Don't sleep the night away. Don't sleep your life away! - Shaykh Dr Muhammad bin Yahya An-Ninowy | Reflections - Ramadan is a month of sabr

Bismillah.

Shaykh Dr Muhammad bin Yahya An-Ninowy
on Malaysian TV Al Hijrah
14 June 2016

Alhamdulillah wa shukrulillah.

I just got home from Tarawih feeling a little upset with myself cos my khusyuk level was like "below sea level" that's like drowning, no good. LOL.

But Allah Kareem, it's such a joy to see our qurratu ain Shaykh Dr. Muhammad bin Yahya An-Ninowy the moment I stepped into the house. It's super-wonderful to see Shaykh Ninowy on Malaysian TV Al Hijrah. Kudos to the Producer, and we say jazakallah!

Not sure how much of the show I had missed though, anyhow, below are some points which I managed to jot down. The program is called "Reflections" and the topic was "Ramadan - Month of Sabr."

• We have to be patient (sabr) in doing good deeds because we are tired from fasting and having to work and then in the evening we have to go the masjid for tarawih and qiyamulail.
• We also need patience in avoiding bad deeds because it takes determination to refrain oneself from engaging in a negative act.
• Ramadan is a month that has got plenty of Al Muwasat. [This is a new Arabic word for me. Alhamdulillah]. Al Muwasat means doing acts of kindness to people. We see lots of people being kind to one another in Ramadan. We have got the opportunity to offer food for people to break their fast, either at home or at the masjid. It doesn't have to be extravagant, yet don't make it too simple. Make it [iftar hosting] good and sweet, said the Shaykh.
• Ramadan is not only a school of sabr. It is also a school of mahabbah, purification, transparency and also a school of the Quran. 
• Be a ''people of the Quran". People of the Quran are people of Allah. Don't just recite it, you have to be a practitioner, be a walking Quran.
• Imam Ghazali outlines three conditions to make a practice successful.
• First: You must make a contract with your nafs. Äsk: "O self, are you going to behave this Ramadan?" You must get your nafs to agree with you in doing good.
• Second: You must renew your niyat and motivation. There are two milestones in Ramadan i.e. the first ten days and the second ten days. Even if you are badly lacking during the first 20 days of Ramadan, don't give up, because there are another 10 days left. Renew your niyat and motivation at these milestones.
• Third: You must evaluate the results that you have yielded. Do you come out of Ramadan with a new good habit e.g. praying sunat fajar? Do you now fast on Mondays and Thursdays? Do you spend the night wisely or do you sleep the night away? Don't sleep the night away. Don't sleep your life away!
• Every night in Ramadan, Allah will issue a pardon to a group of people. Ask yourself: "Did I belong to this group yesterday? Do I belong to this group today? Will I ever belong to this group at all this Ramadan?"
• Ramadan is about siyam and Quran. Honor Ramadan as a guest. Make the Quran your friend in Ramadan. If you do well, you could actually call upon Ramadan to testify in your favor before Allah. You could say: "O Allah, call Ramadan 1437 Hijri as a witness. I did well that year." You could also call the Quran to testify for you. 
• The night of Qadar is, of course, a special occasion where there is peace until fajar. Make it a fajar or nur that comes into your heart.
• You must learn to change your life into ibadah. For example, in Ramadan, sleeping is considered ibadah because you make the niyyat asking Allah, "O Allah please let me have four hours of sleep, I need it as I want to wake up for suhur and subuh and then I have to go to work." So you learn time management in Ramadan.
• Being clean is also ibadah. Clean the toilet, your clothes, etc. all are ibadah. Visiting one another for the sake of Allah is ibadah too. 
• So, post-Ramadan, change your life to be a "small Ramadan".

Shaykh Ninowy ended his tausiyah with a prayer so that Allah grant us all forgiveness and we receive His pardon. Ameen.

****

Ramadan Trivia:

My mother was sleeping in the living room as I was watching Shaykh Ninowy. About twenty minutes after the program was over, she called me saying she dreamt of Shaykh Ninowy in the house and in the dream, she scolded me as to why I had not switched on the lights when the Shaykh was leaving!

Oh dear Shaykh : )

Subhanallah!