KEEPING THE SPIRIT OF RAMADĀAN ALIVE

Keeping the spirit of Ramadāan alive

Eid Message from Hazrat Maulana Yunus Patel Saheb (daamat barakaatuhum)

In a world, which has become rather strange and peculiar, we find in the quest for peace, nations of the world are waging wars of devastation and destruction against each other. World governments look towards war as the solution for peace. Greed and selfishness are considered as the key to the success of man. In the clamour for justice, injustice towers over and above, in all its ugliness. Instead of peace, freedom, success and justice, man finds himself shackled under the yoke of more and more tribulations.

Despite billions of dollars being expended for all types of sophisticated technology to establish law and order, and eliminate crimes of theft, murder, bribery, corruption, rape, fraud, hijackings and so forth, crime has not been eradicated, nor reduced by any percentage; rather there has been and there is a daily escalation in all criminal offences.

Frequent get-togethers of the so-called master minds of the world, summit conferences and high level discussions have all failed to provide a solution to the economic, political, cultural and social problems of man.

Man is a created being and only Divine guidance can solve his problems. The reality is clear: The heavy arm of the law on its own, just legislation, the imposition of fines and jail sentences, cannot and will not solve problems that face mankind. The only sure deterrent to crimes of all kinds, is firm conviction and belief in our Creator, a life hereafter and a day of judgement, where complete justice will be meted out. These are long term solutions, and solutions that were proven to give the best results and create the best societies on the face of the earth.

The obligation of fasting in the month of Ramadaan for the Believers, men and women, who are sane and healthy, is a clear message to mankind that unrestricted indulgence in fulfilling the desires of one’s base or animal self has to be curbed for some time, to give an upliftment to one’s spiritual self. The object of fasting, as described in the Holy Qur’aan, is “so that you may guard against evil.”

During the auspicious month of Ramadan, a fasting person abstains from food, drink and sexual relations from dawn until sunset, in obedience to the command of his creator. The month is a training whereby the Believer’s trait of God-conscious is nurtured. Even though he may be in place of total privacy and seclusion, on the hottest day of the year, he does not submit to the temptation of sipping even a few drops of water for he is convinced that he cannot evade the sight of the All-Observing Almighty.

If the spirit of fasting were to become a reality in the society of Muslims who have observed the fasts of Ramadaan and has advanced our piety, then mankind would see a society in which every person becomes the guardian of the respect, honour, property and possessions of others; a society in which the needy, the poor, the destitute, and the under-privileged are taken cared for; a society in which honesty, chastity, nobility, kindness, compassion, mercy and forgiveness shine forth like the midday sun; a society in which no harm is caused to any human or animal without a just reason; and a society in which material progress does not bring about a moral collapse.

Eidul Fitr signifies the end of this fasting period and is a day of joy and thanksgiving, but despite being a day of celebration, the day commences with an additional prayer after sunrise, reminding the believers that the object of fasting must be fully borne in mind even after Ramadan. A believer must be aware of the fact that he was made to observe the fast to become God-conscious, pious and self-restraining. His natural inclinations to eating, drinking and fulfilling his sexual passions were curbed for a month from dawn to sunset – the willpower to abstain from all evil and totally submit himself to the will of the Creator should now be easy for the months to follow.

Ramadaan was a golden opportunity for the Muslim community to bring about a total transformation in all spheres of their lives. Eid and the days to follow are opportunities to demonstrate the moral upliftment and spiritual elevation gained through fasting by showing compassion, mercy and kindness towards the creation of the Almighty.

Whilst conveying to the Muslim community best wishes for a Happy Eid, I make a humble appeal to every Muslim brother and sister to keep the spirit of fasting alive – Let obedience of Allah Ta’ala shine forth from this day forward. Let the rest of mankind observe the effect that fasting has in changing the outlook of a believing Muslim. Let the world observe a community free from all sins, crime and vice and let us be an example which is worthy of emulation and of others accepting Islam.

The True Wealth of Madina Munawwarah

by Hazrat Maulana Yunus Patel Saheb (rahmatullah alayh)

My respected Shaikh, Hazrat Maulana Hakeem Muhammad Akhtar Saheb (Daamat Barakaatuhum), has mentioned, in his poetry, that our value is dependent on our Nisbat with Madina Munawwarah.

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When anything is purchased and brought from Madina Munawwarah, then a lover of Nabi (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) will naturally appreciate and value it – no matter how small or how cheap. Why ? …Because it has a connection with the city of the Beloved (sallallahu alayhi wasallam). It has been touched by the air of Madina Sharief, or it has been produced from the blessed land of Madina Sharief – and this is what has made it special.

The residents of Madina Sharief are the neighbours of Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) and they are the envy of the heavens, because they have such extreme physical closeness to Nabi (sallallahu alayhi wasallam). They are the envy of all of us as well – for we too desire the honour of being in such proximity to Nabi (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) at all times.

Allah Ta’ala, in His infinite Mercy and Grace, does not want to deprive anyone of us of this blessing of being close to Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam), so He has given us a simple recourse to always being near to our Beloved Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam). This nearness is attained via our nisbat (connection) with the ‘A`maal’ of Madina Munawwarah – i.e. the Sunnah (way of life) of Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam). Our value, in the sight of Allah Ta’ala, is dependent on our relationship with His beloved Rasul (sallallahu alayhi wasallam).

Allah Ta’ala has informed us of this in the Qur`aan Sharief :

“Say [O Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi wasallam)]: If you do love Allah, follow me. Allah shall love you and forgive you your sins; And Allah is Most-Forgiving, Very-Merciful.” [Surah Aal-Imraan 3 : 31]

And my Shaykh has presented the same message is poetry form :

“The footprints of the Beloved of Allah,
Nabi Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi wasallam),
is the road to Jannat;
The Sunnats of Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam)
connect one with Allah Ta’ala.”

It is a misconception that a person’s repeated performance of Haj and Umrah and repeated visits to Madina Munawwarah is to be taken as the yardstick of piety. The yardstick of piety is not how many umrahs or Haj, a person has made.

The present day scenario is saddening to say the least, since Umrah and Haj have become a holiday, a shopping spree, and a “tour” for the majority. …The deficit is in “sincerity of intention”. As has been said, the visitors are many, but the pilgrims are scarce.

For many, these trips are now for business and trade. And for others, each trip is another “feather” in their caps – which must be made known and announced to the world. There are those that boast of their yearly trips, whether for Haj or ‘Umra, or both, updating us on the number of visits they make to Makkah Mukarramah and Madina Munawwarah. We have heard people say : “I have made Umrah for the past 20 or 30 years and have never missed out one.” …Yet, the reality is that we cannot count our umrahs and haj. We cannot say how many have been performed, because we do not know how many have been accepted. Those umrahs and Haj that are accepted are the only ones that we can count. And we will only come to know of their acceptance on the Day of Judgement.

Despite the frequent visits to the Haramayn Sharifayn, there is generally not much improvement in our spirituality. If we have not brought a reformation in our lifestyles : If we have not fulfilled the rights of people, if we have not returned to people that which is their due, if we have not asked forgiveness from those whom we have wronged, if we are not punctual with Salaah, and if our zaahir (external condition) and our baatin (internal condition) does not reflect the purity and spirituality that come with visits to the Haramayn Sharifayn, then we should truly be concerned as to the quality and acceptance of our Haj and Umrah.

I have mentioned many times that the “maal” (wealth/material goods) of Madina Munawwarah is not what is available in its market places, bazaars and shopping complexes. Unfortunately, when we visit Madina Munawwarah, then more often than not, the objective is the “maal” of Madina Sharief.

The majority of those visiting Madina Munawwarah forget the purpose of their visit once their gazes fall on the commercial centres of Madina Sharief. Many who do know about the material commodities being sold, plan in advance – that there will be an exchange or purchase of gold, there will be this commodity and that commodity bought. …Whilst in Madina Sharief, the talk is the latest technology, the cellphones, the best gold shops, cloak shops, and so forth.

The intention and pursuit becomes the “maal” of Madina and not the ‘a`maal’ of Madina Munawwarah. And this is how our stay of 7 or 8 days passes : “mauled by the malls” . Our imaan, our love for Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam), our time, our energy, our money are “mauled” in the obsession we have of shopping. We forget, and sometimes we do not even care to give any kind of attention or express any kind of appreciation to our host, Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) because we are so caught up in material purchases.

Instead of filling up the pockets of our hearts with the wealth of Love for Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) and with the wealth of his noble characteristics, we fill up suitcases and suitcases – many a time, even purchasing more suitcases – for filling up the material commodoties of Madina Sharief.

I am not saying that it is Haraam to shop there. It will be meritorious if a person makes purchases with the intention to support the businessmen and traders of Madina Munawwarah. The Hadith also makes mention that when we are on a journey, we should make some effort to bring back gifts for our families no matter how small or how cheap –because there is always an expectation from those who remain behind, at home, that the person on a journey will remember his loved ones and bring back something for them – but this should not be misconstrued. Shopping is not meant to be the “be all and end all” – especially of our visit to the Haramayn Sharifayn. The person should purchase a few gift items a day or two before departure. And the gifts that we should be appreciating most are the duas of the Haramayn Sharifayn, Salaam at the Raudha Mubarak, the Zam Zam of Makkah Mukarramah and the Kajur (dates) of Madina Munawwarah.

Almost everything else is made in China, Taiwan and Japan and can be purchased anywhere else in the world, including our own country, or city or town. However, the Haramayn Sharifayn offer a different “market” where such spiritual bounties are obtained, which cannot be obtained anywhere else in the world.

The true lovers of Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) make this trip to fill their hearts and lives with the ‘A`maal’ of Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) – with his beautiful seerat and soorat, with his kindness, forgiveness, mercy, compassion, generosity, abstinence and the treasure trove that we know of his noble life.

The visit should be purely to visit Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam), to make Salaam to our Beloved Nabi (sallallahu alayhi wasallam), to spend time in his Mubarak city and glean from our visit, those virtues, those qualities that will be the medium of bonding with him and being the means of our own value increasing in the sight of Allah Ta’ala.

If all the visitors to Madina Sharief were to return home with the true “maal” and wealth of Madina Sharief – i.e. the akhlaaq (character) and a`maal of Nabi (sallallahu alayhi wasallam), then the value of the entire Ummah will increase.

The Sahabah were the “stars” of mankind – guides and leaders for all nations and people. They had to thus make the great sacrifice of leaving Madina Sharief to spread the religion of Islam. Despite them being distanced from their beloved Madina Sharief, they traveled with the “nisbat” of Madina Sharief. This was the key to their success. Wherever they went, there was progress and success.

On the other hand, we put price tags on ourselves by looking at our material possessions. What are material possessions ? …Fanaa (annihilation and destruction) will come over them.

Let us introspect and consider our value in the light of the nisbat that we have with Madina Sharief. …The reality is that we have discarded our nisbat with Madina Sharief, and as such our value has decreased. Today, the Ummah as a whole is being sold very cheaply in the markets of the kuffaar. This is our own doing and downfall.

If we have to re-connect with the way of life, the actions and characteristics of Nabi (sallallahu alayhi wasallam), then most definitely, we will fetch a high price in Allah Ta’ala’s esteem, and we will be successful in both worlds.

RAMADAAN

Will the Masaajid which were filled on most nights in Ramadaan remain the same or will they become empty, wondering where the faithful have gone? Our life-styles after Ramadaan will show whether we used the month to bring about a total reformation within ourselves or whether we wasted the valuable opportunity.

The National and international position of the Muslim communities is something we are all acquainted with. Muslims are lamenting the loss of lives, destruction of property, oppression, tyranny, injustice and a host of other problems afflicting the Muslims all over the world. They are questioning as to why the promised help of Allah Ta’ala, to the Believers, is nowhere in sight. …However, just one glance into the lifestyles of the overwhelming majority of the Muslims is sufficient to answer the question. Millions of Muslims do not have much to their credit besides Muslim names.

Allah Ta’ala’s help comes with ‘aml’ (action) and true Islamic qualities; not with names or faces – or whether Arab or non-Arab, African or European, Chinese or Indian. On the other hand every group, organization, society or individual who talks Islam, seems to have got its own brand of Islam. The Islamic teachings which were left behind for us, crystal clear and pristine pure, have become so adulterated with foreign customs, alien practices and un-Islamic ideologies, that a new Muslim has to make an effort to search for the Qur’aan and Sunnah brand of Islam or remain confused and ignorant.

May Allah Ta’ala give us the guidance to resolve that we shall make the Qur’aan and Sunnah our guiding lights and practise Islam as much as possible. If the non-Muslim inhabitants of our country see Islam in the lives of Muslims, they will not require much persuasion to accept our beautiful Deen.