- Ramadan Lectures
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- Muslim Nation Reform/1427H
Dear brother, this is a new lesson of " Awakening the (Islamic) nation is in being full of great vigor" and today's subject is the remembrance of Allah the Almighty.
We are ordered in the Qur'an to remember Allah a lot
Allah the Almighty says:"O you who believe! Remember Allah with much remembrance."
This is a Divine Command, and each command in the Noble Quran implies obligation, as Islam is not only related to the performance of the acts of worship only, but each command in the Noble Qur'an and in the authentic Ahadith should be applied as well. Allah the Almighty says:"O you who believe! Remember Allah with much remembrance."
The hypocrites remember Allah a little:
Actually, the hypocrites remember Allah the Almighty, but they do not do that but little, Allah the Almighty says:"And they do not remember Allah but little."
So, the Divine Command in that Noble Ayah is not only related to remembering Allah, but to remember Him with much remembrance. It was narrated that the Prophet PBUH said:((He proves himself being free of hypocrisy who remembers Allah a lot )).
((He proves himself being free of stinginess who pays Zakah))
((He proves himself being free of haughtiness who carries his need by his hand)).
Remembering Allah is the best act of worship
Dear brother, each act of worship has its own properties, for example, as for Salah (Prayers) you should perform wudu (ablution), you should face the direction of the Ka'bah, you start your Salah with Takbirat Al-Ihram, and end it with Taslim (the concluding portion of the Muslim Salah, where one reauthors "Peace and blessings of Allah be upon you"). While as for Saum (fasting), you should avoid eating, drinking and other things which break your fast from the true dawn until sunset. As for hajj, it is performed in specific places and at specific times. However, remembering Allah the Almighty is the greatest act of worship, and there is no other act of worship that you can perform in any place, at any time, in any situation, and in any condition like the remembrance of Allah the Almighty. At-Tirmidhi reported that Abu Al-Darda, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated that the Prophet PBUH said:"Shall I inform you of the best of your actions which are the purest to your Rubb, which exalt you to the high ranks, which are more efficacious than spending gold and silver (in charity), and better for you than you should encounter your enemies whom you will smite their necks and they will smite your necks?'' They said, "Certainly.'' He (PBUH) said, "the Remembrance of Allah the Exalted.''
So, the remembrance of Allah has many forms, to the extent that you can perform it by thousand acts, such as reciting the Noble Qur'an, contemplating over the creation of the heavens and the earth, performing Salah, and so on. So, when you do these acts, you are considered as one of those who remember Allah with much remembrance. Allah the Almighty says:"And perform As-Salat (Iqamat-as-Salat) for My Remembrance."
So, any act of worship which you perform in order to get closer to Allah is considered as an act of remembrance of Him. For example, if you read an Islamic book, if you enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong, and if you attract people's attention to one of Allah's Signs, you are remembering Allah the Almighty. So there is no other act of worship which encompasses all time, places, situations, people, and forms like the remembrance of Allah the Almighty. Hence, this act of worship has innumerable forms, as any act of getting closer to the Divine Essence is considered as a form of remembering Allah, even when you read a book of Fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence) for the purpose of learning an Islamic law, this is considered as a form of remembering Allah. Hence, there is no other act of worship which can be performed anywhere, any times, in many forms and in many situations like the remembrance of Allah the Almighty. Furthermore, it is one of the most sublime acts of worship, Allah the Almighty says:"And perform As-Salat (Iqamat-as-Salat) for My Remembrance."
Allah the Almighty says:"Therefore remember Me (by praying, glorifying, etc.). I will remember you"
Also, He says:"Verily, As-Salat (the prayer) prevents from Al-Fahsha' (i.e. great sins of every kind, unlawful sexual intercourse, etc.) and Al-Munkar (i.e. disbelief, polytheism, and every kind of evil wicked deed, etc.) and the remembering (praising, etc.) of (you by) Allah (in front of the angels) is greater indeed [than your remembering (praising, etc.) Allah in prayers, etc.]."
The meaning of: As-Salat prevents from Al-Fahsha and Al-Munkar
The first meaning:Some commentators of the Noble Qur'an said: remembering Allah is the greatest thing in the acts of worship, Allah the Almighty says:
"And perform As-Salat (Iqamat-as-Salat) for My Remembrance."
The second meaning:Other commentators said: the remembering (praising, etc.) of you by Allah in front of the angels is greater than your remembering to Him, because when you remember Allah the Almighty, you are fulfilling the duty of worship.
What does Allah grant the reauthorr of the Noble Qur'an?
The grace of security:If Allah remembers you, that means He will grant you the grace of security. Allah the Almighty says:
"(So) which of the two parties has more right to be in security? If you but know." * It is those who believe (in the Oneness of Allah and worship none but Him Alone) and confuse not their belief with Zulm (wrong i.e. by worshipping sh3er besides Allah), for them (only) there is security and they are the guided."
The good life:Also, when He remembers you, He will grant you tranquility by which you will be pleased even if you miss everything, on the other hand, you will be full of misery when you miss this tranquility even if you have everything, so He grants you a good life. Allah the Almighty says:
"Whoever works righteousness, whether male or female, while he (or she) is a true believer (of Islamic Monotheism) verily, to him We will give a good life (in this world with respect, contentment and lawful provision),"
You will not fear, nor grieve
He will grant you two situations; you will not fear nor grieve; that is to say you will not fear what will happen in the future, nor will you grieve over what happened in the past. Allah the Almighty says:"Verily, those who say: "Our Lord is Allah (Alone)," and then they Istaqamu, on them the angels will descend (at the time of their death) (saying): "Fear not, nor grieve! But receive the glad tidings of Paradise which you have been promised! * "We have been your friends in the life of this world and are (so) in the Hereafter. Therein you shall have (all) that your inner-selves desire, and therein you shall have (all) for which you ask for."
Also, Allah the Almighty says:"Is it not sufficient for them that We have sent down to you the Book (the Quran) which is reauthord to them? Verily, herein is mercy and a reminder (or an admonition) for a people who believe."
Hence, reciting the Noble Qur'an is considered the most sublime form of remembering Allah the Almighty. Some scholars said: the best form of remembering Allah is to reauthor the Noble Qur'an while you are performing Salah in a mosque. Of course, listening to the recitation of the Imam in Salah is just like reciting it because you are following the Imam in your Salah. Thus, the best kind of the remembrance of Allah is to reauthor the Noble Qur'an in your Salah while you are in the mosque. Allah the Almighty says:"Say: "In the Bounty of Allah, and in His Mercy (i.e. Islam and the Quran); -therein let them rejoice." That is better than what (the wealth) they amass."
Allah has not said: that is better than their sustenance, but He says: "that is better than what they amass" as the wealthy have surpassed the stage of gaining the sustenance to the stage of accumulating wealth, they are competing in collecting millions of pounds. So, the matter is not only related to gaining livelihood. Allah the Almighty says:"But the Mercy (Paradise) of your Lord (O Muhammad PBUH) is better than the (wealth of this world) which they amass"
Some Noble Ayat which impel us to remember Allah in all situations
The first Ayah:Allah the Almighty says:
"Go you and your brother with My Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.), and do not, you both, slacken and become weak in My Remembrance."
[Taha, 42]
The second Ayah:"And remember the Name of your Lord every morning and afternoon [i.e. offering of the Morning (Fajr), Zuhr, and 'Asr prayers]."
The third Ayah:Allah the Almighty says:
"O you who believe! When you meet (an enemy) force, take a firm stand against them and remember the Name of Allah much (both with tongue and mind), so that you may be successful."
Which means the real worshipper of Allah is the one who remembers Him when he encounters his enemy, therefore, in the time of Jihad (the sacred fight for Allah's Cause) and in the heat of the battle, the Muslims fighters say: Allah is the Greatest.The fourth Ayah:
Allah the Almighty says:
"Then when the (Jumu'ah) Salat (prayer) is finished, you may disperse through the land, and seek the Bounty of Allah (by working, etc.), and remember Allah much, that you may be successful."
Which is to remember Allah a lot. It is fairly close to the Noble Ayah in which Allah the Almighty says:"Those who remain constant in their Salat (prayers);"
Which means to supplicate Allah and to ask Him forgiveness between each two prayers.Therefore, dear brother, I would like to repeat these words again: when you reauthor the Noble Qur'an, when you supplicate Allah the Almighty, when you ask Him forgiveness, when you praise Him, when you say: there is no one to be worshipped but Allah, when you say: there is no power nor might except from Allah, when you say: glory to Allah, when you read an Islamic book, when you call people to Allah, when you advise someone in order to bring him closer to Allah, and when you contemplate over the creation of the heavens and the earth, you are remembering Allah the Almighty.
So, there is no other act of worship which you can perform in all conditions, in all places and at any time like the remembrance of Allah the Almighty.
The fifth Ayah:
Allah the Almighty says:
"And the men and the women who remember Allah much with their hearts and tongues (while sitting, standing, lying, etc. for more than 300 times extra over the remembrance of Allah during the five compulsory congregational prayers) or praying extra additional Nawafil prayers of night in the last part of night, etc.) Allah has prepared for them forgiveness and a great reward (i.e. Paradise)."
The sixth Ayah:Allah the Almighty says:
"Those who remember Allah (always, and in prayers) standing, sitting, or lying down on their sides,"
Which means in all their conditions; that is to say: when they are standing, sitting or lying down on their sides. However, some people derived from this Ayah that they should perform violent movements while remembering Allah, actually, this is a complete misunderstanding, because if the remembrance of Allah should be made with these movements, then Allah the Almighty would have said: standing, sitting, but Allah says: "standing, sitting, or lying down" which means in all situations. Allah the Almighty says:"Those who remember Allah (always, and in prayers) standing, sitting, or lying down on their sides, and think deeply about the creation of the heavens and the earth, (saying): "Our Lord! You have not created (all) this without purpose, glory to You! (Exalted be You above all that they associate with You as partners). Give us salvation from the torment of the Fire."
The seventh Ayah:Allah the Almighty says:
"Verily, those who reauthor the Book of Allah (this Quran), and perform As-Salat (Iqamat as-Salat), and spend (in charity) out of what We have provided for them, secretly and openly, hope for a (sure) tradegain that will never perish. * That He may pay them their wages in full, and give them (even) more, out of His Grace. Verily! He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Ready to appreciate (good deeds and to recompense)."
The eighth Ayah:Allah the Almighty says:
"So when you have accomplished your Manasik [(i.e. Ihram, Tawaf of the Ka'bah and As-Safa and Al-Marwah), stay at 'Arafat, Muzdalifah and Mina, Ramy of Jamarat, (stoning of the specified pillars in Mina) slaughtering of Hady (animal, etc.)]. Remember Allah as you remember your forefathers or with a far more remembrance."
Some Ahadith about the virtue of Remembering Allah
The first Hadith:It was narrated in some Ahadith that the Prophet PBUH said:
((There is no time in which the son of Adam does not remember Allah Almighty in it, except that it will be a source of regret for him on the Day of Resurrection)).
The second Hadith:Abdullah bin Bisr, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated that a man came to the Prophet PBUH and said: O Messenger of Allah, I find the Islamic laws too much, so tell me something which I adhere to it, so the Prophet PBUH said:
((Keep your tongue moist with the remembrance of Allah (remember Allah a lot)).
The third Hadith:The Prophet PBUH said:
((Should I not tell you of one of the gates of Paradise? It is to say: There is no might nor power except from Allah)).
The fourth Hadith:The Prophet PBUH said:
((Should I not tell you of one treasure of the unlimited treasures of Paradise? It is to say: There is no might nor power except from Allah)).
The fifth Hadith:The Prophet PBUH said:
((Say a lot: There is no might nor power except from Allah because it is one of the unlimited treasures of Paradise )).
The most accurate meaning of: there is no might nor power except from Allah is that we cannot avoid disobeying Allah nor follow His Orders except by seeking help from Him.Great Prophetic politeness
The noble Ayah below shows the great Prophetic politeness of Prophet Yusuf (Joseph) PBUH, Allah says:"He said:"O my Lord! Prison is more to my liking than that to which they invite me. Unless You turn away their plot from me, I will feel inclined towards them and be one (of those who commit sin and deserve blame or those who do deeds) of the ignorant."
Because women or men may commit a sin. So, when you adhere to Allah's Order, it is not due to your own power but it is because Allah has granted you success, as if Allah wants to reveal His Bounty upon you, He creates it then He attributes it to you. So, man should not pride himself on his uprightness upon the Straight Path of Allah, and he should not say that he has an iron will and he can resist any temptation, as this saying is a kind of Shirk (polytheism), rather he should ask Allah His Help to obey Him, and this shows great politeness. In fact, when man is proud of his strong will and his own power in obeying Allah, he will be soon disciplined when Allah the Almighty weakens his resistance to temptation, so he gets seduced easily. So the meaning of “there is no might nor power except from Allah” is that you cannot avoid disobeying Him, nor adhere to His Order except by His help.The sixth Hadith:
The Prophet PBUH said:
((Reauthor the Noble Quran as you will be rewarded for that, I do not say: Alif Lam Mim is only a letter but Alf is ten, Lam is ten Mim is ten, thus they are thirty)).
Which means each letter you reauthor from the Quran earns you ten Hasanah (reward).The seventh Hadith:
The Prophet PBUH said:
((Verily, Allah the Exalted has people from among mankind, the companions asked: who are the people of Allah? He PBUH said: The people of the Quran are the People of Allah, and His Chosen Ones. (His angles))).
The eighth Hadith:The Prophet PBUH said:
((Fear Allah, as it is the head of all matters, you perform jihad (you should fight for the Sake of Allah), because it is the monasticism of Islam, and you should remember Allah and reauthor the Noble Qur'an, as it is your soul in the heavens, and your remembrance in the earth)).
The ninth Hadith:The Prophet PBUH said:
((The best among you (Muslims) are those who learn the Qur'an and teach it.)).
The tenth Hadith:In another Hadith, the Prophet PBUH said:
((Verily, Allah raises the ranks of some people by this Book (the Noble Qur'an), and puts down sh3er.)).
Twelve years ago, one of the great reauthorrs of the Noble Qur'an died, I remember that one million people followed his funeral, while sometimes you may see a funeral which is not followed except by the employers of the office of burial services.((Verily, Allah raises the ranks of some people by this Book (the Noble Qur'an), and puts down sh3er.)).
The eleventh Hadith:The Prophet PBUH said:
((It will be said to the companion of the Noble Qur'an (the one who reauthors and memorizes it), when he enters Paradise: reauthor and rise in status, reauthor and ascend, so he rises to a higher rank for each Ayah, till he reauthors the Last Ayah)).
((It will be said to the reauthorr of the Noble Qur'an: reauthor and rise in status, reauthor as you used to reauthor in the world, for your status will be at the last verse that you reauthor)).
The twelfth Hadith:Mrs. Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, narrated that the Prophet PBUH said:
((The one who is skilled in reading the Qur'an is with the noble, virtuous angels who bring down the revelation; and the one who falters while reading it and finds it hard to read correctly, will have a double reward (for reading and for exerting))).
The thirteenth Hadith:The Prophet PBUH said:
"Whoever reauthors one letter of the Book of Allah, for him will be one hasanah (blessing); and one hasanah is worth ten sh3er."
The fourteenth Hadith:The Prophet PBUH said:
((Whoever wants to increase his love for Allah and His Messenger, he should reauthor the Noble Quran, and whoever teaches an Ayah will be rewarded for it as long as it is reauthord)).
Which means when you teach someone an Ayah of the Noble Qur'an, whenever he reauthors it, you will find a reward in your register (on the Day of Resurrection) because it was you who taught it to him.The fifteenth Hadith:
The Prophet PBUH said:
((There is no envy (acceptable) except in two (cases): a person whom Allah has given the Qur'an and reauthors it throughout the night, and a person to whom Allah has granted wealth and property along with the power to spend it in the cause of Allah throughout the night and throughout the day.)).
Some meanings of reciting the Qur'an as it should be reauthord
Dear brother, I should make a comment here; Allah the Almighty describes the believers that they reauthor the Noble Qur'an, He says:" Reauthor it (i.e. obey its orders and follow its teachings) as it should be reauthord (i.e. followed),"
1 –To reauthor it according to the Arabic language:
One of the meanings of reciting the Noble Qur'an as it should be reauthord is that we should reauthor it according to the grammar of the Arabic Language, therefore our master Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, said: learn Arabic language as it is a part of your religion.Sometimes, changing one diacritical mark makes a terrible mistake. For example, once a man made a big mistake when quoting a line of poetry (from our master Khbaib Bin Adi may Allah be pleased with him) he said:
I don't care if I kill ((which is in Arabic: Aqtulu)) a Muslim
On any side (of my body) I may be killed in Allah's Cause.
***
I don't care if I am killed as (which is in Arabic: uqtalu) a Muslim
On any side (of my body) I may be killed in Allah's Cause.
***
2 –To reauthor it according to the rules of Tajweed:
To reauthor it according to the rules of Tajeed which is the correct pronunciation during recitation. Now, there is Mushaf Al-Tajweed which helps those who have a limited knowledge of the rules of Tajeed, it is just as when vocalization helps you to read well even if you do not know the Arabic syntax; i.e. you pronounce Al-Dhamma; a small letter "Waw" over a letter, at the end of a word even if you do not know that this word is Faeel (subject) for example. So, as well as putting the diacritical marks helps you to avoid misreading the Arabic text, also Mushaf Al-Tajeed, in which Tajweed rules like Idgham (merging), Madd (elongation), Iqlab (changing) and so on are written, helps you to reauthor the Quran correctly.
So, you should reauthor the Noble Qur'an according to the Arabic language grammar, and according to the rules of Tajweed.
3-To comprehend its meaning and to read its interpretation:
You should comprehend the meaning of the Noble Qur'an, read its interpretation, and understand the connotation of its Ayaat. For example, Allah the Almighty says:"Then He showed him what is wrong for him and what is right for him;"
If you misunderstand the meaning of this Ayah and think that Allah the Almighty has created debauchery inside the soul, you think evil thoughts about Allah the Almighty. While the meaning of this Ayah is that Allah the Almighty has inspired the soul to know by itself that it has committed a wrong deed, which is according to its Fitrah (natural human instinct).4 – To reflect upon its meaning:
So, you should reauthor the Noble Qur'an according to the Arabic grammar and according to the rules of Tajweed, you should comprehend its meaning, and you should reflect upon it. Actually, reflection is different from comprehension; it means to carry out the commands, which are mentioned in the Noble Qur'an, in your life. Allah the Almighty says:"And the slaves of the Most Beneficent (Allah) are those who walk on the earth in humility and sedateness, and when the foolish address them (with bad words) they reply back with mild words of gentleness."
You should ask yourself: Do I walk on the earth in humility and sedateness?likewise, whenever you reauthor a Noble Ayah which describes the believers, the hypocrites, or the disbelievers you should ask yourself which descriptions apply to you. this is the reflection, which is superior to understanding.
5 – Applying its orders:
You should apply the orders of the Noble Qur'an, because the Prophet PBUH said:((He does not believe in the Noble Quran who makes legal what Allah has prohibited in it)).
So, you should reauthor the Qur'an according to the Arabic grammar and according to the rules of Tajweed, you should understand its meaning, you should reflect upon it, and you should apply its orders, these five steps are the meaning of the Noble Ayah below:" Reauthor it (i.e. obey its orders and follow its teachings) as it should be reauthord (i.e. followed),"
The virtues of reciting the Qur'an and remembering Allah
Dear brother:- Reciting the Noble Qur'an makes the hearts bright and cures them.
- The more someone is wholly engaged in remembering Allah, the more Allah will love to meet him.
- Allah adorns his worshippers’ tongues by His Remembrance, as well as He adorns their eyes by His light.
- The remembrance of Allah is one of the greatest and easiest acts of worship, it has many forms, and it could be performed at all times, so you can perform it in any case. For example, while you are walking in the street you can praise Allah, and if you want to meet someone to solve a difficult matter, you can ask Allah to grant you success and help you. So, if you ask Allah His Forgiveness, if you turn to Him in repentance, if you say: there is no one to be worshipped but Allah Alone, if you praise Him, if you say: Allah is the Greatest, if you advise people, if you enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong, if you contemplate over the creation of the universe, if you read a scientific book about astronomy for example to get to know Allah the Almighty (through His creation), you are remembering Allah. So, the remembrance of Allah is an act of worship which you can perform in all your situations.
