In a season of consumerist madness,let’s be grateful, and give

At this time of year the stores are pushing their sales at us.
Advertising is everywhere. There if a frenzy to buy, buy, buy. Let's
realize that this is nota spiritual way of life. It's not an
appropriate lifestyle for someone who is dedicated to God. The
consumerist madness is a deception. There's no joy or peace attached
to it. It's a shallow illusion.
Look at what society has done to itself in the name of consumerism. A
day of thanks (Thanksgiving) has become the prelude to "Black Friday",
the biggest shopping day of the year. It used to be that Black Friday
did not begin until Friday morning, out of respect for Thanksgiving.
Then the starting gun was moved to midnight, and now it has crept into
Thursday evening. Nothingis sacred.
The Prophet 'Isa ibn Maryam (Jesus the son of Mary), peace be upon
him, has been turned into a marketing strategy. His purported birthday
has become a month of shopping insanity, presided over by a mythical
sub-deity named Santa. People go into debt,they fight over sale goods…
no mention is made of faith.
We Muslims fall prey to the same consumerist lifestyle. Sometimes the
holy month of Ramadan becomes a month of shopping, sleeping and binge
eating, astaghfirullah.
Let us – Christians, Muslims, Jews and all people of God – not
followthis path. Let's hew to a way of sacrifice, zakat
(purification), sadaqah (charity), zuhd (giving up material luxury).
We don't have to be monks, but we must focus on the things that
matter: faith and family.
There are movements thatadvocate a simple living, back-to-nature,
low-impact lifestyle. In Islam this is called zuhd , which could be
translated as detachment or asceticism. Zuhd is a choicethat a person
makes to give up the hunger for material possessions and transgressive
carnal experiences, and live a simple lifestyle dedicated to God.
That's what we need.
The faith in our hearts is more important than the brand name of the
clothes we wear. Where our feet carry us – to someplace good or bad –
is more important than the cost of our shoes. The sincerity in our
hearts is more important than any gift. May Allah help us to see what
is important in life.
The Enjoyment of Delusion
There's a powerful verse from the Bible, Proverbs 30:8-9:
Give me neither poverty nor riches,
grant me only my share of bread to eat,
for fear that surrounded by plenty, I should fall away
and say, "Yahweh – who isYahweh?"
or else in destitution, take to stealing
and profane the name of my God.
(Yahweh is an ancient Hebrew name for God).
If you visit the shopping malls at Christmastime, and read the news
stories of people lining up from the night before and huddling in
sleeping bags in order to buy the latest gadgets, then trampling each
other in the rush; if you turn on the TV to the usual Christmas
comedies and "Frosty the Snowman"cartoons, you see that God has been
forgotten, and has even become taboo. It's not politically correct to
speak of God. Just watchwhat we broadcast, be hypnotized by our
Christmas elevator music, buy and forget…
Allah says about this:
"Know that the life of this world is but amusement and diversion and
adornment and boastingto one another and competition in increase of
wealth and children – like the example of a rainwhose [resulting]
plant growth pleases the tillers; then it dries and you see it turned
yellow; then it becomes debris. And in the Hereafter is severe
punishment and forgiveness from Allah and approval. And what is the
worldly life except the enjoyment of delusion." – Quran, Surat
Al-Hadeed, 57:20
This theme is struck repeatedly in the Quran. The amusement and
adornment of the dunya isan illusion that dries up and crumbles like a
corn stalk, and becomes dust. It is empty, the enjoyment ofdelusion .
Wow. That phrase, "enjoyment of delusion", makes me think of a madman
alone in a room, tied in a straight jacket, engaged in a pleasant
delusion playing only in his mind.
I know people who have abedroom devoted to all the junk that they have
bought but do not use. They never enter that room and the door is kept
locked. Isn't that a kind of mental illness?
Gratitude
How do we resist the onslaught of the season? How do we remember Allah?
The greatest tool in our toolbox is gratitude. By looking at what
we've been blessed with, our hearts become content. Socrates commented
that contentment is natural wealth, while luxury is artificial
poverty. Contentment does not mean complacency or passivity; it refers
to a state of awareness of our blessings, and gratitude for the
smallest to the greatest provisions – the tiniest cells in our bodies,
to the grand earth itself.

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Going to Allah when we need Him

Do we think we can go to Allah only when we "need" Him?
I'm not saying that it's wrong. I'm saying that it's impossible.
We need Allah every hour, every day. Every heartbeat,every breath,
every bite of food, every ray of sunshine. We need Him when we are
poor and sick, and when we're rich and robust. We need Him when we're
starving in thegutter, or cruising on top of the world. We depend on
Allah more than a newborn baby depends onits mother, even when we
don't see it.
Our failure to see this reality does not change the fact that it is
true. We can achieve nothing without Allah. I write this article only
by His will. Youget out of bed, pour your cereal, hug your children,
go to work, run that 5K race, and breathe, all by means of the gifts
He has given.
When we're doing well, and everything is butter, that's the time to
turn to Allah even more, with gratitude and praise. If we do that,
then when we're having hard times He'll be there for us, He'll rescue
usand lift us up, even if we don't ask.
This not my idea. I did not make this up. The Messenger of Allah (sws)
said, "Remember Allah during times of ease andHe will remember you
during times of difficulty." (Tirmidhi)
Remembrance of Allah is not only a matter of prayer. It is also
kindness to others. If I have an excess of energy, I need to use that
to help someone who is ill, weak, depressed,or lost. If I have been
blessed with wealth, intelligence, knowledge, ortalent, then I need to
use that to bring someone relief.
I need Allah , I know that. Ifeel it.
We need Allah with every rotation of the earth. So yes, go to Allah
when you need Him – at every moment in time.

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1a] The punishment for breaking the fast in Ramadaan with no excuse

1a]
For Allaah is Most Generous, Forbearing and Most Merciful, as He says
(interpretation of the meaning):
"Know they not that Allaah accepts repentance from His slaves and
takes the Sadaqaat (alms, charity), and that Allaah Alone is the One
Who forgives and accepts repentance, Most Merciful?"
[al-Tawbah 9:104]
If you try fasting and find out how easy it is and what comfort it
brings and how close it brings you to Allaah, you will never give it
up.
Think about what Allaah says at the end of the verses on fasting
(interpretation of the meaning):
"Allaah intends for you ease, and He does not want to make things
difficult for you"
[al-Baqarah 2:185]
The phrase, "so that you may be grateful to Him" shows that fasting is
a blessing for which we must give thanks. Hence some of the salaf used
to wish that the whole year was Ramadaan.
We ask Allaah to help youand guide you, and to open your heart to that
which will bring you happiness in this world and in the Hereafter.
And Allaah knows best.

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1] The punishment for breaking the fast in Ramadaan with no excuse

1]
I do not fast. Will I be punished on the Day of Resurrection?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Fasting in Ramadaan is one of the pillars on which Islam is built.
Allaah tells us that He has prescribed it for the believers of this
ummah [nation], as He prescribed it for those who came before them.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"O you who believe! Observing As-Sawm (the fasting) is prescribed for
you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may become
Al-Muttaqoon (the pious"
[al-Baqarah 2:183]
"The month of Ramadan in which was revealed theQur'aan, a guidance for
mankind and clear proofs for the guidance and the criterion (between
right and wrong). So whoever of you sights (the crescenton the first
night of) the month (of Ramadan i.e. is present at his home), he must
observe Sawm (fasts) that month, and whoever is ill or on a journey,
the same number[of days which one did not observe Sawm (fasts) must be
made up] from other days. Allaah intends for you ease, and He does not
want to make things difficult for you. (He wantsthat you) must
complete the same number (of days), and that you must magnify Allaah
[i.e. to say Takbeer (Allaahu Akbar: Allaah is the Most Great)] for
having guided you so that you may be grateful to Him"
[al-Baqarah 2:185]
Al-Bukhaari (8) and Muslim (16) narrated that Ibn 'Umar (may Allaah be
pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) said: "Islam is built on five (pillars): the
testimony that there is no god but Allaah and Muhammad is the
Messenger of Allaah; establishing prayer; paying zakaah; Hajj; and
fasting Ramadaan."
Whoever does not fast has abandoned one of thepillars of Islam, and is
committing a grave majorsin. Indeed some of the salaf were of the view
that he is a kaafir [disbeliever] and apostate– we seek refuge with
Allaah from that.
Abu Ya'la narrated in his Musnad from Ibn 'Abbaas (may Allaah be
pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) said: "The bonds of Islam and the bases of religion are
three, on which Islam was founded. Whoever gives up one of them
becomes a kaafir thereby and it is permissible to shed his blood: the
testimony that there is nogod but Allaah, the prescribed prayers and
fasting Ramadaan."
This hadeeth was classed as saheeh by al-Dhahabi, and as hasan by
al-Haythami in Majma' al-Zawaa'id, 1/48, and by al-Mundhiri in
al-Targheeb wa'l-Tarheeb,no. 805, 1486. Classed as da'eef by
al-Albaani in al-Silsilah al-Da'eefah, no. 94.
Al-Dhahabi said in al-Kabaa'ir, p. 64.
Whoever does not fast in Ramadaan without being sick or having any
other excuse that allows him not to fast is more evil than the
adulterer or drunkard, indeed they doubted his Islam and thought that
this was heresy.
A saheeh report which warns against not fasting was narrated by Ibn
Khuzaymah (1986) and Ibn Hibbaan (7491) from Abu Umaamah al-Baahili
who said: I heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) say: "Whilst I was sleeping two men came to me and
took my by the arm and brought me to a cragged mountain. They said,
'Climb up.' I said, 'I cannot.' They said, 'We will make it easy for
you.' So I climbed up until I wasat the top of the mountain. Then I
heard loud voices. I said, 'What are these voices?' They said, 'This
is the howling of the people of Hell." Then I was taken until I saw
people hanging by their hamstrings, with thesides of their mouths
tornand blood pouring from their mouths.' I said, 'Whoare these?' He
said, 'These are people who broke their fast before it was time.'"
Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Mawaarid al-Zam'aan, no.
1509.
Al-Albaani (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: This is the punishment
of those who fasted then broke the fast deliberatelybefore the time
for breaking the fast came, sowho about those who do not fast at all?
We ask Allaah to keep us safe andsound in this world and inthe
Hereafter.
Our advice to the brother who asked this question is to fear Allaah
and to beware of His wrath, vengeance and a painful punishment. He
should hasten to repent to Allaahbefore the destroyer of pleasures
that splits people apart [i.e., death] takes him unawares. Today there
is action and no reckoning, but tomorrow there will be the reckoning
and no action. Note that whoeverrepents, Allaah will accepthis
repentance, and whoever draws closer to Allaah one hand span, Allaah
will draw closer to him one cubit....

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