Starting Ramadan with a Clean Slate

Saturday, 06 August 2011 15:46 Manal Bader

As Ramadan begins, many Muslims review the best and worst moments of their lives.
Ramadan often signifies a clean slate by trying to overcome our shortcomings by
molding into the best possible Islamic personality. We repent for our previous sins and
missteps in life. Hopeful and optimistic, many people make resolutions to change their
lives for the better. As Muslims, we must recount our actions and sentiments every single
day as if it were our last day on this Earth.

Starting with a clean slate requires several duties and commitments from us. First through
reflection on past actions and disposition (nafsiyah). Were my actions Islamic and did I
fulfill my duties properly and to the best of my potential? Was my nafsiyah the best of
character? Through accountability, one is able to grasp the depth of this trial and fully
contemplate one's behavior to assess whether to be rewarded or punished by Allah ‫سبحانه‬
‫وتعالى‬.

‫َع ْن الَّنِبِّي َص َّلى ُهَّللا َع َلْيِه َو َس َّلَم ((َقاَل ِإَّن اْلُم ْؤ ِم َن َيَر ى ُذ ُنوَبُه َك َأَّنُه َقاِع ٌد َتْح َت َجَبٍل َيَخ اُف َأْن َيَقَع َع َلْي ِه َوِإَّن اْلَف اِج َر َي َر ى‬
‫)) البخاري‬... ‫ُذ ُنوَبُه َك ُذ َباٍب َم َّر َع َلى َأْنِفِه َفَقاَل ِبِه َهَك َذ ا َقاَل َأُبو ِشَهاٍب ِبَيِدِه َفْو َق َأْنِفِه‬

"The believer sees his sin as a mountain beneath which he is sitting and which he
fears it may fall down upon him. The rebellious person sees his sin as a fly which
passes in front of his nose and he swats it away..." (Reported by al-Bukhari)

Secondly, we should repent our sins through tawba with absolute sincerity and truly
regretting our misguided actions.

‫قال َر ُسوَل ِهَّللا َص َّلى ُهَّللا َع َلْيِه َو َس َّلَم ((َقاَل ُهَّللا َتَباَر َك َو َتَع اَلى َيا اْبَن آَد َم ِإَّنَك َم ا َدَع ْو َتِني َو َر َج ْو َتِني َغ َف ْر ُت َل َك َع َلى َم ا‬
‫َك اَن ِفيَك َو اَل ُأَباِلي َيا اْبَن آَد َم َلْو َبَلَغ ْت ُذ ُنوُبَك َع َناَن الَّس َم اِء ُثَّم اْسَتْغ َفْر َتِني َغ َفْر ُت َلَك َو اَل ُأَباِلي َي ا اْبَن آَد َم ِإَّن َك َل ْو َأَتْيَتِني‬
‫ِبُقَر اِب اَأْلْر ِض َخ َطاَيا ُثَّم َلِقيَتِني اَل ُتْش ِر ُك ِبي َشْيًئا َأَلَتْيُتَك ِبُقَر اِبَها َم ْغ ِفَر ًة)) الترمذي‬
"Allah ‫ سبحانه وتعالى‬says: O Son of Adam, as long as you supplicate to Me and have
hope in Me I will pardon you in spite of what you have done, and I do not care. O
Son of Adam, if your sins were so numerous as to reach the lofty regions of the sky,
then you asked My forgiveness, I would forgive you, and I do not care. O Son of
Adam, if you were to meet Me with enough sins to fill the earth, then met Me, not
associating anything with Me (in worship), I shall greet you with its equivalent in
forgiveness." (Reported by at-Tirmithi.)

Thus, despairing of Allah's mercy is Haraam.

Allah (‫ )سبحانه وتعالى‬says:

((... ‫) ))َو اَل َتْيَأُسوا ِم ْن َر ْو ِح ِهَّللا ِإَّنُه اَل َيْيَأُس ِم ْن َر ْو ِح ِهَّللا ِإاَّل اْلَقْو ُم اْلَك اِفُروَن‬87( ‫يوسف‬

"...never give up hope of Allah's Mercy (rawh). Certainly no one despairs of Allah's
Mercy, except the people who disbelieve." [Yusuf: 87]

And if we fail our Muslim brothers and sisters, we should also repent to Allah ‫سبحانه‬
‫وتع??الى‬, regret our wrong-doing, and give them their due-right whether it may be
inheritance, over-due monies, re-establishing family ties, or honoring any type of trust
(amaneh). Allah ‫ سبحانه وتعالى‬revealed,

(( ‫اَل َخ ْيَر ِفي َك ِثيٍر ِم ْن َنْج َو اُهْم ِإاَّل َم ْن َأَم َر ِبَص َد َقٍة َأْو َم ْعُروٍف َأْو ِإْص اَل ٍح َبْيَن الَّناِس َو َم ْن َيْفَع ْل َذ ِلَك‬
‫) ))اْبِتَغاَء َم ْر َض اِت ِهَّللا َفَس ْو َف ُنْؤ ِتيِه َأْج ًرا َع ِظ يًم ا‬114( ‫النساء‬

"There is no good in most of their secret talks save (in) him who orders Sadaqah
(charity in Allah's Cause), or Ma'ruf (all the good and righteous deeds which Allah
has ordained), or conciliation between mankind." [An-Nisaa: 114]

Thereby we need to rectify our situation for the present day and our future in the After-
Life.

Ramadan provides us with a reason to work harder at improving ourselves and placing
different aspects of our lives in perspective. Through obligatoris and nawafil, we are able
to strengthen our nafisyah in order to become better Muslims. Asking Allah ‫سبحانه وتعالى‬
for forgiveness and mercy in our prayers and supplications (dua'a) enables us to cement
the bond between His servant and His Creator. Allah ‫ سبحانه وتعالى‬says,

‫َقاَل َر ُسوُل ِهَّللا َص َّلى ُهَّللا َع َلْيِه َو َس َّلَم ((ِإَّن َهَّللا َقاَل َم ْن َعاَدى ِلي َو ِلًّيا َفَقْد آَذْنُتُه ِباْلَح ْر ِب َو َم ا َتَقَّر َب ِإَلَّي َع ْبِد ي ِبَش ْي ٍء َأَح َّب‬
‫ِإَلَّي ِمَّم ا اْفَتَر ْض ُت َع َلْيِه َو َم ا َيَزاُل َع ْبِد ي َيَتَقَّرُب ِإَلَّي ِبالَّنَو اِفِل َح َّتى ُأِح َّبُه َفِإَذ ا َأْح َبْبُتُه ُكْنُت َسْمَع ُه اَّل ِذ ي َيْس َم ُع ِب ِه َو َبَص َرُه‬
‫اَّلِذ ي ُيْبِص ُر ِبِه َو َيَد ُه اَّلِتي َيْبِط ُش ِبَها َو ِر ْج َلُه اَّلِتي َيْمِش ي ِبَها َو ِإْن َس َأَلِني ُأَلْع ِطَيَّنُه َو َلِئْن اْسَتَع اَذ ِني ُأَلِع يَذَّنُه َو َم ا َتَر َّد ْدُت َع ْن‬
‫َش ْي ٍء َأَنا َفاِع ُلُه َتَر ُّد ِد ي َع ْن َنْفِس اْلُم ْؤ ِم ِن َيْك َرُه اْلَم ْو َت َو َأَنا َأْك َر ُه َم َس اَء َتُه)) البخاري‬

"My servant will continue to draw closer to me through the nawafil until I love him.
I will then be the heart with which he thinks, the tongue with which he speaks, the
sight by which he sees, when he calls me I will answer him, when he asks me for
something I shall give it to him, when he asks for my help I shall help him, and the
most beloved of my servant's worship is the sincere advice (naseeha)." In addition,
al-Bukhari reported on the authority of Anas (ra) narrated that the Prophet ‫صلى هللا‬
‫ عليه وسلم‬related that his Lord said: "...And if My servant comes to Me walking, I
would go to him speeding."

Through complete sincerity and earnestness, this bond fully blossoms and solidifies.
Reading and memorizing Quran, while applying the ahkam will fill our hearts with light
and tranquility. Increasing nawafil prayers and reading Quran during the darkest hours of
night elevates the spirit towards our Creator. Asking for Allah's forgiveness and guidance
to be bestowed upon His humble servant. Making dua'a and tasbeeh before the fajr prayer
realizing Allah ‫ سبحانه وتعالى‬descends to the nearest sky to answer His believer's prayer.
Abu Hurayrah (ra) narrated that the Messenger of Allah ‫ صلى هللا عليه وسلم‬said:

‫َقاَل َر ُسوُل ِهَّللا َص َّلى ُهَّللا َع َلْيِه َو َس َّلَم (( َس ْبَع ٌة ُيِظ ُّلُهْم ُهَّللا ِفي ِظ ِّلِه َيْو َم اَل ِظ َّل ِإاَّل ِظ ُّلُه ِإَم اٌم َع اِد ٌل َو َش اٌّب َنَش َأ ِفي ِعَب اَد ِة ِهَّللا‬
‫َو َر ُجٌل َقْلُبُه ُمَع َّلٌق ِباْلَم ْس ِج ِد ِإَذ ا َخ َر َج ِم ْنُه َح َّتى َيُعوَد ِإَلْيِه َو َر ُج اَل ِن َتَح اَّبا ِفي ِهَّللا اْج َتَم َع ا َع َلى َذ ِلَك َو َتَفَّر َق ا َو َر ُج ٌل َذ َك َر َهَّللا‬
‫َخ اِلًيا َفَفاَض ْت َعْيَناُه َو َر ُجٌل َدَع ْتُه َذ اُت َحَسٍب َو َج َم اٍل َفَق اَل ِإِّني َأَخ اُف َهَّللا َو َر ُج ٌل َتَص َّد َق ِبَص َد َقٍة َفَأْخ َفاَه ا َح َّتى اَل َتْع َلَم‬
‫ِش َم اُلُه َم ا ُتْنِفُق َيِم يُنُه)) موطأ مالك‬

"Allah will give shade to seven, on the Day when there will be no shade but His...
and a person who remembers Allah in seclusion and his eyes become flooded with
tears."

Making this part of our clean slate, we need to purify our heart of any ill feelings towards
our fellow Muslim brothers and sisters. The Prophet ‫ صلى هللا عليه وسلم‬said,

‫عن أبي هريرة قال قال رسول هللا صلى هللا عليه وسلم ((من فرج عن مسلم كربة من كرب الدنيا فرج هللا عنه كربة‬
‫من كرب اآلخرة ومن ستر أخاه المؤمن في ال?دنيا س?تره هللا في اآلخرة وهللا في عون العب?د ما كان العب?د في عون‬
‫أخيه)) النسائي‬

"A Muslim is the brother of a Muslim. He neither oppresses him nor deserts him.
Whoever helps to remove the hardship of his brother, will have his difficulties
removed by Allah in this world and in the Hereafter. One who covers the
shortcomings of another Muslim, will have his faults covered up in this world and
the next by Allah."

We need to free ourselves from hatred, envy, and jealousy towards one another, giving
the benefit of the doubt when one errs. Forgive our fellow Muslim brothers and sisters so
we can receive Allah's rewards in the Hereafter. 'Abd Allah b. 'Amr b. al-'Aas (ra) that
the Prophet ‫ صلى هللا عليه وسلم‬said:

‫َع ْن الَّنِبِّي َص َّلى ُهَّللا َع َلْيِه َو َس َّلَم َقاَل ((اَّت ِق َهَّللا َح ْيُثَم ا ُكْنَت َو َخ اِلْق الَّن اَس ِبُخ ُل ٍق َحَس ٍن َو ِإَذ ا َع ِم ْلَت َس ِّيَئًة َفاْع َم ْل َحَس َنًة‬
‫َتْم ُح َها)) مسند احمد‬

"Show compassion to people and you shall be shown compassion, forgive others and
you shall be forgiven."
As resentment and hatred fills the heart, this slowly diseases the Ummah instead loving
and caring for one another as one entity. As Ibn al-Qayyim said, "If the heart is sick, the
forbidden becomes attractive and obedience of Allah becomes something you look at
with contempt." We would become pre-occupied with these ill feelings instead of
focusing on the greater goal of the Ummah—removing the greatest munkar in our lives.

Thirdly, we need to be fully knowledgeable in areas concerning our lives. By answering

the following questions with sincerity and honesty, we are able to gauge ourselves. What
are our duties and roles in this life? Are we living according to Islamic values to our
fullest potential? Are we fully aware of the Islamic fiqh regarding our actions carried out
in our daily lives? Realizing that we need to rid our precious Ummah of the greatest
munkar—living under highly oppressive man-made regimes resulting in misery and
despair, our courageous Ummah has boldly risen up against their tyrants. Inshallah
through the blessed month of Ramadan our efforts are not wasted. Allah ‫ سبحانه وتعالى‬says,

‫َقاَل اْهِبَطا ِم ْنَها َجِم يًعاۖ َبْعُض ُك ْم ِلَبْع ٍض َع ُد ٌّو ۖ َفِإَّم ا َيْأِتَيَّنُك ْم ِم ِّني ُهًدى َفَمِن اَّتَبَع ُهَداَي َفاَل َيِض ُّل َو اَل َيْش َق‬

‫َو َم ْن َأْع َر َض َع ْن ِذ ْك ِري َفِإَّن َلُه َم ِع يَش ًة َض ْنًك ا َو َنْح ُش ُر ُه َيْو َم اْلِقَياَم ِة َأْع َم‬
‫َقاَل َر ِّب ِلَم َح َشْر َتِني َأْع َم ٰى َو َقْد ُكْنُت َبِص يًرا‬

‫َقاَل َك َٰذ ِلَك َأَتْتَك آَياُتَنا َفَنِس يَتَهاۖ َو َك َٰذ ِلَك اْلَيْو َم ُتْنَس‬
"Then if there comes to you guidance from Me, then whoever follows My Guidance
shall neither go astray, nor fall into distress and misery. But whosoever turns away
from My Reminder (i.e. neither believes in this Qur'an nor acts on its orders, etc.)
verily, for him is a life of hardship, and We shall raise him up blind on the Day of
Resurrection. He will say:"O my Lord! Why have you raised me up blind, while I had
sight (before)." (Allah) will say: "Like this, our signs came unto you, but you
disregarded them (i.e. you left them, did not think deeply in them, and you turned away
from them), and so this Day, you will be neglected (in the Hell-fire, away from Allah's
Mercy)" [Taha: 123-126]

Indeed, it is a bleak outlook if we continue to struggle through this life without the
complete blessing and radiance of Islam guiding us out of this harsh darkness. By living
under man-made systems to run our affairs with complete tyranny, we must recognize
and work for a better way to live. We must struggle in uniting the Muslim lands under the
Islamic State. This is our most important duty: eradicating the greatest munkar in our
lives. Whoever dies without a baayah dies the death of a jahiliyah. We must work
wholeheartedly to resume an Islamic society without any fear or hesitance for our lives or
livelihood. Indeed Allah ‫ سبحانه وتعالى‬is the greatest Protector over His servants.

Inshallah this year will be a prosperous and glorious year for the Ummah worldwide in
which we follow the blessed Prophet Mohammad's example. Inshallah, we educate
ourselves with the valuable knowledge necessary to remove the harsh darkness that
encapsulates us. We ask Allah ‫ سبحانه وتعالى‬to fill our hearts with taqwa and sincerity to
lead us to the highest of heavens. May Allah ‫ سبحانه وتعالى‬ease our burdens and allow us to
persevere through any obstacles. Ameen.

Manal Bader

Bayt Al-Maqdes

1-8-2011