President-Executive Message – February 2024
Prepare for a Ramadan like No Other
As we approach the greatest month of the year, there is an immense opportunity that awaits us.
As a community, and as an ummah, we are living in one of the most difficult periods in our history. We watch as a genocide unfolds to our brothers and sisters in Gaza while our political leaders remain silent. We feel a sense of collective weakness of the ummah.
The Prophet (pbuh) gave us a stark warning about times such as these:
يوشك الأمم أن تداعى عليكم كما تداعى الأكلة إلى قصعتها، فقال قائل: ومن قلة نحن يومئذ؟ قال: بل أنتم يومئذ كثير ولكنكم غثاء كغثاء السيل، ولينزعن الله من صدور عدوكم المهابة منكم، وليقذفن الله في قلوبكم الوهن، فقال قائل يا رسول الله: وما الوهن؟ قال حب الدنيا وكراهية الموت”
The Prophet (pbuh) said: ‘A time will come when nations will descend upon you like predators descend upon their prey.’ Someone asked: Is that because we will be few in number on that day? The Prophet (pbuh) responded: ‘You indeed will be great in number, but you will be like the foam of rushing water (ie lack weight or power). And Allah will remove from the hearts of your enemies the fear of your nation, and Allah will place in your hearts ‘al-wahn’ Someone asked: What is al-wahn oh Prophet of Allah. The Prophet (pbuh) responded: ‘love of this life (dunya) and hatred of death’.
This hadith reminds us that any weakness in our ummah starts with an internal weakness in our iman. As Allah (swt) says: Allah will not change the condition of a people, until they change the conditions of their own selves.
This is why Ramadan for us this year is an incredible opportunity. By embracing this month with sincerity and resolve to grow closer to Allah, we have the opportunity to detach our hearts from this dunya and connect it to the love of Allah. We have the opportunity of yearning for Allah’s meeting rather than being afraid of death. By resolving to change our hearts, we have the opportunity to begin a process towards strengthening our community and our ummah.
May Allah allow us to live to Ramadan, may Allah allow us to change our condition in Ramadan, may Allah accept our deeds in Ramadan and forgive our sins.
Your brother,
Abdullatif Bakbak
