CONNECTING THE MONTH OF RAMADHAN WITH ISLAMIC FINANCE.

The Holy month of Ramadhan is very close. Muslims all over the world are welcoming this holy month with personal plans, strategies, conferences, seminars among others aiming to re-new, re-affirm and re-energize their faith(imaan). Here in Tanzania, on 22nd June, we shall have the 6th Annual Welcoming Ramadhan Conference with a theme 'Our Youth, Our Future' aiming to share and sensitize parents to take good care of their childrens in line with Islamic teachings as well as sensitize to increase good deeds in the Holy month.

MONTH OF RAMADHAN-A MONTH FOR CHANGE.

Fasting in the holy month of Ramadhan is very hard and annoying for some but it is blissful experience to others. Fasting in the month of Ramadhan together with its blessings takes us to a full month of spiritual rejuvination and rich of lessons to be applied for the remaining eleven months but to others is a month of thirst, hunger and lack of desires. Frankly speaking, it doesnt matter in which category you are, the month of Ramadhan comes with outstanding message to all of us which in three words, change your ways!It tells us to change our behaviours and habits, it tells us to change our daily routines, it tells us to change our understanding, it tells us to change our relationships, it tells us to change our attitudes, it tells us to change our ...towards being a better person, free from the shackle and slavery of desires and attachment to vanishing world towards opening our hearts to live as a full time slave of Almighty alone and alone.

Change is crucial and a must but not easy though. There are those who might fail ( may Allah serve us not to be among them) and their fasting is becoming meaningless in the sight of Allah. It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "Whoever does not give up false statements (i.e. telling lies), and evil deeds, and speaking bad words to others, Allah is not in need of his (fasting) leaving his food and drink." [Bukhari]‘Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “Fasting is not just (giving up) food and drink, rather it is giving up lying, falsehood and idle talk.” Jabir ibn ‘Abd-Allah al-Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “When you fast, then let your hearing, your sight and your tongue fast from lying and sin, stop abusing servants and be tranquil and dignified on the day when you fast. Do not let the day when you do not fast and the day when you fast be the same.”

While some of us make plans on what to do and change our ways on regards to Salah, Qur'an, Umrah and Hajj, Zakah to mention but few never forget to ponder on how you earn your livelihood and what is your relatioship with banks and insurance companies.

YOUR MEANS OF LIVELIHOOD, BANK AND INSURANCE.

Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (radhiallahu anhu) reports that the Prophet (salallahu alaihi wa sallam) said, “A time will come upon the people wherein a man will not bother what he intakes; whether from a halal source or haram.” (Bukhari). The fasting of the stomach implies its avoidance of unlawful things. Apart from the abstinence from food, drink and all that invalidates the fast during the days of Ramadan, it also requires avoidance of the prohibited things after breaking of the fast. Thus he does not eat from the proceeds of interest, for if he does so he will earn the anger of his Lord Most High. Allah says: “O you who attained faith! Do not gorge yourselves on usury, doubling and redoubling it” (3:130). Concerning this matter, the Prophet (SAW) declared: “God has cursed the one who eats the proceeds of interest, the one who gives it, the one who writes it, and the witness thereof; they are all the same.”

How can the stomach be considered fasting when it eats unlawful food gained from the wealth of orphans, interest, indemnity money, cheating and force? It was reported that Abu Bakr al Siddiq was eating one day when he questioned his servant about the origin of the food. The servant said from soothsaying, a practice he used to engage in prior to Islam. Abu Bakr became angry and vomited all that was in his stomach. On the whole, food stays in the stomach of the one who consumed it. Its traces remain with the flesh and blood. Thus any body that is nourished by unlawful food will find its destiny in the fire of hell ( May Allah serve us from the fire). “And devour not one another’s possessions wrongfully, and neither employ legal artifices with a view to devouring sinfully, and knowingly, anything that by right belongs to others” (2:188). “Behold, those who sinfully devour the possessions of orphans but fill their bellies with fire: for [in the life to come] they will have to endure a blazing flame”(4:10).

A muslim must be mindful on his ways to earn livelihood, his ways of banking and his ways of insuring himself or his properties. All of these must be in line with the teaching of Islam and stay away from prohibited dealings. What will your fast do good to you if you fast while your account earns interest, your money on current account used by conventional banks to generate interest, you are having interest based loans or fast while your house or car or business insurance are unislamic, your life insurance is unislamic, while next to your door there is an Islamic Bank or Islamic Insurance companies? What will you loose if your spend your money, time and intellect towards understanding Islamic Finance and to use its products?

WOE UNTO HE/SHE WHO DOESNT CHANGE.

Allah says : Say (O Muhammad SAW): "Not equal are Al-Khabith (all that is evil and bad as regards things, deeds, beliefs, persons, foods, etc.) and At-Taiyib (all that is good as regards things, deeds, beliefs, persons, foods, etc.), even though the abundance of Al-Khabith (evil) may please you." So fear Allah much [(abstain from all kinds of sins and evil deeds which He has forbidden) and love Allah much (perform all kinds of good deeds which He has ordained)], O men of understanding in order that you may be successful.(5:100). Abu Hurairah reported that the Prophet, salla Allahu alaihi wa sallam, climbed upon the mimbar (pulpit) and said: "Aameen [O Allah grant it], aameen, aameen". So it was said, "O Messenger of Allah, you climbed upon the mimbarand said : "aameen, aameen, aameen"? So he said :"Jibraa'eel, `alaihi assalam, came to me and said, 'Whoever reaches the month of Ramadan and does not have [his sins] forgiven and so enters Fire, then may Allah distance him, say aameen". So I said "aameen". [Ibn Khuzaimah, Ahmad and al-Baihaqi: Sahih]

Finally, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam tell us that " Whoever is deprived of its(Ramadhan) goodness, then he has truly been deprived."

May Allah make it easy to change for good, free us from hellfire and bestow on us its goodness. Ameen.