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The Favors of the Month of Ramadan

Introduction to Ramadan Series 2013, Part 4

Mawlana Shaykh Hisham Kabbani

6 July 2013 Burton, Michigan

Maghrib Suhbah

A`oodhu billahi min ash-Shaytaani 'r-rajeem. Bismillahi 'r-Rahmaani 'r-Raheem.

Nawaytu 'l-arba`een, nawaytu 'l-`itikaaf, nawaytu 'l-khalwah, nawaytu 'l-`uzlah,

nawaytu 'r-riyaadah, nawaytu 's-sulook, lillahi ta`alaa fee haadha 'l-masjid.

أَطِيعُواْ اللّهَ وَأَطِيعُواْ الرَّسُولَ وَأُوْلِي الأَمْرِ مِنكُمْ

Atee`oollaha wa atee`oo 'r-Rasoola wa ooli 'l-amri minkum.

Obey Allah, obey the Prophet, and obey those in authority among you. (Surat an-Nisa, 4:59)

We have the honor that Shaykh Senad is here. I was going to say Shaykh Zimmer, because in London we have Shaykh Zimmer there, but here is Shaykh Senad!

(Khatm)

As-salaamu `alaykum wa rahmatullaahi wa barakaatuh.

Bismillahi 'r-Rahmani 'r-Raheem. Alhamdulillahi Rabbi 'l-`Alameen, wa ’s-salaatu wa ’s-salaamu `alaa ashrafi 'l-mursaleena Sayyidina wa Nabiyyina Muhammadin wa `alaa aalihi wa sahbihi ajma`een. Alhamdulillahi ’l-ladhee hadaana li ’l-Islami wa maa kunna li-nahtadeea law laa an hadaana ’Llah, alhamdulillahi hamdan kaamilan kamaa yuhibbu wa’l `arda...wa lana ash-sharaf haythu ja`alaana ‘Llahu min ummat al-Mustafa.

O Muslims, brothers, sisters, believers, viewers. In a very few days, Ramadan will be coming and we have to prepare ourselves for Ramadan. Allah (swt) has given us what He blessed us with in order to save ourselves in Ramadan, to be a fasting month that is accepted. As the Prophet (s) said, Allah (swt) orders the angels to chain all shayaateen in Ramadan. Abu Hurayrah (r) narrated that the Prophet (s) said:

إذا دخل رمضان فتحت أبواب الجنة وغلقت أبواب النار وسلسلت الشياطين

Idhaa dakhala ramadaan futihat abwaab al-jannah wa ghuliqat abwaab an-naar wa sulsilat ash-shayaateen.

When Ramadan begins, the doors of Paradise are opened and the doors of Hell are closed and the shayateen are tied with chains. (Bukhari and Muslim)

Idhaa dakhala ramadaan futihat abwaab as-samaawaat. As soon as Ramadan appears, as soon as it comes, Allah (swt) opens the doors of Heavens. He says, “Open the doors of Heavens!” How many doors? One door, two doors, three doors? Today they are renovating Masjid al-Haraam, they are renovating and they are going to make doors that through every door you look you see the Ka`bah. Allah is saying in this hadith, as the Prophet (s) mentioned, “When Ramadan comes, futihat abwaab as-samawaat, the doors of Heavens will be opened.” It means every person, mu'min, muwaahid, Muslim, who says “Laa ilaaha illa-Llah Muhammadun Rasoolullah,” Allah gave him a door. So it is not only one door or seven doors, but infinite numbers of doors will be opened for you in Ramadan! And when someone opens a door for you what do they say? “Welcome!” So Allah is ordering the angels to welcome us, welcoming those who are fasting, welcoming those who are obeying Allah (swt), welcoming those who are worshipping Allah (swt), welcoming those who are doing good in their lives, welcoming those who don’t make shirk in their lives.

And in order not to make a mistake, He closed the doors of Hellfire so you cannot make a mistake, “Which door is Paradise and which is door of Hellfire?” Hellfire is closed in Ramadan, as the Prophet (s) said:

فتحت أبواب الجنة وغلقت أبواب النار

Futihat abwaab as-samawaat wa ghuliqat abwaabu ’n-naar.

The doors of Heavens are opened and the doors of Hellfire are closed.

It means He is saying to us, “I am not letting you to go to Jahannam, I am closing that door, because it is Ramadan and you are fasting, you are obeying, you are trying to behave well, and you are saying ‘Laa ilaaha illa-Llah,’ you are admitting Allah’s Oneness, that there is no Creator except Allah (swt).”

Wa sulsilat ash-shayaateen, Allah’s Prophet (s) is saying that Allah orders the angels to chain all devils. Since there are no more devils and they are chained, since doors of Jahannam are closed, so what is our choice? Is there anything left? There is only the choice to enter the doors of Paradise to Allah’s Mercy! Shukran, yaa Rabbee, shukran lillah!

لَئِن شَكَرْتُمْ لأَزِيدَنَّكُمْ

La-in shakartum la-azeedanakum.

If you thank Me, I will give you more. (Surah Ibraaheem, 14:7)

لَا يُشْرِكُونَ بِي شَيْئًا

Laa yushrikoona bee shay’an.

They do not associate anything with Me. (Surat an-Noor, 24:55)

If you thank Allah that He closed the doors of Hellfire and opened the doors of Paradise, He will give you more. So you see that door? If opened, it leads you to another door and so one door leads to another door and so in Ramadan you will be opening door behind door, behind door, and it never ends until the end of Ramadan. As we said before, every breath-in during Ramadan, Allah will bring out from your breath-in or breath-out a smell better than musk and He increases our `amal. If you do one `amal, Allah will reward you 10 or 700 times for every breath you have in dunya, that you are breathing in or out. So Allah is multiplying your rewards up to 700 levels. How many breaths are you doing each day? Too many, scientists count between 15,000 to 24,000, breaths in and breaths out. Allah is rewarding and rewarding and rewarding!

How many hours are we fasting here? Seventeen. In some countries they fast 12 hours, in equatorial countries, from six to six, maximum from six to seven. Here we are fasting 17-18 hours. Are you fasting more or not? (Yes.) Ok, are those who fast 12 hours going to get as much as those who fast 17 hours? Must be 17 hours fasting gets more rewards than the 12 hours. Because you are fasting and breathing in and out, and on every breath-in and breath-out Allah is rewarding because you are fasting, so you want to fast 24 hours? So it is better to fast more. There are some who fast 24 hours, they don’t break fast. You fast 24 hours? He said, “No.” There are some who do. One time I fasted 36 hours, from plane to plane to plane and still the sun was not coming down! And you have to wait at the airport and the sun is still up, up, up, it was 36 hours! Try it. (Laughter.)

عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏ "‏ مَنْ صَامَ يَوْمًا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ بَاعَدَ اللَّهُ وَجْهَهُ مِنْ جَهَنَّمَ سَبْعِينَ عَامًا ‏"‏ ‏.‏

`An Abee Sa`eed al-Khudree (r) qaala qaal an-Nabi (s) qaal: man saama yawmun fee sabeelillah `Azza wa Jalla ba`ada ’Llaahu wajhahu min jahannama sab` eena `aaman.

Whoever fasts one day in the cause of Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, Allah will separate his face from the fire by (a distance of) seventy years. (Sunan an-Nasa'i )

If you fast one day for Allah’s sake, for nothing else, it is not an obligation; for an obligation you will also be rewarded more, but if you voluntarily say, “I am going to fast that day for Allah’s sake...” illaa baa`ada’Llaahu bi dhaalika ‘l-yawm wajhahoo `ani ’n-naar, that day Allah will make your face far away from Hellfire. That means no sins in that day will be written for you, Allah will save you.

Qaal an-Nabi (s):

من صام رمضان إيمانا واحتسابا غفر له ما تقدم من ذنبه

Man saama ramadaana imaanan w ’ahtisaaban ghufira lahu maa taqaddama min dhanbih.

Whoever fasts during Ramadan with faith and seeking his reward (from Allah), all his past sins will be forgiven. (Bukhari and Muslim)

“Whoever fasts Ramadan believing in Allah (swt), Allah will forgive him the sins of one year, whatever he did before Allah will forgive him.” So that’s why we have to pay attention in Ramadan, as Allah said in Holy Qur’an:

Allah said about the people in Ramadan, they are dressed with the verse:

وَعِبَادُ الرَّحْمَنِ الَّذِينَ يَمْشُونَ عَلَى الْأَرْضِ هَوْنًا وَإِذَا خَاطَبَهُمُ الْجَاهِلُونَ قَالُوا سَلَامًا

Wa `ibaadu 'r-rahmaan alladheena yamshoona `ala ‘l-ardi hawnan wa idhaa khaatabahumu 'l-jaahiloona qaaloo salaamaa.

The (true) servants of The Most Merciful are those who walk humbly on the Earth and who, when the ignorant people behave insolently towards them, say, "Peace be unto you."

(Surat al-Furqaan, 25:63)

The servants are dressed with Allah’s Mercy, servants of the One Who is the Forgiver, Allah is putting you in the level of, “He will forgive you.” How do we have to behave? Allah is giving the characteristics of those who are in Ramadan. He described them literally as, “Those who walk,” but it means “those who themselves behave with humility.” It means no arrogance, no pride, no hatred to others, to be thankful, to connect those who disconnect you, to forgive those who oppressed you, to give those who don’t give to you, to be a person thinking, “This is what Allah wants me to do, I have to do it.”

Our problem is, we read the verses of Holy Qur'an and read the hadith but we don’t focus on what we are reading or we don’t act on what we are reading. Allah is saying, wa `ibaadu 'r-rahmaan alladheena yamshoona `ala ‘l-ardi, “Those who themselves behave with humility, those who are humble.” Wa idhaa khaatabahumu 'l-jaahiloona qaaloo salaamaa, “When some ignorant people speak with them they say, ‘Peace be on you, we are not going to argue, may Allah give you peace, may Allah give us peace.’” Wa idhaa khaatabahumu 'l-jaahiloona, “When ignorant people speak with them,” they say, “We are raising our hands, our ten fingers (in surrender).”

So we spoke last time about this is a way to enter into the most important part: Ramadan is to remember that there is a Creator, that there is an obligation we have to do for a Creator, for Allah (swt). The one who is responsible for this masjid has to keep this masjid in order; you cannot look at the masjid and see something wrong and say, “O! Never mind.” But there are honorable guests coming, so how do you have to keep the masjid? You have to keep it in good condition. Why didn’t you keep it in good condition today? That means, “I am giving you Ramadan, you have to keep Me in your life,” to keep Ramadan reminding you that you have to keep yourself in good condition in front of Allah (swt)!

So to keep yourself in good condition there are two ways. Either in order for Allah to be happy with us, we have to eliminate ash-shirk; to enter Paradise you must not associate anything with Allah (swt), He is the Creator and we are His Servants, and we explained that, and then you deserve Paradise. That’s why, wa seeq alladheena attaqaw, “With taqwaa, with sincerity.”

وَسِيقَ الَّذِينَ اتَّقَوْا رَبَّهُمْ إِلَى الْجَنَّةِ زُمَرًا حَتَّى إِذَا جَاؤُوهَا وَفُتِحَتْ أَبْوَابُهَا وَقَالَ لَهُمْ خَزَنَتُهَا سَلَامٌ عَلَيْكُمْ طِبْتُمْ فَادْخُلُوهَا خَالِدِينَ

Wa seeq alladheena attaqaw rabbuhum ilaa al-jannati zumaraa. hattaa idhaa jaa'oohaa wa futihat abwaabuhaa wa qaala lahum khazanatuhaa salaamun `alaykum tibtum fadkhuloohaa khalideen.

And those who feared their Lord will be driven to Paradise in groups until, when they reach it while its gates have been opened and its keepers say, “Peace be upon you! You have become pure, so enter it to abide eternally therein.” (Surat az-Zumar, 39:73)

Ramadan is coming in two days or three days. Allah is saying, “Those who have taqwaa,” which means to be worshipping with sincerity, to be saying “Laa ilaaha illa-Llah” with sincerity, with purity, with love, with emotions to Allah (swt), those people will bring them all the way to Paradise. So you want to go to Paradise you have to have taqwaa. If you don’t have taqwaa, then you have the opposite of taqwaa: khubuth, corrupted. Anyone that has corrupted character has khubuth, then he can have corruption in what you say, fi’l-aqwaal, fi’l-`amaal, in what you act, fi’l-mahkal, in what you eat and in what you drink. Allah takes this khubuth and puts it where? You take your garbage daily and put it where? In the (dustbin or trash). So Allah will take that khubuth and put it in Hellfire as that is the only way to clean it, only fire can clean it. So anyone who has khubuth, in Ramadan try to take it away from your life. That’s why you always have to have your heart pure for Allah (swt) so that it doesn’t go right and it doesn’t go left! So keep your focus on Allah, especially when you are praying as the Prophet (s) said:

فاذا صليتم فلا تلتفتو ا،فان الله ينصب وجهه لوجه عبده ما لم يلتفت

fa idhaa sallaytum fa laa taltafitoo fa inna’Llaaha yansab wajhahu li wajhihi `abdihi maa lam yaltafit.

When a person is praying let him not look around, for surely Allah turns His Face (mercy) towards His servant as long as he does not turn his face away. (Abu Dawood,)

Prophet (s) said, “Allah ordered us to pray.” Why? One of the reasons is that, “When you are praying, fa in sallaytoo fa laa taltafitoo, don’t let your eyes go right or left, but let your eyes remain only on where you are making sajda, because if you let your eyes go left or right Allah is looking at you and it as if you are turning your face from Allah right or left,” and you are not focussing. That is why it is said:

الالتفات المنهي عنه في الصلاة قسمان: أحدهما: التفات القلب عن الله عز وجل إلى غير الله تعالى.

Iltifaat al-qalb `an illah `azza wa jalla ila ghayrillahi ta`ala.

When you turn your heart from Allah the Exalted and Glorious to other than Allah.

You are between Allah’s Hands, you are praying and you turn your face right or left, looking with your eyes, and many people when they are praying are looking with their eyes right or left, which means, “...you are turning your face and your heart from Allah (swt).”

الثاني: التفات البصر، وكلاهما منهي عنه

Ath-thaaniyy iltifaat al-basar. Wa kilaahumaa munhiyan `anhu.

Secondly: “To look right or left with your eyes is prohibited and your prayer will be far from you,” and it will be thrown in your face on the Day of Judgment.

O Muslims! This is also an introduction to come to what we will be discussing in Ramadan. We have to very careful where we are looking, how we are facing when praying. May Allah forgive us. “We are opening in Ramadan doors after doors after doors.” I was reading::

حم وَالْكِتَابِ الْمُبِين إِنَّا أَنزَلْنَاهُ فِي لَيْلَةٍ مُّبَارَكَةٍ إِنَّا كُنَّا مُنذِرِين فِيهَا يُفْرَقُ كُلُّ أَمْرٍ حَكِيم أ َمْرًا مِّنْ عِندِنَا إِنَّا كُنَّا مُرْسِلِينَ ِ

Haa. Meem. wa’l-kitaabi’l-mubeen innaa anzalnaahu fee laylatin mubaarakatin innaa kunnaa mundhireen feehaa yufraqu kullu ‘amrin hakeem ‘amran min `indinaa innaa kunnaa mursileen.

Haa. Meem. By the Book that makes things clear, We sent it down during a blessed night for We (ever) wish to warn (against evil). In the (night) is made distinct every affair of wisdom by Command from Our Presence for We (ever) send (revelations). (Surat ad-Dukhan, 44:1-5)

Most scholars say this night is 15th Sha`baan. Okay, this night is 15th of Sha`baan but Allah also said in Surat al-Qadr:

إِنَّا أَنزَلْنَاهُ فِي لَيْلَةِ الْقَدْرِ

Innaa anzalnaahu fee laylati ‘l-qadr.

We have indeed revealed this (Message) in the Night of Power. (Surat al-Qadr, 97:1)

Allah is saying, “We revealed the Holy Qur’an in Laylat al-Qadr.” So which one then? Innaa anzalnaahu fee laylatin mubaarakatin innaa kunnaa mundhireen, “We have revealed the Holy Qur’an in a blessed night,” which is the 15th of Sha`baan, but then Allah says in another verse, “We have revealed Holy Qur’an on Laylat al-Qadr.” One night...we have to choose which night? And here Allah is saying you cannot choose, “I have revealed the Holy Qur'an to the Prophet (s) in 15th Sha`baan, on that night,” and also, “I have revealed to Prophet the Holy Qur'an on Laylat al-Qadr,” means Holy Qur'an was revealed to the Prophet (s) two times. One on the night of 15th Sha`baan, one on the night of Laylat al-Qadr. Sha`baan, as the Prophet (s) said:

رجب شهر الله، وشعبان شهري، ورمضان شهر أمتي

Rajabun shahrullah wa Sha`baanu shahree wa Ramadaanu shahra ummatee.

Rajab is Allah's month, Sha`baan is my month and Ramadan is the month of my Ummah.

(Abul-Fath ibn Abi Fawaris in his `Amalee from al-Hasan)

Sha`baan is the month of Prophet (s), “That month is my month,” so Allah revealed the Holy Qur'an in that month according to the level of the Prophet (s). Ramadan is the month of the ummah, Laylat al-Qadr is in that month which is for the whole ummah, Allah revealed the Holy Qur'an according to Prophet according to the level of the ummah. One according to the level of Prophet (s); one according to the level the ummah can carry. That is why, as it is mentioned by awliyaullah, that Sha`baan is before Ramadan, so when it was revealed it was revealed from the Preserved Tablets coming to al-`alim, to the open, it came out from Preserved Tablets which was hidden there into samaa ad-dunya, to the sky of the Earth, where Allah descend on Laylat al-Qadr and in 15th Sha`baan to see anyone asking? Allah is giving. So the Holy Qur’an with its secrets which Allah wants Prophet (s) to know from these secrets was revealed in Sha`baan those secrets that are for the ummah has been revealed in Ramadan.

This Ramadan, awliyaullah are expecting a lot of things coming up according to what has been revealed of Holy Qur'an to the Prophet (s), to his heart, and he informed awliyaullah and they are ready for many, many changes and events going to happen in the very near future. So prepare yourself to be honest in Ramadan, not to do anything Allah doesn’t like, to observe Ramadan correctly and insha-Allah things will be opened to your heart from Divine Knowledge and Heavenly Knowledge.

Wa min Allahi 't-tawfeeq, bi hurmati 'l-Fatihah.

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