Introduction Because Ramadan has just ended, Alhamdulillah, I just wanted to start by asking Allah to accept our fasting and qiyam and recitation of the Quran and du’a, as well as all of your deeds and our deeds. May Allah allow you to be among those who were chosen to be free from hellfire and reach the rank of Firdaws our ultimate goal. Taqabbal Allahu ta’atakum to everyone here; and beyond that, to everyone who is listening live; and beyond that, even to those who listen to this in the future.
This is my first Eid, I just want to say on a personal note, this is my first Eid as most of you know, or actually everyone here knows, being away from my family for long and from you brothers and sisters. There were hundreds and I am going to say even over a thousand of messages I got through social media and email from all over the globe, and from countries I never knew even existed; more than what I would have the ability to respond to. And I did not mean to neglect it, especially those who shed their tears when they heard of me being in prison, and kept me in their du’a.
We had nothing in common actually, except the bond of لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا ٱلله مُحَمَّدٌ رَسُولُ ٱلله (La ilaha illa Allah Muhammad ar-RasoolAllah), the ultimate bond, the ultimate thing that we have. They agonized over a brother who fell in a hardship. Many went to pass knowledge through different forms that they could, and we eager to do that. I ask Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَعَالَى to reward you and them and I have no doubt that you shall be rewarded.
Because you are going to be rewarded by the same One who you cared for me and your brothers for, because of. On the say the sun that will be a hand reach away, you will be rewarded because of your love of a brother by being under the shade of Allah where there is no shade but under his throne.
إن الله تعالى يقول يوم القيامة أين المتحابون بجلالي؟ اليوم أظلهم في ظلي يوم لا ظل إلا ظلي You will be rewarded on pulpits of brightness, envied by the messengers and martyrs. And finally in the garden of heaven you will be brothers facing each other. وَنَزَعْنَا مَا فِي صُدُورِهِم مِّنْ غِلٍّ إِخْوَانًا عَلَىٰ سُرُرٍ مُّتَقَابِلِينَ - 15:47 And We will remove whatever is in their breasts of resentment, [so they will be] brothers, on thrones facing each other.
All for loving each other for the sake of Allah. Abu Darda used to say I have seventy brothers I name by name, I make du’a for them. And I say that when I get an email or some kind of communication, I write the name down and I as well list them and I make du’a nearly every single day. Just so you know.
And finally, some scholars, in al-fiqh al-Islami you are going to find in Ajwu bin Najdiyyah and Kutub al-Hanafiyyah you are going to find that the scholars spoke that someone who says ya’alamullah, Allah knows that I went to the store, or somewhere, and he lies, some scholars, it is a disputed issue, consider him a kafir. Dangerous issue, way more dangerous than if someone lied by saying wallahi. And this is why I say, ya’alamullah, Allah knows, and Allah is my witness that I love you all brothers and sisters for the sake of Him and only Him. And I ask that your du’a, your concern, your care for me behind my back, while we never thought we would probably meet again, that it be a highering (raising) of your rank to al-Firdaws al-‘ala, and just like you kept me and your other brothers in your du’a, always keep our brothers in prisons and oppressed and under tyranny in your du’a.
Acceptance of Ramadan Ramadan has ended, and righteous believers always think and worry if Ramadan is going to be accepted or not. Because Allah said in the Quran, وَالَّذِينَ يُؤْتُونَ مَا آتَوا وَّقُلُوبُهُمْ وَجِلَةٌ أَنَّهُمْ إِلَىٰ رَبِّهِمْ رَاجِعُونَ - 23:60 And they who give what they give while their hearts are fearful because they will be returning to their Lord
The verse says that the characteristics of the believers, in surat Al-Mu’minoon, they give charity, they give zakah, they give deeds, they give all that, and they don’t brag and boast but they say and worry, is it going to be accepted? Ali ibn Abi Talib radhiAllahu anhu said, worry more about the deed being accepted than doing the deed itself. Haven’t you read Allah’s verse, إِنَّمَا يَتَقَبَّلُ اللَّهُ مِنَ الْمُتَّقِينَ - 5:27 Indeed, Allah only accepts from the righteous [who fear Him]
Meaning, Uthman and Ali and the sahabah, the pious generation feared they will not be among the pious whom Allah will accept their deeds. How many have said today, while they know it’s over, may Allah accept? Some, actually, the way the demeanour is, you would think that they have given Allah a favour. And Allah says, وَلَا تَمْنُن تَسْتَكْثِرُ - 74:6 And do not confer favor to acquire more
Consider not your deeds, your obedience to Allah, a favour to Him. This is to His prophet, so imagine us! Ramadan and after RamadanThe salaf used to spend six months making du’a that they would reach Ramadan and six months after that asking Allah that their Ramadan be accepted.
You worked hard in Ramadan, but we as Muslims, we are not all about Ramadan. It is Ramadan and after Ramadan. Imam Ahmad, when they asked him, when do we rest? He said when you put your first foot in heaven, then you can rest. What you should think of Ramadan as a season of reviving your eeman and uplifting your spiritual status. Just like in agriculture, winter is a prosperous season for the soil. It rains a lot and the soil gets its rest in need of water. It absorbs the water. After winter, the earth keeps the storage of water and makes use of it for the rest of the year so that the earth can produce. You see that scenario?
Ramadan is the season for the spiritual strength and worship. You take it as a spiritual storage for the entire year. You get your spiritual strength and eeman, so don’t destroy your joy and pollute it with sins so that it will no longer produce eeman throughout the year. Ramadan is a storage of eeman to let you maintain a level of eeman you don’t go under, you don’t go under that level, to produce more deeds throughout the year. Sins are a pollution to your spirit and will destroy that storage of eeman just like nuclear radiation would destroy the earth from producing even if winter came about it.
So listen how important it is to remain firm after Ramadan, throughout the year, and not just about Ramadan. Because as we just said, we are not Ramadanis, we are Muslims. The Prophet ﷺ had grey hair, and you know there was a surah, you can ask anybody here and they would tell you that the Surah was Hud. شَيَّبَتْنِي هُودٌ وَالْوَاقِعَةُ وَالْمُرْسَلَاتُ وَعَمَّ يَتَسَاءَلُونَ وَإِذَا الشَّمْسُ كُوِّرَت It is narrated in at-Tirmidhi and al-Albani said it is authentic. Abu Bakr asked the Prophet Muhammad, one time he looked at his hair, he said O Prophet of Allah I see that you have some white hair, grey hair. He said Hud and its sister surahs gave me that, Al-Waqea, Mursalat, Amma Yatasa’aloon, Iza ash-Shamsu quwwirat. Now if you look deeper, this is a question everyone has, you look deeper into what precise verse made the Prophet ﷺ’s hair turn grey? It’s a verse: فَاسْتَقِمْ كَمَا أُمِرْتَ وَمَن تَابَ مَعَكَ وَلَا تَطْغَوْا ۚ إِنَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ بَصِيرٌ - 11:112 So remain on a right course as you have been commanded, [you] and those who have turned back with you [to Allah ], and do not transgress. Indeed, He is Seeing of what you do.
Stand firm stand straight, remain on the right course; you and your followers, that which you have been commanded on, and turn not back, don’t turn back on to the old ways. فَاسْتَقِمْ كَمَا أُمِرْتَ وَمَن تَابَ مَعَكَ Anas ibn Malik said كانَ رسولُ اللَّهِ صلَّى اللَّهُ علَيهِ وسلَّمَ يُكْثِرُ أن يقولَ : يا مُقلِّبَ القلوبِ ثبِّت قَلبي على دينِكَ In sunan at-Tirmidhi Anas ibn Malik said the Prophet ﷺ used to always ask Allah - always, and it is narrated by Umm Salamah and it is narrated by Aishah and it is in at-Tirmidhi and an-Nasa’i and Ibn Majah – he used to always say O Allah, make the hearts firm, make my heart firm and steadfast on your faith.
They said, O Prophet of Allah, we believe in you and what you brought us. So you think we doubt that? You think we will change? We will go astray? He said yes, you may. The hearts are between two fingers of Allah, He changes them as He wishes. So they knew he was making the du’a so they would know that.
In Musnad Ahmad he said, Imam Ahmad said al-qalb (qalb means heart in Arabic); qalbin literally means something that changes - yaqlib, taqallab. So that is why the heart is called qalb, because it changes. In the Quran many times Allah says إِنَّ الَّذِينَ قَالُوا رَبُّنَا اللَّهُ ثُمَّ اسْتَقَامُوا تَتَنَزَّلُ عَلَيْهِمُ الْمَلَائِكَةُ أَلَّا تَخَافُوا وَلَا تَحْزَنُوا وَأَبْشِرُوا بِالْجَنَّةِ الَّتِي كُنتُمْ تُوعَدُونَ - 41:30 Indeed, those who have said, "Our Lord is Allah " and then remained on a right course - the angels will descend upon them, [saying], "Do not fear and do not grieve but receive good tidings of Paradise, which you were promised.
In Surah Al-Ahqaf, in Fussilat, Umar read it one time and said, اسْتَقَامُوا remain firm on the path of Allah. Not slither and wriggle like a snake on a path, going left and right, one time religious, one time not, one time on his eeman, one time, in Ramadan looking like the Prophet ﷺ and outside Ramadan looking like the enemies of the Prophet ﷺ. In Ramadan, salah and outside Ramadan, no salah. In Ramadan, hijab and outside Ramadan, no hijab. This is what he meant. In Ramadan, no music, and outside Ramadan, music.
Also, in Musnad Ahmad and Al-Haakim, the Prophet ﷺ said, the heart changes more than a pot of rapidly boiling oil. You see how it changes so fast? That is how hearts are. وعن أبي عمرو، وقيل: أبي عمرة سفيان بن عبد الله رضي الله عنه قال: قلت: يا رسول الله قل لي في الإسلام قولاً لا أسأل عنه أحداً غيرك. قال: "قل آمنت بالله: ثم استقم" ((رواه مسلم)) And Sufyan ibn Abdullah ath-Thaqafi radhiAllahu anhu said, Ya RasoolAllah, O Prophet of Allah, tell me something O Prophet of Allah, I don't ask no one but you. He said, say I believe in Allah, and go steadfast. Remain steadfast and remain in accordance.
We know that you did good in Ramadan. But we are asking that you uphold the good that you did and maintain a level of eeman like we said that you don't go below.
Categories of people in RamadanThis leads us to the next point that I want to talk about. In Ramadan, there are categories of people.
Those who did good Some of you completed the Quran once, twice, 15 times. I know some people who did it 30 times. Shaf’i did it 60 times. They took advantage and laid off their shoulders the biggest burden that you can put on your shoulders - the burden of sins. They prayed the nights, they fasted the days, and they made du’a standing, sitting and on their sides. To those people we say congratulations. May Allah accept from you and may you continue. But beware. Don't destroy that mountain of deeds you accumulated and let it go and vanish. Would you throw away that hard work? What do you think about someone, listen to this, who works or wins millions, and takes his millions dollar by dollar and rips them or burns them? What do you think about an engineer who builds a high-rise and everyone loves it, says it is the best, and then goes to that high-rise and tears it down brick by brick? What do you think about that person? What do you think about a person who takes his lifelong savings; he worked so hard for it, and throws it in the trash. What do you think of about that person? That is the example Allah gave us in Quran in Surat an-Nahl. وَلَا تَكُونُوا كَالَّتِي نَقَضَتْ غَزْلَهَا مِن بَعْدِ قُوَّةٍ أَنكَاثًا تَتَّخِذُونَ أَيْمَانَكُمْ دَخَلًا بَيْنَكُمْ أَن تَكُونَ أُمَّةٌ هِيَ أَرْبَىٰ مِنْ أُمَّةٍ ۚ إِنَّمَا يَبْلُوكُمُ اللَّهُ بِهِ ۚ وَلَيُبَيِّنَنَّ لَكُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ مَا كُنتُمْ فِيهِ تَخْتَلِفُونَ - 16:92 And do not be like she who untwisted her spun thread after it was strong [by] taking your oaths as [means of] deceit between you because one community is more plentiful [in number or wealth] than another community. Allah only tries you thereby. And He will surely make clear to you on the Day of Resurrection that over which you used to differ.
Don't be like her who undoes the thread which she had spun after it had become strong. What does that verse mean? Abdullah ibn Kathir As-Suddi, Mujahid, Qutadah, Ibn Zayd said that the true meaning of this verse in Surat an-Nahl is that there was a crazy woman in Makkah, every time she yarns, she knits, she gets to the end, and then she pulls the strings apart. After she is done, she pulls the strings apart. She makes a nice blanket, she makes a nice garment, and right when everyone says that is beautiful, it is astonishing, she was very good at it, when she gets to the end, she takes it apart. You know how the brothers who are wearing kufis here, if you don't tie that kufi when it is knitted, it takes apart. This is the example that Allah is trying to give you - don't destroy your deeds. You worked so hard for a month, you left your desires, you could only leave for the sake of Allah, you got a great balance in your account now, an eternal balance that will determine heaven or hell for you, now after all that you did, don't ruin it. Don't be like that crazy woman in Makkah who used to knit and who used to take it apart. Don't be like that crazy engineer who is tearing his high-rise down stone by stone. Don't be like that millionaire who burns his cash. You've got your deeds, preserve them.
Those who didn’t do good The next category of the people in Ramadan are those who did not do good because they didn't even try and because they didn't take time out. To those, we give them condolences, we say إِنَّا لِلّهِ وَإِنَّـا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعون (inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi rajioon), because it is a loss, and a loss bigger than if one of their relatives had died, a devastating one. But the great thing is, we also have good news. And this is where the superiority of Islam comes into play. It is never too late. Yes, you missed Ramadan, but it is never too late. Unless the signs of the Day of Judgment are there, or unless the gargle of death is there, then you can repent. قُلْ يَا عِبَادِيَ الَّذِينَ أَسْرَفُوا عَلَىٰ أَنفُسِهِمْ لَا تَقْنَطُوا مِن رَّحْمَةِ اللَّهِ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعًا ۚ إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ - 39:53 Say, "O My servants who have transgressed against themselves [by sinning], do not despair of the mercy of Allah . Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. Indeed, it is He who is the Forgiving, the Merciful."
In Surat Ghafir (it is Az-Zumar), O my slaves, you who have transgressed themselves by committing any sins or shirk or otherwise, despair not the mercy of Allah. When this verse was revealed Umar narrated a story of Islam in Seerat Ibn Hisham. If you look at Seerat Ibn Hisham, the authentic narration of Islam, it is under the authority of Ibn Ishaq. It said, Umar's servant said that Abdullah Ibn Umar said that Umar informed him that when he became Muslim, that he met up with Ayash ibn Rabea and Hisham ibn Asim. And they said let us meet in the outskirts of Makkah and we will go and meet the Prophet ﷺ. Hisham did not go. Not because he got apprehended - they said if anyone was apprehended, make it on your way, don't worry about the one who was apprehended - Hisham went astray. And when Allah revealed this verse years and years later, Umar thought about his old friend and wrote it down on a piece of paper and sent it to him. Hisham said I looked and looked at it, I couldn't understand that verse. I finally understood that Allah forgives all sins, so I repented to Allah and headed to Madinah to join with the Prophet ﷺ. Islam says there is no sin too small, there is no sin too big, repent to Allah, Allah the Almighty forgives all. The rule in Islam to repent a sin, you do it now, and it is simple: you regret (past), you say أستغفر الله (astaghfirullah) and ask Allah for forgiveness (present), and in the future, you plan on not doing it. And if it relates to a right to someone, you give it back to him, you make du’a for him, you mention him in good, or you give charity in his name, some way that won't cause fitnah.
And then, not only is it forgiven, it is changed into deeds.
Rabbaniyoon and Ramadaniyoon Those who only do good in Ramadan while the Shaytan is shackled, to those we say to them, they are the Ramadanis. The same thing Abu Bakr said to the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ applies to them. When the Prophet ﷺ died. O you who believe, the one who worships Ramadan, Ramadan has gone away and died, whoever worships Allah, Allah never dies. Yes, Ramadan is significant, but we don't stop at Ramadan. There are rabbaniyoon who worship Allah all the time, and there are Ramadaniyoon who worship Allah only in Ramadan. قُلْ إِنَّ صَلَاتِي وَنُسُكِي وَمَحْيَايَ وَمَمَاتِي لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ - 6:162 Say, "Indeed, my prayer, my rites of sacrifice, my living and my dying are for Allah, Lord of the worlds.
وَمَحْيَايَ, my life. My life, my sacrifice and my death for the sake of Allah. Look how big the word comes out.
وَاعْبُدْ رَبَّكَ حَتَّىٰ يَأْتِيَكَ الْيَقِينُ - 15:99 And worship your Lord until there comes to you the certainty (death).
Worship Allah until death. يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ حَقَّ تُقَاتِهِ وَلَا تَمُوتُنَّ إِلَّا وَأَنتُم مُّسْلِمُونَ - 3:102 O you who have believed, fear Allah as He should be feared and do not die except as Muslims [in submission to Him].
Die not except in the state of Islam. Stay firm until you die on that guided path, that is what the verse is saying.
Was your Ramadan accepted or not? So my next point is, the formula for if your Ramadan was accepted or not. The equation Islam gave you an equation, a formula to apply if your Ramadan was accepted or not. Are you more pious? Do you have less sins? Do you have better deeds?th You are not infallible. We are not like the 12 alleged imams of the Shia who claim they are infallible. We believe no one after the Prophet ﷺ is infallible. Everyone makes mistakes. So we don't say that your deeds are going to be at the same intensity as it was during Ramadan. Even the Prophet ﷺ’s level of deeds was not after Ramadan as it was in Ramadan, that is clear. However, it should be better than it was before Ramadan. How so? Do you do continuous du’a after Ramadan? Do you do istighfar, you didn't do it before, now you do some istighfar? Do you do deeds you didn't do? You can't keep doing what you did in Ramadan. It is nearly impossible. There is a minimum level, you don't go under. Keep a level of deeds that no matter how little, but you are continuous. حَدَّثَنَا مُعَاذُ بْنُ فَضَالَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا هِشَامٌ، عَنْ يَحْيَى، عَنْ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ، أَنَّ عَائِشَةَ ـ رضى الله عنها ـ حَدَّثَتْهُ قَالَتْ، لَمْ يَكُنِ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَصُومُ شَهْرًا أَكْثَرَ مِنْ شَعْبَانَ، فَإِنَّهُ كَانَ يَصُومُ شَعْبَانَ كُلَّهُ، وَكَانَ يَقُولُ " خُذُوا مِنَ الْعَمَلِ مَا تُطِيقُونَ، فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لاَ يَمَلُّ حَتَّى تَمَلُّوا، وَأَحَبُّ الصَّلاَةِ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم مَا دُووِمَ عَلَيْهِ، وَإِنْ قَلَّتْ " وَكَانَ إِذَا صَلَّى صَلاَةً دَاوَمَ عَلَيْهَا. In Sahih al-Bukhari and Muslim, an Aishah radhiAllahu anha said the Prophet ﷺ said, O people, do deeds what you are able to do and handle. Don't burden yourself. Don't go beyond that which you can do. Because Allah will not get bored of you until you get bored of Him. And the most beloved deeds to Allah, listen to this. The most beloved deeds to Allah are the ones that are continuous, even if they are a little. وروى مسلم عَنْ عَائِشَةَ قَالَتْ : ( كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِذَا عَمِلَ عَمَلًا أَثْبَتَهُ In Sahih Muslim, Aishah radhiAllahu anha said, when he does a deed, he remains on it. He never goes back on it. When the Prophet ﷺ did something, he stuck to it. Never did it for a year and went back. قليل دائم خير من كثير منقطع (Qaleelun daim kharu min katheerun munqata) - the scholars say that a lot that doesn't continue is less, is not as good as something small that you continue on. So praying all night long one night or doing 5 minutes for the rest of your life - 5 minutes for the rest of your life is better than one night all night long. So you read the Quran in Ramadan, the whole Quran. Maybe many times. Maybe after Ramadan you read it after. Because the Quran purifies your soul. It cultivates it. The Quran is your standard and values. You can never abandon it. You can never let it collect dust after Ramadan. It is your tranquillity. Quran refutes the doubts in the hearts without you knowing it. The increase in atheism today is because Muslims refuse to read the Quran. وَقَالَ الرَّسُولُ يَا رَبِّ إِنَّ قَوْمِي اتَّخَذُوا هَٰذَا الْقُرْآنَ مَهْجُورًا - 25:30 And the Messenger has said, "O my Lord, indeed my people have taken this Qur'an as [a thing] abandoned."
Ibn Al Qayyim says that the Prophet ﷺ brings a claim against you that you abandoned his Quran. One of the ways of abandoning Quran is not reciting it, in addition to not applying it. Formula for your Ramadan being accepted is following your deed with good deeds after it. Check 3 months after Ramadan and compare those 3 months to 3 months before Ramadan. If they are better, your Ramadan in sha Allah was accepted. You see how nice that formula is?ac
Fasting the six days of Shawwal That's why this leads us to the next issue here that I want to talk about it, which is the six days of Shawwal that the Prophet ﷺ attached to the fasting of Ramadan. For two main reasons. Why did he do that? To follow the Ramadan with good deeds. To assure acceptance. And the second is to give you the reward of fasting an entire year. If you fast 30 days, Ramadan is 30 days, you times it by 10, the minimum you get for any deed is 10. 3 x 10 = 300. 300 days is not the entire year. There are still about 65 days. So you fast 6 days of Shawwal, 6 x 10 = 60. Because you get 60 for Shawwal. 300 + 60 for the 30 days of Ramadan with 6 days of Shawwal, that is the entire year. You get the reward of the entire year. حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ أَيُّوبَ، وَقُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، وَعَلِيُّ بْنُ حُجْرٍ، جَمِيعًا عَنْ إِسْمَاعِيلَ، - قَالَ ابْنُ أَيُّوبَ حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ، - أَخْبَرَنِي سَعْدُ بْنُ سَعِيدِ بْنِ قَيْسٍ، عَنْ عُمَرَ، بْنِ ثَابِتِ بْنِ الْحَارِثِ الْخَزْرَجِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي أَيُّوبَ الأَنْصَارِيِّ، - رضى الله عنه - أَنَّهُ حَدَّثَهُ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " مَنْ صَامَ رَمَضَانَ ثُمَّ أَتْبَعَهُ سِتًّا مِنْ شَوَّالٍ كَانَ كَصِيَامِ الدَّهْرِ " In Sahih Muslim, whoever fasts Ramadan and follows it with 6 days of Shawwal, it is as though he fasted the entire year or his entire lifetime. Because if you do that every year, then it is as if you fasted your entire lifetime. So fasting Ramadan with the 6 days of Shawwal you get the reward fasting the entire year. Look how blessed! Look how blessed we are! So you get the entire reward of fasting one whole year.
s Now let me tell you how you can get 6 years of reward of fasting by fasting a few days here and there. So 1 year now we got by fasting the month of Ramadan and 6 days of Shawwal - that is one. Let us take it further. The second one is, let’s say you fast every Monday and Thursday. وَحَدَّثَنِي زُهَيْرُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ مَهْدِيٍّ، حَدَّثَنَا مَهْدِيُّ بْنُ مَيْمُونٍ، عَنْ غَيْلاَنَ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ مَعْبَدٍ الزِّمَّانِيِّ، عَنْ أَبِي قَتَادَةَ الأَنْصَارِيِّ، رضى الله عنه أَنَّرَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم سُئِلَ عَنْ صَوْمِ الاِثْنَيْنِ فَقَالَ " فِيهِ وُلِدْتُ وَفِيهِ أُنْزِلَ عَلَىَّ " .
Abu Qutadah radhiAllahu anhu said, in Sahih Muslim, the Prophet ﷺ was asked about fasting Mondays. He said that is the day I was born in, he encouraged them, and that is the day Allah began His revelation to me in. أَخْبَرَنَا إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنِ حَبِيبِ بْنِ الشَّهِيدِ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ يَمَانٍ، عَنْ سُفْيَانَ، عَنْ عَاصِمٍ، عَنِ الْمُسَيَّبِ بْنِ رَافِعٍ، عَنْ سَوَاءٍ الْخُزَاعِيِّ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، قَالَتْ كَانَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَصُومُ الاِثْنَيْنِ وَالْخَمِيسَ . Aishah radhiAllahu anha said in Sunan at-Tirmidhi and an-Nasai and ibn Majah and Albani said it is authentic, that the Prophet ﷺ used to fast every Monday and Thursday – pursue - regularly fast them. So Monday and Thursday. حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو عَاصِمٍ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ رِفَاعَةَ، عَنْ سُهَيْلِ بْنِ أَبِي صَالِحٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " تُعْرَضُ الأَعْمَالُ يَوْمَ الاِثْنَيْنِ وَالْخَمِيسِ فَأُحِبُّ أَنْ يُعْرَضَ عَمَلِي وَأَنَا صَائِمٌ " . قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى حَدِيثُ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ فِي هَذَا الْبَابِ حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ غَرِيبٌ . And in another hadith, Abu Hurairah radhiAllahu anhu in Sunan at-Tirmidhi and it is authenticated by Albani rahimahullah. He said, the deeds reach Allah every Monday and Thursday so I want them to reach Allah while I am doing a good deed of fasting. So now let’s say you got one year for Ramadan and Shawwal. Now you got about 8 Mondays and Thursdays a month approximately. If you fast those, you get more than 2 years reward approximately. How? 8 x 12 = 96 Mondays and Thursdays a year approximately. 96 x 10 = 960. That is 2 years and 4 months. Let us take it further. Let’s say you fast 3 days every month. أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بَشَّارٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدٌ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، ثُمَّ ذَكَرَ كَلِمَةً مَعْنَاهَا عَنْ عَبَّاسٍ الْجُرَيْرِيِّ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عُثْمَانَ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ أَوْصَانِي خَلِيلِي صلى الله عليه وسلم بِثَلاَثٍ الْوِتْرِ أَوَّلَ اللَّيْلِ وَرَكْعَتَىِ الْفَجْرِ وَصَوْمِ ثَلاَثَةِ أَيَّامٍ مِنْ كُلِّ شَهْرٍ . Abu Hurairah said my beloved friend (the Prophet ﷺ) gave me advice three things never to leave. One of them was, never leave fasting 3 days a month. So now, in another hadith, Jubayr ibn Abu Abdullah said, In sunan An-Nasai and authenticated by Al-Albani, siyam if you fast 3 days of every month it is like fasting forever. How? 3 days a month. 3 x 10 = 30. It is like you fasted the whole month. So now you’ve got a third year’s worth of fasting. First one was Ramadan and Shawwal, second one was Mondays and Thursdays, and now three days of every month, and now take the next one. If you fast the day of Arafah. You crown your regular fasting with the day of Arafah. Fasting the day of Arafah will forgive the sins of the year before and the year after. Sins of a year before and a year after. So that is 2 more years of fasting for just fasting 1 day of the year. That is nearly 5-6 years of reward of fasting for fasting just a few days here and there. Abundance in reward for a bit of effort that you give.
Shaytan after Ramadan And another point that we want to talk about is the Shaytan after Ramadan. He is banned, imprisoned, today at Maghrib he is unleashed. He is out wild, and ferocious and miserable. He is wanting to destroy your deeds so don’t let him. He has been in agony watching you do all these good deeds and worship, can’t do nothing about it, he comes ferocious. I say he comes out wild. Because you see on the Eids more sins than you see on normal days. Because he comes energetic and he wants to destroy that which people accomplish. Allah says أَلَمْ أَعْهَدْ إِلَيْكُمْ يَا بَنِي آدَمَ أَن لَّا تَعْبُدُوا الشَّيْطَانَ ۖ إِنَّهُ لَكُمْ عَدُوٌّ مُّبِينٌ - 36:60 Did I not enjoin upon you, O children of Adam, that you not worship Satan - [for] indeed, he is to you a clear enemy
Did I not order you, O children of Aadam that you not worship shaytan? In Surat Ya-Seen. Didn’t I tell you not to worship Shaytan? This verse in Surat Ya-Seen doesn’t mean the devil worshipper. This means anyone who listens to the Shaytan is a slave of the shaytan by the consensus of the ulama at-tafaseer. Look at the sentence and speech of the man who is about to destroy all the deeds you did on judgment day. He is given the right to give his final statement after he is judged. The first person being judged and who gives his statement. وَقَالَ الشَّيْطَانُ لَمَّا قُضِيَ الْأَمْرُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ وَعَدَكُمْ وَعْدَ الْحَقِّ وَوَعَدتُّكُمْ فَأَخْلَفْتُكُمْ ۖ وَمَا كَانَ لِيَ عَلَيْكُم مِّن سُلْطَانٍ إِلَّا أَن دَعَوْتُكُمْ فَاسْتَجَبْتُمْ لِي ۖ فَلَا تَلُومُونِي وَلُومُوا أَنفُسَكُم ۖ مَّا أَنَا بِمُصْرِخِكُمْ وَمَا أَنتُم بِمُصْرِخِيَّ ۖ إِنِّي كَفَرْتُ بِمَا أَشْرَكْتُمُونِ مِن قَبْلُ ۗ إِنَّ الظَّالِمِينَ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ - 14:22 And Satan will say when the matter has been concluded, "Indeed, Allah had promised you the promise of truth. And I promised you, but I betrayed you. But I had no authority over you except that I invited you, and you responded to me. So do not blame me; but blame yourselves. I cannot be called to your aid, nor can you be called to my aid. Indeed, I deny your association of me [with Allah] before. Indeed, for the wrongdoers is a painful punishment."
When the matter is done with, he says verily Allah has promised you a promise of truth. I promised you too. But I betrayed you. He is speaking the truth now. He is on his way to hellfire after he has been judged. I had no authority over you except that I called you and that you responded to me. I had no authority. I didn’t have a whip on you, I didn’t have a gun to your head, I just whispered this to you and you responded to me. Don’t blame me, but blame yourselves. I can’t help you, nor can you help me. We can’t help each other here. This is different. The first person who disbelieves is Shaytan. I disbelieve in that which I ordered you to do. I disown that stuff. You guys are going to follow in my footsteps. Verily, there is painful torment for those who are oppressors, meaning those who wrong themselves or wrong others. And he is escorted away. The first one to be judged gives his final argument and he is led away into hellfire. Basically he is telling you, pity the fool. قَالَ أَرَأَيْتَكَ هَٰذَا الَّذِي كَرَّمْتَ عَلَيَّ لَئِنْ أَخَّرْتَنِ إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ لَأَحْتَنِكَنَّ ذُرِّيَّتَهُ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا - 17:62 [Iblees] said, "Do You see this one whom You have honoured above me? If You delay me until the Day of Resurrection, I will surely destroy his descendants, except for a few."
In Surat al-Isra in verse 62 Allah quotes the Shaytan as saying if you give me respite, if you give me life, more life, I am going to doom and take these people and lead them astray except a few who are righteous. The word the shaytan used is لَأَحْتَنِكَنَّ I will surely bring Aadam’s descendents under my sway. Hannaka means bridling the horse to control it. He is saying I am going to put a leash on him like you put a leash on a camel or a dog and lead him on behind me. And what does Allah say after that? وَلَقَدْ صَدَّقَ عَلَيْهِمْ إِبْلِيسُ ظَنَّهُ فَاتَّبَعُوهُ إِلَّا فَرِيقًا مِّنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ - 34:20 And Iblees had already confirmed through them his assumption, so they followed him, except for a party of believers.
Not only does he get you to do sins, this is one, but he invests in that sin and gets you to do the same sin. How does he do that? He gets you to invite others, friends, you guide someone, you tell them this is where that bar is, this is where that girl is, you hook them up with a girl. Worse than the ones who do the sin are the ones who misguide people to that sin. Can you imagine having a friend so valuable you are willing to bring him a drink or pay for his drink or god forbid this doesn’t happen amongst us but I am giving examples, or you join him in backbiting to make him feel better. As a sin. You want to make him feel better so you join him in backbiting. He gets the pleasure of those sins and the sins and you get the sins. At least he got the pleasure. Now thats true friendship! The torment of Allah, you take it for a friend? You are willing to risk hellfire for a friend like that or anyone? On the judgment day, the woman who carried you in her stomach for 9 months, the father who raised you for so long, the brother, the wife you cherished will come to you for one deed or you can take a sin from her. Begging you, asking you, you run away from them. But you are willing to take sins from this friend that you misguide or do something or say something wrong? On the judgment day and in hell, people go in groups of those whom they did sins with. Their likes. So friendship you choose is a strong determination and indication of where you will be on the judgment day. احْشُرُوا الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا وَأَزْوَاجَهُمْ وَمَا كَانُوا يَعْبُدُونَ - 37:22 [The angels will be ordered], "Gather those who committed wrong, their kinds, and what they used to worship
Gather those who committed the sins and their likes and their kinds and their friends and what they used to do. Gather then together. So the alcohol gets together. And the ones who used to go to the clubs get together. But this time they get together not to go to the club. It is a whole different story. The ones who used to commit adultery and fornication get together in another group. Let’s not go again to somewhere where you are going to commit adultery and fornication. The one who used to backbite and talk bad about righteous believers who are more righteous than him or any believer or any person, join the backbiters together. The ulama who betrayed the ummah there is going to be a special section for them, who went betraying the ummah seeking rank and the pleasure of the kuffar on account of Allah and His messenger get together, but this time it is not a five star hotel or a convention or to meet a high ranking leader. This time it is to be cast in hell. Friendship of the sinful is an avenue for one to be cast in hell may Allah guide us and you from that. Just as friendship of the righteous is an avenue to heaven. The Shaytan unleashed after Ramadan is investing in your sins. He is unleashed and wild. Commit a sin, bring a friend. That doesn’t stop there. The shaytan doesn’t stop there. Next is the shaytan gets you to bolster, and this is the most dangerous investment he does. Most dangerous ever. حَدَّثَنِي زُهَيْرُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ، وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ حَاتِمٍ، وَعَبْدُ بْنُ حُمَيْدٍ، قَالَ عَبْدٌ حَدَّثَنِي وَقَالَ، الآخَرَانِ حَدَّثَنَا يَعْقُوبُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ أَخِي ابْنِ شِهَابٍ، عَنْ عَمِّهِ، قَالَ قَالَ سَالِمٌ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ، يَقُولُ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ " كُلُّ أُمَّتِي مُعَافَاةٌ إِلاَّ الْمُجَاهِرِينَ وَإِنَّ مِنَ الإِجْهَارِ أَنْ يَعْمَلَ الْعَبْدُ بِاللَّيْلِ عَمَلاً ثُمَّ يُصْبِحُ قَدْ سَتَرَهُ رَبُّهُ فَيَقُولُ يَا فُلاَنُ قَدْ عَمِلْتُ الْبَارِحَةَ كَذَا وَكَذَا وَقَدْ بَاتَ يَسْتُرُهُ رَبُّهُ فَيَبِيتُ يَسْتُرُهُ رَبُّهُ وَيُصْبِحُ يَكْشِفُ سِتْرَ اللَّهِ عَنْهُ " . قَالَ زُهَيْرٌ " وَإِنَّ مِنَ الْهِجَارِ " . In Bukhari and Muslim on the authority of Abu Hurairah radhiAllahu anhu the Prophet ﷺ said, all my ummah are in good status except the mujahiroon, who are vocal, who are loud, who are bolsters. Who are they? Here the Prophet explains what a mujahir is, what a bolster is. He explains that himself because it is important. He said it is for one to commit a sin at night and wakes up in the day with no one knowing and he goes and exposes that which Allah hid for him. He says so and so, I went yesterday and did this and that. He sleeps with Allah concealing his sin and wakes up revealing that which Allah concealed. This hadith is nearly saying everyone is in good status, everyone has hope, but these type of people. This hadith is in Bukhari and Muslim. This could change a minor sin to a major sin or kufr. And it could change a major sin to kufr. Look how the Shaytan plays, bolstering could change that. Ibn Uthaymeen rahimahullah, when he taught us Riyadh as-Saliheen, he said a statement and I am going to nearly quote it in translation. He said if someone went to a country and says I went to so and so bar, and I went to so and so sin and he shows off and bolsters, that is indicative that he thinks that it is halal. And considering a sin halal is kufr. And then he said that in a shariah law, he gets the capital punishment. The Shaytan then makes you think that these are small sins, these are nothing. These are tiny little things, everyone is doing them. Investment in sin one after another. At least you’re not doing a major sin, these are a minor things. Ibn Masood radhiAllahu anhu said, the Prophet ﷺ said I warn you of those sins about sins which you think are nothing. They gather and accumulate to a man to a person until they destroy him. And that is the meaning of the poem of Ash-Shafi Leave sin big and small, this is taqwa. Be like the one walking on thorns, dreading what he sees. Don’t underestimate the minute (small), for mountains are made of small stones Leave all sins, small and big, that’s taqwa. Do as someone who is walking over thorns. Don’t belittle any small sin or any kind of sin Because mountains are made of little stones and gravel. In Ahmad and al-Tirmidhi narrated, Al-Albani authenticated on the authority of Abu Hurairah radhiAllahu anhu, the Prophet ﷺ said حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ، حَدَّثَنَا اللَّيْثُ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَجْلاَنَ، عَنِ الْقَعْقَاعِ بْنِ حَكِيمٍ، عَنْ أَبِي صَالِحٍ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " إِنَّ الْعَبْدَ إِذَا أَخْطَأَ خَطِيئَةً نُكِتَتْ فِي قَلْبِهِ نُكْتَةٌ سَوْدَاءُ فَإِذَا هُوَ نَزَعَ وَاسْتَغْفَرَ وَتَابَ سُقِلَ قَلْبُهُ وَإِنْ عَادَ زِيدَ فِيهَا حَتَّى تَعْلُوَ قَلْبَهُ وَهُوَ الرَّانُ الَّذِي ذَكَرَ اللَّهُ : ( كلاَّ بَلْ رَانَ عَلَى قُلُوبِهِمْ مَا كَانُوا يَكْسِبُونَ ) " . قَالَ هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ . When a believer makes a mistake, a dot is placed in his heart. Al Jawahiri who gave definitions of terms said nuqtah, a dot. If he repents and stops doing it, then his heart becomes white and pure, clean again. That is all that he has to do. That dot will go away. A couple of dots will go away. And if he doesn’t repent then that heart turns black, all black, and that’s what Allah means in the ayah كَلَّا ۖ بَلْ ۜ رَانَ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِم مَّا كَانُوا يَكْسِبُونَ - 83:14 No! Rather, the stain has covered their hearts of that which they were earning.
Why do you think atheism is on the rise? Because when dot after dot after dot. Why do you think aqeedah and wala and bara right now are mellowed down and disputed? Matters of aqeedah that the whole ummah united upon are disputed? Because dot after dot the heart turned dark black, now the heart can no longer accept the truth, cannot accept any Quran and sunnah, and now it’s as though its upside down like a cup upside down you are trying to fill it. Can you fill it? وَاصْبِرْ نَفْسَكَ مَعَ الَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ رَبَّهُم بِالْغَدَاةِ وَالْعَشِيِّ يُرِيدُونَ وَجْهَهُ ۖ وَلَا تَعْدُ عَيْنَاكَ عَنْهُمْ تُرِيدُ زِينَةَ الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا ۖ وَلَا تُطِعْ مَنْ أَغْفَلْنَا قَلْبَهُ عَن ذِكْرِنَا وَاتَّبَعَ هَوَاهُ وَكَانَ أَمْرُهُ فُرُطًا - 18:28 And keep yourself patient [by being] with those who call upon their Lord in the morning and the evening, seeking His countenance. And let not your eyes pass beyond them, desiring adornments of the worldly life, and do not obey one whose heart We have made heedless of Our remembrance and who follows his desire and whose affair is ever [in] neglect.
Keep you company patiently of those righteous people who worship their Lord in the morning and afternoon. Who are they? They say in the morning, O Allah guide us to worship you. And in the evening they say O Allah forgive us for our shortcomings in our ibadah. Note, asking Allah for forgiveness of their lack of ibadah, not for their sins. Their standards are high. They are not saying O Allah forgive us for sins, they didn’t do the sins. Their life revolves around asking Allah blessings to worship Him and forgiveness of their shortcomings in ibadah. Today the lives many have today have become from sins to sins. May Allah guide and protect us, and protect those who are listening, and keep us steadfast, and forgive our shortcomings, and bless this ummah and give our brothers and sisters victory and hasten the release of our brothers wherever prisons they are, and may Allah reward you for all that you have done.