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The Six Habits of a Highly Effective Ramadan

The secret of obedience is to obey without question. It is not obedience without understanding. It is obedience without question because we understand. That is why selective obedience is disobedience.

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They say, ‘Habits make a person.’ Psychologists tell us that habit change takes 21 days. If someone does something continuously for 21 days it will become a habit. We are about to come to the Annual Habit Change Workshop that Allah subḥānahu wa ta'āla (glorified and exalted be He) sends as His mercy every year, to help us cultivate habits of the people of Jannah.

Be a Person of Taqwa

The first and most critical condition of being a Jannati, of being from among the people of Jannah, is to be a Muttaqi – a person of taqwa. It is good to remind ourselves that all the promises of Allah’s subḥānahu wa ta'āla (glorified and exalted be He) mercy and reward are for the Mu’minoon and Muttaqoon. Not for the Muslimoon. Becoming a Muslim is only the entry point. To attain higher levels with Allah subḥānahu wa ta'āla (glorified and exalted be He) one has to make effort; to enter that blessed group of people who will be honored and entered into Al Jannah. And remember, it is Allah subḥānahu wa ta'āla (glorified and exalted be He) who will decide who is a Muttaqi. It is not a matter of either one proclaiming it for himself or of his friends or followers proclaiming it for him. Taqwa is to be developed individually by every man, woman and child for his or her own benefit.

In one line, Taqwa is to avoid the doubtful.

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Allah subḥānahu wa ta'āla (glorified and exalted be He) orders us to have His Taqwa – to fear His displeasure and be aware of His presence – when He says:

 surah 3_102

O you who believe! Fear Allah (have Taqwa) as He should be feared. And die not except in a state of Islam (as Muslims) (3:102)

 

Allah subḥānahu wa ta'āla (glorified and exalted be He) has ordered the Muslims to develop a state of mind and heart where they fear to displease Him, as it is His right that people should fear to displease Him. And He tells the Muslims to make sure that they don’t die except in a state of complete submission to Him. This is the meaning of ‘fearing Allah subḥānahu wa ta'āla (glorified and exalted be He) ’.

I make this point because we hate things we fear. But with respect to Allah subḥānahu wa ta'āla (glorified and exalted be He) we love Him. Allah subḥānahu wa ta'āla (glorified and exalted be He) says about the Believers:

2_165a

…But those who believe, love Allâh the most (above all else)… (2:165)

So the fear of Allah subḥānahu wa ta'āla (glorified and exalted be He) that we talk about is the fear of displeasing Him. We love Allah subḥānahu wa ta'āla (glorified and exalted be He) above all else, so we fear displeasing Him more than anything else. The more we love Allah subḥānahu wa ta'āla (glorified and exalted be He) the more we fear to displease Him. Anyone who deliberately disobeys Allah subḥānahu wa ta'āla (glorified and exalted be He) is showing that He doesn’t love Allah subḥānahu wa ta'āla (glorified and exalted be He) . So there is no need for any confusion between fear and love of Allah subḥānahu wa ta'āla (glorified and exalted be He) . Allah subḥānahu wa ta'āla (glorified and exalted be He) shows us how to develop Taqwa and gives us the means to do it. He has made fasting fard (compulsory) upon us so that we can develop Taqwa.

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O you who believe! Observing As-Saum (fasting) is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may become Al-Muttaqoon (2:183)

As we can see, Allah subḥānahu wa ta'āla (glorified and exalted be He) has ordered us to have Taqwa and shown us how to develop it – by fasting. Once a Muslim develops Taqwa, his submission to Allah subḥānahu wa ta'āla (glorified and exalted be He) is assured.

The secret of obedience is to obey without question. It is not obedience without understanding. It is obedience without question because we understand. That is why selective obedience is disobedience.

It is important, when obeying Allah subḥānahu wa ta'āla (glorified and exalted be He) , to understand who Allah subḥānahu wa ta'āla (glorified and exalted be He) is, not to figure out the logic behind the command. This is a major trap that most of our so-called intellectuals fall into. They get lost in trying to understand the logic of the command and forget who is commanding it. That is why Ramadan comes – to emphasize the fact that the Muslim obeys only because Allah subḥānahu wa ta'āla (glorified and exalted be He) commanded it; not because it makes ‘sense’ to him. Allah subḥānahu wa ta'āla (glorified and exalted be He) made some things halal and some things haram, but in Ramadan, during the hours of daylight, Hemade even the things which are ordinarily halal, haram. When the Muslim obeys Allah subḥānahu wa ta'āla (glorified and exalted be He) and fasts, he is essentially doing something which makes sense only when one understands whose command it is. It also emphasizes for the Muslim that if he obeys Allah subḥānahu wa ta'āla (glorified and exalted be He) during Ramadan and stays away even from halal, how much more important must it be for him to stay away from what Allah subḥānahu wa ta'āla (glorified and exalted be He) prohibited and made haram outside of Ramadan.

That is why it is so critical to know Allah subḥānahu wa ta'āla (glorified and exalted be He) , to be connected to Allah subḥānahu wa ta'āla (glorified and exalted be He) , to be conscious of Allah subḥānahu wa ta'āla (glorified and exalted be He) and to be concerned about His pleasure and approval for all that we say or do, because to Him is our return. Ramadan comes to reiterate this to us every year; that we are the slaves of Allah subḥānahu wa ta'āla (glorified and exalted be He) and that in being true to that lies our salvation.

Ramadan comes to teach us obedience. It comes to teach us the meaning of uboodiya. It comes to teach us the meaning of being Abdullah and Amatullah and to do that because we love Allah subḥānahu wa ta'āla (glorified and exalted be He) above all else. We fast as a labor of love for our own fulfillment, not as a burden to be discharged or for fear of punishment. Those who don’t know Allah subḥānahu wa ta'āla (glorified and exalted be He) can’t experience the sweetness in worshipping Him and obeying Him.

That is why it is essential to know who Allah subḥānahu wa ta'āla (glorified and exalted be He) is, to revel in the fact that we worship the One who created us and the only One who is worthy of worship. We must know that when we call on Him, He hears us and answers, and that there is nothing in the world or in the Hereafter that is beyond His control. He gives to those who ask Him, and those who ask Him have faith (Tawakkul) because they know who He is and who they are asking. The surest sign of knowing Allah subḥānahu wa ta'āla (glorified and exalted be He) is the banishing of all fear of created things from your heart. Taqwa makes the heart free from stress and fear. Taqwa is the route to true freedom – the freedom of the soul.

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Keep supporting MuslimMatters for the sake of Allah

Alhamdulillah, we're at over 850 supporters. Help us get to 900 supporters this month. All it takes is a small gift from a reader like you to keep us going, for just $2 / month.

The Prophet (SAW) has taught us the best of deeds are those that done consistently, even if they are small. Click here to support MuslimMatters with a monthly donation of $2 per month. Set it and collect blessings from Allah (swt) for the khayr you're supporting without thinking about it.

Mirza Yawar Baig is the Founder & President of Yawar Baig & Associates. He is an international speaker, coach, trainer and facilitator, specializing in leadership in family businesses.

4 Comments

4 Comments

  1. Khadijah

    June 30, 2014 at 5:28 PM

    Please email
    Me you posts. khadijahdavies@gmail.com

  2. Talibeilm

    July 1, 2014 at 10:07 PM

    Ma sha Allah, tabarakallah… beautifully written. May Allah ta’ala give us the tau feel of implementing it. Ameen.

  3. Pingback: In the Name of Allah… | Lady Khadija

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