The Blessed Month Of Ramadan And Reform 6/10

'A'udhu bi’l-Lahi, min ash-Shaytan, ar-rajim. Bismi-Llah, Al-Rahmani, Al-Rahim. Al-hamdulil-Lahi Rabbi al-'Alamin, wa as-salat wa as-salamu 'ala ashraf khalqi Allahi Muhammad, wa ahlih, at-tayyibin, at-tahirin. There is a beautiful segment from the Khutba of As-Sayyida Fatimat uz-Zahra' alayha as-salam, which I would like to share with you that speaks about how we are able to have a new intake onto our ritual of fasting during the Holy month of Ramadan. And this very vision that Fatimat uz-Zahra' has in her understanding of how fasting should be will enable us to head towards Ramadan and reform.

And of course if we were to bear this in mind all the time, there would be wonders that we are able to achieve. We think that we have limitations in our spiritual capacities but it is absolutely the opposite. There are so many things that we are able to achieve within the very limitations that we have. There might be physical limitations, sensual limitations, but when it comes to spiritual limitations there is no such thing. We are able to gain the highest level of spiritual proximity and perfection.

Sayyida Fatimat uz-Zahra' alayha as-salam, in describing the Holy month of Ramadan and giving the Hikma of the Holy month of Ramadan, she says that Ramadan or fasting was established "tathbitan li 'l-Ikhlas" which basically means that "As-Siyam tathbitan li 'l-Ikhlas" is in reference to, it is of way, it is a form of us working on improving our sincerity that we have in our actions and our deeds that we are devoting ourselves to for the sake of Almighty God.

Now, how am I able to achieve or sincerity through Siyam and fasting? As she said "wa As-Siyam", in a continuation "tathbitan li 'l-Ikhlas". Now, if I was to ask you, what are you doing seeing you praying? Obviously my view of you will be that you are praying, and through your actions it is obvious that you are praying. With Hajj, the same thing. With other Shara'i rituals that you and I perform, we are in the action of doing something, where it can be seen in our actions.

However, when it comes to fasting it is not seen and that is where we are able to understand that if I don't say that I am fasting, it as a way of me doing something in devotion as an act of worship to Almighty God, and absolutely nobody else can know. Now am I talking about Ramadan al-Mubarak? No, because in Ramadan al-Mubarak, of course any person that you do come across who is a Muslim you would assume that they are fasting. But we know that as Muslims it is not only Shahru Ramadan where it is encouraged for someone to fast. Of course in the case of Ramadan we know that it is Wajib, but it is outside of the Holy month of Ramadan where there are also cases where you will be fasting either Wajib through a vow or through qadha', or redoing your fasting, or because you want to observe the Sunnah of fasting, for example during Rajab, during Sha'ban, every Monday, every Thursday and so on and so forth.

That is why it is recommended, it's a Sunna, it is mustahab for you to be fasting whenever you are able to. The Holy Prophet, salla Allahu alayhi wa alih, said: "sumu tasuhu", fast, and you will become healthy. And so am I able to, through my spiritual exercise, obtain many higher elevated stations in spirituality? Yes, I am, and through fasting.

And fasting itself will enable you to get that. Fasting itself is an effective tool for you to get to that reform that you want to inside of the Holy month of Ramadan and in continuation after that. We will continue on with this topic. Wa al-hamdulil-Lahi Rabbi al-'Alamin.