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.

Migration

Aaoodhoo billahe minashaitan rajeem 

An-Nisa' 4:72

وَإِنَّ مِنكُمْ لَمَن لَّيُبَطِّئَنَّ فَإِنْ أَصَٰبَتْكُم مُّصِيبَةٌ قَالَ قَدْ أَنْعَمَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَىَّ إِذْ لَمْ أَكُن مَّعَهُمْ شَهِيدًا 

And indeed, there is among you he who lingers behind; and if disaster strikes you, he says, " Allah has favored me in that I was not present with them."

I feel that I need to migrate. Because with continuous reading of Quran, I realized that there is great reward in migration. I also realize that migration doesn't mean migrating from one country to another but it is also the intention to leave the bad. That's what hijr means. First time I hear hijr has a different meaning than migration from one country to other, I was really surprised and didn't believe on second definition. I thought first kind of migration is harder than the second kind of migration but it is actually second kind of migration that is harder because that is right against soul and that is always harder. And it gets even harder when the affliction strikes and someone like the one in this ayah say oh Allah favored me while I didn't do what this person who is struck with affliction did. Subhan Allah. May Allah save us from the people like that. Ameen.  And May Allah strengthen our iman  that when we migrate either physically or spiritually, and we encounter people like these, we don't get weak. Ameen.

Musa and Pharoah's Magicians

Aaoodhoo billahe minashaitan rajeem 

Ta Ha 20:71

قَالَ ءَامَنتُمْ لَهُ‌و قَبْلَ أَنْ ءَاذَنَ لَكُمْۖ إِنَّهُ‌و لَكَبِيرُكُمُ ٱلَّذِى عَلَّمَكُمُ ٱلسِّحْرَۖ فَلَأُقَطِّعَنَّ أَيْدِيَكُمْ وَأَرْجُلَكُم مِّنْ خِلَٰفٍ وَلَأُصَلِّبَنَّكُمْ فِى جُذُوعِ ٱلنَّخْلِ وَلَتَعْلَمُنَّ أَيُّنَآ أَشَدُّ عَذَابًا وَأَبْقَىٰ 

[Pharaoh] said, "You believed him before I gave you permission. Indeed, he is your leader who has taught you magic. So I will surely cut off your hands and your feet on opposite sides, and I will crucify you on the trunks of palm trees, and you will surely know which of us is more severe in [giving] punishment and more enduring."

Ta Ha 20:72

قَالُوا لَن نُّؤْثِرَكَ عَلَىٰ مَا جَآءَنَا مِنَ ٱلْبَيِّنَٰتِ وَٱلَّذِى فَطَرَنَاۖ فَٱقْضِ مَآ أَنتَ قَاضٍۖ إِنَّمَا تَقْضِى هَٰذِهِ ٱلْحَيَوٰةَ ٱلدُّنْيَآ 

They said, "Never will we prefer you over what has come to us of clear proofs and [over] He who created us. So decree whatever you are to decree. You can only decree for this worldly life.

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Subhan Allah. This story of magicians and Pharoah thrills me. Magicians brought their magic but were made to realize by Allah that Allah is the ultimate Truth. Allah o Akbar. Now after they believed they are tried hard by firon. Very big threat! If somebody tells me I will cut your hands and legs from opposites and crucify you on trunks of palm trees I don't know what will be the condition of my iman. But these magicians said "We will never prefer you over clear proofs and the one who created us." 

Subhan Allah. May Allah keep our iman strengthened. Ameen.

He Whom Allah Guides is the Guided

Aaoodhoo billahe minashaitan rajeem 

Al-Kahf 18:17

وَتَرَى ٱلشَّمْسَ إِذَا طَلَعَت تَّزَٰوَرُ عَن كَهْفِهِمْ ذَاتَ ٱلْيَمِينِ وَإِذَا غَرَبَت تَّقْرِضُهُمْ ذَاتَ ٱلشِّمَالِ وَهُمْ فِى فَجْوَةٍ مِّنْهُۚ ذَٰلِكَ مِنْ ءَايَٰتِ ٱللَّهِۗ مَن يَهْدِ ٱللَّهُ فَهُوَ ٱلْمُهْتَدِۖ وَمَن يُضْلِلْ فَلَن تَجِدَ لَهُ‌و وَلِيًّا مُّرْشِدًا 

And [had you been present], you would see the sun when it rose, inclining away from their cave on the right, and when it set, passing away from them on the left, while they were [laying] within an open space thereof. That was from the signs of Allah . He whom Allah guides is the [rightly] guided, but he whom He leaves astray -  never will you find for him a protecting guide.

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Allah o Akbar. This ayah is a sign of Allah. Allah is telling how He controlled the sun so that it just gives the benefit to those young boys of faith. Everybody knows sunlight is necessary for our well being and we also know that extra amount of sunlight or sunlight at particular times of day can be harmful for us. But for those young adult Allah controlled the sun to give them the benefit only and to save them from harm. Subhan Allah. Why did Allah did such a big thing for those boys? Because they believed and stood up for truth. Allah o Akbar. And they were young. When we are young, it is most hard time to truly believe and to stand up for truth. Most of the people start to believe in middle age including me on top of the list. In youth it is easy to get distracted. But they didn't. I lost my youth doing that. Subhan Allah. But even now if I truly believe, i have assurance through this ayah that Allah can make things easy for me by controlling His creation, like He controlled the sun for them. Subhan Allah. May Allah make us believe. Ameen.

Signs of True Believers and their rewards

اعوذ بالله من الشيطن الرجيم

Surah 8. Al-Anfal, Verse 2:

إِنَّمَا الْمُؤْمِنُونَ الَّذِينَ إِذَا ذُكِرَ اللَّهُ وَجِلَتْ قُلُوبُهُمْ وَإِذَا تُلِيَتْ عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتُهُ زَادَتْهُمْ إِيمَانًا وَعَلَىٰ رَبِّهِمْ يَتَوَكَّلُونَ

Translation:

The believers are only those who, when Allah is mentioned, feel a fear in their hearts and when His Verses (this Quran) are recited unto them, they (i.e. the Verses) increase their Faith; and they put their trust in their Lord (Alone);

Surah 8. Al-Anfal, Verse 3:

الَّذِينَ يُقِيمُونَ الصَّلَاةَ وَمِمَّا رَزَقْنَاهُمْ يُنفِقُونَ

Translation:

Who perform As-Salat (Iqamat-as-Salat) and spend out of that We have provided them.

Surah 8. Al-Anfal, Verse 4:

أُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ حَقًّا لَّهُمْ دَرَجَاتٌ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ وَمَغْفِرَةٌ وَرِزْقٌ كَرِيمٌ

Translation:

It is they who are the believers in truth. For them are grades of dignity with their Lord, and Forgiveness and a generous provision (Paradise).