Ramadhaan Focus (PART1)

Strive to learn your Islam from the Book of your Lord and the Sunnah of your Prophet. Do not say, So-and-so said, for you cannot learn the truth only from men. Learn the truth and then measure people against it. This should be enough for the one who controls his whims and submits himself to his Lord.

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Ramadhaan Focus (PART1)

1. TODAY'S HADITH

Hadhrat Abu Hurairah(radhiyallahu anhu) reported that Rasullullah(sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) said: "If a man fasts but does not give up telling lies and doing wrong, Allah has no need that he should merely give up food and water." (Bukhari)

2. TODAYS FOCUS:

WELCOMING RAMADHAAN & VIRTUES OF RAMADHAAN By Husain Aal Ash-Sheikh

Brothers and sisters in Islaam! A great month has come to you carrying with it great blessings. It is a month in which good deeds are multiplied.

Witnessing this month is a great blessing for which we should be grateful to Allaah. It is an opportunity to do good deeds so that one can achieve Paradise and safety from Hell. Allaah says, " O you who believe! Observing fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may be pious." (Al Baqarah: 183).

The Messenger of Allah(sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) said, 'Fasting and reciting Qur'aan intercede for the slave on the Day of Resurrection. The fast will say: O Allah, I prevented him from eating and satiating his lawful lust, so let me intercede on his behalf; and the Qur'aan will say: I prevented him from sleeping during the night, so let me intercede for him .' (Ahmad & Tabaraani)

Fellow Muslims! Ramadaan is a month of forgiveness and mercy. The Messenger of Allah(sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) said, ' When Ramadaan comes, the doors of Paradise will be opened and the doors of Hell will be closed, and the devils will be chained.' (Bukhari & Muslim).

Therefore let the month of Ramadaan be an opportunity for self-examination in order to amend what is damaged. Let this month be a good starting point towards a bright future and a turning point toward better conditions, sayings and deeds.

Brothers and sisters in faith! There are lessons in the changing of the times as there are reminders in the pages of history. Whenever a month of Ramadaan passes by us, the memories of the great Battle of Badr and its victory is rekindled in us. Yes, Ramadaan reminds us of the victories of Muslims like those battles of Yarmook and Al-Qaadisiyyah. We should then bear in mind that those distinguished Muslims who fought in those battles and won did not attain glory and victory nor achieve happiness and power except through their strict adherence to Islaam in all spheres of their lives. They dedicated all their acts of worship to Allaah alone and earned as a result glory and exaltation for this religion.

Let the present Muslim nation - who live in different kinds of affliction be aware that there is no way out of the present predicaments except by making a sincere return to Allaah and make a real adherence to the path of His Messenger(sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam). Those are the basics for reform, glory, success and victory for the last of this (Muslim) nation can never be in order except by what put the earlier Muslim nation in order.

Brothers and sisters in faith! The month of Ramadaan is a month of generosity and kindness. Ibn Abbaas(radhiyallahu anhu) said, ' The Messenger of Allaah(sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) was the most generous person and he used to be even more generous in the month of Ramadaan when Jibreel(alaiyhis salaam) would meet him. And he used to meet him every night in Ramadaan until the end of the month while the Prophet(sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) would recite the Qur'aan for him and when Jibreel(alaiyhis salaam) met him he was more generous than a rain-bearing wind .'

Dear Fellow Muslims, there are various ways of being generous. Let everyone, then, be generous in whatever way he can. Whoever is generous to the slaves of Allaah with favours and gifts, Allaah will also be generous to him. Among the most prominent types of generosity is to feed the hungry and attend to the needs of others. The Messenger(sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) of Allaah said, ' Whoever provides food for a fasting Muslim to break his fast, he will have the same reward as that of the fasting Muslim without reducing anything of his own reward.' (At Tirmizi)

Allaah says, "And they give (others) preference over themselves, even though they were in need of that. And whosoever is saved from his own covetousness, such are they who will be successful. " (Al-Hashr: 9).

Dear Muslims! There are in the world today poor Muslim people who have been exiled from their lands. They presently have a difficult life. They are killed, expelled and have their homes demolished. Do remember them and spend whatever you can to feed ,clothe and obtain medication for them. Allah says, " And whatever you spend of anything (in Allaah's cause), He will replace it. "And He is the Best of providers." (Saba': 39).

Remember your oppressed brothers all over the world and pray for them. The Prophet(sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) said, ' There are three persons whose prayer will not be rejected .' and he mentioned among them '.a fasting Muslim when he breaks his fast.'

Brothers and sisters in faith! Among the signs of the mutual love and co-operation that Muslims enjoy is the support of the many charitable organisations. These organisations therefore need your continuous support and assistance especially in this month of generosity and kindness. The Messenger(sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) of Allah said, ' Charity reduces nothing from one's wealth.' He also said, 'Protect yourselves against Hell even if it be with a date.'

Fellow Muslims! Let your fasting be a shield with which you protect yourselves against sins in all times. The Messenger(sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) of Allah said, ' Fasting is a shield. Let no one of you - during his fasting day - behave in an obscene manner, or become angry. If anybody abuses or fights with him, let him say: I am fasting.' (Bukhari & Muslim).

The purpose of fasting is to control the soul and refine it and to protect the limbs. The Messenger(sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) of Allah said, ' Whoever does not refrain from falsehood in sayings and deeds and acts of ignorance, Allah has no need of his abstention from food and drink.' (Bukhari).

Dear Muslims! Recitation of the Qur'aan increases one in inward and outward beauty and in estimation and honour in this world and the next. It is the profitable commerce that does not fall in all times. Az Zuhree said, ' When Ramadaan comes it is time for reciting the Qur'aan and feeding people.Some of the righteous predecessors used to finish reciting the whole Qur'aan in just a few days.'

Among the purposes of reciting the Qur'aan is to reflect over its verses and understand its meanings and the end result of all that is to put those meanings into practice, for there is no glory nor power, strength, peace of mind or safety from punishment except by adhering to the teachings of the Qur'aan and Sunnah. Allah says, " Verily, this Qur'aan guides to that which is most just and right." (Al-Israa': 9).

Brothers and sisters in faith! The month of Ramadaan is a great period for the attainment of blessings. Of its blessings is the fact that it is a month of supplication, night prayers and moving close to Allaah. Endeavour then, dear brothers, to observe Salaatul Taraaweeh in congregation as a token of emulating the Prophet(sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam and whoever observes it with the Imaam till he finishes it will be written down for him that he has performed the night prayer.

3. Q & A

BLOOD TEST
1. If blood is taken out of the body, does this break the fast?
Taking out blood during fasting does not invalidate the fast.

2. I am diabetic and I am prone to fainting - can I take blood tests to monitor my blood sugar during ramadan?
Shari'ah (laws of Islam) are balanced and have taken into consideration different circumstances. If a person is ill to such an extent that he will faint due to fasting, then he will be excused from fasting. Such a person may give Fidya (compensation) for not fasting. However, taking blood tests during fasting is permissible and that does not invalidate the fast.

4. EVENTS IN RAMADHAAN

Amongst the daughters of Rasullullah(sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam), Sayyidina Ruqayyah(radhiyallahu anha) passed away in Ramadhaan at the young age of 23, when Rasullullah(sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) was engaged in the battle of Badr.

5. RAMADHAAN IN CAIRO

In Cairo, There is "Hajjah Fatimah". By every dawn and every sunset, the Egyptian citizens hear the boom of an old canon, declaring the time for breaking the fast (Iftar) and the time for stopping eating (Imsaak). The canon known as "Hajjah Fatimah" is an inheritance from the old day of Muhammad Ali Pasha or, according to some traditions, goes back to the days of an Ottoman governor called Khosh Qadam. Though the canon itself has been changed and replaced with a new one, the name remained unchanged. Now the canon is placed on the plateau of Moqattam near to the Citadel. Four men are there to take care of the canon and use it to alarm people that it is time for Iftar or Imsaak. (Source: islamonline)

6. HEALTH

Hypertension and Fasting: A medical Perspective

Hypertension(high Blood pressure) is not a contra-indication to fasting. These patients should be reminded: to take their therapy regularly and to mantain a low-salt diet. Patients on thrice daily medications should be switched to twice daily preparations. Short acting preperations like Nifedepine(eg. Adalat) should therefore not be used in the fasting patent. Most other anti-hypertensives such as beta-blockers, duiretics, methyl-dopa(eg. Aldomet), second generation or long acting calcuim channel blockers(eg. Norvasc, Adalat XL) have a long duration of action and therefore are suitable drugs for the fasting patient. (Source: Fasting and the Patient: IMA)

7. TODAYS DUAA

O Allah! make my fasts, the fasts of those who fast (sincerely), and my standing up in salaah,of those who stand up in salaah (obediently), awaken me in it, from the sleep of the heedless, and forgive me my sins , O Allah! the Sustainer of the worlds, O the One who forgives the sinners.Forgive me.

O Allah! Make me and my children of those who mantain salaah and accept my duaa(supplication). O Allah! , forgive me, my parents and all the believers on the Day of Reckoning.

Prepared by AL-Islaah Publications( www.everymuslim.net )

Download RAMADHAAN FOCUS ( 17 Parts ) as a single exe file ( 1.1. Mb)

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