Where Did All The Muslims Go??????????....

Where Did All The Muslims Go????

Asalaamulaikum Warahmatulahi Wabarkatahu Dear Respected Brothers and Sisters!

Insha’Allah I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate myself and everyone else on another blessed Ramadhan which by Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’alaa’s Great Mercy, we have been blessed with!!!

May this Ramadhan be a source of guidance for all Muslims, and may Allah give us the strength to act upon that blessed guidance, Ameen! X

This post is to serve as a reminder to firstly myself and you (my precious sisters and brothers), about all that goes on during the month of Ramadhan, and how this blessed month is abused of its beauty and robbed of its true purpose.

My dear brothers and sisters, we must not forget WHY we are fasting in the month of Ramadhan…to please Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’alaa and to attain His pleasure and blessings, and no other material reason!
I can not stress enough why intention is soooooo important! Subhan’Allah!!!
For the Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam said, every deed is rewarded according to its intention!

Furthermore, it is a common misconception amongst our youth of the Ummah that the month of Ramadhan is the month to go dead religious and after the month has passed us by, we can carry on like usual!! NOOOOOOO!!!!

The month of Ramadhan, is to IMPROVE on ourselves, to BETTER ONESELF!!! And to MAINTAIN that IMPROVEMENT, after Ramadhan has gone!

It’s easy to be all good and religious in the month of Ramadhan because the Shayitan is not here and we just have to battle with our Nafs (desires), wouldn’t you agree? Indeed the real battle is when Shayitan will unfortunately come back, tempting us with even stronger whispers!!! Subhan’Allah!

Abu Hurairah Radi Allahu ‘Anhu narrates ‘The Messenger of Allah Sallallahu ‘Alayhi Wa Sallam said:

“There has come to you Ramadhan, a blessed month which Allah has enjoined you to fast, during which the gates of heaven are opened and the gates of Hell are closed, and the rebellious devils are chained up. In it there is a night which is better than a thousand months, and whoever is deprived of its goodness is indeed deprived.”
[Al-Nasaa’i 2106; Ahmad 8769]
&

“When Ramadhan commences, the gates of Paradise are opened and the gates of Hell are closed and the devils are bound in chains.”
[Sahih Al-Bukhari & Sahih Muslim]

In addition, another common misconception is that fasting in Ramadhan is just about abstaining from food and drink. NOOOOOOOOO!!!! …again!

It is sooo much more, for we fast with our eyes, our ears, our mouths, our mentalities and our limbs!!!!
How you may ask?

Well, for your limbs, bear patience my dear brothers and sisters!!!!
For Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu ‘Alayhi Wa Sallam said when someone is rude to you say,
“’Innee saa’imun, ‘innee saa’imun.”
(I am fasting, I am fasting)
[Al-Bukhari, Al-Asqalani, Fathul-Bari, Muslim]
&
Allah says in the Qur’an:
“O you who believe! Seek help in patience and As-Salat (the prayer). Truly! Allah is with As-Sabirun (the patient).”
[Surah Al Baqarah: 153]
&
“And Allah is with As-Sabirun (the patient).”
[Surah Al-Baqarah: 249]

Furthermore Imam Ahmad rahimahullah said:
“Allah has mentioned Sabr (patience) in over ninety places in His book.”
[Ibn al Qayyim- Madaarij us-Saalikeen]
&
The Prophet Salallahu ‘Alayhi Wassalaam said:
“The month of Patience, and the three days of every month, are times for fasting.”
[Sahih Ahmad and An-Nasaa’i]

Ibn ‘Abdur-Barr rahimahullah said:
“What is meant by the month of Patience is the month of Ramadhan…so fasting is called patience because it restrains the soul from eating, drinking, conjugal relations and sexual desires.”
[At-Tamheed- Al Haafidh ibn Abdul Barr]

For our mentalities, brothers and sisters, Ramadhan is just ONE of the tests Allah has decided to test us with, but only with patience, we shall pass, Insha’Allah, we must prepare ourselves my dear brothers and sisters, for no one knows what’s around the next corner except Allah and those who He has willed to know;
“And certainly, we shall test you with something of fear, hunger, loss of wealth, lives and fruits, but give glad tidings to As-Sabirun (the patient).”
[Surah Al-Baqarah: 155]

Our mouths and actions are also in need of control and self-restraint as usual but even more so in the month of Ramadhan,

for the Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu ‘Alayhi Wa Sallam said:
“Whoever does not leave off false speech and false conduct, Allah has no need of his leaving off food and drink.”
[Sahih Al-Bukhari]
&
He, Salallahu ‘Alayhi Wassalaam also said:
“Fasting is not merely abstaining from eating and drinking. Rather, it is also abstaining from ignorant and indecent speech. So if anyone abuses or behaves ignorantly with you, then say: I am fasting, I am fasting.”
[Sahih Ibn Khuzaymah and Al-Haakim]

And the same for our eyes and ears, we should lower our gaze (just like the other 11 months of the calendar) to protect our nafs and stay away from obscene language to maintain Iman and sincerity and to keep sexual desires at bay;
“When any one of you is observing the fast for the day, he should neither indulge in obscene language nor raise his voice. If someone insults him or quarrels with him, he should say: ‘I am fasting’.”
[Sahih Al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim]

So this includes the music blasting from our phones, since in addition to being haraam, it contains words of an obscene nature and profanity (swearing), and most of the time derogatory words of a sexual nature (sexual references), both of which are haraam, but one should be extra careful to avoid such things in the month of Ramadhan.

So I ask, from amongst us, are there the ‘Ramadhan Muslims?’ paying no attention to the actual facts of Ramadhan, and instead falling into the below categories:
The streets are clear,
The lunch halls are empty.
Where did all the Muslims go???
No more music,
The caps and Hijaabs come on.
Where did all the Muslims go???
The mosques are packed,
The clubs are empty.
Where did all the Muslims go???
Fasting is here,
The smoking is gone.
Where did all the Muslims go???
The beards go untrimmed,
The eyebrows go un-plucked.
Where did all the Muslims go???
Everyone is racing for Tarawih,
And the Xbox is left untouched.
Where did all the Muslims go???
The Qur’ans recited with calm and beautiful recitation,
While the magazines laying about gathering dust.
Where did all the Muslims go???
Prayer rooms filled with Assalaamualaikum and hugs here and there,
The gossip of the women missed in the malls.
Where did all the Muslims go???
Brothers in Thoubs/Jubbahs spreading Da’wah,
Sisters found at all the Halaqahs.
Where did all the Muslims go???
…
All of a sudden,
30 days have passed; another Ramadhan has just come and gone,
The rewards gained, gone has all the hunger pains,
And life is back to usual as was once found…
…
The Masjids are empty; the clubs are packed again,
The crews are back on the streets.
The Hijaabs, caps and Thoubs are off,
Music blazing, the air filled with smoke once again.
The beards shaved to the cleanest shave, the eyebrows plucked thinner then ever before,
Completing Salah nowadays is unheard of; the Xbox is on again.
The Qur’ans placed on the highest shelf in the house, out of reach, out of sight,
The magazines are out; plainly in sight and reach.
The prayer rooms abandoned, the malls jam packed,
Gone is the Da’wah, forgotten are the Halaqahs…
…
I guess the “Muslims” are back!

Being a Muslim is not a part-time job, not a part-time hobby or something to do just to look good amongst the brothers/sisters for a change,
So I ask you…
Are You A Ramadhan Muslim???????????

So what did YOU ACTUALLY LEARN FROM RAMADHAN????

‘Erm….ooo…. that I miss my food man!! I’ll never abandon my chicken burger again!’

---‘We leave the blessed month of Ramadhan, its beautiful days and its fragrant nights. We leave the month of the Qur’an, Taqwa, patience, Jihad (striving against the sacrifices we face in Ramadhan), Mercy, Forgiveness and Freedom from the Hellfire…

Have we fulfilled the requirements of Taqwa and graduated from the Ramadhan School with the diploma of the God-fearing?

Have we fought our souls and desires and defeated them, or have we been overtaken by our customs and blind imitations?
Have we performed our actions in a way that fulfils the conditions for receiving mercy, forgiveness and release from the fire?

Many questions and numerous thoughts come to the heart of the SINCERE MUSLIM, who ASKS and ANSWERS WITH TRUTHFULNESS.’---
{Paragraph from Tayyibun Institute UK-Preparation for Ramadhan course pack-titled ‘Not just Hunger and Thirst’}

I urge you to remember this hadith of the Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu ‘Alayhi Wa Sallam, my dear sisters and brothers!!!!
“Whoever does not leave off false speech and false conduct, Allah has no need of his leaving off food and drink.”
[Sahih Al-Bukhari]

I remind myself before anyone else, I apologise for any offence caused for that was not my intention, any good from this post is from Allah Subhana Wa’talaa ALONE only the mistakes have been mine.

Jazak’Allah Khairun,

Keep the Ummah in Your Du’as, (especially at the time of Iftar, for one’s Du’a at that time is accepted, Insha’Allah!)

Wasalaamulaikum Warahmatulahi Wabarkatahu, x Your Sister x