Ramaḍan is the month of forgiveness and repentance. The word ‘Ramadan’ is derived from ramad which refers to the intense burning heat of the sun. Thus, ‘Ramadan’ is the month in which the sins of the believer are burned by their righteous deeds. The Messenger of Allah (SAW) said, “The five daily prayers, Jumuah to Jumuah, and Ramadan to Ramadan expiate for (the sins perpetrated) in between them, so long as one stays away from the major sins” (Muslim).

But do our people stay away from these major and minor sins? No! Like unrepentant and incorrigible sinners, they go about the land fomenting trouble. If they are not after another man’s wife, the wives are sleeping with another woman’s husband, spreading the ignoble art of fornication in the land. They steal money meant for the community and fight over the spoils in a gale of sacking and impeachments.

They accept bribes from litigants and pervert the course of justice. They are always quick to board the next flight to Mecca to perform Umrah, which they have already started, yet they are the worst offenders in the land. They are not only unjust in the allocation of resources but inequitable in the dispensation of values. Upon all these acts of iniquities, they supplicate every day for forgiveness; but they fail to forgive those that trespass against them.

All of us are sinful. We commit sins and don’t even realize how we are suffering from their consequences. Our sins are not just between us and Allah. They directly impact our families, communities and, ultimately, the entire Ummah. Sins take us far away from Allah and incur His anger and punishment. Sins remove barakah and weaken the heart and the body.

Sins deprive us from doing good deeds, prevent our duas from being accepted, result in a horrible death and lead to suffering in the hereafter. Ibn al-Jawzī (raḥimahullāh) said, “Sins are like a chain around the neck of the sinner. One can only be released from it through istighfār (seeking forgiveness) and tawbah (repentance).”

Sins can seal the heart to the extent that one’s heart becomes numb and no longer accepts any reminder or any form of good. This can lead to one becoming desensitized and not considering a sin as a sin. Sins are the biggest obstacles in our journey to Allah. Sins ruin the heart and make it diseased. Thus, istighfar has to be an essential part of our lives, and more so in Ramaḍan, in which it is far easier to be forgiven.

“Whoever does not feel contentment of the heart and cannot experience the sweetness of iman and the light of guidance, then he should increase in repenting and seeking forgiveness.” – Ibn Taymiyyah (raḥimahullāh)

Just as we must make istighfār for our sins, we must also ask Allah to forgive the deficiencies in our worship and good deeds. We can never fulfil the rights of Allah and worship Him as He deserves to be worshipped.

Ramadan is the month of tawbah (repentance). A month of truly turning with one’s heart to Allah, and humbly apologising to Him. We should dedicate time in Ramadan to reflect on all the sins we have committed throughout our lives. We should feel very bad at having sinned, and we should reflect on our negligence in worshipping Allah. We should think over how Kind and Generous Allah is to us, and how we use these very same blessings to disobey Him.

Allah says, “O believers! Turn to Allah in sincere repentance, so your Lord may erase your sins and admit you into Gardens, under which rivers flow…” (66:8).

For tawbah to be sincere, we have to:

1.    Stop committing the sin; but our people will not stop.  At every turn they empty the community cookie jar. If they had stopped, there would have been enough funds to develop the country, we would not be the poverty capital of the world, our people would have enough to eat and leftover to export.  If they had stopped sinning, our lot as a people would not be so pauperized, we would not be impoverished and our people would no longer be hewers of wood and drawers of water.

2.    Feel a deep sense of regret and remorse over the sin; they have no sense of remorse or regret. Like the proverbial dry fish, they have been hardened and can no longer bend. Hey are unrepentant sinners. They have no resolve to never return to that sin; sinful living has become a way of life.

3.    Make amends if we have wronged another person (e.g. ask their forgiveness or supplicate for them). Arrogant and irredeemable, they will never make amends.

Let us make sincere tawbah to Allah in this month. Our sincere tawbah must also include a firm resolve to not return to the sin, especially when Ramadan is over.

Tawbah is a gift from Allah. We can only make tawbah if Allah allows us to do so (tawfīq). Allah turns towards us first, after which we turn to Him in repentance; and then He accepts our repentance.

Allah says: “…Then He turned towards them, so that they may repent. Surely, Allah is the Acceptor of repentance, the Very Merciful” (Quran 9:118).

Sometimes Shaytan may delude us into thinking that we still have time, and that we will make tawbah in the latter part of our lives. However, there is no guarantee for life. We should make tawbah today, so that we do not regret it when it is too late. It has been said that if the deceased in the grave were able to communicate with us, they would tell us that their greatest desire would be to be able to return to the world, even for a fraction of a moment, and make sincere tawbah to Allah.

“The best day in a servant’s life is undoubtedly the day in which he turns to Allah in repentance, and Allah accepts His repentance” – Ibn al-Qayyim (raḥimahullāh)

There is no one who forgives like Allah. No matter what we may have done, Allah is waiting for us to turn to Him with sincerity and humility, and beg Him to forgive us. He is al-Ghafur (The All-Forgiving) and al-Ghafar (The Most Forgiving). He says: “Say, (O Prophet, that Allah says,): O My servants who have transgressed against their souls! Do not lose hope in Allah’s mercy, for Allah certainly forgives all sins. He is indeed the All-Forgiving, Most Merciful” (Quran 39:53).

Not only does Allah forgive, but he loves those who constantly repent and seek His forgiveness. From His immense kindness, He instructs His angels – including the Bearers of the Throne – to supplicate for our forgiveness!

As humans, we struggle to forgive each other, let alone reciprocate evil with good. Allah, on the other hand, does not only conceal and forgive, but He also “changes their evil deeds into good ones” (25:70). Moreover, He showers us with worldly blessings as a result of us seeking forgiveness, including wealth, children and strength (see 71:12 and 11:52). Allāhu Akbar!

Tawbah is an essential ingredient in every stage of a servant’s journey to his Lord, and it is something we must renew all the time. It is inevitable that we are going to sin; but each time we sin, we should rush to make tawbah, so that the sins do not corrode our hearts.

This Ramaḍān, our goal should be to reach the level of inābah. Inābah is the stage after tawbah and it consists of repeatedly turning to Allah with love and humility; and to turn away from others.

Allah says, “But Paradise will be brought close to the righteous and will no longer be distant. ‘This is what you were promised — for everyone who turned often to Allah in sincere repentance and preserved (His commands); who were in awe of the All-Merciful without seeing Him; and have come with a heart which is munīb (turned in devotion to Him)” (Quran 50:31-35).

Our thieving leaders have their knees on our neck and ‘We can’t breathe’. People are suffocating in man-induced poverty, unemployment, want, impoverishment and mystery as a result of the iniquities and self aggrandizement of our leaders. Hope has been betrayed, expectations frustrated and individual efforts have muzzled.  There is a need for the leadership to atone for their sins against the poor and the wretched of our clime. They should repent and ask God for forgiveness. The suffering of our people has reached God in Heaven and He is not pleased.

Unfortunately, when the wrath of God is unleashed, there would be weeping and gnashing of teeth. According to the Book of Ecclesiastes 3:1;”To everything there is a time and a purpose and season under the heavens”. Accordingly, there is a time to enslave and a time to set the captives free. Now is the time. Let our leaders learn from the lesson from other parts of the world. People here can protest too; and when there is nothing more for the poor to eat, they would ‘eat the rich’. May Allah al-Tawwab (The Acceptor of repentance) always turn to us so that we turn to Him. May He always accept our tawbah and grant us the gift of inabah.

Barka Juma’at and Happy weekend.  Ramadan Kareem.

Millions of Muslims travel to Mecca from across the globe to perform Umrah, an act of worship and devotion. Umrah has however become very fashionable during Ramadan and especially the last 10 days. The Kaaba becomes so congested that the uninitiated mistake the milling crowd for Hajj performance. Though Umrah is a form of Hajj, yet, Umrah cannot be equated to Hajj. At the onset, it must be realized that Umrah is not a pillar of Islam like the Hajj, which is enjoined for all Muslims with the caveat of affordability.

Umrah is the name given to a shorter version of the annual Hajj gathering. Umrah can be undertaken at any time of the year, in contrast to the Hajj “pilgrimage”, which has specific dates according to the Islamic lunar calendar.

Umrah offers an opportunity for Muslims to refresh their faith, seek forgiveness and pray for their needs. One who performs it is said to be cleansed of their sins.

What are the main differences between Umrah and Hajj? Umrah is voluntary but Hajj is compulsory for those who are physically well and can afford it.

Hajj is one of Islam’s five pillars, and Muslims who are able must perform it at least once in their lifetime.

Umrah is almost a spiritual “quick-fix” and can be completed in under two hours. Umrah requires Muslims to perform two key rituals, Tawaf and Sa’i.

Tawaf is a circling round the Kaaba seven times. This is followed by Sa’i, a walk between the hillocks of Safa and Marwah in the Great Mosque of Mecca to commemorate Hagar (Hājar)’s search for water for her son, Ishmael (Ismāʿīl), and God’s mercy in answering her prayers. Pilgrims conclude the pilgrimage with Halq, a partial or complete shortening of the hair. Hajj is a more intense experience over several days.

A pilgrim has to be in a state of Ihraam, which derives from the Arabic word harama, which means forbidden.

Umrah is not compulsory, but is still highly recommended. It is mandatory according to the Hanbalis and also according to the Shafi’is. It is also not meant to be interpreted as a substitute for Hajj. However, both are demonstrations of their submission to Allah.

It is recorded that in 628 CE (6 AH), inspired by a dream that Muhammad (SAW) had while in Medina, in which he was performing the ceremonies of Umrah, he and his followers approached Mecca from Medina. They were stopped at Hudaybiyyah, Quraysh refused entry to the Muslims who wished to perform the pilgrimage. Muhammad (SAW) is said to have explained that they only wished to perform a pilgrimage, and subsequently leave the city, however the Qurayshites disagreed.

Diplomatic negotiations were pursued once the prophet refused to use force to enter Mecca, out of respect to the Holy Ka’aba. In March, 628 CE (Dhu’l-Qi’dah, 6 AH), the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah was drawn up and signed, with terms stipulating a ten-year period free of hostilities, during which the Muslims would be allowed a three-day-long access per year to the holy site of the Ka’aba starting the following year. In the year it was signed, the followers of Mohammed were forced to return home without having performed Umrah.

The next year, Muhammad (SAW) took part in the conquest of Mecca in December 629. Following the agreed-upon terms of the Hudaybiyyah Treaty, the Prophet (SAW) and some 2000 followers proceeded to perform what became the first Umrah, which lasted three days.

After the transfer of power, Muhammad forgave all of his former enemies.

There is the  belief that pilgrims, during Umrah (and Hajj) need to enter a spiritual state of almost human perfection (the Ihraam). There can be no quarrelling, cursing or bad language. No animal can be harmed – even the killing of an insect will break the state of Ihraam and nullify Umrah.

Pilgrims cannot cut, shave or pluck any hair, cut their nails, wear make-up or perfume or use any additional products. To do any of these would invalidate Ihraam according to Islamic jurisprudence.

The next step is to recite their intention to go on Umrah aloud. This is usually done when an individual reaches the Meeqat (entry points to Mecca marking the start of observing the Ihraam). The pilgrims then offer a prayer and must stick to the rules above until they complete their pilgrimage.

Ihraam also dictates what pilgrims wear. It symbolises the equality of all of mankind before God. It signifies that no gender, nationality, or status can make one person superior to another.

For men it is the Ihram, two sheets of unstitched white cloth, one covering the lower half of the body tied around the waist, and the other is draped around the upper half of the body and shoulders. No undergarments or additional clothing are worn with the Ihraam.

For footwear, men wear sandals and must keep their head uncovered. Women can wear any long, loose-fitting garment that is simply designed. Many opt for a plain black abaya – a long-sleeved loose dress that covers the entire body – and a simple hijab, or head covering. The face cannot be covered.

Upon entering Masjid al-Haraam, the mosque-complex housing the Kaaba, pilgrims enter with their right foot and make a supplication, asking God for his mercy and forgiveness.

The pilgrims circle the Kaaba seven times (Tawaf) in an anti-clockwise direction in deep prayer. It starts at the Kaaba’s eastern point where the Black Stone is located, which is said to date back to the time of Adam and Eve, and is highly revered by Muslims.

The purpose is to show devotion to God and demonstrate the unity between worshippers.

Just a few minutes walk away from the Kaaba are the hillocks of Safa and Marwa, where Muslims recite prayers walking back and forth between the two points, seven times. The total distance covered is two miles and the time it takes to complete depends on the pilgrim’s ability and fitness. This is called the Sa’i.

The act of sa’i honours the Quranic story of Haajar, the wife of Prophet Ibrahim (or Abraham from the Bible), who is said to have wandered tirelessly between Safa and Marwa in search of water for her infant son Ismail (Ishmael), in a barren desert.

As Hajjar ran between mountain tops, Muslims believe, the Angel Gabriel struck the ground and water came gushing out, saving the baby’s life. Pilgrims still drink from this same water well today. According to Islamic narratives, the well is a miraculously generated source of water, which opened up thousands of years ago when the son of Ibrahim (Abraham), Ismaʿil (Ishmael), was left with his mother Hajar (Hagar) in the desert. The Zamzam well is still preserved in Mecca till date.

Following the completion of sa’i, pilgrims then offer a final prayer.

Shaving the head is regarded as symbolizing rebirth and the completion of their pilgrimage. Female pilgrims cut a small amount of their hair, equal to the length of a fingertip.

This point marks the end of the Umrah and pilgrims are no longer required to adhere to the regulations of Ihraam.

Umrah is a Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (SAW), and is an important journey for Muslims in their path to Allah.

Prophet Muhammad (SAW) went to great lengths and struggled to establish it as a practice for Muslims. He then made the holy journey four times, demonstrating its significance.

Umrah is a means for Muslims to attain purification, cleanse their hearts and become closer to Allah Almighty.

It’s a chance to have our dua’s answered and to gain Allah’s forgiveness from past sins.

When we perform Umrah, we are considered to be a guest of Allah, and will never return back to our lives empty-handed without having gained blessings, rewards and tranquility. This is not the case for our numerous leaders who throng the Kaaba during Ramadan for Umrah. The rebirth is not reflected in their behavior. As far as they are concerned, their Umrah is for ‘show’.

Yet, Umrah is a great opportunity to renew our faith, reflect on our purpose in life, and a chance to detach from the distractions of everyday life.

Prophet Muhammad (SAW) considered it as one of the most effective ways of worship, and we also earn great rewards by following his Sunnah of performing Umrah.

The reward for performing Umrah is equivalent to jihad – which means to struggle in the path of Allah.

(The performance of) Umrah is an expiation for the sins committed (between it and the previous one). Hadith | Sahih Bukhari

This demonstrates that Umrah is a chance for complete purification, and the opportunity to do so is a gift from Allah.

The most rewarding time of the year to perform Umrah is during Ramadan, which equals the reward of performing Hajj: Umrah performed in the month of Ramadan will equal (in rewards) to that of Hajj or Hajj performed with me. Hadith  Sahih Bukhari, Muslim

There are two types of Umrah: Umrah al-Mufradah – this type is performed independently to Hajj and can be carried out at any point during the year, except during the days of Hajj.

Umrah al-Tamattu – this type is performed in conjunction with Hajj and is normally carried out in the month of Dhul Hijjah, before the commencement of Hajj.

For those who can afford to perform the Umrah, may Allah accept it from them as an act of Ibadah. May it engender a transformation in their faith.

Barka Juma’at and Ramadan Mubarak

Ramadan is the (month) in which was sent down the Koran, as a guide to mankind, also Clear (Signs) for guidance and judgement (between right and wrong). So every one of you who is present (at his home) during that month should spend it in fasting, but if any one is ill, or on a journey, the prescribed period (should be made up) by days later. Allah intends every facility for you; He does not want to put you to difficulties. (He wants you) to complete the prescribed period, and to glorify Him in that He has guided you; and perchance ye shall be grateful.  (Surat Al-Baqarah 2:185)

Muslims welcome the holy month of Ramadan with simple and minimal decoration as the holy month does not stand as a celebration but as a time for religious and divine reflection. It is a time for spiritual stocktaking and moral revival. It is a time of rejuvenation of religious and moral piety and reaffirmation of faith. Even the diehard and titular Moslems undergo a behavioral and attitudinal change during this month.

The mosques are filled to capacity and the whole community assumes an atmosphere of religiosity: A time when even the confirmed sinners seek the benevolence of Allah; a time when evil and vile men seek atonement for their iniquities. Such is the month of Ramadan.

Perchance, our leaders will take advantage of the promise of forgiveness from Allah to turn a new leaf and do the needful in making our lives better and seek the path of righteousness. We have suffered enough as a people and this suffering does not need to continue.

With the resources with which we have been endowed, there is enough for everyone to bask in the prosperity of our God-given provisions. But when a few conspire to deny the majority their rightful share of the commonwealth, they sentence the people into penury, want, misery and poverty. Ramadan is therefore, an opportunity for sober reflection and a chance for meaningful and positive change.

Those who have perfected the ignoble art of cheating their fellowmen and converting the common patrimony into personal wealth have an opportunity to rethink and change. If only we know that the end is nearer than we think.

Abu Huraira narrated that Allah’s Messenger (SAW), said: “When the month of Ramadan starts, the gates of heaven are opened and the gates of Hell are closed and the devils are chained.” [Bukhari] Fasting in Ramadan is therefore a shield from Hell; fasting subdues sinful desires and reduces their severity: It is these desires and lusts that lead to Hell Fire.

The Quran talks about the reward of fasting and there are verses which general meaning infers that those who obey Allah will be saved from Hell, and fasting is a form of obeying Allah.

The Hadith of our beloved Prophet Mohammad (SAW), are clear in this regard; Abu Said al-Khudri reported that the Messenger (SAW) of Allah, said: “No servant fasts on a day in the path of Allah except that Allah removes the Hell Fire seventy years further away from his face.” (Bukhari and Muslim)  Abu Said al-Khudri also relates that the Messenger (SAW) of Allah said: “Fasting is a shield with which a servant protects himself from the Fire” (Ahmad, Sahih)

‘Uthman Ibn Abil-`Aas relates that the Messenger (SAW) of Allah said: “Whoever fasts a day in the way of Allah, Allah places between him and the Fire a trench like that between heavens and the earth”. (At-Tirmidhi and at-Tabarani, sahih)

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and is observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting (Sawm) to commemorate the first revelation of the Quran.

Ramadan is considered to be one of the Five Pillars of Islam. During the month of Ramadan, adult Muslims fast from dusk until dawn, unless they are ill, pregnant, or diabetic, breastfeeding, or traveling.

O you who believe! Guard your own souls: If you follow the right guidance, no harm can come to you from those who stray. The goal of you all is to Allah. It is He who will show you the truth of all that you do.  (Quran 5:105)

A deep reflection on the institution of Fast reveals the various ways in which fasting helps in the mending of habits and development of character and God consciousness.

With the onset of Ramadan, it behooves each fasting person to open a page from the book of muhasabah (critical self-evaluation) and to reflect on what is being achieved through the month.

What benefits are derived, which behaviors are adjusted, what good practices are adopted, which bad habits are being relinquished? How does the prayers and fasting of Ramadan influence attitudes and perspectives; how is it improving relationships with families, friends and neighbors; how much has it increased consciousness of responsibility towards the destitute; how is it impacting on the body, the heart, the mind and the soul?

If there is a genuine effort towards the spiritualization of one’s being, the moralization of consciousness, empathy in attitude and goodness in conduct; then perchance a concerted effort is being made of treading on the pathway towards the objective of fasting – the attainment of taqwa (piety). Truly, the month of Ramadan is a season for spiritual stocktaking.

In a world, increasingly amoral, perception is considered reality. How one appears to the world has overtaken the substance of who we really are. Taqwa is in reality character development coupled with God-consciousness. Character is not only the face in the mirror, but the real person behind the face.

The pursuance of piety begins by making our reputation a reflection of our character. Reputation may be reflected in what people write about you on your tombstone, character is what angels report about you to Allah; and that is the most important.

Ramadan is an ideal training period for filtering out bad habits and developing virtuous character. It is therefore a good time for our leaders to turn a new leaf, lest ‘we the people’ decide to chase them out like Oliver Cromwell did the ‘Long Parliament’ in 1653.

Cromwell’s speech aptly reflects the character of our leaders today: “It is high time for me to put an end to your sitting in this place, which you have dishonored by your contempt of all virtue, and defiled by your practice of every vice; ye are a factious crew, and enemies to all good government; ye are a pack of mercenary wretches, and would like Esau sell your country for a mess of pottage, and like Judas betray your God for a few pieces of money.”

“Is there a single virtue now remaining amongst you? Is there one vice you do not possess? Ye have no more religion than my horse; gold is your God; which of you has not bartered your conscience for bribes? Is there a man amongst you that has the least care for the good of the Commonwealth? Ye sordid prostitutes; have you not defiled this sacred place, and turned the Lord’s temple into a den of thieves, by your immoral principles and wicked practices? Ye are grown intolerably odious to the whole nation”.

If only they would change in the spirit of Ramadan! Prophet Muhammad (SAW) said: “Your practice of faith will not be correct unless your actions are correct, and your actions will not be considered correct unless your heart is correct.” Ramadan is therefore a period for spiritual rejuvenation as it offers the opportunity for a unique expression of worship.

From ethical and moral perspectives, we should contemplate the higher purpose and the deeper meaning of our lives, trying to live meaningfully, balancing our physicality with our spirituality.

While fasting, we are far more aware of the hunger of the poor and the suffering of the oppressed and are therefore instructed to be more generous this month. This promotes attentiveness to social responsibility, interest in the welfare of society and inspires a continued spirit of generosity. The Qur’an refers to the fasting ones as sa’ihin/spiritual wayfarers. So, the journey of Ramadan motivates each person to perpetuate the positive spirit being imbibed and to continue on the spiritual journey towards fulfilment and excellence.

It is easy to talk about the world’s problem of hunger. We can feel sorry that millions of people go to bed hungry each day. But not until one can actually feel it in one’s own body is the impact truly felt.

Compassion based on empathy is much stronger and more consistent than compassion based on pity. This feeling must lead to action. Fasting is never an end in itself; that’s why it has so many different outcomes. But all the other outcomes are of no real moral value if compassion is not enlarged and extended through fasting.

It is therefore in the interest of our fasting leaders and those not fasting to shed the toga of iniquity, selfishness and corruption and for once think of the poor masses that are not only defenseless but also hungry. It is only by doing this that the fast can have spiritual reward and meaning.

As the prophet Isaiah said, “The kind of fasting I want is this: remove the chains of oppression and the yoke of injustice, and let the oppressed go free. Share your food with the hungry and open your homes to the homeless poor.” (Isaiah 58:3-7)

As we embark on the Ramadan Fast tomorrow, may Allah accept our fast, prayers and supplications, let us start Ramadan with Bismillah and end it with Alhamdulillah. Ameen.

Barka Jumu’ah and Ramadan Kareem