair of the Muslims and was kind over any affair of the Muslims and was kind toward them, then be kind toward him.'toward them, then be kind toward him.'

Also the prophet (sa) said:Also the prophet (sa) said:

'Whoever oversees an affair for my 'Whoever oversees an affair for my nation and disappeared or abandoned nation and disappeared or abandoned them without fulfilling their needs them without fulfilling their needs while impoverishing them, Allah will while impoverishing them, Allah will debar him from his needs and debar him from his needs and impoverish him on the Day of impoverish him on the Day of Judgement.'Judgement.'

Mercy demands that the scholar and teacher Mercy demands that the scholar and teacher should be gentle toward his students and should be gentle toward his students and lead them to the easiest and best ways to lead them to the easiest and best ways to love him and benefit from his teachings:love him and benefit from his teachings:

'And it was by God's grace that 'And it was by God's grace that thou [O Prophet] didst deal gently thou [O Prophet] didst deal gently with thy followers: for if thou with thy followers: for if thou hadst been harsh and hard of hadst been harsh and hard of heart, they would indeed have heart, they would indeed have broken away from thee' broken away from thee'

(3:159).(3:159).

Mercy also demands that the imam should not Mercy also demands that the imam should not make worship difficult for his followers or make worship difficult for his followers or

cause them harm:cause them harm:The Prophet sallallahu `alaihi wa sallam The Prophet sallallahu `alaihi wa sallam said: said: ''Whoever from you leads the Whoever from you leads the people in prayer must make it easy people in prayer must make it easy because among them are the old, the because among them are the old, the sick, the young and the needy.'sick, the young and the needy.'

It was narrated that when Mu'adh once It was narrated that when Mu'adh once extended the prayer the Prophet sallallahu extended the prayer the Prophet sallallahu `alaihi wa sallam said to him: '`alaihi wa sallam said to him: 'Are you a Are you a troublemaker O Mu'adh? Are you a troublemaker O Mu'adh? Are you a troublemaker O Mu'adh? Are you a troublemaker O Mu'adh? Are you a troublemaker O Mu'adh?'troublemaker O Mu'adh?'

Also:Also:

Uthman ibn Abi al As al Thaqafi requested: Uthman ibn Abi al As al Thaqafi requested: 'O Messenger of Allah, make me an imam 'O Messenger of Allah, make me an imam of my people.' The Prophet sallallahu of my people.' The Prophet sallallahu `alaihi wa sallam said: `alaihi wa sallam said:

''You are their imam so lead the prayer You are their imam so lead the prayer according to the weakest of them and according to the weakest of them and take a caller to prayer who would seek take a caller to prayer who would seek no payment for doing so.'no payment for doing so.'

Also Also Mercy dictates that the one Mercy dictates that the one who calls to Islam must advise who calls to Islam must advise those whom he is inviting with those whom he is inviting with tenderness:tenderness:Allah advised Moses and Aaron to employ the Allah advised Moses and Aaron to employ the following methods in their call to the tyrant following methods in their call to the tyrant Pharaoh:Pharaoh:

'But speak unto him in a mild manner, so 'But speak unto him in a mild manner, so that he might bethink himself or [at least] be that he might bethink himself or [at least] be filled with apprehension' filled with apprehension' (20:44).(20:44).

He also says:He also says:

'Call thou [all mankind] unto thy Sustainer's 'Call thou [all mankind] unto thy Sustainer's path with wisdom and goodly exhortation, path with wisdom and goodly exhortation, and argue with them in the most kindly and argue with them in the most kindly manner' manner' (16:125).(16:125).

Mercy is also required from a ercy is also required from a father to his children:father to his children:

The mercy of the father or mother toward The mercy of the father or mother toward her children has the greatest effect on their her children has the greatest effect on their integrity, well-being and obedience. Self-integrity, well-being and obedience. Self-praise and harshness only open the door to praise and harshness only open the door to despair. The Prophet sallallahu `alaihi wa despair. The Prophet sallallahu `alaihi wa sallam said:sallam said:

'Kindness was never bestowed upon 'Kindness was never bestowed upon something except that it beautified it, something except that it beautified it, and it was never removed from that and it was never removed from that thing except that it made it ugly.'thing except that it made it ugly.'

Understand the following:Understand the following:

Mercy is something that comes Mercy is something that comes from Allah and he only gives it from Allah and he only gives it to whom he choosesto whom he chooses

Mercy lies in the heartMercy lies in the heart

To fill your heart with mercy To fill your heart with mercy means you must:means you must:

Discipline it with faith and good deeds. Discipline it with faith and good deeds. This in turn will fill your heart with This in turn will fill your heart with kindness and mercykindness and mercy

Ramadan is the month of MercyRamadan is the month of Mercy

Spend this month being merciful to Spend this month being merciful to others..Make being more merciful others..Make being more merciful

your goalyour goal

What are What are

The Goals of Fasting?The Goals of Fasting?

Achieving At-Taqwaa - fear from Allah:Achieving At-Taqwaa - fear from Allah:

"O you who believe! Observing As-Sawm O you who believe! Observing As-Sawm (fasting) is prescribed for you as it was (fasting) is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you prescribed for those before you, that you may become Al-Muttaqun (the pious)." may become Al-Muttaqun (the pious)." [2:183]. [2:183].

Hence, fasting is a means to achieve At-Taqwa. In Hence, fasting is a means to achieve At-Taqwa. In fact, all acts of worship and Tawhid are methods fact, all acts of worship and Tawhid are methods and means to achieve At-Taqwa, as Allah has and means to achieve At-Taqwa, as Allah has said, what translated means, said, what translated means,

"O mankind! Worship your Lord (Allah), Who "O mankind! Worship your Lord (Allah), Who created you and those who were before you created you and those who were before you so that you may become Al-Muttaqun." so that you may become Al-Muttaqun." [2:21][2:21]

Acquiring the rewards of Allah:Acquiring the rewards of Allah:

Al-Bukhari and Muslim narrated that Al-Bukhari and Muslim narrated that Abu Hurayrah related to the Prophet, Abu Hurayrah related to the Prophet, that he said, what translated means, that he said, what translated means,

"Allah the Exalted said, 'All the "Allah the Exalted said, 'All the deeds of the son of Adam are his, deeds of the son of Adam are his, except for As-Siyam, for it is Mine except for As-Siyam, for it is Mine and I will reward for it.'"and I will reward for it.'"

The faster has two happy moments: when he breaks The faster has two happy moments: when he breaks his fast he is happy, and when he meets his Lord he his fast he is happy, and when he meets his Lord he

is happy because of his fast." is happy because of his fast." "It means he is happy because his hunger "It means he is happy because his hunger and thirst have ended, since he is allowed and thirst have ended, since he is allowed to break his fast. This happiness is natural to break his fast. This happiness is natural and this is apparently the desired meaning. and this is apparently the desired meaning. It was also said that his being happy is It was also said that his being happy is because of his breaking the fast, means because of his breaking the fast, means that he has fulfilled his fast, and as a that he has fulfilled his fast, and as a culmination for his practicing the acts of culmination for his practicing the acts of worship. His saying, worship. His saying, 'And when he meets 'And when he meets his Lord he is happy because of his his Lord he is happy because of his fast,'fast,' means he is happy because of the means he is happy because of the rewards for fasting and its complete rewards for fasting and its complete awards.'"awards.'"

Fasting purifies the soul and helps it acquire Fasting purifies the soul and helps it acquire the habit of obeying Allah and His Messenger:the habit of obeying Allah and His Messenger:

Fasting teaches one to ignore the Fasting teaches one to ignore the desires of his soul and in turn trains desires of his soul and in turn trains

it to obey Allah and do away with it to obey Allah and do away with the things harmful to itthe things harmful to it

Another goal is to save oneself from Another goal is to save oneself from the hell fire:the hell fire:

"And Allah has those whom he frees "And Allah has those whom he frees from the Fire, and this occurs every night from the Fire, and this occurs every night (meaning in Ramadhan)." (meaning in Ramadhan)."

[At-Tirmithi][At-Tirmithi]

Another goal of fasting – the right Another goal of fasting – the right of intercession:of intercession:

"As-Siyam and the Quran will intercede on "As-Siyam and the Quran will intercede on behalf of the slave. As-Siyam says, 'O Lord! I behalf of the slave. As-Siyam says, 'O Lord! I prevented him from food and obeying his prevented him from food and obeying his desires in the morning. Therefore, accept my desires in the morning. Therefore, accept my Shafa`ah on his behalf.' And the Quran says, Shafa`ah on his behalf.' And the Quran says, 'I prevented him from sleeping at night. 'I prevented him from sleeping at night. Therefore, accept my Shafa`ah on his behalf,' Therefore, accept my Shafa`ah on his behalf,' and they will be accepted as intercessors.'"and they will be accepted as intercessors.'"

[Ahmad, Al-Hakim [Ahmad, Al-Hakim

The final goal – sins forgiven:The final goal – sins forgiven:

The Prophet said, The Prophet said, "The five prayers, and from "The five prayers, and from Friday to the next Friday, and Ramadhan to the Friday to the next Friday, and Ramadhan to the next Ramadhan, are erasers for what occurs next Ramadhan, are erasers for what occurs between them, as long as major sins are avoided." between them, as long as major sins are avoided." [Muslim]. [Muslim].

Also, the Messenger of Allah said, what translated Also, the Messenger of Allah said, what translated means, means, "Whoever fasts Ramadhan with Iman and "Whoever fasts Ramadhan with Iman and Ih.tisab, will have his previous sins forgiven."Ih.tisab, will have his previous sins forgiven."

[Al-Bukhari & Muslim]. [Al-Bukhari & Muslim].

TO BE CONTINUED...TO BE CONTINUED...

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