 I mean, respected brothers and sisters, we begin by praising Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, God Almighty as He is most worthy and deserving of all praise. We ask Allah and we ask Allah alone to guide us, to prevent us from being misguided and from misguiding others. We ask Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala to forgive us of our shortcomings, our sins, those we have committed knowingly and those that we have committed unknowingly. And we ask Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala to bless His noble Prophet Muhammad ibn Abdullah, sallallahu alayhi wa aalihi wa sahbihi wa sallam. Respected brothers and sisters, by the fadlah of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala we find ourselves in the month of Ramadan and before we know it in the flash of an eye what seems already, almost a week has passed and depending on when you started, this is either your sixth or fifth fast already and that is the nature of Ramadan that we often contemplate how we're going to survive or how we're going to cope with having to give up food and drink for a 30 day or 29 to 30 day period of time and when the month finally arrives it starts passing us in the flash of an eye, in the blink of an eye and that is to say that time regardless of how time passes the month of Ramadan is an opportunity for us to reflect upon our own relationship with Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. Ramadan serves as I have often said as a barometer, as a gauge by which we can year after year measure and gauge where we are with regards to our relationship with that which is most important namely Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala God Almighty, His Messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and the Book of Allah and the Book of Allah and that is what the month of Ramadan affords us. It affords us this opportunity to measure or gauge where we are and by the fuddle of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala by God's grace that not only are we afforded an opportunity a time a moment in time to reflect on where we stand with Allah where we are with regards to our relationship to things that are most important it also allows us an opportunity to recalibrate ourselves we will find by very nature of who we are as human beings we will find deficiencies in where we are with regards to our relationship with Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala in fact we should find deficiency because it's always a work in progress you should never we should never be satisfied satiated with where we are with the status quo where we are with regards to the things that as I said are most important and so by the fuddle by the fuddle of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala Ramadan is not only that moment to measure it also affords us a catalyst a means by which we can expedite we can expedite this opportunity that we have these fleeting days as we talked about at the very beginning these moments that pass us these are those special moments that Allah has given us to recalibrate where we are with regards to our relationship with Allah to his book to his messenger subhanahu wa ta'ala so Ramadan is not only a barometer a gauge but it is also a catalyst by which we can increase in our devotion and inshallah by God's will that that becomes then habitual that then becomes a habit that we can carry that is something those habits that we form in this blessed month of Ramadan are those things that we can carry outside of the month of Ramadan I want to turn our attention now and focus on the particular verses in which Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala speaks about fasting in particular and speaks about the month of Ramadan in particular in specifically Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala discusses these things alludes to them certainly in several places in the Quran but primarily we turn to surah al-baqarah verse 183 and this is the verse that we have often heard ya ayyuhal ladina aminu taqallaha ya ayyuhal ladina aminu Qutb alaykum al-siyam oh you who believe fasting has been prescribed to you Ya ayyuhal ladina aminu Qutb alaykum al-siyam kama Qutb alal ladina min qablikum la alakum tat takoon that it was prescribed to those who came before you that it is a legacy that you follow that the fast is a legacy that you follow la alakum tat takoon so that you may attain God consciousness so that you may attain taqwa and then the verses continue and then surah the verse in 184 the verse that proceeds that follows right after then speaks about the mechanics of the month of Ramadan speaking referring to those opportunities or those moments that cause a pause in a person's fast perhaps because they are traveling or because they are ill then you can make up those fast but it ayyam al-ukhar that you can replace them with another day if you are sick or if you are traveling and then verse 185 says shahru Ramadhan al-lady unzila fi al-Quran khudallil nas wa bayinati min al-kuda wa al-Fuqan that the month of Ramadan is the month in which the Quran is revealed and this is a side point because I want to focus on something else but nonetheless it is important to note here that when Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala mentions shahru Ramadhan the fast or the the month of Ramadan in particular specifically it does so in the context of not fasting or it does so in the context of fasting but it inextricably that it inextricably links and connects the month of Ramadan to what? Nazila of the Quran, tanzil of the book of Allah because shahru Ramadhan is shahru Quran that the month of Ramadan is the month of the Quran and this is why whether it's the thorough way prayer whether it's our habitual practices that we should have which is to recite the book of Allah as much as possible to increase in our tilawa of the Quran again as I mentioned at the outset to increase in our relationship with the book of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala but these four verses brothers and sisters and then the verse continues in or the verses continue 186 and we'll come back to that if we are afforded time but these verses in particular I would submit to you present the overarching aims and objectives of Islam in total these verses Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala begins by talking about fasting fasting as a legacy as I said those as a practice that was that was as a ritual that was practiced to in with communities before us the Jews and the Christians and other faith communities have remnants of a fasting tradition in fact even within the Muslim community the early Muslim community of the Prophet sallallahu it was evolutionary it didn't begin as a fast of Ramadan it evolved into that it began as fasting particular days that were made mandatory and so on but then Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala whenever he legislates something this is again the father of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala whenever he legislates something he also provides for us a crewment of benefit and prevention of harm jalbal masalih waddarbal mafasid this is what Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala is doing here he is presenting for us clear benefit that is presented and this is one of many but inextricably linking and tying the month or fasting as a ritual practice as an act of Ibadah with what with the benefit that we accrue so that we may attain God consciousness and there are many innumerous benefits in addition to that but the overarching aim and objective of fasting is what to further our relationship our God consciousness with Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala our taqwa with Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala that ability that we have or that we should cultivate knowing that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala is aware of all that we do and every action that we have our intentions and where they lie that is what Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala that is our relationship with Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala so it presents in the very verse itself a benefit that we can accrue at this time the second lesson that we learned with these verses is found in the following verse 184 where Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala tells us that if you are fasting or excuse me if you are ill or if you are traveling the stress of travel then you can replace that day you can make up the fast by fasting on a yaman on another day and this again underscores a very important principle of Islam and that is that when the when circumstances dictate when during times of distress and difficulty ease is desired facility facility is desired that we must facilitate things for people make things easy and we'll come back to this point because the following verse mentions this explicitly and so in times of difficulty if you are traveling if you are ill if you are sick unable to fast because of those reasons there are obviously many other reasons as well where one can make up the fast on another day because when in times of difficulty ease should be facilitated things and matters should be facilitated and as I said these are lessons brothers and sisters important to note not just within the context of Ramadan or within the context of fasting but overarching aims and objectives of life as a whole how Islam addresses the needs and the realities of our human condition it does so by giving us clear benefit providing us clear benefit for why we do the things that we do number one number two it provides us ease and facility in times that are difficult and challenging this is how Islam deals with the human condition and then we get to verse 185 Shahru Ramadan eladhi unzila fee Hill Quran Allah begins that's that verse that the month of Ramadan is the month in which the Quran has been revealed telling us in signifying for us that there are times there are spaces that are more sacred than others Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala is singling out a month Shahru Ramadan eladhi unzila fee one on he is specifically mentioning a verse a month by name because there are certain times there are certain places that are more sacred than others and the reason I mentioned that brothers and sisters is because in a modern world in a world in which everything has to be rationally has to be rationally rationally contemplated that Islam has to make sense it has to appeal to my rational ability and that has a time in a place that's not not undervaluing that it is important to rationalize to think things up that is very important in our tradition but not at the expense of what Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala has made or I could say rational thought not at the expense of the metaphysical those things that are beyond human contemplation and human reason there are times of the year there are places and individuals who are more sacred than others that's just the reality again of our tradition that's what our tradition is telling us and we as moderns tend to devalue these things oh it's not important that particular time who says that time is important the time of Juma for example they say that when the khatib sits between the two khutbas that this is a time with the answer this is a time where we should supplicate to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala there are times throughout the day times in the middle of the night times during the last 10 days of Ramadan right a time in a place that is more sacred than others so the idea of the sacred the very idea and the existence of places and beings and human beings and others and time that is more sacred that we should seek the company of those who are those individuals the Awliya of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala those who are who are the Arafeen those who know Allah and are closer to him and emulate beautifully the example of our beloved subhanahu wa ta'ala so as moderns as much as we have a difficulty in right and again we have pros we religion has to everything has to be rationally acceptable and has to be gate viewed within the gauge of science and reason alone and anything that doesn't make sense with science or reason is rejected as being superstitious this approach to this approach to religion is wrong and misguided and it is certainly not an approach to religion that we have and that informs our tradition so sacred places sacred times and then the verse continues so the verse 185 specifically you read Allah become a user while I read them become a user going back to that point as I mentioned earlier Allah desires for you in all matters facility in ease he does not desire you for you difficulty in hardship our approach to that religion our approach to our tradition should be informed within the lens of Rahmah with the realm with within the lens of compassion and mercy the Prophet sallallahu alaihi wa sallam his example his us what on Hassanah his beautiful example was one of what Rahmah to the alameen in mercy and compassion for all of creation you read Allah become a user while I read them become an answer the Prophet sallallahu alaihi wa sallam echoed this very sentiment in the had a Dini you saw that indeed this religion this being this way of life this this religious tradition of ours in total is one of ease in facility not a difficulty and so as a community as a community do we facilitate things for others or do we make things worse do we make things difficult right do we hold people by certain standards or mo or molds that unless they meet those standards or molds they're not welcomed in our community oh you look a certain way or I should say you don't look a certain way right you're not wearing the colors right it's almost tribal right and you're rejected you're not welcomed in this space you're not welcomed here because you don't look a certain part or you look different or perhaps you pray a little different because you follow a different legal school this can happen it may not happen here but the fact that our spaces must be ones in which people are welcomed and especially in this month of Ramadan that our doors open where we return to the message if we haven't all year to engage in tarawih to share and break bread with our community members that this is an opportunity for us to reflect on this very important lesson that do we open doors of facility and ease and close the doors that make things difficult and harsh for the people right that is our goal as leaders that is our goal is as community members that is our goal as being members of this society in this society that do we facilitate others to learn and to come and to benefit from what Islam has to offer from what our community has to offer this is these are those lessons that are that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala is reminding us when he is referring and speaking in particular about the month of Ramadan and about the fasting that occurs within it I pray that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala gives us all the ability to contemplate the many blessings that Allah has afforded us in this month of Ramadan but not only to contemplate them but to benefit them benefit from them immensely may Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala allow us to take advantage of all of the rahmah and the blessing and the forgiveness that descends from the heavens that literally rains down from the heavens in this blessed month of Ramadan may each opportunity each moment maybe maybe maybe be given the opportunity to make it special and profound and meaningful and and have meaningful change in our lives in this blessed month of Ramadan