Benefits of Fasting - Mufti Minhajuddin | Islamic Reminder | Jummah Khutbah

الحمد لله، الحمد لله رب العالمين، وصلاة وسلام على سيد المرسلين، وخاتم النبيين، وعلى آله الطيبين الطاهرين، ومنتميهم بإحسان، والداعين بدعوتهم إلى يوم الدين. رب اشرح لي صدري، ويسر لي أمري، واحلل عقدة من لساني، يفقهوا قولي.

My dear respected brothers and sisters in Islam, assalamu alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh.

Respected elders and young students, my dear friends, Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala has favoured us with so many blessings and now we are coming near the end of the month of Ramadan. Perhaps it is very likely that this might be the last Jummah in the month of Ramadan. There is no concept of a Jumu'atul Wada' as is prevalent amongst many cultures and back home in different countries.

Every single Jummah is a fard, an obligation upon us, whether in Ramadan or outside of Ramadan:

Whenever the Adhan of Jummah is called, it is an obligation to respond. وَذَرُوا الْبَيْعَ — any transactions we are involved in, any financial work, any business, it is prohibited; we must cease those activities and come to the house of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala throughout the year. In Ramadan also, if there is a first, second, and third Jummah, they are as important as the last one. They are all important.

There is this concept that many people who are not able to even make it for Jummah throughout the year or even in Ramadan, they make an effort to come for the last one — may Allah accept their coming. But this particular belief that the last one holds greater importance has no basis whatsoever in our Deen.

The Two Cardinal Enemies: Nafs and Shaytan

Besides the point, the actual reminder for myself and everyone else is that in this month of Ramadan, Alhamdulillah, Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, through His mercy, is giving us an upper hand over Nafs and Shaytan, our two cardinal enemies:

Shaytan is your enemy. So regard him as your enemy. عَدُوٌّ مُّبِينٌ — he is your open enemy. This open enemy of ours has taken an oath in front of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala:

"I will come and misguide Adam and his progeny from in front and from behind, from the right and from the left. I will ensure they enter Jahannam with me." This is the oath he took to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala — "I will misguide all of them, except for the few servants of yours who are saved and protected."

This huge enemy — Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala has chained the rebellious shayateen, the maradatu shayateen. And the other internal enemy we have, our nafs, that is Ammara bis-su' — propelling us towards evil, commanding us towards disobedience of Allah — this has also been weakened by fasting. One enemy is chained, one enemy is weakened. And Alhamdulillah, on top of that, we are enjoying the benefits of fasting.

The Purpose of Fasting: Attaining Taqwa

What is the benefit of fasting?

So that you may obtain Taqwa. Fasting inherently has within it the characteristic and property of creating Taqwa. May Allah make me and you and all of us among the Muttaqeen.

The best ending and the final best abode is for those who have Taqwa. So if we do not take control of this nafs Ammara — this nafs that is commanding us towards evil — and we do not defeat it at this time, then there is no other time we can ever hope to achieve this victory. This is a time where we need to take control, and once and for all make a decision, and ask from Allah help in this battle. And say:

"O Allah, grant us — not a temporary Taqwa in Ramadan, but a permanent state of Taqwa. Purify our hearts. O Allah, You are the best one who can purify. You are the master of my nafs. O Allah, the nafs seems like a difficult enemy to overcome for me, because I am weak, but O Allah, it is very easy for You to grant me victory over this nafs."

The Essence of Taqwa: Awareness of Allah's Presence

In particular, fasting helps in creating Taqwa because at the end of the day, Taqwa has been defined by scholars in many different ways, but what it all boils down to — may Allah give us its reality — is an awareness of the presence of Allah. Being conscious and aware that Allah is watching, and Allah is with us. He sees me, He hears my words, He sees my actions. And more than just knowing what I am doing, beyond that, Allah will take me to account on the Day of Judgment. Having that sense of accountability — this is the heart of Taqwa.

When a person deals with his parents, when he deals with his siblings, with his spouse, with his children, with his neighbours, and in his business dealings — at all times he is aware that Allah is watching him, and he will be held accountable for his actions. Not only when a person is in Salah and Ibadah, but also at every aspect of one's life. This is the level that we have to achieve. Throughout our life, throughout the various stages of our life, we are always cognizant of the fact that we are being watched by Allah.

And this is very easy for us to understand — it is not difficult to appreciate how fasting helps in creating this. Sometimes, the practice we are engaged in, and we see all our family members engaged in, we do not realize its significance and its importance, and the depth of what is happening. SubhanAllah.

But millions and millions — InshaAllah over a billion, Allah knows best — Muslims throughout the world are abstaining from food and drink, basic necessities of life, from dawn till sunset. And this is what we have been observing since childhood, and this is what we are, Alhamdulillah, observing right now. We are all in a state of fasting. But this is actually a very tremendous thing. And for outsiders, those who are not Muslims, they are very much amazed by this. These are basic human necessities.

When you are hungry, you desire food. When you are thirsty, you desire water, you need water. And we abstain from food and drink when people are watching us — then there is a possibility that we are abstaining due to the societal stigma of breaking one's fast, and fear of what people are going to say. But at the same time, even when no one is watching us, and we are alone in solitude, we will not violate our fast. It does not behoove any Muslim who has even a low level of Iman to break his fast, even privately.

And from a totally secular perspective — the one who does not believe in the Divine, the one who is deprived, who is mahroom of believing in Allah — this is truly something amazing. Why in the world would so many millions of people give up their food and drink when no one is even watching them? You could eat or drink privately, clean up after yourself, leave no trace, and no one would ever know. But no one does that.

No one is watching amongst the creation. But we have this belief in the bottom of our hearts. Maybe this is in the back of our minds the entire time, but Alhamdulillah, through the benefit of fasting, this concept comes to the fore of our mind. It becomes a dominant thought: yes, no one is watching, but Allah is watching.

Fasting is for Allah — The Hadith Qudsi

And this is what is the unique aspect regarding fasting. That is why Allah says through Rasulullah ﷺ in a Hadith Qudsi:

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 1904; Sahih Muslim, Hadith 1151)

"Fasting is for Me, and I Myself will give the reward for it." Because fasting is an amal in which, InshaAllah, there will be ikhlas — there will be sincerity. We have this concept in the month of Ramadan, subhanAllah, that Allah is watching.

Allah is Always Watching

Verily, your Lord is very closely watching over you. Allah says in the Quran, and He reminds us and asks us a question:

"Do you not realize that Allah is watching over you?" Whenever we are having a meeting:

Whenever three people are having a private meeting, let them know — Allah says — that I am the fourth one there. Whenever five are having a private meeting, a najwa, a secret meeting, I am the sixth one. Whenever there are lesser people or more people in any gathering — when they take the attendance, whether they know it or not, the name of Allah is present. Allah is always present. أَيْنَ مَا كَانُوا — wherever they may be. Then He will inform them about what they decided, what they plotted, what they spoke. Not only does He have the knowledge, but He will replay it on the Day of Judgment.

The Story of Yusuf (AS): A Secret Meeting Recorded by Allah

When the brothers of Yusuf (AS) were sitting and plotting, what should we do with Yusuf (AS)? اقْتُلُوا يُوسُفَ — kill him, one said. Some said, اطْرَحُوهُ أَرْضًا — throw him in a faraway land. يَخْلُ لَكُمْ وَجْهُ أَبِيكُمْ — your father's love will be focused towards you. He will give up loving this young beautiful boy. He will start appreciating us young men. Later on, you can repent and become righteous. Just do this sin right now.

Then the eldest brother, Yehuda, said: "Don't kill him. Why do we need to get his blood on our hands? Throw him in an abandoned well."

"Some travellers might come by and pick him up, if you have to do it." SubhanAllah. So this was a private meeting, and this is what they discussed. And they were so remorseful about it. They did not talk about what they decided to anyone. It was within closed doors.

Later on, they repented:

They said, "O Yusuf, Allah has given you preference over us, and we were indeed sinners." Many years later when they met him, when he was on the throne of Egypt. "We made a very big crime when we threw you away in the well." They even told their father:

"O our father Yaqub, please ask Allah to forgive us." And one of the signs of tawbah and nadama is that you don't speak about your sin. You don't gloat over it. You don't boast about it. Allah accepts the repentance of every sinner — إِلَّا الْمُجَاهِر — except for the mujahir. The Sahaba asked, "Who is the mujahir?" Rasulullah ﷺ said the mujahir is the one who commits a sin and Allah keeps it hidden for him, but then he himself exposes himself.

So no one knew what happened in that gathering. It was a secret between the participants of that meeting — that plotting to get rid of Yusuf (AS). But then how do all of us, the entire Ummah of Rasulullah ﷺ, know the details of that meeting? We have the minutes recorded. Who leaked those minutes? No one committed khiyanah from that meeting. No one exposed and divulged its secrets. Rather there was one Participant who was there watching and recording. He was in that najwa. Who was that? Allah. That is why Allah says at the end of Surah Yusuf:

SubhanAllah. "I am narrating the story of Yusuf (AS) to you. And you, O Muhammad ﷺ, were not present with them when they gathered together and decided their matter and were plotting."

Somebody might ask the question: what is the relevance of وَمَا كُنتَ لَدَيْهِمْ — "and you were not there"? Because Rasulullah ﷺ was not there from the beginning of the story till the end. Every single scene. Allah could have highlighted any moment. He could have said: "You were not there when the young boy saw the dream of the sun and the moon and the eleven stars making sujud to him. You were not there when he narrated the dream to his father. You were not there when the father said, 'Don't tell your dream to your brothers.'" The whole story. But why is this single scene — the secret plotting of the brothers — specifically pointed out?

Because this was a secret meeting and the details of that secret meeting have been told to us. And the only way it was told is that Allah, who is fully aware, narrated it to us in the Quran through revelation. SubhanAllah.

We have to remind ourselves — Allah knows the secrets that we confide to our closest confidants. And what is even further hidden — that which we do not confide to anyone, the thoughts we keep only in our mind and in our heart — Allah is aware of that. He has complete knowledge of the thoughts that cross the hearts.

Not a single leaf falls from a tree but He knows it. He knows how many leaves are falling. He knows the speed at which they are falling. He knows how long they will remain green, and when they will decay, and the speed of their decay. He knows all of this knowledge of every leaf of every tree that is falling anywhere in the world. This is mentioned in the Quran:

No leaf can fall from a tree but He knows it. Nor any grain that is put in the ground but He knows which one will germinate into a plant and which one will die. It is all mentioned in the open book of Allah.

Carrying Taqwa Beyond Ramadan

So this is the concept of Taqwa that we have to inculcate in our lives. And we are developing it in this month of Ramadan, and we have to continue with this concept after Ramadan. Luqman Hakim, when he was advising his son — a young boy — he started teaching him this right from the beginning. We have to inculcate Taqwa in our own lives and we have to teach it to our young children.

"O my dear son, if there is any deed — good or bad — and it is the size of a mustard seed, and this small deed is hidden somewhere in all the grains of sand, in the earth, under the soil, anywhere in the entire universe — it will not remain hidden. Allah will bring it forth on the Day of Judgment."

That day is coming. The day Allah Ta'ala tells us — you regard it as very far off, but I am saying it is very near. The time for reckoning has drawn near. People are still heedless, oblivious. They are not realizing the Day of Judgment is drawing near.

The day people will have to stand in front of Allah, the Lord of the worlds. We all have to give an account on that day.

The day you will be presented in the court of Allah — nothing will remain hidden.

When this earth will be destroyed, another earth will be created. There will be no incline or decline, no place to hide. And when the trumpet will be blown, we will all be proceeding:

You will not hear any sound but the creaking of the feet walking on the earth as they proceed to the plain of Mahshar. So this has to become a living reality for us. This living reality which is manifested in the month of Ramadan — while we are cognizant — it has to become a living reality throughout the rest of the year. This is the objective of this month.

Muhasabah: Self-Accounting Before the Final Reckoning

And now as we are coming to an end, we have to evaluate ourselves. Make muhasabah. Have we developed this or not? In the tafsir of حِسَابًا يَسِيرًا — that some people Allah will give an easy reckoning on the Day of Judgment — the scholars mention that this easy reckoning is only for those who do self-accounting in this dunya, who take an account of themselves, called muhasabah:

(Attributed to 'Umar ibn al-Khattab (RA) — recorded by al-Tirmidhi and others)

"Take stock of yourselves before Allah takes you to account on the Day of Judgment. Weigh your deeds in this worldly life before they are weighed by Allah in the scales of justice on the Day of Judgment. And prepare yourselves and beautify yourselves for the day you will be presented in the court of Allah."

Death as a Gift for the Believer

InshaAllah, if we lead our life just like we are leading this month of Ramadan — in Taqwa, in fear of Allah, abstaining from His disobedience and trying our best:

— our best to obey Him — just like at the end of Ramadan the happiness of Eid comes, likewise at the end of our life, our entire life being like Ramadan, our death will come like Eid. Rasulullah ﷺ said:

(Al-Hakim, Al-Mustadrak, Hadith 7902; also reported by al-Tabarani)

Just like on Eid the gifts are given to children and presents are opened in a moment of happiness and celebration, Rasulullah ﷺ used the same word — تُحْفَة — gift. Death itself is a gift for the believer.

(A well-known statement of the pious predecessors)

Death is a bridge — when you cross it, it allows the lover to meet his beloved. The Sahaba used to look forward to this moment.

When Bilal ibn Rabah (RA) was on his deathbed and crying out in pangs of pain, his wife exclaimed: يَا كَرْبَاهُ! يَا كَرْبَاهُ! — "Oh! Calamity! Oh! Difficulty!" So he grabbed her hand and said on his deathbed: يَا طَرَبَاهُ! يَا طَرَبَاهُ! — "Oh! Happiness! Oh! Pleasure!" She said, كَرْبَاهُ. He said طَرَبَاهُ. She said: "What is going on? You are dying." He said:

"The day I have been looking forward to has arrived! Tomorrow I will meet my beloved ones — Muhammad ﷺ and the early companions. This is what I have been looking forward to. This is the opportunity for me to join my beloved."

So death is not something we bring upon ourselves. We do not destroy ourselves. Don't get the wrong idea. Allah Ta'ala says:

"Do not kill yourselves." Killing yourself is haram. This life is an amanah. But whenever death comes, it is an opportunity for us — it is not the end of our life. For those who disbelieve in the hereafter, it is the end. They say:

"This is our worldly life. We live and we enjoy. You live only once. Enjoy life. There is no hereafter." For them it is the end of their pleasures — هَازِمُ اللَّذَّات — it ends their pleasures for them. But for us it is an intiqal. It is a transfer:

From the temporary abode to the permanent abode — to the Jannah of Allah. As believers we have been investing our entire life in that hereafter. And now is the time to enjoy the fruits of our investment. So if we lead our lives like Ramadan, InshaAllah, the death will come like Eid.

A Call to Support the Seminary Expansion

As a reminder now at the end — may Allah Ta'ala make us among the Muttaqeen, may He accept our fast, may He accept our Taraweeh, our Sadaqat, and may Allah Ta'ala make us among the righteous ones.

And I know that this is something that is hard on the nafs to even mention, but I will make an announcement and remind everyone once again. On this day, as we are increasing in our Taqwa, in our Sadaqah, in our Ibadah, in our Tilawah, we also see that Alhamdulillah — this place that we are performing Salatul Jumu'ah and benefiting from — is right now in great need of our assistance.

And Rasulullah ﷺ himself sought the help of the Ummah at times of need. He requested them to participate and financially help out in the expedition of Tabuk and all of the different expeditions. Whenever the need arose, he took the people and asked them to help.

So I strongly urge everyone — InshaAllah — this is not something you can doubt whether it is happening or not. Is this some scam? Is this just a picture on a screen with no reality? This is something you come by every morning and evening and see. You can see with the eye of certainty that Alhamdulillah the seminary expansion and campus construction is in full swing.

And I can assure you that the workers are not necessarily working fi sabilillah 100%. We have tried our best to minimize the cost of construction, but all of these contractors and workers have families that need to be paid and they are doing their work. So it is our responsibility as the Ummah of Rasulullah that we come together to make this project move smoothly and swiftly.

We have an update, Alhamdulillah, that the new parking lot is fully usable — many of you who are here have already parked on it and come. SubhanAllah. That was a jungle, wild land filled with trees, and now Alhamdulillah it is a parking lot. And Alhamdulillah the complete excavation is done on the women's wing — the women's musalla — and the concrete has been poured for the footings, and now the walls are going to be coming up. Takbeer!

So this is something we have been talking about and planning for the last two years, and now it is actually happening in front of our eyes. InshaAllah, within the next two years this project will reach completion. Say InshaAllah. We want to complete by Ramadan 2020, InshaAllah, in two years — we should have this complete facility ready and up and going. So we need your urgent donations.

May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala grant you the tawfiq to donate for this cause of producing Ulema and scholars that will rise to the challenges, be able to answer the objections against Islam, and guide the Muslim Ummah.

وَآخِرُ دَعْوَانَا أَنِ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ