SOME COMMON MISTAKES IN RAMADAN
Taking Ramadan as a ritual. For many of us, Ramadan has lost its spirituality and has become more of a ritual than a form of worship [Ibaadat].
We fast from morning till night, like a robot, just because everyone around us is fasting too.
We forget that it's a time to purify our hearts and our souls from all evil.... we forget to make dua, forget to beseech Almighty Allaah to forgive us and ask Him to save us from the Fire of Hell.
Sure, we stay away from food and drink but that's about all.
TOO MUCH STRESS ON FOOD AND DRINK
For some people, the ENTIRE month of Ramadan revolves around FOOD.
They spend the entire day planning, cooking, shopping and thinking about only food, instead of concentrating on Salaah, Qur'aan and other acts of worship.
All they can think of is food; so much so that they turn the month of 'fasting' into the month of 'feasting'!
Come Iftaar time, their table is a sight to see, with the multitudes and varieties of food, sweets and drinks.
They are *missing the very purpose of fasting, which is to CONTROL the Nafs of its wants and yearnings*, and thus, they INCREASE in their greed and desires, instead of learning to CURB them.
Remember, too much food is also a kind of waste and extravagance, as Almighty Allaah says:
"....and eat and drink but waste not by extravagance, certainly He (Allaah) likes not Al-Musrifoon (those who waste by extravagance)"
[al-A'raaf :31]
SPENDING ALL DAY COOKING
Some
of the sisters (either by their own choice or forced by their husbands) are
cooking ALL day and ALL night, so that by the end of the day, they are too
tired to even pray Ishaa, let alone pray Taraaweeh or Tahajjud; too exhausted
to even read Qur'aan.
This is the month of mercy and forgiveness, dua and Ibaadah, to increase in your Taqwah and to improve your relationship with Allaah.
And how can you do that if you spend all your time in the kitchen cooking?
So, turn OFF that stove and turn ON your Imaan!
EATING TOO MUCH
Some people stuff themselves at Suhoor until they are ready to burst, because they think this way, they will not feel hungry during the day.
And some people eat at Iftaar, like there is no tomorrow, trying to 'make up for the food they missed.'
However, this is completely against the Sunnah.
Remember, moderation is the key to everything.
The Holy Prophet (Sallal Laahu Alaieh Wa Sallam) said:
"The
son of Hazrat Aadam does not fill any vessel worse than his stomach; for the
son of Hazrat Aadam [Alaiehis Salaam] a
few mouthfuls are sufficient to keep his back straight.
If you must fill it, then, keep one-third for food, one-third for drink and one-third for air."
(Tirmeezi Ibn Maajah.)
Besides, too much food distracts us from obedience and worship, makes us lazy and also makes the heart heedless.
🌿 It was said to Hazrat Imam Ahmad:
"Does
a man find any softness and humility in his heart when he is FULL?"
He
said,
"I do not think so."
Of
what use is the fast as a means of conquering God’s enemy and abating appetite,
if at the time of breaking it one not only makes up for all one has missed
during the daytime, but perhaps also indulges in a variety of extra foods? I
t
has become the custom to stock up for Ramadan with all kinds of foodstuffs, so
that more is consumed during that time than in the course of several other
months put together.
It
is well known that the object of fasting is to experience hunger and to check
desire, in order to reinforce the soul in piety. If the stomach is starved from
early morning till evening, so that its appetite is aroused and its craving
intensified, and it is then offered delicacies and allowed to eat its fill, its
taste for pleasure is increased and its force exaggerated; passions are
activated which would have lain dormant under normal conditions.
The Great Imaam al-Ghazzali
[Rahmatul Laah Alaieh]
SLEEPING ALL DAY
Some people spend their entire day (or a major part of it) 'sleeping away their fast'.
Is this what is really required of us during this noble month?
These people are also missing the very PURPOSE of fasting and just falling prey to laziness and lethargy.
All it needs is to exert a little self-control.
If we sleep all day, how will we TRAIN our ‘Nafs’ to resist desires and learn self-control?
We
are SUPPOSED to feel hungry and thirsty.
And we are SUPPOSED to exert patience and learn to CURB our impulses.
That’s how we learn Taqwa, the very *PURPOSE* of fasting.
WASTING TIME
The month of Ramadan is a precious, *precious* time, so much so that Allaah calls this month "Ayyaamum Ma'doodaat" (A fixed number of days)
(Surah Baqarah: 184).
Before we know it, this month of mercy and forgiveness will be over.
We should try and spend EVERY MOMENT possible in the worship of Allaah so that we can make the most of this blessing.
However, there are some of us who waste away their day playing video games, watching TV, movies or even listening to music.
Subhaan Allaah! Trying to obey Allaah by DISOBEYING him!
FASTING BUT NOT GIVING UP BAD DEEDS
Some of us fast but do not give up lying, cursing, fighting, backbiting, etc. and some of us fast but do not give up cheating, stealing, dealing in haraam, buying lotto tickets, selling alcohol, committing fornication, etc. and all kinds of impermissible things without realizing that the purpose of fasting is to not stay away from food and drink; rather the aim behind it is to fear Allaah.
Our Rabb says:
"O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may become Al-Muttaqoon (the pious)"
al-Baqarah 2:183
🌿 And the Holy Prophet (Sallal Laahu Alaiehi Sallam) said:
"Whoever
does not give up false speech and acting upon it, and ignorance, Allaah has no
need of him giving up his food and drink."
(Al-Bukhaari)
📌 Allaah says:
"He allows them as lawful At Tayyibaat (all good and lawful things) and prohibits them as unlawful Al Khabaa'ith (all evil and unlawful things)."
Soorah Al-A'raaf :157
SKIPPING SUHOOR
Some of us are too lazy or sleepy to eat Suhoor or just don't think it's important.
Even if you don't feel like having a lot of food, just eat something little, a few dates, even a glass of water.
That's because of the following Hadees.
🌿 The Holy Prophet (Sallal Laahu Alaieh Wa Sallam) said:
"Eat suhoor for in suhoor there is blessing."
(Al-Bukhaari, Muslim).
🌿And he (Sallal Laahu Alaieh Wa Sallam) said:
"The thing that differentiates between our fasting and the fasting of the People of the Book is eating suhoor."
(Muslim)
NOT FASTING IF THEY MISSED SUHOOR
Sometimes, our alarm doesn't go off on time and we miss the time for eating, just barely waking up with the Aazan. I'm sure this has happened to all of us one time or another.
In this situation, there are some people who are too scared to fast if they miss Suhoor.
They think they will feel too weak during the day or that, by default, missing Suhoor automatically means NO fast that day.
But, if you think about it, unless a person has a genuine health problem, it is not such a big deal after all.
What if you missed a few morsels of food?
You'll be fine In shaa Allaah.
Alhamdul lil laah most of us have enough fat stored in our bodies to keep us going for several days without food!
Remember, obedience to Allaah takes precedence over everything and takes hard work and perseverance.
Saying the intention to fast 'out loud' or saying a specific dua to start fasting
The
intention is an action of the HEART.
We should resolve in our HEART that we are going to fast tomorrow.
That is all we need.
DELAYING BREAKING FAST
Some people wait until the Azaan finishes or even several minutes after that, just to be 'on the safe side'.
However, the Sunnah is to HASTEN to break the fast, which means breaking fast whenever the Azaan starts, right after the sun has set.
The Holy Prophet (Sallal Laahu Alaieh Wa Sallam) said:
"The people will continue to do well so long as they hasten to break the fast."
(Bukhaari, Muslim)
So, determine to the BEST of your ability, the accuracy of your clock, calendar, etc. and then have tawakkul on Allaah and break your fast exactly on time.
EATING CONTINUOUSLY UNTIL THE TIME FOR MAGHRIB IS UP
Some people put so much food in their plates when breaking their fast and continue eating, enjoying dessert, drinking tea, etc., until they miss Maghrib.
That is obviously not right.
The
Sunnah of the Prophet (Sallal Laahu Alaieh Wa Sallam) was that once he broke
his fast with some dates, them he would *hasten to the prayer*.
Once
you are done with the prayer, you can always go back and eat some more if you
wish.
MISSING THE GOLDEN CHANCE OF HAVING YOUR DUA ACCEPTED
The prayer of the fasting person is guaranteed to be accepted at the time of breaking fast.
The Prophet (Sallal Laahu Alaieh Wa Sallam) said:
"Three
prayers are NOT REJECTED: the prayer of a parent, the prayer of a fasting
person, and the prayer of a traveler."
Instead of sitting down and making Dua at this precious time, some people forego this beautiful chance, and are too busy frying 'samosas', talking, setting the food, filling their plates and pouring drinks into their glasses and they lose this golden opportunity.
Think about it....
Is food more important than the chance to have your sins forgiven or the fulfillment of your Duas?
FASTING BUT NOT PRAYING
REALIZE that the fasting of one who does not pray WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.
The Prophet (Sallal Laahu Alaieh Wa Sallam) said:
"Between
a man and shirk and kufr there stands his giving up prayer."
(Muslim)
No comments
Post a Comment