Ramadan 1432

For those whose eyes of the heart are opened, one day of the blessed month of Ramadan is worth a thousand months. A thousand months is a whole long human life. So it seems appropriate that we should try to follow in our daily lives the advice which our Imam Hd. Abu Hanifa, r.a. gave to his son Hammad:

1- Fear your Lord; forbid yourself to do that which He forbade you to do.

2- Seek knowledge at all times and shy away from ignorance.

3- Befriend only people with whom you have mutual interests, both in worldly and spiritual
affairs.

4- Oppose the extravagant demands of your ego; try to satisfy your needs only to keep
yourself alive, healthy and safe.

5- Never be an enemy to anyone, and never cause stress and pain to anyone.

6- Be satisfied with what you have and do not complain.

7- Work hard and earn enough so that you won't need others' care and help.

8- Never look down on anyone and think yourself better.

9- Do not intervene in affairs which do not concern you.

10- Be kind and considerate with all people, speak softly, love the ones who do good, and try
to get along even with those who do wrong.

11- Remember your Lord and His messenger often; be thankful and praise them.

12- Remember also your wrongdoings and repent by the words of the Beloved of Allah:

Allahumma anta Rabbi la ilaha illa anta, khalaqtani wa ana abduka, wa ana 'ala ahdika wa wa'dika mastata'tu, a'udhu bika min sharri ma sana'tu, abu'u laka bini'matika 'alayya, wa abu'u bidhanbi faghfirli, innahu la yaghfirud-dhunuba illa ant.

My Lord, there is none but You worthy to worship. You created me. I am Your servant. I try to fulfill my promise to You as best as I can. I take refuge in You from my wrongdoings. I confess that I have sinned and I beg your forgiveness. There is none but You Who will have mercy on me.

13- Read Allah's words in the Holy Quran daily and offer the reward you hope to receive to
the blessed soul of our Prophet, and to the souls of your parents, and to the souls of all
the Muslims who have passed away.

14- Beware of the harm which may come from your friends, more than being aware of your
enemies, for the harm which may come from them may not be expected.

15- Keep your beliefs, your thoughts, your path, your secrets to yourself, and do not
befriend those whom you do not fully trust.

16- Be kind and considerate towards your neighbors; never disrupt their peace or cause
them any harm.

17- Hold on to your religion and live your days as a Muslim. Do not let any part of other
faiths come into your life.

18- Be sincere in your words, your actions and your relations with others, and gain your
livelihood lawfully according to your religion.

19- Keep at heart five traditions of our Prophet, five chosen from 500,000, and let them be
your principal guides in your life:

a- Let your deeds be the materialization of your good intentions. Man can only hope for
rewards for his good intentions.

b- One of the beauties of a Muslim is that he is clear of things that do not concern him.

c- If you do not wish for others that which you want for yourself, your faith is
incomplete.

d- You know what is lawful and what is unlawful. In between the two there is an area
where man has doubt, as it is not clear whether things are right or wrong. He who
considers these things as unlawful will save his faith and his well being. And,
whoever participates in them will end up sinning. Be like a shepherd who lets his
flock graze in a field adjacent to his master's orchard, and who prevents the sheep
from entering that orchard. Allah's forbidden orchard is what he ordained as
unlawful. There is a lump of flesh within man's chest. If that lump is well, all is well.
If it is unwell, the whole being is unwell. That piece of meat in your chest is the
heart.

e- The true Muslim is he from whose hands and tongue all is safe.

20- Have faith in Allah the Almighty and think well of Him. Live your life between the fear of
Allah and hope of Allah. Just as you fear His punishment, do not ever lose hope of His
Mercy and Compassion.

We humbly say these words; may Allahu Teala make their effect in your hearts and minds.

Love, Tosun Baba