Ramadan Reflections - Juz 4-6
Ramadan 2022 - Juz 4
وَلَقَدْ نَصَرَكُمُ ٱللَّهُ بِبَدْرٍۢ وَأَنتُمْ أَذِلَّةٌۭ ۖ فَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ ١٢٣
Indeed, Allah made you victorious at Badr when you were ˹vastly˺ outnumbered. So be mindful of Allah, perhaps you will be grateful. — Quran 3:123
At the battle of Badr when the Muslims were outnumbered three to one, the Muslims stood strongly, with courage and placed their trust in Allah.
They didn’t know how they would defeat a much richer and better equipped faction. But true wealth is in the heart, it is belief in Allah. Allah is the only one that grants victory and success. The Muslims had trust that Allah would grant them victory — and they were greatly triumphant.
In our own lives, it may look from the outside like things aren’t going our way, it may seem that we don’t see where help or success will come from, we may not see any openings for what we seek but we must always trust in Allah that His promise is true. He is the one that grants success.
We may not know from where. We may not be able to see any possible avenue or hope in a given situation, but we just have to be mindful of Allah, bear in mind how far he has brought us, that everything has worked out until this point, and everything will continue to work out.
As Allah tells us in the Qur’an:
فَٱذْكُرُونِىٓ أَذْكُرْكُمْ وَٱشْكُرُوا۟ لِى وَلَا تَكْفُرُونِ ١٥٢
So remember Me; I will remember you. Be thankful to Me, and never ungrateful. — Quran 2:152
Ramadan 2022 - Juz 5
۞ يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ كُونُوا۟ قَوَّٰمِينَ بِٱلْقِسْطِ شُهَدَآءَ لِلَّهِ وَلَوْ عَلَىٰٓ أَنفُسِكُمْ أَوِ ٱلْوَٰلِدَيْنِ وَٱلْأَقْرَبِينَ ۚ إِن يَكُنْ غَنِيًّا أَوْ فَقِيرًۭا فَٱللَّهُ أَوْلَىٰ بِهِمَا ۖ فَلَا تَتَّبِعُوا۟ ٱلْهَوَىٰٓ أَن تَعْدِلُوا۟ ۚ وَإِن تَلْوُۥٓا۟ أَوْ تُعْرِضُوا۟ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ خَبِيرًۭا ١٣٥
O believers! Stand firm for justice as witnesses for Allah even if it is against yourselves, your parents, or close relatives. Be they rich or poor, Allah is best to ensure their interests. So do not let your desires cause you to deviate ˹from justice˺. If you distort the testimony or refuse to give it, then ˹know that˺ Allah is certainly All-Aware of what you do. — Quran 4:135
Islam calls us to justice and to stand up to oppression wherever we see it. Be that in ourselves, our family or anyone else we may naturally be united with. We must always stand for what is right, even when difficult.
In a Hadith of the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) he told us:
"مَنْ رَأَى مِنْكُمْ مُنْكَرًا فَلْيُغَيِّرْهُ بِيَدِهِ، فَإِنْ لَمْ يَسْتَطِعْ فَبِلِسَانِهِ، فَإِنْ لَمْ يَسْتَطِعْ فَبِقَلْبِهِ، وَذَلِكَ أَضْعَفُ الْإِيمَانِ"
“Whosoever of you sees an evil, let him change it with his hand; and if he is not able to do so, then [let him change it] with his tongue; and if he is not able to do so, then with his heart — and that is the weakest of faith.”
We learn from this the value of acting on what we see, and standing up for what is right, with our actions, and if not with our actions then at least with our words and in the very least, we should at least acknowledge evil and injustice when we see it, even if we’re not able to stop it.
This sort of injustice referred to could refer to anything and is applicable at all levels of the human condition, across social hierarchies. This could be oppression of a man bullying his children, or could even be at the level of a state bullying its citizens. Our sphere of influence means we are probably more likely to be able to intervene in the family situation, but when we see any people being oppressed we should hate to see injustice being spread on God’s earth. We do what we can, how we can.
At the end of the day success is from Allah. After we have done what we can, we leave the result to Him. No matter if we were able todo a little or a lot, we leave the result to Him and accept that the result is only in his hands, we take the means and then pray to Him that He accepts and grants respite to the oppressed and the suffering.
مَّآ أَصَابَكَ مِنْ حَسَنَةٍۢ فَمِنَ ٱللَّهِ ۖ وَمَآ أَصَابَكَ مِن سَيِّئَةٍۢ فَمِن نَّفْسِكَ ۚ وَأَرْسَلْنَـٰكَ لِلنَّاسِ رَسُولًۭا ۚ وَكَفَىٰ بِٱللَّهِ شَهِيدًۭا ٧٩
Whatever good befalls you is from Allah and whatever evil befalls you is from yourself. We have sent you ˹O Prophet˺ as a messenger to ˹all˺ people. And Allah is sufficient as a Witness.
— Quran 4:79
Ramadan 2022 - Juz 6
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ إِذَا قُمْتُمْ إِلَى ٱلصَّلَوٰةِ فَٱغْسِلُوا۟ وُجُوهَكُمْ وَأَيْدِيَكُمْ إِلَى ٱلْمَرَافِقِ وَٱمْسَحُوا۟ بِرُءُوسِكُمْ وَأَرْجُلَكُمْ إِلَى ٱلْكَعْبَيْنِ ۚ وَإِن كُنتُمْ جُنُبًۭا فَٱطَّهَّرُوا۟ ۚ وَإِن كُنتُم مَّرْضَىٰٓ أَوْ عَلَىٰ سَفَرٍ أَوْ جَآءَ أَحَدٌۭ مِّنكُم مِّنَ ٱلْغَآئِطِ أَوْ لَـٰمَسْتُمُ ٱلنِّسَآءَ فَلَمْ تَجِدُوا۟ مَآءًۭ فَتَيَمَّمُوا۟ صَعِيدًۭا طَيِّبًۭا فَٱمْسَحُوا۟ بِوُجُوهِكُمْ وَأَيْدِيكُم مِّنْهُ ۚ مَا يُرِيدُ ٱللَّهُ لِيَجْعَلَ عَلَيْكُم مِّنْ حَرَجٍۢ وَلَـٰكِن يُرِيدُ لِيُطَهِّرَكُمْ وَلِيُتِمَّ نِعْمَتَهُۥ عَلَيْكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ ٦
O believers! When you rise up for prayer, wash your faces and your hands up to the elbows, wipe your heads, and wash your feet to the ankles. And if you are in a state of ˹full˺ impurity, then take a full bath. But if you are ill, on a journey, or have relieved yourselves, or have been intimate with your wives and cannot find water, then purify yourselves with clean earth by wiping your faces and hands. It is not Allah’s Will to burden you, but to purify you and complete His favour upon you, so perhaps you will be grateful. — Quran 5:6
The religion is not meant to be a series of hard rules that bind us down. No but rather it is a path to ennoble us and empower our actions while bringing our hearts peace and tranquility.
Wudu before prayer may sometimes seem like a burdensome washing, but it helps us to feel present before praying, it helps us to remain clean and even calm. We should be grateful that we have received such a clean and pure holistic message. This clear guidance is such a great blessing in and of itself. A clean lifestyle of purity — in mind, body and heart.
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱذْكُرُوا۟ نِعْمَتَ ٱللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ إِذْ هَمَّ قَوْمٌ أَن يَبْسُطُوٓا۟ إِلَيْكُمْ أَيْدِيَهُمْ فَكَفَّ أَيْدِيَهُمْ عَنكُمْ ۖ وَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ ۚ وَعَلَى ٱللَّهِ فَلْيَتَوَكَّلِ ٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ ١١
O believers! Remember Allah’s favour upon you: when a people sought to harm you, but He held their hands back from you. Be mindful of Allah. And in Allah let the believers put their trust. — Quran 5:11