As Ramadan approaches, it is imperative for Muslims to purify their hearts of malice (ḥiqd). At its least harmful, malice diminishes one’s rank in the sight of Allah and obstructs a believer from performing voluntary acts of goodness. At its most severe, malice becomes a deadly spiritual disease associated with idolatry, unbelief, and even the practices of black magic.

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ instructed us to approach Ramadan with hearts free of malice, as indicated by his statement:

“On the middle night of Sha’ban, Allah Almighty looks down upon His creation, and He forgives the believers, but He abandons the people of grudges and malice to their malice.”¹ In another narration, the Prophet ﷺ said, “Allah looks down at His creation on the middle night of Sha’ban, and He forgives all of His creatures, except for an idolater or one who harbors hostility (mushāḥin).²” Imam al-Ṣan‘ānī explained that ‘one who harbors hostility’ refers to a person who carries malice in the heart.³

In a related narration, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ issued a grave warning:

“If not one of three evil traits is within someone, then Allah will forgive whatever else as He wills: one who dies without associating any partners with Allah, one who does not follow the way of black magic, and one who does not harbor malice against his brother.”⁴

In other words, a Muslim who deliberately nurtures malice against his brothers or sisters places himself in the company of idolaters and those who seek aid from devils. Malice is so heinous that Allah may withhold forgiveness from one who persists in it. As Imam al-Munāwī observed, “Malice is an evil portent. Its condemnation has been related by the Book and the Sunnah countless times.”⁵

Clearly, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ intended for believers to purify themselves of malice by the middle of Sha‘bān—at least two weeks before the arrival of Ramadan. To that end, we must develop a proper understanding of what malice is, how it undermines fasting, and the means by which it is treated, lest our Ramadan be corrupted from within before it even begins.

Malice: The Root of Evil

Imam Ibn Ḥibbān, who compiled the sayings of the Prophet ﷺ in written form, wrote plainly, “Malice is the root of evil. Whoever harbors evil in his heart will have a bitter plant grow, the taste of which is rage and the fruit of which is regret.⁶” There is no acceptable degree of malice, for the scholars have described it as “one of the mothers of sin.⁷” Unlike anger—which is often dangerous but occasionally righteous—malice is never praiseworthy. It is a weed in the garden of the heart and must be uprooted.

Shaykh Ḥasan al-Fayyūmī, one of the Hadith masters of the 9th century Hijrah, defined malice as “to internalize enmity and hatred.⁸” He explained that it is often described as the desire for revenge, and that its true nature emerges when rage cannot be released—because one is unable to retaliate in the moment—causing it to turn inward, fester, and ultimately transform into malice. In this sense, malice is unresolved anger: a smoldering fury that is retained and nurtured until it erupts in acts of vengeance. The desire for revenge and the pleasure of justified rage are beautified by Satan, yet in reality, they are a silent poison that corrupts the believer from within, masking the virtues of character and even sabotaging one’s fasting in Ramadan.

Malice is not a single spiritual disease, either, but rather a constellation of related sins that take root in the heart. Imam Ibn Ḥajar al-Haytamī listed unjust anger, envy, and malice as a single disease among the major sins.⁹ Further examination of the Hadith commentaries in which malice is mentioned shows that scholars consistently associate it with envy (ḥasad), arrogance (kibr), rancor (ghill), malevolence (ghish), hypocrisy (nifāq), rage (ghayẓ), and lingering grudges (ḍaghāʾin).¹⁰ Indeed, it could be said that ‘all roads lead to malice,’ for it is the central node through which Satan’s whisperings assail the heart. Therefore, purifying the heart of malice disarms the Devil of his most potent of weapons.

Fasting, when observed in accordance with both its outward rules and inward realities, is among the most effective means of treating malice in the heart. The relationship between the two is reciprocal: fasting purifies malice, while malice corrupts fasting. For this reason, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ urged believers to rid themselves of malice at least two weeks before the onset of Ramadan.

Fasting: A Treatment for Malice

“When I forgave and held no malice toward anyone, I relieved my soul of the anxiety of enmity.” Imam al-Shafi’i [PC: Christopher Stites (unsplash)]

When we fast, we deliberately train ourselves to refrain from retaliation and revenge. We cultivate patience, forbearance, and dignified self-restraint in the face of insult, in accordance with the Prophet’s ﷺ instruction, “If someone insults him or seeks to fight him, let him say: ‘Indeed, I am fasting.’¹²” This posture stands in direct opposition to the impulse of malice. Thus, one who truly fasts is actively resisting malice, even if unaware of its formal or academic definition.

In this light, the commentators understood what the Prophet ﷺ meant when he said,

“Shall I tell you what will rid the chest of disturbances? Fasting for three days each month.¹³” Imam al-San’ani explained, “Disturbances in the chest, that is, its malevolence, malice, rage, hypocrisy, or intense anger. This [ridding of disturbance] is due to the benefit of fasting.¹⁴” 

The righteous predecessors likewise linked fasting to the treatment of malice, specifically citing the Prophet’s ﷺ description of Ramadan as “the month of patience.¹⁵” Al-Ḥārith al-Hamdānī, may Allah have mercy on him, said, “Fasting the month of patience—Ramadan—and fasting three days each month removes disorders within the chest.” Mujāhid similarly said, “It removes agitation within the chest.” When asked what agitation in the chest is, he replied, “His malevolence.¹⁶” Imam Ibn Baṭṭāl clarified this linguistic connection, explaining, “Agitation in the chest refers to the inflammation of malice and its burning within the heart.¹⁷”

If malice is the node around which Satan gathers his weapons, then patience is the virtue through which Allah dispenses His cures—such as mercy (raḥmah) and sincere goodwill (naṣīḥah).

Healing from the Disease

Malice is a malignant disease at all times of the year, not only during Ramadan, and its cure is not confined to fasting alone. Imam Ibn Qudāmah, citing the great Imam al-Ghazālī, teaches that the general remedy for diseases of the heart is to compel oneself to act in opposition to them.¹⁸ Thus, if a Muslim feels inclined to curse another person, he should instead force himself to pray for that person’s guidance and well-being—however distasteful this may feel to the heart. As Imam al-Ghazālī observed, such remedies are “very bitter to the heart, yet benefit lies in bitter medicine.¹⁹”

Building upon this insight, Shaykh Ṣāliḥ ibn al-Ḥumayd, one of the Imams of al-Masjid al-Ḥarām in Mecca, offers the following counsel:

Whoever is afflicted with the disease of malice must compel himself to behave toward the one he resents in a manner opposite to what his malice demands—replacing censure with praise and arrogance with humility. He should place himself in the other’s position and remember that he himself loves to be treated with gentleness and affection; thus, let him treat others in the same way.²⁰

Such, then, is your mission this Ramadan: to enter the month with a heart purified of malice, and to emerge from it fortified against this disease ever taking root again. Strive to place yourself in the position of those you resent, so that you may regard them with empathy and incline your heart toward forgiveness. If nothing else, keep the words of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ ever before your eyes, “Whoever would love to be delivered from Hellfire and admitted into Paradise, let him meet his end with faith in Allah and the Last Day, and let him treat people as he would love to be treated.²¹”

Success comes from Allah , and Allah knows best.

Related:

• Using Ramadan To Forgive Those Who Have Hurt Us In The Past
• Purification Of The Self: A Journey That Begins From The Outside-In

The post Starting Shaban, Train Yourself To Head Into Ramadan Without Malice appeared first on MuslimMatters.org.

Bismillah, alhamdulillah, wa salatu wa salamu ‘ala Rasoolillah, wa ‘ala alihi wa sahbihi wa man wala. Amma ba’ad.

Allah ﷻ tells us in the Qur’an about Ramadan in verses that many of us recite each year. They begin with:

“يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا”
“O you who believe!”

One of the companions (radiAllahu ‘anhu) said that whenever you hear this phrase in the Qur’an, pay close attention. Why? Because what follows is either a command towards something good—khayr—or a prohibition from something evil—sharr.

The Command to Fast

Allah ﷻ says:

“يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الصِّيَامُ كَمَا كُتِبَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ”

“O you who believe! Fasting has been prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, so that you may attain taqwa.”

It’s already written, already decreed—fasting is fardh, a compulsory obligation upon us. Just as it was upon those before us.

Fasting Across Faiths

I remember a brother who converted to Islam. During Ramadan, he attended a school gathering with various religious leaders. When he declined the food, someone from another religious group approached him and said:

“I know why you didn’t eat. It’s Ramadan, isn’t it? You’re fasting.”

The brother replied yes. Interestingly, he had converted from that man’s own religion. The man then said something remarkable:

“Fasting is such a noble thing to do. It’s too bad our religion changed it over the years.”

Many religions have remnants of fasting—maybe avoiding certain drinks or foods—but the tradition has been diluted over time.

The “Criticism” of Islam

People often criticize Islam by saying: “You Muslims are still practicing the same Islam from 1400 years ago.”

SubhanAllah. What a beautiful “criticism”! That’s exactly what we want—to follow the Islam practiced by the Prophet ﷺ and his companions.

Ramadan: A Month of Qur’an and Du’a

In the verses about Ramadan, there’s a powerful interjection. Between the verses on fasting, Allah ﷻ says:

“وَإِذَا سَأَلَكَ عِبَادِي عَنِّي فَإِنِّي قَرِيبٌ”
“And when My servant asks you concerning Me—indeed, I am near.”

“أُجِيبُ دَعْوَةَ الدَّاعِ إِذَا دَعَانِ”
“I respond to the du’a of the supplicant when he calls upon Me.”

Allah ﷻ will answer your du’a. Every single time.

The Power of Du’a

You might make du’a for a Cadillac Escalade. And either:

1. You get it.
2. You get something even better.
3. Allah protects you from a harm you didn’t know about.

Even if your du’a isn’t answered in this life, it’s stored for the Hereafter.

The Prophet ﷺ told us: on the Day of Judgment, when people see the stored rewards of unanswered du’as, they will wish that none of their du’as had been answered in the dunya!

The Cost of Du’a and Intention

What does it cost to make du’a? Nothing.

What about making a good intention? Also nothing.

But the reward? If you make a sincere intention to do good, it’s recorded as if you did it. And if you actually do it? You get 10 times the reward.

Imagine the power of simply sitting down and making lofty intentions:

• “I want to build 1,000 masjids.”
• “I want to donate a billion dollars to da’wah.”
• “I want to bring a thousand people back to Allah.”

Even if only 1% of people fulfilled those intentions, our community would be transformed.

Don’t Let Others Deflate Your Intentions

Sometimes when you make big intentions, someone will say, “That’ll never work. Be realistic.”

That kind of mindset deflates ambition. But the Sahaba didn’t think like that. In fact, the Battle of Badr happened during Ramadan. And what did they do? They fasted and fought.

The Prophet ﷺ made du’a:

“O Allah, if this group is destroyed, You will not be worshipped on Earth.”

Ramadan wasn’t just about fasting—it was about striving.

The Spectators and the Participants

Masajid are packed on:

1. The first night of Ramadan.
2. The last 10 nights.

These are the spectators—the ones watching from the sidelines. But the real participants are in the masjid every night. They push through, read Qur’an while others sip tea, and spend time feeding others—not just feeding themselves.

Shahr al-‘It’am vs. Shahr al-Ta’am

Ramadan is Shahr al-‘It’am—the month of feeding others. But many of us have made it Shahr al-Ta’am—the month of eating!

There’s so much pressure, especially on our sisters, to raise food quality. But is that the essence of Ramadan? Going to dinner parties? Eating more than usual?

The Prophet ﷺ performed i’tikaf in Ramadan—not social dinners. In his last Ramadan, he did 20 days of i’tikaf.

No More Excuses

People often say:

• “I can’t go to the masjid daily.”
  But in Ramadan, they show up every night.
• “I can’t pray Qiyam—it’s too hard.”
  Yet during Ramadan, they wake up early for Suhoor and Qiyam.
• “I can’t live without coffee or cigarettes.”
  But in Ramadan? They go cold turkey from dawn to dusk.

The same goes for Qur’an. A person might read nothing all year, but in Ramadan they finish the entire Qur’an.

Training the Soul

Fasting trains the soul to obey Allah. You’re avoiding things normally halal—like food and drink—because Allah said so.

After Ramadan, avoiding haram becomes easier. Ramadan is about developing taqwa through spiritual training.

What Makes a Ramadan Unforgettable?

Try to remember a Ramadan you’ll never forget. What made it unforgettable?

For most people, it’s tied to Taraweeh:

• A special imam.
• A deep focus.
• Consistent attendance.

But what if that imam isn’t there next year? Will you give up? No. You have to be the one who brings the focus—you extract the benefit, not wait for it.

Behind the Scenes: Life of the Imam

Let me take you backstage—what is Ramadan like for the imam?

• After Fajr: Reviewing Qur’an while everyone else sleeps.
• Daytime: Resting intentionally to preserve energy for night prayers.
• Afternoon: More Qur’an review.
• Iftar: Light meal. If he eats too much, he can’t lead Taraweeh. He might literally vomit—no joke.
• Taraweeh: Complete concentration.
• Post-Taraweeh: Brief rest. Then the cycle continues.

Why? Because the Qur’an is his priority.

Be Like the Imam

Whether you’re leading or not, you can live like the imam.

Let Ramadan become a month of:

• Qur’an
• Discipline
• Du’a
• Intention
• Ibadah

You can even aim to memorize 10 ajza’ this Ramadan. It’s not impossible. People have done it.

Final Thoughts

Don’t be the person who shows up at the airport and says, “I haven’t decided where to go yet.”

If you don’t know your destination, you’ll go nowhere.

Make your intention now. Plan your Ramadan today. Prioritize Qur’an and ibadah above all else. And with Allah’s help, you’ll make this Ramadan unforgettable.

Jazakum Allahu Khayran.
May Allah grant us all a truly epic Ramadan. Ameen.

Related:

Ramadan Duaa Series: The Greatest Delight

5 Duas For Ramadan Therapy | Sh Yahya Ibrahim

The post How to Make this Ramadan Epic | Shaykh Muhammad Alshareef appeared first on MuslimMatters.org.

[This is part 1 of a two-part story. Part 1 is here]

Do Not Desert One Another

Turning his back on Ali, Hamid gripped the top of the basket wall and looked out over the park. A smile crept over his face as they rose, and as the park began to shrink beneath them.

“The kids miss you,” Ali said. “They ask about you.”

These words tugged at Hamid’s heart. He missed them too. But there was nothing to be done. Ignore him, he told himself. He could see up and down the river now. Beyond it were miles of rice fields, and orange groves beyond that. It was stunning. His stomach was still grumbling, and he pressed into it with the heel of his palm, willing it to behave.

“We’re all the family we have,” Ali persisted. “It’s just you and me.” Blessedly, Ali left the rest unsaid. That their parents had died when they were both nineteen, and they had no other siblings. And most of their uncles and aunts were still in Afghanistan, except for a few who had migrated to Iran. Hamid avoided thinking about all that.

Hamid turned to face Ali. His nostrils flared. “No, you have a wife and kids. I have no one. You saw to that.”

“All the more reason to stay close to us. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, ‘Do not desert one another, do not nurse hatred towards one another, do not be jealous of one another, and become as fellow brothers and servants of Allah. It is not lawful for a Muslim to stop talking to his brother for more than three days.’”

“Doesn’t apply. You’re not my brother. You betrayed me. Brothers don’t do that.”

A Volcano Awakens

Ali exhaled loudly. “I didn’t betray you. You weren’t involved with Hala. You weren’t engaged; you weren’t even talking to her. Am I right?”

“You knew I was in love with her.” Hamid heard his own voice rising even as the balloon continued to climb higher in the sky. He couldn’t seem to stop it. He was a shy, quiet man who buried himself in books and research. He didn’t shout or fight. But he knew himself. Deep down, he had a terrible, fiery anger. It was a dormant volcano, and it woke rarely and slowly. But when it did, it could tear his life apart like Krakatoa. Now it was awake, and he felt the lava rising.

“You stole her,” Hamid said.

“This is ridiculous.” Ali waved his hand dismissively, as if shooing away a street urchin. “There’s no talking to you.”

“Guys,” Jean cut in. “This stops now. This is NOT the place. You’re closer to God up here, so act like it. Be quiet, face away from each other and enjoy the view.”

Hamid heard her the same way he heard the wind that rushed past the balloon at this altitude. It was mere noise. “Tell me why you did it,” he insisted. “That’s all. Tell me why you took the life I should have had. Why you robbed me of my happiness. Were you jealous because I had better grades in school? Is that why you took Hala from me?”

Ali’s face flushed deep red. “How dare you! That’s my wife you’re talking about. Have some shame! La hawla wa la quwwata illah billah.” He stepped forward and jabbed a finger into Hamid’s chest. “I don’t want to hear her name come out of your stupid mouth.”

The volcano erupted. Hamid felt his face grow hot, even as his vision narrowed. He seized Ali’s shirt in both hands and began screaming curse words. He didn’t even know what he was saying. He was operating on a level of pure rage, with no rational thought whatsoever.

Over the Edge

“Stop this!” Jean shouted. “Think about where you are!” She took a step forward to separate the brothers physically, but it was too late. Still gripping Ali’s shirt, Hamid pressed forward with all his weight, driving Ali backward. He had no objective in mind. The volcano was in pure lava eruption mode, and Hamid was a puppet of his own fury as surely as if he were a jinn dancing to the commands of Iblis.

Stumbling backward, Ali seized a handful of Hamid’s curly hair in one hand, while his other hand shot out, seeking something – anything – to hold himself up. His face registered sheer terror, no doubt at the prospect of being pushed out of the balloon basket, and plummeting to his death.

What Ali’s hand found was the burner cord. He seized it as he fell, all his bodyweight pulling it down. There was a loud roar as the burner released a large amount of fuel, sending a huge tongue of flame into the envelope. The balloon leaped upward. Ali lost his grip on the burner cord and fell flat on his back in the basket, throwing his hands out to break his fall.

Hamid had been pressing forward into Ali. When Ali suddenly fell, Hamid stumbled forward into the basket wall. It was only as high as his sternum, and with his forward momentum, he tumbled right over the edge.

He saw the world spread out before him like heaven’s forecourt, all green and blue. His hands flew out, but there was nothing to hold. For an instant, time seemed to freeze. Hamid had read about this, how the brain sped up at the moment of death, so that subjectively, time came to a standstill. He was about to die. He saw the crowd of Eid-goers below, their faces tiny ovals peering up, and he heard their collective scream as they saw him go over the edge. He only prayed he did not fall on someone. That would compound his sin to the Nth degree.

What a fool he was. His native country, Afghanistan, was suffering under the weight of so many problems. But his people were, mostly, farmers, and he was an agricultural specialist. He could have done some good for them, he could have helped, even if only in a small way. Besides that, he could have had a relationship with his brother, or at least with his niece and nephew. Instead his life would be wasted for nothing. Would Allah have mercy on him, even though he was the biggest fool in the world?

Time un-froze, and Hamid began to fall.

Struggle

A hand like iron seized his ankle, arresting his fall. Hanging upside down, he looked up. It was Jean. Her face was as white as if she had seen a jinn, but her hand locked onto his ankle like a vice. She must be incredibly strong, but there was no way she would be able to pull Hamid up. His body was lean, but he was tall and moderately muscular, and weighed over 180 pounds. He heard her screaming something but couldn’t understand a word. The wind rushed past his ears as he swayed back and forth. It was a miracle she was able to hold onto him, but soon her grip would fail.

La ilaha il-Allah, he breathed. Muhammadun Rasul-ullah. O Allah forgive my sins, have mercy on me, and admit me into Your Jannah. Forgive my temper and my hard heart. Forgive my hatred of my brother and my envy. I know I’m neither a good Muslim nor a good man, Ya Allah, but forgive me.

A second pair of hands grabbed his other leg. His brother. A moment later he felt himself being pulled up, incrementally, inch by inch. He tried to help by pushing against the basket with his hands, but it was probably no help at all. A critical moment came when his waist crossed over the edge of the basket wall. Jean and his brother gave a tremendous pull, and he tumbled back into the basket.

He lay there, gasping for breath, unable to believe that he was alive. Jean did not give him a moment, however. Her powerful hands hauled him up to a sitting position, with his back against the basket wall.

Just Sit There

“Are you okay?” the pilot demanded. Her hands probed up and down her legs, then at his sides. “Are you injured?”

“No,” Hamid gasped. “Just winded. Thank you so much, thank you.”

Jean slapped his face, hard. “You knucklehead! Lord have mercy.” She stood and glared back and forth between Hamid and Ali, who – Hamid realized then – was seated right beside him, also gasping for air. Her blue eyes blazed with anger.

“This balloon is governed by FAA regulations,” she went on. “You understand? What y’all just did up here? That’s a federal offense. Not some slap-on-the-wrist county fair nonsense. I’ve flown through thunderheads and dust storms. But I ain’t never seen anything as shameful as what y’all just pulled. I oughta have both of you arrested the second we hit the ground.”

She ran a hand through her silver hair. “Now stay there, hush up, and let me get this damn balloon back to earth. We are way too high.” She turned away, unclipped a radio from her belt and began talking to the ground crew while she worked the balloon controls.

Vindication

“You almost killed us both,” Ali said quietly.

Hamid glanced at his brother. Ali’s shirt was torn, and his cap was gone. Hamid opened his mouth to apologize, but what came out instead was,

“Just admit that you stole her. That’s all I want. I just want to hear the truth.”

Ali’s eyes flashed and his hands balled into fists, but only for an instant. The anger drained from his face, and he looked at the floor. “Yes,” he said. “I knew that you wanted her. You asked me what I thought of her. I had never really noticed her. I knew how shy you were, and that you would never talk to her on your own. So I went to talk to her on your behalf, to tell her of your interest.”

Hamid let out a deep, shaky breath. He felt he might cry. Just to hear the truth from his brother’s lips was such a vindication.

“I didn’t expect her to be so captivating,” Ali went on. “I found out she could speak three languages, could tell a good joke, and had been volunteering at the hospital, reading books to sick kids, since she was fifteen. I fell in love. Look, you had never even spoken to her. I… I justified it to myself. I told myself you wouldn’t care that much, that there were plenty of other women.”

“There are no other women,” Hamid said. “No one else is remotely interested in me. Women avoid me like smallpox, and you know why? Because Hala was the one meant for me. She was my qadar. You stole my life.”

Toxic

“Oh, stop it,” Jean said harshly. Hamid hadn’t realized she was following the conversation. “Do you have any idea how idiotic that is? What’s your name?”

Hamid pointed to himself. “Me? Hamid.”

“Hamid,” Jean repeated. “Let me tell you something. You might be the most visually striking man I’ve ever seen in my life. I seriously don’t know that I’ve ever seen a more handsome man. Even more than your brother. I mean, I can see that y’all are identical, but he’s a little too straight laced, while you got this whole Marlboro man thing going on, which is cute. You know why women avoid you? It’s not because your brother married your one true love, or any such treacly nonsense. Do you know why?”

“Uhh…” Hamid was still trying to process Jean’s comment about his appearance. “No. Why?”

“Because you’re a jerk. You got a chip on your shoulder the size of Texas. You’re bitter, angry, self-pitying and generally pathetic. I don’t care how handsome you are. Even if I was your age, and I met you, I wouldn’t touch you with a bee pole. You’re toxic.”

“And you,” she went on, pointing at Ali. “What’s your name?”

“Ali.”

“Ali. Tell him the whole truth about your wife. Go on.”

“What do you mean?”

“Your wife – Hala was it? Hamid here thinks she’s an angel. Flawless, like the Hope Diamond. That’s because he doesn’t know her the way you do. You need to disabuse him of that idiocy. Tell him the sordid details. I get that she’s your wife, but he needs to hear it.”

The Sordid Truth

Ali nodded slowly. “She, uhh… You won’t repeat this, right?”

“What?” Hamid said.

“She picks her nose. Right in front of me. It’s really disgusting.”

Hamid stared at his brother. “No way.”

“Yes. She doesn’t like to pray, I have to cajole her to do any salat whatsoever. We fight about it all the time. She’s a terrible cook.”

“What about the home cooked dishes you always send me on our birthday?”

“That you’ve never acknowledged or thanked me for? Catered. She leaves her dirty clothes on the bedroom floor, uses too much makeup, doesn’t throw out old food until it molds, her father is the biggest jerk you’ve ever met in your life, he calls me Tinker Bell because I don’t do any sports. Hala doesn’t always brush her teeth, so her breath stinks in the morning, she -”

“I think he gets the point,” Jean interrupted.

Hamid was shocked. “But…” he stammered. “Why do you love her then?”

“Some days I don’t know if I do. But then she tells me about someone she helped at the hospital. Or I come home from a hard day and she puts an arm around me and kisses my cheek. Or I see her down on the floor, playing with the kids, all of them happy. And I remember that this is the reality of love. It’s difficult, messy, and imperfect. But it’s also sweet. Ultimately it’s a choice.”

“Do you get it now, Hamid?” Jean said. She angled the burner slightly and pulled gently on the vent line. “You never loved the real Hala at all. You fell in love with a fiction you created. Real women are problematic. You have to be patient and kind. You have to let go of ego. And you know what? The world is full of real women, waiting for a good man to love them.”

Ali put a hand on Hamid’s shoulder. “Bakhana ghwaram warwara. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have gone after Hala. I did you wrong.”

“No…” Hamid breathed deeply, then let it out. “I’m the one who’s sorry. I’ve been so stupid. I’m starting to understand. So, so stupid.”

“Just never mention any of the things I told you,” Ali said. “Not a word. Or I’m a dead man.”

The Bargain

“Listen boys,” Jean said. “We’re almost down. The ground crew says the police are waiting to question you.”

“Oh my God,” Ali said. “I could lose my job.”

Hamid shrugged. “I understand, Miss Jean. I want you to know how grateful I am to you. You saved me, and I’ll never forget it. Not only that. You’re so patient and wise. You’ve changed my life. I’m so sorry for the trouble I caused.”

Jean’s eyes softened, and she sighed. “Listen. Maybe there’s a way I could avoid pressing charges.”

“How?” Ali said. “Anything.”

“I won’t be able to continue giving rides today. You’ve damaged my business and reputation. You cost me a lot of money.”

“Name your price.”

“Five thousand dollars.”

“Done.” Ali stood and extended his hand, and Jean shook it. “I can transfer it to you right now.”

“You know I can’t help, right?” Hamid said. “I could chip in two hundred dollars maybe.”

Ali waved. “Don’t worry about it.”

Hamid stood and saw that they had arrived at the ground, or several feet above it. A huge crowd was gathered all around, with several police officers at the front. Hala was there as well, with the kids. She looked stricken and pale.

Hamid descended the ladder on shaky legs. A man he did not know stepped forward and supported him. Ali went to his family, who embraced him. The strange thing was that Hamid wasn’t jealous. He didn’t look at Hala and see the most beautiful woman in the world, as he had for most of his life. Instead he saw an ordinary woman. He realized, incredibly, that he was happy for Ali. All his envy and anger were gone.

SubhanAllah.

Jean explained to the cops that they weren’t needed. It had been a simple case of vertigo. The passenger lost his balance and fell over the edge. The cops looked unconvinced, but they took a report and departed.

Judge People or Love Them

“Hamid,” Hala demanded. “Is that true? You lost your balance? It wasn’t… something else?”

Ali answered quickly. “That’s what it was. You know he can’t handle heights.”

Hala threw her hands out. “Then why did he go up in a balloon?”

“It was stupid of me,” Hamid admitted.

People pressed in around them, asking questions, or clapping Hamid on the back. He didn’t want to talk. He recovered his messenger bag, which had been heavily trampled. As he turned to leave, a strong hand gripped his shoulder. It was Jean. Hamid faced her, meeting her intense, still slightly angry gaze.

“One,” said the pilot with the iron hands. She held up a finger. “You can judge people, or you can love them. It’s hard to do both.” This statement hit Hamid like a bullet, and he rocked back on his heels. Suddenly his entire life, his opinions about people, his attitude toward his brother – everything – was cast into sharp relief.

“Two.” Jean held up a second finger. “When we judge others, we’re usually just judging ourselves.” A second bullet, fired into the heart of his insecurities about his own self-worth. “I gave you back your life today,” the pilot concluded. “Go and live it with love.”

Hamid nodded silently, and turned away. Together with Ali’s family he pushed his way through the crowd, and exited the park.

Generalizations

In the parking lot, Hamid and Ali embraced, then Hamid went down on one knee and hugged the kids.

Hala beamed. “This is wonderful to see. And all it took was you almost dying.”

Hamid stood. “I don’t know what to say.”

“Say alhamdulillah,” Ali suggested.

“Alhamdulillah for everything.”

“By the way,” Hala said. “There’s something I’m not supposed to tell you, but I think you might like to know. Do you know Esin, my old friend from school?”

Hamid nodded. “Mm-hm.”

“She always asks about you. Are you still single, what’s your work, what are your hobbies, that kind of thing. I think if you were to talk to her father, it would not be unwelcome.”

Hamid frowned. “She asks about me?”

“Yes, why not?”

“I… I mean. That’s surprising. But I don’t want an Afghan girl. I want a convert.”

Hala raised an eyebrow. “Okay. But why?”

“Well… It’s just that the converts are sincere. Afghan girls are materialis -” He froze, realizing that he was doing it again. Judging people. SubhanAllah, Jean was right. His entire worldview was tainted from top to bottom.

“La hawla wa la quwwata illa billah,” Ali muttered. “Here we go again with the crazy assumptions and generalizations.”

Hamid waved his hands. “You’re right, I’m sorry.”

Hala was visibly annoyed. “You know what? Esin has a law degree but she gave up corporate law to work as a public defender, because she cares about people. And I’ll tell you something about convert sisters. Many of them are amazing, but most of them are carrying baggage. And not just one suitcase. Whole steamer trunks.”

“What do you mean?”

“She means,” Ali broke in, “that people are people. This whole narrative you have going of, I can only love this person, I can’t love that person, these people are shallow, those people are angels – it’s all nonsense. Human beings don’t come in bunches like grapes. We’re all individuals.”

Hamid rubbed his forehead. “I have a lot to learn.”

Blueberries

“Where’s your car?” Ali asked.

“Out of commission. I took the bus.”

“We’ll take you home. Come on.”

Hamid took a step, and a wave of vertigo rocked him. It was just hitting him that if Jean’s reflexes had been a split second slower, he would be a pile of broken bones and splattered brain matter right now. Or he could just as easily have sent Ali over the edge, widowing Hala and leaving the children without a father. His vision grew gray, and he swayed on his feet. Ali leaped forward and caught him.

“You’re in shock,” Ali said. He helped Hamid to a green SUV and sat him on the bumper. “Let me get you some water.”

“It’s alright. I have something in my bag.” Opening it, Hamid took out the box of blueberries. They were half crushed and dripping juice, and had made a mess in the bag. He popped a few into his mouth, not caring. They were as sweet as a Mexican sunrise. The flavor burst on his tongue, confirming that he was indeed still alive. He ate more, his hands shaking.

“Those look disgusting,” Ali commented. “They’re smashed.”

“Good things are sometimes difficult, messy and imperfect,” Hamid said between bites. “But they’re still sweet. Your words, remember? Glorious and sweet and beautiful. I never thought I would eat anything again. I thought I was dead.” His lower lip trembled and he pressed a shaking, blueberry-stained hand to his eyes.

“Hey, it’s okay.” Ali put an arm around Hamid’s shoulders. “Allah decrees and does what He wills. It wasn’t your time yet.”

Hamid nodded and held the blueberries out. “Eat some.”

“No, they’re gross.”

“Jean said I’m more handsome than you.”

Ali laughed. “Get in the car, bro. I think you’re going to be fine.”

THE END

Reader comments and constructive criticism are important to me, so please comment!

See the Story Index for Wael Abdelgawad’s other stories on this website.

Wael Abdelgawad’s novels – including Pieces of a Dream, The Repeaters and Zaid Karim Private Investigator – are available in ebook and print form on his author page at Amazon.com.

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River Delta: A Love Story

The post Hot Air: An Eid Story [Part 2] appeared first on MuslimMatters.org.

[This is part 1 of a two-part story. Part 2 will be published next week inshaAllah]

Too Poor for Tacos

The Eid-ul-Fitr picnic was jumping. Hamid found a spot at a concrete table and sat. The weather was fantastic for Sacramento – sunny and cool – and the park was packed with Muslims. It was a gorgeous spot with mature trees. There were food trucks – the usual shawarma and burgers, but also mini pancakes and smashed tacos, whatever that was, as well as games and rides. Overall, Hamid had to say the organizers had done a fantastic job, mashaAllah.

Parades of women passed by. Teenage Pakistani girls eating snow cones, Arab moms with babies in strollers, Afghan aunties sitting in a circle beneath a tree, chatting. African-American families in elegant, brightly colored clothes. Men standing in the sun, discussing politics and the government’s economic policies.

Hamid opened his messenger bag and took out his musallah, as well as the banana, blueberries, and chips he’d brought from home. There was no way he could pay the crazy prices these food stalls charged. He was a graduate student and teaching assistant. His salary was dirt. Well, alhamdulillah, he didn’t want to deny any of Allah’s Blessings. But still, he was poor. No other word for it. When you’re poor, you know it.

Litter

Someone had left trash at the table, and he took a moment to collect it, along with some used napkins on the ground, and take it to the trash can. Littering at such events was par for the course. It angered him. But he told himself that some of these folks came from countries with inadequate sanitation systems and had never learned to dispose of trash properly. He remembered, from visits to his native Afghanistan, how urban waste was dumped in the streets. They needed to learn how things were done here.

He ate the banana and started on the chips. There were a thousand conversations happening around him, blending into a sound like bongo drummers banging away randomly. A tall Latino brother wearing a turban carried an armful of cold cans of Dr. Pepper, trying not to drop any. Three teenage Afghan boys walked by, and one used a curse word. Hamid hesitated, considering whether he should jump up and grab the boy’s arm and tell him that was not how a Muslim spoke. But the boys were walking quickly, and were soon gone. No matter. He knew the boy’s father and could speak to him later.

The Vanguard

A recent African-American convert wore a thobe, kufi, and keffiyeh. Hamid knew him, he was a video producer, smart and easy to talk to. It was funny how many of the converts dressed more like “Muslims” than the Muslims. More Arab than the Arabs, more Afghan than the Afghans. In a way, Hamid admired them. He had often thought he should dress more traditionally to such events, but some part of him was embarrassed.

But the converts were all heart, they didn’t care what anyone thought. If they had worried about other people’s opinions, they wouldn’t have become Muslim in the first place. They attended all the masjid classes, and some even traveled to the Muslim world to study the deen. They were the vanguard of Islam in America. The future leaders, the beacons. The converts were the spiritual successors of the sahabah. Not the immigrants, nor the second generation like himself. The converts.

He imagined he would marry a convert one day. Who else? Certainly not one of his own people. Afghan women were so materialistic. They were all about the gold, beautiful dresses, Mercedes SUV,s and McMansion in the suburbs. Sometimes, he felt that his people had lost themselves in the transition to the new world. He remembered from his visits to Afghanistan how deeply kind people had been. Not only his cousins, who treated him like a king, but even ordinary people like the barber, shopkeeper, or taxi driver. All had been courteous and generous.

By comparison, the Afghans here in Sacramento often seemed petty, rule-bound, and overly concerned with each other’s doings.

Hamid had no gold or Mercedes SUV, and maybe never would. He was a botany major and would probably work for a food processor when he completed his studies. Or maybe as an agricultural consultant. Or perhaps for the State of California, if he was lucky. It was a decent profession, but not the kind that made a man rich.

Who wanted such a superficial woman anyway? No, give him a convert sister! Once again, they were all heart. Those sisters didn’t care how much money he had. They wanted a man with deen, iman, and a good heart.

A Connection

Oh, what did it matter? The only woman he’d ever loved had been stolen away by his own twin brother, Ali. His former brother, with whom he had no contact and never would. The snake, the traitor. They might share blood, parentage, and even a genetic code, but Ali was the worst kind of backstabber. They hadn’t spoken in two years, and as far as Hamid was concerned, Ali could get sick and die, and he wouldn’t attend the funeral.

A woman with three kids sat across from him at the picnic table. They had some of the smashed tacos, which did not look appealing. One of the kids, a little boy, eyed Hamid’s baked chips and said, “I want chips.”

Hamid poured out the rest of the chips onto the boy’s plate. The boy beamed and began gobbling them down. The mom muttered a quick thanks, but her tone was flat, and it occurred to Hamid that maybe she didn’t want her kid eating chips for lunch. Embarrassed, he packed up his stuff and went to a corner of the park, where he set down the musallah and prayed Asr.

It was during the salat that he had the sudden feeling that Ali was here. Goosebumps rose on his arms. This happened sometimes. He and Ali were identical twins, and yes, Hamid was aware of all the mysticism and nonsense regarding twins, but in this case, this one particular thing was true: he often knew when Ali was near.

He finished the salat and stood. He was tempted to leave. He absolutely did not want to see Ali, and even less to see Hala, the woman Hamid had loved, and who Ali had stolen and married. He did not hate Hala, but seeing her was a reminder of what he could have had. When it came to his opinions about Afghan women, Hala was the exception to the rule. She was unselfish, generous, and sweet-tempered.

To be honest, he wouldn’t have minded seeing his nephew and niece. But there was no way to engineer that without seeing the parents as well.

Chips of Turquoise

He peered about with a feeling of dread in his stomach, looking for Ali, Hala, and the kids. The park was large and crowded, and he did not see them. Only then, however, did he notice that at the north end of the park, bordering the Sacramento River ravine, a group of men and women were setting up a hot air balloon. It was still in the process of being inflated. Wow! He’d always been fascinated by balloons, zeppelins, and blimps. He’d dreamed of traveling to New Mexico one day for the annual balloon festival. Now, there was one right here in front of him. SubhanAllah! He didn’t care how much it cost, he would go up in that balloon!

He began walking across the park, threading his way around awnings and vendor stalls. As he did, he noticed people occasionally staring at him, and sometimes even doing doubletakes. He was used to it, especially in Muslim gatherings. He’d been told he had classically Afghan looks, with a square jaw and long nose, and thick eyebrows, and just over six feet in height. But that wasn’t why they looked at him. After all, he wore jeans and tattered sneakers, and a wash-worn “Free Palestine” t-shirt. He was no icon of good looks.

No, it was his eyes that caught people’s attention. Like some Afghans, his eyes were light, and in his case, they were almost ice blue. So blue they looked like chips of turquoise. Contrasting with his olive skin tone, the eyes caught a lot of people off guard. Hamid found it annoying. He was a curiosity to them. Not a real person with feelings.

Big Magician

He came across a magician doing an act. Hamid studied the spectators, who were mostly kids, for any sign of his niece and nephew. Nothing. He began to relax. His presentiment of “connection” had been wrong before. It might have been nothing more than the breeze coming off the river, blowing on his neck and arms, that had stirred up the goosebumps.

Curious, he watched the magician, a beefy Caucasian man in a purple suit with a curly purple wig. The guy was huge, like a lumberjack. He could have been doing a strong man act rather than magic. He lit a long match, then said, “Like Allah protected Abraham from the fire, He will protect me!” Flourishing the match, he lowered it into his mouth.

What the heck? Hamid thought. Isn’t that semi-blasphemous? He looked around, wondering if anyone else thought this was weird, but the crowd of kids and teens loved it, applauding and cheering.

The hulking magician said, “Just as Eve was created from Adam’s rib, I will bring a woman out of my own body.”

Okay, Hamid had to see this. The magician began to clutch at his ribs, as if in pain. A bulge grew in his side beneath his suit. This was wild. Suddenly, a cloud of purple smoke rose from the stage, obscuring everything. When it cleared, a small woman in a purple abayah and hijab stood beside the magician, looking around in wonder, as if newly born.

“Eve is born!” the magician proclaimed with a flourish.

A Horse Can Be A Horse

Hamid laughed out loud. It was entertaining, he had to give the man that. But definitely weird. Grinning, he walked away. Before he got to the balloon, he encountered brother Omair, a founding member of one of the three masjids participating in this carnival. He greeted him and gave him a quick hug.

“Have you seen this magician?” Hamid asked.

Omair shrugged. “I know. He is a new Muslim. Very recent convert. He promised us that every part of his act would relate to Islam in some way. We didn’t know this was what he meant.”

“Not everything has to relate to Islam you know,” Hamid remarked. “A magician could just be a magician. A horse can be a horse. It doesn’t have to be an Islamic horse.”

Omair looked around. “Are there horses?”

“No. I’m just saying.”

Behind them, the magician said, “Just as the Prophet Moses’s hand came out shining white, watch my hand!”

Omair raised his eyebrows.

“You should definitely do something about that,” Hamid said, and walked away.

Fifty Dollars for Two Minutes

There were no kids in the line for the balloon ride – only teens and adults were allowed, apparently. Which was fine with Hamid. Yet, the line was long. In fact there were three separate lines that merged at the front. The ticket cost a full $50. The ticket seller explained that the ride would last two minutes, not counting ascent and descent.

Fifty dollars was a lot of money, and two minutes seemed very short. But this was a lifelong dream, so he paid and waited in line. As the balloon went up for the first time, its reflective red and blue surface caught the afternoon sun. It looked like a star rising over the river valley. It was enchanting. Hamid found himself grinning widely.

The balloon went up, came down, and went up again. It was held in place by three tether ropes that reeled out on winches as the balloon rose, and retracted as it descended. Hamid noticed that the ride operators only allowed two to three passengers per trip, plus the pilot. If a passenger was alone, they had to share the trip with a stranger. That was fine, he didn’t mind.

He also realized that it would be more than an hour before his turn came. To pass the time, he took out his phone and began studying a PDF on the use of ionized water rinses in the postharvest handling of fruits and vegetables. It was something his team was working on in the lab, and could potentially be profitable for the university if they could develop a marketable product.

Rules and Accidents

He shuffled his feet and moved with the line like an automaton, and when he next looked up from his phone he was near the front of the line. Outside the balloon’s perimeter fence was a sign that read:

Safety Rules

1. No children.
2. Follow the pilot’s instructions.
3. Do not touch the burner or control lines.
4. No pushing, shoving, or horseplay.
5. Do not lean out or sit on the edge of the basket.
6. Do not bring large bags, sharp objects, or loose items that could fall or interfere with controls.
7. No smoking.
8. Stay quiet during ascent and descent so pilot can communicate with ground crew.
9. No intoxicated passengers allowed.
10. Hot air balloons are inherently dangerous. By riding this balloon, you accept all liability for any harm that may result, including and up to injury and death.

Darn. No large bags? Well, there was nothing in his bag but a notebook and pen, a book on postharvest practices, and a box of blueberries. He could leave the bag beside the fence and pick it up later. If someone stole it, he would be unhappy but not devastated.

Rule ten gave him pause: injury and death? Laying it on thick, weren’t they? Yes, as someone fascinated by balloons, he was aware of the infamous Alice Springs accident of 1989. It claimed 13 lives when one balloon struck another’s basket during ascent. The descending balloon deflated explosively and fell 1,000 meters in 51 seconds.

There had been other incidents, one of the most recent being the catastrophic accident over Egypt’s ancient city of Luxor in 2013, that took 19 lives. Investigators found that a fuel leak had caused an explosion, sending the flaming balloon plunging into the Nile River. The crash exposed lax safety standards in Egypt’s balloon tourism industry.

But this was Sacramento, not Egypt, and there was only one balloon here, so no one to crash into.

A Dream Gone Awry

His turn came. The balloon hovered several feet off the ground. Hamid handed over his ticket, climbed up a set of metal stairs, and greeted the pilot, a lean, fortyish woman with gray hair and blue eyes. She looked strong, experienced, and strict. She reached out a hand and helped Hamid into the basket. It swayed slightly beneath his feet, and he put a hand on the wall of the basket to steady himself. The wall was only five feet high, presumably so passengers could have a clear view. Hamid’s stomach turned over, and he thought he might be sick, but he pushed it down. This was his dream.

Thrilled in spite of his stomach’s misbehavior, he studied the balloon’s burner, which was suspended above his head, and the control handle that hung from it, as well as the other miscellaneous controls. He was not paying attention as another man stepped into the balloon.

“Alright gentlemen,” the pilot began. “My name’s Jean. Face me, and let’s go over the safety rules.”

Hamid turned and saw the other man who would be sharing the ride with him. His heart turned to ice in his chest. His eyes widened, and his nostrils flared. The other man in the basket with him was his brother, Ali.

Seeing Ali was like looking into a funhouse mirror that distorted reality and sent back an altered image. In contrast with Hamid’s casual American clothing, Ali wore a beautiful traditional Afghan outfit consisting of a long blue linen shirt, baggy pants, jeweled shoes with curled toes, and a black Afghan hat. Where Hamid had a goatee, mustache, and a bush of curly hair, Ali was clean shaven, with his hair cut short and sharp. Their features, though, were exactly the same. The same olive skin, square jaw, and blue eyes so light they might be holding a piece of the sky.

He raised his hands, waving them back and forth. “No, no, no,” he said. “Not with him. Get someone else. I can’t ride with him, it’s impossible.”

An Ultimatum

The pilot’s eyes narrowed as she looked back and forth between the two brothers. “You look exactly the same. Is this some kind of practical joke? ‘Cause I’ll tell you, I have zero patience for nonsense, and I will kick you both out of this basket before you can say, ‘Heaven help me.’”

Hamid turned his back to his brother, looking only at Jean. “It’s not a joke. Yes, this is my twin brother, but we don’t speak. I cannot ride with him. Let him go next and bring someone else, or let me get out and go next.”

Jean set her jaw. “I run this craft, not you. If you want to get out, that’s fine, but you will go to the back of the line. In fact, why don’t you go ahead and get out, and don’t bother getting back in line. I won’t fly you.”

“I have no problem riding with him,” Ali said.

Hamid felt his mouth go dry as he realized he was about to miss this chance to experience his dream. Licking his lips and swallowing his pride – and it was bitter in his mouth – he said, “I’m sorry. I’m fine too. Forgive me. There’s no problem.”

A long moment passed as Jean considered. Finally, she nodded, glaring at Hamid. “Fine. But not another word of nonsense from you.”

Hamid nodded quickly. “Of course.”

Only Takes One Idiot

“Alright. Now, I’ve been flying these things since y’all were learning to walk and chew gum at the same time. So trust me when I say: it only takes one jackass to kick a hole in a barn door. Don’t be that jackass.

Keep both feet planted, hands inside the basket. If you feel unsteady, sit. No leaning or climbing. You won’t like this next one, but keep your phones in your pockets. There are a lot of people down below. Phones go flying a lot faster than you think, and a falling phone could seriously hurt someone.

This is the burner. Do not touch it. Yes, it makes fire. No, you can’t try it. If you feel heat or hear the roar, that’s me doing my job—don’t panic.
See this red cord? That opens the top vent and lets hot air out. Also not yours to pull.

We’re tethered to three points. The ground crew will keep us stable, and we won’t go higher than seventy feet.

Last thing: this basket is small. Be polite. Keep your elbows in and your temper down. This is not the place to settle scores.”

Again, she narrowed her eyes at Hamid and Ali. “You good? Alright then. Let’s fly.”

Jean pulled on the burner cord. There was a whooshing sound as a tongue of flame shot up from the burner. The envelope – as the skin of the balloon was called – snapped full, and the balloon began to rise, nice and easy.

***

Read Part 2 Here

Reader comments and constructive criticism are important to me, so please comment!

See the Story Index for Wael Abdelgawad’s other stories on this website.

Wael Abdelgawad’s novels – including Pieces of a Dream, The Repeaters and Zaid Karim Private Investigator – are available in ebook and print form on his author page at Amazon.com.

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A Wish And A Cosmic Bird: A Play

The post Hot Air: An Eid Story [Part 1] appeared first on MuslimMatters.org.

Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 3, Episode 4, Episode 5, Episode 6, Episode 7, Episode 8, Episode 9, Episode 10, Episode 11, Episode 12, Episode 13, Episode 14, Episode 15, Episode 16, Episode 17, Episode 18, Episode 19, Episode 20, Episode 21, Episode 24, Episode 25, Episode 26, Episode 27, Episode 28, Episode 29

Transcript

For the last episode of this year’s Ramadan reflection series, I wanted to go over the summary of Surah Al-Asr, surah 103. Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala begins this surah by taking an oath on time.  

وَٱلْعَصْرِ ١ 

“(I swear) by the Time.” (Quran 103:1) 

 Time, which is the most valuable, most precious commodity that Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala has given each of us. This is because it is with this time and the effective, beneficial usage of this time that a person is able to either earn the mercy of Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala, His forgiveness, and be in Jannah for eternity. Or they can make use of this time in a dispute, destructive way and seal their fate for eternity.   

إِنَّ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ لَفِى خُسْرٍ ٢ 

Surely humanity is in ˹grave˺ loss. (Quran 103:1) 

 Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala says that mankind is at a loss. And they are at a loss because they don’t know what to do with the time that has been given to them. 

  It is through this existence that Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala has given us where a person is able to fulfill the reason for their existence, which is to acknowledge the greatness of Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala. Throughout the entire Qur’an, Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala always highlights the role of the intelligence that He has given us: the role of our eyes, our ears, our tongue, and the things that allow us to understand and perceive the world. Meaning, if a person is sincere and open-hearted, open-minded, the world around them will lead to Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala. And when a person believes, they have taken the first step into making sure that their existence is beneficial and good.  

 Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala says, the people who make effective use of their time in this world are those who believe. That’s step one. When a person believes, they have sealed, inshaAllah, their space in Jannah. They have at least taken the very first step. However, a person can do more. And a person is expected to do more. Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala says, except for the ones who believe and do good.  

 So, it’s not just about believing. But that belief that is within us, which is intellectual or spiritual, must be exemplified and demonstrated through our actions, through how we live our life in this world, maintain our relationships in what we do and what we stay away from. Everything has to be driven by our internal belief. So our Iman has to lead a person, has to lead us to do good. 

إِلَّا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ  

“Except those who have faith, do good.” (Quran 103:3) 

 Our belief and our actions go hand in hand. It’s not sufficient for a person to just say, I am a believer. Rather, every action of theirs must always demonstrate that commitment to Allah. In other words, it’s not just about believing, but my belief driving every action that I do in my life. Whether it’s in terms of religious or even non-religious worldly things. Everything is within the ethical framework, within the mindset and world view that Allah has given us.  

 Number three, Allah says that the believers are those who are not just worried about themselves because they believe and do good. But, they remind each other and advise each other of the truth. 

And we, as human beings, are forgetful creatures. We always need a reminder. The reminder is beneficial for the believer. And the most beneficial reminders are the reminders that tell us the most critical things. And the truth, the truth of our life, the truth of our existence, the truth behind our reason for living is the best reminders. The believers are those who constantly tell each other that they are here for a purpose. This is not the end-all be-all. There is something far greater to work towards that Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala has given you and me: an innate dignity and honor that we are committed to and which prevents us from living our lives in any way that we please, in any way that our self (nafs) would want to live, or in any way that we are tempted by shaytaan and the world around us.  

وَتَوَاصَوْا۟ بِٱلْحَقِّ 

“And urge each other to the truth.” (Quran 103:3) 

 We remind each other of the truth. And reminding each other of the truth oftentimes might not be enough because people need constant reminders. But also, the fact that we live in an arena of trial. We live among people who might not have the same priorities as you and me, which is where the temptations might get very, very difficult. And it might become very difficult to continuously obey Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala. So Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala says to the believers,  

وَتَوَاصَوْا۟ بِٱلصَّبْرِ ٣ 

“And urge each other to perseverance.” (Quran 103:3) 

 They not only remind each other of the truth but they remind each other to be patient. Meaning, this world is not the end-all-be-all. That if we don’t get something in this world, Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala will reward us for it in the hereafter. If we don’t get justice in this world, then the justice of Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala is waiting to prevail on the day of judgment.  

 When we see the world around us and we see so much chaos, death, destruction, so much oppression, that we feel helpless to do what we can. In the eyes of a believer, nothing is ever hopeless. Even though we might feel that we are failing.  

 The justice for our brothers and sisters in Gaza, Sudan, and all over the world is not going to be possible in this world. We don’t lose hope because we know Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala is watching. And those who are committing these atrocities. Those who are committing these acts of oppression, Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala is waiting for them. And nobody will be able to escape the justice of Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala.  

 So, we remind each other to be patient. That is Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala‘s plan. It unfolds in a manner that He sees fit and that He knows is best.  

 May Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala give us all the ability to not just be believers, but to be true believers where all of our actions are embodied with that belief, where we are always there for each other as individuals, as families, as communities, that we are constantly reminding each other of the truth, and we are constantly reminding each other to be patient. May Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala guide, bless and protect us all.  

والله أعلم وبالله التوفيق 

The post IOK Ramadan 2025: Four Steps | Sh Zaid Khan appeared first on MuslimMatters.org.

Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 3, Episode 4, Episode 5, Episode 6, Episode 7, Episode 8, Episode 9, Episode 10, Episode 11, Episode 12, Episode 13, Episode 14, Episode 15, Episode 16, Episode 17, Episode 18, Episode 19, Episode 20, Episode 21, Episode 24, Episode 25, Episode 26, Episode 27, Episode 28,

Transcript

In this episode, I wanted to share some reflections on the second verse of Surah Al-Mulk where Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala says the following:   

ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَ ٱلْمَوْتَ وَٱلْحَيَوٰةَ لِيَبْلُوَكُمْ أَيُّكُمْ أَحْسَنُ عَمَلًۭا ۚ وَهُوَ ٱلْعَزِيزُ ٱلْغَفُورُ ٢ 

˹He is the One˺ Who created death and life in order to test which of you is best in deeds. And He is the Almighty, All-Forgiving. (Quran 67:2) 

Meaning, Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala is the one who has created death and life so you may be tested as to who does the best of actions and He is the Almighty and All-Forgiving. In this ayah, Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala very simply and clearly lays out the purpose of our existence, which is to earn His mercy, His appreciation, and His love through our actions. Thus, our actions are to be the most beautiful actions that we can do.    

Note that Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala did not say “the one who does the most deeds”, “the one who does the grandest of deeds”, or “the one who spends the most money” because to earn the mercy of Allah is easy. Allah is always waiting to forgive His servants. Allah’s mercy does not discriminate, it even goes to the people that who do not believe in Him in this world. People who reject His very existence are still able to breathe, eat, and drink because Allah’s mercy is for all in this world.  

Now what would be beautiful or what would be defined as the most beautiful of actions? How can we think about this? The Prophet ﷺ was asked by Jibreel, peace and blessings be upon him, the definition of ihsaan and the Prophet ﷺ replied and defined ihsaan as worshipping Allah as if you can see Allah. But if you cannot see Him then you should know that He is seeing you.   

This particular definition speaks to human psychology of how we immediately tailor fit our actions and how we are very much aware of the fact of what we are doing when we know we are being observed. For example, if a person is in a room where he might be taking an exam and they know they are being observed or when doing a task and they know a supervisor is observing them, then they will ensure that they don’t do anything in a wrong way. They will ensure that they are doing it as well as possible because that is the power of being observed.  

Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala is always watching us. And for us to worship Allah should be with the mindset as if we are also witnessing Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala, even though that’s not a possibility in this world; and inshaAllah it will be a possibility in Jannah. 

But when we know Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala is watching us, this should immediately have the effect of us elevating our level of worship, of us elevating everything that we do to the best of our ability. It’s not about quantity, but about quality. It’s not about fitting into our daily routines as many things as we can but doing one or two things beyond our base obligations that will allow us to make the most of it. When the month of Ramadan is concluded, and we have alhamdulillah fasted many days and stood for taraweeh many nights. And when the month of Ramadan is over, the biggest question that everyone has is how can I try to capture some of the beauty of the month of Ramadan in my day-to-day routine? 

 Ramadan is no doubt a very special month in which we are able to do so much in so little of a time with little energy. Yet, Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala does not expect us to keep ourselves at that level throughout the entire year. However, what we can do is choose one or two things that we can do consistently and as well as possible beyond our base obligations. And this is something that we can try to incorporate into our daily lives. Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala wants our best effort. Our best effort is going to be what we present to Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala on the Day of Judgment when we are petitioning for his mercy and forgiveness. 

 Imagine standing in front of Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala and presenting your effort that you know you had put your all into it, or something that you had really, really dedicated yourself to. Compare that to an act of worship that may not have your best effort, that may have been just done half-aware or not with your best effort, not as well as you could have made it. Which would you feel more comfortable presenting to Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala? Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala tells us very plainly that your purpose of life is to do the best of deeds, and the best of deeds are the ones that you do as perfectly as possible.  

 May Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala guide us, protect us, give us knowledge that benefits us, and give us the ability to do all that we can, as best as we can, so that we are not ashamed to present them in front of Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala on the Day of Judgment. May Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala guide, bless and protect us all. Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh. 

والله أعلم وبالله التوفيق

The post IOK Ramadan 2025: Do Your Best | Sh Zaid Khan appeared first on MuslimMatters.org.

A man once asked Abu Hurairah , “What is taqwa?” He asked, “Have you taken a path with thorns?” When the man said yes, he asked, “So what did you do?” The man replied, “When I saw a thorn, I moved away, orcrossed over it, or avoided it.” Abu Hurairah replied, “That is Taqwa.”¹

Self control and restraint when no one is watching is at the core of taqwa. A quick look at contemporary culture and discourse shows self-restraint to be a highly sought-after trait. The admiration of the discipline of athletes, particularly Muslim ones (Khabib and co.), the glorification of the “hustle” of entrepreneurs and business giants, the lineup of motivational speakers and entire sections of bookstores dedicated to self-help, all exemplify the existent urge to attain mastery over oneself in one aspect of life or another. Even with the current age pushing the boundaries of freedom and self-expression further, the need to limit oneself from falling into vanity persists. While people seek various means to attain it, Allah has blessed us with a month that embodies restraint and purifies us from all vices, as He has stated,

“O you who have believed, fasting has been prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you (so) that you may attain Taqwa.” [Surah Al-Baqarah: 2;183]

The beauty of the month of Ramadan is that it provides both a generic and personal path towards restraint and piety; it shows people their potential and lays down a blueprint to follow to achieve greater control over the self. Pivoting back to the aforementioned motivational gurus and self-help literature, the fundamental flaw of both is that their content is either too generic to offer unique insights or too specific to feasibly map onto every person who seeks them for guidance.

The beauty of Ramadan lies in the fact that trends accompanying it (such as increase in voluntary prayers, supplications and forbearance, and eschewing of vices such as vain and foul speech) provide a substantive generic benefit to ones engaging in them in the form of multiplied rewards, while also revealing to each individual the areas they can very realistically improve themselves in.

“The beauty of the month of Ramadan is that it provides both a generic and personal path towards restraint and piety.”

To elucidate using a personal anecdote: every day, I would walk from my office to my residence, a journey of little over 20 minutes, while doing nothing. During Ramadan, with the aim of finishing the Quran during the month, I would read it during the walk and would finish nearly half a juz’ during it. Hence, over 20 minutes from my day that could be infused with worship were not being utilised and were brought to my attention. This “method” can very easily be mapped onto each person’s day and experience to find areas to improve in, whether it be time being under-utilised or areas of behaviour to be worked on.

The virtue of this restraint is magnified to the highest degree as the honing of the self undertaken during Ramadan is done for the ultimate cause, the very purpose of creation: to worship and submit to Allah and seek His pleasure. It directs towards the attaining of an extremely worthy trait in the path of the noblest of aims; one disciplines themselves not for material gains but for an achievement described as fawzan adheema, a great victory. Orienting willpower towards the true purpose of our existence also aids in setting priorities straight, since attaining rewards in the Hereafter often comes with shedding worldly desires and gains. It reiterates the importance of the next life and the insignificance of this one, and purifies the soul by giving spiritual accomplishment priority over its material counterpart. In a culture geared towards extracting maximum material benefit out of things, a month emphasising the spiritual becomes an obstacle that puts one at a worldly disadvantage. Commitment to observe Ramadan then serves as a reminder to shed one’s hawa in pursuit of rewards that may not immediately bear fruit; to rise above the need for instant gratification for – as the Quran describes – a more fruitful and lasting transaction that will never perish.²

Finally, as the training weights of Ramadan come off, the celebration that is Eid ul-Fitr does not lift the restrictions to make way for excess and extravagance, but exhorts towards sacrifice and praising Allah with zakat al-fitr and reciting of the takbir; it further emphasizes on being mindful of the ultimate purpose, even in celebration. Ramadan is an exercise in restraint, the ultimate self-help guide for the loftiest goal. The path to eternal doom in the Hereafter is littered with desires, and it is through perfecting khair az-zaad, the best provision for the journey of life that one safeguards oneself from that fate. The month of Ramadan provides the perfect conditions for stitching the garment that will shield one from the allure of desires, the garment of Taqwa – that is best.³

Related:

– Before You Seek Answers, Seek Him First: A Muslim Chaplain’s Ramadan Reflection

– Why We Fast: The Theological Danger Of Awkward Apologetics

The post At The Close Of Ramadan, Reflecting On This Sojourn Of Restraint And Spiritual Self-Help appeared first on MuslimMatters.org.

Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 3, Episode 4, Episode 5, Episode 6, Episode 7, Episode 8, Episode 9, Episode 10, Episode 11, Episode 12, Episode 13, Episode 14, Episode 15, Episode 16, Episode 17, Episode 18, Episode 19, Episode 20, Episode 21, Episode 24, Episode 25, Episode 26, Episode 27

Transcript

All thanks and praise are due to Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala and may His peace and blessings be upon His last and final Messenger ﷺ, his family, his companions, and those who follow them until the end of times.  

In this episode, I want to talk about Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala highlighting the selflessness of the Ansar, the residents of Madinah. In Surah Al-Hashar, verses number 7, 8, and 9. Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala talks about the authority He had given the Prophet ﷺ to distribute the spoils of war among the Muhajireen, those who had migrated from Makkah to Madinah. This was primarily so that they would be lifted to a state of independence because they had sacrificed everything for the sake of Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala when they had immigrated to Madinah. Yet, Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala, while talking about the sacrifices of the Muhajireen and how they did so for the sake of Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala, highlights the Ansar and how selfless they were in giving preference to their Muhajireen brethren. Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala says: 

وَٱلَّذِينَ تَبَوَّءُو ٱلدَّارَ وَٱلْإِيمَـٰنَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ يُحِبُّونَ مَنْ هَاجَرَ إِلَيْهِمْ وَلَا يَجِدُونَ فِى صُدُورِهِمْ حَاجَةًۭ مِّمَّآ أُوتُوا۟ وَيُؤْثِرُونَ عَلَىٰٓ أَنفُسِهِمْ وَلَوْ كَانَ بِهِمْ خَصَاصَةٌۭ ۚ وَمَن يُوقَ شُحَّ نَفْسِهِۦ فَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْمُفْلِحُونَ ٩ 

As for those who had settled in the city and ˹embraced˺ the faith before ˹the arrival of˺ the emigrants, they love whoever immigrates to them, never having a desire in their hearts for whatever ˹of the gains˺ is given to the emigrants. They give ˹the emigrants˺ preference over themselves even though they may be in need. And whoever is saved from the selfishness of their own souls, it is they who are ˹truly˺ successful. (Quran 59:9) 

Meaning, the ones who were already residing in Madinah and had accepted Islam before the Prophet ﷺ and the sahabah had immigrated to Madinah, they love their Muhajireen brethren and they don’t want what their muhajireen brethren are given by Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala. They don’t covet that. They prefer them over themselves even if they are in need themselves. 

 In other words, the Ansar are selfless to the point that, even if they are in need, they recognize the greater need of their Muhajireen brethren. And this is an instructive moment for us. When it comes to a selfless, healthy functioning society, Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala reminds us that the way it will be functioning in a healthy manner is if every person not only gives their due rights to each other, but also prefers others to themselves. Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala reminds us in verse 7 of Surah Al-Hashr that Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala, had given authority to the Prophet ﷺ to distribute wealth as he saw fit so that the wealth would not accumulate within only a certain group of people. This is so that the wealth would be spread within the community. 

 One of the benefits of sadaqah is that Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala has given us the mechanism that allows us to give and prevents hoarding among ourselves. In other words, this idea of accumulation that we constantly try to earn, gather, and have as much as possible for ourselves and less for others, this is worked against by a person giving away and by a person preferring others to themselves. When a person can put somebody else’s needs in front of themselves, that’s when a person gets the mercy of Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala.  

 This is something that we all do naturally throughout our lives. Parents sacrifice for their children. The elder siblings might sacrifice for their younger siblings and so on and so forth. However, it’s very easy to prefer others to yourself when you have a connection with them, when you have blood ties with them, when they owe you a favor, when you have a relationship with them, or when you can benefit from them by you sacrificing for them. It’s very easy to do.  

 However, when a person has no connection with someone else, and the only thing that might bind them together are the bonds of Iman, that’s when a person is truly tested. This accumulated wealth that Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala has given you and me, how much of it are we willing to sacrifice it for others? These are people who, we don’t know, who we may never meet, and who can absolutely be of no benefit to us, perhaps other than their du’as. We’re not going to get anything from them other than their du’as. But are we willing to sacrifice what we might achieve in terms of comfort for the sake of others? Because if we do so, we are following the example of the Ansar. We are following the example of the people who preferred others even though they were in need. And Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala highlighted them in the Qur’an.  

 May Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala guide, bless, protect us, and give us the ability to be selfless in everything that we have, so that Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala can have mercy upon us on the Day of Judgment. 

والله أعلم وبالله التوفيق  

The post IOK Ramadan 2025: Giving Preference to Others | Sh Zaid Khan appeared first on MuslimMatters.org.

Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 3, Episode 4, Episode 5, Episode 6, Episode 7, Episode 8, Episode 9, Episode 10, Episode 11, Episode 12, Episode 13, Episode 14, Episode 15, Episode 16, Episode 17, Episode 18, Episode 19, Episode 20, Episode 21, Episode 24, Episode 25, Episode 26

Transcript

In this episode, I wanted to briefly reflect on the three groups that Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala mentions in Surah Al-Waqihah. In Surah Al-Waqihah, Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala divides humanity into three groups. On the Day of Judgment, there will be only three groups to be a part of. Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala talks about the people of the right. He says the people of the right. 

فَأَصْحَـٰبُ ٱلْمَيْمَنَةِ مَآ أَصْحَـٰبُ ٱلْمَيْمَنَةِ ٨ 

The people of the right, how ˹blessed˺ will they be; (Quran 56:8). 

In other words, what else can be said about the people of the right? This is a designation for the people who will be granted entry into Jannah. May Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala make us from amongst them. They are called the “people of the right”. According to the majority of the scholars, these people will receive their book of deeds in their right hand. Other narrations mention that, perhaps, they were created from the right side of Adam عليه السلام. Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala knows best.  

Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala says that the second group are the people of the left. 

وَأَصْحَـٰبُ ٱلْمَشْـَٔمَةِ مَآ أَصْحَـٰبُ ٱلْمَشْـَٔمَةِ ٩ 

The people of the left, how ˹miserable˺ will they be; (Quran 56:9) 

As for the people of the left, what can be said about the people of the left? And these are the people who will receive their book of deeds in their left hand. According to some narrations, perhaps they were created from the left side of Adam عليه السلام. May Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala protect us from being amongst them. These are the people of the hellfire.  

And Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala mentions a third group: 

وَٱلسَّـٰبِقُونَ ٱلسَّـٰبِقُونَ ١٠ 

And the foremost ˹in faith˺ will be the foremost ˹in Paradise˺. (Quran 56:10) 

These are the forerunners. What could be said about the forerunners? These are the people who Allah calls أُولَٰئِكَ الْمُقَرَّبُونَ. These are the people who are close to Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala.  

So, I wanted to reflect on these three groups, but highlighting the fact that Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala has given us more opportunity to be part of the people of Jannah. 

If you think about the three groups, two of them are part of the people of Jannah and one group is for the fire. In other words, there doesn’t need to be a forerunner group for the people of the fire because if a person is part of the people of the left, then they are already doomed for eternity. There is no reason for them to have another group or subgroup within that.  

But Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala has given us ample opportunity to be part of the people of Jannah, the people of the right. The people who will receive their book of deeds in their right hand-are going to be the majority of the people of Jannah. These can range from any person, at any time, at any place, part of any ummah, of any prophet, from the time of Adam عليه السلام until the last person, until the Day of Judgment, and at any level of good deeds. A person can become part of this very, very special group of people.  

But even within this group of people, Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala highlights the muqarrabun (الْمُقَرَّبُونَ), the sabiqun (ٱلسَّـٰبِقُونَ), the ones who are the forerunners. And who are these individuals? The commentators say that these are the prophets, the true conviction believers, the martyrs, and the ones who are truthful, the siddiqeen. And Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala calls them as sabiqun because they always went beyond what was obligated. They went beyond what was expected them from Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala. And they were always at the forefront of going towards Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala. They competed with each other in getting closer to Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala.  

We find this within the stories of the companions رضي الله تعالى عنهم, whereby they would compete with each other in trying to do as much good as possible. And this speaks to the mindset that we are supposed to ideally have, within our communities. We should create a culture of virtue, a culture where people are encouraged to do good, are encouraged to improve themselves, and grow closer to Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala. Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala calls these people muqarrabun. They will be close to Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala on the day of judgment. So, the question that we have to ask ourselves is, what group will I be in on the Day of Judgment? 

Of course, Allah knows best. But, taking a step back, analyzing our actions, our purpose and direction and trajectory of life, where do we see ourselves headed? Which group are we likely to be a part of? Of course, Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala can have mercy upon us, absolutely forgive us of our sins, and make us part of the people of the right, the people of Jannah. But, what group, what are we doing in order to earn that mercy from Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala? That if we want to petition for the mercy of Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala on the day of judgment, what am I and you doing in order to build a case that we can present to Allah that, “Oh Allah, I am in need and in deserving of your mercy. That I wish to be the people of Jannah. And I did as much as possible in order to be from the people of Jannah. That I wish to be the people of Jannah. And I did as much as possible in order to be from the people of Jannah.” 

So, in this Ramadan, every Ramadan, and of course, every day, we are supposed to constantly think back: what group am I working towards? Which group do I want to be a part of on the Day of Judgment? May Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala make us from amongst the people of Jannah, allow us to do the deeds that will get us to Jannah, allow us to do the deeds that will attract the mercy of Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala upon us on the day of judgment. May Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala guide, bless, and protect us all.  

والله أعلم وبالله التوفيق  

The post IOK Ramadan 2025: Which Group Are We In? | Sh Zaid Khan appeared first on MuslimMatters.org.

Where the world celebrates the holy month with abundant feasts and tranquil prayers, the people of Gaza endure hunger, not by choice, but by siege. They fast, not knowing whether they will see another sunset. They pray amidst ruins, their whispers of supplication rising alongside the smoke of burning homes.

The Fast of the Starving, the Feast of the Forgetful

Ramadan is meant to teach patience, gratitude, and sacrifice. But sacrifice here is not voluntary—it is imposed. A mother prepares iftar for her children, knowing that tonight’s meal might be their last. A father stands in line for a bag of flour, his pride shattered but his faith intact. A young boy, too hungry to sleep, clutches the Qur’an—not for study, but for solace.

There is no excess here. No tables overflowing with delicacies. No debates over which dessert to serve. The people of Gaza break their fast with what little remains: a crust of bread, a sip of water—if they are fortunate.

Meanwhile, in cities untouched by war, some deliberately turn away from fasting, citing inconvenience. In palaces of comfort, where food is wasted and air-conditioned mosques stand half-empty, the essence of Ramadan is fading.

The poor man in Gaza, with nothing but hunger and faith, stands richer before Allah than the wealthy who abandon devotion in the name of modernity.

The Last Days of Ramadan: Where Is the Muslim Ummah?

Safe drinking water: a luxury. [PC: Emad el Byed (unsplash)]

Where are the voices that should be raised in protest? Where are the hands that should be extended in charity? While we seek Allah’s Mercy in these final nights, have we shown mercy to those who need it the most?

The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said, “The most beloved people to Allah are those who are most beneficial to people.” [Hadith, Al-Mu’jam Al-Awsat]

What have we done for the people of Gaza in this blessed month? Have we merely watched their suffering through our screens and moved on, or have we translated our faith into action?

A Call to the Muslim World

Gaza’s Ramadan is a mirror held before the entire Muslim world, forcing us to ask: What has comfort done to our faith? Have we become so accustomed to ease that we no longer recognize the meaning of sacrifice? Have we forgotten that fasting is not just about abstaining from food, but also about standing in solidarity with those who have nothing? As we gather for our final suhoor and iftar, we must remember that in Gaza, there is no guarantee of another meal—or another breath.

To the scholars, the intellectuals, the policymakers: this is no longer just about geopolitics. This is about humanity. This is about faith in its rawest, most powerful form. It is about a people who have lost everything yet still whisper Alhamdulillah. If there is any lesson to be drawn from Gaza this Ramadan, it is this: The strongest faith is not found in grand mosques or elaborate rituals, but in the heart of the starving man who still lifts his hands in prayer.

Before the Moon of Eid Rises, Let Us Act

As we enter the final days of Ramadan—days of mercy, forgiveness, and salvation—we must ask ourselves: Where is our mercy? Where is our action? We seek Laylatul Qadr, the night better than a thousand months, but will we ignore the cries of those who have lived a thousand nights of suffering?

Ramadan is not just about personal piety—it is about ummah, about unity, and about standing for justice. If our fasting does not move us to act, if our prayers do not translate into action, then we must ask: Have we truly fasted at all? Gaza does not need our tears—it needs our voices, our efforts, and our unwavering demand for justice. Before the moon of Eid rises, let us ensure that our brothers and sisters in Gaza are not forgotten.

Related:

– We Are Not Numbers x MuslimMatters – Ramadan While Under Attack In Gaza

– Podcast: Gaza’s Strength, Our Weakness | Shaykha Zaynab Ansari

The post The Last Nights Of Ramadan in Gaza: Starvation, Supplication, And Survival appeared first on MuslimMatters.org.