Dear brothers we carry on from last week’s reminder on Fasting.
As mentioned last week the 183rd ayat of Sura Baqara mentions
fasting. This is translated to say:
“Fasting is prescribed for you as
it was prescribed for those before you, that you may attain taqwaa.”
We spoke last week of the benefit of attaining God-consciousness
or taqwa through fasting. But what of the other benefits of this blessed act?
The obvious benefit of fasting are the rewards we get from
Allah SWT. The first reminder is regarding fasting in the month of Ramadan. The
imam mentioned the hadith in which the Prophet SAWS said:
“He who observes fasting
during the month of Ramadan with Faith while seeking its reward from Allah,
will have his past sins forgiven.”
Dear brothers, as we can see from this hadith, the reward of
fasting every Ramadan is immense and a real motivator to strive through the
next 30 days and be the best that we can be in our worship, actions and the abstinence
we perform during the daylight hours.
But alongside this, there is an even greater reward worth
remembering. The Prophet SAWS said:
“Indeed your Lord said: ‘Every
good deed is rewarded with ten of the same up to seven hundred times over,
except for fasting. Fasting is for Me, and I shall reward for it.’
Dear brothers, we are being told here that the reward for
fasting is with Allah SWT himself. In other words, this reward is greater than
any measure that we are able to comprehend. It is a reward that is a secret, a
reward that is a mystery kept by your Creator and a reward that will only be
known to you when you return to Him.
These facts alone should compel each of us to commit ourselves
to fasting, both in the month of Ramadan and outside of this month as much as we
are able to do.
Alongside these immense benefits are also the benefits of
the dunya. From health benefits of fasting which have resulted in international
best-sellers of authors who have promoted fasting as a healthy lifestyle, to psychological
benefits of fasting.
One of the benefits often overlooked is referenced in the
following hadith. The Prophet SAWS said:
“those of you who can support a
wife should marry, for it keeps you from looking at strange women and preserves
you from immorality; but those who cannot should devote themselves to fasting,
for it is a means of suppressing sexual desire.”
Dear brothers, we live in a hyper-sexualised society and so
this remedy is required now more than ever. Allah SWT is fully aware of our weaknesses
and He has made fasting a solution for one of them.
And so with the month of Ramadan approaching fast, there is
no better time to get into one of the best habits for our bodies, our minds and
most importantly, for our souls.
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Dear brothers we are fast approaching the best time of the
year, the month of Ramadan is nearly here and this year many can say that they
have missed the blessing of this month more than ever before.
The imam reminded us of the 183rd ayat of Sura
Baqara in which Allah SWT spoke of fasting. It is translated to say:
You who believe, fasting is
prescribed for you, as it was prescribed for those before you, so that you may
be mindful of God.
Dear brothers, as the ayat explains, this is the time where
fasting makes us more mindful of Allah SWT. But what does that mean?
For many people who observe Muslims in this month, they
often mistakenly think that Ramadan equates to starving oneself of food and
water, others think that this month is all about charity as Muslims donate more
in this month than at any other time of the year.
However, the true meaning of the month is explained by the
ayat. By abstaining from food and drink, by giving to charity, by being the
best that we can be in this month, not only are we doing this because of the
reward, but actually we alter our whole selves in this month because we become
more aware of Allah SWT, of His mercy and of His complete influence over every
part of our lives.
And so, we should prepare for this month now so that we are
in the best position to make the most of the 30 days. This reminder concludes
with 5 practical things we can do to prepare:
1)Intention: Make the sincere intention that you want
this Ramadan to be a sacred and special Ramadan.
2)Make a plan: Plan how you would like to spend each day
this Ramadan. Postpone things that can be postponed, and focus on activities that
will benefit you, insha’Allah, in the hereafter. Here are some examples: Set a
target for how much Qur’an you will recite, and make a plan for when you will
recite it. Set a target for how many prayers you will pray at the masjid,
and make a plan for how you will reach this target.
3)Make a du’a list: Make a list of supplications and include
the following: a) your needs for this dunya; b) your needs for the
hereafter; c) the needs of your family members and friends; d) the names of
your friends and family members.
4)Fast beyond just limiting what you eat and drink: Most
people believe fasting is about not drinking or eating, but they have missed
the main reasons why we fast, our tongue is one of the most significant reasons
for breaking our fast not food.
Dear brothers and sisters, we need to understand that
fasting is prohibiting your mind, tongue and body from all impermissible
actions. It is to detox the soul as well as the body from the dirt that has
been accumulated over the past year. Don’t miss the opportunity to reap the
complete rewards of this month.
5)Charity: Figure out how you can spend less on yourself so
you can spend more on the needy during Ramadan. Begin calculating your assets,
so that when Ramadan begins, you are ready to pay your zakat and sadaqah.
Alongside that, get involved in community events, food banks, homeless shelters
and other social causes so that this month maximises your reward with your
Lord.
Dear brothers and sisters, this is the Imaan boost we pray
for all year round. There is no better time than Ramadan to pray for
forgiveness from your Lord. We can do this by making this Ramadan the best in
terms of what we achieve during it. By doing this, we can aim to be of the
people that benefit most from this month in this life and the next insh’Allah.
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Allah SWT says in the Glorious Quran:
The month of Ramadhan [is that] in which was revealed the Qur’an, a guidance for the people and clear proofs of guidance and criterion.
So whoever sights [the new moon of] the month, let him fast it; and whoever is ill or on a journey – then an equal number of other days.
Allah intends for you ease and does not intend for you hardship and [wants] for you to complete the period and to glorify Allah for that [to] which He has guided you; and perhaps you will be grateful.
Dear brothers and sisters, we are reaching the end of this amazing month of blessing and reward insh’Allah and with it comes the celebration of Eid-ul-Fitr.
And prior to that is a charity that Muslims are obliged to give and that is Zakah-al-Fitr also known as Fitrana amongst the Asians amongst us or Sadaqa al-Fitr.
The word Fitr comes from the word Iftar which we know is breaking of the fast and thus this name is given to a charity which is distributed at the end of the fasts of Ramadan.
So what is the purpose of this charity and why is is compulsory or wajib on each Muslim, male or female, young or old?
Well, the primary practical purpose of this is to provide those who fasted with a means of making up for their errors during the month of fasting. After all, this month is a challenge and none of us are perfect. Allah SWT therefore provides us with an ability to perfect ourselves over the course of the month by the act at the end of the month. SubhanAllah!
However, there is even a more significant practical purpose and in this we see the bond that this ummah is blessed with. By paying this charity, we are providing a means for the poor to celebrate the festival of Eid al-Fitr.
Throughout the year, we give khutbas on how as Muslims we shouldn’t celebrate Easter, Christmas and other non-Muslim festivals. Allah SWT has only made permissible for us to celebrate Eid and therefore with this charity nobody is left out of this festival.
This is mentioned in the following Hadith in which Ibn Abbas reported:
The Prophet SAWS made Zakah al-Fitr compulsory so that those who fasted may be purified of their idle deeds and shameful talk (committed during Ramadan) and so that the poor may be fed.
Whoever gives it before the Salah will have it accepted as Zakah, while he who gives it after Salah has given Sadaqah.
Dear brothers and sisters, this brings us onto the final point on this important topic and that is the conditions on giving this particular charity.
We already know that it is obligatory. But how much do we give and when is it meant to be given?
Well, in answer to the first point. We go back to the time of the Prophet SAWS then it was calculated as one Sa’ of dried dates or barley. However, this isn’t literal and so in today’s age we have Zakat al-Fitr calculated for us by the local masjid.
Ours is £x.xx and we are collecting for it at the back of the masjid should you wish to pay.
Secondly, and more importantly, we want to be sure that we don’t miss the deadline for paying it. If one misses the time period without good reason, then he has sinned and cannot make it up.
So when to pay? This charity becomes obligatory from the sunset on the last day of the fasting until the beginning of Eid prayers. Anything paid after the prayer is considered a charity and not specifically this obligatory charity.
However, it can be paid prior to this time also as has been reported by many companions of the Prophet SAWS and so the collection is there at the back for those who dont want to miss the deadline.
Dear brothers and sisters, Alhamdullilah we were given the opportunity to taste Ramadan again this year. Let’s sign off in the best possible way and insh’Allah use it as a springboard for the year ahead.
May Allah SWT enable us to pay Zakat-ul-Fitr, may Allah SWT accept our Zakat-ul-Fitr, and May Allah SWT perfect our Ramadan with Zakat-ul-Fitr.
Ameen walhamdulilahirabilalameen
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Allah SWT says in Sura Al-Baqara, ayat 183:
O you who have believed, decreed upon you is fasting as it was decreed upon those before you that you may become righteous
Dear brothers and sisters, the month of Ramadhan is now in full flow, with most of us accustomed to the hunger, thirst, early meals and late prayers.
There is a sense of buzz in this month, both brought on by the scientific benefits of fasting and of course, the spiritual blessings of this given month.
And one of those blessings has been narrated in the following hadith in which our Prophet SAWS said:
When the first night of Ramadhan arrives, the devils and rebellious Jinn are chained, the gates of Hellfire are closed till no gate thereof is open, and the gates of Paradise are opened till no door thereof is closed.
A caller cries out: “O seeker of good, proceed; O seeker of evil, desist.”
Allah saves some people from Hellfire- and that happens every night.
Dear brothers and sisters, this hadith is shedding some light onto the magnificent blessings of this month. Now is the time to really benefit fully from what this month is offering us spiritually.
Last week, we spoke of the SOS our hearts and soul yearn for throughout the year and this month is the reply sent by Allah SWT.
You’ll know that the Quran was brought down and revealed in this blessed month, and fasting and Quran both will intercede for the slave in Judgement day. Therefore, there is no better time to utilise this fact and begin reciting and reflecting on the book of Allah SWT.
It doesn’t matter how little you are able to read Arabic. In fact, greater reward is given to that person who struggles to read as opposed to a fluent reader.
We have the Quran here at the masjid for anyone wanting to start. We also have the Quran online through our website and there are apps for the Quran recitation to be done throughout the day.
For those who are interested, we are even contemplating a beginner’s course for reading Arabic; speak to myself or someone in the masjid if interested.
Dear brothers and sisters, fasting is so magnificent that it has a special attribute to it that no other act has. It was narrated in the Hadith Qudsi, that the prophet SAWS said:
Every action of the son of Adam is multiplied: by ten times to seven hundred times: then Allah (SWT) said: except fasting, which is for me and I will give the reward myself.
Allahu Akbar. Fasting is so praiseworthy in the sight of Allah SWT, that the reward is so extreme and marvelous, that this dunya cannot contain it; the reward can only be given in the next life, and we can only find out what this extraordinary reward is when we meet Allah SWT
So with the rewards so great, and the day so long, is there anything one can do to help themselves successfully fast in this month?
And thus this ends with 4 tips for Healthy Ramadhan fasting:
- Don’t skip the pre-dawn meal – They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day and in Ramadhan it’s even more important!
- Don’t overeat when opening the fast – It will make you sluggish, suffer indigestion and make night prayers harder.
- Avoid eating fried, salty or high sugar foods – They may make you feel good in the short run, but you will suffer for it in the following day’s fast.
- Drink as much water as possible – Sip water throughout the permissible hours. It will help in the following day’s fast.
Dear brothers and sisters, this is Ramadhan and so let’s make the most of it and use it to replenish our souls and sooth our hearts for the 11 months ahead.
May Allah SWT enable us to appreciate the full blessing of Ramadhan. May Allah SWT enable us to fast in the month of Ramadhan. And may Allah SWT reward us for our efforts in the month of Ramadhan.
Ameen walhamdulilahirabilalameen
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My dear brothers and sisters, the month of Ramadhan is upon us. This month has the potential to carry so much weight for us into the next life. Repeatedly, Allah SWT talks of repentance in the Quran and one example of this is in Sura An-Nur, ayat 31 in which He ends it by saying:
And turn to Allah in repentance, all of you, O believers, that you might succeed.
Dear brothers and sisters, with the month of Ramadan approaching, we need to take full advantage of the month and what it offers to us.
So how can this month serve to assist us in repentance to our Lord? The next hadith illustrates just how much as the Prophet SAWS said:
Whoever fasts, prays nightly prayers in Ramadan with belief and expectation, he is forgiven of his past deeds.
Dear brothers and sisters, we can deduce from this then that the month of Ramadhan is truly a mercy to us. It is a time to rest and revitalise our faith. It is a time to strengthen our connection with our Lord and to polish up on our faith.
For those of us who have been blessed with the ability to fast in this current month, the following advice is one to be mindful of. The Prophet SAWS said:
Do not fast a day or two before Ramadan expect those who used to fast so he can fast
Dear brothers and sisters, this is telling us that the preparation for Ramadan is to be carried out with thought and therefore if you are fasting this month, consider a break in the days leading up to the start of the next month so that you can remain fresh during it.
As Ramadhan approaches it is imperative that we begin thinking about how we can benefit from the journey ahead of us. Here are five simple ways that we can benefit from the month of Ramadhan:
1)Intention Make the sincere intention that you want this Ramadan to be a sacred and special Ramadan.
2)Make a plan: Plan how you would like to spend each day this Ramadan. Postpone things that can be postponed, and focus on activities that will benefit you,insha’Allah, in the hereafter. Here are some examples: Set a target for how much Qur’an you will recite, and make a plan for when you will recite it. Set a target for how many prayers you will pray at the masjid, and make a plan for how you will reach this target.
3)Make adu’a list: Make a list of supplications and include the following: a) your needs for this dunya; b) your needs for the hereafter; c) the needs of your family members and friends; d) the names of your friends and family members.
4)Serve: Go beyond just yourself and your own needs during the month of Ramadan. Before Ramadan begins, find an avenue for community service so you can serve others throughout the month.
5)Charity: Figure out how you can spend less on yourself so you can spend more on the needy during Ramadan. Begin calculating your assets, so that when Ramadan begins, you are ready to pay your zakat and sadaqah.
This month is so much more than just fasting. We know this from the example set by our beloved Prophet SAWS and just to highlight through one hadith, he said:
Fasting is not about stopping food and drink, but it is fasting from useless conversation, marital relations, and if someone bad mouths you then you say ‘I am fasting’
Dear brothers and sisters, this month has the potential for achieving so much for us. This is the SOS call our hearts send out 11 months of the year being answered. This is the remedy from the toll this life has on our hearts outside the month of Ramadan.
And in only a few days time inshAllah it will be here for us all to reap its benefits from.
May Allah SWT allow us all to experience the forthcoming month of Ramadhan. May Allah SWT accept our acts of worship in the month of Ramadhan. And May Allah SWT reward us for our efforts in the month of Ramadhan.
Ameen wal hamdullilahi rabilalameen.
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As we all know from a previous khutba, this is a month that we should not overlook. We are now in the month of Sha’ban and the month carries a lot of blessing in many different ways.
However, there is a night in the month of Sha’ban that needs to be mentioned as it carries a lot of weight and is often overlooked.
The night that is being talked of here is the 15th night of Sha’ban. This night is mentioned in many hadiths but the one mentioned in this khutba is the one in which the Prophet SAWS said:
Allah will oversee the night of Half of Sha’ban his slaves, and will forgive those who ask for forgiveness, and will give mercy to those who are merciful, and will leave the people of hatred as they are.
Another hadith states that the messenger SAWS said:
Allah looks at His creation in the night of mid-Sha’ban; He forgives all His creation except for a polytheist, or one who has illegitimate hatred of others.
Dear brothers and sisters, with this night approaching in the coming week, we need to remember that this month already has us needing to step up our efforts and what better time to ask of Allah SWT than this night?
Sometimes there is confusion on the night itself so to clarify, this will occur on Monday night. That is, this Monday evening after Magrib prayers all the way through Monday night until Tuesday morning at Fajr time.
This is the time that is spoken of in the hadiths mentioned previously. And coming back to the hadith themselves, one can contemplate upon their meaning and deduce practical steps that can be implemented in this night and beyond.
Firstly, as this night approaches one should do a self-audit and rid ourselves of any traces of shirk or polytheism. A word of caution here is that this isn’t just about associating partners with Allah SWT.
For example, scholars state that minor shirk is performed when one makes a show of good deeds. For example, showing off one’s charitable acts, acts of worship or of fasting.
We need to be clear that we are not falling into this category and therefore inadvertently excluding ourselves from the blessings of Allah SWT.
Secondly, we need to soften our hearts to one another. We have an esteemed guest coming next month in the form of the month of Ramadhan and what better preparation is there then reconciling with one another?
With so much animosity around and visible to us all these days, let’s not harbour any ill feelings towards each other. Now is the time to recognise and eliminate hatred, jealousy and envy we may have for others.
Dear brothers and sisters, we live in a world that has distorted into one that flourishes on these traits of Shaitaan. After all, consumerism can only flourish if we are made to feel jealous and envious of one another.
The constant striving for what someone else has got is implanted into us through clever marketing and a powerful media.
However, as healthy as it is to be ambitious, we cannot allow it to encourage feelings of hatred, jealousy and envy for one another.
Therefore, perform that self-audit, recognize and change that mind-set in order to be a recipient on the blessed night next week.
May Allah SWT reward us on the night of mid-Sha’ban. May Allah SWT enable us to be part of the night of mid-Sha’ban. And may Allah SWT reward us for our efforts in the night of mid-Sha’ban.
Ameen Walhamdullilah Rabilalameen.
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With the month of Ramadhan approaching fast, it is easy to focus on this month as it comes with the usual levels of excitement.
However, often we overlook the month preceding it and that is the month of Sha’ban.
Sha’ban is a month that is between two special months in Islam. We have the sacred month of Rajab that we are currently in and of course the holy month of Ramadhan which every Muslim is acutely aware of.
So how should we as Muslims regard this month? The best way to answer this is by reflecting on a hadith of the Prophet SAWS.
Aisha (may Allah SWT be pleased with her) said of the Prophet SAWS:
“He used to fast until we thought that he would always fast, then he would not fast until we thought that he would always not fast, but I never saw him fast in any month more than he fasted in Sha’ban.
He used to fast all of Sha’ban, and he used to fast all of Sha’ban apart from a few days.”
Dear brothers and sisters, as we can see from this hadith upon reflection, it is that the month of Sha’ban is an important month in the Islamic calendar that shouldn’t be overlooked.
It is also apparent that fasting is recommended in this month as our beloved Prophet SAWS fasted in this month.
But as with all things with our beautiful religion, it comes with a side note of moderation so as to not cause hardship.
Therefore it should be kept in mind that the fasts of the month of Sha’ban are for those persons only who are capable of keeping them without causing deficiency in the obligatory fasts of Ramadhan.
After all, there is no logic to keeping fasts in this month if they cause fatigue or ill-health thus rendering the person unable to keep them in the following month.
So, if one fears that after fasting in this coming month, he will lose strength or freshness for the fasts of Ramadhan, he should avoid fasting in this month as the fasts of Ramadhan are obligatory and hence more important than the optional fasts of Sha’ban.
There is another hadith regarding fasting in the month of Sha’ban which is important to note. The Prophet SAWS is reported to have said about Sha’ban:
That is a month to which people do not pay attention, between Rajab and Ramadhan, and it is a month in which deeds are lifted up to the Lord of the Worlds. I like for my deeds to be lifted up when I am fasting.
Dear brothers and sisters, if we analyse this hadith, we can see the importance of fasting in this month. It is clearly a month with the potential for great reward through our deeds, in particular the one of fasting.
It also indicates that there is wisdom in taking advantage of times when others may be negligent. So this month is the time in which we should endeavour to remember Allah SWT more in order to gain the extra reward.
As mentioned earlier, this month is also the one in which we start thinking of the upcoming month of Ramadhan. We start shopping for Iftar food and drinks, Eid presents, Eid clothes etc.
However, we can even take advantage of the shopping, such is the mercy and blessings of Islam, and achieve immense reward whilst we do it.
The answer lies in the following hadith of our beloved Prophet SAWS in which he said:
Whoever enters the market and says: “None has the right to be worshipped except Allah, alone, without partner, to Him belongs all sovereignty and praise. He gives life and causes death, and He is living and does not die. In His hand is all good and He Omnipotent over all things.” ..Allah will wipe a million bad deeds from his record and grant him a million good deeds, and will elevate him a million degree (of virtue)-
([and will build him a house in paradise] in another narration).
Dear brothers and sisters, just think about that for a moment. Here you have two hadiths, one stating how good deeds are lifted to Allah SWT in this month and another stating that by performing the dua, whilst shopping of all things, sisters listen up, you can achieve the reward of a million good deeds.
Not only that, you will wipe a million bad deeds from your record. SubhanAllah! Let’s make it the aim of every single person here today to research this dua with the intention of memorizing it.
Ramadhan may be just over a month away dear brothers and sisters, but we can aim to prepare ourselves for it through our actions in this forthcoming month of Sha’ban.
May Allah SWT give us the will to fast in the month of Sha’ban. May Allah SWT enable us to gain the most from the month of Sha’ban. And may Allah SWT generate the excitement of Ramadhan in our hearts during the month of Sha’ban.
Ameen wal hamdullilahi rabilalameen.
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My dear brothers, the month of Ramadhan is upon us. This sacred month in which the Prophet (SAWS) used to give glad tidings.
This month has the potential to carry so much weight for us into the next life. An Ibn Majah hadith illustrates just how much:
Talha ibn ‘Ubaydallah May Allah be pleased with him, reported that two men came to the Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) who had accepted Islam at the same time. One of them used to partake in Jihad more-so than the other, and so (one day) he fought in a battle and was martyred. The other remained behind him for another year, and then he passed away.
Talha said, ‘I saw in my dream that I was at the door of Paradise when behold, I was with both of them (the two men). Someone came out of Paradise and allowed the man who passed away later to enter first. Then he came out again and allowed the martyred one to enter. Then he returned and said to me, ‘Go back, for your time has not come yet.’
Talha woke up and began to inform others about this and they were all surprised. This reached the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) and when they informed him of it, he said:
He (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) said, ‘What are you surprised about?’They said,‘O Messenger of Allah! Out of them both, this one strove harder (in Jihad) then he was martyred but this other one was entered into Paradise before him.’ The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) said, ‘Did he not remain behind him for one year?’ They said, Yes (he did).’He said, ‘Did he not reach Ramadan, fast and pray with such and such number of prostrations in the year?’ They said, ‘Yes.’ The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) said,‘So the difference between them is greater than what is between the heavens and the earth.’
In another sahih Hadith regarding this sacred month, the Prophet SAWS has mentioned the whisperings of Shaytaan that we all suffer from throughout the year and what impact the sacred month of Ramadhan has on this:
When the month of Ramadan starts, the gates of the heaven are opened and the gates of Hell are closed and the devils are chained
And alongside this, the Prophet Peace be upon him has said:
In it, i.e. Ramadhan, there is a night that is better than a thousand months, whoever loses the benefit of it has lost something irreplaceable.
Dear brothers, we can deduce from this then that the month of Ramadhan is truly a mercy to us. It is a time to rest and revitalise our faith. A time to strengthen our connection with our Lord and to polish up on our faith.
As Ramadhan approaches it is imperative that we begin thinking about how we can benefit from the journey ahead of us. Here are five simple ways that we can benefit from the month of Ramadhan:
1)Intention Make the sincere intention that you want this Ramadan to be a sacred and special Ramadan.
2)Make a plan: Plan how you would like to spend each day this Ramadan. Postpone things that can be postponed, and focus on activities that will benefit you,insha’Allah, in the hereafter. Here are some examples: Set a target for how much Qur’an you will recite, and make a plan for when you will recite it. Set a target for how many prayers you will pray at the masjid, and make a plan for how you will reach this target.
3)Make adu’a list: Make a list of supplications and include the following: a) your needs for this dunya; b) your needs for the hereafter; c) the needs of your family members and friends; d) the names of your friends and family members.
4)Serve: Go beyond just yourself and your own needs during the month of Ramadan. Before Ramadan begins, find an avenue for community service so you can serve others throughout the month.
5)Charity: Figure out how you can spend less on yourself so you can spend more on the needy during Ramadan. Begin calculating your assets, so that when Ramadan begins, you are ready to pay your zakat and sadaqah.
And my dear brothers, in only a few days time inshAllah it will be here for us all to achieve.
May Allah SWT allow us all to experience the forthcoming month of Ramadhan. May Allah SWT accept our acts of worship in the month of Ramadhan. And May Allah SWT enable us to hold on permanently to new good habits we begin in this month of Ramadhan.
Ameen wal hamdullilahi rabilalameen.
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