رَمَضَانُ: خُطُوَاتٌ إِلَى النُّورِ وَمَسِيرٌ نَحْوَ التَّقْوَى : Ramadan... Steps towards light and a journey towards piety

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

In the name of ALLAH, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

رَمَضَانُ.. خُطُوَاتٌ إِلَى النُّورِ وَمَسِيرٌ نَحْوَ التَّقْوَى

Ramadan... Steps towards light and a journey towards piety

All praise is due to Allah, Who has extended our lives and prolonged our days, until He has allowed us to reach the month of fasting and prayer. We bear witness that there is no god but Allah, the One, without partner, Who has made Ramadan a season of profit and divine favor. We bear witness that Muhammad, peace be upon him, is His servant and Messenger, the most generous of people, and he was at his most generous during Ramadan. May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, his family, and his companions who recognized the value of... Time is a time, so hasten to do good deeds. This is the translation of the recited verse from Surah Al Baqara:

أَمَّا بَعْدُ، فاعوذ باللہ من الشیطان الرجیم- بسم اللہ الرحمن الرحیم

شَہۡرُ رَمَضَانَ ٱلَّذِىٓ أُنزِلَ فِيهِ ٱلۡقُرۡءَانُ هُدً۬ى لِّلنَّاسِ وَبَيِّنَـٰتٍ۬ مِّنَ ٱلۡهُدَىٰ وَٱلۡفُرۡقَانِ‌ۚ

The month of Ramadân in which was revealed the Qur'ân, a guidance for mankind and clear proofs for the guidance and the criterion (between right and wrong).

Surah Al Baqara – 185-Part

O servants of ALLAH: Fear ALLAH and Adopt piety and obey ALLAH۔ ALLAH says in Surah Al Baqara

وَتَزَوَّدُواْ فَإِنَّ خَيۡرَ ٱلزَّادِ ٱلتَّقۡوَىٰ‌ۚ وَٱتَّقُونِ يَـٰٓأُوْلِى ٱلۡأَلۡبَـٰبِ

And take a provision (with you) for the journey, but the best provision is At-Taqwa (piety, righteousness). So fear Me, O men of understanding!

Surah Al Baqara – 197-Part

O Muslims: The first requirement for a good reception of this blessed month is to realize the "value of the opportunity" with an alert mind and a beating heart; From a rational perspective, we find that our lives are but a few fleeting breaths, and that our stay in this world is a journey of no return. If the shrewd merchant exerts his utmost effort during seasons of material profit that end with the demise of this world, then how much more so for one who trades with ALLAH in a season where a single night may be worth a lifetime? A complete human being! Indeed, the proof of ALLAH's generosity and the nobility of the time is manifested in His Almighty saying in Surah Al Baqara:

أَيَّامٍ۬ مَّعۡدُودَٲ تٍ۬‌ۚ

the appointed Days.

Surah Al Baqara – 203-Part

This is a subtle indication of how quickly this month passes. The wise person is not deceived by long beginnings, but rather is certain that these days pass like clouds. How true was the Prophet’s description, peace be upon him, when he said: “May the nose of a man be rubbed in the dust who enters Ramadan and then this month passes before he is forgiven.” The need to do good deeds stems from our need for forgiveness and our poverty for ALLAH's mercy, which is attained through diligent effort that combines fear and hope. So let your certainty of the shortness of time be a driving force for good deeds, and your need for pardon a fuel for perseverance at the beginning of the journey.

O servants of ALLAH: If intentions are sound, then actions are good. Sound reason understands that ALLAH Almighty only prescribed fasting to cultivate moral character and refine one's inclinations. This is what the Quran indicates in His words in Surah Al Baqara, He may He be glorified:

لَعَلَّكُمۡ تَتَّقُونَ

so that you may become Al-Muttaqûn

Surah Al Baqara – 21-Part

Piety is the ultimate goal, and the compass that we should use correctly from the very beginning. Ramadan was not given to us to experiment with acts of worship, but rather to be disciplined by them. So let the believer's question at the beginning of this month be: What kind of fasting do I want? And what effect do I hope that fasting will leave on my heart, my tongue, and my behavior? So that the days do not pass, and the deeds are performed, and then we are surprised at the end of the month that the limbs have not changed, and the hearts have not been refined. That is why the Prophet, peace be upon him, from the beginning, pointed out the reality of fasting, saying: “Whoever does not give up false speech and acting upon it, ALLAH has no need for him to give up his food and drink.” The hadith indicates that goodness is measured by the fasting person's ability to restrain what is forbidden, control the tongue, and guard the limbs. How many a fasting person has exhausted his body, yet his fasting did not produce piety, and the Prophet, peace be upon him, warned against this by saying: ((Many a fasting person gets nothing from his fasting but hunger and thirst)). Because fasting did not turn into piety and conduct for him, since fasting is a comprehensive school of discipline, which begins with abstaining from what is permissible, in order to qualify the soul to abstain from what is forbidden. And whoever does not do well in this sense from the beginning of it, will stumble in the middle of it, and will come out at the end of it with less than what he entered.

O you who fast: The most beautiful journey in Ramadan is a tranquil one, based on sincere intention, presence of heart, and sincere devotion to ALLAH. ALLAH has given fasting a great status, saying: “Every deed of the son of Adam is for him, except fasting, for it is for Me, and I will reward for it.” May fasting be a wide gateway to closeness to ALLAH, and a pure opportunity for sincerity, through which ALLAH opens for His servants blessings that surpass their effort, and through which deeds bear fruit when performed with a living heart. And realize, O servants of ALLAH, that many people do not weaken in their spiritual journey during Ramadan because they did not intend good. Rather, it is because he entered the path without a balance to guide his steps, so tasks crowded upon him, and his intentions became confused, until he burdened his heart with what it could not bear, exhausting his energy in a few short days. Then, before long, he was overcome by lethargy halfway through, oblivious to the fact that this religion is easy, and that the one who is cut off ends up with neither land nor mount left. And He has guided us The Quran is the standard of righteous conduct when it forbids exceeding the limits, so He, Glory be to Him, says in Surah Al Israa:

وَلَا تَجۡعَلۡ يَدَكَ مَغۡلُولَةً إِلَىٰ عُنُقِكَ وَلَا تَبۡسُطۡهَا كُلَّ ٱلۡبَسۡطِ

And let not your hand be tied (like a miser) to your neck, nor stretch it forth to its utmost reach (like a spendthrift)

Surah Al Isra – 29-Part

This indicates that good deeds and worship require moderation and balance, not excess that leads to weakness and breaks the continuity. For this reason, the Qur’an established a comprehensive rule for perseverance in the journey when He, Glory be to Him, says in Surah Al Hijr:

وَٱعۡبُدۡ رَبَّكَ حَتَّىٰ يَأۡتِيَكَ ٱلۡيَقِينُ

And worship your Lord until there comes unto you the certainty (i.e. death).

Surah Al Hijr – 99

He linked worship to continuity, not to a temporary burst of activity. So make each day a step towards ascending the ladder of acceptance, until you reach the pinnacle of the last ten days with hearts full of devotion and pure souls, rejoicing in God's grace and mercy.

Fear ALLAH, O servants of ALLAH, and make your journeys sound from the very first step, so that your month may be a provision that remains, a deed that ascends, and a fruit that is reaped.

أقولُ مَا تَسْمَعُونَ، وَأَسْتَغْفِرُ اللهَ العَظِيمَ لِي وَلَكُمْ، فَاسْتَغْفِرُوهُ يَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ، إِنَّهُ هُوَ الغَفُورُالرَّحِيمُ، وَادْعُوهُ يَسْتَجِبْ لَكُمْ، إِنَّهُ هُوَ البَرُّ الكَرِيمُ

I say what you hear, and I ask forgiveness from ALLAH Almighty for me and for you, so ask forgiveness from Him and He will forgive you, for He is the Forgiving and Merciful, and pray to Him and He will answer you, for He is The noble righteousness

الحَمْدُ للَّهِ وَكَفَى، وَصَلاةً وَسَلامًا عَلَى عِبَادِهِ الَّذِينَ اصْطَفَى، وَنَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لا شَرِيكَ لَهُ، وَنَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ، صَاحِبُ الحَوْضِ المَوْرُودِ، وَالمَقَامِ المَحْمُودِ، صَلاةً وَسَلامًا دَائِمَيْنِ إِلَى يَوْمِ الدِّينِ، وَعَلَى آلِهِ وَصَحْبِهِ أُولِي التُّقَى وَالنُّهَى، وَمَنْ تَبِعَهُمْ بِإِحْسَانٍ إِلَى يَوْمِ اللِّقَاءِ.

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His chosen servants. We bear witness that there is no god but Allah alone, without partner. We bear witness that Muhammad, peace be upon him, is His servant and Messenger, the one with the abundant basin and the praiseworthy station. May peace and blessings be upon him forever, until the Day of Judgment. And upon his family and companions, those of piety and wisdom, and those who follow them in goodness until the Day of Meeting.

Fear ALLAH, O servants of ALLAH, and know that perfecting one's deeds requires us—at the beginning of the month—to establish a practical covenant and a schedule of faith by which you regulate your time and preserve your lives. Let the cornerstone of your schedule and its first feature be the proper performance of the five daily prayers at their appointed times, for reason and sound Islamic logic dictate this. They imply that the journey is not valid unless the pillars are preserved. There is no blessing in a supererogatory act that is neglected in conjunction with an obligatory act. The proof of this is the statement of the Truth in the sacred hadith: “My servant does not draw near to Me with anything more beloved to Me than what I have made obligatory upon him.” So make your prayers the foundation of your day, and then let there be for you a known portion of the Qur’an by which you revive the hearts. Do not seek in it an abundance of letters as much as you seek the clarity of souls, and let your schedule include taking advantage of the “hours of spoils” that are usually wasted in idle talk or excessive sleep. The hour before breaking the fast is a time of answered prayers, the hour after the pre-dawn meal is a time for seeking forgiveness, and the time between the call to prayer and the commencement of prayer is a treasure trove of supplications that are never rejected. Furthermore, know that safeguarding your schedule requires being mindful of time-wasters such as virtual worlds and screens. It steals away the hours of night and day, and takes away the devotion of those who fast and interrupts the solitude of those who remember ALLAH. The wise person is the one who makes their home a sanctuary and their day a journey to ALLAH, minimizing distractions. And strive every night to attend the Taraweeh prayer in congregation so that you may receive the blessing of the Prophet's, peace be upon him, saying. ((Whoever stands with the Imam until he finishes, it is recorded for him as if he stood in prayer for a whole night.)) So if your day is structured according to this balanced schedule that combines obligatory and supererogatory acts, remembrance and action, guarding the limbs and purifying the soul, then you will truly be among those who have done well and been truthful in their endeavors, and you will have earned, by the grace of God, to be among those freed from Hellfire. In your blessed month.

So fear ALLAH, O servants of ALLAH, and show ALLAH goodness from yourselves, for these are but days that come and go, and the fortunate one is he who spends them in obedience to his Lord and longing for His Paradise.

O servants of ALLAH, remember this command of ALLAH as mentioned in Surah Al Zumr:

قُلۡ يَـٰعِبَادِىَ ٱلَّذِينَ أَسۡرَفُواْ عَلَىٰٓ أَنفُسِهِمۡ لَا تَقۡنَطُواْ مِن رَّحۡمَةِ ٱللَّهِ‌ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَغۡفِرُ ٱلذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعًا‌ۚ إِنَّهُ ۥ هُوَ ٱلۡغَفُورُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ

Say: "O 'Ibâdî (My slaves) who have transgressed against themselves (by committing evil deeds and sins)! Despair not of the Mercy of Allâh, verily Allâh forgives all sins. Truly, He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

Surah Az Zumr – 53

هَذَا وَصَلُّوا وَسَلِّمُوا عَلَى إمَامِ الْمُرْسَلِينَ؛ مُحَمَّدٍ الهَادِي الأَمِينِ، فَقَدْ أَمَرَكُمْ رَبكُمْ بذَلكَ حينَ قَالَ

إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ وَمَلَـٰٓٮِٕڪَتَهُ ۥ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى ٱلنَّبِىِّۚ يَـٰٓأَيُّہَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ صَلُّواْ عَلَيۡهِ وَسَلِّمُواْ تَسۡلِيمًا

Surah Al Ahzaab – 56

So pray and send peace upon the leader of the messengers, Muhammad, the guide and trustworthy. Your Lord has commanded you to do so when He said: “Indeed, Allah and His angels send blessings upon the Prophet. O you who have believed, send blessings upon him and salute him with a worthy salutation.”

He says in Surah Al Ahzab: ALLAH and His kingdom send blessings upon the Prophet. O you who have believed, pray upon him and grant him peace.

Surah Al Ahzaab – 56

اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ وسَلِّم عَلَى نَبِيِّنَا مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَى آلِ نَبِيِّنَا مُحَمَّدٍ، كَمَا صَلَّيْتَ وسَلَّمتَ عَلَى نَبِيِّنَا إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَعَلَى آلِ نَبِيِّنَا إِبْرَاهِيمَ، وَبَارِكْ عَلَى نَبِيِّنَا مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَى آلِ نَبِيِّنَا مُحَمَّدٍ كَمَا بَارَكْتَ عَلَى نَبِيِّنَا إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَعَلَى آلِ نَبِيِّنَا إِبْرَاهِيمَ فِي الْعَالَمِينَ، إِنَّكَ حَمِيدٌ مَجِيدٌ، وَارْضَ اللَّهُمَّ عَنْ خُلَفَائِهِ الرَّاشِدِينَ، وَعَنْ أَزْوَاجِهِ أُمَّهَاتِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَعَنْ سَائِرِ الصَّحَابَةِ أَجْمَعِينَ، وَعَنِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتِ، وعَنْ جَمْعِنَا هَذَا بِرَحْمَتِكَ يَا أَرْحَمَ الرَّاحِمِينَ

O ALLAH, bless and grant peace upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon the family of our Prophet Muhammad, as You prayed and peace upon our Prophet Abraham and upon the family of our Prophet Abraham, and bless our Prophet Muhammad and the family of our Prophet Muhammad, just as You blessed our Prophet Abraham and the family of our Prophet Abraham in the worlds. Indeed, You are Praiseworthy and Glorious. And be pleased, O Allah, with his Rightly-Guided Caliphs, and with his wives, the Mothers of the Believers, and with all the rest of the Companions, and with the believing men and women, and with this gathering of ours, by Your mercy, O Most Merciful of the merciful.

اللَّهُمَّ اجْعَلْ جَمْعَنَا هَذَا جَمْعًا مَرْحُوْمًا، وَاجْعَلْ تَفَرُّقَنَا مِنْ بَعْدِهِ تَفَرُّقًا مَعْصُوْمًا وَلا تَدَعْ فِينَا وَلا مَعَنَا شَقِيًّا وَلا مَحْرُومًا

Oh ALLAH, make this gathering of us a merciful gathering, and make our separation after it an infallible separation, and do not leave among us or with us any wretched or deprived.

اللَّهُمَّ أَعِزَّ الإِسْلامَ وَاهْدِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ إِلَى الْحَقِّ، وَاجْمعْ كَلِمَتَهُمْ عَلَى الخَيْرِ، وَاكْسِرْ شَوْكَةَ الظَّالِمِينَ، وَاكْتُبِ السَّلامَ وَالأَمْنَ لِعِبادِكَ أَجْمَعِينَ

Oh ALLAH, honor Islam, guide Muslims to the truth, unite their words in goodness, break the power of the oppressors, and grant peace and security to your servants. All of them.

اللَّهُمَّ كُنْ عَوْنًا لإِخْوَانِنَا فِي أَرْضِ الأَقْصَى المُبَارَكِ، وَكُنْ مَعَهُمْ وَثَبِّـتْهُمْ وَارْبِطْ عَلَى قُلُوبِهِمْ وَصَبِّرْهُمْ، وَاخْذُلْ عَدُوَّكَ وَعَدُوَّهُمْ، وَاجْعَلِ الدَّائِرَةَ عَلَيْهِ يَا ذَا الجَلالِ وَالإِكْرَامِ

O Allah, be a helper to our brothers in the blessed land of Al-Aqsa, be with them, strengthen them, strengthen their hearts, and grant them patience. Disappoint Your enemy and their enemy, and turn the tables on him, O Possessor of Majesty and Honor.

اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّا نَسْأَلُكَ الثَّباتَ فِي الأَمْرِ، وَالعَزِيمَةَ عَلَى الرُّشْدِ، ونَسْأَلُكَ شُكْرَ نِعْمَتِكَ، وَحُسْنَ عِبَادَتِكَ، ونَسْأَلُكَ قُلُوبًا سَلِيمةً وأَلْسِنةً صَادِقةً، ونَسْأَلُكَ مِنْ خَيْرِ مَا تَعْلَمُ، وَنعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ شَرِّ مَا تَعْلَمُ وَنَسْتَغْفِرُكَ لِمَا تَعْلَمُ

O Allah, we ask You for steadfastness in our affairs and determination to do what is right. We ask You for gratitude for Your blessings and proper worship of You. We ask You for sound hearts and truthful tongues. We ask You for the best of what You know and seek refuge in You from the worst of what You know. We seek Your forgiveness for what You know.

اللَّهُمَّ يَا حَيُّ يَا قَيُّومُ يَا ذَا الجَلالِ وَالإِكْرَامِ، لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ أَنْتَ سُبْحَانَكَ بِكَ نَستَجِيرُ وَبِرَحْمَتِكَ نَستَغِيثُ أَلاَّ تَكِلَنَا إِلَى أَنفُسِنَا طَرفَةَ عَينٍ، وَلاَ أَدنَى مِنْ ذَلِكَ وَأَصلِحْ لَنَا شَأْنَنَا كُلَّهُ يَا مُصلِحَ شَأْنِ الصَّالِحِينَ

Oh ALLAH, O Ever-Living, O Ever-Living, O Possessor of Majesty and Honour, there is no god but You, Glory be to You, by You we seek refuge and by Your mercy we seek help, that you will not leave us to Our souls are within the blink of an eye, and nothing is closer than that. And rectify for us all our affairs, O Reconciliator, the affairs of the righteous.

اللَّهُمَّ رَبَّنَا احْفَظْ أَوْطَانَنَا وَأَعِزَّ سُلْطَانَنَا وَأَيِّدْهُ بِالْحَقِّ وَأَيِّدْ بِهِ الْحَقَّ يَا رَبَّ العَالَمِينَ، اللَّهُمَّ أَسْبِغْ عَلَيْهِ نِعمَتَكَ، وَأَيِّدْهُ بِنُورِ حِكْمَتِكَ، وَسَدِّدْهُ بِتَوفِيقِكَ، وَاحفَظْهُ بِعَينِ رعَايَتِكَ

Oh ALLAH, our Lord, protect our countries, honor our authority, support it with the truth, and support it with the truth, O Lord of the worlds. Oh God, bestow your blessing upon him, support it with the light of your wisdom, guide it with your blessings, and protect it with your care.

اللَّهُمَّ أَنْزِلْ عَلَيْنَا مِنْ بَرَكَاتِ السَّمَاء وَأَخْرِجْ لَنَا مِنْ خَيْرَاتِ الأَرْضِ، وَبَارِكْ لَنَا في ثِمَارِنَا وَزُرُوعِنَا وكُلِّ أَرزَاقِنَا يَا ذَا الْجَلالِ وَالإِكْرَامِ

O ALLAH, send down upon us from the blessings of the sky and bring forth for us from the goodness of the earth, and bless for us our fruits and our crops and all our provisions, O Possessor of Majesty and Generosity.

رَبَّنَا آتِنَا في الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَفي الآخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ

Our Lord, give us good in this world and good in the Hereafter and protect us from the punishment of the Fire.

اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالمُؤْمِنَات، المُسْلِمِينَ وَالمُسْلِمَات، الأَحْيَاءِ مِنْهُمْ وَالأَمْوَاتِ، إِنَّكَ سَمِيعٌ قَرِيبٌ مُجِيبُ الدُّعَاءِ

O ALLAH, forgive the believing men and women, the Muslim men and women, the living and the dead among them. Indeed, You are the All-Hearing, the Near, the Answerer of supplications.

عِبَادَ الله

إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَأۡمُرُ بِٱلۡعَدۡلِ وَٱلۡإِحۡسَـٰنِ وَإِيتَآىِٕ ذِى ٱلۡقُرۡبَىٰ وَيَنۡهَىٰ عَنِ ٱلۡفَحۡشَآءِ وَٱلۡمُنڪَرِ وَٱلۡبَغۡىِ‌ۚ يَعِظُكُمۡ لَعَلَّڪُمۡ تَذَكَّرُونَ

O servants of ALLAH - Indeed, ALLAH commands justice and good deeds, and bestows favor on relatives, and forbids indecency. And the denier and the transgressor admonish you that you may remember.

Surah An Nahl-90

========================================================

وآخر دعوانا ان الحمد للہ رب العالمین- سبحان ربک رب العزة عما يصفون، وسلام على المرسلين، والحمد لله رب العالمين