shaytans gonna be gone soon and our nafs will remain. Any sin you commit during the Month of Ramadan, remember it stems from your desires, there is no shaytan wispering in your ear! Use this time wisely and become strong, so strong that when shaytan comes back the loser will weep at his inability to convince you to go against Allah(SWT).
I, Risama am here to give an interview with someone who I have known for many years. We've been through thick and thin, all the ups and downs of life. But since my conversion to Islam, our relationship has been strained. In this holy month of Ramadan, I wanted to sorta catch up with an old friend and kinda of explain why things have been difficult between us. Also, I wanted to give my old friend a platform to speak so that she could get her point across. You know everyone, even the commanding self, the nafs, has the right to speak.
Here's my old friend, known to many as the "ego", Ms. Nafs
RIS: Salaam alaikum nafs!
Nafs: Walaikum.
RIS: Hey, you don't have to be like that. I know this month has been hard on you but believe me, it's for the best.
Nafs: Well, it's not like you've been listening to me anyway.
RIS: Well, it's not like I can't hear you. You've been complaining a lot lately. Everytime I try to pray, you complain. Whenever I give in charity, you complain. Even if I try to do a little dhikr, you start whining.
Nafs: Okay, I'll admit. I was little worried when you started this Islam thing. You wanna stop eating pork, fine. You were never big on pork anyway. Chicken seemed to be your weakness. You wanted to start praying five times a day and I wasn't a fan of Fajr but okay, I can deal. Then Ramadan rolls around. You want the TV off. You want to pray the max for tarawih. You want to give sadaqa 'til it hurts. I mean, you're a good person. You're a good Muslim. You don't have to read Qur'an 'til your eyes hurt. Why are you being so hard on yourself?
RIS: There you go again buttering me up. Doing more prayers can never hurt and this is Ramadan! You only get one month that's jam packed with multiple blessings. One good action is multiplied by a thousand. We can't miss out on this. Who knows if we will see another Ramadan.
Nafs: Dude, you're young. What could happen to you?
RIS: Well, I could have drowned in New Orleans, remember? You are very good at forgetting things. I could have been born and raised in Pakistan and there on the same day that the earthquake happened. A school full of little girls was destroyed by falling debris. Or I could be in Iraq or Palestine. Last time I checked, death doesn't discrimate. Let's not be naive.
Nafs: But I'm tired! Don't your legs hurt doing tarawih? Why do you have to aim for 20 rakats? Why not 8? God understands. It's just Sunnah prayers.
RIS: Okay, I'm going to pretend you didn't say that. Now if an elderly woman in the dead heat in Sudan can pray 20 rakats, so can I. What else should we do? Watch TV?
Nafs: So you don't like TV anymore?
RIS: Okay, let's lay off the TV issue.
Nafs: And I am hungry. So hungry.
RIS: Be happy we can break fast at sunset. The people of Niger feel hunger all the time. So what's a day's worth of fast compared to the starvation of millions.
Nafs: Aaah!
RIS: Are you whining?
Nafs: I liked the old you better!
RIS: Things change, sis. And who knows how we will be in five years, ten years, or fifty years from now, insha'Allah. But we are progressing towards Allah, insha'Allah. You may hate me now and you are complaining about the reading, the praying, the fasting and what not. It's for your own good. Trust me. Jahanam doesn't look too pleasing.
Nafs: Well, it's not as if I have a choice.
RIS: Hey, shaytan is locked up for only a few more days. We only have so much time left until all these good deeds become harder to do. So cheer up and stop bugging me. Stop flattering me. Stop whining or face the consequences of those gaining taqwa.
Nafs: Is that a threat?
RIS: Yep! You've wasted a lot of my time but I am forgiving. We need to work for Jennah so skipping Sunnahs and watching hours of TV just ain't gonna cut it. But I have good news!
Nafs: What?
RIS: Laylatul Qadr is in a few days! We're gonna do some power prayers and some marathon dhikr and some istifghar and we're gonna top it off with dua, dua, dua!
Nafs: Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooo![/PIE]
We know from the in the past the were people so strong in Imaan that the Shaytan ran in the opposite direction, Mash'allah :
Sa'ad bin Abi Waqqas Narrated,
Umar bin Al-Khattab asked the permission of Allah's Apostle to see him while some Quraishi women were sitting with him, talking to him and asking him for more expenses, raising their voices above the voice of Allah's Apostle.
When 'Umar asked for the permission to enter, the women quickly put on their veils..
Allah's Apostle then allowed him to enter and 'Umar came in while Allah's Apostle was smiling, 'Umar said "O Allah's Apostle! May Allah always keep you smiling."
The Prophet said, "These women who have been here, roused my wonder, for as soon as they heard your voice, they quickly put on their veils." 'Umar said, "O Allah's Apostle! You have more right to be feared by them than I." Then 'Umar addressed the women saying, "O enemies of yourselves! You fear me more than you do Allah's Apostle?!"
They said, "Yes, for you are harsher and sterner than Allah's Apostle."
Then Allah's Apostle said, "O Ibn Al-Khattab! By Him in Whose Hands my life is! Never does Satan find you going on a way, but he takes another way other than yours." ( Sahih Bukhari)
"O Muslims! If anyone among you worshipped Ramadan, then know that Ramadan is dead. But those of you who worshipped Allah, then know that Allah lives and will never die. Indeed Allah created Ramadan and He also, in truth, created Shawaal, Dhul Qidah, Dhul Hijjah, and all the rest of the Months..."
P.S. This is getting sent to everyone on my email.
Excellent Idea!
[PIE]In Ramadan Paradise opens its doors, Hell closes its and Satans are chained
`Arfajah said "We were with `Utbah ibn Farqad while he was discussing Ramadan. A companion of the Prophet entered upon the scene. When `Utbah saw him, he became shy and stopped talking. The man [the companion] spoke about Ramadan, saying "I heard the Messenger of Allah say during Ramadan: " The gates of Hell are closed, the gates of Paradise are opened, and the devils are in chains. An angel calls out : 'O you who intend to do good deeds, have glad tidings. O you who intend to do evil, refrain, until Ramadan is completed. [Ahmad and an-Nasa'i]
Fasting in Ramadan; a shield from Hell
The Messenger of Allah, salla Allahu alaihi wa sallam, said : " When Allah created Paradise and Hell-fire, He sent Jibreel [Gabriel] to Paradise, saying: Look at it and at what I have prepared therein for its inhabitants. The Prophet (S) said: So he came to it and looked at it and at what Allah had prepared therein for its inhabitants.
The Prophet (S) said: So he returned to Him and said: By your glory, no one hears of it without entering it. So He ordered that it be encompassed by forms of hardship, and He said: Return to it and look at what I have prepared therein for its inhabitants. The Prophet (S) said: So he returned to it and found that it was encompassed by forms of hardship. Then he returned to Him and said: By Your glory, I fear that no one will enter it. He said: Go to Hell-fire and look at it and what I have prepared therein for its inhabitants, and he found that it was in layers, one above the other. Then he returned to Him and said: By Your glory, no one who hears of it will enter it. So He ordered that it be encompassed by lusts [or desires]. Then He said: Return to it. And he returned to it and said: By Your glory, I am frightened that no one will escape from entering it. [at-Tirmithi and al-Hakim among others].
Fasting subdues the desires and reduces their severity, and that it is these desires and lusts that lead to Hell Fire, then you will see how fasting comes between a fasting person and Hell Fire and you will rush to fast in Ramadan and after Ramadan in the best possible way.
Al-Qur'an rather talks about the reward of fasting and there are verses which general meaning infers that those who obey Allah will be saved from Hell, and fasting is a form of obeying Allah. We will leave the verses that talk about the reward to the section related to Paradise. However, the Ahadith of our beloved Prophet Mohammad, salla Allahu alaihi wa sallam, are clear in this regard;
Abu Said al-Khudri reported that the Messenger of Allah, said: " No servant fasts on a day in the path of Allah except that Allah removes the Hell Fire seventy years further away from his face. " [Bukhari and Muslim] Abu
Sa`eed al-Khudri relates that the Messenger of Allah salla Allahu alaihi wa sallam said : " Fasting is a shield with which a servant protects himself from the Fire " [Ahmad, Sahih]
`Uthman Ibn Abil-`Aas relates that the Messenger of Allah salla Allahu alaihi wa sallam said : " Whoever fasts a day in the way of Allah, Allah places between him and the Fire a trench like that between heavens and the earth ". [at-Tirmithi and at-Tabarani, sahih]
Abu Huraira narrated that Allah's Messenger, salla Allahu alaihi wa sallam, said : " When the month of Ramadan starts, the gates of the heaven are opened and the gates of Hell are closed and the devils are chained. " [Bukhari]
The Messenger of Allah, salla Allahu alaihi wa sallam said : " When it is the first night of Ramadahn the evil devils are chained. The gates of Fire are locked- not a single gate is opnened, and the gates of Paradise are opened- not a single gate is locked, and a caller calls out :'O seeker of good come forward, and O seeker of evil withhold, and there are many whom Allah frees from the Fire - and that is every night. [at-Tirmithi, Ibn Majah, and Ibn Khuzaimah : Hasan]
Abu Hurairah reported that the Prophet, salla Allahu alaihi wa sallam, climbed upon the mimbar (pulpit) and said: " Aameen [O Allah grant it], aameen, aameen ". So it was said, "O Messenger of Allah, you climbed upon the mimbarand said : "aameen, aameen, aameen"? So he said :" Jibraa'eel, `alaihi assalam, came to me and said, 'Whoever reaches the month of Ramadan and does not have [his sins] forgiven and so enters Fire, then may Allah distance him, say aameen ". So I said "aameen". [Ibn Khuzaimah, Ahmad and al-Baihaqui : Sahih]
Jabir,radhiya Allahu `anhu relates that the Messenger of Allah, salla Allahu alaihi wa sallam said :" In every day and every night, during the month of Ramadan, there are people to whom Allah grants freedom from the Fire, and there is for every Muslim a supplication which he can make and will be granted ". [al-Bazzaar, Ahmad and Ibn Majah; Sahih]
In the famous hadith of Mu`ath ... I said O Messenger of Allah, tell me of an act which will take me into Paradise and keep me away from Hell-Fire. He said: you have asked me about a major matter, yet it easy for him for whom Allah Almighty makes it easy. You should ..., You should fast in Ramadan .... Then he (the Prophet) said : shall I not show you the gates of goodness ? Fasting is a shield . ..[at-Tirmithi]
We pray to Allah to make for us this Ramadan a shield from Hell Fire
[/PIE]
Remember Shaytan doesn't force you to sin, he just influences your desires! When you act upon your Nafs on Ramadan remember that Shaytan is not influencing them though he has helped develop them to that stage throughout those 11 months away from Ramadan.
This month allows us to truely reflect on our own state.Here is a very short Audio (less then 10 mins) on Nafs and gives examples from our beloved Prophet(SAW). It is called "Taking advantage of Ramadan" (Yes you must scroll down and click it, come on ppl that ain't too much to ask for is it )
you know i have heard since childhood that during the hly month of ramadhan the shaytaan is locked away but how true i that i mean are there any references in the Quran cos i have not myself yet come across one.
and ok i know this may sound a little dumb but im gonna ask anyhow, so say if iblis as in shaytaan is locked away then what about the shayatin????
my understanding has always been that only Allah swt has th power and might and knowledge and supremacy to be a watcher over all of mankind.
now it may sound yet again dumb sayig this but i refuse to believe that iblis has that much power to be trying to misguide the whole world on his poxy own,
hence why you have th shayatin the disbelieving jinns that are the helpers of iblis, and the idea of the qareen always made sense to me cos it explained how, soothsayers did what they did and how magic was set out to work, and also mainly how shaytaan was able to whisper in each and every souls heart wenevr he got the chance.
so although it is apart of the ghaib, but to me i am never alone, firs and foremost, Allah swt is always watching me, then i have two angels recording my deeds and one little evil jinn that annoys me all the time and tampers with the stuff in my room.
am i deluded for thinking this way? lol i know its weird but just need clarification Insha'Allah.
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Interview with the nafs...
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