Below is an extract taken from www.islaahiadvices.com

Ramadan is a month of reflection, a time to rectify our hearts, families and homes. We can sit for hours watching a movie or the build up to a football game but can we spend that long reading the Quran? Or an Islamic book? If not, then this month is an opportunity to change that, to develop and increase our love for deen. Shaytan is caged up, the mist is cleared, the path becomes clearer so think, reflect and act.

Immerse yourself in the love of Allah, and this will give you the spiritual strength to combat sins. I was going to apply for something the other day but I thought to myself that they will give me forms to fill out. Therefore, if I apply now I will have to spend some portion of Ramadan engaged in this work. Why do it in Ramadan when I can do it later? So I left it and if Allah gives me life, then I will do it in Shawwal. We must look into our lives and the minor duties that can wait, put them on hold otherwise we will lose focus. Usually, we suggest balancing between our worldly and religious duties. But during Ramadan we exert ourselves as much as possible. It is the month of action. So whilst usually it is good to attend islamic lectures in Ramadan, our main focus should be individual worship.

The Ummahatul Mumineen have said that Nabi صلي الله عليه وسلم would tighten his waistbelt in the last 10 days of Ramadan, spending His nights in prayer and keeping His family awake to do the same. If a person undertakes physical labour, he tightens his belt to stop it falling while he works. So tightening one's belt is a figure of speech, and in this hadeeth, it shows that Nabi صلي الله عليه وسلم would go that extra mile during this blessed month. He would spend so long leading salah, the Sahaaba رضي الله عنهم would fear missing suhoor. That is a stark contrast to our community here in South Africa, where some people are busy searching for the masjid that leads taraweeh the quickest! And then we have men like Hafiz Ismail Jassat from Darul Uloom Azaadville, may Allah preserve Him. Last year in Taraweeh Salah, he read 29 juz' in one rakah, and the last juz' in the remaining 19 rakahs of Taraweeh.

We visited Darul Uloom Azaadville a few days ago and we met Hazrat Ml. Abdul Hamid Ishaq حفظه الله. As we ate lunch together he told us that whenever an area is secured in gauteng for an ijtima, Hafiz saab visits, walks around the area and recites the whole Quran. Then he ends by making dua..all in just one walk! Another Maulana mentioned to Hazrat Ml. Abdul Hamid حفظه الله that this year, I would like to ask hafiz saab to read one whole Quran in the first rakah and read another in the next. SubhanAllah look at how they think. We wonder where the quickest Taraweeh is prayed, and their concern is how can we extend our prayers and increase our rewards? May Allah make us like them, Aameen.

Turn to Allah, become an ardent worshipper and lover of Allah. Life has no guarantee this world keeps changing so I ask you, what permanent benefit can a temporary world offer you? Buy and use worldly items, but do not become attached. Coming back to a few days ago when I saw my principal Hazrat Ml. Abdul Hamid Ishaq حفظه الله, he looked the exact same as he did twenty years ago. He walks the same, talks the same and dresses the same because he has peace, contentment and happiness in his heart. So there is no need to change. But when you look at those who attach themselves to the dunya, they are constantly changing their hairstyle and dresscode. They do not know what they want, they are just following trends and changing every other day. There is no peace in that. But the Sunnah? You will always find peace in the Sunnah.

May Allah enable us to reach Ramadan and spend it in His obedience, Aameen.

— Hazrat Ml. Dawood Seedat حفظه الله

(Above is an extract from Hazrat’s bayan on 22/5/17.)