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Don’t be a Ramadani person – Be a Rabbani person.

Don't be a Ramadani person - Be a Rabbani person.
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April 10, 2024
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Alhamdulilah we witnessed Ramadan. Alhamdulilah we witnessed Eid. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said in 2AH when Ramadan became an obligation for the Ummah and Eid was celebrated for the first time in Madinah,

For every nation there is an Eid to celebrate and this is our Eid. [Bukhari]

From this hadith we see that the Prophet (peace be upon him) was keen to give his Ummah their own, distinct identity, not following customs and traditions that had been passed down through time, which contradict the principles of Islam.

We have two main days of celebration in Islam – Eid al Fitr and Eid al Adha. The Prophet (peace be upon him) only prayed the Eid salah in his mosque once, when it was raining, the other Eids were prayed in an open space. He invited everyone to come, even those who could not pray, such as women who were menstruating and little children. Eid is not just a form of salah; it is beyond that. It is an occasion for the Ummah to come together, to congregate and to unite, across the globe. Despite the different dates Eid is celebrated, our Ummah is united by our takbir. We all recite the takbir before the Eid salah.

The Takbir

Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar, la ilaha illa-Allah, Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar, wa Lillahi’l-hamd.

The takbir is the symbol of Eid and also the opening of Salah. The movements in the salah follow the takbir. In our adhan we have takbir, in our adkhar we have takbir.  

The takbir is about glorifying Allah and connecting to Him. If you are ill, Allah is the Healer, there is nothing greater than Allah, your illness is healed by Allah, He is the Greatest, go to Him ask Him for healing. If you have problems, go to Allah, He is the solver of problems. If you have calamities, rely on Him, He will deliver you from these calamities. If you are oppressed, as our brothers and sisters in Gaza, He will deliver you from these atrocities. Allahu Akber should echo throughout our life, day and night. Allah keeps reminding us in our salah that He is the Greatest. So don’t rely on anyone but Him. He is Allah, the Greatest.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) made the takbir the title of Eid. Allah said after you finish the month of fasting, litakbir Allah, proclaim Allah’s greatness, glorify Him because He guided us. As He stated in the verses of fasting in Surat al Baqarah, He wants us to

وَلِتُكْمِلُوا۟ ٱلْعِدَّةَ وَلِتُكَبِّرُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ عَلَىٰ مَا هَدَىٰكُمْ وَلَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ

to complete the period and to glorify Allah for that [to] which He has guided you; and perhaps you will be grateful. (2:185)

Problems and tests are greater than us when we rely on ourselves, but nothing – no problem and no test – is greater than Him when we rely on Him.

The Sunnah of Eid is to spread joy and happiness in the community. Despite the pain which we are experiencing by witnessing the atrocities in Gaza, we have been commanded to rejoice at the completion of Ramadan. So spread happiness.

Do not leave Ramadan behind. Make Ramadan your companion throughout the year. Don’t say, ‘Yes! Ramadan is gone’ and return to old, bad habits. The Prophet (peace be upon him) used to say

O Allah guide me to the best practice and the best habits. No one can guide, except You.

Don’t be a Ramadani person, be a Rabbani person throughout the year. Don’t just belong to Ramadan, belong to Allah all year round.

A Rabbani person is the one who is a person of goodness, who emulates the beautiful attributes of Allah, who is the Rabb, the one who nurtures and oversees all of creation. To be Rabbani is to live a life dedicated to Allah, striving against one’s ego, and remaining steadfast in spiritual states despite adversity or blessings. It means being knowledgeable about Allah, tolerant of others, and wise, exhibiting mercy, justice, and forgiveness. It is being close to Allah and mindful of Him.

Visit your relatives. Connect with them, at least send them a text message or call them if you cannot visit them. Maintain good relationships with your blood relatives, it will bring barakah (blessings) to your family and increase your lifespan. We ask Allah to enable us to follow the footsteps of our beloved Prophet (peace be upon him).

Be careful not to do anything prohibited in Islam in your celebrations and beyond, now that Ramadan is over. Don’t say, ‘It’s now Eid, let’s go partying’ and do anything that is forbidden. Whoever adheres to the limits of Allah, Allah will look after him.

Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) said that when the Prophet began prayer he said the takbir, then said,

“My prayer and my devotion, my life and my death belong to God, the Lord of the universe, who has no partner. I have been so commanded, and I am the first of the Muslims. O God, guide me to the best deeds and the best qualities, Thou who alone canst guide to the best of them; and guard me from evil deeds and evil qualities, Thou who alone canst guard from their evil ones.” (Nasa’i)

We ask Allah to look after all of us and bring relief to the people of Gaza and all those who are suffering around the world. Ameen.

Have a blessed Eid.

Based on the Eid Khutbah of Shaykh Haytham Tamim 10th April 2024

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Shaykh Haytham Tamim is the founder and main teacher of the Utrujj Foundation. He has provided a leading vision for Islamic learning in the UK, which has influenced the way Islamic knowledge is disseminated. He has orchestrated the design and delivery of over 200 unique courses since Utrujj started in 2001. His extensive expertise spans over 30 years across the main Islamic jurisprudence schools of thought. He has studied with some of the foremost scholars in their expertise; he holds some of the highest Ijazahs (certificates) in Quran, Hadith (the Prophetic traditions) and Fiqh (Islamic rulings). His own gift for teaching was evident when he gave his first sermon to a large audience at the age of 17 and went on to serve as a senior lecturer of Islamic transactions and comparative jurisprudence at the Islamic University of Beirut (Shariah College). He has continued to teach; travelling around the UK, Europe and wider afield, and won the 2015 BISCA award (British Imams & Scholars Contributions & Achievements Awards) for Outstanding Contribution to Education and Teaching.

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