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Al-Ihtidaa Ila Al-Haqq Fi Ramadan

July 19, 2012

People often say things like: (One’s heart has hardened due to politics, disputes, news about Muslims, and massacres. We want something about Ramadan that softens hearts). But my brothers and sisters, we do not want to escape reality. Instead, we want to use Ramadan to change the conditions of Muslims and clear our responsibility before Allah the Almighty. How? Personal Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/EyadQunaibi

Twitter account: @EYADQUNAIBI

Guidance to Truth in Ramadan

Peace be upon you and the mercy of God and His blessings, This word is about welcoming the blessed month of Ramadan.

Ramadan: An Opportunity for Change, Not an Escape from Reality

Brothers and sisters, we have a noble guest; the month of Ramadan, fasting in which with faith and seeking reward, expiates for the sins committed before it.

Here is an important point; people often say things like: "One's heart has hardened from politics, disputes, news of Muslims, and massacres. We want something about Ramadan that softens the hearts." But my brothers, we do not want to escape from reality, but rather we want to utilize Ramadan to change reality and clear our conscience before God, the Almighty.

The Ummah at a Critical Juncture and the Need for Discernment

The Ummah is now going through a critical stage; our nation has risen against injustice and toppled thrones it had suffered from for decades, to the extent that the forces of disbelief and hypocrisy feared it. However, these forces did not take long to contain this uprising, sometimes through enticement and other times through intimidation.

Now, the victories of the Ummah are threatened with being hijacked, and this critical period seems that it will determine the contours of the coming decades. Muslims are confused: what should they do? How can they fulfill their duty and support their religion? The methodologies proposed in this regard are diverse; what one sees as supporting the religion, another sees as destroying it.

How can we obtain this discernment? How can we obtain this criterion? God, the Almighty, says: {O you who have believed, if you fear Allah, He will make for you a criterion.} Therefore, what is required is that we fear Allah.

Piety: The Supreme Objective of Fasting

How can we attain this piety in Ramadan? God, the Almighty, says: {O you who have believed, prescribed upon you is fasting, as it was prescribed upon those before you that you may become pious.}

Therefore, this is the most important and noble objective of fasting: to attain piety. And with piety, we attain the criterion, and with the criterion, we know right from wrong, so we can serve the religion of God, the Almighty, in the way He loves and is pleased with. Therefore, the most noble objective in Ramadan is to stock up on piety: {And take provision, for indeed, the best provision is piety.}

Liberation from Confusion by the Light of Revelation

Brothers and sisters, a new period has passed for the Ummah, and Muslims are lost and confused. We want to come out of Ramadan with the state of confusion and bewilderment ended. We want to approach the reading of the Quran in Ramadan with hearts free from any preconceived notions, and then God will open for us and guide us to the path He loves for us to follow. The Quran will draw for us the straight path by which we can measure principles, methodologies, and ideas.

We want to approach Ramadan and its obligatory and voluntary acts with hearts containing what the Prophet peace be upon him reported from his Lord, the Almighty, that He said: "Whoever shows enmity to one of My friends, I have declared war against him. My servant does not draw near to Me with anything more beloved to Me than what I have made obligatory upon him. My servant continues to draw near to Me with voluntary acts until I love him. And when I love him, I am his hearing with which he hears, his sight with which he sees, his hand with which he strikes, and his foot with which he walks."

"I am his hearing with which he hears" means that the servant hears with God, and sees with God; and then the light of God guides him to the truth in what he hears and sees. The one who hears with God and sees with God does not allow falsehood to enter his heart through his hearing and sight, but rather what pleases God enters his heart.

Practical Steps to Attain Piety

To be among those who respond to the call of God: {Be supporters of Allah}, this has sweetness. And if God, the Almighty, grants us the ability to dedicate our lives to defending His religion, supporting the causes of His servants the Muslims, and making God beloved to His creation, all of this has a sweetness that cannot be equaled.

Let us welcome Ramadan with this hope: that God illuminates our intellects, guides our hearts, and grants us the criterion to know the truth and serve the religion of God and call to Him, the Almighty, as He loves and is pleased with. And to attain the piety that qualifies us for these goals, we want in this month:

To increase our sensitivity in holding ourselves accountable for our sins, no matter how small they may be.
To stay away from disputes, self-righteousness, arguments, and belittling our Muslim brothers.
To strive for sincerity and humility to the truth.
To maintain congregational prayer in the mosque and maintaining the ties of kinship.
To initiate reconciliation with any Muslim we have neglected, whether we are the oppressor or the oppressed.
To be cautious in returning rights to their owners.
To stock up on reciting the Quran, performing Taraweeh prayers, and remembering God, the Almighty.

{And take provision, for indeed, the best provision is piety.} O God, employ us in Your obedience, make us among Your supporters, and benefit us with what we have heard. And peace be upon you and the mercy of God and His blessings.