Before the Sand Slips Away

By Muhammad Al-Shareef Source: www.khutbah.com

"Hasn't there come upon man a period of time when they were nothing remembered?" - Insaan 76/1 Imagine that you are on the beach. ou are four years o!d. "he camp !eader has to!d you that you ha#e fi#e minutes to bui!d a great cast!e. "$uic%!y&" your three year o!d 'meer te!!s you& "the sand here is too soft. (un c!oser to the water and get better sand)" *ff you run and grab& with your tiny hands& as much sand as you can ho!d. +ut& as you run bac%& p!op& p!op& p!op& you fee! the sand s!ipping through your fingers. ou can do nothing about it. In your haste& a!! the sand has s!ipped away. +ang. "he competition is o#er. "his is the ana!ogy of our !i#es. "his is the ana!ogy of our time in (amadan. ,or many !i#ing in -estern countries& (amadan is passed dai!y with . to / 0obs or schoo! - nights where we may or may not go for "araweeh. ' pea% at the "1 2may '!!ah protect us3 and the night is o#er. +ac% to wor% where a!! around us peop!e are eating and drin%ing from crysta! water fountains. +!in%. (amadan is o#er. "he 4uestion of the hour is5 how do we ta%e fu!! ad#antage of this gift of '!!ah? "his is our topic& before the sands of (amadan s!ip away. How many years ha#e we been fasting (amadan? 16 or 1/ or 76 years? 're we 16 or 1/ or 76 times better? *r& does it seem !i%e we ha#e arri#ed bac% at the drawing board e#ery time (amadan comes around? '!! acts of worship are for our own benefit) 8on't do it and harm befa!!s you& which is the way !ife was programmed. (amadan is no sma!! matter. It is one of the pi!!ars of this 8een of Is!am - without it one's Is!am wou!d not be comp!ete. In this month& (asu! '!!ah - sa! '!!aahu a!ayhi wa sa!!am - wou!d intensify his worship of '!!ah ta'a!a. In doing so& he !aid the foundation for his 9mmah after him to emu!ate. Ibn '!$ayyim - rahimahu!!aah - wrote5 ",rom his b!essed guidance sa! '!!aahu a!ayhi wa sa!!am - in (amadan is that he used to intensify and di#ersify his actions of worship. :o& for e;amp!e&

<ibree! used to rehearse the $ur'an with him during the nights of (amadan. -hen <ibree! wou!d #isit him& he wou!d intensify the amount of :ada4ah that he wou!d gi#e. He was the most generous out of a!! peop!e - sa! '!!aahu a!ayhi wa sa!!am - and (amadan was the time when he was most generous. In (amadan& he wou!d fi!! his time with :ada4ah& treating peop!e %ind!y& reciting $ur'an& performing :a!ah& remembering '!!ah& and performing I'ti%aaf." - =aad '!>a'aad *bser#ers described the way '!!ah's >essenger- sa! '!!aahu a!ayhi wa sa!!am - ga#e !i%e 'r-(eeh '!>ursa!ah& !i%e the b!essed wind. -hy? "he b!essed wind& as they %new it& was a wind that brought coo!ness to e#eryone - no one was denied its b!essing. "he b!essed wind& additiona!!y& was not !a?y in bringing its goodness to the peop!e. It wou!d come swift!y to a!!. "his is how (asu! '!!ah - sa! '!!aahu a!ayhi wa sa!!am - was described& and this is how our ser#ice to humanity shou!d be5 swift and encompassing. +i idhni!!ah. +e!ow are ten ideas to and he!p ma%e the most of (amadan - before it s!ips through our hands. Idea one: Compound Your Siyaam If you to!d your financia! bro%er that you 0ust want to %eep money in the ban% and sa#e it& he wou!d say& " ou are wrong." "In#est it in the stoc% mar%et. "hat way your money wi!! be compounded - you wi!! earn mu!tip!e times what you put in." :o now I as% the 4uestion5 -ou!dn't you !o#e to get two times the reward of fasting (amadan? How? =ayd ibn @haa!id '!<uhanee narrates that the Arophet - sa! '!!aahu a!ayhi wa sa!!am - said& "-hoe#er gi#es a fasting person 2food3 to brea% his or her fast& he 2the one feeding3 wi!! get the reward e4ui#a!ent to the 2fasting persons3 reward - without diminishing anything from the reward of the 2fasting person3." How do we do this? 's% any >us!im re!ief agency if they ha#e a feed a fasting person program. :ubhan '!!ah& you may find that it on!y costs B1 to feed a person) :o& for BC6 you cou!d come out of (amadan ha#ing doub!ed your reward. 'nd& we shou!d not forget the needy in our city. -e thin% that in a 'modern' western country or city there are no needy peop!e. "hat is not true. "here are many needy fami!ies that are waiting to be disco#ered. 's% around and you wi!! find a go!d mine of peop!e to he!p& in your own bac%yard.

I spea% about -ashington& 8D. If one was to ha#e a food dri#e& a!! the food cou!d go to needy >us!im fami!ies in 8D and sti!! not be enough) I'#e seen this with my own eyes. How b!essed it wou!d be to get the youth that 0ust hang out in the bac% of the >as0id during "araweeh to ta%e on this tas%. *rgani?e the co!!ection of the food and distribute it. It can happen) It 0ust ta%es a !eader with #ision to set this up for the youth and a!! the good peop!e who want to ma%e a difference. Idea two: !peration "uide the Youth *ften in (amadan& there are %haatirahs& words of wisdom& ha!a4ahs and reminders& a!! geared to the adu!ts praying "araweeh. "he youth& it seems& are being disrespectfu! by ta!%ing in the bac% of the mas0id. ":hhhhhsh)" someone shouts at them. "Eisten or go outside 2and we prefer if you 0ust go outside3)" :o& 4uiet!y they snea% out of the >as0id and chat and chi!! a!! (amadan. How Fman boosting is that? (emember& '!!ah commands that you protect your wife and chi!dren a!so. "ry this5 <ust !i%e there are things for the adu!ts& we cou!d ha#e (amadan acti#ities and reminders geared specifica!!y for the youth. 'nd& it need not be 'in' the >as0id. Eet's say the youth !i%e to chat and chi!! outside in the par%ing !ot. -hy not organi?e the acti#ity there? es& on the bas%etba!! court or in the par%ing !ot. Ha#e a /-minute @hatirah& p!ay games with them& and gi#e them some nob!e pro0ects to comp!ete in (amadan. 'gain& ma%ing a difference !i%e this needs a !eader with #ision& one who recogni?es that the youth are his or her responsibi!ity. I pray that person is you) Idea #hree: #urnoff #$ Month F#ery parent %nows that when they want their chi!d to do we!! in their studies they te!! them& "no "1." If this is for 8unya& then how about someone who wants to e;ce! in (amadan? ",asting and the $ur'an wi!! come and testify on beha!f of the ''bd on the 8ay of (esurrection. "he ,asting wi!! say5 * my !ord& I denied him food and desires& so a!!ow me to be a means for him to enter paradise. 'nd the $u'ran wi!! say5 * my Eord& I denied him s!eep at night so a!!ow me to be a means for him to enter Aaradise. 'nd 2he wi!! be entered into paradise3 because of those two." >usnad 'hmad

"ry this5 'nnounce in your househo!d that (amadan is the officia! turnoff "1 month. +e an e;amp!e for others and do fun and rewarding things instead. 1isit peop!e& ta%e on a (amadan feeding pro0ect& increase yourse!f in %now!edge& etc. "urn off the "1 and turn on !ife. Idea %our: &ua' #ime (amadan is the month of ma%ing dua' to '!!ah& an essentia! comp!iment to fasting. (asu! '!!ah - sa! '!!aahu a!ayhi wa sa!!am said& ""here are three persons dua' that wi!! be accepted 2by '!!ah3. "he fasting person& the oppressed one& and the tra#e!er." "ry this5 >a%e a !ist of a!! your goa!s in !ife. >a%e a section for your a3 persona! goa!sG b3 spiritua! goa!sG c3 economic goa!sG and d3 contribution goa!s. F#ery day during (amadan& ta%e out your !ist and ma%e dua' to '!!ah to grant you the tawfee4 to accomp!ish your goa!s. Insha '!!ah& you wi!! attain your goa!s with hard wor%& both during and after (amadan. Idea %i(e: )arent Appreciation Month -e a!! %now that the one who wa%es us up for :uhoor is our mom. I %now it was for me. If not for her a!arm c!oc%& her ear!y morning coo%ing& her mother!y !o#e to go and wa%e e#eryone up . we!!& !et's 0ust say our iftars wou!d ha#e become our suhoors. If you are !i#ing away from your parents& you %now what I'm ta!%ing about. (emember the hadith of the person who doesn't reach (amadan with forgi#eness? "he end part of the Hadith says they found their parents in o!d age and they were not a means for him to enter <annah) :o& why not announce it !oud and c!ear this month& ""han% you >om) "han% you 8ad)" Eet's ta%e care of them this month with e;tra ca!!s& e;tra hugs& and e;tra !o#e. Idea Si*: Mas+id )ower ,our 8uring (amadan& why not spend a few more moments in the >as0id before ta%ing off. "his cou!d be done after ,a0r or after 'sr. :it bac%& grab a $ur'an and remember '!!ah. 's your time in the >as0id increases& bi idhni!!aah& your !o#e and heart attachment wi!! increase. >a%e this your persona! >as0id power hour. Idea Se(en: Bad ,abit Buster >any peop!e a!ready do this. "hey may ha#e a smo%ing prob!em or a "1 addiction. -hen (amadan comes around they say& "I'm going to train myse!f to stop smo%ing or to stop watching e;cessi#e "1 by abandoning it throughout (amadan."

:o& you don't ha#e a smo%ing prob!em huh? F#eryone has a bad habit and e#eryone has a recurring sin they pray they cou!d desist from. >a%e (amadan the training month by te!!ing yourse!f to go without this sin for the entire month. "hen& if '!!ah grants one "awfee4 to comp!ete the month& one shou!d continue to pray to '!!ah to %eep them away from the sin after (amadan. Idea -i.ht: #he "ift "roo(e Ha#e you e#er noticed how be!o#ed a bott!e of perfume is when it is handed out by a !itt!e four year o!d >us!im? F#eryone !o#es a gift. -hy not ta%e this a step forward? Ho to your !oca! Is!amic boo%store and re4uest a bu!% purchase of some beneficia! Is!amic materia!s& something in the B1 range. "hen& hand it out to e#eryone that comes to your mas0id. +i idhni!!aah& you wi!! find for the !itt!e effort one may put& peop!e a!! throughout (amadan wi!! be !earning from the gift. Idea /ine: 0amadan Muslims1 Con(ert It is true that on the first day of (amadan& the number of >us!ims in the !oca! >as0id mu!tip!ies considerab!y. 'nd& it is a sad moment on the first day after (amadan that the >as0id attendance drops significant!y. "his idea is *peration Io >ore (amadan >us!ims. -e want peop!e a!! year !ong) Ibn 'bbas I'ti%aaf5 ' man came to Ibn 'bbas whi!e he was doing I'ti%aaf in the mas0id and as%ed him for his assistance. :o& Ibn 'bbas stood to !ea#e and peop!e around him warned him& 'but you are in I'ti%aaf'. He rep!ied& ""o assist my brother in fu!fi!!ing his need is more be!o#ed to me than to perform I'ti%aaf for J months in the >as0id of (asu! '!!ah - sa! '!!ahu 'a!ayhi wa sa!!am." "ry this5 >a%e a 'compassion crew' that reaches out specifica!!y to (amadan >us!ims. F;tra specia! attention is showered on them and ro!es of responsibi!ity are de!egated to them so that they can participate more in the >as0id. In#ite them to specia! Iftars where they are the center of attention. -ith this e;tra attention and responsibi!ity& bi idhni!!aah& e#ery month wi!! be (amadan for them and the mas0ids wi!! be fu!! a!! year. Idea #en: ,ome ,ala2ah >us!im fami!ies often %eep their worship for the >as0id& but why not ma%e >us!im fami!y time at home. It cou!d wor% !i%e this5 'fter "araweeh or 'sr& the fami!y gathers together for 1/ minutes. "here

are many things you cou!d do in your Ha!a4ah& the main thing is that you set time aside for it. ,or e;amp!e& each fami!y member may recite a few #erses of $ur'an. *r& one of the %ids can read a story of the :ahaabah so that a!! fami!y members can be reminded. *r& each fami!y member can spea% about the b!essings of '!!ah upon them and what they ha#e in their !i#es for which they are than%fu!. <ust 1/ minutes for the home Ha!a4ah. ,or the entire fami!y& bi idhni!!ah& it wi!! be a spring of Fman. "en ideas to enhance your (amadan5 Idea one5 Dompound our :iyaam) Idea two5 *peration Huide the outh Idea "hree5 "urnoff "1 >onth Idea ,our5 8ua' "ime Idea ,i#e5 Aarent 'ppreciation >onth Idea :i;5 >as0id Aower Hour Idea :e#en5 +ad Habit +uster Idea Fight5 "he Hift Hroo#e Idea Iine5 (amadan >us!ims& Don#ert) Idea "en5 Home Ha!a4ah "he past saw >us!ims that spent their nights of (amadan awa%e praying to '!!ah. It saw days where peop!e& for the sa%e of '!!ah& went thirsty. "hey %new that this season may ne#er return on them and they heard '!!ah's words "'yyaman >a'doodaat"- a !imited number of days. 8on't !et the sand of (amadan s!ip away. -a '!ai%um :a!am wa (ahmatu!!ahi wa +ara%atuhu

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Give yourself a chance y studying the Glorious !ur"an and the #unnah for you have nothing to lose$ yet everything to gain% &'hose (ho elieve$ and (hose hearts find satisfaction in the remem rance of )llah: for (ithout dou t in the remem rance of )llah do hearts find satisfaction.* +#urah ,a-d 1.:/01