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» Fast – So that you may attain piety - By Shaykh Ashraf Salah
Fast – So that you may attain piety - By Shaykh Ashraf Salah
Fast
– So that you may attain piety
By Shaykh Ashraf Salah
Dear Muslims: Piety, O Muslims, is a great treasure and beloved to us. It is the
treasure of the Dunyah, (this life) and of the life to come. For Allah (SWT)
says which translates as: “Take provisions for your journey, but the best
provision is Taqwa, or piety and righteousness” (Al-Baqarah: 197). Allah (SWT)
made having Taqwa a condition of acceptance of deeds when he says which
translates as: “Verily Allah accepts only from those who are Muttaqeen, or
pious and righteous” (Al-Ma’idah: 27).
We are promised forgiveness and reward for
having Taqwa because Allah (SWT) says which translates as: “Whoever fears Allah
(i.e. has Taqwa) and keeps his duty to him, He will expiate from him his sins,
and will enlarge his reward” (At-Talaq:
5).
The people of Taqwa - piety and
righteousness are the people of high rank in the Hereafter as well as in this
life. For Allah (SWT) says which translates as: “That home of the Hereafter
(i.e. Paradise ), We shall assign to those who
do not rebel against the truth with pride and oppression in the land nor do
mischief by committing crimes. And the good end is for the Muttaqeen: [i.e. pious
and righteous persons who fear Allah much (abstain from all kind of sins and
evil deeds which he has forbidden), and love Allah much (performs all kinds of
good deeds which He has ordained)]” (Al-Qasas: 83).
Dear
Brothers And Sisters In Islam: Ramadan is a month in that Allah (SWT) has
made obligatory upon us to fast so that we might become righteous, pious,
fearful and conscious of Allah.
The objective of fasting is to enhance the
state of our piety. Piety in ourselves is represented by our fear of Allah,
working in accordance with His revelation and being satisfied with whatever
little he provides – as well as our preparation for the day of departure.
The particular type of piety that we should
try to gain in Ramadan is the very sensitive type. The fasting person can only
acquire this, because he gives up what he desires to avoid that which he is
fearful of, (which is the punishment of Allah (SWT)).
Even though following all obligations and
commandments and avoiding all prohibited matters in Islam lead to the state of
piety and Taqwa, fasting has an extra special relationship between itself and
Taqwa.
Dear Muslims: We as human beings are at the mercy of our limbs, such as our eyes,
ears, hands, tongues, stomachs and the private parts. The heart is the
commander and controller of all of these. The heart ‘fasts’ when it directs its
worship and service completely and purely for the sake of Allah (SWT). It does
this by submitting to His Glory, seeking closeness to Him, addressing and
approaching Him and supplicating to Him.
A heart is purified from associating others
with Allah (SWT) by staying away from innovation and sin. A pious heart sees
desire, lust, oppression, evil, hatred, envy and taking part in disputed
arguments to be diseases that are fatal. These destroy individuals and ruin
nations. A pious heart will shun these evil things, it’s fasting will not allow
it to indulge in them.
A fasting heart draws closer to Allah by
obedience and humble submission to Allah (SWT). It fully admits the responsibility
of performing all the obligations of Islam as well as refraining from all the
acts prohibited by Allah (SWT). This type of heart sincerely worships Allah
(SWT) alone. Lusts and desires do not distract it nor does greed divert it.
This is a strong and pious heart whose fasting, prayer and all other actions
are purely for the sake Allah (SWT). In fact, the whole of its life and death
are for Him.
Dear Muslims: The Prophet (PBUH) said, as recorded by Al-Bukhari and Muslim: “He
who fasts the month of Ramadan out of sincere belief and seeking the reward of
its fasting, will be forgiven for all the sins he has committed prior to it”.
Allah (SWT) has ordained fasting to purify
us and distinguish between the pious and the impious. He, who starts his day
abstaining from food and drinks with his objective being the pleasure of his
beloved, - Allah, gets the reward of:
“Fasting is for me and I shall reward it”. This was narrated by the Prophet
(PBUH) that Allah (SWT) said this regarding the fasting person (Sahih
Al-Bukhari and Muslim)
Dear Muslims: Make this month of Ramadan a month of piety. It is a great season
for accountability. It is a wide-open field for competition (in doing good
deeds) and a month in which souls are purified and hearts draw closer to their
Creator.
The gates of paradise are open and the
gates of hellfire are sealed. The devils get chained up during this month.
Therefore, there are many new opportunities to perform good deeds – and the
rewards for them are multiplied. Mercy, forgiveness and protection from the
hellfire are the rewards for these actions. Provision is the reward of having
Taqwa and there is an opportunity this month to smell - the smell of Jannah and
get exposed to the season of mercy from Allah.
Those who fast and have Taqwa are those who
are always alternating between prayer, recitation of the Qur’an, remembrance of
Allah, keeping good relationships with their relatives and being kind to others
– this is whilst they continue in their everyday work and other duties.
I urge all you righteous people who are
fasting to search amongst your relatives and neighbours for the poor and needy
amongst them. Search also for the strangers amongst your brothers, be good to
them and make them happy - ask them to share your provisions. Remember the
hunger and thirst of your poor fellow Muslims, remember the tears of the
miserable ones and the situation of those who have no dwellings, remember too
the loneliness of those who are away from their families. Supplicate for them in
the month of piety and accountability.
May Allah (SWT) bless, guide and forgive us all (Ameen).
