Today I want to adress something that bothers me for quite a while now. Asthere is - finally ! elhamdulillah ! - Ramadan coming, the issue of fasting pops up for muslim communities. I am so excited for the three month ! May Allah grant us all a blessed intense month of Ramadan ! A month full of understanding and barakah <3
During the last year I experienced a lifechanging Ramadan. It literally changed me from head to toe. It changed my outlook on life, it gave me inner piety. I dont know how to put it into words, but I guess for the first time in my life my heart was completely filled with the love of Allah . It was completely pure, free from any negativity, from any wordly desire. I was free, seeking only Allahs pleasure. Subhanallah ! Ya Allah grant me and the Ummah one more Ramadan like that !
Afterwards I started fasting mondays and thursdays, according to the sunnah of our prophet, to create my own little Ramadan at least twice a week.
It is great to keep you going, to keep you busy, but its not even comparable to Ramadan. Not at all.So I learnt to appreciate Ramadan even more.
Modern muslims dont pay much attention to the three month except for Ramadan. But thats not what I want to talk about today. The issue I want to address is much bigger, a lot more important. It is about pure intentions.
We all know that deeds are judged by intentions, that it is the heart, the inner dimension of a deed that defines its worth.So we want to recheck our intentions over and over again.We want to ensure, that our deeds are for ALLAH and ALLAH only.
And we want to get rid of anything else.We do the deeds,because ALLAH wants us to do them, and as we love HIM our only struggle is to please HIM.So we do it in order to please HIM and not to benefit from it on a worldly basis.There is a lot to talk in this field of pure intentions, but as Ramadan is just around the corner I want to talk about one thing, that corrupts a lot of peoples intentions during Ramadan.
We fast.During this time we dont eat, dont drink, have sexual intercourse, fight,curse anyone etc. . We stay away from haram and even from some halals .
As we stay away from food and drink we lose weight.Naturally.Most people are extremely happy about that.No problem at this point, right ? Wait, its coming .
As we know that we can expect weightloss we look forward to Ramadan to slim down.Why do we want to slim down ? To appear prettier, to appeal to PEOPLE.So this becomes one of our motives for fasting and we automatically -without awareness- put PEOPLE in our hearts.We corrupt our intentions
.What was once for the sake of ALLAH only , becomes now a splitted thing.It is for ALLAH yes, but also for people ,
or ourselves, our husbands, wifes or whatever.It doesnt matter at this point really. What matters is, that there is something or someone else you do it for.
1) Ban your scale
For the time of Ramadan just dont use it, or better put it in some shelf.Dont control your weight.Just dont.
2)Big Mirrors
Dont try to replace your scale with your Mirrors.If there are big Mirrors in your room, put some fabric over it and make a habit of not staying in front of mirrors too long.Not longer than 40sec, to check your clothing.
3)Shopping
Dont go shopping for clothing during Ramadan.Firstly there is a lot of things you could spend your time instead of shopping and secondly shopping for clothing will make you judge your body.Our prophet said
"Many people dont get anything from fasting except hunger and thirst,and many people who pray at night get nothing from it except weakfulness." (Al-Bukhari). Leave the unneccessary out.
Ramadan is a month full of Barakah, you really cant efford wasting this time.
4)Lose clothing
In fact, this should be selfunderstanding, but unfortunately its not.I started wearing only Abayas since 3 month, and im more comfortable than ever before.
" O children of Adam! We have indeed sent down to you clothing to cover your shame, and (clothing) for beauty and clothing that guards (against evil), that is the best. This is of the communications of Allah that they may be mindful." (7/26)
We all know that deeds are judged by intentions, that it is the heart, the inner dimension of a deed that defines its worth.So we want to recheck our intentions over and over again.We want to ensure, that our deeds are for ALLAH and ALLAH only.
And we want to get rid of anything else.We do the deeds,because ALLAH wants us to do them, and as we love HIM our only struggle is to please HIM.So we do it in order to please HIM and not to benefit from it on a worldly basis.There is a lot to talk in this field of pure intentions, but as Ramadan is just around the corner I want to talk about one thing, that corrupts a lot of peoples intentions during Ramadan.
We fast.During this time we dont eat, dont drink, have sexual intercourse, fight,curse anyone etc. . We stay away from haram and even from some halals .
As we stay away from food and drink we lose weight.Naturally.Most people are extremely happy about that.No problem at this point, right ? Wait, its coming .
As we know that we can expect weightloss we look forward to Ramadan to slim down.Why do we want to slim down ? To appear prettier, to appeal to PEOPLE.So this becomes one of our motives for fasting and we automatically -without awareness- put PEOPLE in our hearts.We corrupt our intentions
.What was once for the sake of ALLAH only , becomes now a splitted thing.It is for ALLAH yes, but also for people ,
or ourselves, our husbands, wifes or whatever.It doesnt matter at this point really. What matters is, that there is something or someone else you do it for.
1) Ban your scale
For the time of Ramadan just dont use it, or better put it in some shelf.Dont control your weight.Just dont.
2)Big Mirrors
Dont try to replace your scale with your Mirrors.If there are big Mirrors in your room, put some fabric over it and make a habit of not staying in front of mirrors too long.Not longer than 40sec, to check your clothing.
3)Shopping
Dont go shopping for clothing during Ramadan.Firstly there is a lot of things you could spend your time instead of shopping and secondly shopping for clothing will make you judge your body.Our prophet said
"Many people dont get anything from fasting except hunger and thirst,and many people who pray at night get nothing from it except weakfulness." (Al-Bukhari). Leave the unneccessary out.
Ramadan is a month full of Barakah, you really cant efford wasting this time.
4)Lose clothing
In fact, this should be selfunderstanding, but unfortunately its not.I started wearing only Abayas since 3 month, and im more comfortable than ever before.
" O children of Adam! We have indeed sent down to you clothing to cover your shame, and (clothing) for beauty and clothing that guards (against evil), that is the best. This is of the communications of Allah that they may be mindful." (7/26)
May Allah grant us all the most intense and heartchanging Ramadan <3
May peace be upon you <3
