Ramadan Farewell

Ya know, how at the end of the movie, alongside the credits there are these random clips of the movie, (sometimes bloopers and sometimes just comical moments from the film)... Well after the sheikh in my local masjid had finished the Quran on the 27th night, he began reciting random surahs from the Quran. And listening to him recite like that gave me a similar feeling…like a really good movie had just ended.

Obviously a movie and Ramadan are not comparable but a small analogy is warranted.

As I was listening to the recitation, I could see those moments flashing before my eyes when the sheikh had recited those same surahs earlier this month. And listening to him jump from one surah to another so quickly made me realize that it was with the same quickness this month had ended.

After much preparation, such great anticipation and excitement, we had welcomed this month. And here we are at its conclusion, saying our farewell as if a loved-one was parting. When a loved-one gets ready to depart, after a hug, a kiss, and hand-shake, you squeeze their hand tighter as their fingers slip out of your hand, hoping to hold on just a little longer. And as they walk away, your eyes swell with tears and the throat chokes with a loss of words.

Ramadan is leaving, brothers and sisters. What will you do until it returns?

Woe to those that worshipped Ramadan, as Ramadan has ended. Glad tidings to the worshippers of Allah, for He has no end.

khutbah: got taqwa?

A man had sinned greatly, and when death came to him he charged his sons, saying: "When I have died, burn me, then crush me and scatter (my ashes) into the sea, for, by Allah, if my Lord takes possession of me, He will punish me in a manner in which He has punished no one else." So they did as he wished.

Then He, the Exalted in Might, said to the earth: "Produce what you have taken" -and there he was! And He (swt) said to the man: "What caused you to do what you did?" He said: "Being afraid of You, O my Lord."

Allah (swt) forgave him because of that.

Perhaps we were expecting a different ending to the story (especially if you've never heard it before). This man had committed such a grave sin that after realizing his mistake, he feared the punishment of Allah swt so much that he wished never to meet with Allah swt and answer for his sin. But Allah is the Almighty, All-Powerful.

What is so important about fearing Allah swt? Why did the fear of Allah save this man from the hellfire?

Think about how many khutbahs you’ve heard, and how many of them started with encouraging the listeners to have taqwa and fear Allah. To this day, I have not heard a single khutbah which did not begin by exhorting people to have taqwa!

So what is so important about having taqwa?

We are in the month of fasting, and we know the oft-recited verses of the Quran which explain the purpose of fasting, as Allah swt says: "Oh you who believe, fasting has been prescribed for you as it was prescribed to those before you, in order that you may attain taqwa."

Fasting is one of five pillars of Islam, and the sole purpose of fasting, as Allah swt explains in this verse, is to attain taqwa. It is not to lose weight, or to feel as the hungry/needy feel, or to attain better health. These may be great secondary benefits of fasting, but the ONE reason Allah, 'azza wa jall, has ordained fasting is to attain taqwa.

The Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, said, " at-taqwa haahunaa, at-taqwa haahunaa " meaning 'Taqwa is here, taqwa is here,' and he pointed to his chest.

Notice, my brothers and sisters, that the Messesnger of Allah (pbuh) did not point to the stomach, which cried for food all day long. He didn't point to the tongue which was deprived the wetness of any kind of liquid. He didn't point to the legs, which stood all night in prayer before the Creator of the worlds. He didn't point to the hands, which were raised in front of his Lord, begging for His mercy. He didn't point to the eyes, which read the Quran or the lips that recited it so beautifully. But he pointed to the heart. THIS is where taqwa is.

But what exactly is taqwa?

Taqwa, as one shaykh explains, is when one is by himself, and his passions begin to overwhelm him, and Shaitan takes him aside and whispers to him, but then the slave remembers the One who knows all secrets, the One who hears the crawling of the black ant on a massive rock in the darkest night, the One who knows the glances of the eyes and what the hearts conceal. The slave remembers the blazing fire, which does not burn except the wretched one, the one who denies and turns away. He prefers the pleasure of His Lord over pleasing himself. The soul returns to its Lord, and remembers the command of its Creator. It wakes up from its heedlessness and takes refuge in its Lord, seeking protection from Shaitan and his whisperings. Within the soul of the Muslim the words of Allah are resounding:

"Those who have taqwa, when a passing notion from the Devil troubles them, they remember, and they immediately see clearly between right and wrong." (6:201-2

When you are alone with a freind and he invites you to go to a party or a club, but you refrain, that is taqwa; when someone offers you some alcohol but you refuse to drink, that is taqwa; when you’re driving in a car alone, and you want to listen to music but you don’t because it's haraam, that is taqwa; when you are alone with someone of the opposite gender, they extend their hand but you reject their offer because you remember the fire of Hell, that is taqwa; when you are in the privacy of your own home, and you want to commit a sin, but you don’t, fearing the punishment of Allah, that is taqwa.

Umar (R) asked Kaab (R), the meaning of Taqwa as he was renowned for his deep understanding of the Quran.

Kaab asked Umar whether he had walked through a thorny bush path with his cloak on. Umar replied that he had done so on numerous occasions. Kaab asked Umar to describe his movements through this thorny path. Umar replied that he moved very cautiously, so as not to tear his clothing. Kaab said that was the description and the meaning of Taqwa," --that we be cautious around the boundaries of Allah, being careful so as not to transgress them.

The definitions of taqwa are many, but none of them independently explains the meaning of taqwa. Some say taqwa is fear of Allah, others call it God-consciousness and love of Allah, and still others define it as obedience, piety, and righteousness.

So again I ask, why is taqwa so important?

It's part of human nature to compete. Some compete for fancy, expensive cars and huge mansions, and some for high status, but in the eyes of Allah swt, the winner is not the one with the material wealth. The one who is closer to Allah, more dearer to Allah is the one who has more taqwa, as He says in the Quran: "The most honourable of you with Allah is the one who is the most fearful." (49:13)

So if someone wants to know the scale by which Allah measures His closeness to His slaves, then know that this measure is taqwa. It isn’t wealth, or how much of it you spent in charity, it isn’t salaah and how many nights you stayed up praying, but it’s a combination of all those things and more.

But taqwa isn’t something optional. It's not an extra topping in the recipe for success in the hereafter. Allah swt says: "there isn’t one of you except that you will pass over it (hellfire)…and then We will save those who feared Allah and were dutiful to Him."

May Allah make us among those who are saved. Ameen.



Part II

Half of the semester is almost over. At this time, students begin to evaluate how they’ve been doing thus far and will make a decision based on their assessment. Should they drop a class, or should they just study harder? Do they need to change their studying techniques, or should they continue what they’ve been doing for the first half of the semester?

Similarly, Ramadan is half over. But are we going to evaluate our accomplishments this Ramadan? Are we going to sit and think about what we’ve done in the first half? How are we going to improve ourselves for the next half?

Some of you may have already thought about this, but many people overlook it. Why should our success in school be more important than our success in the hereafter?

We should think about how we spent our fasts over the past couple of weeks. Were we rude to the students in our classes and to the people on the road while driving home from school? Did we say any bad words to our friends or neighbors? Did we lie or cheat in any of our affairs? Did we draw nearer to Allah (swt), or were we too busy talking on the phone or chatting online with our friends? Was the Quran our companion, or was it the TV?


In conclusion:
Unfortunately Ramadan comes only once a year, therefore, we should host it in the best possible way. However, contrary to what many of us think, Ramadan is not a month of tables full of dishes and useless parties and gatherings but rather it is the month of recital of the Qur'an, the remembrance of Allah, the prayer at night, the Suhour, the du`a at the Iftar, and the charity ...amongst other things. It is only by doing these actions will one attain taqwa of Allah in this world, and Jannatul Firdows in the next.

I end in the words of Umar b. Abd al-Aziz, may Allah have mercy on him, when he wrote to a man saying, "I advise you to be fearful (have taqwa) of Allah the Exalted, as nothing will be accepted except that, and no one will be showered with mercy except the people who have it, and no one will be rewarded except because of it; those who remind us of it are many, but those who practice it are few. May Allah make us and you of the people of taqwa." Ameen.

As you walk away from here, ask yourself one question: got taqwa...yet?

Allahumma ja’alnaa minal muttaqeen.
Allahumma ja’alnaa minal muttaqeen.
Allahumma ja’alnaa minal muttaqeen.


written by: Umer Akbar, October 2005