A Warning to Myself & Others

“Some of us are afraid of swallowing a droplet of water incase it corrupts our fast, but we are not half as afraid when it comes to eating our bothers' dead flesh; a crime which leads to bankruptcy in this life and the Next.” Allah said: {وَلَا یَغۡتَب بَّعۡضُكُم بَعۡضًاۚ أَیُحِبُّ أَحَدُكُمۡ أَن یَأۡكُلَ لَحۡمَ أَخِیهِ مَیۡتࣰا فَكَرِهۡتُمُوهُۚ} “Do not backbite one another. Would any of you like to eat the flesh of their dead brother? You would despise that! And fear Allah.” [Surah Al-Hujurât: 12] Narrated Abu Hurairah radhiyallahu anhu: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, “Do you know who is the bankrupt?” They said: “The bankrupt among us is one who has neither money with him nor any property.” He said, “The real bankrupt of my Ummah would be he who would come on the Day of Resurrection with Salat, Saum and Sadaqah (charity), (but he will find himself bankrupt as he will have exhausted the good deeds) because he reviled others, brought calumny against others, unlawfully devoured the wealth of others, shed the blood of others and beat others; so his good deeds would be credited to the account of those (who suffered at his hand). If his good deeds fall short to clear the account, their sins would be entered in his account and he would be thrown in the (Hell) Fire.” [Muslim] There's more to fasting than merely staying away from food & drink. If we don't realise this, then we will surely be deprived. Narrated Abu Hurairah radhiyallahu anhu: The Prophet ﷺ said: “Whoever does not leave false speech, and acting according to it, then Allah is not in any need of him leaving his food and his drink.” [Bukhari]