Dancing With Joy This Ramadan (2009)

Dancing With Joy This Ramadan & Making it Your Best Yet! Asad R Khan, PhD, MAC Trainer & Life Coach Ark2Ark.com

The Programme Overview
A half-day event inspiring you to live like the companions of the Prophet for 30 days by showing you how to:
Fortify your Iman and social relationships.
Detoxify your body, heart, soul, mind & life.
Internalise the most important aspects of Ramadan.
Gain the true sweetness of Taqwa (Allah-Awareness).
Be in bliss, happiness and ecstasy most of the time.
Overcome anger, resentment & other negative emotions.
Earn easy extra points & bank them for the Hereafter.
This workshop will help you have a clear idea of:
The Purpose of Ramadan & Your Special Mission
A Personal Plan of Enhancing Worship & Positive Action
Some Specific Goals & Targets that You Want to Achieve
How to Maximise Your Time After Ramadan in High-Value Activities

Today: 5 Key Areas
Islam, Iman & Ihsan
The Value of Time
Good Deeds
Body & Person
Personal Plan
Know the beauty of Ramadan :
Know Your Creator : Know Yourself

What is Ramadan?
"Ramadan is the (month) in which the Quran was sent down, as a guide to mankind and a clear guidance and judgment (so that mankind will distinguish from right and wrong).." (Q 2:185)

STICK TO IT!
Abu Umamah reported: "I came to the Messenger of Allah and said: 'Order me to do a deed that will allow me to enter Paradise.' He said: 'Stick to fasting, as there is no equivalent to it.' Then I came to him again and he said: 'Stick to fasting."' [Ahmad, an-Nasa'i, and al-Hakim].

Ex : Choose a Metaphor
Metaphors are a great way to deal with realities in a simplified way.
Think of some metaphors for Ramadan and your place in it…..
Season / galaxy / house / era / world / …
SEASON OF BLOSSOMING

The Purpose of Ramadan
On the Day of Judgement, "Fasting will say: O My Lord I prevented him from food and desires so accept my intercession for him." [Ahmad, al-Haakim and Abu Nu'aim, Hasan]
There are in the month of Ramadhan in every day and night those to whom Allah grants freedom from the Fire , and there is for every Muslim an supplication which he can make and will be granted ." [al-Bazzaar, Ahmad, Saheeh]
O believers! Fasting is prescribed for you As it was prescribed for those before you: that you may attain God-Awareness (learn self-restraint/Taqwa). (Surah al-Baqarah, 183)

Meaning of Taqwa
Literal = To protect & preserve
The root of Taqwa is the verb وقي which means to be careful, cautious, weary and most clearly to protect oneself. The word wiqāyah from the same verb means to protect and was so given to a shield for example in the old days and is used for the word ‘preservative’ in our times because it protects the product from being destroyed.
Legal = various forms of description depending on context of citation, but generally means to be ‘extraordinarily careful’
There are many Quranic ayahs:
> “O you who believe! Fear (aquire taqwa of) Allah & let every soul see what he has sent forward for tomorrow. Fear Allah! Verily Allah is aware of what you do.” (59:18)
FEAR mentioned twice: first for past sins, second to refrain from future sins (Imam Qurtubi).
> “Fear Allah as He is supposed to be Feared & die not except in a state of Islam” (3:102)
Ibn Masood commentates on this that it means:
to obey Him & not disobey Him,
to remember Him and not to forget Him &
to thank Him and not be ungrateful”
> The most honoured by Allah amongst you are those best in taqwa."[49:13]

Taqwa
Is the best of provision for this world & the hereafter
From Muadh ibn Jabl, Prophet (s) said:
Fear Allah wherever you are, follow up a mistake with kindness (for it eradicates it) & approach people with good manners.
Imam Ali:
Taqwa is to fear the All Mighty;
to act upon the Revelation;
to be content with little &
to prepare for the Day of Travel.

Taqwa
Omar ibn Abdul Aziz =
Taqwa is not fasting by day and standing for prayers at night. Rather it is to refrain from what Allah has prohibited and act upon what He has mandated. Whoever is granted anything beyond (this level of obedience), he has been given goodness upon goodness .(!)

Taqwa
Ibn Rajab = The Essence of Taqwa is to make a shield (which guards) against Allah’s anger & punishment. That shield is to obey His commands & abstain from His Prohibitions. Perfect Taqwa requires that one performs all voluntary & recommended acts as well as refraining from all reprehensible & dubious acts. This is the ultimate form of Taqwa.

Imam Ali’s Advice on Taqwa
The description of al-Mutaqeen

Ex : Choices & Habits
What are you??
What does it mean to be a human being?
What does it mean to be a muslim?
What does it mean to be a mumin?
What does it mean to be a muhsin?
The courageous person dies once, the coward dies a thousand times!
Repetition is the mother of all skill.

Ex : Quranic Character
Muminoon (23)
Furqan (25)
Luqman (31)
Ad-dhariyat (51)
Maarij (70)
Attitude + Discipline
Effort + Attainment
Intention + Understanding

ALLAH
List how you want to gain closeness to your Creator
List why you want this closeness
List what you are prepared to do to gain this
List what would happen if you did not gain this?

Ex: Who is Your Lord?
Right down your thoughts about Him
Do you know Him & His Qualities?
What do you think He needs?
What reaches Him
What does He want of you?
What will you present to Him when you MEET HIM?
Don’t you think He Cares for you?

The Immense Power of Asking
"When My servants ask thee concerning Me, I am indeed close (to them): I listen to the prayer of every suppliant when he calleth on Me: let them also, with a will, listen to My call, and believe in Me: that they may walk in the right way." (Q 2:186)

In-Can-Tations
Authority, Intensity, Emotion
There is no feeling in a to-do list: its not associated with your person
Get passed personal blind spots (scitsoma) – people delude themselves into thinking I can / I cannot.
Repeat the goal in the positive, affirmative, present, doing sense

In-Can-Tations
“I am getting closer to my Creator”
“I am feeling His love radiate in me daily”
“I know He is watching over me always”
“I am shy to let Him see me commit sins”
“I am moving by the Grace of my Maker”
“I know He loves me more than anything”
“I will never move without involving Him”
“I am a reflection of His Goodness”

Ex : Power Moves
Make your move to breakthrough to the next level of achievement.
Remove –ve’s
Adopt +ve’s

TIME FOR GROWTH
Take Benefit of 5 before 5:
Time < Busy
Youth < Old Age
Health < Sickness
Wealth < Poverty
Life < Death
Feet of the Son of Adam will not move from His lord till 5 answered:
Youth – what done?
Time – how spent?
Money – how acquired & how spent?
How acted upon the knowledge gained

Time
Value of Time; shortage = less than a day!
Clock ticking, & ONLY one way = forwards
Life = Time = activity of the heart + limbs
No life without Plan
24 x 60 = 1440 minutes
x 30 = 43,200 minutes
Ramadan sectioned into 3:
Rahma – prepare the ground
Maghfira – plant the seeds
Itqum-min-nar – reap the fruits

UNDERSTANDING TIME
Chronos v Kairos = Ancient Greek terms
Chronos = With time
Kairos = Through time
Its not only how long you live,
its how you live

Ex : TIME 4 CHANGE
How long are you to continue in the same way?
When are you going to step-up?
You MUST make the decision to change your ways to really get close to your MAKER & BE ILLUMINATED
LAST CHANCE – HOW MUCH DO YOU VALUE IT??
WHAT ARE YOU PREPARED TO GIVE-UP FOR IT??
NO CHANGE WITHOUT SACRIFICE
Ask: How can I spend Time on the things I really want, enjoy & will bring lasting peace and success?

IHSAN / TAQWA
Ihsan = Perfection / Excellence / Proficiency
Spiritual ecstasy = closeness & awareness
Expansion of Mind + Heart
Not just knowledge, but Insight
What do you see, how do you see?
Firasah + Baseerah

5 Levels of Psycho-Spirituality
The human soul has 5 faculties (or spirits) from Surah Nuh (24:35)
The Sensory Spirit (Niche): info from senses recorded
The Imaginative Spirit (Glass): records info conveyed by senses & presents it to the Intelligential Spirit above. The glass is a protective, refined material till transparent – to let in light from ideas of intelligence.

5 Levels of Psycho-Spirituality
The Intelligential Spirit (Lamp): apprehends ideas beyond the spheres of sense & imagination. These ideas are of universal application; gives cognisance of Divine Ideas
The Discursive Spirit (Tree): takes data from pure reason, combines them, & deduces from them abstract (illuminating) knowledge.
The Transcendental Prophetic Spirit (Oil): possessed by Prophets + some saints. Absolutely luminous, clear – luminous of self, independent of what Angels provide. 3 types: (1) theology = statutes of law; (2) science of realm celestial & terrestial; (3) science of deity.

Essence of Ibadah?
What is the real spirit of ibadah?
Islam = Integrated whole = inner + outer parts
Can’t expect to do good in one area of life whilst cheating yourself in another.
Must try to do more good and decrease disfavoured acts.
The more we try, the sweeter it gets…!
Essence of Worship = Dua
And Athkar is the Greatest

GOOD DEEDS
Towards: Allah, People, Self
Best = small + continuous
Why?
Essence = to gain Allah’s favour
Birr = good deeds towards people
Relationships
Giving & Forgiving

Good Deeds
BLOOM TIME!!
HASANAT: 10-700 TIMES ++++
INFINITE
GRACE,
MERCY &
REWARDS

Good Deeds
Narrated Abu Dharr:
Allah's Apostle (saw) said: that Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, stated: 'He who comes with goodness, there are in store for him ten like those and even more than those : 'And he who comes with vice,' it is only for that that he is called to account.
I even forgive him (as I like and he who draws close to Me by the span of a palm I draw close to him by the cubit, and he who draws close to Me by the cubit I draw close to him by the space (covered) by two hands, and he who walks towards Me I rush towards him, and he who meets Me in the state that his sins fill the earth, but not associating anything with Me, I would meet Him with the same (vastness) of pardon (on My behalf)."
This hadith has been transmitted on the authority of Waki'.

Good Deeds
The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) addressed his companions on the last day of Sha`ban, saying, "Oh people! A great month has come over you; a blessed month; a month in which is a night better than a thousand months; month in which Allah has made it compulsory upon you to fast by day, and voluntary to pray by night.
Whoever draws nearer (to Allah) by performing any of the (optional) good deeds in (this month) shall receive the same reward as performing an obligatory deed at any other time, and whoever discharges an obligatory deed in (this month) shall receive the reward of performing seventy obligations at any other time .
It is the month of patience, and the reward of patience is Heaven. It is the month of charity, and a month in which a believer's sustenance is increased. Whoever gives food to a fasting person to break his fast, shall have his sins forgiven, and he will be saved from the Fire of Hell, and he shall have the same reward as the fasting person, without his reward being diminished at all." [Narrated by Ibn Khuzaymah]

Internal & External Activities
Patience, perseverance, gratitude, forgiveness, internal balance, empathy for the poor and starving, unity, spirituality, God-consciousness etc…
Assisting People: mount, carrying things
Fulfilling People’s Needs: £, items,
Keeping Promises
Maintaining Punctuality
Upholding Truth & Justice
Sharing Food, Time, Talent & other Gifts
Solving Problems

WHOLE BODY Experience
Habit = Integrated
Transformation = Decision + ACTION
Amanah = Endowments
Conscience
Self-Awareness
Independent Will
Creative Imagination

About HEALTH…
1/3, 1/3, 1/3
A MORSEL IS SUFFICIENT FOR THE SON OF ADAM TO KEEP HIS BACK STRAIGHT
Break with dates / water
Eat wholesome foods: fresh fruits, vegetables, dairy products, lentils, meat, fish etc
Keep away from too much fried foods

Ex : Power Moves
Remove –ve’s
Adopt +ve’s

Look: What’s Your Level?
He who is amongst those who pray will be called from the gate of the prayer (in Paradise) and he who is from the people of Jihad will be called from the gate of Jihad, and he who is from those' who give in charity (i.e. Zakat) will be called from the gate of charity, and he who is amongst those who observe fast will be called from the gate of fasting, the gate of Raiyan ." Abu Bakr said, "He who is called from all those gates will need nothing," He added, "Will anyone be called from all those gates, O Allah's Apostle?" He said, "Yes, and I hope you will be among those, O Abu Bakr." [Bukhari]

COMPETE!!
Wa sari’oo ila magfirah
As-sabiqoon-as-Sabiaqoon
Race / Vie / Compete
Better Personal Performance
The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) says, "Ramadan has come to you. (It is) a month of blessing, in which Allah covers you with blessing, for He sends down Mercy, decreases sins and answers prayers. In it, Allah looks at your competition (in good deeds), and boasts about you to His angels . So show Allah goodness from yourselves, for the unfortunate one is he who is deprived in (this month) of the mercy of Allah, the Mighty, the Exalted." [Narrated by Tabarani]

Fasting is a Shield
"Fasting is a shield with which a servant protects himself from the Fire." [Ahmad, Saheeh]
Internal state
Ward of evil: protection from onslaught of shaytan
Sabr + Shukr
Taqwa + Tawakkul
Ilm + Aml + Haal
Input + Output
Fasting, just like Taqwa,is a shield ,
Protection from Khatira & Waswasa

Ex : List your Common Inner Dialogue/s
What to do in your personal time?
What you think about when travelling?
How do you think about others?
What do you get caught-up into easily?

GIVE-UP FALSEHOOD: NOW!!
If one does not give up speaking falsehood and acting by it, God does not require him to give up eating and drinking (Bukhari)
Many are the people who fast but who gain nothing from their fast except hunger + thirst; & many are those who stand praying all night but gain nothing except sleeplessness (Darimi)

BREAK FROM SIN
Allah's Apostle 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] ...
Narrated Abu Huraira(r.a): The Prophet said:"... whoever fasts during Ramadan out of sincere faith and hoping to attain Allah's rewards, then all his past sins will be forgiven." (Sahih Al-Bukhari).

Don’t Stack-up then Mash-up!!
Sin – Be aware!
Tongue, Heart, Mind, Limbs
Taqwa
Makes the path easy
Clears away ill & wrong deeds
Enlarges the reward (65:4-5)

Ex : Power Moves
Remove –ve’s
Adopt +ve’s

SURRENDER FULLY
How many people gain nothing from their fasting except hunger and thirst? How many people gain nothing from their standing in prayer except exhaustion? (The Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him)

SEEK PENITENCE
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 hellfire seventy years further away from his face." This is related by "the group," except for Abu Dawud .

Ex : List Negative Deeds
To help you get started:
Backbiting / slander / over-praising / vain talk / Name calling
Cheating / fraud / deception /
Lying / stealing / injuring /
Viewing illegal material / prolonged gazing

Ex: Releasing the Guilt
Think of all the time that has gone by so far?
Think of the opportunities wasted ?
Think of how much time is spent on lesser aspects?
Think of the crimes and sins you’ve committed?
Think how your Lord watched you doing all these things?
Think of how many times He turned away from you whilst you engaged in such things?
Think of how many times He helped thereafter despite letting yourself down?

Levels of Spiritual Fast + Taqwa
Level 1 = To abstain from eating + drinking + marital relationships from dawn to sunset + to perform the five daily prayers + Tarawih prayers
Level 2 = Level 1 + to abstain from the sins of the tongue, eyes and feet.
Level 3 = Levels 1+2+ to observe and abstain from all sins of the sensual organs of the body
Level 4 = Level 3 + to use your heart & call to Allah in all worship you do, using the sensual organs to do good deeds by fulfilling the rights of Allah + the creation, and practicing the amal of ramadan

Levels of Spiritual Fast + Taqwa
Level 5 = Level 4+ to abstain from sinful thoughts
Level 6 = Level 5+ to use your heart + mind to remember, ponder and contemplate the creation of Allah and the Day of Judgement
Level 7 = Level 6+ to use your heart + mind to truly focus on Allah + His beloved Messenger, to reflect on his life struggles & build immense love for him
Level 8 = To be totally absorbed in the Love of Allah & reflect on his grand design, masterful creation and the onwards journey toward him.

Asad’s Mission & Targets
My Mission
To satisfy the means of reaching Allah (Fasting, Charity, Qiyam, Sil-ar-Rahm) in order to reach the objective of these means: taqwa & ta’ulluq-billAllah
My Vision
To be in harmony with my Lord and His creation so that I am calm & joyful at all times.

Asad’s Activities
Some of My Targets Areas:
Parents, Wife & Asiya
Neighbours: care & share
Sadaqa: donate regularly
Dzikr – morning, evening, after every salah
Dua – all times: for afiya, rizq,
Taubah – often, after salah, when waiting,
Quran: complete tilawah + more
Qiyam-al-layl - nightly
Aml-as-Salih
Work / Business
‘ Itikaf

MAKING DECISIONS
Should?
Could?
Would?
MUST!!
What is the role of Intention & Understanding?

PEAK PERFORMANCE
GUT FEELING TO DO SOMETHING
MAKE A MASSIVE CHANGE
WHOLE-BODY EXPERIENCE
SHIFT MIND-SETS
RAISED SELF-AWARENESS + ESTEEM
KNOW YOUR AIM + PURPOSE
WORK REGULARLY
DO YOUR BEST
MAINTAIN SPIRIT & CONFIDENCE

Generate Exceptional Power
By using a thinking process that moves you towards Greater Results:
Physiology : Healthy Body for Healthy Mind
Language : Questions
Focus : is the ultimate power that our Creator has given us that can change the way we think, the way we feel & what we do – in a moment
Extraordinary People have an Extraordinary Psychology!

OPA
Outcome: What do you really want?
Purpose: Why do you want it?
Action: How are you going to make it happen?
Purpose creates drive to work on multiple goals
Passion is the genesis to genius
Spirit & Creativity are vital life forces that grant you the freedom to create a life that you want.

Ex : YOUR PERSONAL PLAN
MISSION STATEMENT
VISION
AIM/s
GOALS / TARGETS
WHAT / WHEN / HOW / HOW MUCH?

30-day Challenge
To fully understand the meaning of Ibadah
Complete surrender to the Creator at all times, in all situations, for all activities.
“ I have not created jinn and mankind except to worship me.” (51:56)

After Ramadan
Powerful, lasting feeling of Ramadan is to be continued into Shawal, Dhul Qhada, Dhul Hijja and beyond!
Sustain Momentum by focussing on targets and habits.
Don’t be slip back!
Perform activities on TIME
Seek to increase: extra prayers (Shukr, Tawbah, Hajja, Istikhara)

Special Bonus
Listen! Most of you will forget this by the time you get home; by tomorrow you’ll have a memory of what happened. By the 3 rd day you’ll be following normal habits.
First few to buy the MPPPL Workbook will get free Coaching & Support for the duration of Ramadan

Conclusion
You have understood the Purpose of Ramadan & Taqwa
You have gained clarity on who Allah is & what Allah wants of you
You have understood that Life = Time & how to value it
Ramadan is a training ground in which to maximise good deeds &
Break loose from SIN
You know how to build will power, self-esteem & momentum
You know to how to keep connected, keep in completion, and keep in touch!

Dancing With Joy This Ramadan (2009)

by Asad Khan on Dec 31, 2009

Accessibility

Categories

Tags

Upload Details

Usage Rights

2 Embeds 234

Statistics

Dancing With Joy This Ramadan (2009) — Presentation Transcript

http://www.ark2ark.com	233
http://www.slideshare.net	1