On Saturday 30th July, the Al Kauthar Institute delivered yet another outstanding course on the Fiqh and Spirituality of Ramadan. Beautifully entitled ‘The Month of Mercy’ and led by the dynamic Sheikh Sajid Umar, we were educated and uplifted by Qur’anic recitation and teaching.
Whilst talks on Ramadan sometimes tend to blend into one, Sheikh Sajid Umar by the grace of Allah made this event a cut above the rest. Interspersed with his hallmark wit he reminded us of the things we so often forget around Ramadan. How do we lay the groundwork for this special month: have we sought forgiveness from those we have wronged? Have we fasted some of Sha’ban in order to prepare our bodies? Have we increased our Ibadah before Ramadan starts so that we hit the ground running? Whilst we sometimes get consumed by the ritual of Ramadan, do we stop to think, for example, whether our earnings are Halal before we enter it?
The course also looked at the Fiqh of Ramadan, clarifying for example that skin creams, pessaries and enemas are all acceptable in a state of fasting, as are non-nutritious IV injections. We learned about the Fiqh of fasting and menstruation, pregnancy and breastfeeding amongst other subjects. We also looked at the bounties of Lailat Al Qadr and the etiquette of Eid day.
Just when we thought that we had been given enough, the Sheikh finished with an Iman-boosting grand finale - beautiful Qur’an recitation intertwined with pearls of wisdom. He reminded us to have a clear vision and set high goals for Ramadan. He advised us to use Ramadan as a month of training by which we could elevate our status. And on the subject of patience he delivered the most memorable soundbite of the whole day – to never forget that ‘Greatness is attained at the edge of destruction’ but that in the words of the Qur’an ‘Indeed the help of Allah is near’
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