It is time for permanent change to take place Photo Happify
World – Through the blessings and mercy of Allah (SWT) we have been given another chance to witness the Mubarak month of Ramadan. A month of peace and a month we all have been craving for. Now that this month is here, it is time to take full benefit of it and use it to change our lives.
Ramadan is the prime time for positive change. Many of us are eager to change our lives for the better during this blessed month but we might not be sure how to make this change. The first step to change is to enter the month of Ramadan with the right mindset and to understand what this month is all about, said Maulana Zakaria Murchie. Ramadan has come as a training exercise to help us to refrain from that which is Halaal. If we get used to staying away from that which is Halaal, it becomes easier to stay away from that which is Haraam.
“We need to understand the objective of Ramadan. In life if you understand the objective of something then you can work towards attaining it. The objective of Ramadan, as Allah (SWT) says in Surah Baqarah, is to obtain Taqwa … The proper meaning of Taqwa is to refrain. Refrain from all those things that are considered breaking the commands of Allah (SWT) … To get the most fruitful Ramadan is to keep the objective in mind. The objective is to obtain Taqwa.”
Imaam Ghazali (RA) said that as one’s mouth and stomach is fasting, your eyes, ears, thoughts and hands must be fasting. This means one should not be thinking, looking or hearing anything Haraam, said Maulana Murchie. This will help one obtain Taqwa.
Ramadan is heart work
The objective of Ramadan is to obtain Taqwa. To do this, one must also have a clean heart. The love of Allah (SWT) cannot be in the same heart where the love of Haraam resides. This month has the ability to soften the hardest hearts and clean the blackest hearts, explained Muallimah Sumaiya.
“More than hard work, Ramadan is actually heart work. Some hearts are hard, so use the mercy descending during this month, to soften it. Some hearts are black with sin, take advantage of the days of forgiveness, and it will be lightened and brightened. Some hearts are aching, use the tranquillity of this month to soothe it. And some hearts are crushed to pieces, so use Ramadhaan Al Mubarak, to mend it with the love of Allah. Have the mindset of gaining closeness to Allah Ta’ala, through the auspiciousness of this month and you have succeeded. Allah Ta’ala mentions in a Hadith Qudsi: ’Search for me and you will find me and when you will find me, you will find everything. I am more beloved to you than everything’.”
SMread: Understanding Ramadan and its importance to Muslims
Keeping up the spiritual aspect during Ramadan
When Ramadan starts many people are filled with this excitement and energy to complete as much ibadaat as possible. Often we find that after a few days, we get burned out. While we may think doing more ibadaat is good, in actual fact, little is better if it is more consistent, explained Maulana Murchie. One should rather do a little bit and slowly increase it over the days.
“If we look at the Hadith of Nabi (SAW), the most beloved actions to Allah (SWT) are those actions which are consistent even though it is little. In our Deen it is not about quantity but quality. Doing little but consistently is more beloved in the sight of Allah (SWT) than going into a spiritual high for one week and then having a burn out.”
For men, we need only be concerned with not burning ourselves out. We are not stopped from making ibadaat during the month. On the other hand, there are times during the blessed month that a woman will not be able to perform ibadaat due to her menstruation. While this can disrupt a woman’s spiritual high, one should not worry about their reward being lost out, explained Muallimah Sumaiya.
“It is discouraging to be in this state, especially when we are on a spiritual ‘high’. But, remember that every action is judged by its intention. Without actually doing the ibaadaat of fasting, salaah and Tilawah of Quraan during Haidh, the ajar (reward) for it will still be written, as her intention was to carry out these deeds. Allah(SWT) is so merciful to a woman, that He (SWT) gives her this time off, so that she is able to rest and refuel for the days to come. She can still use her time listening to Quran Tilawah, making the dhikr of Allah, making Dua, memorising new Duas, studying a kitaab, listening to good, Islamic talks, which can help [to keep that spiritual high].”
Making the changes permanent
Every Muslim changes during Ramadan. They frequent the Masjid more, they increase their recitation of Quran and Zikr (praising Allah (SWT)) and cut out the bad habits from their life. However, when the moon of Shawwal is sighted, people sometimes revert to their old self. This is because they did not obtain the objective of Ramadan, explained Maulana Murchie.
“They did not ask themselves if they obtained Taqwa today. Did I refrain from all sins today? If for that day you refrained from all sins, then you have definitely obtained your dose of Taqwa. The Ulema have written that how you spend your day of Jummah will impact the rest of your week … If you spend Ramadan properly then your whole year goes well.”
One way to make these changes permanent is to keep a timetable for your daily Ibadaat in Ramadan and then follow this outside of Ramadan. Even if you don’t do as much outside of Ramadan, the important thing is to stick by it, said Maulana Murchie.
“You draw up a timetable and you allocate a certain time for your Quraan recitation, for Dua, for istighfaar. You then have a very structured life. Ramadan has come to teach us structure. This discipline that we develop in Ramadan, if we carry it out of Ramadan … and be hard on ourselves we will maintain that Noor of Ramadaan.”
People often make a firm intention to stop a certain sin during Ramadan. This is the wrong intention to make as it often leads to one going back to the sin after Ramadan, explained Muallimah Sumaiya.
“The intention of a believer is even more important and powerful than his action. The mistake many of us make is that we limit our goodness to the month of Ramadan, so by the end of Ramadan, those good habits end too. A person will intend to stop watching movies for the month of Ramadan instead of intending to stop altogether and using the greatness of this blessed month in begging Allah Ta’ala for help to never revert to the sin. One must make lifelong intentions. Start in Ramadan, but don’t limit it to Ramadan. Make the intention to continue the goodness until your last moment on this earth.”
SMread: “If You Have it Today, You May Not Have it Tomorrow,” said Professor Faizal Bux Regarding the Water Crisis
Dua is the weapon of the believer
Ramadan is the month to change and this month has a secret weapon we can use to make sure our changes are permanent. As we know, the Duas of a fasting person are readily accepted. There are golden moments like “Tahajjud time, the dua made before Iftaar, the dua made after every Fardh salaah,” these are times when a person’s Duas are weighty, explained Muallimah Sumaiya but Dua can be made at any and every time. Even in public. One should utter the Dua in their mind because Allah (SWT) can read our thoughts and our hearts.
The most important times to make Dua is before Iftaar and at the time of Sehri. These are times when Duas are guaranteed to be accepted, said Maulana Murchie. The manner in which we make our Dua is extremely important.
“Dua is one of the most important ibadaat during Ramadan. Ideally we start by praising Allah (SWT), then send Durood upon Nabi (SAW) and thereafter we start asking. We don’t just ask but we beg. Allah (SWT) loves to see us beg and us showing our dependance on him. The main thing is we ask Allah (SWT) to forgive us. We ask for the needs of the Hereafter before we ask for our needs of the Dunya to be fulfilled. In between we should read Durood and then end on Durood.”
One important aspect is one should try and cry while making Dua. The Hadith states that if one cannot cry then they should do their best to imitate a crying person, said Maulana Murchie.
If we start Ramadan with the right intention, keep a structured life and make earnest Dua to Allah (SWT) then this month can become the month our lives are turned around. It can be the month in which we become the friend of Allah (SWT). Let it not be that we squander this month for it is a month of greatness and filled with moments that can be used to change our lives around.
