The Blessed Month Of Ramadan And Reform 7/10

Bismi-Llah, Al-Rahmani, Al-Rahim. Al-hamdulil-Lahi Rabbi al-‘Alamin, wa afdhal as-salawti wa 'tamu at-taslim 'ala Sayyidina wa Nabiyyina Muhammad, wa ahlih, at-tayyibin, at-tahirin. Based on the previous episodes that we have been discussing certain aspects of how we are able to obtain reform during the Holy month of Ramadan.

One of the things that I mentioned was that a person might have faith and might have strong faith, and they might not have any problem as far as their belief system is concerned. And they believe in Allah Subhana wa Ta'ala, and they are devoted worshippers and do perform their daily rituals of praying and everything else. However, he or she might have a problem of at sometimes having a weak Nafs, and maybe even committing certain sins.

Now of course we are not masoom, we are not infallible and therefore Shaytan is always going to be around us to try to trap us, to try to drag us into the dark alleys of snaring us, and keeping us away from the enlightenment of Iman. What are we able to do to overcome this?

If you remember, in the previous episode I mentioned that in the Khutba of Sayyida Fatimat uz-Zahra' alayha as-salam, she gives a reason as to why it is that fasting has become prescribed, why it is that we should be fasting, and she said that fasting has been established "wa as-Siyam tathbitan li 'l-Ikhlas", for the sake of us improving our level of sincerity. Now, if I was to combine this to me 4-14-15-16-17 hours a day in my fasting practice, depending on where you are in the world, avoiding my primary needs of eating and drinking, and in many cases even avoiding my secondary needs, then I will certainly be able to avoid any pseudo needs, any needs that I think I might need, but I don't really need.

Now I am not talking about bad habits like smoking or for example, eating too much or things like that. No, I am talking about, if you were able to strengthen that will-power of yours by avoiding your primary needs, think of it in this particular way and you will be able to achieve wonders. We will be able to obtain those angelic qualities that we all wish we had, by avoiding those simple needs, it is an exercise, and I have used this word exercise many times before. It is an exercise, it is a "tamrin" for me to be able to enter, to venture, as I said, into new areas, to overcome my shahwat, to overcome my lusts and my desires, to really restrain Iblis and Shaytan.

And that is what fasting will enable me to do. It will strengthen my willpower. It will make me a stronger person for me to resist the temptations of Shaytan, for me to be able to say no when I should and be able to do what it is that I should be doing.

Now, of course, this is also going to mean that with strengthening of my willpower, not only am I going to be able to get rid of the habits that I want to get rid of, and I can do so with my strong mental power. I am also able to encourage others, and set an example for others, when telling them that you are able to do this, you are able to overcome this, you don't need to live in a world of stress or anxiety or things like that.

And even when it comes to certain mental sicknesses that a person might be unfortunately, inflicted with, they are able to also do wonders if he or she was to strengthen their will-power and this is something that fasting itself gives. And that is why, golden opportunity to reform myself in the month of Ramadan. Wa al-hamdulil-Lahi Rabbi al-'Alamin.