In the name of Allah

The All Compassionate, the All-Merciful

9 Ramadan 1447 (27 February 2026)

Islamic Universal Association

20 Penzance Place, Holland Park

London, W11 4 PG

www.arafeh.co.uk

 

Imam Ali (a.s)’s advice in the Nahjal-Balagha – Part 123

Allah (s.w.t) does not remove His blessings from people unless they change their own condition. This principle is explicitly established in the Holy Quran:

• Ayah 53 of Surah Al-Anfaal: “That is because God does not change favors He bestows upon people until they change what is in their own selves …”. 
• Ayah 11 of Surah Ar-Ra’d: “…Indeed, God does not change the condition of people until they change what is in themselves….”.
• Ayah 7 of Surah Ibrahim: “And your Lord made it known: “If you are grateful I will certainly give you more, and if you are ungrateful, My chastisement is truly severe.”

 

Factors that influence the preservation or loss of Allah (s.w.t)’s favors: 

• Showing gratitude (shukr) acts as a safeguard that sustains and increases blessings. Conversely, being ungrateful (kufr al-ni’mah) earns Allah (s.w.t)’s displeasure and can lead to withdrawal of favors.
• Persistently committing sins and disregarding divine commandments are major causes for the removal of blessings.
• Acts of injustice and pride can strip a person of his bounties, as seen in the Quranic example of Pharaoh.
• Sometimes, what appears to be the removal of a blessing is actually an act of divine protection or redirection.
• Allah (s.w.t) may remove blessings from your life because He sees hidden harm or bad influence that you cannot see.
• It is a core belief that when Allah (s.w.t) takes something away, He often intends to replace it with something better in this life or in the hereafter.
• Hardship can serve as a means of purifying the soul by expiation of sins and protecting the believer from a greater punishment.

 

Allah (s.w.t)’s divine justice and mercy

The following Ayahs highlight that people are only held accountable after receiving clear guidance and a warning through a messenger:

• Ayah 131 of Surah Al-An’am: “This (sending of messengers) is so because your Lord does not destroy any town unjustly while its people are unaware (of the truth).”
• Ayah 42 of Sural Al-Anfaal: “…he who perishes may perish after a clear proof; verily he who lives may live after a clear proof; verily God is all-Hearing, all-Knowing.”
• Ayah 59 of Surah Al-Qasas: “Your Lord destroys no town until He raises in its metropolis a messenger rehearing Our sign to them and We destroy no town unless its inhabitants were unjust people.”
• Ayah 24 of Surah Fatir: “Verily We sent you with the truth as a bearer of glad tidings and a warner. No one has ever been left without a Warner among them.” To be continued

 

Second sermon

Virtues of the holy month of Ramadan – Part 3

After highlighting the merits of Ramadan, the Holy Prophet (s.a) in his sermon enjoined fasting and recitation of the Holy Quran during Ramadan in order to keep the spirit of jihad alive in Muslims and to prepare them for the performance of their basic duty of establishing Islam as a system of life in this world. An extract from his sermon reads: “O People! It is the month of patience and the reward for patience is paradise. Remember the hunger and thirst of the Day of Judgement with your hunger and thirst. Give alms to the needy and the poor, honour the elderly, show kindness to the young, maintain relations with your relatives, guard your tongues, refrain from seeing or hearing that which are not permissible, show compassion to the orphans, sincerely seek Allah’s forgiveness for your sins and raise your hands in supplication during these times, for they are the best of times as Allah looks towards his creatures with kindness and answers their prayers and grants their needs if they invoke Him with sincerity.”

 

In view of the foregoing, the salient features of the Holy Prophet (s.a)’s advice are as follows:

1. Ramadan is the month of patience, endurance and perseverance and the reward for these is paradise. It is also the month of kindness and compassion, helping the poor and the needy, the wayfarers, honouring the old and supporting the young, especially taking care of the orphans. Caring for orphans is a cause particularly dear to the Holy Prophet (s.a)’s heart. He was himself an orphan and he has said: “The one who cares for an orphan will be together in paradise like this”, and he held his two fingers together to illustrate the proximity. (Safinat Al-Bihar V: 2 P: 731)
2. Good deeds are better during this month than other months. The Holy Prophet (s.a) has said: “One who has good morals (Akhlaq) especially during this month will pass through the ‘Bridge of Sirat’ on the Day of Judgement with ease.” This is so because Allah (s.w.t.) wishes to bestow His favours, provision, and blessings on His servants at this time.
3. Those who cover faults of others, curb their anger, spread kindness and treat their kindred well, Allah (s.w.t) will bestow His mercy upon them. However, those who sever ties of kinship will be deprived of His mercy.
4. One should visualise the hunger and thirst on the Day of Resurrection and think about the sufferings of the deprived and sympathise with those who are hungry.
5. According to the Holy Prophet (s.a) whoever provides iftar to a fasting individual even if it is as little as half a date or a glass of water, will be compensated with forgiveness of his sins and salvation of his soul. He will also receive a reward equal to freeing a slave. When someone remarked that everyone is not in a position to provide iftar, the Holy Prophet (s.a) advised that even a glass of water would suffice in such cases and the doer would receive the reward.
6. During this month, Allah (s.w.t) forgives His servants and obliterates sins, dismisses shortcomings/lapses, exalts stations, multiplies good deeds, answers prayers and liberates the soul from the fire of hell. Moreover, He engulfs those who fast with His bounties, pleasure and gifts. We should therefore supplicate Him with sincerity and perform long prostrations and seek forgiveness for our sins and transgressions.