 Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh, welcome to Ahkam SOS, the Ramadan edition. We would like to extend our congratulations, Ramadan Karim, to you all and your families. And insha'Allah this will be a month of Taqwa and also of Taufiq insha'Allah. Repay to Allah SWT that you improve your relationship with Allah SWT that you have a month of blessing and a month of rejuvenizing your spiritual lifestyle insha'Allah. Joining me on today's show as always is Shaykh Ali Ma'ar. Assalamualaikum Shaykhana Ramadan Karim. Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh, Ramadan Karim too as well. And Shaykhana, let's start with the word Ramadan. As in where does it originate from and what does it mean? I seek refuge with Allah from Satan, the accursed, in the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. And may Allah's peace and blessings be upon Muhammad and his family, the righteous and the righteous. May Allah's peace and blessings be upon Muhammad and his family. The word Ramadan in the Arabic dictionary, it means when you take the word to its root to the Masjidar, it will be Ramadha. Now the word Ramadha in the Arabic dictionary, it means the sunshine on the ground on the stone and pebbles and such like in the heat wave. So you have the heat wave of Arabia on the desert of the Arabia on the stones and rocks and so forth. Now that's the, to do with the dictionary's meaning. The meanings we have in various narrations that Ramadan is the name of Allah, one of the names of Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala. And in the narrations they state that do not say Ramadan, say Shahr Ramadan, because it's a sacred name of Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala. So we've been encouraged to say the month of Ramadan, Shahr Ramadan, respecting this holy name. And also we respect the month itself, the month of worship, the month of Ibadah and devotion to Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala. And to continue by the meaning of Ramadan, the meaning of Ramadan again, when we go back to the dictionary, it actually burns away the sins, another meaning that it burns away the sins. It's the month in which we prepare ourselves to get rid of all the bad habits, the bad sins, all the wrong doings. And we try to take this opportunity in this holy month to purify ourselves and to cleanse ourselves from all the acts in which were some kind of disobedience to Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala. There were some kind of disagreement with the laws of Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala. So it's the best month for the one to purify himself and get closer to Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala, Rahman and mercy and so forth. Mashallah, excellent. Sheikhna, is Ramadan and fasting actually mentioned in the Quran and so on? I mean, it's mandatory upon a Muslim to fast in Ramadan. But where is this mentioned in the Quran? Where is the Hadith? With regard to the fasting rule in the Holy Quran, the first ayah mentioned, which is a very famous and known ayah, usually it's mentioned on TV, radio and so forth. The ayah says, O you who believe, observing fasting is prescribed and became obligatory for you as it was prescribed and obligatory for those who are before you. That you may become pious and gut-fearing. Now the meaning of the ayah is that this holy month of Ramadan, the fasting of 29 or 30 days of one year of that year, that actually is a wajib obligatory upon every Muslim, male and female. They have to fast as they pray, the daily prayers, as they go to the Hajj and so forth. So that's part of it, part of the wajibat and obligatory acts. And it wasn't only wajib for us as Muslims. The Holy Quran says, As it became obligatory upon those who were before you. There were religions, creeds before us. They also had to fast in their own way, own methods. So the previous religions, they also fasted their own months or days or whatever they had in their religion. So it is, let's say, some kind of Allah's Sunnah or tradition that he would ask his worshippers to fast, not only in the Muslim Islamic religion, but also the previous religions also they had fasting. And I've seen some religions, they observe fasting, for example, Christians, others, they do have certain days they don't eat meat, for example, and so forth. Something similar to fasting, although it's not like us, we refrain from eating and drinking and so forth. And the second ayah with this regard, the Holy Quran says, Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Raheem, Inna al-Muslimina wa al-Muslimat, and then the ayah reaches wassaimina wassaimat. So the ayah mentions the Muslims male and female and those who fast male and female. Then Allah says at the end of the ayah, Allah provided them and offered them a great reward, a great position in the hereafter. So those who fast, they will gain a great reward in the hereafter. And the fasting is not just you benefit for the hereafter only. So it's just to get the higher positions of paradise. You get the bounties of paradise, for example. There is a great portion of benefit in this world, a great benefit within our health system, the body, the immunity system, for example, and so forth. We need fasting as part of our health, well-being and health. So it's not just for the reward of the hereafter. Ahsant, ahsant, Shaykhna. Shaykhna, what about the hadith that also complements this ayah or complements the fasting and to support fasting? Do we have any hadith in regards to Ramadan in fasting? There are numerous hadiths with this regard, with regards to fasting. Also, there are quite a few sermons of Ahlul Bayt, and the Prophet, Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam, they speak about the month of Ramadan in the hadith and in their sermons. The first hadith or sermon, by the way, I would like to mention, when the Prophet, Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam, on the last Friday of the month of Sha'ban, he went to the masjid and he gave a sermon, and he had this sermon about the fourth coming of month of Ramadan, welcoming the month of Ramadan within this sermon. The hadith is from Imam Ar-Raza, he narrates that from his fathers and grandfathers, from Ali, Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam, that the Messenger of Allah, Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam, he made the sermon and said, The Prophet said, oh people, that the month of Ramadan had approached. The month of Allah had approached. This is the month of Allah, Shahrullah. So the first thing, the first attribute of this month is that it is the month of Allah, Subh'anaHu Wa Ta'ala. He attaches this month to Allah. So when we have such a great month that attached to Allah, Subh'anaHu Wa Ta'ala, what are its features? The Prophet, Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam, with blessings, with mercy, with forgiveness. Three main features that we need in our life, mercy, blessing, and forgiveness. We need them always. So these are the main features of the month of Ramadan that you will get and gain as a person who observes fasting in this month. Then the Prophet says, It is the best month amongst the other months of the year. And the days of Ramadan are the best days compared to other days. The best nights compared to other nights. And the best hours. Then the Prophet said, He would look at his servants and he would respond to their calls. And to the end of the Khutbah, And he would answer their calls, their needs, if they call Allah and if they ask Allah, So great benefits, bounties you would gain in the month of Ramadan. And the main benefit you get is the spiritual part of the month of Ramadan. That's what we need, really. Otherwise, you can observe some kind of other types of fasting, like those who go on to diet and they try to do some kind of observing, some kind of reduced weight loss for example. But the main feature of Ramadan is to do with the spiritual and soul parts. That's very important that we try to seek the spiritual perfection this month. And then we continue after this holy month for the rest of the year. You get the energy, you get the charge from this holy month for the whole coming year. And also, there's a Hadith with regard to the benefit, the bodily benefit. The Prophet, Salallahu alayhi wa sallam, he says, Suumu tasahu, fast and you may become healthy. So that's the benefits of fasting. So there's biological, physical benefits of fasting. Exactly, physical and bodily benefits from fasting. Also, in the narration of the khutbah and the sermon of Fatimah al-Zahra, when she gave this great sermon in the Masjid of the Nabi, Salallahu alayhi wa sallam, when her rites were re-usurped, she went and she mentioned the philosophy of the ahkam, the philosophy of why do we need to pray, why do we need to fast, why do we need hajj, why do we have to pay zakat, and so forth. And she mentioned siyam and fasting as well. She said, Salamullahi alayha, faja'ala allah, and then she said, al-siyama tathbitanl ikhlas, that Allah swt made fasting obligatory as a means of establishing sincerity, to establish sincerity, ikhlas. You get it when you are in a certain condition and position. So fasting is the best time and season for the one to gain sincerity and ikhlas and loyalty. So that's the best time for the one to take this opportunity and gain as much as we can from this holy month. Do you have anything that the imams have told us directly in regards to fasting? Yes, of course. We have a hadith from Imam Al-Sadiq, where he says, If you fast, make sure that your hearing, your sight, your hair, your skin, and other organs should also fast. So fasting is not just to refrain from eating and drinking. Everything in your body should also fast from doing the haram, from the haram looking. In the month of Ramadan, you have to observe these more than other months to give you the opportunity and the training from stopping doing the haram. So if somebody looks at the haram, watches in decent movies, for example, if he touches the other shake hands with the opposite gender, for example, and if he speaks repulsive language and harsh words and so forth, in this month is the best time for the individual to have the training that he stops these things gradually, one by one. If I am used to lying, for example, I try to reduce it in this month and it's the best time for me to make the oath with Allah SWT. I won't lie anymore, for example. I won't be looking at the haram. I won't be watching those movies, those in decent movies, for example. Can we say it's the perfect time to actually purify your senses, whether it's hearing, sight, smell, taste, and also purifying the mind and also the heart from these haram acts? Exactly. It's the best time. If I'm used to listening to music, for example, I stop it in the month of Ramadan and I gradually stop it forever. To make the oath with Allah that I won't listen anymore. And it's the best time to protect myself from the wasps of the shaitan because sometimes I do my best. I stop listening, watching, doing backwiting and so forth, but later on I go back and do the haram again. So it's the best time to do the oath with Allah SWT. And practically and pragmatically apply this and implement this in the real world, in my daily life, to stop it. I do the tawbah. That's why we have the tawbah, the doors of the tawbah specifically in this month of Ramadan that we ask repentance from Allah SWT. That's the best time. Finally, I would also mention another hadith from Imam Sadiq, A.S. A.S. says, with regard to the philosophy of fasting, the reason, the course of fasting, he says, Allah made fasting obligatory so that the rich and the poor, they may become equal. So you feel the hunger and the thirst of that poor person. And also the Imam SAW says, So when you have that feeling of hunger and thirst, so that rich person would donate. He says, oh, I'm fasting 19, 20 hours a day in the heat wave, in the summertime, for example. Now I have to make sure that I also support those who are in need. Those who have no bread to eat for their dinner, for example. Nothing to eat. So I would, as a rich person, support and give donations. That encourages us to help the others as the Imam SAW. And insha'Allah, we try our best to practice the good deeds in this month as much as we can to do the salahat, as much as we can. And to refrain from muharramat. So two things, which is under the title and subject of taqwa, doing good deeds and refraining the bad deeds. This is the best month and the best opportunity. Ahsan Sheikh, Ahsan. We do take our lives for granted sometimes and living here in the West, we have much provided for us in terms of shelter, clothing and also food. And I think Ramadan is a perfect time to actually try to understand and also sympathize with those who have less. And insha'Allah, it can inspire many people to go towards charity and also help those people who are in need. Insha'Allah. Sheikh, thank you very much. And that's all we have time for in today's episode. And I very much thank you to all of you joining us. And insha'Allah may you have a blessed month of Ramadan, insha'Allah. And join us tomorrow and for the whole of Ramadan where we will be focusing on ahkam in regards to fasting and the holy month of Ramadan, insha'Allah. Salamu rahmatullahi wa barakatuh.