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First Khutbah:
Praise be to Allah Lord of worlds Who forgives sin, accepts repentance, is strict in punishment, and have a long reach (in all things). Allah, the Exalted, will continue to stretch out His Hand in the night so that the sinners of the day may repent, and continue to stretch His Hand in the daytime so that the sinners of the night may repent, and He says: Who is there turning to me in repentance so I can pardon him? Who is there seeking forgiveness from Me so I can forgive him?
Allah also says: Oh my slave, don’t be frustrated, for Dua is on your part and response is on my part, seeking forgiveness is on your part and forgiveness is on my part, and repentance is on your part and acceptance is on my part, and he who loves us will be loved back by us, he, who wronged us, will be postponed and he who turns in repentance to us will be accepted.
I testify that there is no deity but Allah Alone, and that He has no partners. Worship is only For You, to You only we turn, from You only we fear, On You only we depend, to you Only is our submission, The Authority is only the one of Your Shari'a and the Guidance is only Yours.
And I testify that Sayyidina Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, is the Messenger of Allah, he conveyed the message, fulfilled the trust, advise the Ummah, clear hardship and he strived in the cause of Allah and guided people to the path of righteousness.
O Allah, our Lord! Grant peace and blessings to Sayyidina Muhammad, upon his Family and his Companions, and his descendants, the trustees of his message and leaders of his army, and be pleased with us and them O Lord of the worlds.
O servants of Allah, I advice you and myself of fearing Allah and I encourage you to obey Him and I will begin with what is good.
As Siyam is a major ritual act of worship
Dear brothers, after few days we will receive Ramadan.
Ramadan is the month of repentance and forgiveness, obedience and good deeds, Remembrance and love, devotion and piety, nearness and intimacy. The Prophet (PBUH) said:
((May a man upon whom Ramadan enters and then passes, before he is forgiven, be humiliated. ))
Hence, in Ramadan and in all times, one should strive to go out of the darkness of ignorance and illusion to the enlightenment of knowledge and certitude, from the swamp of whims and caprices to the bliss of nearness and intimacy with the Lord, Most Gracious, and from resisting degradation to continuity of spiritual enhancement.
The following article is a modest attempt to understand the Ayat tackling the issue of the Fast in the Noble Quran. But before dealing with the wisdom and secrets of the Fast, it is necessary to have a snapshot of the essence of worship, for the Fast is one of the great ritual acts of worship.
Islam is the religion that Allah, All-Wise, accepted for His servants and the System that He, Most Merciful, chose for them. Therefore, strict observation of the rules and enjoinments of this System and devoted commitment thereto are the essence of worship, which is the ultimate goal of our existence. To this effect, Allah, Most Gracious, says:
﴾ And I (Allah) created not the jinns and humans except they should worship Me (Alone).﴿
Some acts of worship, such as truthfulness, honesty, trustworthiness, chastity, commitment to covenants and promises, seeking lawful things, and self-control are behavioral acts of worships and are, therefore, based on the establishment of good relationships with other fellow humans. Other acts of worship, such as prayer, the fast, and pilgrimage to Mecca, are ritual and are, hence, based on the establishment of good relationships with Allah, All-High, and the strife to achieve intimacy with Him and to attain divine enlightenment, guidance and tranquility from Him.
An Ayah that sums up most of the principles of Islam:
Dear brothers, correctness of ritual worships, one of which is the Fast, is based on correctness of behavioral ones. The Prophet (PBUH) said:
((Two Rak’as (of Prayer performed) by a pious person are far better than a thousand Rak’as by someone who mingles (good deeds with evil ones).))
Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (PBUH) said, "If one does not eschew lies and false conduct, Allah has no need that he should abstain from his food and his drink."
The following Quranic Ayah summarizes both kinds of worship. Allah, All-Mighty, quotes Jesus (PBUH) as saying:
﴾ And has enjoined on me Salat (prayer)﴿
This refers to the establishment of good relationships between himself and his Lord, Allah, Most Gracious
﴾ And Zakat﴿
This denotes the establishment of good relationships between himself and other fellow humans.
﴾ As long as I live."﴿
But if a Muslim carries out a Divine Command only because it conforms to his interests or because of the secrets and wisdom lurking behind it, this means that he believes in the Command rather than in the Commander. Belief should be in the Commander, and the purpose of carrying out any Divine Command should be worshiping Allah and seeking His Good Pleasure, not achieving safety and happiness in the present world.
It is enough reason for every Divine Order to be followed is that it is A Divine Order:
A true believer carries out Allah’s Command just because it is from his Creator, Who has Power over everything and Who is All-Wise and Perfect, whether the wisdom behind such a Command be obvious or not. Hence, the important thing in this regard is that the motive of obeying Allah’s Command must be only to worship and obey Him, not to gain benefits or avoid detriment. When Allah sees that one of his devout servants obeys Him, He, Most Gracious, shows him, after having fulfilled His Command, its miraculous nature, and the great wisdom and wonderful secrets lurking behind it. In this way a servant achieves his servitude to his Lord and understands the reason for His Command and the secrets and wisdom lurking behind it. Those who make fulfilling Allah’s Command conditional on understanding the wisdom behind it and seeing its fruit do not worship Allah, but, rather, worship their own selves.
Therefore, every Divine Command should be obeyed and vindicated only because it is from Allah, All-Mighty, and nothing else. In this way our Fast is elevated from a smart pragmatic behavior into a sincere act of devotion.
Allah says:
﴾ O you who believe! Observing As-Saum (the fasting) is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may become Al-Muttaqun (the pious - see V.2:2).﴿
When Allah, All-Wise, addresses all mankind, He addresses them with the basics of religion. Allah says:
﴾ O you who believe! Observing As-Saum (the fasting) is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may become Al-Muttaqun (the pious - see V.2:2).﴿
But when He addresses believers who believe in His Existence, Perfection, and Oneness, He addresses them with the branches of religion: bidding and forbidding, laws and legislations, showing what is lawful and unlawful…etc.
By virtue of the above Ayah Allah, Most Gracious, addresses His believing slaves: O you who believe in Me, who believe in My Knowledge, who believe in My Wisdom, who believe in My Mercy, and who believe in My Love! O you who love Me! I have prescribed the Fast for you.
And when an Order comes to you from the One in Whom you believe and in whose Mercy and Wisdom you trust, you are sure that such Order is definitely for your own good. But you should by no means measure this according to your limited human mind but, rather, according to your Creator’s Infinite Divine Knowledge, Wisdom, and Mercy, for Allah knows and you do not know.
Fasting is an act of worship that existed in the Divine religions before Islam:
A merciful father might sometimes say to his son: “O my son! I am your father, aren’t I? Don’t you trust in my good experience in life, my great mercy on you, and my concern about your safety and happiness? Leave this thing up to me and do not measure it by your young immature mind, your limited experience, or your short sight but by your father’s mind, experience, and love.”
The above explanation may clarify the connection between Allah’s Words and the topic we are talking about.
﴾ O you who believe! Observing As-Saum (the fasting) is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may become Al-Muttaqun (the pious - see V.2:2).﴿
In fact, the Fast is an act of abstention from food, drink, and lawful sexual intercourse, which are lawful in themselves, from dawn to sunset, with an intention of worship and obedience to Allah, Most Merciful. Therefore, it is generously rewarded by the Lord, Most Gracious. To this effect, the Divine Hadith goes:
Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "Allah the Exalted and Majestic said: 'Every act of the son of Adam is for him, except As-Siyam (the fasting) which is (exclusively) for Me, and I will reward him for it.'
In another narration:
((He, who abstain from his food, his drink and his desires, for Me.))
As for Allah’s Words
﴾As it was prescribed for those before you, that you may become Al-Muttaqun (the pious - see V.2:2).﴿
This Ayah indicates that the Fast does not differ from one time to another, for it was a cultic observance in all revealed religions before Islam. In other words it has always been Allah’s Divine System for mankind.
As for Allah’s Words
﴾That you may become Al-Muttaqun (the pious - see V.2:2).﴿
This means that you may abstain from committing sins and misdeeds and comply with obedience not only in Ramadan but also in all other months of the year.
The true meaning of Siyam:
The purpose is not that we should suppress our desires and caprices only in Ramadan, but then, after Ramadan, we yield to them. The real meaning of the Fast is to maintain such suppression at all times.
The purpose is not that we should control our tongues and keep away from slander and calumny only in Ramadan, but then, after Ramadan, we give free reign to our tongues in slander, backbiting and calumny. The real meaning of the Fast is to watch our tongues and hearts at all times.
The purpose is not that we should seek lawful things only in Ramadan, for fear that our Fast should not be accepted, but then, after Ramadan, we neglect and fail to adhere to Allah’s Laws concerning what is lawful and unlawful. The real meaning of the Fast is to stick to the Lord’s Laws and Commandments at all times.
The purpose is not that we should keep away from the places or meetings that displease Allah, All-Mighty, only for the sake of the noble month of Ramadan, but then, after Ramadan, we go back to such places or meetings.
The purpose is not that we should watch our steps with Allah in carrying out our duties and responsibilities only in the noble month of Ramadan, but then, after Ramadan, we neglect and fail to comply with Allah’s Commandments and laws, like a camel tied up and then released; it does not know why it was tied up and why it was released.
The important thing that should be perfectly understood is that Allah, the Almighty, has not chosen Ramadan to be only a month of obedience and devotion but also a school in which man learns and practices acts of obedience and tastes sweetness of nearness and intimacy with his Lord, Most Gracious.
Such obedience and intimacy go on throughout the whole year. In this way Ramadan turns out a yearly station where man is provided with spiritual enhancement and is made to enjoy feelings of nearness and intimacy with his Lord, Most Merciful.
The wisdom behind choosing
The reason for which Allah has ordered us to abstain from food, drink, and lawful sexual intercourse from dawn to sunset is that when, in compliance with Allah’s Commandment, man abstains from lawful things, he will not commit unlawful things. This is because abstention from unlawful things is more appropriate than abstention from lawful ones.
When Allah chooses a month in which man’s relationship with Allah is set right and reformed, it is meant to last throughout the whole year, for Allah is with him at all times.
When Allah chooses a place, like His Noble House, and calls believers to taste the sweetness of nearness to Him therein, He wants this nearness to be at all places, for Allah is with them at all places.
When Allah chooses someone and uncovers the truth for him, He chooses him in order to uncover the truth for people through him. Also, when Allah chooses someone in order to reveal to him His Divine Revelation and Religion, He does so in order that this Religion will be communicated to all people. This is because Allah commands believers to that which He commanded His Prophets and Messengers. To this effect, Allah, Most Gracious, says:
﴾ So stand (ask Allah to make) you (Muhammad ) firm and straight (on the religion of Islamic Monotheism) as you are commanded and those (your companions) who turn in repentance (unto Allah) with you, and transgress not (Allah's legal limits). Verily, He is All-Seer of what you do.﴿
When Allah chooses someone to make him happy forever, He does this in order that all people be happy by His Call.
To sum up, when Allah chooses a certain time, like Ramadan, a certain place like His Noble House and a certain man like Muhammad (PBUH), He does so in order that all months, places and people be like them.
Allah Almighty gives Rukhsah (An exception to a general Islamic law) for man to break his fasting when it is beyond his scope to fast:
Then, Allah, Glory to Him, goes on to say:
﴾ [Observing Saum (fasts)] for a fixed number of days,﴿
In other words, the days of the noble month of Ramadan are only a few days that Allah, Most Merciful, has chosen to consecrate for obedience, nearness and intimacy, which are meant to last throughout the whole year.
After that, Allah, Most Gracious, says:
﴾ But if any of you is ill or on a journey, the same number (should be made up) from other days.﴿
In other words, Allah, Most Merciful, does not charge man with anything that is beyond his powers or abilities; and Allah is the only One Who knows man’s powers and abilities, for He is the One Who created man with His Infinite Divine Knowledge, Wisdom, and Mercy. So, whenever there is hardship or inability there is ease and exemption. Breaking the Fast during the noble month of Ramadan, however, should be decided by an expert devout Muslim physician and in accordance with the Noble Quran and Prophetic Sunna. Travel to a distance of more than eighty kilometers exempts travelers from fasting. But in case of physical ability it is preferable to observe the Fast even in travel or illness. To this effect, Allah, Most Merciful, says,
﴾ But whoever does good of his own accord, it is better for him. And that you fast, it is better for you if only you know.﴿
This is one side of different sides of interpreting this Ayah, given Quran might indicate many meanings.
Among the fruitful outcomes of Ramadan: being guided to Allah, abiding by His Method, reaching Him and enjoying closeness to Him:
Dear believers,
﴾ But whoever does good of his own accord, it is better for him. And that you fast, it is better for you if only you know.﴿
In the context of the above Ayah, it is noticeable that Islamic Shari’a is full of mercy, interest, justice, and wisdom. Any issue that goes from mercy to cruelty, from the better to the worse, from justice to injustice, and from wisdom to its opposite, is by no means part of the Islamic Shari’a even if it is included therein by thousands of interpretations.
After that, Allah, Most Gracious, says:
﴾ (He wants that you) must complete the same number (of days), ﴿
i.e. the days of Ramadan,
﴾ And that you must magnify Allah [i.e. to say Takbir (Allahu-Akbar; Allah is the Most Great) on seeing the crescent of the months of Ramadan and Shawwal] for having guided you﴿
i.e. being rightly guided to Allah, complying with His System, seeking and enjoying nearness and intimacy with Him, are all ripe fruits of the Fast. Man’s original nature inauthors him to thank the Benefactor for his Benefactions and Favors, most important of which is the Favor of Guidance. O Lord! What can he who loses You ever find; and what can he who finds You ever lose?!
Man's Fitrah entails that man should be gratitude to Allah upon being guided to Him:
Having tasted the sweetness of nearness and intimacy with the Lord, Most Merciful, in the month of Ramadan, the faster naturally turns to his Lord with gratitude for the great Favors and Blessings of knowledge and intimacy. That is why Allah, Most Gracious, says, after the Ayat speaking about the Fast:
﴾ And when My slaves ask you (O Muhammad ) concerning Me, then (answer them), I am indeed near (to them by My Knowledge). I respond to the invocations of the supplicant when he calls on Me (without any mediator or intercessor). So let them obey Me and believe in Me, so that they may be led aright.﴿
Allah says:
﴾ And when My slaves ask you (O Muhammad )﴿
In the above Ayah Allah, Glory to Him, confirms that after having been guided to Allah, man’s pure nature drives him, to turn to Him with gratitude and devotion.
﴾ When comes the Help of Allah (to you, O Muhammad against your enemies) and the conquest (of Makkah),﴿
And He says:
﴾ If a rebellious evil person comes to you with a news, verify it, ﴿
Using "If" means that the rebellious evil person might come and might not, however using "when" means that the victory from Allah will come for sure, thus there is a big difference between "if" and "when", Allah says:
﴾ And when My slaves ask you (O Muhammad ) concerning Me,﴿
﴾I am indeed near (to them by My Knowledge).﴿
The truth of Tawheed:
In other words, Knowledge of Allah, Most Gracious, gaining His Love and being on intimate terms with Him motivate one to turn to Him, Alone, with gratitude, prayer and supplication. Such is the reality of Monotheism and the essence of Islam as well as all revealed religions.
It was narrated from Abu Hurairah that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said:
There are three whose supplications are not turned back: A just ruler, and a fasting person until he breaks his fast. And, the supplication of one who has been wronged is raised by Allah up to the clouds on the Day of Resurrection, and the gates of heaven are opened for it, and Allah says, ‘By My Might I will help you (against the wrongdoer) even if it is after a while.’”
If we contemplate the Quranic Ayat and the questions therein, we find that the answer to each of the questions starts with the word “Say”, like, for example:
﴾ And they ask you what they ought to spend. Say: "That which is beyond your needs."﴿
Allah also says:
﴾ And they ask you concerning the mountains, say; "My Lord will blast them and scatter them as particles of dust.﴿
Except for the following Ayah:
﴾ And when My slaves ask you (O Muhammad ) concerning Me, I am indeed near (to them by My Knowledge).﴿
Where the word “Say” is not mentioned between the question and answer. Therefore, scholars said: the absence of the word “Say” from this Ayah is an indication from Allah to His believing servants that there is no need for any mediation between man and his Lord, Most Gracious, when he desires to ask and supplicate Him.
﴾ So stand (ask Allah to make) you (Muhammad ) firm and straight (on the religion of Islamic Monotheism) as you are commanded and those (your companions) who turn in repentance (unto Allah) with you, and transgress not (Allah's legal limits). Verily, He is All-Seer of what you do.﴿
Abeed is the plural of Abd (enslaved to Allah by compulsion), whereas Ibad is the plural of Abd (enslaved to Allah by being gratitude to Him):
One day, the Prophet (PBUH) was asked:
“O Messenger of Allah! Is our Lord near so that we Call him quietly? Or is he far so that we Call Him loudly?”
Therefore the following Ayah was revealed:
﴾ And when My slaves ask you (O Muhammad ) concerning Me, I am indeed near (to them by My Knowledge).﴿
The word “Ibad”, as used in the above Ayah, is different from “Abeed” for all human beings are “Abeed” to Allah in the sense that they are in need of Him for their existence, survival, and everything; and they are subjugated to Him. But the word “Ibad” denotes those who have known Him, complied with His Religion, and sought His Good Pleasure out of their own will and choice. Hence, the word “Abd” whose plural is “Abeed” means “a servant by subjugation”, but the word “Abd” whose plural is “Ibad” means “a servant of gratitude”. Allah says:
﴾ And your Lord is not at all unjust to (His) slaves.﴿
Therefore, when Allah says:
﴾ And when My slaves ask you (O Muhammad ) concerning Me, I am indeed near (to them by My Knowledge).﴿
He means His “servants of gratitude” who have known Him, complied with His Religion, and acknowledged His Favors and Blessings upon them.
Now, the question is: Why does Allah say:
﴾ I am indeed near (to them by My Knowledge).﴿
In fact He says so in order that a believer feels that Allah is with him at all times and places, and in all situations. All he has to do is invoke Him faithfully and sincerely; and Allah will surely respond to his invocation. But due to weakness of faith some people call upon other than Allah for help or the fulfillment of desirable things. That is why Allah says:
﴾ If you invoke (or call upon) them, they hear not your call, and if (in case) they were to hear, they could not grant it (your request) to you. And on the Day of Resurrection, they will disown your worshipping them. And none can inform you (O Muhammad ) like Him Who is the All-Knower (of each and everything).﴿
The believer's share of his supplication is either it will be answered or it will be considered as an act of worship:
Another question is: Why does not Allah, sometimes, respond to those who invoke Him? The Prophet (PBUH) answered this question when he said:
((The prophet PBUH mentioned [the case] of a man who, having journeyed far, is disheveled and dusty, and who spreads out his hands to the sky saying “O Lord! O Lord!,” while his food is haram (unlawful), his drink is haram, his clothing is haram, and he has been nourished with haram, so how can [his supplication] be answered?))
Allah, Most Gracious, says:
﴾ And when My slaves ask you (O Muhammad ) concerning Me, then (answer them), I am indeed near (to them by My Knowledge). I respond to the invocations of the supplicant when he calls on Me (without any mediator or intercessor). So let them obey Me and believe in Me, so that they may be led aright.﴿
﴾And believe in Me,﴿
In other words, when you believe in Allah and comply with His Commands, He will respond to your supplication.
﴾So that they may be led aright.﴿
Hopefully they will be guided to an accepted invocation or happiness and prosperity in the present world and the Hereafter
When an invocation is rejected or not answered, this is due either to the supplicant’s corruption and deviation from Allah’s Religion or to the fact that it is not merciful or wise to be answered. However, whether answered or not, a believer’s invocation symbolizes an act of devotion and worship on his part. To this effect, the Prophet (PBUH) says:
“Invocation is worship”
And Allah, All-Mighty, says:
﴾ And your Lord said: "Invoke Me, [i.e. believe in My Oneness (Islamic Monotheism)] (and ask Me for anything) I will respond to your (invocation). Verily! Those who scorn My worship [i.e. do not invoke Me, and do not believe in My Oneness, (Islamic Monotheism)] they will surely enter Hell in humiliation!"﴿
Second Khutbah
Benefits of dates:
Scholars said: the Fast lessens the burdens on man’s heart and blood vessels, for it minimizes the fat and acidity in the blood and, hence, protects from arteriosclerosis. And physicians hold that man’s life expectancy is in positive proportion to that of his arteries. The Fast also eases the kidneys and the excretory apparatus, as the outcomes of metabolism are minimized, and, consequently, it protects from arthritis. Also, it causes the sugar of the liver to move, which makes the fat stored under the skin and protein of muscles move, too. Hence, the Fast of Ramadan is considered by physicians as an annual course of protection against lots of diseases. Moreover, it is considered as a remedial course for some diseases; and it protects from diseases of senility, which is caused by over-use of organs of the body.
From the above-mentioned it may be said that, besides its being an act of worship and devotion, the Fast provides the human body with protection, remedy, and good health.
Anas bin Malik narrated: "The Messenger of Allah would break the fast with fresh dates before performing Salat. If there were no fresh dates then (he would break the fast) with dried dates, and if there were no dried dates then he would take a few sips of water."
Salman bin 'Amir (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: I heard the Prophet (PBUH) saying, "When one of you breaks his Saum (fasting), let him break it on dates; if he does not have any, break his fast with water for it is pure."
[At Tirmizi and Abu Dawood on the authority of Salman bin 'Amer]
The above two Prophetic Hadiths provide evidence of the Prophethood of Muhammad (PBUH)
The wisdom behind eating dates in Ramadan:
Scientists hold that 75% of the dates, which a faster eats, consist of easily digested mono-sugar that is assimilated by the body in less than ten minutes, giving the faster the feeling that he is not so hungry and causes him to eat moderately after having performed the Maghrib (Sunset) prayer.
Fatty and protein foods, however, need more than three hours to be digested and assimilated by the body. So when man eats more fatty food, he will not feel satisfied but rather full; and there is a great difference between feeling satisfied and feeling full but not satisfied. Therefore, the Prophet (PBUH) used to break his fast by some dates and then perform the sunset prayer. After that, he would sit down to eat. And whosoever fails to follow the Prophet’s Tradition in breaking the Fast loses a lot of the good benefits of the Fast.
Dates consist of mono-sugars, which are the fastest ones in terms of digestion and assimilation in the human body. This is because the sugar of dates moves from the mouth to the blood in less than ten minutes. Dates also contain cellulose fibers which have marvelous effects on digestion and in protecting intestines from fatal diseases. They also contain proteins, which repair tissues, and a small amount of fats. They contain five kinds of principal vitamins and eight kinds of minerals. Five grams of dates contain from one half to one fifth of the body’s need from minerals. They contain 12 amino acids, as well as constrictive and coloring materials.
Moreover, dates protect from constipation, which causes more than fifteen diseases, and have positive effects in protecting from anemia, and hypertension. They help in healing fractures and are laxative and soothing. They are also non-contaminated.
It is also advisable, even one is not fasting, to begin breakfast with some fruit, if available, as it contains mono-sugars, before eating heavy food which contains fatty matters that are difficult to digest. This can be deduced from Allah’s Words
﴾ And fruit; that they may choose. And the flesh of fowls that they desire.﴿
