Ramadan Reflections - Juz 19-21
Ramadan 2022 - Juz 19
أَرَءَيْتَ مَنِ ٱتَّخَذَ إِلَـٰهَهُۥ هَوَىٰهُ أَفَأَنتَ تَكُونُ عَلَيْهِ وَكِيلًا ٤٣
“Have you seen ˹O Prophet˺ the one who has taken their own desires as their god? Will you then be a keeper over them?” — Quran 25:43
Taking one’s own desire as a god means to prioritise desires over all else. To always be at the whims of what one fancies, whatever fleeting caprice comes to a person they follow it without real question or intention. Living a life of hedonism.
Even if all the desires are halal, this prioritisation of one’s own wants and desires over all else, is still just “halal hedonism”!
A healthy diet wouldn’t work like this, one would just snack whenever they felt peckish! A physical diet requires focus and discipline. Likewise to live a life that is healthy mentally and spiritually requires discipline and focus.
The modern brain is so over-stimulated, people often live their lives on auto-pilot, going to work, watching TV, scrolling social media, eating indulgent foods without giving a second thought to their intention behind it all. What’s the overall purpose? What are we aiming to achieve? What is all of this in service of?
"رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، يَقُولُ : " إِنَّمَا الْأَعْمَالُ بِالنِّيَّاتِ، وَإِنَّمَا لِكُلِّ امْرِئٍ مَا نَوَى
"The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Indeed actions are considered by intentions, and a person will get the reward according to his intention." [Sahih]
We should be clear on our intention — always being true to our goals and thinking about the bigger picture. We should have the self-discipline to transcend fleeting whims, and to act on what we know is best for us.
This is as simple as taking 10 seconds to pause and think about our intention and purpose before performing an action. Making sure we are on track with what is important to us in our lives overall. Making sure we are not just idling away time on auto-pilot and doing what feels pleasurable in the short term.
Be bored - less stimulated
There are times to work and time to play, we shouldn’t just work all the time if that is our routine and nor should we just play and indulge all the time when that is our craving. We should however moderate ourselves and take each aspect of life in it’s due balance.
This discipline is better for ourselves in the long term. Discipline speaks to the human condition’s need to be metered and controlled. We are with our self, our ego, our nafs at all times like a horse and a rider. We sit atop the beast as a driver, if we rein in and control our ego we can quickly travel the path to success.
If however we let our ego and our desires take control, then we will be carried away by this wild beast wherever it wants. Somewhere that feels good in the short term, without any thinking to what we want or need in the long-term.
The human desires are not forbidden in Islam, everything has its place. Ramadan is sent to show us that balance. How much richer are our lives when we don’t just indulge in constant snacking because we’re bored? Rather we save up our hunger for the sake of God.
During the day this gives us a clear intention. We are able to get through our fasts thinking of God and the greater picture. Knowing that we are giving up something temporary to please God.
Our intention is clear once again when it’s time to break our fast. We build up to a lovely meal with family and friends, seeking to enjoy ourselves and have enough energy for the day to come.
In these last ten nights, let us be clear with our intentions and reflect on what we are doing. Let us not wander around following the crowd like a herd, rather let us think about what is most important to us, what is most pleasing to God, and how we can most effectively live a life that is pleasing to Him.
أَمْ تَحْسَبُ أَنَّ أَكْثَرَهُمْ يَسْمَعُونَ أَوْ يَعْقِلُونَ ۚ إِنْ هُمْ إِلَّا كَٱلْأَنْعَـٰمِ ۖ بَلْ هُمْ أَضَلُّ سَبِيلًا ٤٤
“Or do you think that most of them listen or reflect? They are only like cattle—no, more than that, they are astray from the ˹Right˺ Way!” — Quran 25:44
Ramadan 2022 - Juz 20
وَإِنَّ رَبَّكَ لَذُو فَضۡلٍ عَلَى ٱلنَّاسِ وَلَـٰكِنَّ أَكۡثَرَهُمۡ لَا یَشۡكُرُونَ
“Surely your Lord is ever Bountiful to humanity, but most of them are ungrateful.” — Qur’an 27:73 - 74
When we think about our lives, so much has happened. Many trials but so much more goodness.
We sometimes focus on the trials, feelings stressed and down. We can feel like we have been victimised and treated unfairly. We can just as easily though chose to focus on the good things in life, how lucky we are just to have many basic amenities that for others would be considered luxuries. Even to have a functioning body and to be able to walk, talk, think and even read is a great blessing not everyone is granted.
When we frame things like this we can’t help but feel humbled at how much we were lucky enough to be given. Not due to ourselves or our own work, but more often than not due to factors outside of our control. Be that the circumstances we were born into. Someone who gave us a favour, helped us to get a job, or a connection that helped us with something else.
Studies have shown that being grateful increases people in happiness, Likewise Allah tells us in the Qur’an
وَإِذْ تَأَذَّنَ رَبُّكُمْ لَئِن شَكَرْتُمْ لَأَزِيدَنَّكُمْ ۖ وَلَئِن كَفَرْتُمْ إِنَّ عَذَابِى لَشَدِيدٌۭ ٧
“And ˹remember˺ when your Lord proclaimed, ‘If you are grateful, I will certainly give you more. But if you are ungrateful, surely My punishment is severe.’ ” — Quran 14:7
Not only will we will feel more content with what we have, but Allah tells us that he will give us more on top of that. What could be better than contentedness and increase?
Ultimately true wealth is in contentment. Feeling like one has enough and being free of want.
This goes both ways, being content not only in our blessings, but also being content in our trials:
لَا يُكَلِّفُ ٱللَّهُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا وُسْعَهَا ۚ لَهَا مَا كَسَبَتْ وَعَلَيْهَا مَا ٱكْتَسَبَتْ ۗ
“God does not burden any soul with more than it can bear: each gains whatever good it has done, and suffers its bad.”— Qur’an 2:286
In time we know that nothing that comes our way will ever be too much for us. Allah promises us this. When we reflect on our life, how many times were we in a hard situation, but how many times was it really ruining? Eventually we got out or managed to bounce back. As with all aspects of growth, we have to be pushed to our limit, to learn to extend ourselves, grow and become better people.
قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " عَجَبًا لأَمْرِ الْمُؤْمِنِ إِنَّ أَمْرَهُ كُلَّهُ خَيْرٌ وَلَيْسَ ذَاكَ لأَحَدٍ إِلاَّ لِلْمُؤْمِنِ إِنْ أَصَابَتْهُ سَرَّاءُ شَكَرَ فَكَانَ خَيْرًا لَهُ وَإِنْ أَصَابَتْهُ ضَرَّاءُ صَبَرَ فَكَانَ خَيْرًا لَهُ "
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: “Amazing are the ways of a believer for there is good in every affair of his and this is not the case for anyone except for the believer. For if he has an occasion to feel delight, he thanks (God), thus there is a good for him in it. If he gets into some hardship he endures it patiently and there is a good for him in it.”
Finally, when it comes to the after life and the day of judgement, each person will be judged according to what their own ability was. Someone who was extremely wealthy will be held accountable for how they spent their wealth, were they generous in giving to charity, or miserly and tight-fisted? Someone who wasn’t given so much wealth will be held to account for what they did have, be that their time or ability, did they spend it well, serving others and doing good that was pleasing to Allah?
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَلْتَنظُرْ نَفْسٌۭ مَّا قَدَّمَتْ لِغَدٍۢ ۖ وَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ خَبِيرٌۢ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ ١٨
“O believers! Be mindful of Allah and let every soul look to what ˹deeds˺ it has sent forth for tomorrow. And fear Allah, ˹for˺ certainly Allah is All-Aware of what you do.” — Quran 59:18
Further reading:
https://sunnah.com/nawawi40/25
Ramadan 2022 - Juz 21
وَمَا هَـٰذِهِ ٱلۡحَیَوٰةُ ٱلدُّنۡیَاۤ إِلَّا لَهۡوࣱ وَلَعِبࣱۚ وَإِنَّ ٱلدَّارَ ٱلۡـَٔاخِرَةَ لَهِیَ ٱلۡحَیَوَانُۚ لَوۡ كَانُوا۟ یَعۡلَمُونَ
“This worldly life is no more than play and amusement. But the Hereafter is indeed the real life, if only they knew.” — Qur’an 29:64
How long do we have on earth. In the grand scheme of history it’s small. Most of us will live less than a hundred years.
It may seem like a lot in the moment, but just like a stressful exam or an evening of fun, it runs its course and is done. How much do we remember of the past trials and the nights gone by? Things seem so small and simple when looking back.
What about the things that are harder to forget? An exceptionally kind deed; A caring word in a time of hardship; a helping hand in a time of need.
We remember the good times and the good company. We remember the emotions and how we felt at various junctures. We remember how happy we felt and we relive that joy over and over again in our memory.
It’s those strong feelings that we remember over the course of our lives. What will be left with at the end of our lives?
If our hearts are aligned with goodness and God then we will be drawn towards, and comfortable, doing good and righteous deeds. We will look back with a full heart thinking of the good times we had.
إِنَّ ٱلْأَبْرَارَ لَفِى نَعِيمٍ ٢٢
عَلَى ٱلْأَرَآئِكِ يَنظُرُونَ ٢٣
تَعْرِفُ فِى وُجُوهِهِمْ نَضْرَةَ ٱلنَّعِيمِ ٢٤
“Surely the virtuous will be in bliss,
˹seated˺ on ˹canopied˺ couches, gazing around.
You will recognize on their faces the glow of delight.”
— Quran 83:22-24
It’s not just in paradise that righteous people will find bliss, but also in this life. Goodness encourages goodness and leads people to live happier, more wholesome and fulfilled lives. Achieving a state of bliss in this life and the next, insha’Allah.
مَن كَاوَمَن جَـٰهَدَ فَإِنَّمَا يُجَـٰهِدُ لِنَفْسِهِۦٓ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَغَنِىٌّ عَنِ ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ ٦
“And whoever strives ˹in Allah’s cause˺, only does so for their own good. Surely Allah is not in need of ˹any of˺ His creation.” — Quran 29:6
All people are born in a state of goodness, fitrah; inclined towards goodness and seeking something bigger than themselves. Seeking to draw closer to God.
If our hearts are crusted over and blocked from the light, we may struggle to align our actions with what we know intrinsically is good.
We can work on ourselves, by continuously trying to do good, continuously improving. We do this while repenting for any mistakes and aiming to draw closer to Allah — healing our hearts in the process.
نَ يَرْجُوا۟ لِقَآءَ ٱللَّهِ فَإِنَّ أَجَلَ ٱللَّهِ لَـَٔاتٍۢ ۚ وَهُوَ ٱلسَّمِيعُ ٱلْعَلِيمُ ٥
“Whoever hopes for the meeting with Allah, ˹let them know that˺ Allah’s appointed time is sure to come. He is the All-Hearing, All-Knowing.” — Quran 29:5
Ultimately our time is written for all of us, we can’t know if it will be in three decades or three hours. But what’s important is what happens after that, everyday in between is a steeping stone to that day.
How will people remember us and feel our passing? Will people be relieved that an oppressive force has been removed from their lives. Or will they miss the goodness and the light we brought to our families and communities.
What will our scales show?
ثُمَّ لَتُسْـَٔلُنَّ يَوْمَئِذٍ عَنِ ٱلنَّعِيمِ
“Then, on that Day, you will definitely be questioned about ˹your worldly˺ pleasures.” — Quran 102:8