Jeewan Online

This year the Ramadan Reflections series will be done by video. You can turn it on and listen- (no need to watch the “talking head”

Find today’s link here: Pre-Ramadan Message

My dearest brothers and sisters,

Asalamu Alaikum wa rahmatullah wa barakatuhu (May the peace and blessings of God be upon you all).

This being the last night of Ramadan (for my family and I), I wanted to send a personal note to say that it has been a pleasure doing the Ramadan Reflections
this year. It has grown to include hundreds of Muslims and brothers and sisters of other faiths, people from various countries around the world. It continues to be published in
several parts of the world. This is a direct result of God’s mercy and blessing on this project. Any good that comes from it, came from God and any mistakes, are
my own and I ask your forgiveness and the forgiveness of God.

These reflections give me an opportunity to reflect on my behaviour and thinking and it often provides me moments of learning and a chance for growth. I am sure this
is not the case, but please do not think that somehow, because of my writing, that I am “great” or a “good Muslim”. I am simply a servant, striving to do better, that’s all. Sometimes
we tend to cast people in moulds and hold them in such high esteem that if we were to see them make an error, it crushes our spirit. It is important to remember that the
goodness that came from the reflections, came from the source of all goodness- God. Like you, I am striving to do better and as we all do, some days are better than others.

I am thankful for all the support, the many emails, calls and sincere constructive feedback. I especially would like to thank my wife Sharon and my children- for the sacrifices of time they made to allow me the chance to write. Without their support, the Ramadan Reflections series would not be possible.

Lastly, I have one humble request. If you could please include my family and I in your duas (prayers), that Allah answers our prayers, gives us shifaa and grants us the best of the dunya and akhira, we would be most grateful.

Jazakum Allahu Khairun Katheera (May God’s bountiful blessings be upon you),

Wa salam
br. j

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Dear Self,

Have you ever wondered how much God thinks about you? Perhaps a better way to think of it is to ask yourself, how much do you remember God? In another hadith qudsi, God said, “Those that remember Me in their heart, I remember them in My heart; and those that remember Me in a gathering (i.e. that make mention of Me), I remember them (i.e. make mention of them) in a gathering better than theirs.”

So how do you remember God? On your own? With a group?

In another hadith, the prophet Muhammad said, “When you pass by the gardens of Paradise, avail yourselves of them.” The Companions asked: “What are the gardens of Paradise, O Messenger of God?” He replied: “The circles of dhikr (remembrance). There are roaming angels of God who go about looking for the circles of dhikr, and when they find them they surround them closely.”In another hadith, He said, “When any group of people remember God, angels surround them and mercy covers them, tranquility descends upon them, and God mentions them to those who are with Him.”

Imagine the elevated status that you have when you keep good company; when you surround yourself with those who remember so that you can remember. You see, true contentment comes from the peace that you find in that remembrance. It is looking and seeing or sometimes even without seeing, the serenity of knowing that in the Divine Plan, all is as it is meant to be. That the situations you are in are perfect for you at that time. You do your best and you call on Him and in all states you find peace in His remembrance. What should bring even more joy to your heart is knowing, the more you remember and mention God, the more He remembers you.

Subhan Allah (glory be to God); Alhamdulillah (all praise is due to God); Allahu Akbar (God is the greatest)

Today Self, make a commitment to remember Him more- it will be the key to the tranquility your heart yearns for.

Love,

Me

The Prophet, peace be upon him, would often tell his Companions, “Shall I tell you about the best of deeds, the most pure in the sight of your Lord, about the one that is of the highest order and is far better for you than spending gold and silver, even better for you than meeting your enemies in the battlefield where you strike at their necks and they at yours?” The Companions replied, “Yes, O Messenger of Allah!” The Prophet, peace be upon him, said, “Remembrance of Allah.” (Narrated by Tirmidhi, Ahmad, and Hakim who declared its chain of narrators sound)

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Dear Self,

The doors of Forgiveness are open so continue to use them during these blessed days.

In a hadith of Muhammad peace be upon him, “ God says, “Oh my servants, you are all sinners except him whom I have pardoned. So ask me forgiveness, and I will forgive you. Whosoever knows that I am the Possessor of the power to forgive them, I will forgive them, and I do not mind [doing so]. 

In another narration he, peace be upon him, said, “ If a person says, “Glory be to You (God)! I have wronged myself and committed evil. Forgive me. Verily no one forgives sins but You”, their sins are forgiven, even if they are as numerous as the tracks of ants.

One other prayer for forgiveness – “ Oh God, You are my Lord, and I am your servant. You have created me. I am observing my covenant and promise to You as much as I can. I take refuge with you from the evil which I have committed. I acknowledge to You Your favour upon me, and I acknowledge to myself my sins. I have wronged myself and I have confessed my sin (directly to You). So forgive me my sins- those I have committed and those I shall commit. Verily no one forgives  sins except You.

Remember Self, to acknowledge sins, is to hold yourself accountable. Whether it is in the presence of people and when you are on your own. Pray that your secret (private) life is as good as your public life and that your public life is good. For the moments when you make mistakes, forget, fall into error, remember that God’s mercy and ability to forgive is all encompassing. He awaits the call of those who seek Him. So do not ever despair that you have ANY mistakes that would cause Him to turn away from you. He loves you but as in all relationships, when mistakes are made, you have to make an effort to ask for forgiveness. Protect this relationship- it’s the most important one in your life.

Love,

me

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Dear Self,

Three hadith qudsi (narrations of the prophet revealed to him directly by God) to reflect upon in these last days of Ramadan. Use each moment to make a difference. (It is understood in translation that when the narrations say “son of Adam” it is in reference to all children of Adam and Eve- male and female)

O son (and daughter) of Adam, so long as you call upon Me and ask of Me, I shall forgive you for what you have done, and I shall not mind. O son (and daughter) of Adam, were your sins to reach the clouds of the sky and were you then to ask forgiveness of Me, I would forgive you. O son (and daughter) of Adam, were you to come to Me with sins nearly as great as the earth and were you then to face Me, ascribing no partner to Me, I would bring you forgiveness nearly as great at it.

We learn from the hadith of the prophet Muhammad peace be upon him to pray- “Oh God, You are Most Forgiving, You Love to Forgive, Please forgive my sins”.

O son of Adam, I fell ill and you visited Me not. He will say: O Lord, and how should I visit You when You are the Lord of the worlds? He will say: Did you not know that My servant So-and-so had fallen ill and you visited him not? Did you not know that had you visited him you would have found Me with him? O son of Adam, I asked you for food and you fed Me not. He will say: O Lord, and how should I feed You when You are the Lord of the worlds? He will say: Did you not know that My servant So-and-so asked you for food and you fed him not? Did you not know that had you fed him you would surely have found that (the reward for doing so) with Me? O son of Adam, I asked you to give Me to drink and you gave Me not to drink. He will say: O Lord, how should I give You to drink whin You are the Lord of the worlds? He will say: My servant So-and-so asked you to give him to drink and you gave him not to drink. Had you given him to drink you would have surely found that with Me.

Think about how we live each day and ignore the plight of those around us. Perhaps it is with those people we ignore or look away from that God is most present.

Spend (in charity), O son (and daughter) of Adam, and I shall spend on you.

What do you spend our money on?

Love,
me

Dear Self,

How quickly the time is passing. Our beloved guest, the one we once anticipated so greatly is setting to depart and we are getting ready to greet the days of Eid. It makes me realize that sometimes, we focus so much on the destination that we forget to enjoy the journey.

I see that in you many times, where you set a goal and you just want to get it done. We’ve talked about setting goals and using them to help you attain your potential but don’t forget the secret of a good goal lies in the process of getting there. As someone who knows we worship in everything we do, remember that the journey is as important as getting there. This is our Creator’s way of removing veils that previously kept us from seeing the true reality. In fact, it is in the process that you discover and learn the most about yourself.

Our life’s goal is to attain God’s Pleasure…and hopefully be blessed to stand in His Presence but the journey is what will take us there. So as you set your goals and vision, as you start to build your capacity and try to achieve your purpose, remember that each step along your journey is equally important. In fact, it is the journey that truly determines the destination.

Take time to “smell the roses”, open your heart to the mercy and blessings that surrounds you, live according to the standards He has set and live truly each moment with passion. This is the best kind of worship and more importantly it will take you to the destination you desire.

Love,

Me

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Dear Self,

I can see you becoming enthusiastic now. You want to make changes and you know, with Allah’s help, you can do it. It seems like you are filling up with this energy and you just want to get out there and change everything. I am so encouraged by this and I want to support you in every way that I can. Perhaps the best way to do so, is to remind you that the prophet peace be upon him said that the best deed is the one that is most consistent.

So, please make sure that you take your time and think- “what small changes can I make, what small things can I do consistently?” Don’t try to do everything all at once because you will burn yourself out and then it will be easy to fall back into your old habits.

I have seen some community activists who are also active, but either at the detriment of themselves, or their families. While they are out trying to “save and help” everyone else, they lose themselves and their families start (or continue) falling apart. A major part of the problem is that with many organizations, community work is not family-based. So in order to “give back” you are consistently away from your family. This becomes a destructive cycle. So remember to use “balance” to temper your way.

For some, lack of balance is a result of hurt and injustices they have seen and/or experienced. Still, the model we use is the one of moderation and it was best exemplified by Muhammad peace be upon him. No matter, how much people persecuted him, he always remembered the importance of doing what God wanted and not letting his emotions get the better of him.

Balance and Consistency are two essential tools with which you should equip yourself on your quest to meet your Lord. These are the ones that will ensure that the light inside you will continue to burn and that your journey continues to take you towards the One Most High.

I want you to be successful so take time and care; set your goals; write them down and work hard. Insha Allah should you be blessed to meet Ramadan again, she will meet you from a better destination than she did this year! And so, your journey will continue forward.

Love,

Me

Ayesha (ra) related : the Prophet peace be upon him, once came to me when a woman was sitting with me. He asked, “Who is she?” I replied, “She is the same woman known for her (excessive) prayers. Addressing her, he said, “Just listen to me. You are called upon to pray only as much as you can do easily. By Allah, Allah does not tire of you until you yourself get tired. Allah likes those prayers, which a servant can perform easily and regularly. (Agreed Upon)

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Dear Self,

As our beautiful guest prepares to leave us, it is important not to let tears of sadness from missing her presence obscure our vision as to why she came in the first place. You, Self, have begun to notice your inner beauty and your strength as a soul; you have more power than you understood. You did what many others think they can’t do. In fact, you’ve begun to let your light disseminate from within, light your path and even illuminate the path of others.

As Ramadan leaves, continue to focus on what you will take from her and what you will continue to do, should you be blessed to greet her on your doorstep again.

Did you begin to do your daily prayers? Did you stop talking about others? Did you improve your eating habits? Began to fulfill your duties at home? Did you begin a new good deed?

Choose some of these things to continue so that Ramadan’s presence would have actually made a REAL difference for you. In this way, instead of being a servant of Ramadan, you continue on as a servant of God. Don’t pick too much so that you are overwhelmed but also don’t choose too little. You know yourself. Start with the MOST important thing that you KNOW in your HEART you should continue. Listen to it, Self, it is trying to guide you to your inner light. Dismiss the voices and noises that will tell you its too difficult. See them as obstacles in a race that you know you can win and start to work on them. Put them down on paper, tell some of your close family members, friends, community leaders, so they can help you stay on track.

I know you may be physically tired now, but inside your heart, there is an oasis of peace refreshing your soul- allow it to fill your being. This is divine tranquility that comes from the One Who brings peace to those who truly seek it.

Remember most of all, that everything that you have, each of your faculties, your abilities, your talents, your skills were blessed to you for the purpose of elevating your soul. So elevate your soul by striving to attain closeness to God and by being a mercy to your society- they are ALL God’s creation. These are your opportunities; the gifts given to you by the Most Loving One to use as His ambassador. Use them to bring benefit to yourself and others.

I know you can do it Self and you know what is even more important?

Allah knows you can do it too!

Love,

Me

A person who calls people towards doing good deeds will get the same reward as those who follow him and do good; and nothing will be diminished from the reward of those who do those deeds. Similarly, those who call people towards vice will have the same punishment as those who follow him without any lessening in the punishment of the perpetrators. (Muslim)

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Dear Self,

We are almost nearing the end of this blessed month. You’ve abstained from food, drink and sexual gratification. I think that you’ve learned that you have much more power than you thought, haven’t you? It was filled with many opportunities for you to discover this. From the length of time that you fasted, the prayers, the many deeds that you did, the moments of silence, the tears and the clarity that came through reflection.

What are you learning Self? Are you recognizing your potential? Is it becoming clearer that you are an ambassador of God and that means you have a job to do in this world?  Like Muhammad peace be upon him, you are meant to be a mercy to those around you. You are to meant to go forward in your society and find a way to give back to those who were blessed with different things than you.

You are meant to own the things of this world with your hands and let God fill your heart with His Love and Light. It is time for you to shed all the things that have taken over your life. You’ve reflected on your priorities, so now, get them in order.

You have been given a noble mission, responsibility and privilege- to bring your gifts and talents forward and use it on behalf of the Creator of the universe to bring goodness to others; to help; to share; to do…. It starts wherever you are- in your home, your neighbourhood, village, town, city, province, county, state, country and world.

How can you do this Self?

Get up, let go of your past, shed the judgements of short-sighted people, discipline your ego, leave the hurt behind but keep all the learning from it. Then, look forward.

Your soul needs you to act now; your community needs your skills, so does your country and our world. Even more importantly  though, this is why you were created.

If fasting taught you anything, it should have been the need to be constantly conscious of the Most Merciful and one of the most important ways you “remember” is through your compassionate citizenship and humble, non-judgemental service to others.

Self, how will your family, community, society and country benefit from you? As God’s ambassador, what will you do? Will you wake up now and do what you were meant to do or will you slip back into the monotonous servitude of people and things? Will your vision remain clear about your purpose or will you lose it now that the ritual fast is over?

You have a choice right now…I am urging you to do the right thing..let us work together and live meaningfully, so that when death greets us, we can smile knowing that we will be reunited with our Lord and can look back and know, we did our best while we travelled on the earth.

Love,

me

Dear Self,

How are you? These are the last ten days and nights. The nights are filled with blessings beyond compare. I know you are tired, as these last nights require more from you than the others. But strive; and seek its bounty. Lose your ego and find your Lord in your sacrifices.

Each moment of seeking Him, is closeness to Him; it is freedom of things that enslave you and tie you to this world; it is clarity from the desires that distract you.

So Self, take some time, slow down and let yourself be with God. When you are with Him, you can let yourself be vulnerable because with Him you will find sanctuary, give Him your burdens and take His Trust as your armour, show Him your flaws, seeking Forgiveness and receive His Mercy and Love in return.

You know yourself; the sins you commit- hiddenly, openly, in public and in secret; the sins you’ve tried to convince yourself are ok; the ones that you’ve over-rationalized even though deep within, they haunt you…you are His servant; He is calling you to His Light so leave the darkness and hasten towards it.

He is calling you to all that is good, all that you want even though you may not see it.

Wrapped between His will and your choices are the events that will lead to your final destination. As a traveler, you have the chance to change your trajectory now.

Do it, while you still can.

Love,

Me