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Sunday, 19 Ramadan 1431 Spending thousands where you are meant to spend is not isrāf or extravagance in spending. However, spending even one penny where you are not meant to spend is isrāf.
Try to understand the tricks of Shaytān and the nafs: when you are faced with an opportunity to indulge in isrāf, they whisper to you: “Beware of bukhl, don't be stingy!” When faced with the need to spend in the path of Allāh ta‘ālā, they whisper: “Beware of isrāf, don't be extravagant in spending.”
The principle is this: not to spend the amount required in a particular situation is bukhl, and to spend on what is not required is isrāf. Take the example of someone who is required to spend £25 in zakāh and does not, yet he invites the whole town to a wedding feast. He is involved in bukhl and isrāf.
Every penny, and every crumb of food is a blessing of Allāh ta‘ālā, so beware of wastage.
Alhamdulillāh, the trend of everyone bringing some food with them for ifṭār at the masjid during Ramadhān has to a large extent been replaced by the masjid offering dates and Zam zam water for iftār. Most people understand the issues of cleanliness attached to bringing food to the masjid, and so are happy with the change, yet few people are concerned about the amount of isrāf and waste of food that was taking place as well. |
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Saturday, 18 Ramadan 1431 By refraining from food and drink and by abstaining from conjugal relations with one’s spouse, one’s fast will be deemed as sufficient according to the requirements of fiqh. But this needs to be combined with struggling against one’s desires and refraining from all sins. Without such striving the fast will be of no spiritual benefit.
The angels, by their very nature, don’t possess any urge to eat, drink or procreate, nor do they disobey Allāh ta‘ālā. If we want to match the angels then not only must we control our natural urges, we must also abstain from all disobedience to Allāh ta‘ālā.
Only then will we see the true benefits and achieve the real objectives of fasting. |
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Friday, 18 Ramadan 1431 We need to get used to fasting and develop an appreciation for it. There was a time when one would see people with the signs on their faces that they had been fasting and spending long hours of the night standing in salāh. However these attributes are no longer visible. Indifference is widespread today; people do not give importance to these things any more.
We should make ourselves accustomed to fasting outside of Ramadhān. To do this, first start observing the masnūn fasts that fall on special occasions throughout the year, e.g. the six fast of Shawwāl, the fasts of Muharram and the fasts of Dhul-Hijjah. Thereafter, start fasting on ayyām-ul-bīdh, i.e the 13th, 14th and 15th of every Islamic month, which was a sunnah of Rasūlullāh sallallāhu alayhi wasallam. The next stage is to fast on every Monday and Thursday which also a sunnah of Rasūlullāh sallallāhu alayhi wasallam. |
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Friday, 17 Ramadan 1431 During the month of Ramadhān, lay your sins and shortcomings before Allāh ta‘ālā. Admit your guilt, fearing Allāh ta‘ālā and at the same time having strong conviction that He will forgive you. |
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Wednesday, 15 Ramadan 1431 Our duty, when it comes to giving da‘wah to others, is irā’at-al-tarīq: to show people the straight path. Isal ilal-maqsūd, to bring people onto the straight path, is purely the reserve of Allāh ta‘ālā.
Allāh ta‘ālā addresses His beloved Messenger sallallāhu alayhi wasallam in the Qur’ān with the words:
...And indeed you guide [people] to a straight path. (42:52)
This refers to irā’at-al-tarīq. Elsewhere in the Qur’ān an apparently contradictory statement appears:
You cannot guide whomsoever you wish, but Allāh guides whom He wishes … (28:56)
This refers to īsāl ilal-maqsūd: Rasūlullah sallallāhu alayhi wasallam is only a guide, and cannot bring people onto guidance. |
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