Purpose of Fasting

Aaoodhoo billahe minashaitan rajeem 

 Al-Baqarah 2:183

يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ ٱلصِّيَامُ كَمَا كُتِبَ عَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ 

O you who have believed, decreed upon you is fasting as it was decreed upon those before you that you may become righteous -

______my comments start here___

My comments today might be influenced by the "Welcome Ramadan lecture" given by Dr Farhat Hashmi day before yesterday to welcome this Ramadan 2018. This lecture is available on app "al huda live" both on android and ios. I highly recommend you to listen it. My iman has increased listening that alhamdolillah  and I will share insha Allah whatever I remember. I wish I would have remembered everything but I forget.

So this ayah is addressing to believers. And I think I am a believer. So I will listen carefully insha Allah. Next Allah says fasting is prescribed on you like it was prescribed on those before you. Subhan Allah. Our Creator knew our psychology. For human beings it is always easier to do things if we are made to realize others did it as well. Subhan Allah. And then the final thing is that Allah shared the purpose of fasting and that is to attain taqwa. 

That's a difficult goal. I realize that i try to achieve this goal every Ramadan and Subhan Allah i was able to increase our taqwa in some sense by the end of Ramadan  last yeat but then my Taqwa started to weaken after Ramadan ends. And it weakens gradually and slowly and i don't even realize Subhan Allah. Alhamdolillah I didn't die yet and i am lucky to reach Ramadan alhamdolillah. Now my job is to increase my taqwa insha Allah as much as that I can keep it increased until next Ramadan insha Allah if I am alive or if Allah makes me die before that then May Allah make me die with highest level of taqwa. Ameen. May Allah help us the highest level of taqwa in this Ramadan. Ameen.

Hearing & Sight

Aaoodhoo billahe minashaitan rajeem 

Al-Baqarah 2:20

يَكَادُ ٱلْبَرْقُ يَخْطَفُ أَبْصَٰرَهُمْۖ كُلَّمَآ أَضَآءَ لَهُم مَّشَوْا فِيهِ وَإِذَآ أَظْلَمَ عَلَيْهِمْ قَامُواۚ وَلَوْ شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ لَذَهَبَ بِسَمْعِهِمْ وَأَبْصَٰرِهِمْۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ قَدِيرٌ 

The lightning almost snatches away their sight. Every time it lights [the way] for them, they walk therein; but when darkness comes over them, they stand [still]. And if Allah had willed, He could have taken away their hearing and their sight. Indeed, Allah is over all things competent.

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Today I felt like this ayah was directly addressing me. Most of the days I feel like this ayah is addressing somebody else. May Allah save our eyesight and hearing. Ameen.

Isn't it that when situations get tough we start to loose our courage to excel in our Deen. We loose our patience and gratitude.That's the condition of people in this ayah. And that was my condition today Subhan Allah. And that's the condition of hypocrites. May Allah save us being hypocrites. Ameen. Alhamdolillah that I was reciting this ayah today and it made me realize it is talking about me today. I am back up again alhamdolillah with fear along with hope from Allah. Alhamdolillah. May Allah save our hearing and eyesight. Ameen.

Action or Just Talk

Aaoodhoo billahe minashaitan rajeem 

 Al-Baqarah 2:246

أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى ٱلْمَلَإِ مِنۢ بَنِىٓ إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ مِنۢ بَعْدِ مُوسَىٰٓ إِذْ قَالُوا لِنَبِىٍّ لَّهُمُ ٱبْعَثْ لَنَا مَلِكًا نُّقَٰتِلْ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِۖ قَالَ هَلْ عَسَيْتُمْ إِن كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ ٱلْقِتَالُ أَلَّا تُقَٰتِلُواۖ قَالُوا وَمَا لَنَآ أَلَّا نُقَٰتِلَ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ وَقَدْ أُخْرِجْنَا مِن دِيَٰرِنَا وَأَبْنَآئِنَاۖ فَلَمَّا كُتِبَ عَلَيْهِمُ ٱلْقِتَالُ تَوَلَّوْا إِلَّا قَلِيلًا مِّنْهُمْۗ وَٱللَّهُ عَلِيمٌۢ بِٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ 

Have you not considered the assembly of the Children of Israel after [the time of] Moses when they said to a prophet of theirs, "Send to us a king, and we will fight in the way of Allah "? He said, "Would you perhaps refrain from fighting if fighting was prescribed for you?" They said, "And why should we not fight in the cause of Allah when we have been driven out from our homes and from our children?" But when fighting was prescribed for them, they turned away, except for a few of them. And Allah is Knowing of the wrongdoers.

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This ayah reminds me the big promises I make to myself and big claims i make. And when time comes I start to loose courage. There is a big difference in talk and action. And I came to the conclusion that people who talk more eventually loose courage like the people mentioned in this ayah. And I noticed that people who talk less have easier time in taking action. This may be because when we talk more, we forget to ask Allah for help. May Allah make us among those who talk less and work more. Ameen. And May Allah make among those who keep their promises. Ameen.

You will not be asked what they used to do

Assalamoalaekum

I would like to share an that inspired me today. I seek forgiveness and guidance and help from Allah سبحان و تعالى

أعوذ بالله من الشيطان الرجيم

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 Al-Baqara (البقرة) / 2:134

تِلْكَ أُمَّةٌ قَدْ خَلَتْ لَهَا مَا كَسَبَتْ وَلَكُم مَّا كَسَبْتُمْ وَلَا تُسْـَٔلُونَ عَمَّا كَانُوا۟ يَعْمَلُونَ

That was a nation which has passed on. It will have [the consequence of] what it earned, and you will have what you have earned. And you will not be asked about what they used to do.

تِلْكَ This  -  أُمَّةٌ (was) a community  -  قَدْ (which)  -  خَلَتْ has passed away,  -  لَهَا for it  -  مَا what  -  كَسَبَتْ it earned  -  وَلَكُمْ and for you  -  مَا what  -  كَسَبْتُمْ you have earned.  -  وَلَا And not  -  تُسْءَلُونَ you will be asked  -  عَمَّا about what  -  كَانُوا they used to  -  يَعْمَلُونَ do.  - 

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This ayah inspires me because it makes me accountable for everything I do. This ayah appears right after the mention of Ibrahim عليه السلام And Yaqub عليه السلام and after the mention of giving of will to his sons. And mashaAllah his sons said they will worship one Allah after him.

If I am honest I am influenced by people around me, sometimes positively and sometimes negatively. And my thoughts go here and there being inspired by some, frustrated by some, wondered about some.

I am inspired by some when they are doing good deeds which I am not doing. I am frustrated by some because they cause hinderance in my work sometimes knowingly and sometimes unknowingly. I am wondering about some because I keep telling them something according to my understanding but they don't seem to understand or may be I don't see them absorbing it.

But sometimes these inspirations, frustrations and wondering take me nowhere. Because if I keep getting inspired by good people and don't take an action myself then what's the benefit.
If I keep getting frustrated by those who hinder my work then again my loss and if I keep wondering about those who don't seem to understand what I say then again my loss.

This ayah reminds me I am responsible for my own action. It reminds me good people have passed and will keep passing. For me is what I earn and for them is what they earned. And I won't be questioned about they used to do.

An exactly same ayah appears in Soorah AL Baqarah 141.

That one reminds me again, I shouldn't worry about people who seem to hinder and seem to be unresponsive to my calls. For me is what I earn and for them is what they earn. My job is convey in best possible manner.

May Allah make me beneficial for all His creations. Ameen. Oh Allah give us the ability to be grateful for the favors You bestowed upon us and our parents and help us do something that pleases You and add us with Your mercy with the righteous people. Ameen.