Why Do We Fast? and Developing a Connection with the Quran

Asalam alaykum loves! The 9th day of Ramadan, I literally don't know how I have managed to keep posting and have not run out of things to talk about, but in the world there is so much to discuss and so much injustice I don't see myself stopping anytime soon! On a more serious note, Ramadan is a great way to help gain positive healthy habits and get rid of negative ones, like wasting hours on social media which I do!

Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Take up good deeds only as much as you are able, for the best deeds are those done regularly even if they are few.”Source: Sunan Ibn Mājah 4240

If you build a consistent good deed during this month and it continues past Ramadan MashAllah Allahumma Barik that is the best!

Today during halaqa we were reflecting on the reasons we fast, how this is the month when Quran was revealed, and you would think in order for us to read and fully contemplate and understand the meaning we would want to have energy by eating and drinking. But in all honesty, when your body is free and clean from food even if you have little energy you are able to focus fully on reading Quran and what Allah is telling us. Fasting also involves abstaining from sins, music, watching bad videos or saying or listening to bad talk like gossip or swearing. When we prevent ourselves from doing these things, it allows our hearts and minds to better be receptive of the message of the Quran as well. You don't want to just read the Quran just to read it, but you want your heart to be open to make you feel something about it and implement it in your life. I personally find it easier to focus when I don't have a full belly, it allows me to not think or feel about my body digesting or making noises, just simply read and absorb myself into listening or reading. You are ignoring your desires of intimacy, food or drinking and pushing yourself to study and absorb the information.

Think about what helps you focus, more often it won't be smashing into a bucket of KFC or going to a Old Country Buffet and eating 20 different foods. Usually what helps you focus has very little to do with eating, you may require an energy drink or coffee but for the most part when you are working at your jobs or studying of an exam, you don't eat much because you are in the zone, wanting to complete tasks so you eat very little or not at all to focus on what needs to be done. I am sure at one point we have had to do an all nighter studying for a test the next day or had to stay late hours at work to catch up on that huge pile of paperwork. 

Abu Sufyan, a companion of the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be Upon Him) before he converted to Islam, was visiting an emperor named Hercules who asked him, who were the people who followed the Prophet (SAW). Abu Sufyan told him it was the poor. Hercules replied that it means Muhammed was a true Prophet, because in his knowledge and experience prophets before him (peace be upon them all) the first people to follow them were the poor, the sick, the weak, the disabled. They had nothing to lose and because when you have nothing you are susceptible to messages of faith. When we have everything we become lost and attribute our success and wealth to our own doing when it is Allah who provides.

We also discussed how the Quran has been sent down as a mercy and guidance for mankind, yet we do not use it as such. We took it off our bookshelves where it has been collecting dust all year, the month where we use it the most. We have the tendency to think we don't have time for it, we are busy with our families or jobs or the deeds and prayer we already do are enough to satisfy our worship. But in truth by ignoring the Quran and not giving it is proper attention and love, that is arrogance. Not arrogance meaning we reject the message of the Quran and deny that it is the words of Allah but thinking that we do not need to rely on it when we are sad, upset, hurt or confused. It is so many answers and advice to the deepest questions in our hearts.

We do not want to become among the people who call upon Allah or read the Quran only when we are in desperate need or help like the example in Surah Yunus:

10:22: It is He who enables you to travel on land and sea until, when you are in ships and they sail with them by a good wind and they rejoice therein, there comes a storm wind and the waves come upon them from everywhere and they assume that they are surrounded, supplicating Allah, sincere to Him in religion, "If You should save us from this, we will surely be among the thankful."

But when He saves them, at once they commit injustice upon the earth without right. O mankind, your injustice is only against yourselves, [being merely] the enjoyment of worldly life. Then to Us is your return, and We will inform you of what you used to do.

In these verses it says Allah allows us to travel, and how when a wind hits, we celebrate because the wind works in our favor. But then there is a storm and we are threatened with the possibility of the ship crashing we cry to Allah for help but once we are saved we continue to do injustice on the Earth which with the enjoyment of this world is injustice to ourselves. Let us all try to remember Allah in the good and bad times as well as read the words of the Quran often! Let us turn to it for answers before we turn to people to help us feel better or worry about our problems!

There is a Quran website if you type in a feeling it shows you dual to respond to those feelings, you can find that here: http://www.sujood.co/prayers

Another thing is we fast from the halal, during Ramadan we abstain from haram but the main things we fast from food, drink, intimacy with your spouse when you are married, we stop from sunrise to sunset from Allah's Sake. So if we train our bodies, we discipline our nafs (desires) and feed our soul. Imagine if you can almost all day without the thing that you crave, when you can say no to the urge to drink water, it becomes easier to say no to the things that are harmful for us!

Lastly I wanted to share this Quran verse describing how the Quran should make us feel"

AzpZumar, verse 23: Allah has sent down the best statement: a consistent Book wherein is reiteration. The skins shiver therefrom of those who fear their Lord; then their skins and their hearts relax at the remembrance of Allah . That is the guidance of Allah by which He guides whom He wills. And one whom Allah leaves astray - for him there is no guide.

This tells us that the Quran is the best of works, better than the music, nasheeds, podcasts or lectures or books we listen to. There is nothing like it because it is the direct words from Allah. Allah says it we are truly effected by His words and the message it would make our skin breakout in goosebumps, that is how deep we feel it. The Arabic one for festival is used in this verse, meaning that the Quran should bring us happiness and peace in our hearts.

Thanks for reading loves! May Allah continue to make Ramadan easy and successful !