Lecture Notes
Ustadha Dr. Rania Awad
MCA Santa Clara, CA
7/21/13
“The Midway Checkpoint: Ensuring you make the most out of the remaining days of Ramadan”
Ramadan is the month of Baraka
- Look at 4 major events in Islamic history:
- In 2 Hijri: the Battle of Badr was won.
- In 8 Hijri: Makkah was liberated.
- In 28 Hijri: Andalusia (Spain) was liberated.
- In 583 Hijri: Palestine was liberated.
- These events all took place during Ramadan. So that means the mujahideen were fasting!
- So we need to shift our mindset: If the Sahaba could fight the Battle of Badr while fasting, we can also fight our own Badr. We CAN do it!
Ramadan and Mothers
- Mothers think that having to take care of their children messes up their Ramadan. Before they had kids they could do more Ibadah.
- But the Scholars have said that the mother has the ability to benefit the most from Ramadan.
- Mothers know the precious nature of time. They are so busy doing things for others, that when they do get a little time for themselves, they use it more efficiently. They know that a little time can go a long way.
- Mothers have realized that they can do one small Ibadah (like a daily wird), and stick to it. That is more beloved to Allah than a lot of deeds done once in a while.
- Drop by drop, it will soon bore a hole in the heart, and the heart will open and be connected to Allah.
- Mothers know that time has baraka in it.
Time
- Allah created time. He said in the Qur’an that he set the hours in the day to 24, and set the days in the year to 365. So Allah can stretch the time for whoever He wishes.
- Story of the Shoebox. A Shaykh tells his students ‘Let me tell you about time. Get me a shoebox and tennis balls.’ The students fill the box with the balls. The shaykh asks them ‘Is it full?’ The students say yes but the shaykh says no it’s still not full. So they get smaller balls and fill the box with it. But the shaykh says no it’s still not full. So they go back and get marbles and fill the box with it. But the shaykh says no it’s still not full. So they go back and get sand, and the sand fills all the crevices. But the shaykh says it’s still not full. So they get water and fill the box with it. Now it is full. That is time. Our problem is we think our time can only be filled with tennis balls. Time is about baraka and how much effort we put into it.
- So the kids are running around, but there’s still time for a little thikr. There’s still time for a little Qur’an.
Children in Islam
- Mothers seem to think children are burdens. But in Islam, when a mother teaches and raises her child, then whatever good deeds they do, counts for the mother too.
- Every letter of Qur’an they read, every day they fast, counts for the mother too. So if you have 4 kids - that’s the reward of 4 ramadans for you!
- If people knew this, they would have hundreds of kids. So are mothers lucky or not? So now instead of using your children as an excuse, you can look at your child in a different way.
With the right intention, everything can be Ibadah
- For example, if you are driving to work, that can be counted as Ibadah if you make the right intention. Say ‘O Allah, you have given me the blessing of work, so I am going now to my work.’ This idea could potentially give you more reward than Salat.
- This helps you see your job differently. Instead of feeling like your job is annoying or hard, if you can realize it can give you rewards like Salat, then it can become something great. The same thing can be applied to other areas of your life.
Ramadan Checklist
- This is the month of the Qur’an: How is our Qur’an reading going? 1 khatma is ideal, but if your Arabic is not great then your goal can be less than that, depending on your level of ability. Set a reasonable and practical goal for yourself. And remember that the one who reads with difficulty get 4x the reward. This should encourage you to take a Qur’an reading class.
- This is the month of Sadaqa: Are you fulfilling your daily goals of Sadaqa? Make and intention to donate a certain amount each day and set it aside. Once you make the intention, that amount is now haram to you, can’t take it back.
- This is the month of Praying in Jama’a: Are you praying Tarawih in Jama’a? Mothers, if you can’t go to the masjid, you should try to co-ordinate with your husband or brother to lead Tarawih for you. Or co-ordinate with some other ladies to pray together.
- This is the month of breaking fast with other Muslims: Are you trying to get the reward of breaking the fast of a Muslim?
- This is the month of accepted du’a: Are you taking your du’a seriously? Are you making heart-felt du’a? Remember that there are 3 possible outcomes for your du’a: It could get answered right away, It could be answered later - even years from now, or it could not get answered at all because Allah knows it is not good for you, there is something better for you coming.
- This is the month of muhasaba - taking account of your deeds. Each day, make a list of your deeds: The good, the bad, and the ugly. For the good deeds, ask Allah to help you continue them. For the bad deeds, ask Allah to forgive you. For the ugly deeds, make Tawba by promising Allah not to do them again.
- This is the month of extras - extra sadaqa, extra salat, extra Qur’an, extra deeds, etc. Because this is the month that purifies us. At the end of the month of Ramadan, we will end up protected from the hellfire, forgiven, and at a higher level than before Ramadan. Arch Angel Gabriel once appeared before Prophet Muhammad, saying: "Woe to him who found the blessed month of Ramadan and let is pass by without gaining forgiveness. Prophet Muhammad replied: Amen." (Al-Bukhari)
- So let the last 10 days be hectic, with little food and little sleep. The person who truly enjoys Eid is the one who put that extra effort and exhausted themselves.
Making the Most of your Monthly Cycle in Ramadan
- The 5 daily prayers frame our day. We arrange our whole day around them - that is the way of the Mum’in.
- So what should a Muslimah do when she gets her period? It is still Ramadan, when our deeds are getting multiplied.
- The scholars have said that she should treat the days she is menstruating as a normal day. Act as though you don’t have your period.
- The Hanafi scholars have suggested a beautiful idea: When the time for prayer comes, you get out your prayer rug as usual, sit on it, and do thikr - for all 5 prayers.
- That way you will avoid the problem of getting thrown off your prayer schedule each month when your period comes.
- Even though you can’t pray, you can still do so many other things:
- Since you are not fasting, you will have more energy to cook for others and get their reward for fasting and get the reward for breaking someone’s fast. You can schedule your invites for the days when you have your period.
- Give charity: doesn’t mean just money, can be even little things, like giving your time, visiting an old aunty, helping a friend. Be creative.
- Read tafseer, seerah, or listen to lectures.
- Instead of praying Tarawih, you could sit in the masjid and follow along in the Qur’an with the Shaykh through your cell phone or translation.
- Study the Qur’an with a friend. The Angel Jibreel reviewed the Qur’an with Rasulullah (Salla Allahu alaihi wassalam) each day - he would recite it and the Prophet would repeat after him.
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