السلام عليكم و رحمة الله و بركاته

Over one of the classes I conducted last weekend, I was asked about a profound Hadith narrated in Sahih Bukhari when the Prophet s.a.w. said: “There are two pleasures for a fasting person: one when he breaks his fast, and the other when he meets his Lord.”

There are really two distinct dimensions covered in this hadith as a reward for fasting: first, is the pleasure we derived during Iftar after a full day of abstaining not only from food and drinks, but also of suppressing our nafs and manifesting noble actions. Second, is the ultimate pleasure of beholding the majesty of Allah s.w.t. and being in his Divine Presence in Jannah, insyaAllah. 

Interestingly, the Prophet s.a.w. juxtaposed this worldly pleasure with the pleasure we hoped to derive in the Hereafter. This highlights several learning points:

1. Life’s Experiences
We sometimes wonder why we are subjected to joys and pains in this world. To me, every of these emotions are Allah’s ways of giving us a taste of the absolute emotions we will experience in the Hereafter. He gave us joy so that we are dedicated to do what is necessary to achieve our ultimate joy of being in Jannah. The reverse is also true: so that we will strive our best to avoid His Prohibitions because we are given a taste of pain through the loss of love or the death of a family member, for example.

2. Pleasure of Iftar
The first pleasure mentioned in this Hadith is significant because during Iftar, we are in fact celebrating our small victories for having successfully completed the fast, for restraining our anger earlier in the day, for being able to do some charity work, and so on. That is why when we sit with our family members for Iftar, we are embracing not only our success, but also the presence of those who are close and intimate to us. What it does is that it heightens our senses so that even a small amount of food seems sufficient and even plain water tastes sweet. The pleasure we derived is in the relief from a full day of hunger and thirst, the company we keep while experiencing this intimate moment, and the inevitable gratitude and humility this brings about.

3. Pleasure Of Meeting Allah
Obviously, this is the ultimate pleasure, victory and reward for any servants of The Almighty s.w.t. It is the penultimate aim of everyone to meet with Allah in His Paradise: it is an experience like no other, reminiscent of the joy felt when meeting someone who is most beloved. It is the meeting of the fasting person with his Lord, and the very pleasure in which he is experiencing can be caused by none other than that very same Lord which is before him. This will be such an overwhelming joy that all earthly pains and sufferings that he used to experience in the world will be immediately overshadowed by this meeting.

4. What Do I Do: The Process
Islam is not a difficult way of life, and I am so humbled by the Mercy and Love that Allah s.w.t. has for us. Just by taking a moment and savoring the experience we have during Iftar, and while at it – reflecting on the struggles we went through during the day of fasting, leading to a heightened sense of dependence on Allah, an enhanced gratitude and humility, followed by an increased rigor to do better the next day – is a mirror towards embracing the pleasure of meeting with Allah s.w.t. in the Hereafter. This is the ultimate reward for those who fast. And Allah s.w.t. gives us the opportunity to experience this joy every day! MasyaAllah. 

I hope this short reminder will give you a heightened appreciation when you break your fast tomorrow onwards, insyaAllah, when you know that Allah wants you to experience something more than just eating, drinking or satiating your desires. And I also pray that during moments when you were about to give up on your fasting, just hold on a little bit longer so that you can experience this momentary earthly pleasure of Iftar, as a taste of ultimate pleasure that awaits you in Jannah.

Amin ya Rabbal ‘Alamin.

Love,
The Alchemist.

السلام عليكم و رحمة الله و بركاته

Abu Umamah r.a. asked: “O Messenger of Allah, tell me of an action by which I may enter Paradise.” The Messenger of Allah s.a.w. replied: “Take to Fasting, there is nothing like it.” [An-Nasaa'ee, Ibn Hibbaan, Al-Haakim, Sahih] 

For Muslims who are currently fasting in this blessed month of Ramadhan, the wisdom of this Hadith is easily understood as we go through the struggles of fasting. What fasting does is, among others, develop our discipline, our willpower, our physical and spiritual strength, our emotional empathy for others, our inspiration to help others, and the list goes on…

But Muslims also know that fasting is not easy. Mere theoretical knowledge of the greatness of fasting in itself is not enough to attain Allah’s Pleasure. One has to fast sincerely for the sake of Allah s.w.t., disciplining the body and soul to maintain the fast for 30 continuous days, with the view of purifying his deeds, intentions and being, in order to achieve the objective of becoming a more God-conscious person (muttaqin).

As such, our Beloved Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. issued a warning for us to be more concerted in our efforts during fasting, in the following words: "Perhaps a fasting person will receive nothing from his fasting, except hunger and thirst."  [Ibn Majah, Ad-Dharimee, Ahmad, al-Baihaqi, Sahih] 

Fasting is more than mere abstaining from food and drinks. It demonstrates not merely our potential, but our ability and capacity to control psychological aspects of our behavior, such as our reaction to things that displeases or angers us. Ironically, it is in these moments of physical emptiness (from food and drinks) that we learn how to manage our ego and emotion judiciously – by portraying a more respectable and honourable response. On any other day and month, this internal processing of our reactions gets truncated.

And simply by such acts of benevolent restraints, our actions become acts of ‘ibadah and we get rewarded in multiple portions by the Most Gracious and Most Generous s.w.t. SubhanAllah!

This reflection convinces me on one elementary point: fasting transcends beyond merely being a simplistic ritual. In Surah al-Baqarah verse 183, Allah s.w.t. says: “O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed upon you as it was prescribed to those who came before you; that you may become God-Conscious (Taqwa).” This Taqwa is only achieved when, due to the deed of fasting, it transforms us to become a Muslim who is constantly conscious of his complete dependence on His Lord, as a Muslim who is constantly hungry and thirsty for His Lord’s Mercy and Benevolence upon him, and as a Muslim who is continuously in a state of self-improvement through the acts of self-restraint.

Sometimes, I cannot help but to think that this is a tall order for anyone to achieve. But, through the Grace of Allah s.w.t., I am also reminded that being a Muslim of piety is a process and a personal journey that each and everyone of us take. Importantly, we must not give up – and we are only judged by our best efforts.

A final reflection for me to conclude is this: I am raised in my consciousness that I cannot do and achieve this alone. And so, with no where to turn, I turn my hopes completely to my Creator for His Help in realizing the person that I am intended to be. 

In my readings, I came across a beautiful quote by our female Islamic scholar, Shaykha Fariha Fatima. It reads as follows:

“There are as many forms of fasting as there are organs of perception and sensation, and each of these has many different levels. So we ask to fast from all that Allah does not love for us, and to feast on what the Beloved loves for us. Let us certainly fast from the limited mind, and all that it conjures up. Let us fast from fear, apart from fear and awe of Allah's majesty. Let us fast from thinking that we know, when Allah alone is the Knower. Let us fast from thinking negatively of anyone. Let us fast from our manipulations and strategies. Let us fast from all complaint about life experiences that Allah gives us. Let us fast from our bad habits and our reactions. Let us fast from desiring what we do not have. Let us fast from obsession. Let us fast from despair. Let us fast from not loving our self, and from denying our heart. Let us fast from selfishness and self-centered behavior. Let us fast from thinking that only what serves us is important. Let us fast from seeing reality only from our own point of view. Let us fast from seeing any reality other than Allah, and from relying on anything other than Allah. Let us fast from desiring anything other than Allah and Allah's Prophets and friends, and our own true self. Essentially, let us fast from thinking that we have any existence separate from Allah.”

And I humbly beseech from Allah s.w.t., Amin ya Rabbal ‘Alamin.

Love,
The Alchemist.

السلام عليكم و رحمة الله و بركاته

Ramadhan is a month full of blessings. It is therefore important for us to bring that reality into our daily lives. One of the blessings of Ramadhan is that it helps to foster family relations.

Let us consider how easy this can be implemented: 

1. Sahur
Since we have to wake up early morning for sahur, it is a good opportunity to have sahur together as a family. During sahur, perhaps parents may ask about their children’s plan for the day to get the family conversation going. When was the last time you had breakfast at home, with the whole family?

2. Tahajjud Prayers
Since we are awake for sahur and have some time before Fajr, encourage your family to perform the tahajjud prayers. It does not have to be many sets of prayers, but one or two sets is good enough – especially if is consistent. In this way, you can help instill the value of discipline and istiqamah (consistency) to our family members.

3. Fajr Prayers
When was the last time we pray congregational Fajr prayers at home with our family? It is such an important prayer and since we are all already awake, it is the best opportunity to do this together. As we begin the day with prayers as a family, insyaAllah, blessings will accompany us throughout the day. After all, a family that eats together and prays together, stays together. Amin!

4. Iftar
As the whole family then goes about their daily activities either to work or school thereafter, make it a habit that the whole family come back home for Iftar together. Nothing is more nutritious and blessed than to eat home-cooked food. A father provides the resources for buying ingredients, a mother puts her love into cooking for the family, and the children consume with appreciation the food prepared. In this way, everyone in the family gets rewarded as ibadah by simply eating and conversing together. But make sure the television is switched off!

5. Maghrib Prayers
Right after Iftar, it is also more convenient to gather the family together to pray Maghrib as a family. Such is the blessing of Ramadhan and having Iftar together.

6. Terawih Prayers
What is beautiful after that is when the family proceeds to a mosque nearby to perform the terawih as a family, together with the Muslim community in the area. Alternatively, the father can be the Imam for terawih at home, and to alternate with their sons to take the imam-ship, in order to train them and to instill confidence in being an Imam.

This cycle, with modifications depending on the circumstances of each family, continues to the next day and insyaAllah, by the end of Ramadhan, you will have instilled noble values for your family. This will be your gift and inheritance for your children to be guided by Islam through the challenges that they may face in the future. 

As we do this often, it will be easier to perform, as it becomes a way of life in our family. As parents, we need to show some leadership to lead the way and inculcate these values in order to maximize the blessings that Ramadhan has to offer. A strong family will definitely lead to building a better community and society.

I urge you to try and give this a chance. I pray that Allah s.w.t. will make things easy for you and may your family relationship in this Ramadhan be an intimate one. Amin, ya Rabbal 'Alamin.

Love,
The Alchemist.

السلام عليكم و رحمة الله و بركاته

I was reading a book of poems by Mawlana Jalalluddin Rumi earlier in the day and re-read a poem describing the virtues of fasting. An abstract of the first few stanzas of the poem goes like this:

"There's a hidden sweetness in the stomach's emptiness.
We are lutes: no more, no less. If the soundbox is stuffed full of anything, no music.
If the brain and the belly are burning clean with fasting, every moment a new song comes out of the fire."

The poem seems to corroborate the advice given by our beloved Prophet s.a.w. who said: "The worst vessel the son of Adam ever fills is his stomach. It is sufficient for the son of Adam to eat what will support his back. If this is not possible, then a third for food, a third for drink and a third for his breath."  [at-Tirmidhi]

The Persian scholar Sahl al-Tustari was asked about a man who ate once a day and he replied, “This is the way of the prophets.” Asked about someone who eats twice a day, he said, “This is the way of the righteous.” Finally, he was asked about someone who eats three meals a day and he replied, “Dig for him a hole!” 

This blessed month of Ramadhan is a most opportune time for us to reflect on the blessings of food and satiety. Fasting allows us to experience once a year what many throughout the world experience almost daily. Hunger, for them, is not a choice - it is their fact of life. Yet, on the opposite side of their world, we consume more than we need, we take pride in our frivolities to do so and we post endless food-photos on Instagram for the world to see. 

One of the blessings of Ramadhan is that it provides us with an opportunity, when our own self-induced hunger should bring us closer to those whose hunger is caused by circumstance and not by choice. As a result, we become more empathetic and are spurred into charitable actions.

Imam al-Ghazzali mentions in his Ihya' Ulum ad-Din, one of the benefits of our hunger is that it makes us more responsive and generous by giving food to orphans and to the poor, so that on the Day of Resurrection we would dwell in the Shade of Allah’s Generosity. The beloved Prophet s.a.w. said: "Whoever feeds a fasting person will have a reward like that of the fasting person, without any reduction in his reward."  [at-Tirmidhi] It is that rare moment in our opulent lives when feeding others in need, supersedes our own hunger and greed. This is another reason to celebrate the month of Ramadhan.

These virtuous act points to the unity of the global Islamic community. There is a network of us all across the globe, all doing the same thing at the same time. However disparate our lives, whatever privileges and freedoms we enjoy, however different our experiences – someone else is probably feeling exactly the same way you and I feel: that physical hunger and thirst symbolizing our spiritual hunger and thirst. This, I find to be incredibly moving and life-affirming.  

Being hungry in this blessed month truly appeals to me. It reduces me to be the person whom I need to be. It provides me with a reality jolt to my physical and spiritual senses.

I humbly pray, for me and for all of you, that this physical hunger and thirst will deliver a burst of hungering and thirsting for Allah, The Most Merciful, The Most Compassionate. And may this hunger continue to transcend us to all the other months of the year. Amin, ya Rabbal 'Alamin.

Love,
The Alchemist.

السلام عليكم و رحمة الله و بركاته

Every Sunday mornings, I conduct a class called “Knowing Islam Session” – where anyone from all walks of live can have an overview before deciding to learn more on Islam. Over the years, I have met people from various backgrounds and with different purposes – and each class can uniquely turn out to be either enlightening or difficult. In one such class last weekend, I was asked on the importance of “Zikr” in Islam. 

Allah s.w.t. says in Surah Al-Ahzab: “O you who believe! Remember Allah with much remembrance,” and when the companions learned of this revelation, were worried and asked our Beloved Rasulullah s.a.w. “How much is much?” The Prophet replied by saying: “Remember Allah until people say that you are crazy” [Ahmad]

If we pause to consider the importance of following the Sunnah in our lives, we will see some of its manifestations in the following ways: we wake up every morning with Alhamdulillah, walk into the bathroom for a shower with our left leg and exiting with our right leg – both accompanied with do’a of protection, put on clothes while looking in the mirror making a do’a for Allah to beautify our characteristics as He beautifies our physical bodies, perform our prayers, leave for work with our right leg out the door etc.

While all these can be described as following the Sunnah of our Beloved s.a.w., there is another way to describe them to make practical sense of the value of the Sunnah. If you consider carefully the process of following the Sunnah, it is about constantly being in a state of engagement with Allah and the Prophet, so that through this engagement, you are spiritually guided to choose a better way of doing things.

For example, while it is not a sin to eat with your left hand, Muslims do so with their right hand as it is the Sunnah. The effect of such action is to make us engage with the questions: what would the Prophet do in this situation? Which is a better way to eat so that we can achieve barakah (blessings)? It is through these lines of questioning, that we are subconsciously subjecting our minds to make better choices in life.

This is then, the purpose of the Sunnah. It is not simply a physical choice of your actions, but it demands from you to constantly mentally engaging yourselves with the preferences of Allah s.w.t. and Rasulullah s.a.w. above all else, in all of your choices. 

In this way, following the Sunnah becomes an act of Zikrullah. And a Muslim who actively engages with the Sunnah, is always in a state of Zikrullah – complying with the command of Surah Al-Ahzab mentioned earlier.

Simply put, Zikrullah makes us become intimate with Allah s.w.t. and our Prophet s.a.w. Zikrullah puts us in the protection of Allah’s Guidance. Zikrullah softens our hearts so that we can love our Prophet s.a.w. enough to want to put him as the priority and model in our life. It is because of these basic reasons that Zikrullah leads to our success, both in this life and the next.

So, go ahead and let people call you crazy, for as long as your heart beats only for The Creator and His Beloved. Have a great week ahead!

Love,
The Alchemist.

السلام عليكم و رحمة الله و بركاته

I wish I had more time to write regularly. Now that most of my classes are on recess for Ramadhan, I am left with a generous amount of time to continue writing on this Blog, insyaAllah. Please make doa’ for me.

Last week, I posted an entry on Instagram, which states: “They say you can never love someone whom you have never seen. I just smiled and said: I haven’t seen my Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. but I love him dearly.” 

It reminded me of a hadith on the flip side of this perspective, which I included under the “comments” section. Narrated by Imam Ahmad, the Prophet s.a.w. said: “I wish I could see my brothers.” The Companions asked: “Aren’t we your brothers, O Messenger Of Allah?” He replied: “No. You are my Companions. My brothers are those who come after me and believe in me, without even seeing me.”

I cannot help but feel so touched by the Prophet’s words. To be considered as his brother, and hence a family-member, is truly the biggest honour for any believer. While our deeds are surely undeserving, he nonetheless embraced us with such tender and loving kindness – having faith that we will eventually measure up.

This serves as a reminder for us to enhance our resolve to heighten our efforts in emulating his examples, as best as we can, so that we can realize the love that we should have for our Beloved Prophet s.a.w. In fact, the perfection of our faith depends on it. He explained in a hadith narrated by Imam Bukhari and Imam Muslim: "None of you will truly believe until I am more beloved to him than his father, his son and all of mankind." And what better way to improve ourselves with the training that the month of Ramadhan provides?

But the key to achieving this success is in planning and preparation. While I noticed that the Geylang bazaar stalls are already constructed and ready in advance before Ramadhan, it really begs the question: how ready and prepared are we for fasting next week? Similarly, while preparations for the current SEA Games were made since early last year, how early have Muslims prepared for this deed of fasting, that if we are victorious, will render us as men and women of Taqwa – surely a wining provision for the Hereafter?

Our enthusiasm for watching the SEA Games or planning for business ventures at the Ramadhan bazaars must prick our conscience to also show the same level of enthusiasm (if not more) and rigorously prepare for this important month of Ramadhan, instead of it being looked upon as being disruptive or a burden. Prepare ourselves well physically and spiritually. Plan to be able to achieve something tangible that we can measure in this Ramadhan, so that we can upgrade our achievements in the next Ramadhan. If we can prepare meticulously for this temporal world, surely we must have an effective action plan for the permanent abode.

“If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail!” [Benjamin Franklin]

Its good to be back! InsyaAllah, tomorrow I will try and share with you some tips that you can implement. Watch this space!

Love,
The Alchemist.

السلام عليكم و رحمة الله و بركاته

Alhamdulillah! I hope that you are in good health and spirits for the weekend. Following yesterday’s entry, I wish to share with you some tips to get you preparing for Ramadhan.

1. Fasting
Know that fasting is not just about abstaining from food and drinks. There are vast wisdoms of fasting, including disciplining the physical body. For those who have been following my course on “Reconnecting With Ramadhan,” they have been guided to begin preparing the physical body by gradual fasting since three weeks ago, so that the body does not get a shock from sudden deprivation of food and drinks. But you can also do this by doing a trial-run of fasting this Monday, so that your body can get accustom to a whole month of continuous fasting. Don’t think about it. Just Do It!

2. Pledge-Book
Invest yourself with a small notebook. Use it to write down your objectives for this Ramadhan, and refer to it daily to mark your progress towards achieving your objective. Some of the objectives I suggested to my students are for example: to fast 30-days complete this year, to finish reading the Qur’an this month, to join 1-2 charity drives to help the needy etc. You can never achieve a goal if you don’t have it in the first place. Writing it down is like making a pledge. Commitment to achieving it will follow.

3. The Qur’an
Ramadhan is all about the Qur’an. We fast to purify ourselves as we engage rigorously reading and communicating with the Qur’an throughout the whole month of Ramadhan. There must be a plan devised to complete reading the Qur’an by the end of Ramadhan. For example, read one juzu’ before or after Fajr. Make it become a habit, so that you can be consistent. DO NOT have any ‘cheat-days’ – this is not a gym!

In addition, I encourage you to plan to memorize one or two surahs every Ramadhan. Choose one decent length and a short one, so you don’t get too discouraged. For example, this Ramadhan try to memorize Surah An-Naba’ and Surah Ad-Duha. If you continuously do this every Ramadhan, insyaAllah, you will be able to memorize the Qur’an by the time you meet your Lord.

4. Night Vigil
Start performing night vigils from the beginning of Ramadhan, instead of only the last ten nights. You don’t have to do many, but one or two sets every day consistently – that is more meritorious in Islam. You don’t have to get up so early since you do it daily. For example, get up at 5:10am – shower and perform one or two sets of tahajjud, one set of witr, and you will be done by Fajr at 5:35am. Do it everyday! 

5. Get A Buddy
If you are married, this is the best way to improve your relationship. If you are not, you can get your best friend or your siblings to be your Ramadhan buddy. Check on each other daily. Ask: have you read one juzu’ of the Qur’an today? Do you want me to wake you up for qiyam this morning? This is because there will be difficult, lazy or tired days ahead. Your buddy will make sure you don’t give up, and vice-versa.

I hope these tips can assist you in some ways to get you going. May Allah s.w.t. assist you, and assist me, to make things easy for all of us. Amin ya Rabb!

Love,
The Alchemist.